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Thomas Frank’s position as Tottenham Hotspur manager is under scrutiny following the 4-1 North London derby defeat against Arsenal.

Tottenham’s humiliating defeat at the Emirates Stadium was arguably the low point of the Frank era so far, hardly laying a glove on their bitter rivals, with their only goal coming from a piece of Richarlison magic and just 0.07 expected goals (xG) recorded by the visitors.

Spurs have fallen to ninth in the Premier League table, but they are still within touching distance of the Champions League places, despite picking up just one point in their last three games.

It is the manner of the loss that will be particularly concerning, however, with Frank’s side once again looking extremely poor going forward, having also struggled to create any opportunities in the 1-0 home defeat against Chelsea.

As such, the manager is undoubtedly under pressure, and there has now been a new update on his future in north London.

Tottenham players concerned by Frank's tactics and lineups

In a report for The Telegraph, journalist Matt Law has revealed the Tottenham hierarchy are determined to give the Dane time to put things right, despite the disappointing loss against the Gunners, but some players have two very worrying concerns.

Indeed, some members of the squad believe the 52-year-old has been focusing on the opposition too much, instead of concentrating on the strengths of his own players, with sources around Spurs also of the belief he has chopped and changed his forward line too much.

Only Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea have rotated their starting XI more often than the Lilywhites this season, which is named as one of the reasons for the inconsistent results, but Frank seemingly remains safe in his job for the time being.

Games

19

Wins

8

Draws

5

Losses

6

Points per game

1.53

It would be a little early to relieve the manager from his duties, given that Spurs are within touching distance of the play-offs, but the negative approach has to be called into question.

When asked whether he was surprised by Tottenham’s defensive approach, Leandro Trossard said: “Yeah, maybe a bit. Because as I said, it’s still Spurs. But we have been facing a back five a lot of times this season, so we’re kind of used to it.”

It is understandable not to play an extremely high line away against Arsenal, given that they have the joint-best attacking record in the Premier League, but the lack of attacking threat is inexcusable.

It is a short turnaround for Tottenham, who face another tough test away against reigning Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.

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ByCharlie Smith Nov 8, 2025

Wrexham, owned by Hollywood icons Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have been boosted by a public grant from the government of Wales worth an astonishing £18 million. The funding is set to help the club in their ambitions to rebuild StoK Cae Ras into a world-class arena that meets UEFA's stadium requirements, with the goal of hosting prominent international fixtures in the future.

Wrexham received hefty public grant from Welsh government

Wrexham have received nearly £18 million (€21m/$25m) in non-repayable public grants from the Welsh government – far more than any other football club in Britain, according to UK government state-aid disclosures. Local officials had previously said that Wrexham would get a "substantial amount" of a £25m (€29m/$34m) Welsh government grant earmarked for redeveloping the area around Wrexham General train station, which sits adjacent the Racecourse Ground. What hadn’t been made public until now is that the club itself would receive the majority of that funding directly.

The club, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, has also enjoyed a surge in commercial success. Their involvement has helped secure major sponsorships from global giants such as Meta, United Airlines, and TikTok. The public grant will only strengthen their already healthy financial situation.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportA positive step towards Wrexham's bid to meet £350m valuation

Back in June, reported that owners Reynolds and McElhenney were considering selling a minority stake in a valuation of the club at £350m (€400m/$475m), having bought for just£2m in 2021. Earlier this year, Wrexham hit the £100m valuation mark following a 15 per cent stake acquisition by New York's Allyn family. More investors are being sought according to the report, with internal talks having taken place already. The Welsh government grant will further strengthen the owners' bid to transform Wrexham into the most expensive club in the Championship and solidify their push to achieve a record-breaking fourth-successive promotion, which will take them to the Premier League. 

"This looks like an £18m nonrepayable subsidy to a privately owned business now flirting with a £350m valuation. Its existing owners are US-based and very wealthy and liquid private individuals," said Stefan Borson, a football finance expert who works as the head of sport at the McCarthy Denning law firm.

"The club, and its owners, will benefit from the stand for the next 50 years, yet at no point would the taxpayer be repaid or directly profit from the club’s rise. The current ownership have put Wrexham on the global map but it is hard to understand why funding this stand in this way would be a priority for the government.

"So many. I don't want to say to the world that I'm the best because there’s no truth to that. In my mind, I'm the best version of myself, if you know what I mean? It's different when you say you are the best in the world to the world. 'There are so many good players in my position. I'm doing my best. But I need to show more because I feel like I can do more. With goals, with assists, I can feel it.'"

Wrexham's StoK Cae Ras ambitions

Reynolds and McElhenney have reiterated their desire and ambition to convert StoK Cae Ras – the oldest international football stadium on the planet – into a world class venue. "We have a plan in place right now that would eventually work from stand to stand, so eventually you get all four sides. It's hard to say for sure, butwe think we could get between 45,000 and 55,000 people in there," McElhenney told last year.

With the renovation of the Kop Stand, the capacity will exceed 12,000. When that happens, it will comply with UEFA stadium requirements, having already been selected as one of the venues when Wales hosts next year's European Under-19 Championship. What's more, the Racecourse Ground has also been included in UK's official bid to host the 2035 Women's World Cup.

A council spokesperson said: "The Racecourse is an important cultural and heritage asset for the city of Wrexham and we are obviously keen to protect it for the future.

"Utilising grant funding from Welsh government, the council have provided funding to the football club to enable the redevelopment plans to be enhanced to a standard to enable international matches to be hosted in Wrexham once again."

A Wrexham spokesperson added: "The impact of these improvements, and the ability to host international sporting events in north Wales, will create both a catalyst for local job creation and provide an overall economic uplift to the region due to the increased number of visitors attracted to the events and their economic activity while they are in the area."

Meanwhile, the Welsh government is certain that the funding "will make the crucial difference between the club satisfying league requirements and meeting the more demanding international fixture standards," adding that, consequently, StoK Cae Ras "can host competitive international football at the world's oldest international stadium, boosting the local economy and delivering a fitting landmark for Wrexham."

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Getty Images SportWrexham pushing for Championship playoff spot

Phil Parkinson's men enjoyed an excellent November, going unbeaten in England's second tier after a difficult start to the season at the club's highest level in over 40 years. Their last defeat came over a month ago against Stoke City, and since then they’ve put together a strong run of form, remaining undefeated and collecting 15 from a possible 21 points. 

They find themselves in 10th position on the league table, just two points behind sixth-placed Ipswich Town. If they can now find a bit of long-term consistency, Wrexham will fancy their chances of securing a promotion playoff spot, which would put them on the brink of the Premier League.

Managing director Vikram Banerjee on tournament’s challenges ahead of transformative sixth edition

Matt Roller28-Aug-2025The Hundred’s squads will be overhauled ahead of the 2026 season in a “reset” evoking the IPL’s mega-auction, marking the arrival of new investors in the eight franchises. Vikram Banerjee, the tournament’s managing director, expects the move to prove unpopular with coaches but believes it is necessary to maintain the league’s competitive balance.Teams were allowed to retain up to 10 players from their 2024 squads for the ongoing season, which concludes at Lord’s on Sunday. Women’s squads were overhauled between the second and third seasons but some men’s teams – most notably Oval Invincibles, who are hunting a third successive title – have kept a consistent core throughout the Hundred’s short history.The ECB have started to discuss retention rules with teams, with some new investors pushing for an auction model to replace a draft. The regulations are yet to be finalised, but Banerjee – who has spent every day of the Hundred’s fifth season at a match – believes the timing is right to refresh squads as he bids to “supercharge” the tournament in its new era.”I’d like next year to be a bit of a reset,” Banerjee told ESPNcricinfo. “All these leagues do it over time, and next year should be one of those. There are three things that are non-negotiable. You want to make sure whatever you do brings the very best players in; whatever the mix is between draft, auction, direct signings, retentions, the very best players in the world choose to play here.Related

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“But you also need competitive balance… That ‘Any Given Sunday’ philosophy, that you don’t know who’s going to win this game, that’s a good thing. Coaches won’t like that, but from a league level, that’s an important thing. The third thing is that it has to work [for both] men and women, and that’s really important to us.”A handful of men’s players signed contracts this year aligning with new investors – such as Rashid Khan at the Invincibles (Reliance) and Steven Smith at Welsh Fire (Washington Freedom) – and that trend is likely to accelerate, with the four IPL owners involved seeking greater continuity across their global networks of franchises.The risk of a “reset” is that significant player turnover will further dilute the identities of teams that have only existed for five years. The Hundred will undergo significant change over the next 11 months, with centralised kit manufacture (New Balance) and sponsorship (KP Snacks) deals expiring. At least three team names are set to change, along with some colourways.But Banerjee believes the 2025 season has shown that the “tribalism” he hoped would develop around Hundred teams has started to emerge. “I stand by that objective,” he said. “I love the amount of yellow [in the stands] when I go to Nottingham, or green when I go down to Southampton… That fan affinity is something that we need to keep building on.”He was buoyed by the occasional needle between teams, most evident when Liam Livingstone, riled by Tom Curran allegedly calling him a “fat slob”, blazed a match-winning 69 not out: “I can’t condone the exact choice of words, but the fact that this means something to them is great… It’s so important for the high-performance element that this is the [league] that they love playing in.”The glut of flags in the Hollies Stand at Edgbaston has been a sign of the Hundred’s growing ‘tribalism’, according to Banerjee•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty ImagesWhile new investors will not assume operational control of their franchises until October 1, they have all attended games this season: Sanjiv Goenka rang the bell at Emirates Old Trafford, the ‘Tech Titans’ posed for photos on the Lord’s pitch, and Akash Ambani visited the dressing room after an Oval Invincibles home win.”We take a lot of what we do for granted, but a full house at The Oval or Emirates Old Trafford, or 6,000 flags in the Hollies Stand, is something special,” Banerjee said. “We’re having some great conversations already about the tournament in general and while the 2026 season will come around fast, we’ve got a decent amount of time.”I would like us to be the unmissable event of the summer for families… If we can be that, then in season 20 – or whatever the number is, season 50 – I would love us to be standing shoulder to shoulder with all of the great sports brands… If I ask you what the very best sporting leagues are in the world, I would like us to be in that list [with] NFL, IPL, Wimbledon.”It is a lofty ambition, and one that many believe will only be possible if the Hundred becomes a T20 tournament. The 100-ball format does have some advantages – it suits the double-header model well, shaving an hour off each matchday, and fits into a tighter broadcast window – but has also proved unexpectedly bowler-friendly.While overwhelming support for a shift to T20 among new investors could, in theory, prompt the ECB to attempt to change ongoing broadcast contracts, a change appears highly unlikely for at least three more seasons. “People have bought into a product that is hugely successful,” Banerjee said. “[The format] allows it to go onto the BBC… It’s quite a complex conversation.”Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, set a long-term target to sell out a women’s Hundred match earlier this year, but the double-header model will remain for next season. Banerjee said he is “absolutely not” concerned that investors will only focus on the men’s competition: “The excitement, growth and equality that we’re trying to drive, they have all bought into that.”

I can’t condone the exact choice of words, but the fact that this means something to them is greatBanerjee on the ‘fat slob’ spat between Curran and Livingstone

Slow pitches remain a concern, with groundstaff stretched by the sheer volume of fixtures staged at major venues by the time the Hundred starts. “It’s easy for me to say, in my position, that I’d like, on every pitch, the ball to fly through at 90mph and scream into the middle of everyone’s bat so it goes flying out of the park,” Banerjee said. “They have a lot on their plate.”This season has been something of a holding year for the Hundred, the bridge between the tournament’s inception as a product run entirely by the ECB and its reincarnation as a league between privately-owned franchises from 2026. But Banerjee believes it has been the best edition yet, citing strong ticket sales and high attendances at women’s fixtures.”We were really keen that it wasn’t a transition year and it wasn’t a nothing year. Actually, I think this year has been the best year. It’s important that the tournament that people have bought into continues to grow, continues to be successful… It is a great tournament and it’s great fun to be at. I’m very pleased that it’s not really been a ‘transition’ [season]. It’s been a great start.”I see no reason why we can’t be that unmissable event of the summer… We need to be brilliant at knowing our fanbase on TV, digital, and in-bowl, and serving them brilliant cricket and brilliant entertainment… If we continue with our fan-first approach and philosophy and continue to invest in the things that are important to us, we can achieve that aim.”

Bryan Mbeumo has revealed his stance on a potential Cameroon national team call-up for the African Cup of Nations in December as the winger is determined to avoid the club vs country row. The AFCON 2025 kicks off in the last week of December, while the players are expected to link up with their respective national teams two weeks before the competition commences.

Mbeumo off to a stellar start at United

Mbeumo enjoyed a stellar campaign with Brentford in the 2024-25 season as he scored 20 league goals and provided eight assists in 38 matches and emerged as the Premier League's fourth-highest goalscorer. His impressive form for the Bees caught United boss Ruben Amorim's eye as the Portuguese coach splashed a whopping £65 million ($87m) to secure the winger's signing. Amorim identified the Cameroonian as a key part of his squad overhaul after overseeing a nightmare debut campaign at Old Trafford. 

The 26-year-old has so far had an impressive outing in his maiden season with the Red Devils as he has scored four goals and contributed with an assist in 10 league matches. Last month, Mbeumo recorded three goals and one assist, playing a pivotal role in United’s turnaround after a sluggish start to the season. His all-action displays reflected both his maturity and tactical intelligence under Amorim, who has given the 26-year-old the freedom to attack from the right-hand side while drifting into central positions. It also helped him bag the Premier League Player of the Month for October. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMbeumo wants to avoid club vs country row over AFCON participation

Mbeumo is expected to receive a national team call-up next month as Cameroon are all set to take part in the AFCON 2025. The tournament starts on December 21 and according to FIFA’s international competition regulations, clubs must release players two weeks before the start of major tournaments to allow for preparation. United are scheduled to face Wolves on December 8, the day Cameroon are expected to begin their preparations. 

reports that the Red Devils will urge the Cameroon Football Association, led by legendary striker Samuel Eto’o, to allow Mbeumo to stay in England for the club's crucial fixtures against Bournemouth and Aston Villa on December 13 and 21 respectively. 

The report adds that Mbeumo is very clear about his stance on this potential conflict, as he is determined not to upset either his employers or his country and wants a clear agreement between all parties in the coming weeks.

Amorim's stance on AFCON issue

Other than Mbeumo, United will also miss key first team figures like Noussair Mazraoui and Amad, who are expected to represent Morocco and Ivory Coast respectively, at the continental competition. Speaking about missing three of their star players in December, United boss Amorim said: "We will have time to suffer. We are going to struggle a little bit, but we already knew it's going to be an opportunity. When I watch the training, there are players that should be playing, but it's hard with one game to take some players from the team, because they are doing well also during the training in games. So other players are going to have the opportunity to help us. They are understanding the way we want to play, so if we are improving on that, the change of characteristics is not going to change the idea or the momentum of the team. But let's use Amad and Bryan in these games and we will see in general."

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Getty Images SportUnited aim to get back to winning ways

After a brilliant run of form in October, where they won three games in a row, something United had failed to achieve earlier in the Amorim era, their form somewhat took a dip as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Forest last weekend. Despite the draw, United have moved up to the eighth position in the Premier League table, courtesy of collecting 10 points in their last four games. They will now aim to get back to winning ways on Saturday as they travel to north London to face Tottenham. 

Newcastle United have the welcome distraction of the Champions League in midweek.

In Europe’s elite competition, the Magpies are two wins from three, with eight goals under their belt. In stark contrast, Eddie Howe’s men are struggling badly in the Premier League.

Their horrendous run of form has seen them secure only three victories from ten, leading to Toon icon Alan Shearer labelling the situation at the moment as “rotten.”

While they may now be without Alexander Isak, a number of their key established players are yet to really fire, including the out-of-sorts Anthony Gordon.

Why Anthony Gordon is becoming an issue for Newcastle

Gordon’s topsy-turvy form sums up Newcastle’s current predicament in a nutshell.

Indeed, the England international has hammered home four Champions League strikes this season and has looked at ease on the biggest of club stages. Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel has even selected him to start on a regular basis this term.

That said, domestically, he has been in a horror run of form that stretches back into 2024/25. To date, he has zero goals and assists next to his name from seven Premier League outings. He has also created just two big chances across those fixtures.

Usually so creative, so dynamic and so free-flowing, the winger’s form has totally deserted him in the top-flight.

There is a stale feel in the air regarding Newcastle’s stalwarts, such as the ex-Everton attacker, as they continue to underperform, with Howe perhaps now ready to look at the youth starlets rising through the ranks at St James’ Park to fix a number of his issues.

How Newcastle could solve their Gordon problem

So far this season, Howe has chucked Lewis Miley into the first team mix here and there to freshen things up centrally, with the homegrown prodigy still only 19 years of age.

This surely bodes well for the likes of Sean Neave, who continues to rip up the Premier League 2 with his goalscoring prowess. The Newcastle-born teenager has bagged 29 goals across many different youth teams, yet a senior shot still evades him.

Alfie Harrison – who was previously on the books of Manchester City – will also be hopeful of a senior opportunity shortly, with the tricky 19-year-old maverick already up to four assists for the season in Premier League 2 action, as he continues to stick out as a vibrant Gordon-like talent.

Yet, another youngster is catching Howe’s eye who could really trouble Gordon’s first team security, with the 18-year-old in question even being wildly compared to Kylian Mbappe.

Indeed, the time now feels right to introduce the hotly-tipped Seung Soo-Park to first-team football.

Having joined the Magpies academy ranks from South Korean side Suwon Bluewings earlier this year, with lots of hype attached to his name, he looks ready and raring to make an impact under Howe’s wing.

Park would become the youngest player in the history of Korean league football when he made his senior debut for Suwon, with one goal and two assists coming his way in Korean League 2 action even resulting in his Suwon head coach Byun Sung-hwan lauding him as having the “ability to go to the very top” with his front-foot approach down the left wing.

Further hailed as being “similar to Kylian Mbappe” by Asian football expert John Duerden for his speed and skilful approach down the flanks, the hope will be that Park can explode onto the senior scene much like the world-class Frenchman managed, with promising displays coming his way for Howe and Co in pre-season.

Up against Espanyol, Park ended his bright 63-minute stint with three out of four of his dribbles coming off, leading further to journalist Charlie Bennett lauding him as a “real find” from South Korea.

While Park continues to impress behind the scenes – with two assists also next to his name in the Magpies youth set-up this season – Gordon is deep in a moment of crisis in the Premier League, with his lacklustre showing against West Ham culminating in Howe bringing him off at the half-time mark.

Minutes played

45

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

28

Shots

1

Accurate passes

14/16 (88%)

Accurate crosses

0/3

Successful dribbles

0/2

The previously mentioned Bennett even said at the close of the Hammers’ defeat that Gordon is “not undroppable” – and with Anthony Elanga still without a goal or assist himself in league action after a bumper £55m move – Park might well be the outside-of-the-box answer to their troubling woes.

Gordon may well be in possession of the number 10 shirt right now but this budding Newcastle prodigy looks ready to start his ascent to stardom and swipe it away from him in the coming years.

Newcastle's £100m star in the making is "all over the place" without Isak

This Newcastle United star is seriously struggling at the moment, having once been touted to be worth £100m.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 4, 2025

She’s had an impact in both the World Cup matches she has played so far and, for a brief while over the last week, was the No. 1 T20I bowler in the world

Firdose Moonda08-Oct-2024Sadia Iqbal gave Pakistan reason to believe.After they struggled to a score of 105 for 8 in the highest-profile game they will play at this T20 World Cup, against India, she removed Smriti Mandhana in the fifth over of the chase and created an opening for her team. Importantly, she also built on a plan to starve Mandhana of runs by keeping it full and on the stumps, which created a string of nine dot balls to India’s experienced opener, before offering her some width and inviting her to drive. Mandhana only managed to send the ball to Tuba Hassan at point and Pakistan had the advantage.”I know my spells are very crucial for the team,” Iqbal told ESPNcricinfo in Dubai. “That’s why I am very focused on my bowling and getting my role right.”Related

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Over the last two years, Iqbal’s job has been to take the new ball and it’s one she has embraced. The 29-year-old left-arm spinner has opened the bowling in all the T20Is she has played and reaped some outstanding results. With 28 wickets in 17 matches in 2024, Iqbal is the leading wicket-taker among bowlers at the World Cup this year and also has the most wickets by a Pakistan player in any calendar year. For a short period of time between the match against India on Sunday and England’s win over South Africa on Monday night, she topped the ICC bowling rankings and became only the second Pakistan player to achieve such a status.The other, Sana Mir, who was the No. 1 ODI bowler in 2018-19, is currently at the tournament as a commentator and has been spending time with Iqbal and offering advice. “I’ve learnt so much from her,” Iqbal said. “Before the match, I talked to her about the conditions and what to expect and she told me everything.”Pakistan have played at both tournament venues already and adjusted fairly well to the differences with the ball.In Sharjah, they restricted Sri Lanka to 85 for 9 in pursuit of a target of 117 – Iqbal took 3 for 17. On a surface, which was devoid of pace, she did not follow the lead of the Bangladesh bowlers, from earlier that day, sending down deliveries as slowly as 50kph, but stuck to what she knew. “I don’t usually bowl slow, I stick to my pace,” she said. “But I follow the idea of situational bowling and try to see what the batters are doing and react to that.”

“The big change is mindset, because every player is playing attacking cricket. It’s the approach, it’s our mindset, working with different coaches, and learning through more experiences”Sadia Iqbal

What Iqbal did in Sharjah was to ask the Sri Lanka middle and lower order to go after her, knowing she would be difficult to get away. She had Anushka Sanjeewani caught at deep midwicket trying to flick a full ball to the boundary; Nilakshika Silva caught at short fine-leg playing the sweep; and trapped Sugandika Kumari lbw attempting the same type of shot.In Dubai, where run-scoring is slightly easier, she started off with a clear plan to keep it tight, before offering some width and changing her lengths later on, as India’s urgency for runs grew.That willingness to encourage the batters to take her on and back herself to succeed comes from an overall team approach that has changed since the last T20 World Cup, Iqbal explained. “The big change is mindset, because every player is playing attacking cricket. It’s the approach, it’s our mindset, working with different coaches, and learning through more experiences.”Pakistan’s more proactive approach suits Iqbal’s style as someone who has always relished a contest. A multi-sport player, who was involved in handball and hockey, Iqbal came to cricket “late”, as a 22-year-old. At the time, she had just graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honours in sports science. She made her debut for Pakistan two years later and has properly established herself in the side only over the last couple of years. On the evidence of her success in that time, Iqbal is on an upward trajectory and may well continue to give Pakistan more reasons to believe in the future.

Enzo Maresca has revealed that star midfielder Moises Caicedo was forced to start from the bench for Saturday's Premier League tie against Burnley due to the player's late arrival in London after the international break. The Ecuadorian played every minute of his country's two friendlies against New Zealand and Canada, reporting back to the west London club on Thursday evening.

Maresca protects Caicedo from punishing workload

The Blues boss would always prefer to have his destructive midfield enforcer on the field, but it appears the Ecuadorian's punishing workload has forced the decision. The Italian revealed that Caicedo only arrived back in London late on Thursday evening, leaving him with just a light session on Friday to prepare for the lunchtime kickoff in Lancashire. 

Speaking ahead of the game, Maresca rebuffed suggestions he was looking ahead to a tricky week of fixtures for the Blues. Chelsea square off with Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, before hosting London rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal next Sunday. While the Blues would be excused in prioritising those marquee fixtures, it appears the strenuous travel schedule for the 24-year-old was the only factor in his starting today's game from the bench. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'The reason he is not playing is that it's impossible'

When asked if he was resting Caicedo, with an eye on those upcoming fixtures, Maresca told TNT Sports "Nothing [to do with Barcelona and Arsenal]. The reason he is not in the first eleven is that came back Thursday night from Ecuador, from the national team, then just a light session with us yesterday, and the reason he is not playing is that it is impossible. To protect him a little bit."

Caicedo a vital player for club and country

Caicedo's brilliance in the Chelsea engine room has won him even more admirers of late, prompting pundits to suggest he could be a target for Real Madrid in the summer. His importance to the team has been noted by teammates too; Robert Sanchez said the 24-year-old is the best "midfielder in the world" after his influential display in Chelsea's 1-0 win over Tottenham earlier this month. 

Obviously, the former Brighton man is just as important to his international side. Caicedo has been the main man for a side that has punched above its weight in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers. Ecuador finished second in the league table behind a ferocious defensive effort. La Tricolor conceded just five goals in their 18 qualification games. 

Such is Caicedo's influence, that manager Sebastian Beccacece saw fit to play the Chelsea man for all 180 minutes in Ecuador's 0-0 draw against Canada and 2-0 victory over New Zealand earlier this week. 

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Getty Images SportKeeping Caicedo fresh over busy festive period crucial to Chelsea's season

While Maresca may not have considered the immediate future in his decision to bench the energetic midfielder, keeping Caicedo fresh over the next month will be crucial. December is English football's busiest period. The Blues have eight games on the slate next month, including a Carabao Cup quarter final against Cardiff City and a Champions League clash away at Atalanta. To be without Caicedo for that intense period would present Maresca with a real selection headache. 

In the series of mis-steps in Australia, Rohit dropping himself, if you strip it of emotion, is among the most clear-headed decisions India have made

Sambit Bal03-Jan-20252:03

Manjrekar: Secrecy diminished Rohit’s selfless act

We could have done without the intrigue, and after it has happened, we can do without the absurd soft-pedalling around the words. Rohit Sharma hasn’t rested himself, just as Shubman Gill wasn’t rested for the previous Test. He has stood himself down, and call it courageous, selfless or plain pragmatic, it certainly counts as extraordinary.In the series of mis-steps for India in Australia – confounding selections, batting-order shuffles, ill-chosen strokes at vital moments – Rohit dropping himself, if you strip it of emotion, is among the most clear-headed decisions during this tour. Cricket accords massive allowances to the captain, but it was clear that Rohit didn’t make it to India’s best possible XI, and a struggling batting line-up couldn’t afford carry a non-performing captain in a must-win game. Irrespective of what happens in this Test, and whether Gill goes on to make a contribution of significance or not, this will remain the right decision for India.What makes it extraordinary, though, is that such things just don’t happen in cricket. MS Dhoni gave up captaincy and Test cricket altogether during the course of a series on these very shores, and Kim Hughes and Nasser Hussain both resigned mid-series. But for an instance of a captain dropping himself for a Test – there is every indication Rohit did this of his own volition – we need go back to England’s tour of Australia in 1974-75, when Mike Denness left himself out after a wretched run with the bat (65 runs in six innings) and with England 2-0 down.Elite athletes are hard-wired to believe in themselves. They become successful because they don’t give up, because they believe they can overcome failure and can battle through tough times. Hard-nosed obstinacy, mongrel spirit, and the ability to shut out noise are among the things that separates them from all those who can play a pretty stroke or bowl a ripping outswinger or legbreak.The last couple of months in Rohit Sharma’s career underlines the fickleness of sport.•Getty ImagesIn a fickle art like batting in which one moment, or every moment, can be a turning point, how can you blame batters, particularly those who have travelled the course, from believing that a run of scores is just an innings away? How can they, left to their own devices, give up without another tilt?In the normal course of events, the decision is out of their hands. It’s those who pick the team – selectors before and after a series, and captain and the coach during series – that make the call. It might vary from team to team and people to people, but the accepted protocol is that the captain has the last word on the ten that walk alongside him to battle.We don’t know what Rohit’s been thinking. There have been leaks suggesting disquiet in the dressing room. It would have been unusual if words hadn’t been spoken after the last-day implosion that cost India the Test in Melbourne. It was his absence due to paternity leave at the beginning of the series that necessitated the batting-order reshuffle in the first place, and forcing Gill out to accommodate a batting allrounder – the runs from Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar shouldn’t obscure the fact that together they bowled fewer overs than Jasprit Bumrah’s 28.4 in the first innings alone – might have weighed heavy on him too.

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If anything, the last couple of months in Rohit’s career underlines the fickleness of sport. It’s now almost forgotten that 2024 was among Rohit’s greatest in India colours. Coming on the back of him leading India to the 2023 ODI World Cup final, where his scorching starts not only gave India the momentum for big scores but set out a marker for the brand of cricket for his team, he started the year with a come-from-behind series win against England, to which he contributed two match-defining hundreds, and went on the win India’s first ICC world title since 2011 at the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, where his runs in difficult conditions were vital.He began the home season in September with Test wins against Bangladesh, one of which was manufactured with breathtaking audacity, led by Rohit himself.Just the other day, Rohit Sharma’s leadership was seen as transformational•Associated PressSo it was not long ago that Rohit’s leadership was seen as transformational. He was hailed as a calming and uniting presence off the field, engaging with players, involving himself alongside Rahul Dravid in the players’ wellbeing, and communicating with selectors in planning for the future. And on the field, he rallied them to the cause of team over personal milestones.It’s remarkable how the wheels have come off for Rohit. It began with choosing to bat on a greenish pitch under murky skies in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, and since then India have spiralled downhill, the only thing further south being Rohit’s own returns with the bat.So, did Rohit come to that point where the abyss felt too deep to climb out of, where an upturn seemed impossible, and as a leader, his own baggage seemed too much a burden for the team? Denness had later described his decision to opt out as the lowest point of his life. It’s hard to imagine it being any different for Rohit. It is understood he had contemplated sitting out at Melbourne too, and this incredibly tough decision must be seen in the light it merits: a decent man doing the decent thing.But it must be said that he has done himself a dis-service by cloaking the decision in such secrecy that it led to fervent speculation. Denness had the chance to come back and sign off from the series with a 188. Rohit would have been painfully aware that this might be his last act as a Test player, so why sign off this way?Why is the word “dropped” such a stigma in Indian cricket when it’s a such a fundamental part of a team game? Why the charade at the pre-match press conference? It is inconceivable that the team didn’t know, so what was there to protect? And what’s dishonourable in fronting up when the truth is honourable?

Champions post second-highest score in women’s Hundred thanks to Harris and Griffith knocks

ECB Reporters Network05-Aug-2025Grace Harris powered London Spirit to victory on the opening day of the Hundred, smashing 89 from just 42 balls to give the defending champions the perfect start in front of 15,640 fans at Lord’s.Harris, preferred by Spirit to Meg Lanning in the draft this winter, won the battle of the two world-class Australian batters, but Lanning could scarcely have done more in reply – making 85 off 51 balls to take Oval Invincibles close in their chase.Until Lanning was dismissed, the South London team were very much in the game but it was to be Harris and Spirit’s day. The big-hitting Aussie was ably supported by Cordelia Griffith in her side’s total of 176 for , Griffith contributing a 29-ball 50 to help Spirit to the second-highest score in the history of the women’s competition.England’s Ryana Macdonald-Gay was possibly the pick of the away team’s bowlers, but there was cheer for Tash Farrant who took her first wicket in the Hundred for 1450 days following injury.For Invincibles, no one player was able to support Lanning in the same way Griffith had backed up Harris, with cameos from Alice Capsey and Marizanne Kapp providing hope but ultimately not doing enough to overhaul such an imposing total.For Spirit, without last year’s winning captain Heather Knight, the 17-run win and the bragging rights over their London rivals signals the perfect start to their trophy defence.Meerkat Match Hero, Harris, said: “You always want a win on the board, especially in a format like this when it’s so fast. And it’s great to come up against our cross-town rivals and get the wood on them, too.”Pretty early on [it was clear it was a good wicket]. There was some good comms from the openers back to the bench and they said it wasn’t doing much; bit of swing in the air but outside of that it was playing nicely. With that role in the middle you’ve just got to capitalise on however many balls you’re going to face and we might have pinched a few singles there and it was good for us.”I’m pretty easy [as to where she bats in the order]. I’d love to open because you get to bat for the longest but I don’t really care where I end up and it’s pretty good to cash in at the end so I’ll take it.”

Newcastle United will need to show they can pick up results on the road consistently to continue their fine start to December.

At St James’ Park so far this month, which is the Magpies’ dependable fortress, Eddie Howe’s men have collected a draw and a win, with only two losses from eight matches coming their way on their own turf this season so far.

In stark contrast, three losses have been tallied up away from home, with only one away win next to their name sticking out as a worrying fact.

In their defence, the only success on the road this season saw them emphatically get the better of Everton 4-1 in the Premier League, which might well stand them in good stead against Bayer Leverkusen and Sunderland to come.

Howe will hope his team’s up-and-down nature has been rectified by the time the January transfer window swings back open, with a potentially busy month ahead for the Toon in terms of incomings.

Newcastle looking to sign new midfielder

The unpredictability of January could also see Newcastle offload a couple of players, too, with reserve centre-forward option William Osula alleged to be keen to move away from St James’ Park.

There are also rumours bubbling away about fresh faces joining the building, with former Leicester City ace Bilal El Khannouss just one of many options catching the Toon’s eye in the middle of the park. On top of him, a cut-price £13m move for Ferencváros TC star Alex Tóth could be on the agenda.

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope has added more fuel to the fire by revealing that Howe and Co are set to make a move for rising AZ Alkmaar star Kees Smit, with the reported transfer fee floating about for his services coming in at the £30m price range.

The inconsistent Toon have long been admirers of the well-rounded Dutchman, and with Manchester United and Liverpool circling, this would be seen as a statement move in January, as Newcastle prepare to spend the big bucks once more. Hope has already described the youngster as “one of Europe’s most exciting teenagers” so this one is certainly something to kick and scream about.

How Smit can be Howe's future Guimaraes

Howe will hope, by landing Smit, that he wins himself a future Bruno Guimaraes, which will be music to the ears of the devoted Tyneside fanbase, after the much-loved Brazilian only affirmed his legendary status at the club more with that audacious strike versus Burnley.

The 28-year-old is now synonymous with Newcastle, with his corner kick effort sailing straight over the head of Martin Dubravka, further backing up comments by his manager that he is a “difference-maker”.

Of course, Smit has some way to go before he’s pulling off screamers like Guimaraes’ ingenious effort regularly in the Premier League, but the 19-year-old does have a powerful effort up his sleeve, with his ability to conjure up a moment of magic from a very early age also seeing scout Jacek Kulig laud him as a “super talent.”

Indeed, this sumptuous effort in the U19 Euros in the summer shows off a star who is incredibly confident and assured in front of goal, with Smit now up to ten goal contributions in the senior ranks at AZ. Newcastle’s beloved captain is up to 27 goals and 29 assists himself in the senior picture at St James’ Park, with Howe hopeful that Smit could reach these levels in time, so he can replace the 28-year-old down the line.

It’s not just their output in terms of goals and assists that makes the two talents in question similar, however, with Smit’s energy and determination centrally also placing himself on the same pedestal as the industrious South American, which has led to the AZ number 26 even being branded as a “duel monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, a tag regularly placed on Guimaraes’ shoulders.

Games played

18

14

Goals scored

0

2

Assists

0

2

Touches*

38.8

62.7

Accurate passes*

23.3 (85%)

42.7 (89%)

Key passes*

1.3

1.8

Big chances created

3

3

Ball recoveries*

3.3

5.7

Total duels won*

2.9

3.3

Smit has certainly grown into being more of a lively performer centrally this season in the Eredivisie, when looking at the table above, making 5.7 ball recoveries and winning 3.3 duels per game.

In constract, the Newcastle skipper has made 5.1 ball recoveries, but he does blow Smit out of the water in the duels department, having won a fierce 5.4 duels so far this campaign in the demanding Premier League.

Still, with the upward trajectory the table outlines, he could reach Guimaraes’ commanding levels very soon, as Howe prepares to win himself a standout talent for the future in January, by securing Smit’s coveted services.

Newcastle star was entering Obertan territory, now he's their "best player"

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