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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

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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.

Arsenal secured a seventh consecutive victory and extended their lead at the top of the Premier League this weekend, but not everyone was happy with what they saw at the Emirates.

The Gunners appear in unstoppable form and they capitalised on a weekend where Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea all lost by securing a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace to cement their status as the current favourites to win the title.

Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice were sensational in the win, as was Jurrien Timber, who is fast becoming the standout right-back in world football.

The Netherlands international however called for calm ahead of Wednesday’s EFL Cup clash against Brighton: “It is good to stay neutral, and not to get too high.

“Obviously, we’ve been doing well, but it’s still early in the season, and we just have to keep getting better game by game.

“The next game is already in three days, which is a (Carabao) Cup match (against Brighton), and the next Premier League game (against Burnley) is going to be tough as well.

“So, let’s keep our feet on the ground and keep working hard, and then from there, we’ll see what happens.”

Stelling reveals he turned TV off during Arsenal win over Palace

Arsenal’s bid to land their first league title in 22 years has been built on a remarkable defence which has shipped just three goals, and only one from open play, in their 13 fixtures across all competitions.

They have of course dominated in the opposition box as well, scoring just five of their 16 league goals from open play, and former Soccer Saturday presenter Jeff Stelling was disgusted by the lack of expansive football during the win over Palace.

“They can’t keep relying on set plays, they just can’t,” he said on talkSPORT on Monday morning.

He continued: “I love some of the Arsenal players, I love Saka, I love Odegaard, I love Eze. But please, please be just a bit more expansive. I mean watching Arsenal against Palace, was watching paint dry. It was purgatory. I started watching that match, and I had enough of it before they had a shot. I’d turned over by then, to watch Villa versus City, which was a much better game.”

Arsenal’s clean sheet against Palace was their fifth in succession, And Timber is proud of their tough to play against style: “Everyone plays a part in it, but it’s a good thing and a good foundation to build on.

“From that standard, you just have to keep getting better and be consistent in what we do, and then throughout the whole season, hopefully we’ll turn it into something beautiful.

“It gives you confidence and it shows that we’re doing really well, and also, if it’s for multiple games in a row, it says something about consistency.

“We just have to keep improving, and look at what we can do better, but also take that feeling with you, that confidence and go into the next game with the same mindset.”

Mikel Arteta awaits news on injuries sustained to William Saliba, Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori, which is perhaps the only damp spot on an otherwise flawless October for the Gunners.

Liam Scott made 53 to go with his five wickets while Ben Manenti finished 49 not out as South Australia won by three wickets in a tight fourth innings chase

AAP12-Nov-2025Australia’s incumbent Test allrounder Beau Webster has taken eight wickets, including Travis Head twice and Alex Carey once, but it wasn’t enough for Tasmania as Liam Scott and Ben Manenti guided South Australia to their first win of the Sheffield Shield season in Hobart.Needing to manufacture the highest innings of a bowler-dominated match, the reigning champions recovered from 88 for 5 to chase down the target of 217.Cult hero Manenti was one of the heroes, scoring an unbeaten 49 from No.8. Manenti also took the crucial wickets of Beau Webster, Tim Ward and Brad Hope in Tasmania’s second innings to help bowl the Tigers out for 184. He put on a crucial 71-run stand with player of the match Scott to steer the visitors out of trouble.Related

• Webster takes five on tough day for his Test chances

• Webster, Weatherald miss out as Doggett bags five

South Australia were winless from their first three games of the season, losing two and drawing the other. The result came against stiff opposition, with Australia’s incumbent Test No.6 Beau Webster starring with the ball to ensure he remains in contention to keep his spot.After claiming 5 for 50 in the first innings, Webster backed it up with 3 for 73 in the losing cause.Two of his victims were Travis Head and Alex Carey, his Australian teammates. Head edged Webster to slips on 15 from a ripping off-cutter, continuing his disappointing run of form leading into the Ashes.Since smashing a blazing ODI century against South Africa in August, his highest score has been 31 in 11 innings.Although Webster got the better of his Test teammates, he was taken apart by Manenti and Scott, with his wickets coming at more than six runs an over.Manenti was thrilled with the win.”We’ve been pretty successful down here the last couple of years. It’s a place we love to come and play at,” he said. “Probably rode the game a bit, it was a tricky wicket early.”We needed it. We’ve been close the last couple of weeks, playing some really good cricket, we’ve just lost patches.”South Australia will return to Adelaide Oval for their next match against Western Australia, starting on November 22.

Shree Charani, Kiran Navgire and Yastika Bhatia are a few players that could fetch big money at the auction

Shashank Kishore26-Nov-2025

N Shree Charani

Uncapped heading into WPL 2025, Charani sparked an intense bidding war between Delhi Capitals [DC] and Mumbai Indians [MI] before eventually going for INR 55 lakh to DC. A left-arm spinner trusted across phases, she offers the kind of control and reliability captains crave. Her stocks have never been higher, having been instrumental in India’s ODI World Cup triumph despite being an unlikely starter as late as June. Composed under pressure and rapidly rising in value, Charani is poised for an even bigger payday.Yastika Bhatia has fully recovered from a knee injury•BCCI

Yastika Bhatia

Bhatia has been part of two title-winning MI squads and enjoyed intermittent success as Hayley Matthews’ opening partner. But a series of injuries stalled her upward trajectory, culminating in the heartbreak of missing the World Cup due to a knee injury. With G Kamalini retained by MI, Bhatia re-enters the auction pool at a time when several teams are actively seeking an Indian wicketkeeper. The past few months have seen her complete her rehab and regain full fitness, and her dual skill set once again makes her a valuable option. As a wicketkeeper-batter, she offers immediate balance and flexibility to whichever team secures her. She last played in August, impressing in the three one-dayers for India A in Australia.Kiran Navgire has often got UP Warriorz off to flying starts•WPL

Kiran Navgire

Navgire last played for India in October 2022, but her power-hitting has remained impossible to ignore in the WPL. In 2025, she walloped a 24-ball half-century as an opener for UP Warriorz against DC. That innings briefly nudged the franchise towards considering her for retention. While that didn’t materialise, an RTM card remains a realistic option. What’s certain is that she won’t come cheap. Navgire’s stock has surged in recent months, especially in the aftermath of her record-breaking 34-ball century for Maharashtra against Punjab – the fastest in women’s T20 cricket, surpassing Sophie Devine.Vaishnavi Sharma picked up a hat-trick in India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph earlier this year•ICC/Getty Images

Vaishnavi Sharma

Another rising star from Madhya Pradesh’s stables after Pooja Vastrakar and Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi announced herself with a hat-trick in India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph earlier this year. The 19-year-old left-arm spinner then dominated the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, finishing as the leading wicket-taker with 21 wickets in 11 games at an economy of 6.47, before backing it up with strong performances in the inter-zonal tournament. Having impressed at multiple trials, Vaishnavi is widely praised for her maturity, composure and exceptional control, qualities that mark her out as one of India’s most exciting young spin prospects. Teams that don’t get Charani could be lining up for Vaishnavi.

Deeya Yadav

A hard-hitting top-order batter from Haryana, Deeya has modelled much of her game on Shafali Verma. Her recent performances suggest she’s charting a similar trajectory, too. She enjoyed a breakout Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, amassing 298 runs in eight innings at an average of 59.50 and a strike rate of 128, including three half-centuries. She carried that form into the inter-zonal T20s, where her strike-rate touched 150 as she powered North Zone to the final. Still only 16, Deeya could be a long-term investment for franchises. Her stable base, excellent hand-eye coordination and raw hitting power have already prompted comparisons to Shafali, with many touting her as Haryana’s next big batting talent.

Aaron Judge did not receive a favorable strike zone in his first at-bat against Red Sox pitcher Brayan Bello on Friday night. Judge, hitting third in the order for the Yankees' second game of a weekend series against Boston, did not swing at any of the four pitches he saw in the at-bat and none of them were in the zone.

Rather than give Judge a walk, home plate umpire Lance Barrett sent him back to the dugout without having seen so much as a single strike.

Looking at the recap of the at-bat, none of the calls were that far outside the zone and any one of them on their own wasn't that egregious.

But when you call all three of them strikes back-to-back-to-back, it's a bad look. And more importantly, people notice.

This would not be the first time that the Yankees have disagreed with Barrett behind the dish.

West Indies have made three changes to their T20I squad for the upcoming series against Pakistan after the 5-0 defeat to Australia: Shamar Joseph, Alick Athanaze and Johnson Charles have come in for Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King and Shimron Hetmyer. The three-T20I series against Pakistan starts on Thursday at Lauderdale.Evin Lewis is still out injured while Keacy Carty, who was called in as cover during the series against Australia, retained his spot. King and Hetmyer were in good form against Australia but picked up side strains in the final T20I in Basseterre. Alzarri, meanwhile, was rested.Related

• Afridi back for T20Is, Nawaz earns maiden ODI call-up for West Indies series

• Struggling Pakistan and West Indies look to bounce back in the USA

The injuries to King and Hetmyer are a concern for West Indies. They were the only batters in the side apart from captain Shai Hope to score more than 100 runs in the five matches against Australia.Charles, 36, will likely slot in for King at the top of the order. Athanaze, meanwhile, is likely to fill in for Hetmyer in the middle. Shamar is expected to be a like-for-like replacement for Alzarri.

West Indies squad for Pakistan T20Is

Shai Hope (capt), Jewel Andrew, Alick Athanaze, Jediah Blades, Keacy Carty, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

Players due to also compete in some fixtures against Indian domestic sides

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2025

Afghanistan Women’s players share a laugh•Martin Keep/AFP/Getty Images

When India take on Sri Lanka at the Women’s World Cup 2025 opener, the spotlight will not just be on the players on the field but also on some of those off it.A group of Afghanistan’s women’s cricketers, currently living in exile in Australia, will be in attendance at the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Stadium in Guwahati in one of the first attempts to integrate them into the global game. The players do not represent Afghanistan as they are not recognised by the ACB but are playing in league structures in Australia. They will have no formal role at the game, where they will be received as spectators.”[BCCI secretary] Devajit Saikia knows exactly what details about this,” ACA President Taranga Gogoi told ESPNcricinfo. “He will guide us and we are awaiting more details. The Afghanistan players will be here tomorrow and we will make arrangements for that.”Related

Form vs Spirit: Australia's world champions take on New Zealand's game raisers

World Cup offers an air of freshness to sombre Guwahati

Powerplay: More than just a match for Afghanistan Women's XI

Powerplay: How cricket helped Afghanistan women escape

BCCI, ECB, CA to help fund ICC's plan to support Afghan women cricketers

Details surrounding the Afghanistan players’ trip to the World Cup have been kept under wraps, with no official announcement from the ICC. However, in April this year, the ICC confirmed it would form a “dedicated task force” to support Afghanistan’s female cricketers which would include coaching and mentorship. Funding for this initiative would be provided by the ICC, and the three most moneyed cricket boards: the BCCI, ECB and CA but exact amounts were never revealed.The idea for Afghanistan’s exiled female cricketers to travel to the World Cup was firmed up at the ICC’s annual conference in July. At the time, a loose plan was put in place for the cricketers to attend a training camp in Bengaluru, which was due to host the opening match of the tournament, play against Indian domestic sides and then attend a handful of World Cup games. As things stand, the players are still due to compete in some fixtures but may not attend any matches other than the tournament opener, although no information has been confirmed.It is also understood that the lack of publicity around the Afghanistan women’s arrival in India is a result of the ICC adopting a cautious approach to any retaliation from the government of Afghanistan. Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, women have been increasingly excluded from public life, cannot attend university or secondary school and their voices cannot be heard in public. As such, the ACB is unable to ratify a women’s team, despite contracting 25 players in 2020.The majority of those players live in Australia but some are resident in the United Kingdom and Canada. Not all those living in Australia have made the trip to India as some faced visa challenges but most of them played in an exhibition match between an Afghanistan XI and Cricket without Borders in January.

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

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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?

On Saturday lunchtime, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had a big decision to make. Play Martin Odegaard or Eberechi Eze in the number 10 position?

Well, the Spaniard chose his club captain Odegaard. It was a successive start for the Norwegian who is now back from injury and ready to make an impact.

What that meant was that the Gunners’ November Player of the Month was selected on the left flank.

It wasn’t a decision that went well for Eze. The scorer of that famous hat-trick in the north London derby just a few weeks ago, his influence from the left, rather than in a central area, was severely lacking.

It was Eze who switched off at the back post for Matty Cash’s opener and despite having a goal ruled out for offside, he was anonymous in the final third.

The summer signing was subsequently withdrawn at the half time interval having registered just 13 touches of the ball and amassed just seven passes.

Why Arsenal must pick Eze over Odegaard in the number 10 role

Before Emiliano Buendia’s late winner at Villa Park on Saturday, TNT Sports’ Martin Keown had named Martin Odegaard as the player of the match.

The club captain drifted in and out of the game, but left the field with three key passes and three shots to his name. He also ensured Bukayo Saka looked like a constant threat in the game. Indeed, in the words of the Telegraph’s Sam Dean, he noted that “it can’t be a coincidence that Saka has been so dangerous today, on the day he is reunited with Odegaard,” suggesting that as a pairing, they remain one of Arsenal’s “great weapons.”

That they may well be, but the skipper arguably held Arteta’s team back. While Eze has looked like such a big goal threat over the last few weeks, a dynamic and silky player who can produce a moment of magic out of nowhere, Odegaard was sluggish and timid in possession.

His biggest problem is that unlike Eze, he takes too many touches and he’s slow in possession. The 26-year-old is one of the best midfielders in the world on his day. He’s supremely creative but Arsenal’s summer recruit from Crystal Palace has taken them to the next level in recent weeks.

Odegaard & Eze vs Villa

Stat

Odegaard

Eze

Mins played

90

45

Touches

80

13

Key passes

3

0

Shots

3

0

Successful dribbles

1/4

1/1

Duels won

3/10

2/5

Possession lost

15x

3x

Stats via Sofascore.

It was surely no coincidence that two of their finest wins of 2025, the victories against Spurs and Bayern, came with Eze in the team over Odegaard.

It feels incredibly unlikely that Arteta will drop the latter but he must explore what this team could be like without their captain.

That said, Eze isn’t the only threat to Odegaard’s long-term future at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal's next Odegaard and Eze

Eze’s arrival has coincided with a lack of game time for Ethan Nwaneri. Last season he was compared to Lionel Messi by Joe Cole and described as “the most exciting footballer in England.” How times change.

While the 18-year-old is still up there as one of the finest young talents in the country, scoring nine goals last term, regular senior football has eluded him in 2025/26. He has played just 165 minutes of Premier League football this term and only 20 minutes since the start of November.

Nwaneri will no doubt come good but he will also have to rival the great Max Dowman for a place in the team over the forthcoming years. Odegaard, beware.

The two exciting teenagers are not the only threats to Odegaard’s long-term future, however. Enter Holger Quintero.

At the end of last week, Arsenal announced the signings of a set of twins, Holger and Edwin Quintero from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle.

They have become one of the finest exponents of young talent in world football in recent years. Part of their alumni include Moises Caicedo, Piero Hincapie and PSG’s brute of a central defender William Pacho.

Well, the Quintero twins look like the next cabs of the rank and while they will not be seen in Arsenal colours until they turn 18, the 16-year-old’s have signed an agreement to join the club, something that was announced last Thursday.

Edwin is a left-footed right winger and, alongside Dowman, has been labelled as a “10/10 talent” by scout Jacek Kulig. As for his brother, Holger, he is an attacking midfielder by trade and an exciting one at that.

Described as a “top talent” by Como scout Felix Johnston, he possesses a glittering array of skills, outlined by Kulig.

The scout notes that he has “superb close control, flair and creativity” while hailing the youngster’s “low centre of gravity and excellent agility, acceleration and coordination.”

Close control and creativity are two areas in which Odegaard also thrives in but it’s arguably that lack of acceleration and ability to carry the ball forward with pace that holds him back. That’s where Quintero could trump him in the years to come.

Further described as a young kid with “elite dribbling skills with futsal-like ball control”, there is a reason Arsenal have decided to invest in these two young attacking sensations.

To predict they could become world beaters might be a stretch at this stage, but there is huge excitement about them both. As Kulig put it, Holger is “one of the most exciting U17s in South America.”

Watch out, Odegaard, it might not only be Dowman coming for your place.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair 5 days ago

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been on fire for the Blue Jays throughout the postseason.

While he was quiet during the first two games of the American League Championship Series against the Mariners, Vladdy has since gone 9-of-16 from the plate, and homered in all three of Toronto’s wins to help force Game 7 on Monday night.

Ahead of Monday’s first pitch, Guerrero made quite a bold fashion choice—one that has some Toronto sports fans extremely worried.

As Guerrero made his way to the locker room at the Rogers Centre, he was wearing an Auston Matthews Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.

While it’s hardly uncommon for sports stars to represent the heroes of other local teams in their tunnel walk, invoking the Maple Leafs ahead of a Game 7 in Toronto feels a bit like tempting fate.

Beyond their long wait for a championship in general, the Leafs have notoriously struggled with Game 7s in recent years, having lost eight straight winner-take-all playoff games.

On one hand, Guerrero’s look could be seen as a bold declaration that he is ready to take the burden of an entire city’s sports heartbreak on his shoulders and turn the ship around. On the other, it just seems like tempting fate. Sports fans voiced their concern with Vladdy’s provocative fashion choice, while others credited him for looking the pressure straight in the eye and showing no fear.

Guerrero and the Blue Jays will have their chance to reset the sports vibes across Toronto when they face off against the Mariners on Monday with a spot in the World Series on the line. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET.