The domestic 2025 MLB season kicked off on Thursday and the very first game of Opening Day took place in the Bronx. The defending AL champion New York Yankees hosted the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium, and it didn't take long for the fireworks to start for the home side.

In fact, it took almost no time at all. After the Brewers were retired to complete the first half-inning of the year, catcher Austin Wells got up to bat leadoff for the Yankees. With a 2-0 count Wells mashed a deep ball to right field that flew over the wall to give New York a 1-0 lead and give Wells a leadoff home run. It was the first home run of the 2025 season.

It was also a first in MLB history. With his home run, Wells became the first catcher ever to hit a leadoff home run on Opening Day.

It is always impressive when a player makes sports history but feels all the more so when it's baseball history, given MLB is over 100 years old. It is very hard to accomplish something nobody else has ever accomplished when records have been kept for well over a century.

Yet here we are. Wells's name is now in the history books. What a moment.

The Baltimore Orioles have signed 37-year-old veteran starter Kyle Gibson to a one-year deal worth $5.25 million, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of

The addition of Gibson comes after Grayson Rodriguez got hurt in spring training and will begin the regular season on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. Gibson has made at least 30 starts in each of the past four seasons, and is back in Baltimore for a second stint after spending the 2023 season with the Orioles.

Gibson owns a career 4.52 ERA across his 12 seasons as a professional, and has 1,510 career strikeouts.

Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to 10-man Everton in the Premier League on Monday night highlights the job Ruben Amorim still has on his hands at Old Trafford.

Kiernan Drewsbury-Hall’s effort in the first half was enough to secure all three points for David Moyes’ men, which will no doubt leave the Red Devils boss scratching his head.

His men spent 77 minutes with a one-man advantage, but none of his first-team squad could pop up with the goods to extend their unbeaten run in England’s top-flight.

Despite spending £200m on a new attacking trio over the summer, the Red Devils looked largely toothless in front of goal, as seen by their tally of 100% big chances missed.

However, the manager will desperately want added reinforcements in the upcoming January window to aid him in his quest for success during his time at Old Trafford.

United’s hunt for added attacking signings in January

Over the last couple of weeks, Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo has been identified as just one player whom United are targeting for the January transfer window.

The Ghanaian international has been in remarkable form during the early stages of 2025/26, with the winger already netting six goals and three assists in just 11 appearances for the Cherries.

However, Amorim’s men aren’t alone in the pursuit of the 25-year-old, with Arsenal and Liverpool just two other top-flight clubs seeking a £65m move for his signature.

He’s not the only player on the Red Devils’ shortlist, with Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior a player who INEOS are potentially considering a move for in the coming months.

According to The Mirror, the Brazilian international could leave the LaLiga giants in the coming months, with the forward having just 19 months left on his current deal – leading to keen interest from the Red Devils.

It also states his recent bust-up with senior members at the Bernabeu could see them cash in on his services to avoid losing him for nothing in the near future.

How Vinicius Junior compares to Bryan Mbeumo

As part of their £200m spending spree in the summer, United forked out a reported £71m on the services of forward Bryan Mbeumo from fellow Premier League side Brentford.

The Cameroonian generated huge excitement within the Red Devils fanbase after netting 20 times in the league last season, with the 26-year-old already making an excellent start to life at Old Trafford.

He’s already netted five goals in his first 12 league outings for the club, with such a tally currently making him the top goalscorer within Amorim’s squad.

However, his showing against Everton yesterday was one to forget, with the attacker struggling to provide the goods amid the absence of Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha.

Mbeumo was only able to register a single effort on target whilst also failing to complete any of his three attempted dribbles – further highlighting his lack of impact in the final third.

There’s no doubt he’s been a shrewd addition to date, but ultimately, he hasn’t been able to get near the levels produced by Vinicius during his opening matches in LaLiga.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats this campaign, the Brazilian has massively outperformed Mbeumo – showcasing why he’d be a better addition for the Red Devils.

Vinicius, who’s been dubbed the “best in the world” by Thierry Henry, has racked up more combined goals and assists this season – subsequently handing Amorim a more threatening option in front of goal.

He’s also registered more key passes and more passes into the final third per 90, with such numbers allowing those around him to be on the end of more chances in attacking areas.

Games played

13

12

Goals & assists

9

6

Progressive carries

8.9

2.8

Progressive passes

4.8

2.7

Pass accuracy

80%

73%

Key passes

2.9

1.7

Passes into final third

1.9

1.5

Take-on success

38%

33%

Carries into final third

2.9

1.9

The Brazilian’s all-round dominance over Mbeumo is further highlighted in his higher take-on success and greater tally of carries into the final third per 90, which showcases his ability to go alone when needed.

A player of Vini Jr’s quality would cost a small fortune in today’s market, with such a move likely to break the club’s current transfer record of £89m paid for Paul Pogba.

However, it would be a deal worth every penny, with the winger having all of the tools to take the United frontline to the next level for many years to come under Amorim’s guidance.

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Past history counts for little, says coach Ratnayake, as co-hosts return to action after two-week hiatus

Madushka Balasuriya10-Oct-20251:26

‘Sri Lanka are excited about the big stage’

It’s been a longer wait than most for Sri Lanka between their first and second games this World Cup. Since playing the tournament opener on September 30, a wash-out against Australia means their match against England on Saturday comes after a near two-week gap. So unsurprisingly, they are a side that’s itching to get back out in the middle.Against England though they’ll be up against a side they’ve beaten just once in WODIs in 18 attempts. But for coach Rumesh Ratnayake, dwelling on such records makes little sense.”The last meeting will be tomorrow,” said Ratnayake on the eve of the game. “So those are the things which we will encourage them with just before the match. But in our preparation we talk of the present, and we talk of the present team and where they are and what we can do.”What our strengths will be against them, and where we are going to bowl – if it is bowling – at a particular batter at what stage. So we have broken it into three stages, that’s just an example. And even in our batting, I think what we want most is patience and discipline.””That’s what we lacked maybe against India, not deliberate, but it needs more focus so that it could be established.”Coming into this game, Sri Lanka have had a fair bit of time to ponder on that defeat to India. Having had the hosts reeling on 124 for 6, they let the game slip. But even so, a chase of a target a shade under 250 should not have been beyond them.After that game skipper Chamari Athapaththu had not held back in her assessment of her side’s shortcomings, calling on her batters to shoulder more responsibility going forward. And in the build-up to this game, plans surrounding their batting have featured heavily.Related

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“In our batting, the girls are really up to it and wanting to do well,” Ratnayake said. “That’s a huge plus because they know it’s a big stage. Sometimes we need to bring it down and say it’s just another match. But they are excited about this big stage. To capitalise on that, to maximise on that, they need to have runs on the scoreboard. They are aware of that. They are also aware that somebody, at least one or two, should bat till the end.”One of the more prevalent themes across this tournament, particularly for matches played in Colombo, has been a tendency for batting to get easier as the innings has gone on. This has left a lopsided run-scoring burden on lower order batters towards the end of an innings. For Sri Lanka, who lack any real batting prowess beyond the top seven, Ratnayake feels they will need at least one batter to take it deep to ensure they effectively exploit conditions at the tail-end of the innings.”We actually spoke about this in detail, about how those coming lower down the order – even below number seven – need to score more. Our main responsibility, is that top seven needs to score the most runs. We’re addressing it differently, because even in the last game no one scored even 50 – not that 50 would have been enough.”We’ve spoken about how you need to bat deep – at least one of the top six needs to hang around. It’s because none of those batters hung around that we were unable to chase down India’s score.”What we have learned from the spinning wickets is about those who have scored runs. Like [Beth] Mooney. Her batting discipline, her focus, and the ability to do what was needed in those situations. So we need to learn from that.”The extra preparation time leading up to this game has also allowed the Sri Lankans to extensively analyse this England side, weaning through their strengths and weaknesses and how exactly to make use of any advantages they might have over such an experienced outfit.”England is a very experienced side, even though they don’t have left-handers they are quite well equipped, so we understand their strengths, we know what they’re strong at and we’ve seen them do it all so to speak, and we believe that we are ready to sort of counter-attack that and do the best we can in the best way we could.”With our coaches, we scrutinised every batter of the English team – not just their top seven, we analysed their top nine. But the time for observing is over, now we need to take ownership of the situation, and go out there and perform.”

It would be easy to say that this is becoming a season to forget for Liverpool, but Arne Slot’s Reds have in actual fact sunk so low that this wretched campaign will be seared into the fanbase’s memory for years to come.

The Premier League champions have lost nine of their past 12 matches in all competitions, including twice at Anfield in a space of just five days. This is beyond concerning: this is a calamity.

For all the mitigating circumstances at the Merseyside club, there is simply no excuse for the lack of fight and intensity that fans have watched all too often since the summer, Liverpool having established themselves as title winners and broken the summer spending record.

Alexander Isak is the most expensive player in British history, joining Liverpool from Newcastle United for £125m on deadline day.

His only goal since joining came against Southampton in the Carabao Cup. The Sweden striker has not integrated well, though it’s not exactly easy to dovetail into this current Liverpool side.

He needs more support, and that’s why sporting director Richard Hughes is surveying the market for a new wide forward to replace Mohamed Salah.

Why Liverpool want to replace Mohamed Salah

Salah’s struggles this season must be viewed through a wide and balanced lens. The 33-year-old has been wildly out of sorts, but he’s ageing, grieving the passing of his teammate Diogo Jota and playing a tweaked role now that Liverpool have signed big-money strikers.

Taking all this into consideration, he’s still struggling to perform to the expected level. This is perhaps why Liverpool are gearing up for winter bid for Bournemouth’s versatile forward Antoine Semenyo, who has a £65m release clause.

But should Liverpool be aiming higher? After all, they need to land an elite winger who will succeed in rekindling Isak’s world-class quality.

Well, they may have found their man in Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, with Spanish sources suggesting that Liverpool are prepared to fight for the 23-year-old’s signature next summer.

Olise joined Bayern from Crystal Palace in 2024 and has since staked his claim as one of the most exciting forwards in the business. Vincent Kompany’s side know this and will demand a staggering €140m (equating to £122m) sum for his sale.

Arsenal and Manchester United are also keen, so Hughes had better roll up his sleeves.

Why Liverpool should sign Michael Olise

It might have been an unhappy return to English shores for Olise this week as his Bayern team were beaten 3-1 at the Emirates, but the right winger still caught the eye, completing three dribbles and winning eight duels.

A fully-fledged member of Didier Deschamps’ France set-up, Olise has proven himself across a range of different levels, and now he is ready to take the baton from Salah and become a superstar at Anfield.

Should Salah find a purple patch within him once again, the fact remains that his £400k-per-week contract expires at the end of next season, and Liverpool are somewhat short of options on that flank.

The two could cohabit on Liverpool’s attacking flank next season, and Olise has the athleticism and output to ensure Isak reminds everyone that he is “the best striker in the Premier League”, as he was hailed by Jamie Carragher for his form with Newcastle during the 2024/25 campaign.

Olise ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive passes and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, data via FBref.

Harry Kane is a very different type of number nine to Isak, but the Sweden international’s more energetic and mobile playing style might actually give rise to Olise’s finest creative qualities.

Indeed, Isak is fast and furious, skilful on the ball. His ability to split lines open with cleverly-timed runs would play into Olise’s playmaking.

Hailed as “one of the best wingers in the world” by podcaster Henry Swain, Olise would be taking Salah’s place on the right, whereas Isak is tussling for a starting berth with Hugo Ekitike, who also joined Liverpool this summer.

Should the Reds succeed in adding Olise to their ranks, he has the potential to become their star forward. This is quite a claim, Isak, Ekitike and Florian Wirtz are among the attacking options at Slot’s disposal, after all.

But it’s the truth. Here is a player whose proven ability across so many different areas underscores his quality. He is artful on the ball and combative and physical when he needs to be. Isak might have proven himself in front of goal in the Premier League, but his start to life on Merseyside shows that he has weaknesses within his game.

Alexander Isak in the Premier League
Season	Apps (starts)	Goals + Assists
25/26	5 (4)	0 + 1
24/25	34 (34)	23 + 6
23/24	30 (27)	21 + 2
22/23	22 (17)	10 + 2
Data via Transfermarkt

Olise, after all, has recorded 62 goal contributions from only 74 matches for the German giants, and that after enjoying a talismanic role at Selhurst Park with Palace.

Toward the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Carragher spoke on Sky Sports of Eberechi Eze and Olise’s brilliance for Oliver Glasner’s Palace. He said those Eagles would fly high at top clubs in the Champions League.

The pundit was right. Olise is a superstar, and given his Premier League and European experience, his flair and gusto, he would be the perfect right-sided forward to take Salah’s place and combine with a striker like Isak to fire Liverpool back into the ascendancy – and keep them there.

But given his potential to succeed Salah, and unenviable task if ever there was one, Olise might even prove a better deal than Isak, whose success perhaps runs counter to Ekitike’s own long-term ambitions at the front of the Anfield ship.

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Liverpool plummeted to new depths after losing 4-1 to PSV at Anfield in the Champions League.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 27, 2025

يستعد منتخب تونس لمواجهة نظيره سوريا، في دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب قطر 2025. 

وتنطلق بطولة كأس العرب اليوم الإثنين وتستمر حتى 18 من شهر ديسمبر الجاري في الأراضي القطرية الدوحة.

ويقع تونس في المجموعة الأولى في مجموعات كأس العرب رفقة منتخبات قطر وسوريا وفلسطين. 

طالع.. أحمد حسن عن أزمة أحمد عاطف: اللاعب أساء لنفسه.. وتصريحاته غير مبرّرة

يذكر، أن هذه النسخة هي الثالثة في تاريخ البطولة، حيث سبق وأقيمت بطولة كأس العرب في موسمي 1998، و2021. 

ومن المقرر ان يلتقي منتخب تونس نظيره تونس، في الجولة الأولى من المجموعة الأولى من بطولة كأس العرب.  موعد مباراة تونس وسوريا اليوم في كأس العرب 

وسيواجه منتخب تونس نظيره منتخب سوريا، في تمام الساعة الثالثة عصر اليوم الإثنين بتوقيت القاهرة، والرابعة بتوقيت السعودية والثانية ظهرًا بتوقيت تونس والرابعة بتوقيت سوريا على ملعب أحمد بن علي. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة تونس وسوريا 

وسوف تذاع مباراة منتخب تونس أمام نظيره سوريا، على قناة beinsportshd، وbein xtra 1، وقناة الكأس 2، وقناة أبو ظبي الرياضية وقناة دبي الرياضية. معلق مباراة تونس وسوريا في كأس العرب 

وأعلنت قناة الكأس القطرية عن إسناد مباراة تونس وسوريا إلى الثنائي خالد الغول وسعود الحريري للتعليق على المباراة. 

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

Liverpool are now ready to accelerate talks to sign a key defensive addition, who could put an end to Ibrahima Konate’s struggles.

Romano shares update on Slot's Liverpool future

It’s been a disastrous season for Liverpool so far. The defending champions have seen their crown go from gold to paper in a matter of 12 Premier League games. Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Anfield against Nottingham Forest turned a blip into a crisis and questions are now being asked of Arne Slot.

The Dutchman, for the first time in his Liverpool career, is under pressure to turn his side’s form around. According to Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel, however, the Reds are not searching for another manager just yet, even if everyone involved at the club is well aware that the current results cannot go on.

The news will come as a relief for Slot, who clearly has plenty of credit left in the bank after winning the Premier League title in his first season at the club.

There is still no denying that the Red must turn a corner sooner rather than later, though. They currently sit 12th and are on course for one of the worst title defences in Premier League history.

Having spent big in the summer, breaking their transfer record twice, those at Anfield could turn towards the January window to make further, much-needed additions.

Names such as Marc Guehi have continued to steal the headlines on that front, but reports are now claiming that Liverpool are ready to accelerate their talks to sign Goncalo Inacio.

Liverpool ready to accelerate Inacio talks

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are ready to accelerate their move to sign Inacio from Sporting CP in 2026. The impressive central defender has a release clause worth €80m (£70m) in Portugal, but that looks unlikely to be enough to fend off the interest of those at Anfield.

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By signing Inacio, Liverpool would also have the chance to rub salt in the wounds of Ruben Amorim. The Manchester United boss was a big fan of the centre-back at Sporting, telling reporters: “Gonçalo is perfect for the way we play. He can defend aggressively, step up to win the ball, and then start an attack with one pass. His ability to do both phases so well is rare.

“I’ve said it before—Gonçalo has everything to play at the highest level. His technique, his vision, his bravery. He’s brilliant, and he’s still improving every day.”

Minutes

990

976

Progressive Passes

98

45

Successful Aerial Duels

24

42

Ball Recoveries

69

30

It’s also worth noting how impressive Inacio has been compared to Konate this season. If the Frenchman does leave as a free agent next summer, then Inacio would provide Liverpool with the perfect upgrade.

Liverpool launch move to sign "perfect" right-back ahead of Arsenal

Manchester City are now reportedly ready to hijack Manchester United’s move to sign a Premier League star worth as much as £100m in 2026.

Man City make Semenyo a top target

It’s not just their local rivals that Man City are looking to frustrate. The Citizens are also reportedly interested in signing Antoine Semenyo and have made the Bournemouth star a top target. In what would deal Liverpool an untimely blow, City could land one of the most in-form wingers that the Premier League has to offer.

It’s clear that Semenyo likes the idea of linking up with Erling Haaland, too, after saying: “Haaland is number one. You see it on TV, scoring all these goals and thinking, surely he’s not like this in person… That man is tall, my goodness. Tall, strong, fast, can finish.

“He’s got everything you need as a striker. I remember Man City just bopping, and I’m thinking, okay this is normal that they bop it. Ruben Dias wraps the ball to him, the ball’s like this high, I’m thinking ‘how’s he going to deal with this?’ just takes it on his chest like this – I am thinking: Haaland, the man.”

It’s also easy to see why City have set their sights on another direct winger. Aside from the improved Jeremy Doku, Pep Guardiola’s wide men have struggled to leave their mark, with Savinho receiving his fair share of criticism from those at the Etihad in recent weeks.

The Brazilian was part of a much-changed Man City side against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, but to say that he failed to make his opportunity count would be an understatement.

Alas, it’s not just wide men that Guardiola wants. The Spaniard and Man City have now reportedly turned their focus towards midfield star Elliot Anderson, who is represented by the same agency as Omar Marmoush.

Man City ready to hijack Man Utd's Anderson move

As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Man City are now ready to hijack Man Utd’s move for Anderson. The Citizens have made the Nottingham Forest star a top target and could splash out as much as £100m to secure his signature in 2026.

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The England star is quickly becoming one of the most wanted players in the Premier League and that should come as no surprise.

England boss Thomas Tuchel has quickly made the Forest star one of his main men and has showered him with praise a number of times, telling reporters: “He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent. He is fulfilling his role in the best way possible so we are very happy with him.”

Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan

MatériaMais Notícias

Os vascaínos criticaram o estado do gramado do palco da partida entre Fortaleza e Vasco, pela terceira fase da Copa do Brasil. Os torcedores classificaram como um “pasto”. Confira as reações abaixo.

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Fabrizio Romano has now dropped a key injury update on Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori, after the defender was forced to leave the Italy squad.

The Gunners have already had to deal with their fair share of injuries this season, and Mikel Arteta now has more problems to contend with, as two of the manager’s most important players have recently suffered setbacks on international duty.

Indeed, there are now doubts over the fitness of Gabriel, which will be a major concern for Arteta, given that the Brazilian has started every Premier League match this season, and Carlo Ancelotti has now issued an apology.

When asked about the extent of the injury, the Brazil manager said: “Bad? I don’t know, he had a problem on his adductor the medical staff have to check tomorrow. We are really sorry for this, really disappointed, when players have an injury I hope they can recover well and soon.”

Fabrizio Romano drops update on Riccardo Calafiori's injury

It recently emerged that Calafiori has also dropped out of the Italy squad due to a hip injury, and Romano has now taken to X to provide an update, stating Arsenal staff are informed and “not anticipating a big problem or issue”, which will be a relief for Arteta.

The Italian has returned to London to be assessed by the medical team, but it is promising news that the injury is not expected to be a major issue, with the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur penciled in for next weekend.

With Gabriel also suffering an injury blow, it is of increased importance that the 23-year-old is available, as Arteta is unlikely to want to re-jig his defence too much heading into such an important game.

Much like the centre-back, the £120k-a-week defender has been one of Arteta’s most important players so far this season, featuring in all 11 Premier League games, and the Arsenal boss singled him out for high praise after the 2-0 win at Burnley earlier this month.

The Spaniard said: “Very good. He’s been really stable, some big performances. He’s a big contributor to what we’re doing defensively as well. He gives us a lot in attack with his position and his threat. He continues to create chaos for the opposition.”

As such, it will be a relief that the recent injury is seemingly unlikely to keep Calafiori out of action for too long, as the Gunners look to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table next weekend, with Manchester City making the difficult trip to St. James’ Park.

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