Barcelona Femeni captain Alexia Putellas created Women's Champions League history on Wednesday as her goal against Roma saw her leapfrog former striker Jenni Hermoso and three-time Ballon d'Or holder Aitana Bonmati. Putellas will now be eyeing further history with the dominant Catalan outfit just a month after he she received a mouth-watering offer from Paris Saint-Germain Feminines.

Putellas the Spaniard with most Women's Champions League goals

Putellas made history once again, as the two-time Ballon d'Or winner became not only Barcelona Femení’s all-time top scorer in the Women's Champions League but also the Spanish player with the most goals in the competition’s history. The captain scored a penalty in the 71st minute against Roma, with the Catalan heavyweights winning the game 4-0 on Wednesday.

Putellas has now scored 27 goals in the competition, eclipsing the 26 goals netted by former striker Jenni Hermoso and current midfield partner Aitana Bonmati. However, she remains a long way away from Ada Hegerberg, the competition's highest goal scorer of all-time with 67 goals to her name.

AdvertisementAFPPutellas delighted with her new record

Speaking to reporters after the game, Putellas said: "I'm very happy to be on this journey with Barca and to have competed in Europe for so many years. Being the top Spanish scorer is a recognition, but it's also the result of the team's hard work and all the team-mates who have supported me on this journey."

Messi and Cesar Rodriguez the only Barca icons with more goals

Putellas has scored 211 goals in 459 games for Barcelona, which makes her the third-highest goal scorer in history for both men and women. Cesar Rodriguez, who spent 13 seasons at the club between 1942 and 1955, scored 232 goals in 351 appearances. He is the second-highest goal scorer in club history, only behind Lionel Messi, who has scored a staggering 672 goals in 778 games. 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty ImagesWill Putellas renew her contract?

Putellas is in the final year of her contract with Barca, with an option to extend for another year. Last month, in the final few days of the transfer window, she received an offer from PSG Feminines. The French side were ready to trigger the €1.1 million release clause in Putellas' contract. However, she opted against leaving after holding talks with the club's hierarchy.

Her future is up in the air. In a recent interview, she didn't provide clarity on where her long-term future lies. "My relationship with the club has always been one of trust and naturalness," she said. "Everyone knows what it means to me to play here: it's not a typical 'work for pay' relationship. It goes much further than that. I've spent almost half my life at Barca, I've played 95% of my career here. This will continue as long as, on the one hand, I continue to feel that motivation, energy and daily demand to perform at my best and meet my goals, and, on the other hand, the club feels the same way."

Three times in 33 completed games: that’s how many times Sri Lanka have beaten India in ODIs. Add to this the fact that Sri Lanka’s tri-series final against India on Sunday will be their first final in any ODI tournament featuring three or more teams since 2009, and you begin to understand the scale of the task at hand for an ever-improving Sri Lanka unit.India, meanwhile, are pretty close to the textbook definition of well-oiled machine: their batting has been clicking, their spin attack – led by Sneh Rana – has been penetrative and dogged, while their fielding (arguably their weakest link) has been more good than bad. The weaknesses are few.But, on Sunday, all that fades into the background. Sri Lanka will be buoyed by self-belief with the memory of that momentous Asia Cup triumph, where they had beaten India ten months ago, albeit in the T20 format. But if that defeat wasn’t a reality check for India, their loss to Sri Lanka in the round-robin stage of the ongoing tri-series will have, no doubt, allayed any complacency that might have been setting in.Related

• Destructive Richa Ghosh hopes to emulate Dhoni and Perry

• R Sridhar to conduct '10-day fielding programme' for SL teams

On that note, here are some of the key talking points ahead of what could be a riveting final in Colombo.

Can Sri Lanka contain India?

India have scored in excess of 300 in four of their last ten ODIs – including one score over 400 – and in two more of those, they have scored at least 275. In fact, the only games in which they did not exceed these benchmarks were when they were chasing. Suffice to say, India’s batting is on song.In that sense, how Sri Lanka manage – or fail – to contain this Indian batting unit will go a long way towards deciding the tri-series final. During their two group meetings, the first saw India capitalise on the better of both the batting and bowling conditions to steamroll Sri Lanka. But in the second, Sri Lanka managed to keep India below 300, and then nervelessly chased 276 down.Sri Lanka themselves will admit their best chance at victory will be to win the toss and chase, but India have the personnel to make the flip of a coin irrelevant.Chamari Athapaththu averages only 24.07 in her last 13 innings•SLC

Will the real Athapaththu please stand up?

You take Chamari Athapaththu out, and you take out half of Sri Lanka’s batting. That used to be true for the better part of the last decade or so. But of late, Sri Lanka’s batters have shown that they can get the job done even without their talismanic captain’s contributions.Against India last time out, Athapaththu’s 23 off 33 balls was just one of several – eight – double-digit scores that helped Sri Lanka hunt down 276 with the likes of Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshika de Silva stepping up. And against South Africa before that, Athapaththu contributed just 6 runs even as Sri Lanka chased down a middling target of 236. Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari put their hands up on that day.But while that bodes well for the future of the side, Sri Lanka’s best batting potential can be realised when Athapaththu is in full flow. Sri Lanka’s highest successful ODI chase, and their only one above 300, came courtesy an all-time great knock of 195 by their captain. But since then, in 13 innings, Athapaththu has had just two scores over fifty, while averaging only 24.07. That last one, though, came against South Africa on Friday, and Sri Lanka will be hoping that that signifies a timely return to form, especially in the lead up to the ODI World Cup later this year.

Death-over struggles

Across the tri-series, Sri Lanka have been arguably the best side at capitalising in the middle overs. In both their group-stage wins, against South Africa and India, they bettered their opponents between overs 10 and 40. However, at both the start and finish of games, any pressure created has been released.In Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma, India have the explosiveness to turn losing positions around•SLC

South Africa struck 114 runs in the final ten overs on Friday, while even during their win against India, Sri Lanka leaked 70 runs in the last ten overs despite having limited India to just 151 runs through the middle.Sri Lanka’s failure to capitalise on the platform set in the middle overs with both bat and ball has been a genuine weakness in their game, and one that India will be keen to exploit. Particularly, as India, with the likes of Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma lower down, have the explosiveness to turn losing positions around.

Weather and conditions

The heat has been a trial in and of itself across this series, with the South Africans in particular struggling to handle it over long periods. But, on Sunday, the weather forecast points towards a slightly more bearable day’s play, with the potential of overnight showers leading into a cloud-covered morning and afternoon.If these conditions come to fruition, then that, combined with it being a Sunday final – one with free entry into the stadium – should (hopefully) mean the stadium fills up more than it has for the round-robin games.Runs, too, have been plenty this series, despite Khettarama’s reputation as a tough-scoring surface. With a fresh pitch set for the final, the conditions are primed for another engrossing contest.

وصف ريان شرقي صانع ألعاب مانشستر سيتي مدربه بيب جوارديولا بالمجنون، مؤكدا أنه ليس صعبا وصف مدى سعادته بعد انضمامه لصفوف الفريق الإنجليزي خلال الصيف الماضي.

وشارك ريان شرقي أساسياً للمرة الثانية فقط هذا الموسم في فوز فريقه مانشستر سيتي ضد سوانزي سيتي بثلاث أهداف لهدف واحد في كأس كاراباو.

وكان ريان شرقي قد غاب لستة أسابيع بسبب إصابة في الفخد، وقد كان الأمر محبطاً للنجم الفرنسي الذي سجل هدفا في أول مباراة له ضد وولفرهامبتون.

وتغزل ريان شرقي في مدربه بيب جوارديولا في تصريحات نشرتها “مانشستر إيفنينج نيوز” :”إنه رائع جداً ومجنون مثلي، رجلان مجنونان، نتحدث عن كل شيء، إنه أمر لا يصدق”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. مانشستر سيتي يدرس استعادة لاعبه في يناير

وأضاف: “كرة القدم هي كل حياتي، أستمتع بها وأنام عليها وأستحم بها، لدينا فريق كبير ونريد الفوز بجميع المباريات، لا نريد تكرار ما حدث في مباراتنا الأخيرة ضد فيلا”.

وواصل: “أشعر براحة كبيرة لأن الأمر بسيط مع هؤلاء اللاعبين، نتحدث بنفس الأسلوب لذا نستمتع عندما نكون على أرض الملعب”.

وأكمل: “من المهم جداً بالنسبة لي أن يستمتع الجمهور عندما يأتي للملعب، حياتي جيدة لكني لا أعرف إن كان لدى الجمهور الكثير من الأشياء السعيدة في حياتهم لذا أريدهم أن يستمتعوا عندما يأتون لملعبهم حتى يعودوا لمنازلهم بابتسامة”.

وأتم: “أشعر أنني بحالة جيدة جداً، كنت مصاباً لفترة طويلة وسعيد جداً بالعودة، بذلت جهدا كبيرا مع أخصائي العلاج الطبيعي لأعود سريعاً، وسعيد جداً بها واللعب مع زملائي، الأهم هو الفريق وليس أنا، أريد الاستمتاع بجميع المباريات والفوز بها، عندما نخسر المباراة الأخيرة نسعى للفوز بالمباراة القادمة ولذلك نحن سعداء”.

Hosts overcome second-innings wobble to move into strong position after two days at Hove

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-May-2025

Fynn Hudson-Prentice produced career-best figures•Getty Images

Fynn Hudson-Prentice picked up a career-best five for 40 with his medium pace as Sussex took control of their Rothesay County Championship match against Worcestershire on the second afternoon.After bowling Worcestershire out for 180, Sussex then stretched their overall lead to 170 by reaching 66 for three in their second innings by stumps, with Tom Alsop and James Coles confidently seeing out the day on 24 and 27 not out respectively.There was a scare for Sussex at the start of their second innings when they lost left-handed openers Tom Haines and Daniel Hughes, both for nought and without a run on the board.Haines was bowled through an attempted drive by Tom Taylor, coming from around the wicket, and Hughes lost his off stump shouldering arms to one from Ben Allison – again bowled from an around the wicket angle, but which also nipped further in off the seam.And Sussex were 18 for three when Taylor, following up his first innings five for 56, pinned Tom Clark leg-before for 10 with one that kept a little low. Alsop and Coles, however, calmed Sussex nerves in an unbroken stand of 48.Hudson-Prentice first dismissed opener Jake Libby for 13 as Worcestershire struggled to make much headway against Sussex’s seam attack before lunch, and then took three wickets in three overs during a mid-afternoon spell that contributed significantly to Division One’s bottom team slumping to 111 for eight in reply to the home side’s first innings 284.Worcestershire’s ninth wicket pair of Brett D’Oliveira and Taylor then added a defiant 51, playing some excellent shots amid a largely defensive rearguard action, but D’Oliveira edged the second ball after tea to a diving Coles at second slip to go for 30.That was a second wicket for Clark, who finished with two for 29 and bowled his own medium pacers with good control in support of Hudson-Prentice, Ollie Robinson (two for 31) and Ari Karvelas.Karvelas claimed only one scalp, Gareth Roderick edging to first slip on 21 mid-way through the morning session, but he also bowled a challenging line and length throughout an excellent afternoon spell on a well-grassed pitch that was always giving the seamers encouragement.Robinson had quickly removed nightwatchman Ben Gibbon, caught behind for four, after Worcestershire resumed on seven without loss and they would have been more than three down at lunch if Kashif Ali had not been dropped at first slip from the second ball he faced.Kashif, however, edged a push-drive at Robinson to keeper John Simpson on 13 soon after lunch, beginning a slide in which five wickets fell for 37 runs in 15 overs.Henry Nicholls, who battled two hours for his 32, was the first victim in Hudson-Prentice’s mid-afternoon treble, undone by movement off the seam as he played defensively forward, and Ethan Brookes departed for 20 four overs later, again edging a Hudson-Prentice leg-cutter to Simpson.Three balls later Matthew Waite was also back in the pavilion, pushing half-forward at Hudson-Prentice and nicking yet another catch to Simpson.Like Waite, the left-handed Fateh Singh fell for nought as James Hayes – the 23-year old seamer on loan from Nottinghamshire – flew to his right at mid wicket to pull off a superb catch goalkeeper-style as Singh clipped Clark firmly off his pads.The D’Oliveira-Taylor partnership at least gave Worcestershire some hope of staying in the contest but, after D’Oliveira’s dismissal, only another 18 runs were added before Hudson-Prentice ended Taylor’s brave 32 courtesy of Simpson’s sixth catch of the innings.

After last season’s title challenge was derailed by injuries, Arsenal addressed this by recruiting heavily in the summer transfer window, and it’s just as well.

Piero Hincapié, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus all missed Saturday’s win over West Ham, in which Martin Ødegaard suffered a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee, which is set to see him sidelined for around a month.

Meantime, William Saliba, Benjamin White, Bukayo Saka, Christian Nørgaard and others have already sat out matches due to more minor injuries this season, underlining the need for a gigantic squad.

Nevertheless, the fabled ‘when everyone is fit’ scenario could cause Mikel Arteta selection issues, forced to leave senior players out of a 20-man matchday squad entirely, so does one member of Arsenal’s current starting lineup need to up his game to avoid being evicted from the XI?

The latest on Arsenal's injury situation

This has been a rough year for the Gunners on the injury front. Bukayo Saka spent the early months of the campaign out while Gabriel also suffered a major hamstring injury towards the end of 2024/25.

Odegaard has also endured a tough time, picking up yet another problem at the weekend.

Safe to say his recent injury history is a cause for concern. At the weekend, he became the first player in history to be subbed in the first half of three consecutive Premier League matches

His best pal, Havertz, has also found life difficult this year.

After being widely mocked and ridiculed following his £65m move from Chelsea, the German flipped the script by scoring 14 goals during his first season in North London, before adding a further 15 last season.

However, in 2025 so far, the Germany international has seen just 817 minutes of action across all competitions, sitting out 29 matches, and counting.

First, Havertz underwent surgery in February after suffering a serious hamstring injury during the warm weather training camp in Dubai.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Then, on the opening day of this season, during his 30-minute cameo, the forward sustained a knee injury at Old Trafford, one that required a minor surgical procedure.

This occurred on 17 August, with Havertz forecast to be sidelined for between two and three months, which could see him back in the coming weeks, likely to be in contention by the time Arsenal face Tottenham, Bayern Munich and then Chelsea in the space of eight days at the end of November.

What Kai Havertz's return means for the Arsenal squad

In the meantime, not ready to return just yet, one current starter will be under pressure to improve his performances as a result.

Football supporters love nothing more than a debate, and just how well Viktor Gyökeres has done so far at Arsenal is the hot topic currently at the top of the agenda.

So far, the Swedish striker has scored three goals in ten appearances, bagging a brace against Leeds, as well as netting against Nottingham Forest, both in home games.

Well, ahead of his team’s World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Kosovo, Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson believes the striker is in “very good form at the moment”, adding that those criticising him don’t “understand football”.

However, other opinions are widely available, with some asserting that he has so far struggled to make much of an impact, notably Gary Neville who said that he already looks like a bit of a “misfit” surrounded by the more technically gifted players at Arsenal.

Goals

3

1st

xG

3.9

1st

Shots

22

1st

Shots on target

6

1st

Big chances missed

7

1st

Key passes

6

8th

Shot-creating actions

15

8th

Goal-creating actions

2

9th

Touches

195

15th

Touches per 90

24.1

21st

Touches in the box

55

1st

Average rating

6.53

18th

The table certainly supports the zeitgeist that Gyökeres has made a mixed start to life at Arsenal.

As expected, he leads the way in terms of shots and goals, albeit he is underperforming his expected goals, having missed seven Opta-defined big chances, which goes alongside the eye-test that he almost certainly should’ve scored more goals.

Also, he is offering very little other than finishing, ranked bottom for touches per 90 of all Arsenal outfield players to have played 90 minutes or more this season, with a whopping 28% of his touches coming in the opposition penalty area.

Following Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United on the opening weekend, speaking on BBC 5 live, ex-Gunners defender Lee Dixon abelled the forward “vanilla”, struggling to make an impact or jell with team-mates, while Alan Pardew, talking on talkSPORT, stated he was “expecting a little bit more”.

During his time with Sporting in the Primeira Liga, one of the least-balanced leagues in Europe, Gyökeres was accused of being a flat track bully, scoring hat-tricks against Boavista twice, Farense, Estrela Amadora, Vitória de Guimarães and Moreirense, all non-elite teams, hence why many were concerned about his ability to make the step-up to Premier League level.

Well, coming up, Arsenal’s next four league opponents are Fulham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and then Sunderland which, while being stronger than most the Portuguese top-flight has to offer, is a favourable fixture list in which to build some momentum.

If Gyökeres does not significantly increase his goal tally in those matches, he could find himself back on the bench for the North London derby on 23 November, given that Havertz should be back by then. Safe to say he’s very much on borrowed time early into his Emirates Stadium career.

Arsenal's "future captain" is being given the Ramsdale treatment by Arteta

Recently, key figures for Mikel Arteta have quickly fallen out of favour, so is the same now happening to Arsenal’s “sensational talent”?

2 ByBen Gray Oct 7, 2025

First Test meeting in more than two decades looms at Trent Bridge as England warm up for big summer

Andrew Miller21-May-2025Big picture: The end of a two-decade hiatusIt puts it into context somewhat. Five months between Test matches feels like an eternity in England’s ultra-jampacked cycle, but how about 22 years between contests for this week’s lesser-heralded visitors to Trent Bridge?June 7, 2003 at Chester-le-Street was the last time England and Zimbabwe came together for a Test match, when Richard Johnson – now Middlesex’s grizzled head coach – claimed five lbws in a debut haul of 6 for 33, only days after a certain James Anderson had picked up 5 for 73 at Lord’s in the first of his eventual 188 Test appearances.And it’s saying something when not even Anderson’s gargantuan career was quite long enough to span the two decades of bilateral silence that ensued. This encompassed Zimbabwe’s self-imposed exile from top-tier cricket, and England’s nose-holding attitude to the late stages of Robert Mugabe’s regime, all wrapped up in a sense that the challenge would no longer be worthy, even if it was entertained.Now at least, that latter aspect has been agreed upon, although the precise worthiness of Zimbabwe’s modern Test team remains to be ascertained, given that last week they lost their only warm-up to a bunch of county fringe players and Under-19 starlets at Grace Road.Nevertheless, they are here as part of a bumper year of Test ambition from Zimbabwe Cricket, who have scheduled a remarkable 11 Tests for 2025 – the joint-most they have ever contested in a calendar year, and more than they had managed in the preceding five.Already they’ve won one of their four to date this year, against Bangladesh in Sylhet last month, in which Blessing Muzarabani made history with his third six-wicket haul in as many matches. The IPL has since come calling for his services, which just goes to show that this ancient art-form remains a shop-window for high performers. Zimbabwe might not need extra motivation to produce their best against such illustrious opponents, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded that the world is still invested in their exploits.Bigging up the old format, of course, has been much of the mission for Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum throughout their three-year alliance. However, as McCullum admitted in his pre-match comments on Tuesday, there’s been a curious disconnect between the team’s perceived entertainment value and the actual output of a side that, since that first heady year of 2022, has now won 13 and lost 11 of its 25 subsequent contests.In all likelihood, that ratio will have widened by Sunday evening, but nevertheless, the signs are already there that this is the year in which the England team gets serious about winning and losing, having previously insisted (with some initial justification) that the process was all that really mattered when it came to extracting the best from one’s players.Much as was the case when Ireland came to visit in 2023, right on the eve of that summer’s Ashes, the week ahead offers a curious preamble that is unlikely to prove much for the hosts, beyond the smooth running (or otherwise) of the Bazball bandwagon.Certainly, it seems unlikely that individual success or failure will have much bearing on the squad selection for the India series next month. Zak Crawley, in the midst of a horrendous run of form for club and country alike, will surely retain the management’s backing as their likeliest source of momentum in the bigger engagements to come. Ollie Pope – a centurion in his last home Test against Sri Lanka last summer – likewise will remain in the mix come what may, even with the likely return of Jacob Bethell to the squad after the IPL.And on the bowling front, Shoaib Bashir remains England’s first-choice spinner, irrespective of a ghastly loan stint with Glamorgan in which he claimed fewer wickets (two) than he played matches (three). Sam Cook’s long-awaited debut implies a summer-long role is there to be grasped, given the impact that Chris Woakes (set to return to action for England Lions next week) had previously had after taking over from Anderson as the skills-savvy attack leader. Meanwhile, Josh Tongue’s third Test appearance – after two fraught years of injury – reinforces the sense that England have found a good’un with his energetic length-hitting approach.All such minutiae can take a back seat in the short term, however. On Thursday morning, eleven representatives of a nation that might have believed this day would never return will line up for their national anthem in front of the Trent Bridge pavilion. It will be a moment that seems a lifetime removed from the political angst that overshadowed their first coming as a Test nation. And regardless of whether their current Test enthusiasm is a passing fad, or the start of a genuine push to regain the recognition that was first conferred on them more than 30 years ago, it’s a vote of confidence in the old format that a few other Full Member nations would do well to replicate.Related

Switch Hit: Zim bunnies?

Brendon McCullum wants England Test team to reconnect with fans

Ben Curran on his journey with Zimbabwe: 'Everyone's got their own path'

Sam Cook confirmed for Test debut as England name XI to face Zimbabwe

Form guide England LWWLW
Zimbabwe LWLLDIn the spotlight: Ben Stokes and Blessing MuzarabaniSam Cook may feel he has the most to prove on Thursday, when he takes the field for a Test debut that sometimes never seemed likely to come to pass. But those who’ve seen him in action for Essex can second-guess what he’s going to bring to the occasion – namely, zippy, stump-threatening new-ball energy, with an intelligent command of seam and swing, and the nous to adapt his methods when the shine comes off the ball.Quite what version of Ben Stokes turns up is another matter, however. By all accounts, he’s fighting fit and ready to play a full and committed role with bat and ball – he’s looking noticeably lean, having not touched alcohol since January 2. However, this will also be his first competitive outing since tearing his hamstring in December, which means all bets are off as to how his form stacks up. For what it’s worth, he’s averaged 28.66 with the bat since the start of 2024, and hasn’t made a Test century since his Lord’s onslaught in the Ashes. As for his bowling, it looked handy enough in New Zealand, where he claimed seven wickets in the final two Tests. But the effort that entailed was precisely what set him back.Blessing Muzarabani is enjoying his moment in the sun. At a towering 6’8″, he has natural attributes aplenty, and when allied to a whippy action that is reminiscent of Kagiso Rabada, he can be a match for any batter … as shown in his surge to 51 Test wickets at 21.84 in just 12 Tests. If he can resist the temptation to bang the ball down too short, and attack the splice with the natural lift that his beanpole frame can generate, he could be the ideal weapon to halt one or two Bazballers in their tracks. Crawley, whose dreadful winter was epitomized by his six consecutive dismissals to New Zealand’s tall seamer Matt Henry will make for an obvious first target.England’s squad assembles for the pre-match photo•Getty ImagesTeam news: Cook, Tongue confirmed, Zimbabwe waitSam Cook’s England debut was earmarked from the moment he was rested by Essex for their County Championship match with Worcestershire in April, and sure enough he will be the newest recruit to a notably inexperienced seam attack led by the one-season veteran Gus Atkinson (11 caps). Josh Tongue impressed in two Lord’s Tests against Ireland and Australia in 2023 before a series of injuries, but his early-season form for Nottinghamshire has been ominously good. Ollie Pope returns to No.3 after his middle-order / wicketkeeping flirtations in New Zealand, with Jamie Smith restored to the gloves after missing that tour on paternity leave.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jamie Smith (wk), 7 Ben Stokes (capt), 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Sam Cook, 10 Josh Tongue, 11 Shoaib BashirZimbabwe have chosen to name their XI on the morning of the match, but the spine of the side is likely to be provided by the team that took on, and lost to, a County Select XI in Leicester last week. Sikandar Raza missed that warm-up match because he was on duty for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL.Zimbabwe: 1 Brian Bennett, 2 Ben Curran, 3 Nick Welch, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Craig Ervine (capt), 6 Wessly Madhevere, 7 Tafadzwa Tsiga (wk), 8 Clive Madande, 9 Wellington Masakadza, 10 Richard Ngarava, 11 Blessing MuzarabaniZimbabwe’s squad are all smiles ahead of the Trent Bridge Test•Getty ImagesPitch and conditions: A typical Trent Bridge wicket is anticipated across the four days: dry, flat, with good carry and plenty of runs, not least on the invariably short boundary on the Bridgford Road side of the ground. The weather could yet be a factor. After an improbably glorious month, there is rain threatening for the weekend.Stats and trivia This will be the seventh Test between England and Zimbabwe, and the first in almost 22 years. England have won three of those games, all by an innings, with three further draws. Joe Root needs 28 runs to become only the fifth batter – behind Tendulkar, Ponting, Kallis and Dravid – to reach 13,000 in Tests. Shoaib Bashir is one short of 50 Test wickets. This will be his 17th match for England. Sean Williams, who made his ODI debut for Zimbabwe in February 2005, has passed 20 years as an international cricketerQuotes”You want to test yourself against the best. And England’s right up there with the best. So to have this opportunity, you really want to put Zimbabwe on the map. You want to come in with the right mindset that you’re coming in to win. You’re not just coming to fulfil a fixture. I think you want to turn up here and hopefully cause an upset.”
Zimbabwe’s captain, Craig Ervine is confident of a good showing from his team.“We have Zimbabwe coming up tomorrow. That’s our sole focus at the moment. We know what we have coming up, but we will deal with the challenge of Zimbabwe then, as we get closer to India starting, turn our focus to that.”

It wasn’t a vintage performance, but Chelsea managed to get the job done and pick up all three points against Benfica on Tuesday night.

José Mourinho was denied a fairytale return to Stamford Bridge as Enzo Maresca’s side ran out 1-0 winners and picked up their first points in the Champions League this season.

There were some impressive showings from the likes of Pedro Neto, who was a constant threat out wide, and even Robert Sanchez, who made several saves to keep his side in the game early on.

However, there were also some underwhelming ones, especially from one recent signing who is starting to show shades of Mykhailo Mudryk.

Mudryk's Chelsea nightmare

Back in January 2023, the Chelsea fan base was ecstatic at the £89m signing of Mudryk from Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk.

After all, here was a player London rivals Arsenal were seemingly desperate to sign, and they’d just managed to nab him from right under their noses.

Moreover, in the winger’s first game for the club, when he came off the bench at Anfield, he looked electric, constantly beating his opposite number for pace and with brilliant close control.

In fact, it was such an impressive debut from the young dynamo that Gary Neville claimed that he “wouldn’t like to play against him!”

However, that short cameo against the Reds was as good as it got for the 24-year-old that season, as he ended the campaign with just two assists to his name in 17 appearances for the Blues, and with fans and pundits alike questioning his ability.

Things didn’t get much better for the international ace the following season, as in 41 appearances, he scored seven goals and provided four assists, which isn’t anywhere near good enough for someone who cost as much as he did.

Then, in October of last season, as if he wasn’t getting enough stick, Maresca told the press that he was a “slow” learner, which only lends credence to Jason Cundy’s claim that he “doesn’t have football IQ.”

Mudryk’s Chelsea career

Appearances

73

Minutes

3612′

Goals

10

Assists

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.28

Minutes per Goal Involvement

172′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Unfortunately, things somehow got even worse for the player and the club as he was provisionally suspended after failing a drugs test in December, and was then charged by the FA in June, which could see him handed a four-year ban.

In all, Mudryk has to go down as one of Chelsea’s worst-ever signings, and while there isn’t anybody else in the squad facing quite the same magnitude of issue he is, there is someone who is looking as ineffective on the pitch.

The Chelsea player who could be another Mudryk

So, while there are a few players who are flattering to deceive at Chelsea this season, only one can be compared to Mudryk.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse

Unfortunately for him, that player is Jamie Gittens, who arrived at the club from Borussia Dortmund for around £48m this summer.

Now, it should be said that, as he is still young and showed glimpses of real brilliance here and there last season, there is every chance he could come good and flourish in West London.

However, as things stand, and most Blues fans will attest, he has looked miles off the pace this season.

For example, the Englishman has made six appearances so far, three of which have been starts, and he’s yet to score or assist a goal.

Gittens’ Chelsea career

Appearances

6

Starts

3

Minutes

244

Goals

0

Assists

0

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, it’s not as if he’s been up against world-class opposition every game, as he started against Lincoln City last week and was so bad that he failed to have even one shot on target against the League One side.

It was more of the same when he came on against Benfica on Tuesday, as even though he had over 30 minutes to make some sort of impact against the Portuguese side, he looked as lost as he has in every other game.

It’s the way in which he loses the ball, makes the wrong decisions and generally brings attacks to an end that makes it impossible to ignore the Mudryk comparisons.

On top of that, the displays have been so subpar that the fans already seem to be losing patience, with one content creator describing him as “shockingly bad.”

Gittens’ game vs Benfica

Minutes

29′

Expected Assists

0.01

Shots on Target

0

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (1)

Touches

16

Lost Possession

8

Accurate Passes

3/5

Key Passes

0

Duels (Won)

8 (4)

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

All Stats via Sofascore

While it sounds harsh, that’s not really an overreaction to his display against Jose’s side, as he failed in two of three dribbles, misplaced 100% of his crosses, lost 50% of his duels, lost the ball with every other touch and completed just three passes in total.

Ultimately, Gittens might still come good for Chelsea, but at the moment, he looks more likely to be another Mudryk-esque winger.

Related Outclassed by Neto: 4/10 Chelsea dud who completed 8 passes must be dropped

Chelsea secured a 1-0 victory over Benfica in the Champions League.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 1, 2025

Manchester United are now racing Chelsea for the signature of an attacking midfielder, who has been compared to former midfielder Thiago Alcântara.

Sesko tipped to struggle after Man Utd fail to sign playmaker

Former Man United man Louis Saha has suggested Benjamin Sesko has the talent to be a success at Old Trafford if given the right service, but could struggle in the short-term given that Ruben Amorim failed to bring in a playmaker during the summer transfer window.

Saha said: “I think he’s capable if the manager managed to get that link between midfield and striker,

“Unfortunately we didn’t get the midfielder we wanted. So we’re still very weak in that department. And this is why I think Sesko will struggle maybe a little bit until we get that sorted.

“He’s got the quality because he’s tall, he’s going to score goals in the air, and he’s very technical as well.”

United did manage to sign two Premier League-proven forwards in the form of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, who should be able to provide more goals this season, with the latter player opening his account against Burnley last time out.

However, Amorim’s side have also now entered the race for a different attacking midfielder, according to a report from Spain, which states Man United are looking to sign Barcelona’s Dro Fernandez, who has started to attract widespread interest.

Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea are among the clubs set to battle it out for Fernandez’s services, having impressed in youth competitions, while the 17-year-old’s versatility also makes signing him an attractive proposition.

53 y/o manager Man Utd's top target to replace Amorim, has won 11 trophies

An “unbelievable” manager has now entered the frame as United’s first-choice option to replace Ruben Amorim.

By
Dominic Lund

Sep 10, 2025

That said, it could be difficult to tempt the La Liga champions into a sale, given that they are thought to be reluctant to sanction the highly-rated youngster’s departure.

Fernandez could be the new Thiago

The teenager’s former coaches, Javi Roxo and Luis Perez, believe he could be destined for the very top, having compared him to former Barcelona midfielder Thiago, saying: “Dro is a talent of Thiago’s level, I have not seen anyone as technical as Thiago but Dro’s vision of the game is even superior.

“If he relieves himself of pressure and plays freely, he is capable of anything, his talent is infinite.”

The young Spaniard, who is capable of playing in attacking midfield and on the left-wing, is yet to make a senior appearance for Barca, but he has started to make an impact at youth level, scoring two goals in seven UEFA Youth League games last season.

That said, while Fernandez may be capable of being a future star, Man United’s main focus in January should be bringing in an established central midfielder, having missed out in the summer, with Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba among the most exciting targets.

Football is cyclical. Great teams rise, and then they fall. However, Aston Villa appear to have reached a concerning crossroads at a premature point in their project.

At the end of the 2024/25 season, Unai Emery watched in agony as his side put in a meek performance at Old Trafford. It was the final match of the Premier League campaign, and a single point would have been enough to reprise a place in the Champions League. Villa were beaten, and contentiously at that.

Four games into the new league season, the Lions have yet to roar, blanking across each of their matches and losing twice. It’s hardly time to panic, but fears of a regressive year have been heightened by this slow start, and Emery knows he needs to bring it all together.

Only, Villa were inhibited across the summer transfer window, a by-product of that frustrating defeat in Manchester. It was for this reason that Jacob Ramsey was forcibly sold to Newcastle United, and only Evann Guessand was brought in.

Villa, still, have Ollie Watkins leading the line.

Ollie Watkins is still Villa's talisman

Watkins has been at this game for a while, having played 228 matches across all competitions for Aston Villa, scoring 87 goals and supplying 42 assists.

He’s been synonymous with the club’s advancements over recent years, and offers at number nine a varied and deep take on the craft.

Watkins is one of the finest Premier League forwards of his generation. Behind a select few superstars, it is the Three Lions star who produces clinical performances as such that has led statistician Statman Dave to describe him as “one of the best 9s in the world”.

Erling Haaland

100

88 (0.88)

Mohamed Salah

111

67 (0.60)

Alexander Isak

86

54 (0.63)

Ollie Watkins

115

50 (0.43)

Chris Wood

95

39 (0.41)

Bryan Mbeumo

101

39 (0.39)

However, he’s 29 years old (hardly ancient), and reflective of the ageing nature of Emery’s first-team squad. Given the trammels imposed on Villa Park in the summer transfer market indeed led to only the permanent signing of Guessand, there’s no question the young and inspiring signings will need to be made in the window ahead.

Villa’s isn’t a team solely comprised of veterans, though, with one of the Premier League’s brightest young stars in the ranks, and though he’s not a striker, Morgan Rogers has the capacity to replace Watkins as Villa Park’s talisman.

Emery has struck gold on Morgan Rogers

Rogers, 23, signed for Aston Villa from Middlesbrough in January 2024, joining for a £15m fee. What a bargain. He played a part across the latter end of the 2023/24 season, but came alive after a full pre-season, notching 29 goal involvements across all competitions as Villa battled across domestic and Champions League fronts.

As remarked by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher to be “unstoppable” when he gets going on the ball, Rogers’ athleticism and pace enable him to shift between wide and central attacking berths, and the division is taking note.

Indeed, Rogers was crowned the PFA Young Player of the Year for the 2024/25 season, and he is definitely beginning to establish himself as the Midlands club’s best signing since Watkins was welcomed from Brentford for £28m in September 2020.

He sits among esteemed company.

24/25

Aston Villa

Morgan Rogers

23/24

Chelsea

Cole Palmer

22/23

Arsenal

Bukayo Saka

21/22

Man City

Phil Foden (2)

20/21

Man City

Phil Foden

Watkins has been the man his teammates turn to for quite some time, but that started to shift last term, with Rogers proving a focal point from deep but also a combative and tenacious force with talents across different phases of play.

Sofascore recorded, for example, that he created 16 big chances in the Premier League last year and averaged 1.8 dribbles and 4.7 successful duels per game, with his heatmap showcasing his energy, covering so much ground.

Now a fully-blooded England international too, the £75k-per-week talent might not have clicked into gear across the opening weeks of the current campaign, but when Emery’s system does start purring once more – and it will – then Rogers will surely form the nucleus of the next phase.

Villa must be delighted that they managed to avoid parting with their young prize this summer, despite financial concerns and a tidal wave of interest.

Indeed, Tottenham Hotspur had taken a particular liking to the dynamic midfielder, enquiring about his availability and not appearing dissuaded by Aston Villa’s £80m valuation.

The truth is, Emery and his leadership coterie might share an opinion that Rogers is unsellable, his price tag something that would stretch into record territory, should they need to cash in.

But the fierce resistance to piqued curiosity from divisional rivals this summer emphasises the pedestal on which Emery has placed him.

Already accomplished in the Champions League, Rogers has the world at his feet, and must surely fancy his chances of rivalling the very best in the business in the years to come. Not just in the Premier League, but across the globe.

Rogers has not yet developed into the player those coaches who watch him every day feel he can become. Here is the biggest testament to the one-time Manchester City academy member’s growth, and indeed Emery’s ability to bring him to the fore.

It’s easy to forget that Rogers has only just begun his second season consistently playing at top-flight level. So much more is still to come, and Aston Villa will fight tooth and nail against anyone who wishes to prise him away. Here we have the new talisman, ready to guide his side toward a sustained period of success.

Kamara 2.0: Aston Villa sold a star who has a "higher ceiling" than Luiz

Aston Villa may wish they’d kept hold of one midfield talent who could even exceed Douglas Luiz

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 11, 2025

There’s been many a Sliding Doors moment in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United.

What if Cristiano Ronaldo had never returned in 2021? What if David Moyes had managed to land his top targets of Cesc Fabregas and Gareth Bale in 2013? What if the United hierarchy had waited before handing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a permanent contract in March 2019?

Perhaps one of the most pertinent questions is what would have happened if the Red Devils had listened to Solskjaer’s advice regarding a then-teenage Molde striker by the name of Erling Haaland.

According to the treble winner, he recommended that the Old Trafford side sign his young compatriot for a fee of just £4m in 2018, albeit with the Norwegian goal machine ultimately heading to Red Bull Salzburg, prior to joining Borussia Dortmund.

Now, of course, on the books at rivals Manchester City, the 25-year-old has plundered 136 goals in just 155 games under Pep Guardiola’s watch, including 12 goals in just nine games at club level alone this season.

The man who sets the bar for all other strikers to try and reach, Haaland is the cream of the crop. Can £74m sensation Benjamin Sesko get close to achieving such feats?

How Sesko compared to Haaland before the Premier League

It’s hard to deny it was a muted start to life in Manchester for Sesko, with the Slovenian giant failing to score in any of his first six outings in all competitions, largely reduced to cameos off the bench, while having been struck down by cramp amid that grim night away at Grimsby.

Having seen his persistence pay off – quite literally – after netting at the third attempt on the rebound away at Brentford, the 22-year-old followed that up with a first Old Trafford goal last time out, after prodding home from Diogo Dalot’s long throw.

Encouragingly, the ex-RB Leipzig man has suggested that there is still “loads to come” with regard to his displays, with it an exciting prospect to consider just how far he can go in a United shirt.

As already stated, that man Haaland will be the benchmark, with the pair notably enjoying a similar route to the Premier League, after traversing Austrian and German football in their formative years.

In the case of Sesko, his own time at Salzburg – following a loan spell at second-tier side FC Liefering – yielded 29 goals and 11 assists in 79 games in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt, with Haaland also reaching 29 goals for the club, albeit from just 27 outings.

Games (starts)

7 (7)

7 (4)

Goals

9

2

Mins per goal

66

193

Big chances missed

6

2

Assists

1

0

Big chances created

3

0

Key passes*

0.6

0.7

Successful dribbles*

0.4

0.1

Total duels won*

58%

38%

As for their respective time in Germany, the new United star scored 39 goals in 87 games for Leipzig, including 27 goals in 64 Bundesliga games.

His Man City counterpart, meanwhile, scored 62 goals in 67 Bundesliga games, having registered 86 goals in just 89 outings for Dortmund across all fronts.

Haaland, as is evident, is a class above, although could United have the tools to try and help Sesko close the gap?

How Man Utd can help Sesko reach Haaland levels

The key to any star striker is quality service, with Haaland notably combining with the great Kevin De Bruyne for 25 goals during their prior stint together at the Etihad, as per Transfermarkt.

The Belgian’s genius is now on show for new club Napoli, having even managed to get Rasmus Hojlund firing for the Serie A side, after assisting both of the Dane’s goals against Sporting CP in the Champions League last week.

While Ruben Amorim may not have De Bruyne to call upon, he certainly has the next best thing, with Bruno Fernandes even hailed as a “creative machine” by the ex-City talisman in the past.

The man who topped the charts for most chances created in the Premier League again last term, as per Fotmob, Fernandes will be the key to unlocking Sesko, having previously failed to strike up a fruitful connection with Hojlund – the pair only combined for seven goals in 87 games together.

There have already been flickers of life, with the Portuguese skipper and Sesko combining for a neat one-two on the edge of the box against Chelsea, while his record of 9.72 progressive passes per 90 as per FBref – ranking in the top 2% of European midfielders – showcases the playmaker’s relentless creative approach.

That said, the 32-year-old can’t do it alone, with Amad Diallo likely to also be a key source of creativity, having finished joint-second at Old Trafford in 2024/25, alongside Alejandro Garnacho, for assists made in all competitions (10).

While Amorim does now boast the talents of Bryan Mbeumo – who assisted Mason Mount at the weekend – last season’s 20-goal Brentford hero is primarily a goalscoring threat, with Amad perhaps more adept creatively.

Described as “unstoppable” in the past by Fernandes, the diminutive Ivorian is a real outlet in that right wing-back berth, with last term seeing him create seven big chances in the league, while averaging 1.9 key passes per game, as per Sofascore.

Deploying the 23-year-old in that wing-back berth on a consistent basis could be a game-changer with regard to getting the best out of Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, with that more attack-minded approach likely to help the likes of Sesko flourish ahead of him.

With Fernandes taking on the De Bruyne role, Amad could then assume the Phil Foden mantle, with the Englishman ranking second behind the Belgium hero for joint-goal contributions with Haaland (14) at Man City.

Such a duo were crucial in allowing Haaland to hit the ground running under Guardiola, with now the time for United’s own £420k-per-week pairing to help Sesko reach similar heights at the Theatre of Dreams.

Their own Yamal: Man Utd teen is "one of the world's most exciting talents"

Manchester United have an exceptional teenager in their academy ranks.

ByMatt Dawson Oct 7, 2025