Barcelona's famed La Masia academy has long been the envy of every other top club in Europe, and for good reason. It has forged dozens of legends over the last 46 years, from Pep Guardiola and Albert Ferrer, to Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and a certain Lionel Messi. Every generation produces multiple superstars, with Lamine Yamal leading the current crop after bursting onto the scene as a 15-year-old.
Pedro Fernandez Sarmiento could be about to follow the same path. Or 'Dro', as he has been known by friends and family for his entire life. “People think there’s some special meaning behind it, but it’s actually simple,” he said earlier this season. “When I was a baby, my older brother couldn’t pronounce ‘Pedro,’ so he called me ‘Dro’. The name just stuck.”
As a footballer, though, Dro certainly special. At the tender age of 17, he is already earning minutes in the Barcelona first team, and has been capped three times by Spain's Under-18s. ”He’s a great player and still has room for improvement,” Hansi Flick said after drafting Dro into his squad over the summer. ”Congratulations to La Masia for the work they’re doing.”
The Barcelona manager has developed a sterling reputation for his handling of the club's prized youngsters since taking over in 2024, with the likes of Fermin Lopez, Alejandro Balde and Marc Casado also making major strides forward alongside Yamal and Pau Cubarsi. If Dro listens to Flick and continues to maximise his time on the pitch, it won't be long before he is also considered a household name.
Where it all began
On January 12, 2008, Dro was born in the coastal town of Nigran to a Spanish father and Filipino mother. At the age of four, he started playing for Val Minor, a renowned local club that was also once home to the Alcantara brothers, Thiago and Rafinha, and former Valencia and Leeds United striker Rodrigo Moreno.
Dro's first steps into football were not easy, but his talent shone through almost instantly, as his first coach, Javier Lago, recently recalled to : “When he arrived at the camp, he was very small and did not even want to train. That day ended in tears, he left with his mother, but returned later. It was all thanks to the persistence of his mother, Ella. And as soon as he entered the field again, two touches of the ball were enough to understand that there was something special in him.”
It is customary for promising footballers based in the Galicia province of Spain to hone their skills on the futsal pitch, and Dro progressed quickly under the watchful eye of Lago and Jose Antonio Covelo, a Barca scout who played for the club in the 1980s. Thanks to Covelo's presence on the Val Minor coaching staff, Barca were able to track Dro's progress up until he turned 14, at which point they won the race for his signature ahead of Real Madrid and Real Betis.
From day one, Dro stood out from his La Masia peers. “I put him on the field against players two years older, but he surprised everyone,” Barca youth coach Anton Davila said of Dro's introduction to training. “He always had a strong defender on his back, but he passed him as he wanted: with his heel, with a turn to the side, with his right foot or his left. He was an inexhaustible source of frustration for opponents.”
Dro only needed two years to break into Barca's Juvenil squad, and he would go on to help the U19s make history in the 2024-25 season.
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The big break
Under the stewardship of Juliano Belletti, who famously scored Barcelona's winning goal against Arsenal in the 2006 Champions League final, the Juvenil A team won the league, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Youth League to complete a remarkable treble. Dro played a small but significant role in their success, most notably scoring twice in the Youth League group stages, and came on for the last 11 minutes of their 4-1 final victory over Trabzonspor.
He was also handed his first Spain U17 call-up in March, and started in European Championship qualifying games against Germany and Austria. By the summer, Flick was ready to get a closer look at Dro, despite the fact he was still waiting on his debut for Barca's Athletic reserve team, and asked him to report for pre-season training before the squad headed off on a tour of Japan and South Korea.
Preparations began on July 13, and over the next 12 days, Dro did enough to earn a spot on the plane. According to , Flick was "hugely impressed" by the teenager, who then made his senior bow for the Blaugrana as a 78th-minute substitute against Vissel Kobe in the first game of the tour.
Dro marked the occasion in style, wrapping up a 3-1 victory with a superb first-time volley from just outside the box. Understandably, he was overcome by emotion after the final whistle as he revealed what Flick had asked of him before he was sent on for Marcus Rashford.
“I didn’t even know how to celebrate, to be honest. It was unbelievable,” he said. “I came in a bit nervous, the first time with the best club in the world, but then the ball came to my feet on the edge of the box and I gave it a go. Hansi and my team-mates calmed me down before the game and I felt so comfortable. Flick told me to do what I know to do with the ball, and then off the ball to push and press as hard as I can.”
Flick rested Dro for the subsequent win over FC Seoul, but started him in Barca's final outing against Daegu. Dro didn't score in the 5-0 win, but was one of the standout performers in the first half as he showed plenty of courage on the ball and linked up well with Yamal.
AFP
How it's going
As a reward for his performances in Asia, Dro was named on the bench in each of Barca's first three La Liga games at the start of the 2025-26 season, but a thigh injury delayed his highly-anticipated competitive debut. It finally came, though, when Barca welcomed Real Sociedad to the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on September 28, as Dro lined up on the right side of a three-man midfield alongside Frenkie de Jong and Pedri.
There were moments when Dro appeared to struggle physically, which is probably why Flick took him off for Dani Olmo at the interval, but the youngster still posted a 92 percent pass completion rate, and his technical quality shone through in the 2-1 victory.
"He's a very talented player. He's a Barca player," Flick said after the match. "It's great to have these kinds of players to be able to manage minutes. I really like that everyone tries to give their best. This is what we need because we have a lot of games."
The following month, Dro started again, this time in a home game against Olympiacos in the Champions League. Barca ran out 6-1 winners, with Fermin bagging a hat-trick in a dominant display from Flick's side. Dro played 59 minutes and provided the incisive pass for Fermin's second goal, which made him the second-youngest player to ever record an assist in the competition, after former Borussia Dortmund star Giovanni Reyna.
"It’s a special day for me, one that I’ll never forget," Dro said when facing up to the media. "I’ve always dreamed of playing in matches like this. I [also] have a strong desire to play in El Clasico." He ended up being an unused substitute as Barca fell to a 2-1 defeat againstReal Madrid four days later, but by the time the two arch-rivals meet again in La Liga in May, it's entirely possible that Dro will be a nailed-on starter.
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Biggest strengths
Dro primarily operates as a No.8, but is versatile enough to play in an attacking midfield role or on the left wing when required. He excels at breaking through the lines, possessing the close control and dazzling footwork to evade defenders effortlessly at speed.
Barca can look to Dro to manufacture space and exploit it. His passing range and positional awareness are remarkable for such a young player, while he also exudes natural composure in everything he does.
"I think of myself as a technical player," Dro said during Barca's pre-season tour. "I like to dribble past players and have fun on the pitch." You can sense that enjoyment whenever Dro picks the ball up; he's an elegant footballer who doesn't seem to feel pressure.
We haven't seen it at first-team level yet, but Dro is also something of a set-piece specialist. He scored several free-kicks from distance for Barca's U19s, and can potentially be another strong option for Flick in dead-ball situations as the season progresses.
Pope demotion opens door for Bethell at No.3; Mark Wood travels after missing home summer
Matt Roller23-Sep-20252:05
What does Brook’s Ashes vice-captaincy means for Pope?
Harry Brook has replaced Ollie Pope as England’s vice-captain in a move that could open the door for Jacob Bethell to bat at No. 3 in the Ashes this winter. Pope’s demotion, flagged by Brendon McCullum earlier this month, was confirmed when England announced a 16-man squad to tour Australia on Tuesday, in which Will Jacks is the surprise name.Pope has stood in for Ben Stokes five times in the past 14 months, most recently overseeing England’s six-run defeat to India in the final Test of their series this summer. He started that series with a century at Headingley but finished it with an average of 34 after his form fell away and finds his spot under mounting pressure, not least after Bethell’s recent white-ball success.Brook’s promotion comes after he took over from Jos Buttler as England’s limited-overs captain earlier this year, and his role as vice-captain is more important than usual, amid continued uncertainty around Stokes’ fitness. England said that Stokes “remains on track” to be available for the first Ashes Test on November 21 after injuring his shoulder while bowling against India.Jacks’ recall is the biggest surprise, coming nearly three years after he played his only two Tests in Pakistan. He has been picked ahead of Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson and Jack Leach as the reserve spinner behind Shoaib Bashir, although he will miss the preceding white-ball tour to New Zealand after breaking a finger on his left hand while fielding against South Africa earlier this month.Will Jacks and Brook, pictured at Rawalpindi in 2022, will be team-mates in Australia this winter•Getty Images
Jacks took six wickets in his two previous Tests – all in the same innings – but his return comes as a shock, not least after Dawson’s return to the fold this summer. He has only made five first-class appearances for Surrey across the last two seasons, but is about as close to Bashir as England have in terms of physical attributes and has been picked ahead of more established spinners.Matthew Potts, the Durham seamer, is recalled as the sixth frontline quick, with Chris Woakes not considered after dislocating his shoulder during the Oval Test. Potts, who last played a Test in New Zealand late last year, did not feature in any of England’s squads during the India series but is the beneficiary of Jamie Overton’s decision to put his first-class career on pause.Mark Wood, who has not played competitively since the Champions Trophy, has been named in the squad after missing the home summer with a knee injury. He is the only one of England’s six seamers to have featured in a Test in Australia previously, with Potts, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue all embarking on their first Ashes tours.Pope (left) captained England in their most recent Test, against India in July•Getty Images
However, it is the identity of England’s No. 3 that will prompt the most discussion over the next two months, with Pope’s position increasingly vulnerable. Bethell made 6 and 5 at No. 6 in his only Test of the summer, but scored his first international hundred in an ODI against South Africa this month, and will have further opportunities to stake his claim next month.Those chances will come on a white-ball tour to New Zealand, where England will play three T20Is and three ODIs on their way to Australia. Zak Crawley is in line to make his T20I debut on that tour after winning a call-up on the back of his success in the Hundred this summer, while Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith and Archer are all rested before returning for the ODIs.Dawson, Sam Curran and Luke Wood will all be retained for the 50-over leg of the New Zealand tour, with Curran’s recall particularly notable after England’s struggles to balance their ODI side against South Africa. Saqib Mahmood will miss the tour after “minor” knee surgery, while Sonny Baker has kept his spot in both white-ball squads despite expensive debuts.Jordan Cox has kept his spot in England’s T20I squad after his match-winning 55 against Ireland on Sunday, but is overlooked for the Ashes as expected. Pope’s familiar status as England’s utility man has earned him the role of back-up wicketkeeper, in the event that Smith is unavailable.There is some crossover between the squads for the New Zealand tour and for the Ashes, and some of those not picked for the white-ball squads will travel to New Zealand to acclimatise before joining up with England Lions in Australia. The Lions will provide England with their only warm-up opposition before the first Test in a three-day match at Lilac Hill from November 13-15, with a squad likely to be named later this week.Mark Wood last played for England at the Champions Trophy•ICC/Getty Images
England winter squads:T20I squad vs New Zealand: Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood.ODI squad vs New Zealand: Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jamie Smith replace Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley and Phil Salt from the T20I squad.Tests vs Australia: Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.New Zealand fixtures (all D/N):T20Is: October 18, 20 (both Christchurch) and 23 (Auckland). ODIs: October 26 (Mount Maunganui), 29 (Hamilton) and November 1 (Wellington).Ashes fixtures:1st Test: November 21-25 (Perth) 2nd Test: December 4-8 (Brisbane, D/N) 3rd Test: December 17-21 (Adelaide) 4th Test: December 26-30 (Melbourne) 5th Test: January 4-8 (Sydney)
واصل بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي تصريحاته بعد الفوز أمام سندرلاند بثلاثية نظيفة على ملعب الاتحاد مساء السبت في الدوري الانجليزي الممتاز.
وشارك النجم المصري عمر مرموش في الدقيقة 69 ليحل محل المهاجم النرويجي إيرلينج هالاند، وحاول المصري كثيراً التسجيل لكن لم يحالفه الحظ.
وقال جوارديولا في تصريحات نشرتها “سيتي إكسترا” عن مرموش: “كنا بحاجة لعمر مرموش ليدخل بديلاً ضد سندرلاند”.
وأضاف عن النجم المصري: “عمر بالنسبة لي من أفضل المهاجمين، أعرف أنني أراه مهاجماً، وهناك كذلك المهاجم الأساسي لدينا هالاند، أحياناً يحصل مرموش على دقائق لعب أقل مما يستحق لكنه قام بأربع أو خمس تحركات مذهلة بشكل لا يصدق، ولهذا السبب مرر نيكو هاتين الكرتين له، لكن سنرى إذا كان سيبدأ ضد ريال مدريد”.
أقرأ أيضاً.. جوارديولا يشيد بلاعب مانشستر سيتي بعد الفوز على سندرلاند: لم أر ميسي يفعل ذلك
وواصل بيب إذا كان سيحتاج لإجراء تغييرات ضد ريال مدريد: “لا، أنتم الصحفيون دمرتوني بعد مباراة ليفركوزن لذلك قلت أنني لا أريد أن تدمروني مرة أخرى بسبب التبديلات، أريد أن أكون لطيفاً معكم”.
وواصل عن اللعب في ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو: “البرنابيو ليس ملعب سهل أبداً، أضعنا فرصة الاقتراب من التأهل لدور ال16 من دوري الأبطال ضد باير ليفركوزن لكننا سنقدم أداءً جيداً، لدينا ثلاث فرص لتحقيق النقاط التي نحتاجها، نأمل أن نؤدي نفس الأداء”.
وواصل جوارديولا ثنائه على نجمه المتألق هذا الموسم فيل فودين: “لاعب مذهل، يسجل الكثير من الأهداف، اعترف لي بعد لقاء سندرلاند أنه لم يشعر بأنه في حالة جيدة وانظروا ما حدث، كيف يركض خلف المدافعين ويستعيد الكرة، عندما يكون في هذه الحالة المزاجية وهذا الزخم، يكون بمثابة هدية جوهرة ثمينة، إنه الأفضل”.
واختتم بيب جوارديولا مؤكداً إصابة جون ستونز مدافع مانشستر سيتي: “بصراحة، لا أعرف مدة غيابه”.
It’s a new week, and Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank will be gearing up for a return to Premier League action at the weekend, when his side travel to Arsenal.
Tottenham have been a mixed bag this season, certainly more secure and steely than last year under Ange Postecoglou’s leadership, but lacking the snap and verve that the fanbase associates with the core of the club. To dare is to do, after all.
Someone embodying that mantra right now is Troy Parrott, whose stunning hat-trick at the weekend saw Ireland defeat Hungary and seal a World Cup play-off spot, having only days before bagged a brace to sink Portugal.
The AZ Alkmaar centre-forward, 23, is shaping into quite the goalscorer, becoming the player Spurs knew he could be after he graduated from the academy.
Parrott's record at Spurs
In July 2024, Tottenham sold Parrott to AZ Alkmaar for around £7m. The Republic of Ireland international had made his Premier League debut aged 17, but only ended up featuring three further times across all competitions before leaving for good, having completed no less than five stints out on loan.
Troy Parrott – Goal Record by Club
Club
Apps
Goals
AZ Alkmaar
61
33
MK Dons
47
10
Preston
34
4
Excelsior
32
17
Ipswich
18
2
Millwall
14
0
Tottenham
4
0
Data via Transfermarkt
In fact, each of the goalscorer’s four senior outings for the Lilywhites came during the 2019/20 campaign, and while Spurs knew when they sold him last year that he had untapped potential, it was clear he was going to struggle for minutes given the club’s attacking pecking order.
There was plenty of chatter regarding Parrott and his potential, even at that nascent stage. Of course, comparisons against Harry Kane were drawn, and talent scout Jacek Kulig has since praised him for his “incredible” performances over in the Netherlands, making good on that potential that was stunted by injuries.
There was always the promise of success. While he didn’t enjoy a prolific spell with Preston North End in the Championship, the player’s tenacity could not be questioned. His former manager Ryan Lowe said: “His work rate is phenomenal. For the size of him, he is a bit of a unit inside. He’s not massive, but very strong, uses his body very well & he got down the sides plenty of times.”
If this tells us anything, it’s that development in football is not linear, and it can take talented prospects a time to find their footing after showing initial promise at the foot of their professional career.
Tottenham must learn from their past mistake – if selling Parrott for a small fee could be called an error – and devote plenty of time to their new version of the Irish hero, who arrives in London at the start of 2026.
Spurs have a bigger talent than Parrott
Parrott is growing into his skin, so sharp and dynamic in the final third. There is an expectation that he should kick on and enjoy further success over the coming years, and Spurs may have to watch ruefully on as he makes headway.
However, that poignancy will be tempered and then some by the emergence of Mason Melia, who has completed a transfer rising to £3m last season, slated to join in January after the completion of the Irish league campaign.
Having idolised Kane and made his professional debut as a 15-year-old, the rangy striker is establishing himself as quite the hot prospect, with his former youth coach Hughie Nolan remarking that “nothing has fazed him” as he has raised his level again and again over his formative years.
The Athletic’s Connor O’Neill said after the announcement that he’s “easily the best young talent I have seen in the League of Ireland”. Parrott left his homeland and signed for Spurs before he could make his senior bow, but Melia arguably has more hype around him, and still only 18, there is so much scope for growth.
Having already featured 98 times for St. Patrick’s Athletic, notching 25 goals and eight assists, Melia will provide an interesting dimension to a Tottenham side crying out for attacking inspiration. Richarlison and Dominic Solanke have not provided the answer, for differing but equally concerning reasons.
Mathys Tel is a young and talented striker, beginning to show signs of the talent that Tottenham saw when bringing him over from Bayern Munich, but the jury is very much out and there are questions relating to whether the 20-year-old has what it takes to lead the line in the Premier League.
Moreover, he has recently emerged as a transfer target for Roma in Serie A, the Italians viewing him as an alternative option to Manchester United as the winter transfer window draws near.
With Parrott doing so well at the moment, it’s inevitable that wistful gazes will be cast toward the Irishman as he establishes himself as one of Europe’s most underrated strikers.
But while there’s a romanticism about a potential deal in 2026, bringing him back home, there’s little need when Tottenham have already signed a more talented Irish striker in Melia, who is now just over a month away from heading down N17.
Frank’s ability to nurture young prospects is well known in England, and Tottenham’s wider embracing of their youth suggests that Melia has made the right choice in moving to the capital and choosing white. He might be a “hidden gem” at the moment, as said by analyst Ben Mattinson, but Melia will soon establish himself as a major player in the Premier League, notably described as “the Irish Alexander Isak” for his effortless strike of the ball.
Will he need a bit of time? It’s more than likely. But the teenager is an aggressive and mobile striker, willing to make runs and connect play while simultaneously keeping one eye on goal at all times.
His wealth of experience, despite his young age, suggests that Tottenham may well hit the jackpot with his addition to the ranks. Parrott might be the talk of the town in Ireland right now, but in Melia, the Londoners have signed a young forward with the capacity to outstrip his older countryman and seal his place among Spurs’ finest forwards of the modern age, something Parrott was unable to do before leaving for a small fee.
Keown called Spurs star "embarrassing" in 2024, now they must "double" his wages
This Tottenham Hotspur star has turned his fortunes around after being called “embarrassing” last year.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has got much to sit on over the November international break, having been thrashed 3-0 at Manchester City last weekend.
That one stung. It condemned Liverpool to their fifth defeat in six Premier League matches, and it undid the positivity built across two recent wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid, clean sheets kept on both evenings.
It was not just the scoreline but the manner of the loss that is so concerning for the Reds, whose title defence is as flaky as could be possible.
In a similar way, it is not Arsenal’s eight-point advantage at the top of the table that is so worrying, but the fact that Slot’s side are so shorn of tactical understanding and confidence within the system.
Changes are needed, even after a summer of record-breaking change in the transfer market.
The changes Slot needs to make at Liverpool
It’s telling that after significant summer spending, Liverpool are still alarmingly thin at the back. Giovanni Leoni’s season-ending injury after joining from Parma for £27m in August has hardly helped, but the failure to land Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi has been underlined in its bungled nature.
Even if Leoni had avoided such a setback, it likely wouldn’t have been enough to make up for the dismal form of Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract next summer and playing so erratically that many fans have lost the desire to fight online for the defender as Real Madrid continue to circle.
While it’s true that those in central midfield have failed to produce levels of physicality and verve that are needed to balance and combine with a central defence, Konate has done anything but help himself with such shoddy displays, with Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley labelling the Frenchman “a serious, serious problem”.
Liverpool’s issues run deeper, though. There’s a case to be made that Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak are all ‘better’ players than Luis Diaz, who was sold to Bayern Munich for about £66m in the summer.
However, Lucho has been a cut above all three, and Slot needs to recraft his team and establish a new offensive sharpness and get the best from these big-money recruits who all arrived with such a weight of expectation.
It will come as no surprise that Liverpool are believed to be gearing up for a winter of bustle in the January transfer market, and Spanish sources even claim the Anfield side could part with upward of £200m to fix the faults in the Slot machine.
The dream XI Slot could build at Liverpool
Sporting director Richard Hughes was heralded after the summer transfer window, having overseen a spending spree that journalist Henry Winter described as “probably be the greatest transfer window by a club ever”, albeit a point made before the market’s closure and with the assumption that Guehi would sign too.
However, if Liverpool mean to sign the Three Lions star, they will do so on a free contract next summer, perhaps in a one-in, one-out situation that will see Konate leave.
With that in mind, FSG may look to complete a marquee move for Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni. Earlier this month, reports from Spain suggest the Reds are looking to complete a deal for the Italian, who is valued at €100m (£87m).
Regarded for his “world-class” technical ability by commentator Matteo Bonetti, Bastoni’s ball-playing tendencies would ostensibly pave over the error-strewn struggles of Konate.
But Liverpool’s problems are wider, and there’s a sense that the midfield needs an addition, especially with Alexis Mac Allister so badly out of sorts.
Though this latest rumour might be viewed as something of a pipe dream, there have been murmurs nonetheless of Merseyside interest in Paris Saint-Germain superstar Vitinha, who pipped Mohamed Salah to third place in the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
Vitinha, 25, would certainly not come cheap after orchestrating PSG’s glittering 2024/25 campaign, and it’s reported that a £114m offer might be needed to bring him over to the Premier League.
We cannot deny the Argentina star has been well below his best this season, and Liverpool could do with more press resistance and control in the middle of the park.
Vitinha would solve these issues, hailed by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez as “the best midfielder in the world” for his performances in Paris.
Matches (starts)
11 (9)
10 (9)
Goals
1
0
Assists
6
2
Touches*
117.5
45.1
Accurate passes
102.3 (94%)
30.3 (86%)
Chances created*
1.5
0.9
Dribbles*
0.5
0.0
Recoveries*
4.9
2.9
Tackles + interceptions*
1.2
1.6
Duels (won)*
2.3 (60%)
2.5 (45%)
The vast difference in form between the respective midfielders is staggering, and while Vitinha isn’t a midfielder who gets all that stuck in defensively, his accuracy in the duel and energy in closing down and recovering balls emphasise the quality he would add to Liverpool’s engine room.
Perhaps such an acquisition would rekindle Liverpool’s attacking fire. After all, with the likes of Isak and Ekitike competing for a berth at number nine, Wirtz and Salah and the rest surrounding them, there is every reason for Slot to find a solution and bring this club back to the fore.
Whether Liverpool would actually succeed in pulling off two audacious winter deals is another question, but there’s no question that Hughes is prowling across the market and looking to find ways to revive this struggling side.
With Vitinha and Bastoni restoring balance to the defence and midfield, we might still see another spectacular season.
Liverpool’s dream XI in full: (GK) Alisson; (RB) Conor Bradley, (CB) Alessandro Bastoni, (CB) Virgil van Dijk, (LB) Andy Robertson; (DM) Vitinha, (CM) Ryan Gravenberch, (CM) Dominik Szoboszlai; (RW) Mohamed Salah, (LW) Florian Wirtz, (CF) Alexander Isak
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The 2025 World Series between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays is about to get underway. What type of show will fans be treated to this year? Will it be a quick domination from one team over the other? Or will the series be drawn out to seven games?
We saw the polar opposites happen in the two league championship series leading up to the World Series. On one hand, the Dodgers swept the Brewers 4-0 to advance, while the Blue Jays played Game 7 against the Mariners in order to earn their World Series bid.
In some of the games themselves there's been clear domination of one team over another. For instance, in Game 3 of the ALCS, the Blue Jays won 13-4 over the Mariners.
Keeping these possibilities in mind, let's take a look at the biggest blowouts in World Series history, whether from singular games or the series in general.
Biggest single game blowouts in World Series history
Year
Matchup
Game
Score
1936
Yankees vs. Giants
2
18-4
2001
Diamondbacks vs. Yankees
6
15-2
1960
Yankees vs. Pirates
2
16-3
2007
Red Sox vs. Rockies
1
13-1
2002
Giants vs. Angels
5
16-4
1982
Cardinals vs. Brewers
6
13-1
1968
Tigers vs. Cardinals
6
13-1
1960
Yankees vs. Pirates
6
12-0
The biggest single game blowout in World Series history happened nearly 100 years ago in the 1936 series between the Yankees and the Giants. Led by legends such as Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio, the Yankees put up a dominant 18-4 win over the Giants, who were located in New York as well at the time. The Yankees did their greatest damage in the third inning, when they scored seven runs thanks to a grand slam by Hall of Famer Tony Lazzeri. The Yankees went on to win the series in six games.
The most recent sizeable blowout in a World Series game occurred in Game 1 of the 2007 World Series between the Red Sox and the Rockies. Boston won 13-1, and dominated the entire series to win 4-0.
Biggest series blowouts in World Series history
The biggest blowouts in World Series history series-wise, of course, must be 4-0 sweeps. There's been 19 sweeps in World Series history, take a look at all of those occurrences.
Year
Winner
Opponent
1914
Boston Braves
Philadelphia Athletics
1927
Yankees
Pirates
1928
Yankees
Cardinals
1932
Yankees
Cubs
1938
Yankees
Cubs
1939
Yankees
Reds
1950
Yankees
Phillies
1954
New York Giants
Cleveland
1963
Dodgers
Yankees
1966
Orioles
Dodgers
1976
Reds
Yankees
1989
Oakland Athletics
San Francisco Giants
1990
Reds
Athletics
1998
Yankees
Padres
1999
Yankees
Atlanta Braves
2004
Red Sox
Cardinals
2005
White Sox
Astros
2007
Red Sox
Rockies
2012
Giants
Tigers
Nine different MLB franchises have completed sweeps in the World Series, with the Yankees leading the charge there, having done so eight times. The Yankees hold the MLB record with 27 World Series titles, and nearly a third of them were sweeps.
The Yankees have gotten a taste of their own medicine twice, first in 1963 when the Dodgers swept them and then in '76 when the Reds did the same.
There's only been four sweeps in the World Series this century, with the most recent occurrence happening in 2012 when the Giants swept the Tigers. The longest streak without a sweep in MLB history is 13 years, so does that mean this year could signal another one?
New South Wales batter Kurtis Patterson started his Ashes audition with a sterling century, but the Blues slipped to a two-wicket one-day loss to Tasmania after a record ninth-wicket stand between Bradley Hope and Matt Kuhnemann.Patterson, watched by Australia’s chair of selectors George Bailey, struck 110 from 125 balls in the NSW’s 224 all out. Tasmania, with another Ashes hopeful Jake Weatherald making 28, were reeling at 124 for 8 in the opening game of the Dean Jones Trophy at Cricket Central in Sydney.Related
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But Kuhnemann (56 not out from 71 balls) and Hope (49 not out from 91) produced a stunning unbroken 101-run stand for the ninth wicket to win with four balls to spare.Patterson played two Tests for Australia in 2019 and boasts an average of 144 – he made 30 and 114 not out in his two knocks against Sri Lanka. The left hander was discarded when Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft had served their ball-tampering suspensions.But Patterson returned to Test discussions with prolific run-scoring in the Sheffield Shield last season, compiling 743 runs at 57.15, although is still an outside chance at this stage. On Tuesday, the 32-year-old dominated NSW’s innings – after his century the next-best was former captain Moises Henriques whose 41 from 51 balls featured two sixes. Patterson reached his second career one-day century from 113 deliveries. Tanveer Sangha was the only other NSW batter to reach double-figures.Kurtis Patterson started his season with a century•Getty Images
Test allrounder Beau Webster took 3 for 41 and white-ball specialist Nathan Ellis 3 for 37.Tasmania’s run chase faltered early with Mitch Owen out for 9 and Webster chopping on for a golden duck – both dismissed by debutant paceman Ryan Hadley in the second over.Sean Abbott, who was captaining NSW, then snared two quick wickets, including a wonderful delivery to take Mac Wright’s off stump, to leave the Tasmanians 42 for 4 after seven overs.Weatherald, who was recently put on the Test radar by selection chair Bailey, put on 54 with veteran Matthew Wade. But Weatherald’s 51-ball innings ended when he smacked a short ball from spinner Ollie Davies straight to Hadley on the deep midwicket boundary.Tasmania’s hopes appeared over when Wade was caught and bowled by Sangha, with Ellis was soon dismissed to leave the visitors 124 for 8 in the 26th over.But Kuhnemann and Hope produced their defining partnership, with the former edging through a vacant slips area for the winning boundary.
Opener hits 158 off 167 balls as hosts edge closer to mathematical safety
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Sep-2025Essex 295 for 2 (Walter 158, Elgar 111*) trail Somerset 433 (Goldsworthy 100, Overton 60, Porter 3-66, Bennett 3-73) by 138 runsPaul Walter exerted total mastery over Somerset’s flagging bowlers as his highest first-class score of 158 eased Essex closer to safety in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.The left-hander was barely troubled as he combined perfect timing with seeing everything clearly and early while spraying the ball around Chelmsford with an air of supreme confidence. For much of his 167-ball innings he outscored his opening partner, the former South Africa captain Dean Elgar, two to one as the first-wicket pair compiled a stand of 277 in 61 overs. At the close Essex were 295 for 2.Elgar, too, reached a second century of the season but was content to play second fiddle while Walter pulled, drove and flicked with nonchalant ease 21 fours and three sixes. Elgar contributed 16 fours and a six in his unbeaten 212-ball 111.Somerset’s first-innings 433 had looked formidable until Essex made mincemeat of it in an emphatic response. That Somerset had achieved as many as they did was latterly down to Lewis Goldsworthy’s four-hour and 21-minute century that took 193 balls. He was last man out, a third wicket on debut for seamer Charlie Bennett, who finished with 3 for 73.When it was their turn, Somerset struggled to get any response out of a docile pitch and had tried seven bowlers to no avail by the 29th over. They spent two sessions literally chasing shadows on a sunny autumn day.Essex survived two overs before lunch and immediately afterwards Elgar punched back-to-back drives past mid-off for fours off Craig Overton. It set the tone for the rest of the day as they rattled along at above four-and-a-half runs an over.Walter was the most aggressive from the start, at one point lofting Archie Vaughan straight down the ground for four and cutting Lewis Gregory for another to reach a 54-ball fifty. An off-drive for his 13th boundary took Essex to three-figures in only 21 overs.Walter motored along at more than double the rate of his fellow left-hander. His dominance was summed up when he launched Jack Leach for six over long-off and next ball rocked on to his back foot to drive the spinner through the covers for four.When Walter reached his century from exactly 100 balls just before tea, having plundered 16 fours, Elgar was stuck on 49 from 10 balls more. It took Elgar a further dozen balls after tea to reach his fifty, courtesy of an angled shot backward of square off Kasey Aldridge and celebrated by lofting Vaughan straight back over the bowler’s head for six. Walter could not resist following suit and bounced down the wicket in the same over for another maximum.Walter’s third six, pulling Leach over square leg, took him past his previous highest score. His 150 took 154 balls, while Elgar’s 54th first-class century was reached in 184 balls.Walter eventually departed seven overs from stumps to a stupendous tumbling catch at midwicket by Goldsworthy off Overton, who also accounted for nightwatchman Simon Harmer before the close.To emphasis the unresponsiveness of the hybrid wicket, it took Essex an hour and three-quarters to winkle out the last four Somerset wickets while conceding a further 94 runs. Overton recorded a second successive fifty, and a third of the season, from the 54th ball he faced. But he fell to a ball in Harmer’s first over of the day that spun past his outstretched leg and bowled him between bat and pad after a partnership with Goldsworthy worth 98 in 20 overs.Another bowling change prefaced another wicket when Leach nibbled at one from Bennett to provide substitute wicketkeeper Simon Fernandes with a fourth catch. Gregory swept Harmer for six during a brief appearance but attempted a repeat next ball and top-edged to short fine leg.Goldsworthy made it to three-figures just in time, pushing a quick single off Harmer, but departed two balls later when he swung Bennett to deep square leg.
It may not have seemed that way when Pakistan were 146 for one, but by stumps, South Africa had clawed back enough into the Test for Keshav Maharaj to call it an even day. The left-arm spinner – who did not play the first Test owing to a groin injury – began South Africa’s comeback when he dismissed crowd favourite Babar Azam early on in his innings. In the final session, Maharaj struck once more when he drew Shan Masood into a sweep, which he could only drag to Marco Jansen at square leg. By the end, there was time for Kagiso Rabada to snag a fifth wicket, forcing Pakistan to see off the final half hour cautiously. They finished on 259 for five.”I think it was an even day,” he said. “We managed to control their run rate. When the ball gets softer – which happens quite quickly because the wicket’s quite hard, we managed to just go to old-fashioned Test cricket… I felt if we got one more wicket at night, we’d probably have had a little bit of an upper hand.”Related
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The first two sessions were shaping up to tell a different story, using the same, frustrating script for the visitors. Having lost the toss and being inserted to field once more, they were sloppy, putting down five catches – just as they had on the first day in Lahore. Abdullah Shafique was the primary beneficiary, with South Africa spurning three opportunities to dismiss him. Earlier, Marco Jansen had nipped one in that Shafique left. The ball had kissed the off stump, only for the bails to be left undisturbed.”As a collective we know how important catches are, not just in the subcontinent. No one means to drop catches; it was nice to see the guys bounce back and take the catches that they did. Bit frustrating but no one means to drop chances.”Simon Harmer bowled 23 overs of spin to complement Maharaj•AFP/Getty Images
The fielding tide for South Africa began to turn when Tony de Zorzi took an excellent catch, which sent Babar on his way. South Africa have placed a lot of faith in their leading offspinner; he bowled 31 overs – the most for any bowler on a day this series. Harmer bowled 23 further overs of spin, but Senuran Muthuswamy, the leading wicket-taker in Lahore, sent down just four.Maharaj, who said he regretted being unable to play in Lahore, called the decision to use Muthuswamy more sparingly “tactical”. “We saw that the wicket didn’t play like Lahore and we felt like we just wanted to try and restrict the Pakistani batters. I don’t think there was an issue. Sen came back nicely with the second spell that he bowled.”In the end, Pakistan scored 54 fewer runs than they did on day one in Lahore, with South Africa drying up the runs, giving the final session a slightly different tinge to the first day they had during the first Test. They will be further encouraged by the knowledge that Pakistan have a collapse in them, something Masood highlighted following the first Test. In the first Test, Pakistan lost their last five for 16 in the first innings, and their last six for 17 in the two innings. One more wicket, and South Africa will know there are opportunities to run through the lower order.”Tomorrow’s an important day,” Maharaj said. The first sessions in the series so far have been quite action-packed. “Hopefully, we can make inroads tomorrow morning. The main thing is to try bowling as many dot balls as we can. We saw for a period of time when we did do it, that it brought us a little bit of reward, and we created opportunities. I think it’s important we start really well tomorrow. Hopefully we can get Saud and Agha early in the morning and open up an end with the lower-order batters. But it’s about just trying to bowl our best balls for long periods of time.”
First win at Sophia Gardens since 1981 can’t make up for disappointment of missing out on promotion
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Sep-2025Lancashire 374 (Wells 78, Jones 62, Balderson 51, van der Gugten 5-85) and 134 for 3 (Jennings 47) beat Glamorgan 265 (van der Gugten 53, Bailey 5-51) and 241 (Cooke 52, Balderson 4-75) by seven wicketsLancashire wrapped up their 2025 Rothesay County Championship campaign with a three-day win over Glamorgan thanks to a one-day style evening session.Stand-in captain Josh Bohannon oversaw his side’s first County Championship win at Sophia Gardens since 1981 against Glamorgan, whose promotion was confirmed last week. It was also Glamorgan’s first red-ball defeat since April, in departing captain Sam Northeast’s last appearance.After controlling the game from day one, Lancashire took eight wickets, including 4 for 75 for George Balderson before Keaton Jennings’ top-order blaze of 47 from 33 balls set the visitors on their way to chasing 133 inside 26 overs remaining in the day.The north-west county provisionally rise to third in an unsuccessful attempt to gain promotion from their first season back in Division Two while Glamorgan will play in Division One for the first time since 2005 next year.Resuming with the intention and requirement to bat all day, Northeast and Zain-ul-Hassan kept Lancashire’s bowlers at bay for a 58-run partnership before the former’s dubious lbw for 21 in his last Glamorgan innings, and Zain’s reckless reverse sweep on 45 chalked the hard work off.Balderson’s impressive stint of 25 overs all told gave a feel of him nagging at Glamorgan batters for the whole innings. On a varying pitch, his skiddy medium-pace with Matty Hurst stood up to the stumps for the majority saw Billy Root and later Mason Crane pinned, the latter putting up a good fight with half-centurion Chris Cooke before being undone by the new ball straight after tea.Despite single-figure scores prominent, every other wicket seemingly kept day four in contention for Glamorgan – Colin Ingram and Cooke held things together before the wicketkeeper’s hard-fought 50 came up with a counter-attacking six while in the company of No. 11 Ned Leonard.Lancashire made no changes to batting order, seemingly happy to see through day three on a pitch that provided plenty of turn for Tom Hartley – promising signs for Crane – as well as bounce variety for seamers. The assumption was wrong. Luke Wells together with Jennings in white-ball mode belted the new-ball around to take all the pressure off.Twenty from James Harris’ fourth over left wickets of no concern before Bohannon, George Bell and Hurst continued the momentum despite two consolation wickets for Crane.With five to win, Northeast stepped up to bowl as the final act of his four-year captaincy stint.