All posts by h716a5.icu

Juan Soto has made joining rare statistical company a routine part of his impressive career in the majors.

But during Tuesday's 9-3 loss to the Phillies, the Mets star may have pulled off one of his most impressive achievements yet. In the top of the eighth inning, Soto, after collecting an RBI single and advancing to second base on a Pete Alonso single, stole third.

It wasn't just any stolen base, though, as it was Soto's 30th of the year, giving him 38 home runs and 30 swipes on the season. It's an amazing achievement, considering Soto has never been known for his speed. It also earns him a seat in the exclusive 30-30 club.

After the game, Soto was quick to credit Mets first base coach Antoan Richardson for helping him reach new heights as a base stealer.

"I mean it's good when you look at it that way," Soto said when asked about the achievement. "I think a lot of hard work we put in since the beginning of the season. Antoan did an unbelievable job. He's been helping me since day one. I give him all the credit. He's the one who put me in this situation and this spot to do what I've done."

Richardson, in his second season with the Mets, stole 331 bases in the minors and knows a thing or two about swiping bases. He's had a profound impact on the club's base-stealing success as a whole, so it was great to see Soto credit the former big-league outfielder as he reached a new statistical height on the base paths.

Soto is just the fifth Mets player to record 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a single season.

Roy Keane has slammed Liverpool supporters for booing Trent Alexander-Arnold on his first return to Anfield since joining Real Madrid, accusing them of lacking 'class' after jeering a player who gave 'his everything' to the club. The Manchester United legend was left 'shocked' by the treatment of the local hero, who was booed throughout his late cameo in Los Blancos' Champions League defeat.

Alexander-Arnold booed on Liverpool return

Alexander-Arnold endured a frosty reception on his return to Anfield as a Real Madrid player on Tuesday night, with Liverpool supporters loudly booing their former academy star when he came off the bench late in the Champions League tie. The 27-year-old right-back, who left Liverpool last summer after running down his contract, was introduced in the 80th minute but was greeted with jeers from sections of the home crowd, though a few fans were also seen applauding his appearance. The mixed response highlighted lingering resentment among fans who were angered by his decision to depart on a free transfer to Madrid, forcing the club to accept a nominal £10 million fee to release him early.

The tension surrounding his return had been building all week, especially after his mural near Anfield was vandalised with white paint and graffiti branding him a “rat.” The mural, depicting his reaction to Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League triumph, was defaced ahead of Real Madrid’s visit, setting the tone for an emotionally charged night. Supporters also loudly backed current right-back Conor Bradley, who starred in Alexander-Arnold’s old position during Liverpool’s 1-0 victory.

Despite the hostile atmosphere, Alexander-Arnold appeared composed, declining to react to the crowd as he entered the pitch and later telling reporters he would “always love the club” regardless of how he was received. However, the booing sparked debate among pundits, with Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher clashing over whether Liverpool fans were justified in their response to one of their homegrown heroes.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRoy Keane blasts Liverpool fans for jeering TAA

Keane was quick to condemn Liverpool supporters for their reaction, questioning the club’s long-standing reputation for having “classy” and loyal fans. “The reputation of Liverpool fans is that they are loyal and a level up from most supporters,” Keane said on Stick to Football. “Whatever anyone else says, I think for any player to go back with the service he gave — his contract was up — to boo him, I find that really poor.”

The former Manchester United captain went on to highlight Alexander-Arnold’s achievements at the club, insisting that the defender deserved respect after nearly a decade of service. “Why would you go to a match and boo a lad who has played 260 or 270 games? His stats are fantastic, he’s helped the club win two Premier League titles and a Champions League,” Keane argued. “You don’t have to wish him luck at Madrid, but to go out of your way to boo him — for a local lad — Liverpool fans have to have a good look at themselves.”

Keane also praised Alexander-Arnold’s quiet conduct throughout his final months at Anfield, contrasting it with players who make public declarations of loyalty before leaving. “The beauty with Trent over the last year or two is that he’s said very little,” he added. “He’s not gone around saying, ‘I love this club, I’ll stay forever.’ He kept his head down, didn’t play games with the fans. Sometimes that’s the best thing you can do.”

Getty ImagesCarragher 'understands' Liverpool fans' frustrations with TAA

Carragher, who spent his entire career at Liverpool, had already expected the kind of reaction Reds fans would eventually have on Alexander-Arnold's return. However, the former centre-back had a very different opinion compared to Keane: "Supporters decide what type of reaction he gets. The reason why it will be poor is because Trent, throughout those 20 years, has played the position of ‘I’m a supporter on the pitch,’” Carragher said earlier in the week. “The supporters in the stadium wouldn’t leave on a free transfer and go and play for Real Madrid.”

Carragher pointed to Alexander-Arnold’s silence in the months leading up to his exit as a source of fan anger, arguing that it created a sense of betrayal among the Anfield faithful. “If what he’s said before — that Liverpool is the only team for him and he wants to be a legend here — was true, then you don’t leave when you’ve just won the league title and can go on to win more,” he explained. “A lot of fans feel they’ve been hoodwinked because Trent stayed quiet while others like Salah and Van Dijk publicly stated they wanted to stay.”

The former Reds vice-captain acknowledged that the defender had every right to pursue a new challenge but maintained that the timing and manner of his departure were always going to sting. “He’s been brilliantly successful and he’s entitled to do what’s right for his career,” Carragher added. “But you can’t be surprised if supporters feel hurt — it’s emotional, especially when you’ve come through the academy and represented the club your whole life.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesConor Bradley shows up Alexander-Arnold on his Anfield return

The fallout from Alexander-Arnold’s Anfield return looks set to continue, with debate raging over how Liverpool supporters handled the situation. While many fans insist their reaction was born out of frustration at the way he left, others believe the booing tarnished the club’s reputation for class and loyalty.

For Alexander-Arnold, his return ended in disappointment as Real Madrid fell 1-0 in a game dominated by Liverpool. The defender, who has yet to establish himself as a regular starter under Xabi Alonso due to injuries, cut a subdued figure at full-time, applauding the home crowd before leaving the pitch. Despite the cold reception, he is understood to have met privately with several former teammates and staff members after the match, reinforcing his own insistence that he still “loves” the club.

The Reds, meanwhile, seem to have found their Alexander-Arnold replacement in the form of Bradley. Liverpool did sign Jeremie Frimpong to replace the Englishman earlier this summer; however, Bradley has shown that he is better suited to the role, while Frimpong also continues to struggle with fitness.

It seemed for an age that his bowling exploits were capped by physical ailments but in Manchester, the Stokes of old turned up and made things happen

Vithushan Ehantharajah24-Jul-2025

Ben Stokes celebrates his five-wicket haul•Getty Images

The raise of the ball was done with all the enthusiasm of a man lifting a plunger out of a blocked toilet.Ben Stokes’ fifth five-wicket haul, completed on day two of the fourth Test against India, means only he, Ian Botham, Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis have taken as many alongside scoring at least 10 centuries. No cricketer should be shy of entering that kind of club. But Stokes looked a little sheepish.You could understand where Stokes was coming from to an extent. It was likely a mix of not wanting to take the glory – his modus operandi since assuming the Test captaincy – and a tinge of embarrassment that it had been a long time coming. His last five-for, against West Indies at Lord’s – came back in September 2017.Related

England hope 'stiff and sore' Stokes can bowl on fifth day at Old Trafford

England play down workload concerns after Stokes retires hurt with cramp

Duckett, Crawley flatten India on day headlined by Pant's bravery

When left is right for Jofra Archer

'England openers came out 90 seconds late' – Gill on Lord's sledging

A few weeks on from that career-best 6 for 22, Stokes stayed up late in Bristol and, well, you know how that one went. And that, along with plenty of other situations, many beyond the allrounder’s control, has made days like these seem further away.It seemed his bowling exploits were capped. Some of those have been physical ailments and so, by proxy, all have been mental.But this 5 for 72 has, for now, kept India to 358 and allowed England a handy run out under the sun to trail by just 133 at stumps on day two. It also puts Stokes top of the pops with 16 dismissals this series. And moreover, back in a groove that, up until the last month, had seemed lost to the annals.Three batters trimmed off. Two bumped. Always threatening. Never knowingly under-bowled. All this signposted a return to the Stokes of old. Namely the one he was across 2019 and 2020 – a period he reckons was his peak.2:17

Crawley: ‘Owe it to myself to have a few good performances’

Funnily enough, there were no five-fors during this stanza. But even that was not necessarily about the 41 dismissals at 27.70 across both years, but the skill, control and durability across 368.1 overs.There are a specific 2.2 overs at the end of the final day of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands in January 2020, that Stokes rewatched heading into this summer. Desperate to recapture the perfect rhythm, high pace and immaculate lengths distilled in that match-winning spell of 3 for 1.”I used Cape Town as a visual thing for me,” revealed Stokes in Leeds, ahead of the series opener. “To look back at and go, like, ‘what was I doing there’? Because that’s when I felt really good.”Zak Crawley was in the cordon five years ago, taking a juggling blinder to give Stokes his second of that set, and was in prime position here to admire the similarities.”There’s so many similarities to that,” Crawley said at stumps on Thursday. “He was bowling quickly back then. He’s got that pace back now. And the way he just gets that away movement from the right-hander, that zip, which is as much as anyone in the world really. He gets that bounce.”He’s a proper wicket-taker and he can make things happen and that’s certainly the case when I first came into the side back then (2020). And he seems to have got that back now, which is a phenomenal effort considering the injuries he’s had and, well, he’s a little bit older now.”This summer, Stokes’ average speed – 135.38kph – is the third-fastest he has registered in a home season since 2019. His control evident from the shift from day one to day two, earning his final three wickets for just 25 in 10 overs.Day two boasted the highest degree of swing of any day this series, so Stokes pushed his length forward. Of Wednesday’s 14 overs, 19.7% were full (within 6.25m of the stumps) and the dismissal of Shubman Gill, his opposite number, was at the shorter limit of that threshold. Thursday’s Stokes went further, with 32.2% to fashion what swing there was into a weapon. Shardul Thakur skewed his drive to a diving Ben Duckett at gully, then Anshul Kamboj played down what became the wrong line for Stokes’ fifth.Arguably the more impressive milestone for Stokes had come on day one, ticking over the most he has ever bowled in a series, currently. It will certainly be the most meaningful to him.Previous roles as an enforcer or “break glass for match winner” quick meant he was kept to cameos. But he has always had the skills. The problem soon became his body. Thankfully, we appear to be through the tunnel.0:49

What makes Crawley and Duckett click as a pair?

The light was seen by Stokes back in 2023. An overdue left knee operation after the ODI World Cup cleared up what was threatening to become a chronic mess. And though two right hamstring tears in six months followed, the lessons from that first procedure – specifically, how much easier rehabilitation was with a sleeker physique – had already been learned.The biggest benefit for Stokes has been around recovery. Not only have performances been backed up, but the speeds have been consistent. The first innings averages tell the story; 134.3kph (Headingley), 135.59kph (Edgbaston), 136.71kph (Lord’s) and 135.2kph here.The gap between Lord’s and Manchester is probably the most insightful as far as where Stokes is at right now.After bowling 44 overs in the victory at Lord’s, including 20 on day five to help bag that 201 lead, Stokes spent the next few days in bed. As such, when it came to training on Monday at Emirates Old Trafford, he was ready to get back on the grind, even if he was still feeling a little tired.Two days out from the first Test at Headingley, Stokes had wowed his team-mates by bowling a mammoth 11-over stint. And while he was not going to do the same here, he did want to get the wheels turning. Unfortunately, the Manchester weather got in the way.Instead, Stokes beasted himself on Tuesday. After a gym session in the morning, he bowled in the Trafford Cricket Centre – Lancashire’s onsite indoor nets – which is by no means the done thing for a bowler on the eve of a match because the indoor surface is unforgiving on the joints. Not only did Stokes get through that, he followed it up with a long batting stint. Then he sent down 24 of the first 114.1 overs of this match.Without question, Stokes’ renewed fitness drive has allowed him to stitch together a series like this. He sensed it himself, which is why after 11.2 overs against Zimbabwe, back in May, he felt he did not need to play for Durham or England Lions to be right for India.At the same time, all this has come with a bit of balance. Captaincy, at least from the outside, feels a little easier. Given the fear at the start of his tenure centered around marrying those duties with his all-action nature, he seems to be at his most switched on while carrying the bowling burden.It’s worth noting that on day three at Lord’s, when Brendon McCullum sent over bowling consultant Tim Southee to suggest Stokes cap a spell at seven overs, Stokes had already decided that was that. He knew he had run that particular race. That he went on to bowl 9.2- and 10-over spells two days later owed more to a sense he had the wares to crack the game open than simply indulging a hero complex. Vindication of both came with the removal of KL Rahul in the former and a belligerent Jasprit Bumrah in the latter.On the subject of balance, Stokes seems to have found a sweet spot. The graft away from the field to allow the gut-busting on it is tempered in various ways. Though he stopped drinking alcohol as he recovered from a hamstring operation at the start of the year, he sups the occasional drink as a reward following a satisfying day’s play. Everything in moderation, including moderation.At 34, you might term this all as growth, and in some ways it is. Of a man getting better attuned with his body and still developing a greater affinity for the craft of bowling.It used to be said of Stokes that it was hard to discern what kind of allrounder he was, beyond one with an appetite for big moments. Detractors would say that was down to neither-here-nor-there numbers with bat and ball.Now, entering the twilight of his career, Stokes is, emphatically, a bowling allrounder. And that’s not because the batting numbers are taking a dip, but because he has never been a more complete bowler than right now.

Durham batter hits final ball over long-on with five required to end Southern Brave’s perfect start

ECB Media13-Aug-2025A last-ball six from Graham Clark saw Northern Superchargers defeat Southern Brave on their home turf in a nail-biting finish.Put into bat, the Brave were soon in all kinds of trouble. Kiwi Jacob Duffy, fresh off the plane from a Test series with Zimbabwe, decimating their power-packed top-order, reducing them to 26 for 3 off 24 balls by dismissing Leus du Plooy, James Vince and Jason Roy.James Coles and the evergreen Laurie Evans rebuilt steadily then violently, putting on 87 in 57 balls to put a defendable total in sight despite spin twins Mitchell Santner and Adil Rashid keeping things in check, the Brave finishing with a middling 139 for 5.Jacob Duffy celebrates an early breakthrough•Alex Davidson/Getty ImagesCraig Overton replicated the work of Duffy, taking three relatively inexpensive wickets for the Brave, but Zak Crawley sparkled alongside England team-mate Harry Brook, both of whom scored quickfire 20s.When Chris Jordan pulled up with a groin injury, it felt like a game-changing moment but the Brave rallied, Jofra Archer bowling a brilliant penultimate set, going for just one run and taking two wickets to finish with 2 for 15.The Superchargers needed 10 off the last set, bowled by Tymal Mills. Dots off balls three and four left five needed off the last, at which point Graham Clark hit a back-of-the-hand slower ball over the ropes at deep midwicket to send the away fans into a frenzy.Clark, only playing due to a David Miller niggle, said he felt “euphoric” after sealing the points. “I thought I’d messed it up when I left that wide one and then missed a slot ball, but it’s such a good feeling to get over the line,” he said.”Batting in the middle order role is something I’ve never done before. I’ve spent the last few days with [batting coach] Neil McKenzie trying to improve my power-hitting. We thought it was a really good wicket, where you could play proper shots. Santner really took the pressure off: he’s a quality operator, when he fields, bowls or bats; such a calm character, and hits the ball so cleanly.”

Manchester City cruise through to yet another Carabao Cup quarter-final.

On Wednesday night, despite actually falling behind early in South Wales, the Citizens ultimately swatted aside Swansea City 3-1, thanks to goals from Jérémy Doku, Omar Marmoush and then Rayan Cherki.

This is the 11th time in 19 seasons that the Citizens have reached the quarter-finals, hoisting the trophy aloft on six occasions since 2014, firm favourites to beat Brentford at home in the last eight just before Christmas.

As Manchester City, largely, motor on impressively this season, has Pep Guardiola found his new Lionel Messi, but it is not someone who caught the eye at the Swansea.com Stadium?

Rayan Cherki's importance

Having sat out eight matches due to a thigh issue, Rayan Cherki started for the first time since August on Wednesday night, putting in a sparkling, man of the match display, capped off by firing home the clinching third.

The table below documents just how impressive the Frenchman was in the EFL Cup.

Goals

1

1st

Assists

1

1st

Shots on target

1

1st

Shots off target

4

1st

Attempted dribbles

4

2nd

Accurate passes

74

3rd

Key passes

6

1st

Ground duels won

5

5th

Possession lost

31

1st

Touches

119

2nd

As the table highlights, Cherki was the outstanding player on the pitch in mid-week.

He ranked first for shots and second for attempted dribbles, behind only Jérémy Doku, while his tally of six key passes is off the scale; normally a player would not register that many in a month!

The Frenchman did lose possession on 31 occasions, almost twice as often as anyone else, which obviously isn’t ideal, but underlines that he is always trying to make something happen.

The 22-year-old arrived from Olympique Lyonnais for £34m too much excitement, given that Lyon teammate Ainsley Maitland-Niles labelled him “the best natural talent I’ve ever seen. An absolute master, a wizard with the ball”.

Upon his arrival in Manchester, Guardiola said that Cherki “is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my career”, high praise from a manager who has coached Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, Thierry Henry, Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben, Thiago Alcântara, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, oh and a certain Lionel Messi.

Despite their stylistic similarities, Cherki is not the new Messi in this Manchester City side, that acclaim goes to a rather more high-profile “monster”.

Guardiola's new Lionel Messi at Man City

By scoring twice against Nashville in Fort Lauderdale on Friday night in round one of the MLS Cup play-offs, Messi has taken his tally to 891 senior goals for club and country.

Of these, 672 were scored for Barcelona, with 211 coming during Pep Guardiola’s reign, most notably bagging 91 goals in just 69 appearances for club and country in 2012, featuring hat-tricks against Switzerland, Brazil, Bayer Leverkusen, Málaga twice, Valencia, Granada, Espanyol and Deportivo La Coruña.

This is surely a calendar year record that will never be beaten but, if there is one player who could come close, it is of course Erling Braut Håland.

Already this season, the Norwegian striker has scored 15 goals for Man City, which accounts for 65% of all goals they have managed across the Premier League and Champions League.

Former Bayern Munich striker Mario Gómez labelled Håland a “monster”, adding “I think every team on the planet has to fear” him, while Barney Ronay of the Guardian describes him as “the complete centre-forward” who is more than just a goal machine.

Nevertheless, right now, Håland’s goals are perhaps masking Manchester City’s issues, over-reliant on him to score in every game, but if you’re going to be over-reliant on someone, he isn’t a bad choice!

In 2025 so far, he has scored 43 goals for club and country, while his most productive year was 2023, netting 50 times overall, four more than he managed in 2022.

This merely underlines how mind-boggling it is that Messi reached 91 in 2012, but with Norway almost guaranteed to return to the World Cup next summer, their first appearance since France ’98, an injury-free Håland could trouble that record in 2026.

Back in 2010/11, when Guardiola’s Barcelona won La Liga and the Champions League, Messi scored 53 goals across all competitions, just one fewer than Barça’s next three highest scorers that season combined, namely David Villa, Pedro and Iniesta.

Well, considering Håland has 15 goals this season, while Man City’s second-highest scorers, namely Cherki and Doku, have just two goals, the Sky Blues are even more reliant on their superstar forward than Guardiola ever was in Catalonia.

Nevertheless, this is a recipe that has proved fruitful before, if Guardiola has the right ingredients of course, so Håland could well fire the Sky Blues to the game’s biggest trophies pretty much all by himself.

The Norwegian requires another 72 goals to become the highest scorer under Guardiola, a record held by Messi of course, but one that he could break in double quick time.

​​​​​​​

Not just Doku: Man City star who was "streets ahead" is now undroppable

Manchester City survived an early scare away at Swansea City to clinch a 3-1 victory in the EFL Cup.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 30, 2025

The San Diego Padres made a huge move at the MLB trade deadline on Thursday, acquiring closer Mason Miller and southpaw starter JP Sears. It's a good pair of additions for the 60-49 Padres—but the cost they paid was enormous.

To land those two deadline targets San Diego gave up a huge haul of four prospects. Most shockingly, that haul is headlined by shortstop Leodalis De Vries, considered one of the best prospects in baseball and listed at No. 3 overall in the latest pipeline rankings. De Vries had been mentioned as a prospect potentially on the move in the lead-up to the deadline, but his inclusion in the deal for Miller and Spears was still a big surprise.

Miller, 26, has posted a 3.76 ERA and recorded 59 strikeouts in 38.1 innings so far this season. Sears has gone 7-9 with a 4.95 ERA in 22 starts.

The lengths the Padres were willing to go to get their guy left the MLB world reeling.

Chelsea have now joined the race to sign a “hugely impressive” £70m forward, who recently broke a Champions League record.

Blues' winning streak ended by Sunderland

After winning four games on the spin in all competitions, Chelsea fans could be forgiven for expecting a comfortable victory at home against newly-promoted Sunderland, but their winning streak was brought to an abrupt end.

Chemsdine Talbi’s stoppage-time winner secured all three points for the visitors, with the Blues hardly laying a glove on their opponents, recording an xG of just 0.90 throughout the match, which will no doubt be a concern for Enzo Maresca.

It was a very poor performance from the hosts, and perhaps the only slight positive was Alejandro Garnacho’s performance, with the summer signing scoring his first goal since arriving from Manchester United.

It is still early days, but Garnacho will now be hoping he can kick on and silence the doubters, with journalist Ollie Holt not convinced the winger’s move to Stamford Bridge will pan out.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea have also joined the race for another young forward, having sent scouts to watch Bayern Munich forward Lennart Karl in action, but a deal is expected to be on the expensive side.

Indeed, Bayern value their break-out youngster at around €70m – €80m (£61m – £70m), which means the west Londoners may need to shell out a huge fee to tempt the German club into a sale.

Having recently smashed the previous record to become Bayern’s youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer, a number of top clubs have joined the race for Karl, with Arsenal and Manchester City also named as potential suitors.

"Hugely impressive" Karl could be future star

It is a very promising sign that the 17-year-old has managed to force his way into Vincent Kompany’s plans at such a young age, featuring six times in the Bundesliga this season, during which time he has chipped in with two goal contributions.

Having also gotten off the mark in the Champions League, the teenager has proven he could be a future star, but there are doubts over whether he is the type of signing that Chelsea need at this stage.

Worse than João Pedro: Maresca must drop Chelsea flop who lost 100% duels

Chelsea were ignominiously beaten 2-1 by Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and Enzo Maresca must drop a flop who lost 100% of his duels.

ByBen Gray Oct 26, 2025

The Blues added Jamie Gittens and Garnacho to their ranks this summer, so it is questionable whether they need to bring in another young winger, with Paul Merson recently emphasizing that a lack of experience is a real issue.

Merson said: “The team is too young. The oldest player there is 23, 24? When you get a young team, you’re up and down, they have wingers who are very inconsistent.”

As such, rather than signing Karl, who has been described as “hugely impressive” by scout Ben Mattinson, Chelsea could do with bringing in players with more experience, instead of being so hell-bent on only signing young players.

Chris Waddle has slammed Mikel Arteta for his supposed criticism of Sunderland's tactics as the Arsenal manager was told to stick to his own job. The Gunners boss' frustration was palpable after his side let a precious victory slip through their fingers in stoppage time and had to settle for a point instead in Saturday's 2-2 draw.

Brobbey breaks Arsenal hearts

Arsenal’s struggles began 10 minutes before the interval when ex-Gunner Dan Ballard punished his old side. The Sunderland defender latched onto a smart pass from Nordi Mukiele and lashed his finish past Raya from close range. From there, Arsenal had to chase the game, and Arteta’s men came out swinging after the break. Their pressure told early in the second half when Bukayo Saka capitalised on an error from Enzo Le Fee to smash home the equaliser. Moments later, Martin Zubimendi rattled the crossbar before Leandro Trossard, who has been one of Arsenal’s most reliable and clutch players this season, rifled in a spectacular long-range drive to put the visitors 2-1 up. At that point, it looked as though Arsenal’s quality and persistence had won the day. But Brian Brobbey’s late intervention tore up the script. That late strike from the Dutch striker saw Arsenal’s lead at the summit trimmed to just four points after 11 rounds of league fixtures.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportArteta pointed finger at 'disruptive' tactics

After the match, Arteta’s tone was one of frustration. He praised his players for their reaction but couldn’t resist a dig at Sunderland’s defensive approach.

"We have to navigate through a really tough game," he said. "We knew that, it was very disruptive. We have to deal with situations, obviously, that are difficult to deal with. They do it really well and we conceded a goal that is not in our standards. But after that, I think the team reacted really well, showed a lot of personality and courage. They scored the first goal, they scored the second goal and we totally dominated the game.

"You have to rely on defending the box when they start to commit six or seven players there. It can be from a direct play, it can be from a throw-in, it can be from any situation. We can defend the action better, and today we haven't done it; we conceded the goal."

Waddle fires back at Arteta

Waddle was unimpressed by Arteta’s complaints. The former Sunderland man, who had a short spell at the club in 1997, said that managers should focus on overcoming problems rather than criticising opponents for playing smart.

"It’s always strange to criticise your opponent’s tactics, at the end of the day," he told in an interview with . "You know, the whole point of football is to get a result. It’s a game. You have to work out how to get results and win, and at least avoid defeat. You work out how to get the best out of your team and cause problems to the opposition. You come up with a plan, and if it works, then you’ve done your job well, so I wouldn’t criticise Sunderland.

"People could talk about Arsenal, about how they park the bus and rely on set-pieces. Everyone wants to have a dig at everyone else’s tactics, but it’s your job to find the weaknesses and exploit them, or spot a good tactic and use it yourself. This time, Sunderland worked out how to get a point, so the manager got it right. It might make it harder to break down sides if they park the bus, but it’s your job to figure out how to break it down. It’s up to you, and you don’t moan about it. You figure it out and you overcome it, and then you get a little smile on your face that a team sat back and they still couldn’t stop you. Obviously, Arteta wasn’t happy, but Sunderland had their game plan and it worked."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportLe Bris' cunning pre-match tweak to thwart Arsenal

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris, meanwhile, revealed one cheeky tactical adjustment that helped stifle Arsenal’s usually dangerous long throws. The Frenchman admitted his staff moved the advertising hoardings closer to the touchline before kick-off, reducing the space for Arsenal players to wind up their powerful throws into the box. The tweak was small but effective as Sunderland’s defenders had fewer deep deliveries to deal with and managed to keep the Gunners’ aerial threat to a minimum. Although Arteta did not comment on this tactic, the Spaniard might have a thing or two to say on this sly tactical adjustment. 

Le Bris told when quizzed about the hoardings: "Yeah, we tried to find the details to win the game. They are really strong on set-pieces, and we were good as well. It was absolutely obvious this threat was really important for this game, and in the end, it was balanced."

Back in training two days out from India’s semi-final, she was in mismatched gear but entirely of the group

S Sudarshanan28-Oct-2025It was around 5:30pm. A bright Tuesday afternoon had given way to a gloomy evening. The groundstaff took down the nets they had erected for India’s training. Covers came onto the square. Navi Mumbai had experienced showers over the past few days, and another wet evening seemed to be in store.That’s when Shafali Verma strolled into the ground with her team-mates. It was not too hard to spot her. It hadn’t even been 24 hours since she was drafted in as Pratika Rawal’s injury replacement for the rest of Women’s World Cup 2025. She had been in Surat for the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, and it looked like her training kit hadn’t made it to Navi Mumbai yet. Her jersey matched everyone else’s but her bottoms were from India’s T20I kit rather than the black trackpants everyone else wore.Related

Shafali Verma replaces injured Pratika Rawal in India's World Cup squad

Mithali Raj on India vs Australia: 'One thing you don't want is to get overwhelmed with the occasion'

How to beat Australia in three easy steps (step 1 – invent a miracle)

Tactics board: Mandhana's level-up, Sutherland's steady hand

The floodlights came on just as India’s players gathered by the dugout. The journalists present trained their eyes on Shafali, tracking, and commenting on, her every move. Her celebrations during the foot-volley warm-up drills seem muted, don’t they? She hasn’t looked particularly chatty, has she? Does she feel like she belongs? Is she finding it awkward to join a team at this stage of the tournament?After the warm-ups came about half an hour of catching drills. Shafali took close catches and then high ones. She seemed to judge the high catches well under lights. She is no stranger to this venue, having played the WPL for Delhi Capitals here.Shafali is no stranger to the big stage either. She is only 21 but has already played three T20 World Cups and an ODI World Cup. She was also the captain when India won the inaugural Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup. She made her India debut as a teenager, backed for her no-holds-barred approach. She was meant to be the difference between India getting to 250 and 320. But her methods came with inconsistency, and India ran out of patience last year.With Smriti Mandhana’s current avatar taking on the onus of quick starts, Shafali could potentially have time to settle in•BCCIShafali went back to domestic cricket. She captained Haryana to a quarter-final finish in the one-day tournament last year, and scored more runs than anyone else (527), at a strike rate (152.31) that only one batter bettered. That batter, Kiran Navgire, only scored 116 runs. Shafali followed up with a sensational WPL. She While she earned a T20I recall earlier this year, she couldn’t win back her ODI spot.The moment had arrived now, right before a World Cup semi-final against Australia.She was padded up now. After a 15-minute meeting with the rest of India’s batting group, Shafali walked to the training ground just outside the main ground. An entourage of photographers, camerapersons, producers and journalists followed.Shafali took a throwdown first, defending it off the front foot. Next ball, she drove Amanjot Kaur crisply through the covers. Next ball, she used her feet against Sneh Rana. Soon, the reverse-sweep appeared. She tried it off Rana but didn’t middle it.Shafali was batting in rotation with Harleen Deol. When she wasn’t facing up, she was keeping a close eye on Deol as well as Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana in adjacent nets. When her turn came again, she went in and played her shots. After spending close to 45 minutes in the nets, she walked to the main ground for an open net session.Shafali is only 21, but she’s already played three T20 World Cups and one previous ODI World Cup•Getty ImagesHere she faced Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh, Radha Yadav and Deepti Sharma. She did not middle all of her big shots. But when she did, the net bowlers and fielders had to fetch the ball from beyond the digital ad-boards.She looked tired after a long spell of this, but she wasn’t done yet. She rolled her arm over, bowling to Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and the lower order. After every ball, she chatted with bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi. At the end of it all, it felt like she had never been away. The bonhomie was visible for all to see.It was just past 10pm by the time Shafali, among the last batch of players and support staff to leave the ground, made her way to the team hotel, which conveniently overlooks the DY Patil Stadium.Shafali had been involved from start to finish, an indication, perhaps, that she will slot straight into India’s XI on Thursday, in a straight swap with Rawal at the top of the order. With Mandhana’s latest avatar casting her as the enforcer to Rawal’s anchor, Shafali might have the chance to take her time early on and look to bat long. She had worked hard on this before WPL 2025.Either way, a second ODI World Cup has come calling for Shafali. Not in the manner she would have expected. She wasn’t even among India’s reserves, but when they needed an opener, who else would they have possibly turned to? Who else could they have visualised at the crease, absorbing Australia’s punches and throwing them right back?

Since Breetzke is available for the second ODI, no replacement has been named

Firdose Moonda03-Sep-2025Tony de Zorzi has been ruled out of South Africa’s ODI series against England after sustaining a hamstring injury in the first match in Leeds.De Zorzi was fielding on the boundary when he dived to stop a Jos Buttler shot from going for four. While he was successful in reeling the ball in, he hurt his left hamstring in the process. He left the field for treatment and it was quickly confirmed that he would not return and would only bat if required. South Africa were chasing a modest target of 132 and did not need de Zorzi. He will now return home to undergo scans and determine the extent of the injury.No replacement batter has been named as de Zorzi was the reserve and played in place of Matthew Breetzke, who himself had a left hamstring tweak and missed the last ODI in Australia and the first in England. Breetzke has since recovered and is available for selection for the second match on Thursday. He is likely to slot straight back into the No. 4 spot.There is no further update on the availability of South Africa’s pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, who missed the ODIs in Australia with ankle inflammation and did not play at Headingley. Codi Yusuf, who has been playing for Durham, was brought into the South African squad, which suggests Rabada may not make an appearance until the T20Is.South Africa’s other concern is captain Temba Bavuma, who is still under a workload-management protocol after hurting his hamstring in the World Test Championship final in June. Bavuma played in two of the three ODIs in Australia and the first match of the England series but is expected to be rested for one of the remaining two.South Africa lead the three-match series 1-0.