Category Uncategorized

Martin O’Neill signed off his second spell with Celtic in style with a 1-0 win over Dundee at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.

The experienced interim won seven of his eight matches in charge of the club after Brendan Rodgers resigned at the end of October, and Wilfried Nancy will take on the role from Thursday.

Daizen Maeda scored the only goal of the game for O’Neill’s side as he bravely competed to head into the back of the net after Hyun-jun Yang’s effort was saved, which led to him wearing a bandage for the remainder of the night.

Ranking Celtic's best performers against Dundee

The Japan international was, of course, one of the top performers on the night for the Hoops because it was his goal that ultimately sealed all three points to send Celtic level on points with Hearts at the top of the table.

He was not the top performer on the night for the Scottish giants, though, as a couple of other players were ahead of him in that respect, because the striker also missed a ‘big chance’ and lost five of his six duels, per Sofascore.

Reo Hatate was one of those two players. The Japanese whiz created two ‘big chances’, including Yang’s initial shot before the goal, and won four of his seven duels, per Sofascore, in what was a masterful showing in the middle of the park.

1

Colby Donovan

2

Reo Hatate

3

Daizen Maeda

4

Hyun-jun Yang

5

Kasper Schmeichel

As you can see in the table above, Yang and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who pulled off three saves and three run-outs to keep his clean sheet intact, were also among the top performers on the pitch.

However, we have ranked Colby Donovan as the best performer on the night for the Scottish giants, as he provided a reminder of his quality after a shaky game against Hibernian.

Why Colby Donovan is undroppable for Wilfried Nancy

On Sunday, the Scottish full-back lost two of his three ground duels, per Sofascore, and was subbed off at half-time after being booked for a late challenge on Jordan Obita.

After that disappointing showing at the weekend, Donovan may have known that he needed to respond with a big performance against Dundee to ensure that the new manager does not drop him for the game against Hearts on Sunday.

Now, the Scotland U21 international is surely the first completely undroppable player for Nancy at Parkhead, because he was the best performer in the last game before his first match in charge.

Donovan won three of his four ground duels and three of his three aerial duels, winning 87% of his total battles, per Sofascore, whilst Maeda, for example, lost five of his six duels and struggled on that side of the game after scoring his goal.

Sofascore rating

8.3

1st

Duels won

6

1st

Aerial duels won

3

1st

Aerial duel success rate

100%

1st

Tackles won

2

1st

Touches

91

4th

Successful crosses

3

1st

Key passes

2

2nd

As you can see in the table above, the academy graduate also added creativity in possession to go along with his outstanding defensive work, as only Reo Hatate (five) made more key passes on the night, whilst no one completed more crosses.

Donovan showed Nancy, who was unveiled before the game kicked off, that he is capable of delivering a quality performance at both ends of the pitch from the right-back position, which is why he should already be undroppable.

With Alistair Johnston still sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Scottish youngster should be the first name on the teamsheet ahead of the clash with Hearts on Sunday.

That is also influenced by Anthony Ralston’s disappointing form. Pundit Chris Sutton described his play as “really shaky” when he came off the bench against Hibernian, whilst he was also caught out twice by Mikel Gogorza in the Europa League clash with Midtjylland.

Given Ralston’s lack of form and Donovan’s impressive showing on Wednesday night, the 19-year-old defender will surely already be undroppable for Nancy in the short term.

The Blue Jays beat the Yankees in Game 2 of the ALDS on Sunday, 13-7. Toronto had a 5-0 lead in the bottom of fourth when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. came to the plate and hit a grand slam. It was an incredible moment inside the Rogers Center as the home crowd errupted.

Outside the Yankees dugout there might have only been two people completely silent, and they were both in the WFAN broadcast booth. Dave Sims and Suzyn Waldman were there to call the game for the folks listening on the radio back in New York and Gueerrero's grand slam did not seem to excite them.

"So you got Giménez at third, Straw at second, Springer at first," Sims described to the fans listening on the radio. "One out. Guerrero at the dish and a 2-1 count. He's looking to unload right here. 2-1. Pitch. He did. Deep drive, left field. Grand Slam."

It doesn't get shorter or more to the point than that. A full 20 seconds passed before Waldman finally broke the silence and confirmed how badly things were going for the Yankees.

Before the game, a much happier Sims posted a picture with Waldman that definitely could be classified as an image that precedes an unfortunate event for Yankees fans.

The Blue Jays now lead the series 2-0 with a chance to win the series on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

Next week, the Cubs will play their first postseason series since 2020—and for that series, they will utilize the services of one of their best players.

Chicago is activating right fielder and designated hitter Kyle Tucker from the injured list and he is in the lineup Friday against the Cardinals, Tucker told Jesse Rogers of ESPN Friday morning. The 28-year-old has not played since Sept. 2 with a calf injury.

When healthy, Tucker has been a force for the Cubs this season. He's slashed .270/.381/.472 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs during his first year on the North Side.

That's despite a slump believed to have been caused by a lingering finger injury; he hit .218 and slugged .295 in a July to forget before rebounding modestly in August.

Chicago is scheduled to play the Padres next week, though the venue is still to be determined. It will be the two teams' first playoff meeting since 1984.

With the BPL embroiled in fixing allegations, the BCB’s new anti-corruption consultant is designing a new integrity unit

Mohammad Isam19-Aug-2025Alex Marshall, the new consultant to the BCB’s anti-corruption department, wants to strengthen the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) so that it doesn’t look like a “vulnerable” competition to bookies and other corruptors. Marshall, who was the ICC’s anti-corruption unit general manager until September last year, has been appointed by the BCB for a year.He arrived in Dhaka on Monday, and met BCB president Aminul Islam and the rest of the directors on Tuesday. Marshall said he would look at every aspect of the BPL, including team ownership structure, so that the tournament’s foundation is less susceptible to corruption.”The biggest threat to any franchise league around the world is when it appears vulnerable,” Marshall said. “That’s why we need to ensure the BPL does not give off that impression. The way the tournament is run, how finances are managed, and how team ownership is structured – all of these must be handled at a high, professional standard and properly safeguarded.Related

• BCB drop several players from BPL auction following findings of corruption report

• BCB brings in Alex Marshall for its anti-corruption unit

• BCB on the slow lane to freedom

• BCB forms independent body to probe BPL corruption allegations

“The reality is, if a franchise league isn’t seen as professional and well-protected, it eventually becomes a target for corruptors. We’ve seen this happen in many countries, and the BPL has also faced issues in the past. That’s why it’s essential for a new integrity unit to provide the protection the league needs.”The fallout from the BPL’s last season, which finished in February this year, is still making headlines in Bangladesh. The board appointed an independent investigation committee following a swirl of corruption allegations in the BPL. Eight months on, the three-member committee is still wrapping up its investigation, with the BCB expecting the primary report later this month. The committee has reportedly uncovered several spot-fixing cases in the last five BPL seasons, including the 2024-25 edition.The BCB is also still dealing with two franchises, Durbar Rajshahi and Chittagong Kings, who have dues pending with the board and players. The BCB recently released a statement detailing how much they are owed by Chittagong. BPL apart, the BCB’s anti-corruption unit is also investigating a controversial stumping incident in last season’s Dhaka Premier League, the country’s main List A competition.Alex Marshall: ‘I am working with the board and the president to design an integrity unit that gives the right level of protection that is deserved within Bangladesh’•Getty Images

Marshall said he had found the full support of the BCB’s directors, including president Aminul, as he looks to redesign the anti-corruption unit. He said much would depend on how much the unit can educate players, coaches and officials to shield them from corruptors.”I am working with the board and the president to design an integrity unit that gives the right level of protection that is deserved within Bangladesh,” Marshall said. “I will complete that design over the next three or four weeks, and I will then present that back to the board for their sign-off.”Therefore, after that point, you would see the implementation of the unit. But that’s just one moment of creating something. The effort needs to be long-term education, [and] protection. And if someone breaches the rules, they need to know they will be investigated and they will be prosecuted.”

Two Australian players were “touched inappropriately” by a motorcyclist in Indore, where they played South Africa in their final league game of the Women’s World Cup on Saturday. The incident occurred while the players were walking to a cafe on Thursday, the morning after Australia’s victory against England in Indore.”CA can confirm two members of the Australian Women’s team were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist while walking to a cafe in Indore,” Cricket Australia said in a statement. “The matter was reported by team security to police, who are handling the matter.”Rajesh Dandotiya, the additional district commissioner of police, Indore crime branch, said they had made an arrest. “The security in-charge manager of the Australian team registered a complaint about inappropriate behaviour against two players. We carried out an intensive strategic operation and arrested the culprit, Aqeel. He belongs to Khajrana but now lives in Azad Nagar. He has an old criminal record.”The Indore Police Commissionerate held a meeting with the stakeholders, BCCI and MPCA, after which security protocols were put in place. We are examining where the security protocol was breached. The incident happened on October 23 around 11am and within the next six hours, we carried out an intensive strategic operation and arrested the culprit. The incident happened when they were headed to a cafe from hotel Radisson.”Devajit Saikia, BCCI secretary, described the incident as “very condemnable” and assured to “revisit our safety protocols if required.”The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) said in a statement that it was “deeply pained and shocked by the disturbing incident of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour with two players from the Australian Women’s Cricket Team in Indore. No woman should ever have to endure such trauma, and our thoughts and support are with those impacted by this distressing incident. This unfortunate event has deeply affected everyone from MPCA who cherishes the values of respect, safety, and dignity of women. It is truly inspiring to see the players rise above this painful experience and continue to compete with courage and determination, carrying the pride of their nation on their shoulders in the match against South Africa.”Over the years, Indore has earned a proud reputation as a safe venue for the visiting teams and dignitaries from other fields. It is deeply painful that the disorderly action of one individual has caused such harm and cast a shadow over the city’s image. As the host, MPCA extends sincere apologies to the Australian Women’s team for this deeply distressing and unfortunate incident while in our city known for safety, grace, and hospitality.”Australia ended the league stage on top of the World Cup points table and will play India in the second semi-final on October 30 in Navi Mumbai. South Africa will travel to Guwahati to play England in the first semi-final on October 29.

When Freddie Freeman takes the field on Friday night for Game 1 of the World Series, it will feel like he's playing in one of his homes away from home at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. While Freeman's job with the Dodgers in their quest to capture back-to-back championships will be front and center on his mind, playing baseball in Canada, in which he holds dual citizenship along with the United States, will be special for both he and his family.

"Yeah my dad is obviously going to head out there tomorrow as well," Freeman said Tuesday. "So it's going to be pretty special. And I'm not so sure the Canadian fans, Blue Jays fans, will be cheering for me this time around like it was in the World Baseball Classic the last couple of times. But it is special."

Freeman played for Canada in both the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classics, changing his representation to Canada through his citizenship from his parents. Freeman's return to Toronto will also be an emotional one, given that he'll be returning to the city where his mother grew up. She died after being diagnosed with melanoma when he was just 10 years old.

"Both my parents are born and raised in Canada, especially in the providence of Ontario—my mom from the Toronto area. My dad from Windsor," Freeman continued. "So, it is special. Everytime I go there, you just have this feeling inside that you feel just a little bit closer to my mom. So I'm looking forward to it."

And even though Freeman will be playing against the Blue Jays, he's still excited about what the team has accomplished thus far, given his Canadian roots.

"I mean, that’s special,’" Freeman said. "When you have a whole country that you know is behind one team, that’s pretty amazing. And then, obviously, what they’ve done. They’ve invested in their team, into that stadium, the visiting clubhouse, they’ve put a lot into the Toronto Blue Jays.

"So to just see the city come together, and get to experience so much jubilation that they had going to the World Series for the first time in 30-plus years, you know it’s an exciting time. And being from Canada, it’s pretty cool."

While it’s not been smooth sailing, Chelsea are not doing too badly so far this season.

They are currently third in the Premier League and should still qualify for the next round of the Champions League.

Moreover, Enzo Maresca’s side have had to make do without Cole Palmer for most of the campaign so far.

The Englishman is undoubtedly Chelsea’s best player, and so fans should be excited about reports linking them with an incredible talent who could be another Palmer-like addition to the team.

Chelsea target Palmer-like star

Since making his Chelsea debut, Palmer has been one of the very best players in the Premier League, if not in European football at large.

For example, even though he had a few barren runs last season, the former Manchester City prospect has amassed a staggering tally of 74 goal involvements in 101 appearances for the Blues.

The 23-year-old is a truly special player, and while Maresca and Co are never going to find someone just like him, they are clearly looking to sign players who could develop in a similar way.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

At least that is according to a recent report from journalist Simon Phillips, who claims Chelsea are interested in and have reopened contact with Kenan Yıldız.

The report has revealed that, alongside the Blues, Liverpool and Manchester United are keen on signing the Juventus gem, who is currently in talks over a new deal with the club that is not going all that well.

This situation has opened the door to interested parties, though, according to other reports, if West Londoners do want to sign the Turkish wonderkid, they’ll have to stump up around £88m.

It could therefore be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Yıldız’s immense ability and potential, it’s one Chelsea should be fighting for, especially as he could be another Palmer.

Why Yıldız would be a Palmer-like signing for Chelsea

So to be considered a ‘Palmer-like’ signing, the player in question has to be someone capable of arriving at Chelsea and, within a relatively short space of time, establishing themselves as one of the best players in the squad and a true game-changer.

Now, while it might still be early in Yıldız’s career, he certainly seems like the sort of player who could fit that description perfectly.

For example, despite being just 19 years old last season, the Regensburg-born maestro scored 12 goals and provided nine assists in 52 appearances, totalling just 3520 minutes.

That comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 2.47 games, or every 167.61 minutes, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down this season.

In fact, his tally of three goals and four assists in 14 appearances, totalling 1155 minutes, comes out to an even better average of a goal involvement every other game, or every 165 minutes, which lends more credence to one analyst’s claim that he’s “one of the best wingers in the world.”

Yıldız’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

SCA (Live-ball Pass)

3.22

Top 3%

SCA (Defensive Action)

0.11

Top 3%

Shot-Creating Actions

4.87

Top 4%

SCA (Shot)

0.45

Top 5%

Passes into Penalty Area

1.95

Top 6%

Tackles (Mid 3rd)

0.97

Top 6%

Successful Take-Ons

2.21

Top 6%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.56

Top 7%

Touches

55.64

Top 7%

Touches (Live-Ball)

55.64

Top 7%

Touches (Att 3rd)

28.18

Top 9%

Carries

36.12

Top 9%

Passes Received

41.82

Top 9%

Passes Completed (Short)

19.41

Top 11%

Key Passes

2.14

Top 11%

Progressive Passes

4.53

Top 12%

Goals – xG

+0.10

Top 12%

Non-Penalty Goals – npxG

+0.10

Top 12%

Passes Attempted (Short)

21.69

Top 12%

Live-ball Passes

38.97

Top 12%

SCA (Take-On)

0.49

Top 12%

GCA (Take-On)

0.07

Top 12%

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Serie A Season

In addition to the youngster’s impressive output, his underlying numbers from last season make for some spectacular reading.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Serie A for shot-creating actions from live passes, the top 4% for outright shot-creating actions, the top 6% for passes into the penalty area and successful take-ons, the top 9% for carries and more, all per 90.

In other words, even when he’s not directly scoring or assisting a goal, the superstar in the making is heavily involved in the team’s attacks.

Ultimately, while it is still early in his career, there is no denying that Yıldız is one of the most exciting talents in European football, and therefore, Chelsea should sign him, as he could have a Palmer-like impact on the team.

Related Bye-bye Tosin & Chalobah: Chelsea submit bid to re-sign "the world's best CB"

The iconic defender would be excellent for Chelsea, but bad news for Tosin and Chalobah.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 20, 2025

Rawalpindi will host two games and Lahore will host five, including the final

Danyal Rasool07-Sep-2025Pakistan will host a T20I tri-series involving Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in November. The series will begin on 17 November, with all teams playing each other twice. The first two games will game place in Rawalpindi, with the other five, including the final on 29 November, in Lahore.This is the second time this season that a bilateral T20I series Pakistan were scheduled to host has ended up being a tri-series. Afghanistan were scheduled to play a three-match T20I series in August, which was later converted into a tri-series involving the UAE, the final of which takes place later today.Similarly, Sri Lanka were scheduled to play a three-ODI, three-T20I bilateral series in Pakistan, but the T20I series has now been replaced by yet another tri-series. ESPNcricinfo understands those bilateral T20Is will no longer happen, though a three-match ODI series is still scheduled to go ahead, with a schedule expected in due course.

Schedule

17 Nov – Pak v Afg
19 Nov – SL vs Afg
22 Nov – Pak vs SL
23 Nov – Pak vs Afg
25 Nov – SL vs Afg
27 Nov – Pak v SL
29 Nov – Final

This is set to be the first time Afghanistan play Pakistan in Pakistan. Afghanistan have played in Pakistan before in 2023, when they competed in two matches of the Asia Cup, as well as earlier this year for the Champions Trophy. However, they did not face Pakistan on either of those occasions, and this series comes amidst a general deterioration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.The series begins nine days after the conclusion of South Africa’s all-format tour of Pakistan. Pakistan have made no secret of their desire to play as much T20I cricket as possible ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan playing all their games in Sri Lanka.”We look forward to hosting Sri Lanka and Afghanistan for Pakistan’s maiden T20I tri-series, PCB COO Sumair Ahmed said in a statement on the PCB website. “This event will not only offer excellent preparation for next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, but also present fans with exciting cricket across venues.”

Well, that was about as perfect a night of Champions League action as Arsenal could have hoped for.

Mikel Arteta’s side travelled to Czechia to take on Slavia Prague on Tuesday night, and while they were without the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi, they came away with all three points.

More than that, though, the Gunners scored three goals, fielded the youngest player in the competition in Max Dowman, and most crucially of all, kept another clean sheet.

There were standout performances across the pitch, including one player who’s starting to look like Arsenal’s new Gabriel Magalhães.

Arsenal's standout stars vs Slavia Prague

Starting up top, and while he had a quiet first half, Mikel Merino once again found himself on the scoresheet in the second half. In fact, he ended up there twice.

The Spaniard’s first came just 35 seconds into the second 45 when he got on the end of a wonderful Leandro Trossard cross.

Then, 22 minutes later, he put the game well and truly to bed by heading home another cross from Declan Rice.

However, it wasn’t just the Merino show, as other starters like Jurrien Timber and Gabriel looked exceptional once again.

The former was as sturdy at the back as ever, but also, as he has all season, was a massive threat going forward.

One moment, he was overlapping on the right, and then the next, he was surging through the middle of the park.

Likewise, while he failed to get his customary goal from a corner, Gabriel was as imperious as ever.

In his 95 minutes of action, he made four clearances, blocked two shots, recovered the ball three times and won four of six aerial duels, which is impressive considering the absurd size of Slavia’s centre-forward.

There can be no doubt that the former LOSC Lille monster is now one of Arsenal’s most important players, and so it’s a good thing that another starter on Tuesday is starting to look just like him.

Arsenal's new Gabriel

If he could, Arteta would undoubtedly have a team of 11 Gabriels.

Chalkboard

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

Alas, unfortunately for him, or fortunately for opposition set-piece coaches, cloning is yet to be invented.

However, there is one summer signing who is starting to look more and more like the Brazilian: Piero Hincapie.

Yes, the tough-tackling Ecuadorian “warrior,” as dubbed by one analyst, might still be finding his way in English football, but he’s already looking like another masterful addition to the Gunners’ defensive unit.

The same analyst points out that the 23-year-old shares several similarities with the Gunners’ number six, including his mobility, aggressiveness, aerial threat, and the fact that he’s a left-footer.

With all that in mind, it was hardly a surprise to see him put in such an impressive performance on Tuesday night.

For example, in his 73 minutes of blood-pumping action, he won 100% of his tackles, made one interception, won 100% of his aerial and ground duels, made one clearance, recovered the ball once, took 42 touches and completed 100% of his dribbles.

Minutes

73′

Tackles (Won)

2 (2)

Interceptions

1

Clearances

1

Recoveries

1

Ground Duels (Won)

6 (6)

Aerial Duels (Won)

2 (2)

Long Balls

1

Touches

42

Dribbles Completed

1/1

Ultimately, it truly was as complete a defensive performance from Hincapie as could’ve been asked for, and one that should see him get more minutes.

Moreover, his fiery Gabriel-esque attitude and desire are going to make him a fan favourite very quickly indeed.

Arsenal star is starting to play like Cazorla & he's not even a midfielder

The incredible international is starting to show shades of Cazorla for Arteta and Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 4, 2025

يترقب رمضان صبحي لاعب فريق بيراميدز، موقفه من أجل حل أزمة إيقافه 4 سنوات بقرار من المحكمة الرياضية بشأن أزمة المنشطات.

وأصدرت المحكمة الرياضية قرارًا بـ إيقاف رمضان صبحي لمدة 4 سنوات بداعي التلاعب في عينة المنشطات.

طالع.. عاجل | بعد حبسه.. إيقاف رمضان صبحي 4 سنوات رسميًا بسبب المنشطات

وعلم بطولات، أنه يتبقى لـ مضان صبحي فرصة للتظلم على القرار الصادر من المحكمة الرياضية أمام المحكمة الفيدرالية.

وكانت المحكمة قد قررت حبس رمضان صبحي، على ذمة قضية “تزوير محرر رسمي”، خلال الأيام الماضية، وسبق أن تم القبض على اللاعب عقب عودة بعثة فريق بيراميدز من المعسكر الخارجي من تركيا في بداية الموسم الحالي.