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And how often have three batters made hundreds on the first day of a Test?

Steven Lynch27-May-2025MS Dhoni recently made his 200th dismissal as a wicketkeeper in the IPL. Is he top of this list? asked Abhishek Kapadia from India
Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first wicketkeeper to reach 200 dismissals in the Indian Premier League during Chennai Super Kings’ recent match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, when he caught Angkrish Raghuvanshi off the Afghanistan left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad.A couple of weeks later, Rishabh Pant made it to 100, during Lucknow Super Giants’ match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Lucknow. Two other keepers, who played what appear to be their final IPL games last year, also made more than 100 dismissals: Dinesh Karthik 174 and Wriddhiman Saha 113. For the full list, which will be updated, click here.Yuzvendra Chahal just took his second IPL hat-trick. Has anyone else got more than one? asked Suresh Moti from India
The Punjab Kings legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal took a hat-trick towards the end of CSK’s innings in Chennai at the end of April. It was his second in the IPL, after a hat-trick for Rajasthan Royals against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai in April 2022.Chahal’s recent hat-trick was the 23rd in the IPL, and he’s the third bowler to have taken more than one. The first man to double up is perhaps a bit of a surprise: Yuvraj Singh picked up two hat-tricks with his slow left-armers during the 2009 IPL in South Africa, for Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Durban, and against Deccan Chargers in Johannesburg. These were the only six wickets Yuvraj picked up in 14 matches in that tournament.Another legspinner, Amit Mishra, actually took three IPL hat-tricks, all for different teams: for Delhi Daredevils against Deccan Chargers in Delhi in 2008, for Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab in Dharamsala in 2011, and for Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Pune Warriors in Pune in 2013.We were watching Ben Duckett bat against Zimbabwe, and were wondering what the highest Test score by an England batter on his home ground was? asked Giles King from England
Ben Duckett did look in imperious form on the first day of the Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last week, and it was something of a surprise when he holed out for 140.This particular England record is held by Geoff Boycott, with 246 not out against India on Yorkshire’s home ground of Headingley in 1967 . That was a famous – or possibly infamous – innings, as he batted for 573 minutes in all, and was dropped from the next Test for slow scoring. The only other England batter to score a Test double-century on his county’s home ground was Denis Compton, with 208 against South Africa at Lord’s in 1947.The highest Test score by anyone on their home ground is 374, by Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene against South Africa at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo in 2006 .Geoff Boycott’s infamous crawl to 246 at Headingley in 1967 is the also the highest score by a batter at his home ground•Daily MirrorBefore his hundred against Zimbabwe, Zak Crawley had scored seven half-centuries since his previous three-figure score in Tests. What’s the record for this? asked Gerry Watson from England
Zak Crawley’s 124 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last week broke a century drought that stretched back to his superb 189 against Australia at Old Trafford in July 2023.Since then, you’re right that Crawley had reached 50 seven times in Tests without going on to a hundred (all seven scores were between 60 and 79). The record for England is 14 half-centuries between hundreds, by another Kent player in Alan Knott, between July 1971 and January 1975. Alastair Cook had two spells of 11 half-centuries without a hundred, while Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root have both had one.They’re all quite a way short of the overall record: the Australian captain Allan Border had no fewer than 21 half-centuries between Test tons in October 1988 and February 1992, while Temba Bavuma of South Africa collected 19 half-centuries between his first two Test hundreds, in January 2016 and March 2023. The Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella has so far made 22 half-centuries in Tests – but no hundreds at all.Three England players scored centuries on the first day at Trent Bridge. How often has this happened in a Test? asked Frank Donaldson from England
England’s 498 for 3 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge was the fourth-highest total by one side on the first day of a Test, and was also only the fourth time three different men had scored centuries on the first day: the same England trio (Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope) also did it against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022.The other instances were both by Australia, against England at The Oval in 1884 (Percy McDonnell, Billy Murdoch and Tup Scott) and South Africa in Adelaide in 2012 (David Warner, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey).Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

The Premier League season is now starting to take shape as we head into a busy festive period, and there have already been plenty of surprises.

Whether it be Sunderland’s return or Liverpool’s struggles, there have been numerous talking points so far, and FootballBlog have transformed the top flight table to a cost per point basis.

Every current manager in the 2025/26 Premier League ranked

This table is made up of each of the 20 Premier League sides’ total summer transfer spend in 2025, divided by points they have earned in the first 11 games of the season.

20

Wolves

£52.8m per point

Based off the fact they only have two points from a possible 33, it is no surprise to see Wolves rock bottom of this table as well.

The Old Gold spent over £100m in the summer, so their cost per point so far is extortionate.

19

Liverpool

£24.81m per point

Defending champions Liverpool were the biggest spenders by far over the summer, spending just under £450m on the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez.

Aside from Ekitike, the Reds’ new additions have struggled massively and as a result, every point Arne Slot’s side have picked up has cost them just shy of £25m.

18

Newcastle

£21.36m per point

Pressure is building on Eddie Howe and Newcastle after a poor Premier League start, with the Magpies forking out more than £250m in the summer.

Record signing Nick Woltemade started brightly, but Newcastle are in the relegation zone in this cost per point table at more than £21m for each of their 12 points.

17

Nottingham Forest

£20.28m per point

Now onto their third manager of the season, Nottingham Forest are showing positive signs under Sean Dyche and are out of the bottom three in this table.

The Reds spent just under £185m after qualifying for the Europa League, meaning Evangelos Marinakis has spent over £20m per point so far.

16

Chelsea

£14.83m per point

Chelsea were the second-biggest spenders in England over the summer, with Joao Pedro, Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens their three most expensive additions.

The Blues have started in solid fashion after their Club World Cup triumph, so a cost of just under £15m per point so far isn’t terrible for Enzo Maresca’s side.

15

West Ham

£13.13m per point

This could have been so much worse for West Ham if they hadn’t picked up back-to-back wins prior to the international break.

Now on 10 points from 11 games, the Hammers spent £131.3m over the summer under Graham Potter, but now have Nuno Espirito Santo in charge.

14

Man Utd

£12.91m per point

Unbeaten since September, Man Utd are seemingly beginning to find some form under Ruben Amorim, with marquee signings Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha impressing.

The Red Devils spent more than £230m in the summer, and their haul of 18 points works out at just shy of £13m per point.

13

Arsenal

£10.27m per point

Top of the Premier League table after a brilliant first 11 games, Arsenal are mid-table in this cost per point league after forking out £267m on new players as they aim to finally lift the title under Mikel Arteta.

Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres were the marquee additions in attack, although it has been the Gunners’ defence that has impressed.

12

Burnley

£9.77m per point

Newly promoted Burnley are just above the relegation zone but sit clear of it in the cost per point table.

The Clarets brought in the likes of Kyle Walker over the summer, and he’s so far helped them to 10 points in 11 games.

11

Sunderland

£9.65m per point

The big success story of the season so far has been Sunderland’s return to the Premier League. After eight years away, the Black Cats signed 13 new players at a cost of £183.4m, many of which have made an instant impact.

Sitting in the top four, Regis Le Bris’ side sit down in 11th here, but that won’t bother them one bit.

Florian Wirtz's £100 million ($130m) move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool didn't just upset Bayern Munich. It also hit hard at Koln. After all, Wirtz had come through their academy only to leave for Leverkusen in the summer of 2020 – and for a paltry €300,000 (£265,000/$350,000). Koln were furious. They felt Leverkusen had broken a 'gentleman's agreement' by signing one of the most exciting young players they'd ever produced – but there was nothing they could do about it. Wirtz's contract was expiring and he wanted to leave.

However, while Koln may have missed out on a massive transfer fee with Wirtz, it looks like they're going to make a colossal profit on the €350,000 (£310,000/$405,000) they invested in another potential superstar. Indeed, Said El Mala has just received his first Germany call-up after taking the Bundesliga by storm this season, and has already attracted the attention of both Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, as well as a string of top clubs across the continent.

So, who is Koln's new teenage sensation? And how long might it be before one of Europe's elite pays big money to sign him? GOAL breaks it all down below…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Where it all began

  El Mala was born and raised in Krefeld in western Germany. Both he and his brother Malek – who is one year older than Said and also on Koln's books – got their love of the game from their Lebanese father Mohammed, who played as a centre-back for local side Linner SV. El Mala briefly followed in his father's footsteps before joining Malek at Borussia Monchengladbach in 2017. However, he was released three years later.

  "Said was still very small back then, making him extremely inferior athletically to his opponents and not competitive at that level," El Mala's former coach at the Gladbach Under-15s, Sven Schuchardt, told . "Some boys simply need a little more time to develop."

  El Mala was nonetheless devastated by the rejection. "It wasn't easy to process," he later admitted in an interview with . "Everything turning around, just like that. As a 14-year-old, you ask yourself: What did I do wrong?"

  He even considered quitting the game and was only convinced to continue by Malek. The two brothers would ultimately reunite at TSV Meerbusch and then again at Viktoria Koln, where they excelled in the same Under-19s team. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  The big break

  El Mala's impressive performances at youth level led to him making his senior debut in a third-tier clash with FC Saarbrucken on February 21, 2004 – just two days after signing his first professional contract with Viktoria. However, just four months later, he was snapped up by Viktoria's city rivals Koln. Crucially, Koln were unable to register new players at the time, so in order to get a deal done for the in-demand youngster as quickly as possible, they agreed to immediately loan El Mala back to Viktoria for the 2024-25 campaign.

  It proved a pivotal moment in his development, as the winger benefited enormously from regular game time at a lower level. He scored 13 times in 32 appearances across his first full season in the professional ranks, resulting in him being awarded the 3. Liga's Newcomer of the Season award, and then shone for Germany's U19s during their summer run to the semi-finals of the European Championship, with four goals and three assists.

  Consequently, El Mala belatedly arrived at Koln brimming with belief. 

• How it's going

  Despite El Mala marking himself out as one of Germany's most promising prospects over the previous year, Koln coach Lukas Kwasniok was reluctant to place too much pressure upon the teenager's shoulders and decided to carefully manage his game time. Consequently, El Mala has been employed primarily as an impact sub in 2025-26 – but to devastating effect. The attacker has already racked up four goals and two assists in this season's Bundesliga, even though he's only started three times. 

  Julian Nagelsmann also felt that he'd seen enough of El Mala to warrant inclusion in his squad for this week's crucial World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia.

  "Said should get the chance to show his carefree and easy-going style of play," the Germany boss told reporters. "We keep an eye on our U21 players and always want to give them the chance to feature for the senior national team."

  As for El Mala, he was taken aback by his rapid promotion to Germany's senior squad and revealed that he had initially ignored Nagelsmann's call.

  "I was at home when it arrived but I don't like answering unknown numbers," the teenager revealed to . "Then, he sent me a message saying, 'Hi, this is Julian Nagelsmann, please call me back!' I immediately showed the message to my brother and that's when I realised, 'I guess I'm in!' But you can't take it all in during one week. It takes a bit longer. But I'm incredibly excited for the game [against Luxembourg on Friday], and I can enjoy whatever comes after that."

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• Biggest strengths

  In Germany, El Mala is considered something of a throwback, the kind of old-school street-footballer that one rarely sees anymore.

  He's a refreshingly direct dribbler. His first thought always seems to be to take on his man – which makes sense, as he's blessed with wonderful close control and a blistering turn of pace, meaning he's a nightmare for full-backs in one-v-one situations.

  He's also got one hell of a strike on him. Time and time again this season, we've seen him come off the left flank and cut in onto his favoured right foot before unleashing fearsome shots on goal.

Though wickets fell at the other end, Wyatt-Hodge kept finding the boundary and sealed the match with two balls to go

AAP18-Nov-2025Hobart Hurricanes opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s unbeaten half-century secured a thrilling four-wicket win over Adelaide Strikers.Wyatt-Hodge, the golden cap owner for most runs for the season, paced her 72 not out off 57 to perfection to get the undefeated Hurricanes home with two deliveries to spare.Strikers fast bowler Darcie Brown (4 for 16) had threatened to win the match for her side with equal career-best figures, which allowed her to wear the golden cap for most wickets for the summer to date.Hurricanes pace bowler Hayley Silver-Holmes hit consecutive boundaries in the last over off Megan Schutt to secure victory at Bellerive Oval as they chased down Adelaide’s 134.Related

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Wyatt-Hodge, who now has 251 runs in just four games this season, took 18 runs from 19-year-old Eleanor Larosa’s first over in the WBBL, including four boundaries in a row highlighted by some delightful timing through the offside.Lizelle Lee (12 runs) flicked a six with ease over deep square leg before chopping on a Brown delivery after a breezy 33-run opening stand. Brown had her rhythm working and bowled stump-to-stump. Nat Sciver-Brunt tried an ill-conceived ramp and heard the death rattle.Next on Brown’s hit list was Nicola Carey who was well caught at first slip by Amanda-Jade Wellington. Then a fast Brown yorker went straight through Heather Graham.Though wickets fell at the other end, Wyatt-Hodge kept finding the boundary when she needed to and picked up her ones and twos as well.Hurricanes are doing everything right in the early stages of the season. Their bowlers are picking up wickets with regularity and their fielders are backing them up with quality work.Strikers never got going early in their innings after being sent in and the pressure built and built. Carey’s inswingers tied up the Strikers and she made the early breakthrough to get rid of Tammy Beaumont.Adelaide’s best batter Laura Wolvaardt was well caught at mid-off by skipper Elyse Villani from the crafty offspin of Lauren Smith. Seamer Heather Graham (2-23) knocked over Madeline Penna with a peach of a delivery that seamed in and after 10 overs the visitors had dawdled to 3-45.Captain Tahlia McGrath appeared to be finding the form that has eluded her in the opening round but couldn’t kick on. Wicketkeeper Bridget Patterson (24) was another who failed to make the most of a start.Strikers legspinner Wellington (33 not out off 21) was the most creative and effective batter in her late cameo. Left-arm orthodox turner Linsey Smith (1-11 off four) gave nothing away in a wily spell for the Hurricanes.

Leeds United are now set to push to sign a Barcelona forward in the January transfer window, having already made persistent enquiries over a deal.

Leeds looking to bolster attacking options this winter

Earlier this season, Danny Murphy suggested Leeds’ lack of top-quality forwards could put them at real risk of relegation, saying: “I still think Leeds and Burnley will go.

“I think the biggest problem for Burnley and Leeds is firepower. I agree with what we talked about earlier. I think all the newly promoted sides doing well is great for the Premier League. I’d like to see them all stay up, actually. But I don’t think it’ll be the case.”

Since then, however, the Whites have displayed they have what it takes to cause some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs real problems, defeating Chelsea 3-1, before going on to draw 3-3 with Liverpool courtesy of a last-gasp Ao Tanaka equaliser.

That said, with Daniel Farke’s side still just two points above the relegation zone, they remain interested in improving their forward line during the January transfer window, and they have now made contact over a deal for Barcelona’s Roony Bardghji.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states the Whites have lodged persistent enquiries to sign the Barca forward on loan in the January transfer window, as they believe he would be perfectly suited to their style of play.

Leeds are unwilling to give up on securing the 20-year-old’s signature, despite his recent emergence as a first-team player for the La Liga club, and they are set to push for a January deal in the coming weeks.

Bardghji could play major role in helping Leeds avoid the drop

The Sweden international hasn’t featured particularly regularly so far this season, but he showed exactly what he’s capable of in Barca’s most recent La Liga match, scoring one goal and setting up another in the 5-3 triumph against Real Betis.

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It was an impressive all-round performance from the Kuwait-born forward, who completed two dribbles and won two duels, and Hansi Flick will be delighted he is now coming into his own in La Liga, having also previously put in some eye-catching displays for FC Copenhagen.

With Daniel James recently suffering a hamstring injury, and receiving criticism at times this season, it would be ideal to bring in a new forward in the upcoming transfer window, and the Barca ace would be a like-for-like replacement, given that his main position is right-wing.

As such, Leeds should definitely look to sign Bardghji, off the back of some impressive showings in both La Liga and the Champions League, grabbing an assist in Barca’s 6-1 victory over Olympiacos.

Hosts face a tricky path to 2027 ODI World Cup while Pakistan will bank on their returning big names to fire

Danyal Rasool07-Aug-2025So, this is the series that might not have happened. The PCB didn’t try too hard to conceal their displeasure at being dragged out to Trinidad to play out a three-match ODI series after T20Is in Florida; an additional few short-form games in the US would have suited them just fine. Their opposite number felt a tour of the West Indies ought to at least include setting foot in the West Indies, and that once Pakistan made it there, they might as well play the 50-over games the two had mutually agreed upon.And West Indies really do think it’s about time people stopped trying to keep them from playing ODI cricket. They missed out on the two most recent ICC tournaments in the format, qualification defeat in 2023 locking them out of both that year’s World Cup and this year’s Champions Trophy. Three games apiece against Ireland and England comprise the sum total of ODIs West Indies have played in 2025, with just one win to show for it.West Indies need to turn that around quickly if they’re to avoid missing a third successive 50-over ICC event. They are ranked 10th, with qualification for 2027 only guaranteed to the top eight teams aside from hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe; with Zimbabwe well outside the top eight, West Indies realistically need to finish within the top nine – one place higher than they are – to secure automatic passage at the cut-off date. A series win against Pakistan, ranked six places above them, would help significantly.Related

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Pakistan may be favourites for this series, but you wouldn’t know it from their recent ODI form. Their win-loss record this year is worse than the hosts, their solitary win sandwiched between seven defeats. It included an ignominious tournament as hosts of the Champions Trophy, where they were knocked out within the first five days, and exited without winning a game at the bottom of their group.Even so, as the rankings reflect, this is probably Pakistan’s best format. In its current state, that’s a bit like the straightest line in a Picasso painting, but it isn’t like Pakistan are producing masterpieces anywhere else. Before they timed their horror run with devastating precision at the most important juncture of the year, Pakistan had come into 2025 on a wave off ODI optimism. Three consecutive away series wins – in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa – made them look a formidable side with a set template that worked consistently. Saim Ayub was in the form of his life at the top and Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf each were among the top wicket-takers for fast bowlers in 2024.Saim Ayub is back to full fitness and back to the Caribbean, where he has had success in the CPL•Associated PressWhile all of that was to vaporise in the wake of Ayub’s injury in Cape Town, the core of Pakistan’s side remains similar to the that one. And Ayub is now back to full fitness, as well as nearing his best form. The bowling is led by Shaheen and Naseem Shah, while wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan captains the side.Babar Azam, No. 2 in the ICC ODI rankings, also returns. But in the wake of Fakhar Zaman’s injury, it remains to be seen if Pakistan replicate their cack-handed strategy of throwing him up to open the batting in the Champions Trophy, inspired by Aqib Javed and random hope rather than any evidence of its wisdom.West Indies’ squad is not dissimilar to the one that had toured England over the summer, though Shimron Hetmyer continues to be unavailable with a side strain. Brandon King and Evin Lewis have shaken off injuries to form part of the squad.While Trinidad & Tobago, where all three ODIs will be played, has a reputation for turn, information on conditions at the new venue in Tarouba is harder to come by. The Brian Lara Cricket Academy has only hosted one ODI, a game where India beat West Indies in by 200 runs. Barring weather playing spoilsport with Trinidad in the peak of its wet season, the three upcoming games will clarify if West Indies’ decision to go in with just one specialist spinner alongside Roston Chase was judicious.This series may not have a lot going for it commercially. It’s the wrong format, in the wrong time zone, between the wrong sides, in the wrong season. But for West Indies, it could prove the difference between the life support of an ICC World Cup berth or the financial oblivion of missing out once more.For the visitors it is a chance to show themselves as much as anyone else they still have the quality to be world-class at a time when Pakistan cricket is less marketable than it has ever been. If a measure of a series’ value is what’s at stake for it, then perhaps there’s not much wrong about the games that will unfold in Trinidad this week.

Newcastle United’s topsy-turvy campaign continued away at Brentford on Sunday afternoon.

Fresh off collecting another Champions League victory versus Athletic Club at St James’ Park in mid-week, the hope would have been that Eddie Howe’s Magpies would travel to the Bees and start to turn around their stuttering domestic campaign.

Unfortunately for the travelling masses at the Gtech Community Stadium, Newcastle would, instead, crash to their fifth defeat of the Premier League season already, as an Igor Thiago-inspired comeback clinched a 3-1 win for Keith Andrews’ hosts.

Eddie Howe has nowhere to hide after “another awful away day” as journalist Craig Hope brutally put it, with Dan Burn’s sending off late on starting the demise, which saw Brentford sneak home two quickfire efforts inside the final 12 minutes.

The 6-foot-7 warrior wasn’t on his own, though, in putting in another disastrous defensive display, as one of his partners on the day in Sven Botman, was also exposed as a weak link throughout the 3-1 loss.

Botman's poor performance in numbers

This is the second Sunday in a row where Newcastle have travelled to London and surrendered a one-goal lead, with West Ham United also getting the better of them by the exact same scoreline to start November.

In both defeats, the Dutchman has looked shaky and susceptible, with Botman even managing to score an own goal against the Hammers.

While he was spared his blushes in this regard against the Bees, he was still a liability in the centre-back positions throughout, as Thiago’s late 95th-minute game-clinching strike saw the below-par number 4 fail to keep a close eye on the action.

Away from being run ragged by the 24-year-old hotshot, Botman also trudged off at the end with only two of his six duels being won, alongside failing to win a single tackle to try and stop a Brentford side who only grew in confidence, the more the game went on.

Howe might well be tempted to throw Fabian Schar back into his starting XI if Botman keeps up these shoddy performances, with the 25-year-old only managing to collect a slim two clean sheets in league action this season when featuring for the up-and-down Magpies.

With Burn now suspended for Newcastle’s next league tie after the international break against Manchester City, and Nick Pope taken off towards the latter stages of the 3-1 loss, it could be a new-look defence that takes to the field against the revitalised Citizens, as another underperformer at the back fears Howe’s selection wrath.

Newcastle star was just as bad as Botman

Howe is now being stung for being too loyal towards long-standing St James’ Park servants, with Burn very visibly not at the required level anymore to be a starting left-back.

Kieran Trippier also struggled throughout on the right flank against Andrews’ hosts, with the return of Tino Livramento from injury – who Howe stated could be back for the clash against Pep Guardiola’s men – only troubling the 35-year-old’s starting position going forward even more.

Trippier’s performance in numbers

Stat

Trippier

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

81

Accurate passes

47/60 (78%)

Accurate long balls

2/5 (40%)

Accurate crosses

0/5

Possession lost

20x

Dribbled past

2x

Total duels won

4/11

Stats by Sofascore

Often, the ex-Atletico Madrid defender’s saving grace is his ability to conjure up an opening from nowhere, with an inch-perfect free-kick delivery getting the ball rolling in the Champions League last Wednesday night, as Burn then headed home the right-back’s inviting delivery.

Against Brentford, though, this split-second creativity was nowhere to be found, with Trippier failing to register a single accurate cross, which led to Nick Woltemade cutting an isolated figure up top, once more.

Trippier also gave up possession a high 20 times, while also looking rusty when Brentford attacked with pace and energy – much like Botman – with only four of his 11 duels being successfully won.

Livramento’s return from injury has possibly come at the perfect time, so Howe doesn’t have to persist with selecting his declining captain, with Burn also fearful he will be removed from the team for good, for Lewis Hall to take over left-back duties.

Howe stated at the full-time whistle that there are “no excuses” after the Toon succumbed to their fifth Premier League defeat of the season to date, with Newcastle needing to return after the international break refreshed and ready to break out of their inconsistent form, with both Trippier and Botman dropping down to the substitutes bench.

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The doom and gloom currently engulfing Leeds United is strong.

At Elland Road this season, the Whites have looked like a competent Premier League outfit, in all fairness, as was showcased in their 2-1 win over West Ham United to close out October.

But, Daniel Farke and Co cannot rely on their home form all season long to keep them away from the dreaded relegation spaces, with their away record an abysmal read at the moment.

Only three of Leeds’ 11 points so far this season have been picked up on their disappointing travels, with all of their defeats on the road also seeing the top-flight newcomers offer up very little in an attacking capacity.

The 3-0 loss last time out at Brighton and Hove Albion was an alarming reminder of the gulf in quality between Leeds and the likes of Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls, with Leeds reduced to a relegation-fodder state at the Amex.

Strangely, though, Leeds have pulled off some memorable bits of business this summer that have stuck out amid all the hopelessness, with Noah Okafor already up to two goals at his new employers, as the Whites are usually prone to a transfer clanger or two.

Ranking Leeds' transfer business in recent history

Switzerland international, Okafor, has already been described as a “class difference-maker” by Leeds content creator Oscar Marrio for his goal-laden displays in West Yorkshire.

Successfully completing five dribbles against the rampant Seagulls, too, it will be interesting to see if the Whites can avoid the drop, courtesy of the risky £18m acquisition bombing down the flanks.

The likes of Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach have also stood out in midfield, after joining from Newcastle United and Hoffenheim respectively, with the energy that Okafor offers in spades also visible in this new duo.

Two Premier League strikes have also already been put away by the ex-Magpies star, and his Croat counterpart, with Longstaff even being labelled as “one of the best signings in the Premier League” this summer by journalist Daniel Storey.

Often, comments about Leeds’ recent purchases haven’t always been so complimentary, with the Whites’ summer business heading into 2022/23 – which ended in a pitiful Premier League relegation – sticking out as being full of blunders.

Luis Sinisterra certainly stands out as being a transfer deal gone wrong, with the £21m winger billed as an “animal” by ex-teammate Juan Cuadrado on this entry to England, only for the Colombian to score a weak five goals in the Premier League donning Leeds white, during what was an injury-ravaged stint.

The likes of Rasmus Kristensen, Tyler Adams, and many more around this same time period aren’t remembered fondly, either, as they all left the Leeds train at the earliest possible opportunity, after relegation was confirmed.

Another name that springs to mind is Helder Costa. Costing £12m to obtain under the great Marcelo Bielsa, he then only made an unmemorable 23 Premier League appearances in West Yorkshire.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be praying that he’s not recounted in the same dismissive manner down the line, as the ex-Everton marksman continues to struggle to find his goalscoring groove at Elland Road.

The former England international does have the bonus that he was acquired on a free transfer, so he doesn’t have a weighty Sinisterra-like price tag hanging above his head.

Still, with only one goal coming his way so far this season, he isn’t immune to pelters, with ex-Premier League scout Bryan King even stating recently that he isn’t the “right striker fit” for Leeds if they desperately crave goals to stave off the drop.

It’s too early to judge whether he’s an outright flop, though, but the early signs are concerning. He isn’t alone in being deemed a shaky summer signing, however.

Leeds flop could be seen as one of their worst signings

Heading into top-flight action this season, it was clear Leeds needed to successfully find a long-term replacement for Illan Meslier.

The Frenchman was so error-prone last campaign that £400k recruit Karl Darlow had to be thrown in for the latter matches of the campaign, so their promotion charge wasn’t sabotaged.

Unfortunately, Lucas Perri’s £13.9m arrival this summer from Lyon hasn’t instantly eased the goalkeeping nerves that plagued their Championship promotion story.

The Brazilian stopper joined the building having been branded as an “outstanding” shot-stopper by South American football expert Nathan Joyes, having collected a promising ten clean sheets last season in Ligue 1 action.

He started life in England with two clean sheets collected from his first three Premier League clashes, too, but he has looked worryingly ropey when Leeds have been under the cosh.

In particular, his showing away at Brighton would see journalist Adam Pope criticise the 27-year-old for the amount of “unnecessary” decisions he was making with the ball at his feet that just ramped up more pressure on the all-at-sea defenders on the South Coast.

Perri’s PL numbers for Leeds

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

Perri

Games played

5

Goals conceded overall

9

Goals conceded*

1.8

Saves

9

Goals prevented

-0.48

Accurate passes*

18.8 (53%)

Stats by Sofascore

The table above doesn’t lie, either, when looking at Pope’s comments, with Perri only managing to accurately complete 53% of his passes so far this season, as the likes of Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson were then put under far more strain than necessary at the Amex.

Moreover, Perri has the worst save percentage among the 21 goalkeepers to have played five or more games so far this season in the Premier League, with nine efforts being hammered past the new Leeds number one, despite only facing 18 total shots.

Amazingly, Leeds might well have just been better sticking it out with their trusty second-in-command from last season in Darlow, with the experienced Welshman managing to make 13 saves across his own span of five Premier League encounters.

At £13.9m, Perri is yet to live up to his high transfer fee, with the highly praised Longstaff even coming into the building for a lower fee himself, at the £12m range.

Even Meslier would come away from his 2022/23 efforts in the top-flight with a higher accurate pass percentage average next to his name, with a worry now that Leeds have forked out significant wads of cash on a ‘keeper who isn’t a noticeable upgrade on what they already had.

The same could be said about Calvert-Lewin, arguably, – if you remove talk of transfer fees – with golden-boot winning Joel Piroe up top now frozen out completely, despite collecting a blistering 19 strikes on the way to promotion being clinched.

Thankfully, Calvert-Lewin’s woes in front of goal have been regularly bailed out already by the likes of Okafor stepping up to the mark as a far more impactful new addition.

In between the sticks, though, it’s harder to go under the radar for your mistakes and errors, with a worry that more unconvincing performances from the £13.9m ‘keeper to come could result in Leeds hurtling straight back down to the second tier.

This would be a gigantic disappointment, with Perri once judged as a clean slate in goal, who could break away from the shoddy days of Meslier.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 5, 2025

Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti has delivered a scathing assessment of his side’s performance following their 2-0 victory against Pafos in the Champions League, labelling parts of their first-half display as "embarrassing". The Italian tactician lamented that his players missed "easy balls" and struggled defensively, necessitating a tactical reshuffle involving Weston McKennie to shore up a fragile backline.

Juventus seal vital Champions League victory

While three points in the Champions League usually calls for celebration, the mood in the Juventus camp was decidedly sombre following their latest European outing against the Cypriot side. Despite securing a victory that keeps their slim hopes of a top-eight finish alive in the league phase, the Bianconeri were far from convincing, leaving their manager fuming at the technical poverty and defensive fragility on display. Spalletti refused to sugarcoat the evening's events during his post-match media duties, making it clear that while the result was necessary, the method of achieving it fell well below the standards required at the elite level of European football.

AdvertisementAFPJuventus did 'the bare minimum', says Spalletti

The primary source of Spalletti’s ire was a disjointed first-half performance where Juventus seemed unable to string passes together or control the tempo of the game. For a coach who prides himself on fluid, possession-based football, seeing his side struggle with the basics was a bitter pill to swallow.

Speaking to after the whistle, Spalletti offered a brutally honest verdict on the initial 45 minutes, saying: "It was fundamental to win and with victories, things are put right. I am not happy and neither are the lads, we could and should have done more. We did the bare minimum, in the first half there were also embarrassing situations. Then after the goal, we had more tranquillity."

Defensive headaches

Beyond the general malaise, Spalletti pinpointed specific tactical deficiencies that left his side exposed. The injury crisis in defence forced the manager into uncomfortable compromises, most notably the deployment of Weston McKennie in a defensive role and the shifting of Pierre Kalulu.

The balance of the backline was a major concern, with Pafos finding it far too easy to create goalscoring opportunities on the counter-attack. Spalletti’s analysis of his full-backs was particularly telling, highlighting the trade-off between offensive output and defensive solidity.

"Difficulty defending? It is true, we must also recover a right centre-back to let Kalulu play full-back and not McKennie," Spalletti explained.

He reserved specific criticism for the defensive vulnerabilities on the flanks, noting that while Andrea Cambiaso offers a threat going forward, he can become a liability when facing dynamic wingers.

"Also Cambiaso is very offensive and struggles against players who cut inside," the manager added. "We conceded too much and exploited our qualities little, missing easy balls. For the moment it is like this, we take the second half."

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The victory provides breathing space, but it has not solved the underlying problems. Spalletti’s public undressing of the team’s performance serves as a warning shot: this level of play will not suffice in the knockout stages against stronger opposition.

They are now 17th in the Champions League table, leaving them on track to advance as an unseeded team for the knockout play-off draw. However, with just three points separating them from the top eight, Spalletti will hope to get maximum points from their last two games of the round to ensure they go straight into the last-16.

First of all, however, they will aim to crawl back up the Serie A table as Spalletti's seventh-placed team visit a Bologna side sitting fifth and with just one defeat in their last 15 matches in all competitions. AC Milan and Napoli are currently eight points clear of Spalletti's Bianconeri at the top of the table.

Quinton de Kock’s comeback left no room for Ryan Rickelton in the T20I side

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2025

Fast bowler Anrich Nortje will play for South Africa for the first time since the 2024 T20 World Cup final after being named in their T20I squad to face India next month.Nortje has been on the sidelines with a recurrence of a stress fracture but made a comeback for Dolphins in the ongoing T20 Challenge. He has played five matches and is currently ninth on the wicket charts. His inclusion suggests South Africa are considering him for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.Nortje was not named in the ODI squad for matches that will be played before the T20Is in India. Regular captain Temba Bavuma returned to lead the side after missing the Pakistan series through injury but Tristan Stubbs was dropped from the squad. Rubin Hermann, who made his debut against Pakistan, kept his place.In the T20I squad, Quinton de Kock’s return left no room for Ryan Rickelton, who will be sweating over whether he will make the T20 World Cup squad. De Kock, who scored an unbeaten 123 in the second ODI against Pakistan, had scores of 1, 23, 7 and 0 in the four T20Is he has played since his comeback, but he averages 50.88 and strikes at 142.23 in T20Is in India.With Reeza Hendricks also returning, hard-hitting Lhuan-de Pretorius did not find a spot in the T20I squad. Donovan Ferreira, who captained South Africa in the T20Is against Pakistan, retained his spot while Dewald Brevis is back after a low-grade muscle strain ruled him out midway in that tour.David Miller also made a comeback to the T20I squad, having last played for South Africa at the Champions Trophy in March.The ODIs will be played on November 30, December 3 and December 6 in Ranchi, Raipur and Visakhapatnam, respectively, while the five T20Is will be held from December 9-19.South Africa’s ODI squad vs IndiaTemba Bavuma (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Keshav Maharaja, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Prenelan SubrayenSouth Africa’s T20I squad vs IndiaAiden Markram (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marzo Jansen, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tristan Stubbs, Keshav Maharaj