All posts by h716a5.icu

Long gone are the days when Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah would tear the Premier League to shreds at Liverpool.

Staggeringly, from 197 games together at Anfield, the long-feared trio would combine for a devastating 338 goals, with Virgil Van Dijk once describing them together in action as a “scary” prospect to defend against.

Now, it’s very much a work in progress in attack for Arne Slot’s men, with both Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz remaining goalless in Premier League action since joining.

On top of that, fellow summer recruit Hugo Ekitike has largely blown hot and cold on Merseyside, with no league strikes next to his name from his last five clashes.

Last summer also saw a lot of change in attack in outgoings, with the wasteful Darwin Nunez finally put out of his Anfield misery. But, away from the heavily scapegoated South American, the Reds also waved goodbye to loyal servant Luis Diaz, who is now excelling at Bayern Munich, to Liverpool’s ongoing distaste.

Diaz's electric form at Bayern

Next to the memorable frustrations regularly served up by Nunez, Diaz’s starring role at Liverpool when he was still there could be viewed as slipping under the radar, somewhat.

Yet, Diaz was still labelled as a “very special” talent at Anfield by Jurgen Klopp for good reason, with the one-time Premier League title winner collecting a standout 41 goals and 23 assists from 148 appearances at Anfield.

Before he was moved on to the Bundesliga, he also chipped in with his most fruitful top-flight season in England, tallying up 13 goals.

That same clinical edge has clearly followed him to Bavaria, with Diaz already up to a bumper 11 goals and five assists in his new shade of red from just 17 clashes.

Worryingly, Isak, Wirtz, and Ekitike only have 11 goal contributions between them back in England, with the Colombian winger proving to be a stroke of genius signing for Vincent Kompany’s men at the £65.5m range.

To add insult to injury, all three of those Liverpool underperformers mentioned cost far more to obtain, with the 28-year-old already being hailed as a star who “delivers week in, week out” by his new manager.

Thankfully, Slot and Co could be brewing a homegrown iteration of their former attacker.

Liverpool's homegrown Luis Diaz

One of Diaz’s strong points when still situated at Anfield was his ability to line up all along the forward positions, with the malleable Colombian managing to bag eight strikes from 16 appearances as an out-and-out centre-forward, away from regularly completing his duties as a left winger.

The Reds have plenty of exciting young stars in their academy right now, chiefly fellow winger Rio Ngumoha but he’s not the focus this time around.

Indeed, another teenager by the name of Keyrol Figueroa is now beginning to make a strong impression on the youth staff.

Like Diaz, he has interchanged between wing and striker duties for Liverpool U21s this season effortlessly, with his “instinctive” nature in front of goal – as it was described by Liverpool academy reporter Lewis Bower – also seeing him score goals and pick up assists aplenty.

CF

20

8 + 3

RW

6

3 + 2

LW

2

1 + 0

RM

1

0

While he has predominantly found most of his joy on youth pitches comes from leading the line, with a clinical eight goals powered home from 20 games in that role, Figueroa has also not looked out of place whatsoever on either flank, much like Diaz in his Anfield prime. To put those numbers into perspective, it’s more goals than Ngumoha has bagged at the same level, having beaten the goalkeeper on just two occasions in nine U21 fixtures.

He will also want to give a disappointing Isak a run for his money down the line, with a deadly hat-trick bagged against Everton U21s last month no doubt making him an even more popular figure in youth circles in the red half of Merseyside, away from being an adaptable figure.

It would be wild to throw Figueroa into the first team imminently, considering he is just 19 years of age and is only used to the comforts of youth football.

But, if he continues as he is now, it will surely only be a matter of time before he is unleashed, having also been described as a “ruthless” finisher of chances by his U21 boss in Rob Page.

Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp also hailed Diaz as having a similarly impressive “eye for goal” during his Liverpool playing days, as Slot and Co now hope Figueroa can be as lively in the first team picture as the Colombian down the line.

New Trent: Liverpool star is "one of the most underrated players in England"

Slot could find a shrewd solution to Liverpool’s problems in this talent.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 17, 2025

The two wristspinners got together on the sidelines to discuss their art before CSK take on DC

Deivarayan Muthu04-Apr-20252:19

Kuldeep Yadav 2.0 – DC’s trump card

Wristspin or mystery spin used to be a bit of novelty in T20 cricket, but it has become a must-have now. Each of the ten teams in IPL 2025 has at least one bowler of this variety in their squad. Kuldeep Yadav and Noor Ahmad, two of the best in the business, got together off the field on Thursday night in Chennai, and will go up against each other on the field on Saturday.On the eve of the game, the two left-arm wristspinners provided a teaser to the mouth-watering contest. After his press conference, Kuldeep was among the first set of bowlers to bowl to the hard-hitting Jake Fraser-McGurk. The Australia batter had already warmed up by launching a Matheesha Pathirana clone into the stands beyond midwicket. That blow even had some cameramen ducking for cover. When Kuldeep was up against Fraser-McGurk, however, he kept threatening or hitting both the edges. When McGurk tried to pick him off the pitch and play him off the back foot, Kuldeep rushed him with his fizz.After Kuldeep finished his shift, Noor turned up at the adjacent net and created the same fizz at higher speeds. No Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter wanted to face him. The keeper (not MS Dhoni this time) couldn’t read which way Noor was turning the ball. In CSK’s season-opener against Mumbai Indians (MI), Noor had even beaten Dhoni with his left-arm legbreak at breakneck speed. Mystery spin at such speed is hard because batters who can’t pick the turn can’t even adjust to it off the pitch.Related

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That’s why wristspinners or mystery spinners are in such demand in T20 cricket. That’s why Noor holds the purple cap. That’s also why Kuldeep is the most economical bowler this season (for a minimum of 24 balls bowled).When Kuldeep burst onto the international scene in 2017, the slowness of his wristspin made it difficult for batters to line him up. Three years later, batters evolved and held their shape for long enough to put him away. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) leaned towards Varun Chakravarthy’s quicker mystery spin.After moving to Delhi Capitals (DC), Kuldeep has evolved with T20 cricket. He was always an attacking wristspinner, tossing the ball up and beating batters in the air. Now he’s also good at the defensive skills, the increase in his average speed corresponding to a decrease in scoring opportunities. Oppositions still try to take him down but that’s now easier said than done. Forty of Kuldeep’s 52 wickets since IPL 2022 have come when batters have attempted aggressive shots against him.”It has become a trend now, playing with a wristspinner,” Kuldeep on Friday. “Yeah, you have to stay relevant in every game and you have to practice each and every day. And just to keep working on reading the batters, what they are doing, especially on game day. And that’s what I am doing. I am just trying to read the batter, what they are doing, and sticking with my strength and yeah, simple as that.”I’m focusing on length. Length is very important, and it’s been like fourth year with DC, so nothing changes. You mature after playing so many games and understand what your strength is and obviously, spinning the ball is my strength and just keeping it very simple and just focusing on the length and we have been talking about that.”

“Obviously, he has a lovely wrong ‘un and with that kind of a pace, it’s very difficult for a batter to pick and especially when you play in Chennai, it’s always very difficult to score against any wristspinner”Kuldeep Yadav on Noor Ahmad

DC have always been on big on wristspin – Amit Mishra is still the leading wicket-taker for the Delhi franchise. This season, they have gone bigger by pairing rookie legspinner Vipraj Nigam up with Kuldeep. And among the reserves, they have a left-arm fingerspinner who can also bowl left-arm wristspin.CSK, on the other hand, have been a more conventional team. Barring the period between 2018 and 2021 when they had Imran Tahir playing for them, CSK have usually lacked a wristspinner of pedigree. Even they have gone unconventional by outlaying INR 10 crore for Noor’s left-arm wristspin this time.Stephen Fleming became a meme when he held up all his ten fingers at the auctioneer to take the bid for Noor up to INR 10 crore. “We’ve been watching him pretty closely for a few years now,” Mike Hussey, CSK’s batting coach, said of Noor. “But I think in the last probably 12 to 18 months, his improvement has just been through the roof. And I’m sure Stephen Fleming has been watching him closely through the other leagues that he’s been playing, through South Africa (SA20), through the American League (MLC) as well.”2:35

Bishop explains what makes Noor special

While CSK have gone on record about the apparent tension with the curators at Chepauk, Noor has taken the pitches out of equation and has emerged this IPL’s highest wicket-taker. He has, on average, taken a wicket once every eight balls.CSK had originally picked Noor as a middle-overs operator, but he can also do the job in the powerplay and end overs, given his exceptional skills. “I just like the look of him,” Hussey said. “I mean, he’s a good guy to have in the team. He’s an attacking spinner. Not many batsmen around the world read him very well. So, he becomes a real attacking option for us. I know Fleming in particular was very keen to get hold of him in the auction and was delighted when we were able to get him. And yeah, he started the season fantastically well.”Kuldeep, too, is impressed by Noor. “I was sitting with him, and we had a chat about how to go about the legspin,” Kuldeep said. “Obviously, he has a lovely wrong ‘un and with that kind of a pace, it’s very difficult for a batter to pick and especially when you play in Chennai, it’s always very difficult to score against any wristspinner.”The blockbuster battle between the two left-arm wristspinners could decide which way the game turns on Saturday.

Both players were off the field for large portions of the second innings against Sri Lanka

Shashank Kishore26-Sep-20252:05

Is captaincy affecting SKY’s form?

Morne Morkel, India’s bowling coach, has allayed concerns around the fitness of Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma leading into Sunday’s Asia Cup final against Pakistan in Dubai.Hardik held his left hamstring and walked off the field after bowling the first over of Sri Lanka’s innings on Friday, in which he dismissed Kusal Mendis for a first-ball duck. Hardik didn’t return to take the field for the remainder of the innings.”Hardik had cramps, he will be assessed tonight and tomorrow morning, we’ll then take a call on that,” Morkel said at the post-match press conference. India’s bowling coach was merely reiterating what India captain Suryakumar Yadav said at the post-match presentation.Meanwhile, Abhishek too spent the entire second half of Sri Lanka’s innings off the field. Abhishek showed signs of discomfort in the ninth over, when he clutched onto his right thigh while running. He eventually left the field in the 10th over, just before a Pathum Nissanka six was signalled dead ball because he hadn’t left the field before Varun Chakravarthy began to run in to bowl.Like Hardik, Abhishek too spent the rest of the innings being iced and treated with pickle juice to ease cramps. Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube and Jitesh Sharma came on as substitute fielders at different points. At one point, even Tilak Varma was briefly off the field, but he soon returned after a hydration break.With the Sri Lanka game stretching way beyond its scheduled close due to the Super Over finish, India are left with an even shorter turnaround time before they take the field on Sunday. Morkel stressed on the need for the players to recover, and stay away from training on Saturday.”The key for the boys is to rest,” he said. “They’re in an ice bath already. The recovery started straight after the match. The best way to recover is sleep and stay off your feet. Hopefully they can get a good night’s sleep.”There will be individual pool sessions for the guys organised. Then some massages before they get mentally ready for the big battle on Sunday. It’s a quick turnaround, and playing smart is going to be the key. There will certainly be no training.”‘Arshdeep, Harshit are X-factors’Morkel also touched upon the challenges players like Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana face when being called upon to deliver at a crucial stage in the competition. On Friday against Sri Lanka, the pair returned combined figures of 2 for 100 of eight overs in India’s defence of 202, before a nerveless Arshdeep delivered in the Super Over to seal victory.”In our environment we want to move away from an excuse culture,” he said. “The effort they put in at training, we expect them to go out there and deliver. Yes, sometimes lack of game time is a factor. You can bowl as many overs as you like in the nets, but nothing beats game time.”The quality of work we put in, we expect the guys to deliver. At the moment, things aren’t happening for them but the team is winning, they’re all X-factor players and real match winners.”

Premier League clubs have voted against the introduction of a salary cap in top-flight football, but a serious overhaul of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) is still being lined up. The proposals put to teams at the highest level of the English game would have seen previous financial regulations ripped up, but not every suggestion has received universal approval.

Premier League vote on introduction of a salary cap

All 20 Premier League clubs convened in a vote that took place on November 21. Part of that polling saw plans for a salary cap vetoed. It is reported that 12 teams voted against the plans, while seven were in favour and one abstained.

At a shareholders’ meeting, a range of topics were discussed – including top to bottom anchoring, squad cost ratio (SCR) and the Sustainability and system resilience (SSR). A vote on SCR was passed, while SCR proposals were pushed through unanimously. Of the 20 sides holding a vote, 14 must give a green light in order for 

Premier League rules to be changed.

AdvertisementGettyThe 2025-26 campaign will be the last with PSR regulations

It has been determined that SCR will replace the current PSR system, which limits losses to a maximum of £105 million ($137m) over a three-year period. With a fresh approach being agreed, the 2025-26 campaign will be the last under the PSR regulations.

SCR dictates that teams can only spend 85 per cent of their total income on wages and transfer fees for players, coaches and agents. The plan has already been adopted by UEFA, meaning that English teams competing in Europe can only spend 70 per cent of their income on wages and transfers. UEFA’s SCR scheme follows the calendar year, but the Premier League’s version will mirror the domestic football season.

What is squad cost ratio (SCR) & why is it being introduced?

A statement from the league read: "SCR will regulate clubs’ on-pitch spending to 85 per cent of their football revenue and net profit/loss on player sales. Clubs will have a multi-year allowance of 30% that they can use to spend in excess of the 85 per cent. Utilising this allowance will incur a levy and once the allowance is exhausted, they will need to comply with 85% or face a sporting sanction.

"The new SCR rules are intended to promote opportunity for all clubs to aspire to greater success and brings the League’s financial system close to UEFA’s existing SCR rules which operate at a threshold of 70 per cent. The other key features of the League’s new system include transparent in-season monitoring and sanctions, protection against sporting underperformance, an ability to spend ahead of revenues, strengthened ability to invest off the pitch, and a reduction in complexity by focusing on football costs.

"The Sustainability and Systemic Resilience rules assess a club’s short, medium and long-term financial health through three tests – Working Capital Test, Liquidity Test and Positive Equity Test.

"Since 2023, the Premier League and our clubs have worked collaboratively to develop the financial controls with the objective of maintaining the League’s value, protecting competitive balance and ensuring clubs operate in a financially sustainable way.

"The process has included extensive consultation at Shareholder level at clubs, as well as senior finance and legal executives, and club working groups. In addition, independent economic and legal analysis was sought.

"As part of the development of the proposed rules, clubs agreed at the Premier League Annual General Meeting in June 2024 to trial SCR and TBA on a non-binding basis. The shadow monitoring of SCR and TBA rules has also continued this season.

"This enabled the League and clubs to fully evaluate the system, including the operation of UEFA’s equivalent SCR regulations, and to complete the consultation with all relevant stakeholders including the PFA and football agents."

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GettyExplained: SSR & top to bottom anchoring

SSR consists of three prongs. One of those seeks to ensure that teams have sufficient resources to manage outgoings and any revenue fluctuations. The others focus on long-term financial plans and the health of a club’s balance sheet.

Top to bottom anchoring (TBA) would have effectively seen a salary cap put in place. That is because those proposals limit spending on wages and transfers to five times the amount paid in prize money and broadcast revenue to the team that finishes bottom of the division. The Premier League could, as reported by , have faced legal action from players had anchoring been introduced.

The decision stems from wanting to play all three formats, something he could not do at Haryana since 2023-24

Shashank Kishore30-Aug-2025India offspinner Jayant Yadav has signed with Puducherry for the upcoming domestic season. He has been granted an NOC by Haryana, the team he has represented since his first-class debut in 2011-12.ESPNcricinfo understands Jayant’s decision stems from wanting to play all three formats. He hasn’t been a regular in white-ball formats since 2023-24, when Haryana were crowned Vijay Hazare Trophy champions. The team management has preferred spin allrounders Nishant Sindhu and Rahul Tewatia over Jayant.Jayant’s most recent outing with the side came during the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, where he picked up 28 wickets in eight matches. The quarter-final against Mumbai in February was his last for the team, where he picked up three wickets and scored 40 runs across two innings in a 152-run loss.Jayant, 35, comes with rich experience, having picked up 265 wickets in 90 first-class matches. He has also scored 2924 first-class runs with three centuries and 14 half-centuries, with a best of 211 against Karnataka in 2012-13. During that innings, he added a record 392 runs with Amit Mishra for the eighth wicket.At Puducherry, Jayant will be one of three professionals, alongside Madhya Pradesh allrounder Puneet Datey and Mumbai wicketkeeper Siddhant Adhatrao. Jayant is believed to be a late signing in place of Mumbai batter Armaan Jaffer, nephew of former India batter Wasim Jaffer.Jayant played the most recent of his six Tests against Sri Lanka in Mohali in February 2022. He has also featured in two T20Is – one each in 2016 and 2022. He’s currently contracted to Gujarat Titans in the IPL and has previously represented Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians.

The weekend before an international break always feels significant. Pick up a positive result and the only thing a manager really has to worry about is players suffering injury while representing their countries. A defeat, though, results in two torturous weeks as the result is pored over in the press while the coach waits for the opportunity to make amends.

Arne Slot finds himself in the latter predicament right now, with his Liverpool side having suffered yet another devastating defeat on Sunday, against Manchester City, after a couple of victories raised hopes of a revival. The Dutchman isn't the only boss left with plenty to ponder during the international break, though. 

Antonio Conte was in foul form after Napoli drew another blank in a lame loss in Bologna, while Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid also failed to bounce back from their defeat at Anfield by being held to a disappointing draw at Rayo Vallecano.

But who were the big winners and losers of the latest weekend of action across Europe's big leagues? GOAL breaks it all down in our weekly round-up…

AFPLOSER: Europe's table-toppers

Funnily enough, this was not a good weekend for league leaders. Real Madrid remain top of the pile in Spain, but Los Blancos' lead has been cut to three points after a dour 0-0 draw at Rayo Vallecano, while Napoli's no-show at the Renato Dall'Ara saw them drop from first to fourth in Serie A.

In the Netherlands, PSV usurped Feyenoord at the summit of the standings, by routing AZ 5-1 before Robin van Persie's men were upset by Go Ahead Eagles, and we also have new leaders in Greece, as Olympiacos leapfrogged PAOK in the Super League due the latter's 2-1 loss at Panathinaikos.

Over in Turkey, Fenerbahce drew to within a point of defending champions Galatasaray, who were beaten 1-0 by Kocaelispor, while the leaders in Scotland, Belgium, England and Germany – Hearts, Union Saint-Gilloise, Arsenal and Bayern Munich, respectively – were all held to draws.

Arsenal dropping points was highly significant as the Gunners' brilliant backline was breached not once but twice in a thrilling 2-2 draw with Sunderland that brought an end to a 10-game winning streak, as well as eight consecutive clean sheets for Mikel Arteta's men.

The biggest shock of the weekend, though, was undoubtedly Bayern failing to win at Union Berlin. The Bavarians were on a record-breaking 16-match winning start to season – and had just stunned European champions Paris Saint-Germain in their own backyard four days before – but they needed a late equaliser from Harry Kane just to snatch a 2-2 draw in the German capital.

AdvertisementAFPWINNER: Paris Saint-Germain

Paris Saint-Germain were the only table-toppers in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues to win this weekend – but they left it very, very late in Lyon to reclaim first place from Marseille.

A gripping game at the Groupama Stadium looked set to finish in a fitting share of the spoils, with the home side having twice come from behind to draw level thanks to goals from Alfonso Moreira and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. However, Nicolas Tagliafico's injury-time dismissal presented PSG with an opportunity to apply some relentless late pressure – and it eventually told, with Joao Neves heading home a 95th-minute winner from Lee Kang-In's corner.  

"It was tough but, in the end, like always with our mentality, our resilience and the character of our players, proved decisive," a delighted – and relieved – Luis Enrique told PSG's media channel. "It is very positive for us to be back on top of the table. The international break is here now – and we will enjoy it." Unlike a lot of their European rivals!

Getty Images SportLOSER: Antonio Conte's Napoli

Former Napoli striker Roberto Sosa was very concerned by what he saw from the Partenopei in Bologna on Sunday. "It's the typical match you see when players want to get rid of the coach," the Argentine told . 

Normally, the obvious reaction to such a claim would be to dismiss it out of hand. After all, Conte led Napoli to the Serie A title six months ago, while his goal-shy side are still only two points off the top of the current table. However, in this particular instance, Sosa's observation didn't feel like hyperbole – primarily because Conte was just as disturbed by his players' perceived lack of effort at the Dall'Ara.

"We have to ask ourselves if we are working with the same enthusiasm and desire that we had last year, when we wanted to prove ourselves, or if we are resting on our laurels because people say we are favourites," the passionate coach told . "The energy has certainly changed here. I don't feel the positive energy we had last season. I've been saying this for a while now, it saddens me that I have been unable to change this energy in the last few months.

"It means I am not doing a good job or that someone doesn't want to listen to me…"

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Getty Images SportWINNER: Sunderland

Before the Premier League season began, it was taken as a given that the newly-promoted teams would once again go straight back down. In that context, Leeds United and Burnley are actually doing quite well just to be hovering above the drop zone. What, then, can we possibly say that would do justice to Sunderland's sensational start to the season?

The Black Cats may have invested a fair bit of money in their squad during the summer, but they're competing in the richest and most competitive league in world football, so nobody expected them to be going into the November break sitting fourth in the table – above the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester United and even reigning champions Liverpool.

"For our fans, they deserve to look to the future with positive vibes," manager Regis Le Bris told after Saturday's dramatic 2-2 draw with Arsenal. "It was a tough game, as we expected. They are probably one of the best teams in Europe. We struggled, but we still believed it was possible to score one more goal. The lads worked hard to the end. They believed it was possible to change the dynamic. Our fans helped a lot, so now we have this faith, this belief that until the final whistle, anything is possible."

Consequently, with Sunderland having racked up 19 points from just 11 games, and Granit Xhaka looking like the signing of the season, Mackems are already dreaming of not just avoiding relegation, but maybe even challenging for a European place!

Manchester United have now identified VfB Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller as a target, as director of football Jason Wilcox has followed him for years.

Signing a new midfielder appears to be a top priority for Man United ahead of the January transfer window, having identified a range of targets in the middle of the park.

Target

Current club

Potential cost

Morten Hjulmand

Sporting CP

£50m

Jobe Bellingham

Borussia Dortmund

£42m

Elliot Anderson

Nottingham Forest

£120m

Conor Gallagher

Atletico Madrid

£52m

Andrey Santos

Chelsea

£60m+

The desire to bring in a new option comes amid doubts surrounding Kobbie Mainoo’s future, with it being revealed earlier this month that the Englishman was at one stage close to sealing an exit, although there has seemingly been no progress since then.

Mainoo is not the only midfielder attracting attention either, with Manuel Ugarte catching the eye of Galatasaray, having been unable to dislodge Casemiro in the starting XI.

Two midfielders moving on would exacerbate the need for Ruben Amorim to bring in a new option considerably, and United have now identified a Bundesliga star as a target…

Man Utd now targeting Angelo Stiller

According to Fabrizio Romano, in a report for GiveMeSport, Stuttgart midfielder Stiller is one of the names on Man United’s list of targets, given that Wilcox has watched him for years, indicating the director of football is personally an admirer.

The 24-year-old is one of many targets in the middle of the park, with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba also named as an option, with Amorim making it clear that bringing in a new midfielder is a priority in 2026.

However, a move for the Stuttgart star may have to wait until next summer, rather than January, with a deal expected to amount to around £44m – £53m.

Lauded as “special” by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, the German maestro has put in some top performances for Stuttgart over the past year, regularly showcasing his ability to create chances for his teammates.

Having averaged 0.30 assists per 90, the Munich-born midfielder ranks in the 98th percentile compared to his positional peers, while he also places in the same percentile for progressive passes, averaging 9.39 per 90 over the same time period.

The former Bayern Munich midfielder’s performances at club level have also earned him a call-up to his national side, having now picked up five caps for Germany, and his displays over the past year suggest he could be capable of collecting many more.

Man United have a plethora of options on the shortlist, with the likes of Gallagher and Anderson already proving themselves in the Premier League, which could give them the edge, but Stiller remains an exciting target nonetheless.

Man Utd hold key advantage in the race for Morten Hjulmand

College’s international alumni show how cricket is still the ticket in the Caribbean

Cameron Ponsonby15-Nov-2024As the woman on the radio says: “Barbados, the island that always punches above its weight.”It’s a phrase that’s been associated with the nation for decades and been used by the good, the great and the mediocre. It’s used on the radio as a jingle, it’s been used by former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan and now it’s being used on ESPNcricinfo. What a trifecta.The latest hotspot of talent to come to attention has been Harrison College. A school known more for its academic prowess than athletic, it nevertheless counts among its alumni Jacob Bethell, Phil Salt and Hayley Matthews as active international cricketers to pass through its halls; Bethell and Matthews as students, Salt a cricketing loanee who did his studies at a nearby private school.Salt and Matthews were team-mates at school, while Bethell played in the same Harrison College team as TV broadcaster Nikhil Uttamchandani, who has become a regular presenter of cricket around the world. Uttamchandani played in Bethell’s first school match and ran him out.”Without facing a ball,” Bethell quickly adds when it is brought up.Arguably what makes Harrison College special, though, is its reflection of Barbados as a nation as opposed to its own individual excellence.Because despite the fact you could turn on your TV tomorrow and watch Salt and Bethell batting, as Uttamchandani commentates, Harrison is far from the most prestigious cricketing school on the island.That award would go to one of Combermere, Lodge or Foundation. Lodge was the first ever school team to be promoted to the first division and Foundation is the alma mater of Jofra Archer. Combermere boasts the ultimate alumni top trumps of Kraigg Brathwaite, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Jordan and, of course, Rihanna.Cricket is still taken exceptionally seriously on the island. Yes, fewer lower-level games take place than previously, but the Barbados Cricket Association Elite Division (the highest level of the club game) is broadcast on national radio and acts as a pipeline to the national team, and more pertinently, a career.Salt and Bethell produced a key partnership in England’s opening victory in Barbados•Getty Images”Let me put it in simpler terms,” says Corey Edwards, a former Barbadian seamer who was the coach of Bethell and Matthews at Harrison College.”Kraigg Brathwaite, Jomel Warrican, Carlos Brathwaite, Jason Holder, Dwayne Smith. I could name another five or ten on this hand here. These people are millionaires, or people that have made a decent amount of money. Cricket is still the ticket. Name me one footballer from Barbados that plays in the Premier League.”It remains a bugbear that the decline of cricket in the West Indies is spoken about so nonchalantly, when the truth is that the sport, even if slightly less popular than it was previously, still sits so far higher in the national consciousness in the Caribbean than almost anywhere else in the world. By way of example, a colleague got into a taxi in St Lucia where the driver bemoaned the fact that Johnson Charles’ return from injury was delayed. When, exactly, was the last time you got into a taxi in the UK and the driver was in a bad mood because Will Jacks’ hamstring scans came back with a grade two, rather than grade one, tear?Related

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Rihanna has to wait, it's family time for Salt and Bethell at Kensington Oval

Jacob Bethell, England's renegade – and next red-ball hope?

“Here’s the thing,” continues Edwards, who himself briefly moved to England in the early 2000s with a view to playing county cricket. “There is no proper system in place for these youngsters – and especially youngsters that have the talent of a Jacob Bethell.”There’s no easy way in Barbados that you could be on someone’s staff to make a living. To be producing stats day in, day out so that you could get picked for West Indies.”So if cricket is the ticket, how do we make sure that ticket keeps ticketing?”The talent-drain from Barbados to England is well-known: Jordan, Archer, Bethell etc. And while no ill will is harboured on the island towards those players who moved abroad, it is nevertheless still galling from an English perspective to be cheering the addition of two generational talents with one breath and then sighing at a weakened West Indies team losing 3-0 across the Test summer. Let me just take your food and then ask why you’re hungry.Nor, if the status quo remains the same, will they be the last. Che Simmons, 20, is currently on Warwickshire’s books and could be the next Windies-qualified talent to swap allegiances.What is needed are playing opportunities … and cash.The cricket square at Harrison College, Barbados•ESPNcricinfo LtdOne solution could be to allow dual nationals, as Archer and Bethell were, to play in the County Championship without having to give up their eligibility for West Indies. We’ve seen that process play out in reverse already, with Ireland’s development as a Test nation built in part due to a raft of players competing in the County Championship, only for their accession to Test status to cause those players to be classified as overseas, which closed off a vital source of experience (and income).If dual nationals were allowed to play as locals, this development pathway would remain open, the standard of county cricket would improve and so too the standard of global cricket, as any player – Bajan, Irish or otherwise – from around the world with a British passport could play domestically. All without having to convince the big boys to reach into their pockets and hand out some more cash.On the other end of the scale, it could also mean players like Daniel Bell-Drummond, who is British-born but qualifies for West Indies through his parents, could play Test cricket without having to revoke his right to play for Kent as a local player. The modern world is increasingly transient. The game could reflect that.”I had conversations with the West Indies six, nine months back before they arrived about what assistance we can provide,” ECB chief executive Richard Gould said in July.”The specific request that came from the West Indies was can you help us with an Under-19 tour so that we can get more of our players accessing red-ball cricket in those [English] conditions. So it’s not always about the money and there are different ways of doing it.”This would provide red-ball cricket. And isn’t about the money.The Caribbean still loves cricket, with Barbados remaining a nation that, as ever, punches above its weight. It is to everyone’s benefit, for any idea however big or small, to let the cricket ticket keep ticketing.

Sunday's Mariners–Rangers game was a big one for Seattle star Julio Rodriguez.

The center fielder crushed his career 100th career home run, a 391-foot two-run homer off of two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom in the third inning.

But, that wasn't the biggest news of the game. This home run was Rodriguez's 20th of the season, marking his fourth consecutive season in which he's logged at least 20 homers. On top of that, Rodriguez has also tallied at least 20 stolen bases in all four of his MLB seasons. With this combination, Rodriguez officially became the first MLB player in history to start their career with four consecutive seasons of at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, per Mariners PR.

Rodriguez has 20 homers and 20 stolen bases so far this season. In his rookie year, the Mariners star logged 28 home runs and 25 stolen bases. His second season was his career-best with 32 HRs and 37 SBs and last year, Rodriguez had 20 HRs and 24 SBs. He's currently on pace to pass his totals from last season.

Erling Haaland needed less than four minutes to score his first ever goal against Liverpool. Aged just 19 at the time, he had started on the bench for RB Salzburg's Champions League visit to Anfield in 2019, despite scoring a hat-trick on his competition debut against Genk. He was introduced by coach Jesse Marsch with his side in the middle of a comeback from three goals down and duly made it 3-3.

It was one of the easiest goals Haaland has ever scored, tapping into an empty net on the hour-mark after being teed up by future Liverpool player Takumi Minamino. The elation of drawing level against Liverpool did not last long though as Mohamed Salah made it 4-3 to the Reds nine minutes later. Still, his first goal on English soil served to bring more recognition to Haaland at the start of his astronomical rise to being the best centre-forward in the world.

And yet that simple goal was the feast before a famine – by Haaland's ridiculously high standards – against Liverpool. In eight matches against the Reds, Haaland has only scored three times, the lowest amount of goals he has scored against a team he has faced at least eight times. 

Haaland has scored eight times against Manchester United, five times against Arsenal and four times against both Chelsea and Tottenham. Those four teams are among the 35 sides Haaland has scored four or more goals against throughout his career. In that context, Liverpool, against whom he has scored two goals in six games for City with only one Premier League strike, are Haaland's bogey team. 

But Sunday's game against the champions, which begins a pivotal week for the Norwegian goal-machine, is the perfect occasion to end his Liverpool hoodoo and give the Reds the same merciless treatment he has meted out to almost every other team.

Getty Outshone by Nunez

Haaland was left frustrated in Salzburg's home fixture against Liverpool in his breakthrough season, being subbed off in a 2-0 defeat. His first game against the Merseysiders in a City shirt was the 2022 Community Shield, when he was surprisingly upstaged by Darwin Nunez in a 3-1 defeat.

The stiker touched the ball 14 times and missed a simple late effort when he hit the crossbar from a rebound inside the six-yard box. Guardiola exercised caution by remarking: "He didn't score. Another day he will score. He has an incredible quality on that and he will do it. He is going to help us a lot."

The coach was spot-on and in his next game Haaland scored twice against West Ham, his first strikes on the road to his record-breaking 36 goals in a Premier League season. But he has not really helped City beat Liverpool, at least not in the league. 

AdvertisementGettyZero wins in the Premier League

The Norwegian drew a blank again the next time he faced Liverpool, the ill-tempered 1-0 defeat in the league at Anfield in October 2022. He did score in the Carabao Cup meeting between the two sides at the Etihad Stadium two months later although he missed their next fixture with injury. City barely noticed his absence though as they won 4-1 on the way to claiming the Premier League title. 

Haaland scored in a 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool in November 2023 and he has not found the net against them since, drawing blanks in a 1-1 draw and 2-0 loss at Anfield while missing last season's 0-2 defeat at the Etihad Stadium with injury. It means that Haaland is still waiting for his first win against Liverpool in the Premier League.

Liverpool's results between late September and the end of October, when they lost six out of seven matches while conceding 14 goals, would have lifted Haaland's hopes of turning the tide. But in their last two games against Aston Villa and Real Madrid they have looked more like the team that swept to last season's title and who did the double on City. 

Getty ImagesNever felt better

And it was why Haaland warned: "We need to perform as a team and need to be all together, attacking Liverpool and defending as a team. We need to be ready because it’s not going to be an easy game. The competition between Man City and Liverpool has been amazing in previous years – pushing each other to get better and fighting for the title. It’s going to be a difficult game, and we need to be at our best."

Haaland could not be in better form or mindset though as he prepares to set the record straight on Sunday. He has scored 18 goals in 14 matches for City in the Premier League and Champions League plus an additional nine strikes in three matches for Norway. 

That's 27 goals in 17 games for club and country, putting him on course to better that insane tally of 57 goals for club and country in 2022-23. Haaland was even prepared to admit that he has never been in a moment of form like this in his career. "It’s been a good start, and I feel really good," he told reporters this week. "I feel this is the best version of myself. I’ve never felt better than now."

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InstagramDiligent routine paying off

Last month Haaland opened a window into his daily routine, showing his diligent process to recover from games and training sessions in order to avoid injuries. That routine includes red-light therapy, massages, ice-baths and saunas plus a diet of fresh fish, steaks and raw milk. 

And after scoring against former club Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday to make it five goals in four Champions League games, he reiterated how important that routine has been to his current insatiable goalscoring form.

He explained: "To keep sharp, I need to keep my mind in the right place, I need to recover well, I need to get a lot of treatment, I need to eat the right things. I connect when I have to connect on the pitch and then relax as much as I can when I’m at home. It’s about maintaining the energy levels, being motivated and doing the things that are good for my body and for my brain."