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Bringing in new midfielders, a young defender and even another goalkeeper is great, but what Arsenal fans really want to see this summer is for some attackers to make their way to the Emirates.

While the team remains one of the best in the country, it’s become increasingly evident over the years that the frontline is the area of Mikel Arteta’s side in most need of reinforcing.

For example, despite coming second in the Premier League last season, the Gunners produced the best defence, but only the third-best attack, scoring 17 goals fewer than champions Liverpool.

Fortunately, Andrea Berta and Co seem well aware of this need to improve the club’s firepower as they appear closer to landing goalscorer extraordinaire Viktor Gyokeres and have now been linked with another forward who’d be a perfect teammate for the Swedish international.

Arsenal target dream Gyokeres teammate

There has been talk of Arsenal needing a new number nine for well over a year now, and reports linking them with Gyokeres as far back as last summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Those links then persisted into the winter window, and while it looked like Benjamin Sesko was going to be the forward the Gunners went for earlier this summer, the odds seem to have moved back towards the Sporting CP star.

In fact, according to reports from earlier this week, the Gunners have already agreed personal terms with the 27-year-old on a five-year deal and are now in advanced talks with the Lisbon-based outfit over his potential transfer.

If that wasn’t exciting enough, it now appears that the North Londoners are preparing to pursue another talented attacker who could be the perfect teammate for Gyokeres.

According to a recent report from Italy, as relayed by Sport Witness, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in Atalanta star Ademola Lookman, and are now preparing to make an offer for him.

The report claims that the Gunners want to sign him for €50m, which is approximately £43m plus bonuses, although the Bergamo outfit value their star at €60m, equivalent to around £52m.

It could be a costly and difficult deal to get over the line, but given Lookman’s immense ability, it’s one Arsenal should fight for, especially as he’d be an incredible teammate for Gyokeres.

Why Gyokeres would love playing with Lookman

The first reason Gyokeres would love playing with Lookman at Arsenal, and undoubtedly the one that carries the most weight, is that the Nigerian is an output machine.

For example, in 45 appearances, totalling 2809 minutes in the 23/24 season, he scored 17 goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.66 games, or one every 104.03 minutes.

Then, last season, the 27-year-old showcased exactly why Gian Piero Gasperini thinks he’s “among the best in Europe and the world”, scoring 20 goals and providing seven assists in 40 appearances, totalling 2871 minutes, which came out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.48 games, or every 106.33 minutes.

Appearances

118

Starts

88

Minutes

7538′

Goals

52

Assists

25

Goal Involvements per Match

0.65

Minutes per Goal Involvement

97.89′

Now, just imagine the sort of carnage the Sporting striker, who amassed 54 goals and 13 assists in 52 games last season, could get up to with a teammate as productive as Lookman playing alongside him.

Moreover, the former Toffees ace can and has played all across the frontline, in attacking midfield and even as a second-striker, so there should be plenty of opportunities for him to start alongside and develop a partnership with the former Coventry City star.

Additionally, as he’s more than adept at playing up top, he could also act as cover for the Stockholm-born titan, ensuring he isn’t overplayed and that he has good enough competition to push him forward.

Ultimately, Arsenal need more goals in their team next season, and Gyokeres and Lookman would provide that in spades, so even if he’s somewhat expensive, Berta and Co should do what they can to secure the Nigerian international alongside the Swede.

He's a lot like Saka: Arsenal "working on" signing £50m star – Ornstein

The international attacker could add some more flair to Arsenal’s squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 3, 2025

Manchester United’s front line has been the subject of various additions already this summer, as Ruben Amorim looks to overhaul his first-team squad.

The manager has already secured the signing of forward Matheus Cunha from fellow Premier League outfit Wolves, costing a fee in the region of £62.5m.

Despite the huge fee spent on the 25-year-old, more business is expected to be completed in such a department, with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo another name on their shortlist.

He’s been subject to multiple offers from the Red Devils already this window, but a deal is yet to be agreed after he stated his desire to make the switch to Old Trafford.

Other players have remained as key targets for the 40-year-old boss, who appears to be at the heart of various deals which could massively bolster the ranks at the Theatre of Dreams.

The latest on United’s hunt for added reinforcements this summer

The forward line has been the main focus for Jason Wilcox and Co this window, as seen by United’s tireless efforts to complete a move to land Cunha ahead of the 2025/26 season.

The Brazilian isn’t alone in being pursued by staff behind the scenes in Manchester, with the likes of Victor Osimhen, Kang-in Lee and Rafael Leao just three other talents currently in their sights.

However, they aren’t the only options, with Amorim’s side taking a huge step to secure the signature of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, according to Record via CaughtOffside.

It’s been reported that positive meetings have been held with the striker’s representatives and that a bid is expected to be lodged to take the Swede to Old Trafford this summer.

They also claim that the Portuguese outfit are holding out for €80m (£67m) to part ways with their talisman, who’s managed to find the net on 54 occasions throughout 2024/25.

Why United’s latest target could be Amorim’s own answer to Kane

Harry Kane is a striker who every side in world football must wish they had, considering his goalscoring exploits, which have made him one of Europe’s most sought-after talents.

The 31-year-old spent 10 years as a first-team regular at Tottenham Hotspur, racking up 280 goals and becoming their all-time record goalscorer in the process.

However, it wasn’t enough to propel Spurs to any form of silverware, subsequently moving to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, with the Englishman carrying on his rich vein of form in front of goal.

He’s netted a staggering 82 goals in his 91 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit, with Kane evidently making the right choice to move to Germany over a switch to Old Trafford after the Red Devils’ previous interest in his services.

This summer presents Amorim’s side with the chance to land their own talisman in the form of Gyokeres, with the Sporting star comparable to the England international by FBref.

When comparing the pair’s respective figures from the recent campaign, the Swede has managed to outperform him in numerous key departments – handing United their answer to Kane should he move this summer.

The Swede, who’s been labelled a “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has massively outscored the Bayern ace, whilst also managing to register a higher shot-on-target rate, handing Amorim the deadly threat in front of goal he’s desperately craved.

Games played

33

31

Goals & assists

46

35

Shot-on-target accuracy

52%

42%

Shots on target

2.2

1.7

Take-ons completed

1.9

0.8

Carries into final third

1.3

0.7

Carries into opposition box

3.1

0.7

Aerials won

1.3

1

He’s also managed to complete more take-ons and register more carries into the opposition’s area, subsequently being able to improve the tallies of other players around him.

Gyokeres’ aerial ability could also prove handy for the Red Devils, handing the side a focal point to play-off, whilst also offering an added threat from set pieces to improve their goalscoring record.

There’s no denying Kane will go down as one of the Premier League’s greatest ever goalscorers, with Gyokeres having huge pressure to replicate such success should he move to England this window.

The comparison is credit to the striker and an indication as to how impressive he’s been in recent times, potentially offering a new dimension to the club should he complete the switch in the coming months.

Van Persie 2.0: Man Utd set to be offered "incredible" Gyokeres alternative

Manchester United could be about to make a move for a player who could follow in Robin van Persie’s footsteps.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 12, 2025

Newcastle United are said to have made contact with a huge club over signing a player who Eddie Howe has hailed as “very good” in the past.

Newcastle already pushing for summer signings

The Magpies are already being linked with new signings under the assumption that they will qualify for next season’s Champions League, with Dinamo Zagreb attacking midfielder Martin Baturina mentioned as a potential target this week. He has scored twice and registered one assist in Europe’s top club competition in 2024/25.

Newcastle need to target a new striker this summer, in order to provide more competition for Alexander Isak, especially with Callum Wilson expected to leave the club. Liam Delap is one possible option to come in, having suffered relegation from the Premier League with Ipswich Town and not wanting to play in the Championship next season.

At the other end of the pitch, the Magpies continue to target goalkeepers, with Espanyol ace Joan Garcia seen as an alternative option to the likes of James Trafford and Caoimhin Kelleher. He has even quite bizarrely been compared to Lionel Messi, with Manolo Gonzalez saying: “It’s like when Barcelona had Messi. There were tough matches, and Messi would resolve them. Well, we have that in goal with Joan Garcia.”

A centre-back is also required for Newcastle before next season gets underway, in order to add freshness to a key area of the pitch, and now a new update has emerged regarding a potential addition there.

Newcastle make contact with AC Milan over Thiaw

According to The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, Newcastle have made an approach to AC Milan over the signing of centre-back Malick Thiaw this summer, in a possible £25m transfer.

They are “one of several clubs” believed to be in the race to snap up the 23-year-old, with Milan “prepared to listen to offers for some of their regular starters” ahead of the upcoming window.

Newcastle have been linked with a move for Thiaw for several weeks, and it now appears as though they have cranked up their efforts to bring him in.

The German could add quality in and out of possession for the Magpies, having enjoyed a 93.4% pass completion rate and averaged 3.5 clearances per game in Serie A this season.

Meanwhile, Howe has shown his admiration for Thiaw, too, saying of him: “There’s no updates on that. I’m always reluctant to comment on these things, but he’s a player I know about, of course I do, from our games in the Champions League against Milan and yeah, he’s a very good player, but that’s it.”

Related Newcastle now planning face-to-face talks to sign "unbelievable" £30m star

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Posts ByDominic Lund May 21, 2025

At 23, Thiaw could be the young centre-back that Newcastle crave this summer, coming in as a mainstay alongside Sven Botman, with Fabian Schar and Dan Burn not getting any younger.

Already planning ahead to the summer transfer window, Everton have reportedly added a Player of the Year winner to their shortlist, which includes three other midfield targets.

Everton's midfield plans explained

With Abdoulaye Doucoure on course to depart as a free agent at the end of the current campaign, the Toffees have reportedly set their sights on a number of potential replacements. The Frenchman has enjoyed an impressive campaign and finding someone who will have the same influence on David Moyes’ side will no doubt prove to be a difficult, but crucial task.

As things stand, names such as Wilfred Ndidi, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Sunderland captain Dan Neil have all been mentioned as targets, with The Friedkin Group willing to shop in the Championship market this summer.

Dewsbury-Hall, out of those three options, is the most interesting name on that list of targets. The former Leicester City star has struggled to break into Enzo Maresca’s Premier League side at Chelsea and has often found himself relegated to Europa Conference League responsibilities. Now, a year on from arriving at Stamford Bridge, he looks destined to depart.

Meanwhile, Ndidi would likely be the cheapest option of the lot, given that he reportedly has a relegation release clause worth just £9m at Leicester City. For a player with such invaluable experience, a price tag below the £10m mark should be considered an undeniable steal.

Related A massive Beto upgrade: Everton enter talks to sign "phenomenal" star

Everton are making moves to land a new striker for David Moyes ahead of the summer.

Posts ByEthan Lamb May 1, 2025

Whether Everton decide to push on and land Dewsbury-Hall, Neil or Ndidi this summer remains to be seen, however. Instead, Friedkin could turn towards a player who has just picked up a Player of the Year award.

Everton add Gustavo Hamer to shortlist

According to TeamTalk, Everton have now added Gustavo Hamer to their midfield shortlist, which now reportedly sits at four names ahead of the summer transfer window. The Sheffield United star enjoyed a standout season even as the Blades missed out on automatic promotion in the Championship and could yet find himself on the move as a result.

Earning plenty of praise after picking up the Player of the Season award, Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told reporters when asked about Hamer’s quality: “When Gus speaks, everybody listens. And rightly so, there should have been interest in him in the summer, because of how outstanding he was in an incredibly disappointing campaign for us. He cleaned up in the Player of the Year awards, so there was always going to be interest in him.”

With nine goals and seven assists in all competitions, the midfield star will be looking to perform one or two more moments of magic to seal promotion through the play-offs for Sheffield United, before potentially earning the big move that he deserves this summer.

Leeds United fans must dread the business end of any season with the Whites now out of the coveted top two positions in the Championship, as just six games of the regular campaign remain.

Indeed, last season saw this exact same doomed scenario play out as Daniel Farke’s men had to settle for a place in the second tier play-offs, with a 1-1 draw away at Luton Town on Saturday lunchtime meaning Burnley leapfrogged the underperformers to the very top of the division.

There is still time to salvage some pride and points, but Farke will be scratching his head as to what side he should play moving forward, having boldly axed both Illan Meslier and Brenden Aaronson for the trip to Kenilworth Road.

Farke's bold team selection vs Luton

Both Meslier and Aaronson being dropped for the same game shows off how irked the German is by Leeds’ notable dip in form, with the Frenchman starting 39 of his team’s clashes this season in the Championship, alongside his American counterpart only missing three games from the start.

Those rash alterations didn’t pay off against the Hatters, unfortunately, with stand-in goalkeeper Karl Darlow unable to keep a clean sheet in place of Meslier, after Isaiah Jones was left unmarked to tap home this early first-half strike.

Moreover, Leeds’ overall attacking game wasn’t enhanced by Aaronson sitting out, with the likes of Joel Piroe unable to fire a single shot on the Luton goal, away from Daniel James thankfully thundering home the away side’s equaliser.

But, it was Aaronson’s direct replacement on the day in Wilfried Gnonto that looked way off the pace away from mentions of the misfiring Dutchman, with the Italian perhaps one who could face the boot in a similar manner in crunch clashes to come.

Why Farke could now drop 4/10 Leeds star

Despite only starting 21 of his 37 Championship appearances this season, Gnonto has managed to regularly provide the goods for his promotion-chasing outfit.

The explosive 21-year-old attacker has helped himself to a sizeable 11 goal contributions from those limited starts, but the often electric number 29 was largely anonymous on the road on Saturday, leading to Farke’s men looking rather limp when marauding forward.

Minutes played

63

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

23

Accurate passes

13/15 (87%)

Shots

0

Accurate crosses

0/1

Accurate long balls

0/1

Successful dribbles

0

Total duels won

4/8

Shockingly, Gnonto would end up amassing fewer touches during the contest than back-up shot-stopper Darlow, with the former FC Zurich forward managing just 23 touches of the ball next to the Welshman’s 38.

On top of that – much like the heavily criticised Piroe – Gnonto would also fail to register any meaningful effort on Thomas Kaminski’s net, alongside failing to register a single accurate cross, long ball or dribble to further reinforce his passenger-like offering.

He could well find he’s out of his manager’s starting XI when Leeds face off against play-off chasing Middlesbrough this mid-week, with Aaronson perhaps in line to return to the first-team fold subsequently.

Handed a low 4/10 rating post-match by Leeds Live journalist Isaac Johnson, Gnonto was just unable to grab the contest by the scruff of its neck, as yet another poor result was tallied up next to Leeds’ name to damage their automatic promotion bid even more.

It’s up to Farke now to inspire his bruised troops to leap back into those golden top two positions, with more fearless alterations potentially needing to be made to try and get a tune out of his low-on-confidence side.

94% duels lost: Farke must drop Leeds lightweight who was worse than Gnonto

The Leeds lightweight was even worse than Wilfried Gnonto and should be dropped to the bench.

ByDan Emery Apr 5, 2025

The allrounder has played just four first-class matches and is yet to take a wicket, but has the backing of Australia’s stand-in captain

Andrew McGlashan10-Jan-2025If you thought Sam Konstas was inexperienced with 11 first-class matches under his belt when he came into the Australia side, their next debutant could have just four games to his name when they earn a baggy green and a maiden first-class wicket might come in a Test.Cooper Connolly, the 21-year Western Australia allrounder, was the most eye-catching selection in Australia’s squad to tour Sri Lanka and while he has already impressed with the bat early in his career it’s the left-arm spin, which he has only sent down 16 wicketless overs of at first-class level, that played a key part in his call-up.Steven Smith, who will captain the Tests in Sri Lanka with Pat Cummins absent on paternity, pitched for Connolly’s inclusion when he spoke to coach Andrew McDonald and selector Tony Dodemaide after the Sydney Test to supplement the specialist left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann.Related

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“I was quite big on someone like Cooper coming in to be able to spin the ball away,” Smith said. “You watch India play in India and they have Axar [Patel] and [Ravindra] Jadeja, if one of their spinners gets tired or nothing’s happening they can turn to another spinner. I like the fit, just having a couple of spinners going each way. It matches up really nicely.”Australia’s desire for left-arm spin on the subcontinent led to Kuhnemann’s hasty debut on the 2023 tour of India. They will also come against Prabath Jayasuriya in Sri Lanka who has 107 wickets in 18 Tests, having started his career with 12 on debut against Australia on their previous tour.Connolly, who revealed he had pulled out a 10-year-old picture of him alongside Smith at the WACA following his call-up, won’t be expected to play the role of those specialist spinners, but he is confident in how his bowling is developing despite the limited opportunities.”I feel like my bowling is pretty high at the moment. I like to think it is,” he said. “That’s something that will get me in teams around the world and hopefully more opportunity for Australia. Think my bowling’s come a long way in the last 18 months so I’m happy with where it’s at.”It was 9pm in the evening when Connolly received the phone call to tell him he had made the squad. “Saw Tony Dodemaide’s name pop up and thought there’s probably only thing it could be,” he said. “[It was a] nice phone call, went straight and told mum and dad, mum was about to cry. I’ll never forget that moment. Dream come true.”Cooper Connolly (red cap) with Steven Smith at the WACA•Cooper ConnollyConnolly’s career has always been on the fast track. He was the youngest member of Australia’s 2020 Under-19 World Cup squad and captained them in the 2022 edition but things really took off with his match-winning performance in the 2022-23 BBL final where he helped carry Perth Scorchers to the title. Just as significantly, certainly as far as Test cricket is concerned, he made a high-class 90 on his first-class debut last season’s Sheffield Shield final having been a last-minute replacement for Cameron Bancroft.”While he’s still young in terms of games played, he’s put some eye-catching performances,” WA and Perth Scorchers coach Adam Voges told ESPNcricinfo last year after Connolly’s inclusion for the limited-overs tour of the UK. “He’s a character that doesn’t get overawed by big moments, that’s what the selectors must have seen and been happy to get him involved.”It was a theme picked up by chair of selectors George Bailey when the squad was announced. “Technically, we like it. Temperament, we like. Character, we like. Clearly, skill set, there’s a lot to like there as well,” he said.Connolly would have played Shield cricket before last season’s final but for a boating accident, and he would have added a couple more appearances if not for a broken hand picked up in the ODI against Pakistan in Perth. He has scored half-centuries in each of his first three Shield matches and featured in the Australia A-India A series before switching to the ODI squad.While Connolly’s bowling has been a big part in his selection, batting is clearly his stronger suit, although even there he continues to learn on the run, particularly when it comes to switching between formats which he will need to do heading to Sri Lanka from the BBL where he is currently the leading run-scorer.”I haven’t done a lot of it [changing formats] so I’m still learning but think it will be about [how] I like to be an aggressive player in red ball cricket as well,” he said. “So it’s just about toning it down a little from T20 and still playing the way that’s got me to this level.”As the game gets a glimpse of Australia’s next generation, Connolly was full of praise for the way Konstas started his Test career. “Seeing him play ramps shots off [Jasprit] Bumrah, it’s exciting; I won’t be doing that,” he said with a smile. “He’s brought so much energy to that team, they already had a lot of energy, but he’s just brought something different, the way he plays it’s amazing to be honest. He’s brave enough to ramp Bumrah three times in an over. It will be a nice opportunity to get in there and hopefully provide some more energy with him.”Whether Connolly plays or not, he will use the chance in Sri Lanka to soak up as much knowledge as he can from the experienced players.”I’ll probably sit in Travis Head’s pocket like I did during the one-day and T20 series,” he said. “It’s just going to be exciting to be around some players that ten years ago I was watching play Test cricket at the WACA. I actually pulled up a photo from 10 years ago, it was a photo of me and Steve Smith, so that was pretty cool thinking I could be running out with him.”

Mendis, Karunaratne, Mathews, Chandimal and de Silva refused to buckle, and that’s not happened often

Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Mar-2023Sometimes you need only describe the scene at a cricket ground to know what is about to happen.The skies monochrome and heavy like a wet blanket that is about to be applied to the series at the first opportunity. The pitch so flush with vegetation, woodland creatures have taken residence. The outfield damp, as a cold drizzle descends occasionally on biting winds. And while the local bowlers – all tall and strapping – are lithe and powerful in their warm-up overs on the practice pitches, Sri Lanka batters swaddled in woollen sweaters face throwdowns, bearing the air of soon-to-be human sacrifices on an altar of seam bowling.Win the toss. Put Sri Lanka in. Watch the ball leap gleefully off bat edges into a pair of hands in the slip cordon, batter after batter clunking off like marionettes, the scoreboard showing 45 for 3, then 67 for 5, tail-end swipes pushing the total just beyond 100. Here are the familiar beats of a day one story for Sri Lanka at a ground such as Hagley Oval.Related

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Last time they were here, they didn’t have to bat first, but were nevertheless 104 all out. The previous time, they had the likes of Kumar Sangakkara in the XI, and were blitzed for 138. Barring second-innings near-miracles, which Sri Lanka do occasionally produce, these are match-defining mires. (And then New Zealand will go out to bat and put on half a million for six, wearing polite smiles that serve only to underscore the incompetence that had preceded.)And then, this. Four years after they had last played a Test in New Zealand (megaspanked by 423 runs, at this very venue), here was a day of astoundingly non-trash batting. Of gloriously semi-decent defensive play, of gobsmackingly okayish technique. Had Sri Lanka’s batters done the work to figure out the whereabouts of their off stump they started a Test on foreign soil? The mere thought should bring a tear of pure pride to the eyes of any Sri Lanka fan.Kusal Mendis, perhaps the form man in the XI, led the way. Key to his 87 off 83 was his judgment of length on a somewhat bouncy surface. When it was on a good length, he defended close to his body, almost always with soft hands, so that on the occasions the ball seamed and took the edge, the ball bounced short of the slips. Mostly, though, he defended inside the line, using his bat largely as an obstacle to deliveries that might pin him in front of the stumps, or sneak through to the wickets.When New Zealand’s bowlers bowled fuller, pressing hard for that catchable edge, Mendis committed fully to his front-foot strokes, sometimes driving imperiously, other times sending it squirting off the face of the bat through backward point, otherwise flicking deliciously off his pads.Angelo Mathews scored 38 of his 47 runs through the leg side, but looked gorgeous when driving down the ground•Getty ImagesHe hit 50 off 40 balls, as New Zealand’s bowlers had a modest morning themselves – 44 of those runs coming in boundaries. He and Dimuth Karunaratne, who was equally compact, but less aggressive against the hittable deliveries, put on a 137-run second-wicket partnership that formed the bedrock of Sri Lanka’s day-one progress. They would get out in successive overs, but their departure was unusually followed by further batting competence.Angelo Mathews waited for the shorter deliveries, scoring 38 of his 47 runs through the leg side, having also clipped a couple of boundaries off his pads. Dinesh Chandimal preferred the off side, hitting each of his six boundaries in that direction. Dhananjaya de Silva manufactured boundaries wherever he could, as he batted in the company of Kasun Rajitha towards the end of the day.Their scoring areas were diverse, but almost all of Sri Lanka’s top-seven batters covered the stumps, declined to lunge at balls until they were set, were unperturbed by the deliveries that beat their bats, and did not follow seaming balls outside their stumps. Collectively, they refused to collapse even in the face of probing bowling (mostly from Tim Southee and Matt Henry), as they often have in seaming conditions.Given the long tail, and the lack of experience in Sri Lanka’s attack (which New Zealand are very capable of exploiting), 305 for 6 is not an outstanding first-day score. New Zealand may well go on to dominate the match. But under the circumstances, Sri Lanka were passable. And you do not often say that of a Sri Lanka side on day one in New Zealand.

Statistical highlights from the four-match Test series between India and England

Sampath Bandarupalli09-Mar-202181.54 Percentage of reviews struck down in this Test series, the second-highest percentage among the 26 Test series with at least 25 reviews since September 2017. Only 12 of the 65 DRS reviews by India and England got upheld across the four matches. Of the 65 DRS reviews in this series, 31 alone were against Nitin Menon, easily the most for an umpire during a Test series in the past four years.ESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo Ltd46.6 Bowling strike rate during this Test series, the best in a Test series of four-plus matches. The Indian bowlers bagged 80 wickets at a strike rate of 42, while the visitors took 58 wickets at 52.8.ESPNcricinfo Ltd0 Instances of a player being the lone centurion and the only player to claim five-plus wicket haul(s) for his team in a four-plus match Test series before Joe Root did it against India in this series. Root scored England’s only individual century of the series, and also accounted for the only five-wicket haul by the visitors.ESPNcricinfo Ltd104 Wickets taken by spin bowlers in this Test series are the third-most number of wickets claimed by spinners in a Test series. The five-match Test series between India and England in 1972-73 saw as many as 109 wickets claimed by spinners, while 108 wickets went to spin bowlers during the India and England series in 2016.67 Wickets for the Indian spinners during this series, the most for any team’s spinners in a four-match Test series. India surpassed their record of 65 wickets during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home in 2013.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 Number of fifty-plus partnerships for the first three wickets in this series, the second-fewest number of fifty-plus stands among the 220 Test series with 40-plus partnerships for the first three wickets . West Indies’ tour of New Zealand in 1955-56 had only three fifty-plus stands across 41 partnerships for the first three wickets.19.83 Average runs per wicket in this Test series for England, the third-lowest by them in a four-plus match Test series . The England team averaged only 19.11 in the four-match Test series during the West Indies tour in 1934-35, and only 19.1 in the five-match series in South Africa in 1905-06.31 Number of ducks across four matches in this series, the most ducks in a four-match Test series. The record was previously held by England vs Pakistan series in 2010 with 29 ducks.

There will be October baseball in Beantown.

Needing a win to clinch a postseason berth, the Red Sox battled back from a 3-1 deficit on Friday night to walk off the Tigers 4-3 at Fenway Park. Ceddanne Rafaela played hero, mashing a triple off the wall in center field in the ninth to bring home Romy Gonzalez and punch Boston's ticket to the playoffs.

Four of the six playoff spots are decided in the American League now that the Blue Jays, Mariners, Yankees and Red Sox have all clinched. The two remaining playoff spots will be decided in the final two days of the regular season as the Tigers, Guardians and Astros jockey for position.

The Tigers, who held a 10.5-game lead in the AL Central at the beginning of September, could have clinched a playoff berth Friday night with a win combined with an Astros loss. The good news for Detroit? The Guardians also lost, falling 7-3 to the Rangers, as did Houston in a 4-3 loss to the Angels.

Despite the loss, Cleveland, which owns the tiebreaker over Detroit, still sits in first place in the AL Central with an 86-74 record. The Guardians can clinch a division title Saturday night with a win over the Rangers combined with a Tigers loss.

The Tigers and Guardians can both clinch a playoff spot Saturday night with a win another loss by Houston to the Angels.

Elsewhere in the American League, the Mariners lost 3-2 to the Dodgers on Friday night. That means the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage in the playoffs belongs to the AL East champion—either the Blue Jays or Yankees, who remain tied with identical 92-68 records.

Here's how everything stands following the Red Sox' big win:

American League Playoff PictureAL DIVISION LEADERS

TEAM

RECORD

x – Toronto Blue Jays (AL East)

92-68

x – Seattle Mariners (AL West)

90-70

Cleveland Guardians (AL Central)

86-74

AL WILD CARD

TEAM

RECORD

GB

x – New York Yankees

92-68

+6

x – Boston Red Sox

88-72

+2

Detroit Tigers

86-74

—

—

—

—

Houston Astros

85-75

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Liverpool haven’t been very good this season. That’s an understatement, too, with Arne Slot’s side having fallen so far below expectations after so dominantly winning the Premier League last year.

Though the Reds have stopped the rot that was spreading after nine losses from 12 fixtures in all competitions, winning at West Ham before drawing against Sunderland at Anfield, there is still so much to be desired from this group, whose mini-revival is presently built atop a house of cards.

Whether the head coach finds the formula that will shift Liverpool back into a winning outfit is anyone’s guess, but it’s clear that performances and results have been so far below the firmly set standard that it beggars belief, and Slot needs to make changes before he finds himself on borrowed time, with potential successors already being touted in the media.

Liverpool looking at Slot replacement

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool chiefs Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes are putting serious thought into appointing Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner to replace Slot.

Glasner, 51, has defied the odds at Selhurst Park over the past few years, winning the FA Cup in May and then the Community Shield (against Liverpool) at the start of the current campaign. They are currently fifth in the Premier League.

It’s important to stress that there have not been any talks with Palace or the Austrian’s entourage. FSG remain committed to guiding their Dutch coach through this storm.

However, if it doesn’t abate, sources indicate Glasner is emerging as the preferred candidate to take the Anfield hot seat.

What Oliver Glasner would bring to Liverpool

Glasner has achieved great things with Crystal Palace, and his past Europa League-winning success with Eintracht Frankfurt corroborates the claim that he is a “top-five manager in the world”, as suggested by one English football content creator.

Though appointing Glasner would require something of a tactical transformation on Merseyside, with the Palace boss typically fielding a 3-4-2-1 formation, he is relaxed about the minutiae of his systems, which are interchangeable and open to tweaks. This tactical pliability suggests that he could be an interesting pick from the FSG hierarchy.

Glasner gets it. And, moreover, he speaks with the clarity and intellect to throw down with any top manager in the Premier League, perhaps even having the credentials to wage tactical battle against the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.

The ever-outspoken Jamie O’Hara has even gone as far as to suggest that Glasner is “a better manager” than Arteta, with his trophy-winning credentials and the instant level-up he has overseen in south London bearing testament to that claim.

O’Hara’s football allegiances may lend themselves to a dislike of the high-flying Gunners project, but there is something to be said of Glasner’s success in taking over a Palace side that had lost their way under Roy Hodgson and have since achieved superstardom, plying their craft in Europe and enjoying new status as multi-trophy holders.

There is an urgency to Palace’s creative play that does not detract from their grace and elegance. They have created more big chances this season than both Arsenal and Liverpool. In fact, Manchester City are the only outfit with a higher count at this stage.

Man City

35

46

Chelsea

25

41

Brentford

21

41

Crystal Palace

18

41

Arsenal

27

40

Palace’s inherent playmaking prowess under Glasner’s wing suggests that he could be the perfect fit for a Liverpool side chock-full of devastating attacking quality.

Things might have gone stale in Slot’s system, but Glasner would prove the likes of O’Hara right by joining the Anfield side and elevating this Reds side back to illustrious heights.

Glasner could be the project manager Liverpool need to rival Arteta and Arsenal and reclaim their place on their perch, should Slot indeed face the axe in the coming months.

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ByAngus Sinclair Dec 4, 2025