There has been a major update on the future of Nottingham Forest’s Arnaud Kalimuendo, with three clubs now keen on securing his signature in the January transfer window.

The forward has featured just twice since the arrival of Sean Dyche, being brought on as a late substitute in the 2-0 Premier League defeat at AFC Bournemouth at the end of October, before going to start in the 0-0 draw against Sturm Graz in the Europa League.

It would be fair to say the 23-year-old struggled to make an impact against the Austrian side, however, recording an xG of just 0.16 and touching the ball 22 times, the lowest of any Forest player that started the match.

The summer signing was also uninvolved in the statement 3-0 victory against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, failing to make it off the bench as the Tricky Trees romped home to an easy win, and there has now been a new update on his future at the City Ground…

Update on Arnaud Kalimuendo's future at Nottingham Forest

According to a report from France (via Sport Witness), Kalimuendo’s time at Nottingham Forest is now coming to an ‘abrupt end’, with an ‘abrupt’ exit on the cards, amid interest from the likes of Paris FC, Stuttgart and AS Roma.

The three clubs from across Europe are queuing up for the striker’s signature, with his lack of game time sparking widespread interest from elsewhere, having not yet started a single game in the Premier League so far this season.

The Frenchman may be set to receive even fewer minutes going forward, given that Dyche recently offered a promising update on when a fellow striker could return from injury, saying: “Chris Wood is getting re-scanned, so we are checking up on that. But it is good news so far. Being re-scanned is just part of the process,

“There is nothing untoward about it — it is just a check-up.”

The Forest boss will no doubt be hoping the New Zealand international is able to make a comeback soon, given that Igor Jesus hasn’t exactly set the world alight as of late, having failed to score in his opening 11 Premier League matches this season.

Ultimately, Kalimuendo’s move to the City Ground hasn’t worked out, with Nuno, Ange Postecoglou and now Dyche deciding against giving the centre-forward a run in the side, which suggests he hasn’t been doing enough in training to merit a start.

As such, it may be a wise move to cash-in on the £60k-a-week forward in the January transfer window, in order to reinvest the money into other areas of the squad, with Forest still not out of the woods in the relegation battle, despite moving up to 16th place with the victory over Liverpool.

Sean Dyche personally requests January signing of "fantastic" colossus

Sean Dyche now requests Nottingham Forest sign "fantastic" colossus in January

The Forest manager has specifically asked the board to bring in a new defender, who could be his first signing.

By
Dominic Lund

Nov 20, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur endured their most embarrassing defeat of the campaign to date yesterday, but doing so against bitter rivals Arsenal at the Emirates.

Thomas Frank’s men suffered a 4-1 loss at the hands of Mikel Arteta’s side, with former transfer target Eberechi Eze netting a hat-trick during the one-sided contest.

Richarlison’s phenomenal long-range effort was overshadowed by the result, with the Dane having a huge task on his hands to prevent such a result from occurring in the near future.

Such a result was the Lilywhites’ first away defeat of the Premier League campaign, but the nature of the North London Derby will be the biggest concern to the supporters.

Numerous players also failed to make a positive impression against the Gunners, which could see their places in the starting eleven be at huge risk in the upcoming fixtures.

Spurs’ poor performers against Arsenal yesterday

Attacker Mohammed Kudus was missing for the last couple of Spurs outings through injury, but the Ghanaian was recalled to the starting eleven for the North London Derby.

However, the 25-year-old struggled to make the desired impact at the Emirates, with his performance one that ultimately failed to impress the fanbase.

He featured for 78 minutes of the contest and was only able to register 30 touches of the ball and ultimately was unable to notch a single effort on David Raya’s goal.

Kudus’ lack of impact will no doubt have been aided by the struggles of the midfield two, with Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur operating at the base of Frank’s side.

The pair were far too ineffective during the defeat to Arteta’s men, subsequently only registering a single pass into the final third between them during the embarrassing display.

The Uruguayan international also lost 100% of the duels he entered against the Gunners, often being dominated by the opposition and being unable to have the desired impact on proceedings.

The Spurs star who had fewer touches than Vicario against Arsenal

Spurs’ display against Arsenal was nothing short of a disgrace, with Frank’s decision to switch to a back five massively restricting the side within forward areas of the pitch.

The defeat against the Gunners has now extended the Lilywhites’ dismal run away from home in such a fixture, with the club now only winning one away game out of their last 33 in the NLD.

Frank’s men only achieved a total xG of 0.07 during the 90 minutes at the Emirates, with Richarlison’s long-ranger goal just one of two shots on target during the contest.

The defensive setup led to the toothless showing yesterday, with the manager needing to take huge responsibility for making such a significant call in a vital clash.

He did hand Wilson Odobert the chance to impress from the off at the Emirates, but like many of his teammates, the Frenchman failed to deliver during the defeat.

The 20-year-old featured for a total of 66 minutes against the Gunners, but he only managed to achieve a total of 23 touches in the process – the lowest of any Lilywhites attacker.

His subsequent tally was lower than that of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, with the Italian racking up a total of 57 as he tried to prevent the onslaught from the hosts.

As for Odobert, his lack of quality within the final third was evident by his underlying figures, which further showcase his inability to impress during his rare league start.

The Frenchman failed to complete any of his two attempted crosses, whilst also failing to register a single effort on Raya’s goal – subsequently being unable to cause the opposition any trouble at all.

Wilson Odobert – stats against Arsenal

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

66

Touches

23

Passes completed

7

Crosses completed

0

Shots taken

0

Possession lost

9x

Aerials won

0

Match rating

3/10

Stats via FotMob

Other numbers, such as zero aerials won and nine times possession lost, further highlight his struggles in North London, with the manager potentially wanting to drop the youngster after such a showing.

As a result of his lack of positive impact, Odobert was handed a measly 3/10 match rating by Football London’s Alasdair Gold – topping off a dismal afternoon for the attacker.

His lightweight nature ultimately wasn’t suitable for the Derby Day clash with Arsenal, subsequently highlighting another glaring error made by Frank at the Emirates.

Frank desperately needs to learn from such a selection mistake in the games ahead, otherwise, he could seriously find himself struggling to maintain his position as manager of Spurs.

Related Spurs flop who looks "non-league" level must never start for Frank again

Tottenham Hotspur fell to a humbling 4-1 defeat against Arsenal in the North Lodnon Derby this evening.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 23, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now registered their interest in signing Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia on loan in the January transfer window, alongside a whole host of rival Premier League clubs.

Fosun would’ve been hoping Rob Edwards could breathe new life into a Wolves side that have massively disappointed so far this season, but the manager was on the receiving end of a defeat in his first match in charge, with Crystal Palace emerging as 2-0 winners at Molineux on Saturday.

Edwards’ side actually looked better from an attacking point of view, recording an xG of 1.79, compared to 1.27 from the Eagles, but they were unable to take their chances, with both Jhon Arias and Ladislav Krejci squandering big opportunities.

Things are looking bleak for the Old Gold, who are still searching for their first win of the Premier League season, and now sit nine points from safety, given that they have the worst attacking and defensive records in the top flight, scoring seven and conceding 27.

As such, if the Wanderers are to stand any chance of avoiding the drop, they may need to make major improvements at both ends of the pitch in the upcoming transfer window, and they have now made an approach for a new centre-forward.

Wolves make approach to sign Gonzalo Garcia on loan

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, in a report for Football Insider, Wolves are one of a number of clubs in the race for Real Madrid forward Garcia this January, although it remains to be seen whether they will be willing to sanction a departure.

The Spanish side are concerned about a lack of attacking depth, which means they may not be willing to let the 21-year-old leave, despite several English sides queuing up to get a deal done, with O’Rourke saying: “If Real Madrid are willing to loan him out, I’m sure it’s more than just Leeds will be interested in him. I believe Brighton, Villa and Wolves have all registered interest.

“A lot will depend on Real Madrid. If there’s any injuries to their forwards then it might mean there’s no chance that Garcia goes out and loan.”

Hailed as a “goal machine” in the media, the youngster clearly has a lot of potential, having starred for Madrid at the Club World Cup in the summer, bagging four goals and an assist in six outings out in the USA.

Wolves are in dire need of a fresh injection of quality in attack, having failed to score in four out of their last five Premier League games, with Jorgen Strand Larsen failing to impress, finding the back of the net just once in 10 top-flight outings.

As such, a move for Garcia would make sense, but it will be strange if the Real Madrid ace is willing to move to a club in huge danger of relegation, given that there is likely to be plenty of other options on the table.

Wolves prioritising move for ex-Man City target as Edwards' first signing Wolves now prioritising move for ex-Man City target as Edwards' first signing

The Midlands side are ready to back their new manager.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 22, 2025

Labuschagne in the 15-man squad along with both allrounders in Green and Webster with all options on the table

Alex Malcolm05-Nov-20253:26

McGlashan: ‘Marnus has done everything asked of him’

Sam Konstas has been dropped from Australia’s Test squad for the first Ashes Test against England with Tasmania opener Jake Weatherald handed his first international call-up as the national selectors pick a 15-man group that gives them a host of options.Marnus Labuschagne, who was dropped in West Indies earlier this year, is set to be recalled into the XI following a prolific start to the season with Queensland, but where he bats remains uncertain and will likely be dictated by whether Cameron Green can operate fully as an allrounder.Related

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Chair of selectors George Bailey said no decision had been made on the batting order or the final XI but stressed Labuschagne could bat anywhere.”He can bat three, he could open,” Bailey said. “He’s got the skill set for both, but he’s been looking pretty good of late.”Bailey said Weatherald had earned his place after scoring 1391 runs at 53.50 striking at 68.65 opening the batting for Tasmania and Australia A in the last 14 months.”I think it’s a pretty solid record for sort of 18-24 months,” Bailey said. “I don’t think there’s any one innings, but there’s been a good consistency, I think, in the way that he approaches his batting. I think he’s in a really clear place. We don’t see any sort of shifting innings to innings from the way he goes about it.”So that says to me that he’s someone who has a clear understanding of the way they want to play and the way they feel like they’ll get the best performances out of themselves. And by virtue of that, he just happens to score at four runs an over, and has some natural attacking strengths without sort of being cavalier with that.”Bailey added Konstas had taken the axing very well after a conversation with him on Wednesday morning.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”Every conversation with Sam is a joy,” he said. “He’s got a great outlook on life. He remains incredibly upbeat. The scrutiny on him is almost unprecedented on some levels, I think. So, just checking in, seeing how he’s feeling about the start of the year, what his focus is at the moment. And then it was just more what we could do to support him going forward, and what we’d like to see. And as complicated as we try and make cricket, really it’s about runs.”Green and fellow allrounder Beau Webster have both been named in the squad although it remains to be seen whether both will play in the same XI as they have done in Australia’s last four Test matches.Green is set to bowl 15 to 20 overs for Western Australia in the next Shield game at the WACA ground starting on November 11.Bailey stressed that both allrounders could play in the same team and reiterated that Green was capable of batting anywhere having been one of Australia’s best batters in their last two Tests at No. 3 on difficult surfaces in the Caribbean. But Bailey also noted that how Green pulls up after increasing his bowling loads in the fourth Shield round is something the selectors will keep a close eye on.If the cap fits: Jake Weatherald is in the mix for a Test debut•Getty Images”It’s nice to have options,” he said. “Cam Green bowling is certainly one [to watch]. And then I think just by virtue of the fact that there’s 14 guys out of your 15-man squad that are playing Shield cricket, just get through the game and see how everyone’s pulled up.”I think it’s probably as much just a physical check in. With that squad, yes, there’s options in terms of how we can and may structure it up, but … there’s not a rush, and there’s never a rush to name a team 16 days out before the first ball is going to be bowled.”Usman Khawaja is the only one of the squad that won’t play the upcoming Shield round. Bailey revealed that Khawaja had picked up a minor “adductor strain” in the most recent game but it doesn’t make him a doubt for the Test. It was long planned that Khawaja would play the first three Shield rounds and miss the fourth.Steven Smith will captain the side in Pat Cummins’ absence. Cummins, who has been battling a lumbar stress injury, will travel to Perth with the group and continue to build up his bowling loads in the hopes of being fit for the second Test in Brisbane.Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon look set to be the four-man attack, supported by at least one allrounder, with Lyon returning to the XI after being left out of Australia’s last Test in Jamaica when the selectors opted for four quicks.Cameron Green’s bowling will be key to the final make-up of Australia’s XI•Getty ImagesBrendan Doggett and Sean Abbott have been named as the reserve fast bowlers. Doggett returns to the squad after being withdrawn from the Caribbean tour due to a hip injury.Abbott remains in the squad having been a reserve fast bowler on both the West Indies tour and the tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year. There is no room for Michael Neser despite his excellent start to the season for Queensland having taken 11 wickets in his first two Shield matches on batter-friendly pitches including two four-wicket hauls. Bailey said Neser is still in the mix to play later in the series.”He still is in the frame absolutely,” Bailey said. “The bowling conversation is just complementary skill sets for what we think we may need should there be any moving parts for Perth.”Josh Inglis has been included as the reserve wicketkeeper but can also fill a role as a reserve batter having played as a specialist bat in three Tests this year. He also kept wicket in Australia last Test bowling innings in Jamaica when Alex Carey was subbed out with concussion.Inglis will play in the fourth Shield round for WA against Queensland at the WACA ground which starts on November 11, just three days after the final T20I against India in Brisbane on November 8.Australia squad for first Test against EnglandSteven Smith (capt), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

MatériaMais Notícias

Em jogo de vida ou morte na Libertadores, o Grêmio venceu o Estudiantes por 1 a 0 em La Plata. Nathan Fernandes fez o gol da vitória do Imortal na Argentina, e a equipe de Renato Gaúcho segurou a vitória mesmo com o meia Villasanti sendo expulso no segundo tempo.

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➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

Com o resultado, o Grêmio conquista seus primeiros pontos no Grupo C, mas segue na lanterna da chave. O Estudiantes divide a liderança com o Huachipato, ambos com quatro pontos. A equipe chilena ainda enfrenta o The Strongest.

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O Grêmio volta a campo no domingo, contra o Bahia, pela quarta rodada do Brasileirão.

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
ESTUDIANTES-ARG 0 X 1 GRÊMIO
3ª RODADA – FASE DE GRUPOS DA LIBERTADORES
🗓️ Data e horário: terça-feira, 23 de abril de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Estádio Jorge Luis Hirschi, em La Plata (ARG);
🟨 Árbitro: Gustavo Tejera (URU);
🚩 Assistentes: Martin Soppi (URU) e Horacio Ferreiro (URU);
🖥️ VAR: David Rodriguez (COL).

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➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários dos jogos do Brasileirão

⚽ ESCALAÇÕES:

ESTUDIANTES-ARG (Técnico: Eduardo Domínguez)
Matías Mansilla; Eros Mancuso, Federico Fernández, Zaid Romero e Eric Meza; Santiago Ascacíbar e Enzo Pérez; José Sosa, Thiago Palacios e Mauro Méndez; Guido Carrillo.

GRÊMIO (Técnico: Renato Portaluppi)
Marchesín; João Pedro, Geromel, Kannemann e Fabio; Villasanti e Dodi (Pepê); Gustavo Nunes, Cristaldo e Soteldo; JP Galvão

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As revealed by former manager Philippe Clement, Rangers “tried” to sign Kenny McLean during his time at the club only to miss out on the Norwich City midfielder.

It’s a case of what might have been for those at Ibrox, who have endured a tumultuous time since not only missing out on their target, but also sacking Clement. After hiring Russell Martin to replace the Belgian, the Gers were forced to make another decision less than three months into the season – giving Martin his marching orders.

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1 Nov 21, 2025

Now, with Danny Rohl in charge, Rangers have already won more points in the Scottish Premiership than they did in the entirety of Martin’s rein. Sporting director Kevin Thelwell will be hoping that the German’s arrival has at least made up for a disappointing summer of decisions.

He told reporters during the international break: “Yeah, I still feel very confident. The situation is clearly that we felt that we weren’t going in the right direction previously and so unfortunately we had to make that change.

“We’ve changed for an individual who’s got very good experience despite his young years and I think he’s proven that with some of the things that we’re seeing on pitch. I think there’s a clear difference in terms of the way in which we’re playing at the moment and fundamentally that’s leading to getting some good results.”

With Livingston up next, Rohl has the chance to make it four wins from four in the Scottish Premiership and potentially move up to third if results go Rangers’ way. As January approaches and targets such as Kilmarnock’s David Watson reportedly emerge, there’s no doubt that a change in fortunes on the pitch will be doing the Gers a world of good.

As Clement found out not so long ago, however, Rohl may not get the chance to welcome every top target.

Clement reveals Rangers wanted Kenny McLean

As revealed by Clement, Rangers tried to sign McLean during his time at the club, but missed out after the midfielder decided to stay put at Norwich City. Now, the former Ibrox boss has finally received the chance to work with the Scot after taking the vacant role at Carrow Road and revealed his long-term admiration for his talents.

If Rangers did secure McLean’s signature then they would, of course, have a World Cup midfielder in their ranks these days. The 33-year-old recently played his part as Scotland secured World Cup qualification in dramatic fashion against Denmark, scoring a stunning half-way line goal.

Given how much talent they welcomed from the Championship last summer that hasn’t worked out, losing out on a player of McLean’s quality should be seen as a real blow at Ibrox.

Dubbed “great” by former Norwich player Iwan Roberts, the 33-year-old will always have his part in Scottish football history after his goal against Denmark to secure a World Cup place.

£5m Rangers flop is bigger waste of money than Miovski and Chermiti

The latest weekend of matches around Europe brought with it top-of-the-table clashes, dramatic late goals and even fan rebellions as clubs around the continent look to get themselves into form ahead of the long winter to come. La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 all have new leaders following the most recent round of matches, with some title races looking likely to be nail-biters all the way through to May.

The same could yet be said of the Premier League following the events of the weekend, while it remains to be seen just how impactful other results were when it comes to the futures of some under-fire managers both in England and further afield.

So who were the biggest winners and losers from the weekend? GOAL has 10 to get your teeth into…

Getty ImagesLOSER: Moises Caicedo

The big game of the Premier League weekend saw leaders Arsenal travel across London to take on Chelsea, who kicked off the weekend in second place and were in buoyant mood following their midweek win over Barcelona. Much of the pre-match chat focused on the midfield battle, where Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo were set to collide in a battle of the English top-flight's best central players.

And while Rice produced a solid if unspectacular performance during Sunday's 1-1 draw, Caicedo made headlines for all the wrong reasons. The Ecuador international was clearly keen to make his mark on the game as he showcased his usual energy in harassing the visitors in possession, but he overstepped the mark seven minutes before half-time when he lunged in on Mikel Merino, catching the Arsenal man above the ankle to deservedly be sent off.

Despite his protestations, Caicedo could have no complaints, and he must have wondered what might have been as he watched on while his team-mates dug deep to first take the lead shortly after half-time before being well worth a point despite being at such a disadvantage against Europe's most in-form team. Had Caicedo remained on the pitch, the Blues may well have had enough to go on and win, but he is instead now contemplating a three-match ban that will rule him out of league action until the weekend before Christmas. The impact his absence could have on Chelsea's title bid has the potential to be huge.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWINNER: Liverpool's mega-money signings

Across the capital, Liverpool travelled to West Ham knowing that their own bid to defend the title they won last season is already well over following a run of six defeats in seven that has seen Arne Slot's position as manager come under increased scrutiny. And while beating the struggling Irons shouldn't signal the return of the Reds to their best form, it was encouraging for supporters that the club's two mega-money summer signings both finally showed what they are all about.

In truth, Alexander Isak was again on the periphery of things for long periods at the London Stadium, but when Liverpool needed him most, the £125 million ($169m) striker produced a fine finish to break the deadlock and secure his first league goal since swapping Tyneside for Merseyside.

It was Florian Wirtz, however, who was the star of the show for Slot's side. Given the freedom to roam from the No.10 position, the Germany international proved elusive for the West Ham defence as he picked up pockets of space and drove Liverpool forward. If not for a couple of poor touches in the box from team-mates he might have finished the game with an assist or two, but this was the kind of display many expected from the £116m ($156m) man when he arrived from Bayer Leverkusen.

Wirtz was able to express himself in such a way in part due to Dominik Szoboszlai being switched to the right-hand side of Liverpool's front three as Slot chose to leave Mohamed Salah on the bench for the duration of the afternoon. Szoboszlai's work-rate and selflessness allowed Wirtz additional space to thrive in, and if the Reds' performances continue to improve, this weekend could mark the beginning of the end of 'the Egyptian King's' Liverpool career.

Getty Images SportLOSER: Thomas Frank

Slot was able to ease the pressure on himself somewhat, but the same could not be said for Thomas Frank after yet another game to forget for the Tottenham boss. The Dane had restored some pride following last week's north London derby embarrassment after his side showed some fight in losing 5-3 to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, but Saturday's loss to Fulham was a new low for the Spurs manager as his side fell into the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Tottenham were two goals down inside eight minutes as goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario again made a huge error leading to a goal, and though Mohammed Kudus pulled one back after the break for the home side, their rotten run of form at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium shows few signs of stopping. Spurs have now lost 10 home Premier League matches in 2025 as Fulham joined Bournemouth in securing their thus far only away win of the campaign in north London. Bottom side Wolves, meanwhile, scored their only away goal on their way to earning their only away point at Tottenham back in September.

Frank did little to appease supporters post-match as he claimed those who booed Vicario following his error were "not true Tottenham fans", and there are plenty who have now turned against the ex-Brentford boss ahead of Tuesday's crucial trip to Newcastle. Anything less than a win at St. James' Park could spell the end for one of the English top-flight's most likable coaches.

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Getty Images SportLOSER: Xabi Alonso

Frank is not the only newly-appointed manager to be feeling the heat around Europe, though. Over in Spain, pressure is beginning to build around Xabi Alonso. The former Blancos midfielder arrived in the dugout to great fanfare over the summer given his successes at Leverkusen, and through the first three months of the season things seemed to going perfectly. Madrid were clear at the top of La Liga after beating Barcelona in Alonso's first Clasico while they had won each of their opening three Champions League matches.

November, though, proved to be a month to forget for Alonso and Madrid. Defeat at Liverpool sparked a run of five games during which Los Blancos have won just once, and they needed four goals from Kylian Mbappe to seal that win over Olympiacos. Three successive draws in La Liga, capped by Sunday's stalemate at relegation-threatened Girona, have seen them surrender top spot domestically back to Barca, with there growing concerns over Alonso's tactics in the Spanish capital.

That scrutiny has been intensified by reports of dressing room rifts within the Bernabeu dressing room. Vinicius Jr is refusing to enter negotiations over a new contract due to his poor relationship with Alonso, while it has been claimed that many of Madrid's players who thrived under the flexibility of Carlo Ancelotti are unhappy with the rigidity required by his successor.

Florentino Perez is unlikely to dispense with his manager so quickly after hiring him, but these are still worrying times for Alonso as he tries to keep Madrid's season from going completely off the rails in the coming weeks.

Both powerhouses are through to the semis, but there is plenty to play for in Indore

S Sudarshanan21-Oct-20252:09

Preview: England’s middle order in the spotlight

Big picture: First defeat in store, but for whom?Australia and England. Two powerhouses of women’s cricket. Two sides that know how to push oppositions back to the wall. They will clash at Holkar Stadium on Wednesday, at the end of which only one will remain undefeated at the Women’s World Cup 2025. Both teams have already secured their semi-final spots.On paper, Australia sure have the edge. But England would quietly be confident ahead of this contest for two reasons. One, they played in Indore only a couple of days ago. And two, Australia are coming back after a six-day gap.Australia trained on each of the two days leading up to the contest. Their last two games were ones where the top order (read Alyssa Healy) flexed their muscles. Healy scored back-to-back centuries but she is out with a minor calf strain she picked up when Australia had a fitness session on Saturday morning. Their senior pros in Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney have stepped up in different games.Related

Knight and Smith stay cool in the heat of the battle

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Scenarios – Four teams fight for one spot

Only Tahlia McGrath, who has aggregated 43 in three innings, is yet to fire but captaincy could be the right potion for her. She revels under responsibility, and freed of the baggage of worrying about qualification, she could well join the party in batting-friendly conditions. There is little concern in their bowling.Which may make England rethink their strategies. Amy Jones, Heather Knight and Nat Sciver-Brunt have had at least one big innings with the bat. But the others haven’t yet stepped up. England’s lower-middle order has been a concern: Nos. 5 to 7 average only 9.25 at this World Cup, the lowest among all teams. At the start of the year, England also lost the multi-format Women’s Ashes 16-0, unable to win a single game. But their leadership has undergone a change since and they will look to turn a leaf on that episode.Charlotte Edwards’ tactics and Sciver-Brunt’s captaincy have served them well. Their come-from-behind win against India would only act as a further boost. They will perhaps play scant respect to the fact that they have lost each of the five meetings against Australia in India.While teams often maintain that “the past doesn’t matter”, Sciver-Brunt would want to pay Australia back after her heroics went in vain at the 2022 World Cup final. A small step will be on Wednesday, when one of the teams will have a first taste of defeat at this World Cup.Form guideAustralia WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WWWWLIn the spotlight: Phoebe Litchfield and Amy JonesWith Healy absent, the onus will now be on Phoebe Litchfield to lay the platform with the bat for Australia. She is coming on the back of 84 not out against Bangladesh. The flat surface in Indore will only play into her hands. England have a plethora of spinners, and Litchfield is a superb exponent of the sweep and the reverse sweep. She showed a glimpse of that in Australia’s opening match at this venue, now it’s time for a longer exhibition.Amy Jones was a little surprised when Edwards first mentioned that she could be back to opening the batting for England. She had played in the middle order for a good part of the last five years. She showed her hunger at home against West Indies but it wasn’t until her half-century against India that she made her presence felt at this World Cup. “I thought at the halfway stage of the tournament, it was a rocky phase,” Jones said. “I have been riding a wave of ups and down with opening, as you do in cricket. But I was pleased to get a bit of a start last game.” Australia better beware.Team news: Voll in for Healy?Georgia Voll is likely to take Alyssa Healy’s batting spot against England•ICC/Getty Images

Healy’s injury makes it a straight swap for Georgia Voll at the top with Mooney to keep wickets. Australia could also bring back left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux after she was rested for the Bangladesh game.Australia (probable): 1 Georgia Voll, 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Beth Mooney (wk), 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath (capt), 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Alana King, 10 Darcie Brown/Kim Garth, 11 Megan SchuttEngland may consider bringing Danni Wyatt-Hodge in place of either of Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey or Emma Lamb. The trio has been low on runs and England would not want to take chances against a strong Australian team.England (probable): 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Alice Capsey, 7 Emma Lamb/Danni Wyatt Hodge, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren Bell/Lauren FilerPitch and conditions: Another batting belter in storeA black-soil pitch will be used for this fixture. It is expected to be flat. This track is right next to the red-soil one that was used for India vs England. It is the centre pitch at the venue, so expect the square boundaries to be more-or-less equidistant. Indore is expected to be humid and a little cloudy, with a slight probability of rain. There is no threat of a washout, however.Stats and trivia Mooney is 89 away from 3000 ODI runs. She will be the seventh from Australia to the mark Among bowlers, Megan Schutt is three wickets away from leapfrogging Lisa Sthalekar (146) to third on the ODI wicket charts for Australia. She also has 38 wickets in ODI World Cups and needs two more to go past Lyn Fullston as the leading wicket-taker for Australia in the tournament. Sciver-Brunt is four away from 1000 ODI World Cup runs. She will be the third from England to get there Sophie Ecclestone is two away from becoming England’s second-leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket. Jenny Gunn has 136 while Ecclestone has 135. One more wicket will push Ecclestone into the top five among wicket-takers in all women’s internationals. She is currently level on 317 with Shabnim Ismail.Quotes”I don’t think there’s any special ingredient. I feel like we prepare really well. Our players are really adaptable and we try to communicate around conditions. The girls have been fantastic at adapting and being able to get us out of some sticky situations and having different players step up and perform has been really critical for us.”
“Linsey’s been brilliant. For her to get the opportunity [to open the bowling] in 50-over cricket is brilliant. It was a big goal of hers to break into the 50-over team. In the summer, there were questions around: could Linsey and Sophie [Ecclestone] play in the same team. And it’s brilliant to see how she has taken on a different role opening the bowling.”

وجه الحكم الدولي المصري محمود البنا استغاثة عاجلة إلى فخامة الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي رئيس جمهورية مصر العربية، عقب ساعات قليلة من إعلان اعتزاله التحكيم.

وطالب البنا في رسالته إلى رئيس الجمهورية، بإنقاذ منظومة التحكيم من سوء الإدارة وتهميش الكفاءات الوطنية.

طالع.. رسميًا | محمود البنا يعلن اعتزاله التحكيم.. ويؤكد: المنظومة يقودها فكر شاذ

وأكد محمود البنا، في نص الاستغاثة، أنه اختار مخاطبة الرئيس بعدما ضاقت السبل أمام أبناء منظومة التحكيم في ظل تجاهل المسؤولين لمطالبهم، واستحضار قيادات أجنبية لرئاسة لجان الحكام دون تحقيق تطوير حقيقي. رسالة محمود البنا إلى الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي

“استغاثة عاجلة إلى فخامة السيد رئيس جمهورية مصر العربية

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

فخامة السيد الرئيس عبدالفتاح السيسي،

رئيس جمهورية مصر العربية

حفظكم الله ورعاكم

أتشرف بأن أرفع إلى سيادتكم هذه الاستغاثة، بعد ساعات قليلة من إعلاني اعتزال التحكيم المصري، إيمانًا مني بأن ما سأقوله لم يعد يحتمل التأجيل، بعد ان ضاقت بنا السبل ولم نجد من يستمع الينا.

سيادة الرئيس، استمعتُ إلى حديث سيادتكم منذ فترة حول استقدام المدربين الأجانب للمنتخب الوطني، وقلتم بوضوح وبصوت الحكمة:

“ليه بتجيبوا أجانب يدربوا المنتخب والنتيجة هي هي؟”

وبالفعل، عندما جاء المدرب الوطني، أثبت نجاحه، ورفعت مصر رأسها بالإنجازات التي حققها.

واليوم، يتكرر المشهد ذاته — ولكن داخل منظومة التحكيم.

فالمسؤولون يأتون بأجانب لرئاسة لجان الحكام، لا لإضافة خبرة أو تطوير المنظومة، بل لأخذ أخذ أموالنا  وإقصاء كوادرها المصرية، رغم أن الواقع أثبت أن الحكم المصري قادر، وكفء، ومشهود له دوليًا.

سيادة الرئيس، رئيس لجنة الحكام الحالي رجل يعمل داخل الفيفا، خلال الشهرين الماضيين لم يمكث في مصر أكثر من أسبوع واحد، حيث انه تواجد فى تشيلى حيث بطولة كأس العالم دون العشرين عاما ثم ذهب إلى قطر حيث بطولة كاس العالم دون السبعة عشر عاما ورغم ذلك يتقاضى آلاف الدولارات من أموال المصريين، دون تفرغ، ودون وجود حقيقي، ودون مكسب واضح لمنظومة التحكيم.

والأعجب من ذلك — وهو الأمر الذي يُثير الدهشة والاستغراب — أنه عندما طلب من الفيفا محاضرين وخبراء لتطوير الحكام المصريين، أرسل لنا الفيفا محاضرًا مصريًا هو ك تامر درى رئيس لجنة حكام لبنان الحالى ، وهو إقرار رسمي من الاتحاد الدولي بكفاءة العنصر المصري الذي يتم تجاهله داخليًا!

هذا المشهد وحده يكفي ليؤكد أن مصر تمتلك الكفاءات، وأن الإصرار على الأجانب لا سند له، ولا منطق فيه، ولا مبرر إداري أو مهني.

سيادة الرئيس،

لقد قلتم من قبل:

“عايزين تقنعونا إن بلد فيها 60 مليون شاب ما فيهاش 6000 محمد صلاح؟”

وبذات المنطق العادل نقول:

هل يُعقل أن مصر — بتاريخها التحكيمي العظيم — ليس فيها 6000 جمال الغندور؟ أو عصام عبد الفتاح ؟

هل يُعقل أن نُقصي أبناء الوطن، بينما يعترف العالم بكفاءتهم؟

سيادة الرئيس،

إنني لا أطلب مصلحة شخصية، فقد أعلنت اعتزالي بالفعل، ولكنني أرفع إلى سيادتكم هذه الاستغاثة من أجل إنقاذ منظومة التحكيم المصري من الإدارة الخاطئة، وإهدار المال العام، وتهميش الكفاءات الوطنية، وضياع معيار العدالة داخل بيئة طالما كانت نموذجًا للانضباط.

إن الحكم المصري — مثل اللاعب المصري — قادر على تمثيل مصر بأفضل صورة، متى وجد العدالة، والاحترام، وتكافؤ الفرص.

ختامًا، أتوجه إلى سيادتكم بكل الثقة في حكمتكم وحرصكم على حماية مؤسسات الدولة ومنع الفساد الإداري وإهدار الموارد، داعيًا الله أن يوفقكم إلى ما فيه خير البلاد والعباد.

وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام والتقدير”.

Shafali Verma, Player of the Match: “At the start, I had said that God has sent me to do something special and that reflected today. I’m very happy that we’ve won the World Cup. I can’t express it in words. It was tough [coming into the tournament midway] but I was confident that if I keep self belief and stayed calm, then I can do anything. My parents, friends and my brother supported me immensely. Today, I was thinking that I need to make runs anyhow and that the team needed to win. My mind was quite clear and I batted according to my plans. I was happy they got executed. Smriti was talking to me continuously, Harman is always a supporter. Team-mates also supported me, they were very welcoming too. Seniors just said to play my natural game, not to move away from my natural game. [Sachin Tendulkar watching from the stands] It is a very memorable moment for me. When I saw Sachin sir, I got a special kind of boost. I speak to him occasionally, he gives me a boost always. Today also I got inspired just by seeing him.”Deepti Sharma, Player of the Tournament: “Honestly, this still feels like a dream. We have not yet got rid of the emptions. I am so happy to contribute in a World Cup final. I feel really glad. We just wanted to take the positive takeaways from every match. On the fans, I will say, they have come in huge numbers. I want to thank the fans, they have supported us in every match. This was not possible without them. As a team, we feel great after this result. I just want to enjoy every department. I like challenges. I had the bat and ball in my hand. I just had to play according to the situation, and I enjoyed a lot. What better a moment, on this stage, to perform as an allrounder for the team… can’t get better than this. [On Laura Wolvaardt] I think Laura played a very good innings. We were not relaxed. We were very calm, kept on cheering everyone up in the drinks break. As a bowling unit, we wanted to take it till the last ball. We just wanted focus on our best balls. and we did that. [On the changes she wants to see] There has been a lot of change after 2017 and I hope we get more matches. So that will be great.”Related

• Deepti, Shafali star as India savour World Cup glory

Amanjot Kaur: “Everyone playing knew how important Wolvaardt’s catch was. I guess I fumbled first time ever in my life, glad I got a second chance. That’s all, I don’t have words to express. [What does this mean?] This means a lot. You can see the crowd cheering. We have created history. This is just the starting, Indian cricket will be at the next level. We are going to dominate all over the world in every format. [Message to family] Congrats to everyone. My family, my coaches, whoever has family here or those sitting at home. My grandmother is not well, she is watching at home. [The support] I think it’s their victory as well. Because they came in huge numbers to support us. This is for you Mumbai, this is for everyone, this is for Pratika who missed out due to injury. I know how it feels to miss out a match due to injury. Not everything is good but there’s good in everything. Very grateful.”Pratika Rawal gets off her wheelchair to celebrate with her team-mates•ICC/Getty Images

Richa Ghosh: “[On the importance of the win] This win has a lot of importance. We have been waiting for the World Cup for a long time, [had the lingering feeling of] when we will lift the trophy. And today we have won the trophy. We are champions. I can’t explain this feeling but we are all very happy. You can see how emotional everyone is. It’s totally different. [Talk in the huddle] I think in the huddle, the talk was this is the last day, one more day and we just wanted to give it all. No matter what happens, we just wanted to put our bodies on the line. [On the finish] There was pressure of the final, there is so much crowd and fans. But I wanted to performed well, that was the main thing. Everyone trusted me that I can go out and hit and that helped me a lot.”Pratika Rawal: “Well, I can’t express enough. There’s no words. It’s not going to come out of my mouth. This flag on my shoulder, it means a lot to me. And you know, being here with my team, it’s just surreal. I mean, injuries are part and parcel of the game. I’m very happy that I was a part of this team, this winning team. You know, this team, I just love this team. I can’t express my feelings towards this team. So I’m very happy that we actually made it. And we’re the first [Indian] team who has won the World Cup in so long. And the whole India deserves this. To be very honest, it was very difficult for me to sit out and watch the match because it’s actually very difficult. It’s very easy to play inside, rather than watching from the outside. But seeing this energy, seeing this environment, it just, you know, it gave me goosebumps. Whenever there was a wicket, whenever there was a sixer, you can see the energy. It’s amazing. It’s genuinely amazing.”Jemimah Rodrigues is ecstatic after India’s win•ICC/Getty Images

Smriti Mandhana: “I don’t know how to react to that [being World Champions]. Still sinking in. I haven’t been emotional on a cricket field, but just a very unreal moment. Home World Cup. Just to read ‘Champions – India’, I am still not able to process it. Every World Cup we go in and there’s been so many heartbreaks for all of us. But we always believe we’ve got a bigger responsibility with women’s cricket and genuinely to see the support we’ve got in the last one and a half months… I mean, I don’t know how to explain the last 40 days. But to end it with a World Cup win today, I will take the 45 days of not sleeping every night. [After exit from last T20 World Cup before the semi-final] The last T20 World Cup was a difficult one for all of us, but we had a clear focus on trying to work on our fitness, trying to be better at each aspect. The super-strength of this team – no one will talk about it – is how everyone just stuck in, played for each other. In a World Cup you need everyone’s support, good days and bad days. We enjoyed each others’ success. I can’t tell you how the team environment is… that’s just magic.”Amol Muzumdar: “[Feelings] Absolutely proud, there’s no doubt about it. I don’t know, it’s not sunk in yet. It’s an unbelievable achievement by all the girls. They deserve every credit, they deserve everything that will follow from here because they have worked incredibly hard. I know for a fact that they have done every Indian proud. [On the earlier losses] We did not look at those losses as losses, we just thought we couldn’t get over the line. We dominated a lot of those. There were some hiccups in the campaign, but we were still alive in the tournament and here we are on 2nd November, 2025 as World Champions. [On what this does for women’s cricket in the country] I don’t know, I really don’t know. I am sure they deserve everything what will follow hereon. They have worked extremely hard for this. It is a watershed moment for Indian cricket. [A word on Shafali?] One word… magical. Absolute magical. Turns up in the semi-final, no pressure.. in the finals, home crowd, packed stadiums, turns up a blinder of an innings and then picks up a few wicket with the ball. Absolutely magical.[On the fielding] That was one thing we spoke a lot in the dressing room in the last two years that fielding and fitness was really something we spoke about and focused on it. And here we are… they just turned it up on this day in a World Cup final. I couldn’t have asked for more.”