Former Real Madrid and Manchester City star Robinho's 17-year-old son has been backed to have an incredible future after starring for Santos in the Brazilian Serie A. Robinho Junior made his debut for the club in the 2025-26 campaign and is slowly becoming an important figure in the Santos attack alongside Selecao legend Neymar.

Robinho Jr. tipped to have a bright future

Like his father, Robinho Junior came through the ranks of Santos' youth side before making his senior professional debut for the club in the 2025-26 campaign. At just 17 years of age, it is understandable that his game time has been limited as he appeared in nine league matches for Santos and made his first start only a week back against rivals Palmeiras. While Santos lost the game 2-0, the young forward remained on the pitch until the 65th minute and impressed with his technical consistency and ability to participate in the team's offensive plays.

AdvertisementReinaldo Campos/Santos F.C.Santos boss heaped praise on Robinho Jr.

Despite the loss in the derby, Santos boss Juan Pablo Vojvoda spoke highly of Robinho Junior's abilities on the pitch, as he told reporters: "I liked his first half performance, but we didn't have as much possession in the second half. He played a decent game, especially considering it was his first as a starter. He'll continue to grow. I spoke with him and told him he'll be a great player. He needs more statistics, assists, goals, but he's on the right track."

When is Robinho now?

Robinho was convicted in 2017 for the role that he played in the gang rape of an Albanian woman celebrating her 23rd birthday at a Milan nightclub in 2013, with that sentence upheld by the Italian Court of Cassation in January 2022. Robinho was playing for AC Milan at the time of the alleged incident. The 41-year-old has been kept at Tremembe prison, 150km from Sao Paulo, since March 2024. He has always maintained his innocence, with legal representatives lodging a release request on his behalf. However, the former player's appeal was knocked back by authorities in Brazil following a vote that ruled 10-1 in favour of keeping Robinho behind bars. A vote in November last year upheld the validity of Robinho’s sentence being transferred from Italy to Brazil.

Speaking to , Justice Luiz Fux said: "The declaration of opposition is only admissible when there is ambiguity, obscurity, contradiction or omission in the sentence or ruling, as provided for in article 619 of the CPP. The defence is unreasonable. The Plenary of this Supreme Court, by majority, expressly rejected, in this specific case, the principle of non-retroactivity provided for in Article 5, XL, of the Federal Constitution, considering it inapplicable in the present case."

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Getty ImagesWill Neymar continue at Santos?

Neymar, who returned to his boyhood club in January this year, is nearing the end of the contract and Santos aren't fully convinced about offering the star player an extension after he struggled with fitness and form throughout the year. Speaking on Neymar's renewal, club president Teixeira said: "The Neymar project isn’t for six months or a year. It’s for the 2026 World Cup. Santos knew how they would treat Neymar, the investment made. It’s a high investment. Santos and Neymar evaluate the situation periodically. We evaluated it when he came, and that evaluation isn't the same as today's. And the financial situation will be evaluated by both parties until the end of the year. He's not worried about the finances. And Santos has a limit. Neymar’s project is the 2026 World Cup. If we find common ground, his continuity will be confirmed. As long as Santos and Neymar, who have a strong and positive understanding of trust, reach a common ground. I believe we will resolve this situation at the right time."

Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti also addressed his concerns about Neymar's physical condition, saying that he will have to play in a more central role as he is no longer able to keep up with the demands of a winger.

Middlesex 534 (Geddes 137, Green 3-54) beat Leicestershire 205 (Patel 51, Sharma 4-43) and 202 (Cornwell 3-60) by an innings and 127 runsDivision Two leaders Leicestershire crashed to their first Rothesay County Championship defeat of the season by an emphatic innings and 127 runs as Middlesex handsomely avenged their opponents’ victory at Lord’s in May.Following on after being dismissed for 205 in their first innings in reply to Middlesex’s 534, Leicestershire were bowled out for 202 in their second innings, beaten with more than a day to spare.Rookie fast bowlers Naavya Sharma and Noah Cornwell played key roles in a Middlesex attack lacking skipper and leading wicket-taker Toby Roland-Jones after centuries for Sam Robson and Ben Geddes against a depleted Leicestershire attack had set up the match for the visitors. Geddes, dropped on 11, went on to score 137.Sharma’s six wickets in the contest included a career-best first-innings four for 43, while left-armer Cornwell’s four included three for 60 in the second innings, another career-best, although both were playing in only their third first-class matches.Leicestershire’s 33-point lead at the start of this round will limit the damage inflicted by this loss. Middlesex’s third win gives them a chance to finish among the promotion contenders.Only a rearguard effort in the morning that saw them almost double their overnight score had kept Leicestershire from being made to follow on sooner after slipping to 99 for eight before Monday’s close.Roman Walker made 40 not out and rookie fast bowler Sam Wood 33 in forcing Middlesex to bowl 37 more overs to pick up the last two wickets. Tom Helm, who missed the early Championship rounds through injury, finished with three for 30.In addition to a career-best three for 73 with the ball, Walker shared partnerships of 42 for the ninth wicket with Chris Wright and 64 for the tenth with 20-year-old seamer Wood, who bowls right arm but bats left-handed.Helm moved one away to have Wright caught behind and Wood, who looked no mug with the bat as he drove Zafar for six over long-on, nicked off to Ryan Higgins, wicketkeeper Joe Cracknell holding his fifth catch of the innings.Middlesex might have chosen not to enforce the follow-on with a view to adding a few more to their 329-run lead before giving the home side at least some incentive to pitch their ambitions higher than salvaging a draw.In the event, perhaps mindful of getting their fingers burned when they set Northamptonshire a target at Wantage Road last week, they stuck with convention and sent their chastened opponents out again.And what a good decision it was. Having been 82 for two before the collapse came on Monday, Leicestershire had lost their first six wickets for 80 by tea.It seemed the resilience shown by the tail earlier in the day had counted for nothing as Sol Budinger edged Helm to second slip before Higgins came on as first change at the pavilion end and induced a tame return catch from Rishi Patel with his second ball.Cornwell then struck in consecutive overs, bowling Liam Trevaskis, Leicestershire’s stop-gap No 3, with one that nipped back before making one climb to have Peter Handscomb caught off the splice by short leg Ben Geddes.Ben Green was dropped by Geddes in Cornwell’s next over but added only one more run before he drove at Higgins to be caught behind for 10. Higgins then took a catch at slip as left-armer Zafar found some bounce and the edge of Lewis Hill’s bat to leave Leicestershire 80 for six.Ben Cox and Logan Van Beek at last showed some grit, adding 58 in just under 16 overs before the dismissal of Cox, caught at leg gully at the second attempt fending off Sharma, who dismissed Walker with another short ball fended to short leg.Wright flung the bat for 26 off 20 balls before a top-edge saw him caught at mid-on, Wood had some fun with two towering sixes in his 27 before another top-edge had him caught behind, and Van Beek finished with a defiant unbeaten 36 but Leicestershire’s fate was all but sealed by that point.

Allrounder staves off threat of follow-on as title-chasing Notts settle for draw

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Jul-2025 Nottinghamshire 578 for 8 dec (James 203*, Haynes 103, McCann 79, Hutton 71) and 108 for 1 dec (McCann 52*, Hameed 50*) drew with Hampshire 454 (Organ 122*, Varma 112, Weatherley 52, Middleton 52)Hampshire’s Felix Organ scored his fourth Rothesay County Championship century to dash any final-day excitement for title-chasing Nottinghamshire at Utilita Bowl.Organ patiently collected his highest first-class score of 122 not out to make sure Hampshire avoided the follow-on to turn the day into a wait for the inevitable 4.50pm draw.The 14 points Nottinghamshire take from the match puts them level with Surrey at the top of Division One – with four rounds still to play.Hampshire’s 12 points leaves them sixth but just 13 points above the bottom two, having only won twice in the Championship this season.Organ is Hampshire’s version of James Milner. He fills in with whatever role his side needs.He began his career as an opening batter but more often finds himself in the side when a spinning pitch is expected, where he slots in lower down the order to lengthen the batting options.He is a fairly reliable insurance in both his skillsets, and it was his batting that took the fore on this occasion.He’d begun the week by scoring 101 out of 171 for his Southern Premier Cricket League side St Cross Symondians, where he also took a five-for to secure a victory.He ended it by making sure his county didn’t lose, and slip deep into the relegation battle.Organ had already scored 70 on the third evening, largely in a 126-run partnership with Indian sensation Tilak Varma, but returned this morning with 61-runs still required to avoid the follow-on.He needed others to stick with him.Nightwatcher Eddie Jack fell leg before to Josh Tongue – who produce a ferocious early morning spell – but James Fuller hung around for over and hour to score 16 in 40 balls to get Hampshire within a sniff of their target before he was bowled.Kyle Abbott simply went dot, four, six, six to alleviate any fears of defeat and beat the follow-on requirements. It left just over four hours to reach the earliest possible finish time.Each of Organ’s three previous centuries have bettered his previous best score. His maiden effort was exactly 100 back in 2019, before scoring 107 at home to Gloucestershire and then 118 in the reverse fixture in 2022.The trend continued after he went to three-figures in 266 with a six, as he was left unbeaten on 122 after Abbott was castled by Farhan Ahmed and Sonny Baker – who took 35 balls to get off the mark – was lbw.Nottinghamshire boasted a first-innings lead of 124 but there was little chance of setting up anything. Ben Slater calved to point before the last half an hour turned into a classic bore-draw farce.Wicketkeeper Ben Brown gave his pads and gloves to Varma to bowl some left-arm in an attempt to add to his one first-class wicket, while Fletcha Middleton showed off his medium-pacers for the first time in professional cricket.Haseeb Hameed and Freddie McCann reached the easiest half-centuries of their career in a 99-run stand before 4.50pm and handshakes rolled around.

Batting helmets across baseball will have a slightly different look during the 2024 MLB playoffs—and beyond.

Game 1 of the wild-card series between the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park marked the debut of the sponsored Strauss logo on the side of each helmet.

Back in September, MLB announced a partnership with Strauss, a German workwear company, to display their logo in the playoffs for the next four postseasons, and on all minor-league batting helmets all season long beginning in 2025.

While sponsorship patches are nothing new—the majority of MLB teams have a patch on the sleeves of their jersey—the location on the batting helmet is new, and it's a bit jarring.

Fans weighed in on MLB's latest attempt to grab dollars:

MLB has a full slate of playoff action scheduled for Tuesday, with Game 1 of all four wild-card series—Astros-Tigers, Royals-Orioles, Mets-Brewers and Braves-Padres—set to begin.

Babar and Rizwan have been named in the ODI squad while Afridi is part of both the limited-over squads

Danyal Rasool25-Jul-2025

Hasan Nawaz scored the fastest T20I hundred by a Pakistani in his third international outing•Associated Press

Uncapped batter Hasan Nawaz has been handed his maiden ODI call-up as Pakistan announced a 16-member squad for their upcoming three-match series against West Indies. Meanwhile, Shaheen Shah Afridi has also returned to the T20I squad; the fast bowler has also been named in the ODI squad.The 22-year-old Nawaz has had an eventful, contrasting start to his international career, scoring consecutive ducks in his first two T20Is against New Zealand in March. He followed it up with the fastest T20I hundred by a Pakistani in his third international outing. Those wild oscillations in fortunes have continued, though the explosiveness of his highs has made him an integral part of Pakistan’s T20I side. Runs against Bangladesh in each of the three T20Is at home were followed up by two ducks in the corresponding series that ended earlier this week.Hasan Ali, meanwhile, returns to the T20I squad. He did not feature in Pakistan’s series in Bangladesh after a successful home series against the side, with the fast bowler playing in the T20 Blast with the Birmingham Bears. He has also been included in the ODI squad, putting him in line for a first appearance in the format since the 2023 World Cup. Meanwhile, Salman Mirza and Abbas Afridi are among the players who played in Bangladesh axed, though Mohammad Nawaz and Hussain Talat keep their places in both squads.The ODI series will be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago on August 8, 10, and 12.Pakistan will also feature in a three-match T20I series against West Indies, set to take place on July 31, August 2 and 3 at the Central Broward Park and Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill, USA.ESPNcricinfo

Pakistan have, of late, found themselves deprioritising the ODI format in favour of T20I cricket. With the T20 World Cup just over six months away, the PCB has moved to ensure Pakistan play as much T20I cricket as possible as the team enters a new, transitional phase with their recently appointed white-ball coach Mike Hesson and captain Salman Ali Agha. In May, they scrapped the ODI leg of the home series against Bangladesh in favour of two additional T20Is, before scheduling issues meant those extra T20Is were scrapped after all. Last week, it was reported Pakistan favoured additional T20Is in place of the upcoming ODI series against West Indies, though the PCB did not officially confirm this.As such, this series is the first time Hesson takes charge of Pakistan’s ODI side. The side sees the return of Pakistan’s most marketable cricketers, with Babar Azam, captain Mohammad Rizwan, and fast bowlers Afridi and Naseem Shah returning. Among them, only Afridi, who was one of the standout performers in the recently-concluded PSL – where he led his side Lahore Qalandars to their third title – forces his way back into the T20 squad.The team will arrive in the USA on July 27, following the conclusion of their T20I series in Bangladesh.T20I squad: Salman Ali Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan MoqimODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (capt), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim

Ademola Lookman and Ivan Juric were involved in a heated touchline confrontation during Atalanta’s tense 1-0 win over Marseille in the Champions League. The Nigerian forward reacted angrily to being substituted, prompting an exchange that required staff intervention. Juric later downplayed the incident, insisting the pair were caught up in the “heat of the moment”.

• Lookman’s substitution sparks tense touchline clash

  Atalanta’s 1–0 victory over Marseille was overshadowed by a fiery confrontation between Lookman and head coach Juric. The flashpoint arrived in the 75th minute when Lookman was withdrawn for Yunus Musah. The Nigerian forward, visibly frustrated, muttered toward the bench and then turned directly to Juric as he made his way off the pitch. Juric reacted instantly, stepping toward the player and briefly grabbing his arm, sparking a tense exchange that required backroom staff to intervene before the situation escalated further.

  Lookman had earlier seen a potential opening goal ruled out for offside after VAR intervention, adding to the striker’s frustration. Atalanta also missed a first-half penalty through Charles De Ketelaere, meaning the pressure remained high throughout the match. Lazar Samardzic’s late strike eventually secured all three points, but the touchline confrontation became the main talking point of the evening.

  The incident highlighted the emotional intensity surrounding Atalanta, who entered the match needing a morale-boosting performance amid patchy domestic form. Lookman’s reaction, while dramatic, also reflected his personal frustration during a season that has yet to fully settle for him.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Heat of the moment' – Juric plays down incident

  Speaking to after the final whistle, Juric dismissed suggestions of a deeper conflict with Lookman, insisting that such episodes are normal in high-pressure environments. "We've all experienced these situations. They happen. It can get a bit exaggerated in the heat of the moment, but what matters is Atalanta, the team, and the fans," he said. "We have to behave well and give our all. For me, anything goes. The important thing is to win against Sassuolo.

  “These are things we discuss more or less every Sunday. The players don’t want to come off and don’t accept substitutions. These are somewhat uncoordinated reactions.”

  Winger Raoul Bellanova echoed the manager’s sentiments, telling reporters that the situation had already been resolved behind closed doors. “Everything was resolved in the dressing room. We’re a family, we’re like brothers,” he said, reinforcing the club’s desire to avoid unnecessary tension or speculation.

• Tension remains after Lookman transfer debacle

  This emotional flashpoint arrives during a difficult spell in Lookman’s season, as the Nigerian international has struggled to consistently find scoring rhythm, registering just one goal so far. His summer desire to explore a move to Inter created uncertainty around his status in Bergamo, and although he remained with Atalanta, the ongoing adjustment to Juric’s tactical demands has not been seamless.

  Yet Lookman remains a crucial figure in Atalanta's attacking structure, and with his pace, ability to isolate defenders, and direct threat in transition are qualities few in the squad replicate. Against Marseille, his movement helped stretch the French side’s defensive line even if his final contribution was ultimately cut short.

  The incident also highlights the competitive edge Atalanta have been trying to restore. After weeks of inconsistent results and questions about identity under Juric, the emotional charge suggests players are fully engaged, though fine emotional balance will be key moving forward.

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• AFP
  

  Focus shifts to crucial Sassuolo clash

  Atalanta now turn their attention back to Serie A, where they have struggled to convert performances into results. Their upcoming match against Sassuolo represents a vital moment in their effort to climb the table and stabilise form. Juric emphasised the importance of carrying momentum from the Marseille win, noting: “We needed an emotional victory. We’re happy. Now we’re back in the league where we’re lagging behind. We’ll try to climb back up.”

  Sassuolo have shown resilience in recent weeks and possess enough attacking strength to challenge Atalanta’s defensive discipline. With Lookman expected to remain in contention for the starting XI, how he responds to this flashpoint will be closely watched. A positive reaction could help rewrite the narrative quickly, while a lingering rift could create complications in an already delicate phase of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur face Monaco in the Champions League tonight, looking to return to winning ways after the defeat to Aston Villa on home soil over the weekend.

Thomas Frank’s side will have huge expectations placed upon them in Europe this season, understandably so given their successes in the Europa League last campaign.

The Dane has already made an impressive start to life in Europe’s biggest club competition, winning one and drawing the other of their first two outings in 2025/26.

However, the meeting against the Ligue 1 outfit will present a tricky challenge, with Sebastien Pocognoli’s side holding Manchester City to a 2-2 draw at the start of the month.

If Frank is to claim another European victory as the Lilywhites boss, he will likely need one of his current first-team members to be on top form in the South of France.

Xavi Simons’ disappointing start to life at Spurs

During the summer transfer window, the Spurs hierarchy made it clear they wanted to improve the options available to them within the attacking midfield positions.

After numerous failed attempts during the window, they decided to fork out a fee in the region of £52m for the signature of Dutch international Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.

His tally of 19 combined goals and assists across all competitions generated huge excitement, but it’s safe to say his period in North London has failed to take off to date.

The 22-year-old has only registered one assist in his first eight outings for the Lilywhites, with his transfer now starting to be called into question by numerous pundits.

Simons has only created 1.3 chances per 90 and completed just 40% of his attempted dribbles – with the latter of his two stats ranking him within the 44th percentile of all players in the Premier League.

He’s also demonstrated a lack of physicality in England’s top-flight, only being on the winning side of 38% of his duels – with only 27% of players in the division winning fewer.

He desperately needs to find his form to justify his staggering transfer fee, but Frank can aid him against Monaco by starting one other first-team member tonight.

The Spurs player who can finally get Simons firing

Throughout the first few weeks of his time in North London, Simons has operated in a variety of different roles – with most of his playing time coming in an unnatural left-wing position.

Such a situation would likely have contributed to his recent lack of impact in attacking areas, with the manager needing to utilise him in his natural number ten position.

He created nearly double the amount of chances per 90 at Leipzig last campaign, further showcasing the levels he can produce when featuring behind the striker.

The centre-forward department has also been brought into question as of late, with Richarlison failing to back the faith shown in him by the new manager.

Dominic Solanke will certainly have been the number one option for Frank, but the Englishman’s constant setbacks with ankle injuries have prevented him from consistent first-team action.

Such scenarios should see the manager hand loanee Randal Kolo Muani his first start for the Lilywhites in the clash with Monaco later on this evening.

The Frenchman has only made 24 minutes of action for the club after joining from PSG on deadline day, but a European night under the lights could present an excellent chance to stake his claim for a starting role.

Kolo Muani, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by former boss Christian Gourcuff, scored 10 goals in just 22 appearances at Juventus last season – highlighting his clinical ability in the final third.

Such talent within attacking areas could hugely benefit Simons, with the Dutchman having the opportunity to boost his assist tally alongside the Frenchman.

After all, this is a player who, in the words of the Bundesliga website, has the “hallmarks of Thierry Henry’s game”. We’re yet to see that since his move but there is no time like the present.

Randal Kolo Muani – stats in 2024/25

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

26

Goals & assists

12

Shot on target accuracy

48%

Goals per shot on target

0.4

Key passes made

1.4

Take-ons completed

1.5

Carries into opposition box

1.2

Aerials won

1.2

Stats via FotMob

The big-money addition has completed 1.1 crosses per 90, too, with such numbers playing perfectly into the hands of the loanee who scored three headers last campaign.

Both players have ultimately struggled to match the expectations they arrived with in North London, but that could all change tonight if Frank hands them the chance to start together.

The pair could help the side maintain their unbeaten record in Europe this campaign and bolster their chances of claiming another European title.

Related Their best CF since Kane: Paratici wants Spurs to sign £87m "freak of nature"

Tottenham Hotspur could try and land a new talisman for Thomas Frank in the months ahead.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Oct 21, 2025

Well, that was about as perfect a weekend as Mikel Arteta and Arsenal could have hoped for.

Granted, Manchester City picked up another win, but Liverpool lost their fourth game on the bounce, and their first at home to Manchester United in nine years.

On top of that, the Gunners did their job, beating Fulham 1-0 away from home to extend their lead over the Reds to four points and put themselves in the driving seat for the Premier League title.

1

Arsenal

12

19

2

Man City

11

16

3

Bournemouth

3

15

4

Liverpool

3

15

5

Chelsea

7

14

6

Spurs

7

14

7

Sunderland

3

14

Moreover, while it wasn’t a vintage performance from Arsenal, they were ultimately comfortable against the West Londoners, and it was another stellar showing from Bukayo Saka, and another starter who’s starting to become a Saka-type star.

Saka's performance vs Fulham

Even though Arsenal were not at their best against Fulham, they never looked in any real danger of losing the game.

In fact, what should terrify their title rivals is that, for the second time in as many games, Arteta’s side managed to prevent their opposition from taking a single shot on target.

The last time the Gunners were able to do that was back in the 03/04 season, when they went on to win the league undefeated and on 90 points.

With that said, while Viktor Gyokeres continued to struggle up top, and Leandro Trossard didn’t do an awful lot aside from scoring, it was another strong showing from Saka on the right.

The Hale End legend was lively from the first minute, and while he didn’t get on the scoresheet himself, he was far and away the Gunners’ most dangerous forward.

For example, in his 99 minutes of action, he amassed an expected assists figure of 0.55, took two shots, took 86 touches, completed six of seven dribbles, created one big chance, recovered the ball nine times and even won 13 of 20 ground duels.

It was an excellent showing from the stand-in captain, and one that once again showed that, when fit, he is the biggest and most important star in Arteta’s side.

Minutes

99′

Expected Assists

0.55

Total Shots

2

Key Passes

7

Dribbles (Successful)

7 (6)

Big Chances Created

1

Touches

86

Fouls Won

5

Ball Recoveries

9

Ground Duels (Won)

20 (13)

However, there were a few other starters who stood out, including one who is starting to become something of a Saka-type player.

Arsenal's new Saka-type star

It almost goes without saying at this point that William Saliba, David Raya, Declan Rice and Gabriel Magaehelse were once again excellent for Arsenal on the weekend.

Chalkboard

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

However, when it comes to someone starting to become something of a Saka-type player, they do not fall into that category.

Riccardo Calafiori, on the other hand, could.

Now, this comparison is obviously not based on their starting positions or output, as while the Italian has a goal and an assist in him, he is never going to match the numbers of the Englishman – few players can.

Instead, it’s primarily based on the fact that, as one analyst puts it, he ends up “everywhere” on the pitch and adds “pure chaos” to a system many labelled boring at points last season.

For example, the former Bologna star may well start games at left-back, but he spends much of his time roaming around the pitch, picking up space here and there, dragging opponents out of their positions and freeing up areas for his teammates to operate in.

This is the key reason he could be seen as a Saka-type player in the making, as opposition defenders and midfielders are starting to realise that he cannot be left alone to roam, as he will punish them.

This was on full display on Saturday, as not only was he marginally offside for his wonderful strike in the first half, but he was also consistently all over the place, popping up at right-wing, in the middle of the park, and up top.

As one analyst put it in the summer, “his positional IQ, carrying and overall technical quality are literally game-breaking.”

Finally, while this maverick approach to games helps create space for his teammates, it also makes matches more entertaining for fans, with journalist James Benge going as far as calling the Italian “the most electrifying man in sports entertainment” on Saturday night.

Ultimately, they have their clear differences, but Calafiori’s mercurial ability to roam, pull opponents out of position and entertain the fans makes it rather easy to describe him as a Saka-type star.

Hale End's "Saka regen" left for £0, now he's outscoring Arsenal's starboy

Arsenal had a Bukayo Saka regen in Hale End that Edu allowed to leave.

ByBen Gray Oct 20, 2025

As the Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to begin their journey in the 2024 MLB playoffs, don't expect to see Shohei Ohtani taking the mound this fall.

Back in September, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts left the door open for Ohtani to toe the rubber in the playoffs. But Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes shot down that possibility on Wednesday.

Ohtani hasn't pitched in an MLB game since undergoing elbow surgery last September. He has been on a throwing program for most of the summer and worked off a mound for the first time in August.

"I just think like anything—you should always leave some margin, a crack in the door for any possibility," Roberts said in September on MLB Network Radio. "If things line up and there's a need, and the game, his body, everything is telling us that it makes sense in that situation, great. It would be storybook."

A return to the mound would be storybook, indeed, but it appears Ohtani will have to save his playoff heroics for the batter's box. He is coming off one of the best offensive seasons in baseball history as he became the first player to tally at least 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a single season.

Ohtani, who never made the playoffs over six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, will make his postseason debut in Game 1 of the NLDS. The Dodgers will face the winner of the ongoing best-of-three wild-card series between the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter was not in the club's lineup for a win-or-go-home Game 5 in the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians due to a hamstring injury. But Carpenter was spotted heading to the batting cages, without a limp, shortly after news of his exclusion from the starting lineup broke.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters before Saturday's game that he was "optimistic" that the club would get good news on Carpenter, adding that the "adrenaline" the outfielder was feeling would help him fight through the soreness in his hamstring. Hinch's comments left the door open to Carpenter potentially being utilized as a bench bat.

And that's exactly what happened Saturday.

In the top of the fifth inning with a runner on first and no one out in a scoreless game, Hinch called upon Carpenter as a pinch hitter, and the 27-year-old did not disappoint.

With the count 3-and-1, Carpenter lined a fastball into deep right field—a ball that surely would have led to extra bases. Carpenter, who could barely run, was held to a single, but the huge hit scored shortstop Trey Sweeney all the way from first base to give the Tigers the lead.

What a gutsy play from Carpenter.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, the lead was short-lived. Ace and presumptive AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal yielded the tying run and then surrendered a go-ahead grand slam to Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas in the bottom half of the inning. And perhaps even more unfortunate is the fact that Carpenter found himself up with the bases loaded and a chance to cut into the Guardians' 5–2 lead—but he struck out.

If the gritty Tigers are to keep their magical season alive, they will need to mount a rally against a stout Guardians bullpen.