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Overall, the tournament recorded a reach of 446 million on digital in India, greater than the combined total of the last three editions

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2025

A record number of viewers tuned in for the final on Sunday•ICC/Getty Images

The 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup final in Navi Mumbai, where hosts India beat South Africa to lift their maiden title, attracted a record 185 million users on JioHotstar, the official streaming platform in India. It equalled the viewership of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup final and exceeded the average daily reach of the 2025 IPL.Apart from that, 92 million tuned in on Connected TV (CTV), equalling the CTV viewership of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final and the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 final, which also involved India as one of the teams. Overall, the World Cup recorded a reach of 446 million on digital in India, the highest ever for a women’s tournament, greater than the combined total of the last three editions.Earlier, the India-Pakistan group-stage match on October 5 had set a record for the most viewers tuning in for a women’s international match: 28.4 million. That pales in comparison to the number of viewers the final drew.The DY Patil Stadium, the venue for the final, was also packed to capacity, with 39,555 watching India make history.

Arsenal have now joined the race for a £88m forward who recently entered “very advanced” talks over a move to Tottenham Hotspur…

Gunners ramping up pursuit of forward amid Eze criticism

The Gunners’ lead at the top of the Premier League table was reduced to just two points on Saturday, with Aston Villa securing a 2-1 win at Villa Park, and Shaka Hislop was particularly unimpressed with Eberechi Eze’s performance.

Hislop said: “He could have been taken off after 30 minutes, I’ll be honest.

“Now I am as willing as anybody to sing Eze’s praises, but everything from Arsenal came down the right in that first half.

“Everything came through Bukayo Saka, so the change had to be made at half-time because Eze was non-existent.”

In fairness, Eze has made a very promising start to life at the Emirates Stadium, with the England international amassing nine goal contributions in his opening 22 matches across all competitions.

However, the 27-year-old’s best performance arguably came in the 4-1 victory against Tottenham, during which he played through the middle, so there may be room to bring in another left-winger this winter, and Arsenal are now ramping up their pursuit.

It was recently revealed that a strong move is being made for Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola, but the Frenchman is not the only target, with a report from Caught Offside revealing Arsenal have now joined the race for RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande.

The Gunners have been monitoring Diomande’s progress over the past few weeks, alongside a number of Europe’s top clubs, while Spurs are also keen, with Sky Sports reporter Sacha Tavolieri recently stating they are in “very advanced” talks with the left-winger.

A deal could be on the expensive side, however, with it being suggested RB Leipzig could look to hold out for around €80m – €100m (£70m – £88m).

Arsenal to "directly contact" £88m forward about joining after talks with his reps

Arteta apparently wants to sign him in January.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 5, 2025 Diomande making "sensational" impact in Germany

The Ivorian only made the move to Germany during the summer, but he has already started to make a major impact, being singled out for high praise by scout Jacek Kulig.

Most recently, the 19-year-old put in a remarkable performance in his side’s 6-0 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring a hat-trick and completing more dribbles than any other player.

Yan Diomande’s key statistics vs Frankfurt

Number completed

Dribbles (successful)

8 (4)

Key passes

1

Duels (won)

13 (6)

Goals

3

Considering Diomande is still a teenager, the level of his performances in the Bundesliga this season have been remarkable, and he may be ready to join one of Europe’s biggest clubs soon, so it would be fantastic if Arsenal were able to beat Tottenham to his signature.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com as lesões de Lucas e Rato, o técnico Tiago Carpini deve apostar em Luciano no duelo decisivo do São Paulo contra o Cobresal-CHI, pela segunda rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasDicasSão Paulo x Cobresal: odds, estatísticas e informações para apostar na LibertadoresDicas09/04/2024São PauloSão Paulo divulga atualização de lesionados na LibertadoresSão Paulo06/04/2024São PauloSaiba o que segura Carpini no comando do São PauloSão Paulo06/04/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

Luciano saiu do banco e marcou o único gol do São Paulo na derrota contra o Talleres. Luciano possui 71 gols pelo Tricolor, sendo 53 quando o atacante iniciou como reserva.

No total, ele balançou as redes 27 vezes no primeiro tempo e 44 vezes na etapa final pelo São Paulo. Dos 15 jogos disputados por Luciano na temporada, o atacante iniciou no banco em cinco ocasiões.

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➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

A partida contra o Cobresal será também uma oportunidade para Luciano reafirmar sua fama de carrasco de equipes chilenas. O camisa 10 soma três vitórias, um empate, cinco gols e duas assistências contra times do Chile atuando pelo São Paulo.

CARPINI PRESSIONADO

A pressão sob Carpini aumentou após a derrota do São Paulo diante do Talleres. Embora o presidente Júlio Casares tenha bancado a permanência do treinador, qualquer resultado diferente de uma vitória no Morumbis pode tornar a situação do técnico insustentável no Tricolor.

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➡️ Veja tabela com datas, horários dos jogos da Libertadores

Tudo sobre

LibertadoresSão Paulo

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians oficializou a saída do técnico Mano Menezes nesta segunda-feira (5). Após início ruim no Paulistão 2024, com uma vitória em cinco jogos, a diretoria alvinegra optou pela demissão.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

O Timão começou a discutir as possibilidades de substitutos e já tem um ‘plano A’ para assumir a função. O técnico Márcio Zanardi, do São Bernardo, é um dos cogitados para o cargo.

A informação sobre a saída de Mano foi publicada inicialmente pelo “Ge” e confirmada pelo Lance!.

O treinador tinha contrato até dezembro de 2025 e foi contratado ainda pela gestão antiga do Timão, quando era presidido por Duílio Monteiro Alves. A multa rescisória do profissional consiste no pagamento dos salários equivalentes até o fim do vínculo. O atual mandatário alvinegro, Augusto Melo, chegou a despistar sobre a possibilidade de demissão.

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– Ninguém está preocupado com multa, estamos preocupados com o trabalho. O Mano é o treinador do Corinthians até 2025, contrato feito. Vou estar estruturando para ele ter uma melhor condição de trabalho. Tenho minha responsabilidade como presidente. Se ele está pedindo algumas peças para poder encaixar, minha obrigação é trabalhar para isso – disse.

Mano Menezes completou sua terceira passagem pelo Corinthians. Contratado na reta final de 2023, ele teve 20 partidas, seis vitórias, cinco empates e nove derrotas, sendo 38% de aproveitamento.

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Tudo sobre

CorinthiansMano Menezes

The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are set to engage in a clash of titans in the 2024 World Series. It’s the first Fall Classic between No. 1 seeds since 2020, and the first such matchup in a full season since ‘13. It also pits teams with two of MLB’s three highest payrolls against each other, as well as the two presumed MVPs of the regular season in New York’s Aaron Judge and Los Angeles’s Shohei Ohtani.

The Dodgers are slight favorites at sportsbooks, but if we break down the matchup position by position, would we get the same sense?

Catcher

Will Smith (Dodgers) vs. Austin Wells (Yankees)

Smith, an All-Star for the last two seasons, doesn’t get as much attention as he probably should in Los Angeles’s star-studded lineup. The 29-year-old ranks third among catchers in WAR over the last four seasons, behind only J.T. Realmuto and Sean Murphy, and has delivered several clutch postseason hits for the Dodgers over the years. L.A. clearly values him, though, having signed him to a 10-year, $140 million contract in March.

Austin Wells has been a nice rookie success story for the Yankees, providing a league-average bat and earning plaudits for his work behind the plate. He’s already better defensively than Smith, whose fielding metrics took a concerning tumble this year, but Smith’s clear advantage on offense gives him the nod.

Advantage: Dodgers

First base

Freddie Freeman (Dodgers) vs. Anthony Rizzo (Yankees)

These 35-year-old, sweet-swinging lefties have long been compared since their rookie seasons in 2011. Rizzo got off to a quicker start in the majors as a cornerstone for the Cubs that ended the franchise’s World Series drought in 2016. But Freeman has eclipsed him since winning the 2020 NL MVP while enjoying one of baseball’s most graceful aging curves. Rizzo hasn’t made an All-Star team since 2016—Freeman has six All-Star invites in that span.

Honing in on this year, Freeman was worth 4.6 WAR while Rizzo was below replacement level. It’s not much of a comparison anymore, even if Freeman is slightly hobbled by his sprained ankle.

Advantage: Dodgers

Second base

Gavin Lux (Dodgers) vs. Gleyber Torres (Yankees)

Torres has yet to match the production of his first two seasons that earned him All-Star status in 2018 and ‘19, but he’s settled in as a 20-homer threat and has done well setting the table for New York’s sluggers during these playoffs.

Lux, a former top prospect, has had his career affected by injuries, and that issue cropped up again in the NLCS after he left Game 1 with hip flexor tightness and made only one more start in the series. But he’s expected back in the lineup for the World Series after playing a career-high 139 games this season while slashing .251/.320/.383.

This is one of the closest calls on the board—both guys recorded a 101 OPS+ this year, meaning they’re almost exactly league-average hitters, and neither is anything special on the base paths or in the field. But Torres’s power stroke and recent hot streak gives him the edge.

Advantage: Yankees

Shortstop

Tommy Edman (Dodgers) vs. Anthony Volpe (Yankees)

Miguel Rojas entered the playoffs as the Dodgers’ starting shortstop, but missed the NLCS with an adductor injury. Edman, who was injured for the season’s first few months and was acquired in July from St. Louis, stepped in and earned NLCS MVP honors while leading Los Angeles with 11 RBIs. Even if Rojas is healthy enough to play, it’d be surprising if Edman was usurped at this point.

Volpe earned a Gold Glove as a rookie last year, and despite not quite living up to his top-prospect billing on offense has reached base in all nine of the Yankees’ playoff games.

This is another close one. Volpe’s superior speed and glovework at a premium defensive position makes the slightest difference here.

Advantage: Yankees

Third base

Max Muncy (Dodgers) vs. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Yankees)

Both of these guys have made the All-Star Game for other infield positions—Muncy for first base, Chisholm for second—but possess the versatility to hold down the hot corner well enough. They’re accordingly two players with very different profiles: Muncy possesses one of the sport’s best batting eyes and has four 35-homer campaigns under his belt, while Chisholm’s 24 dingers this year are a career high, as are his 40 stolen bases (Muncy has 14 SBs in nine seasons).

Muncy takes this matchup on the strength of his extensive postseason résumé and current form—he has reached base 15 times (including two homers) in the Dodgers’ last five games, while Chisholm is 5-for-34 (.147) with one homer and two walks in the Yankees’ nine playoff contests.

Advantage: Dodgers

Left field

Teoscar Hernández (Dodgers) vs. Alex Verdugo (Yankees)

Verdugo gets to face the team that traded him to Boston for Mookie Betts. While he has been a serviceable outfielder in the five seasons since that infamous deal, it’s fair to say he hasn’t lived up to expectations, especially this season with career lows in every slash line category (.233/.291/.356). 

Hernández, meanwhile, is in the midst of his second All-Star campaign with 30-plus home runs. Easy call here.

Advantage: Dodgers

Center field

Kiké Hernández/Andy Pages (Dodgers) vs. Aaron Judge (Yankees)

Two fun facts: (1) Both Hernández (.863) and Pages (.776) have a higher OPS than Judge (.704) during these playoffs, and (2) Hernández and Judge both have 15 home runs in exactly 239 career postseason plate appearances. Neither of those change the result here, though.

Advantage: Yankees

Right field

Mookie Betts (Dodgers) vs. Juan Soto (Yankees)

Now this is a fun matchup. Both of these sluggers are raking in October (Betts: 4 HRs, 1.063 OPS; Soto: 3 HRs, 1.106 OPS) and are severely overcast in supporting roles to another superstar on their respective teams.

Soto is the better hitter than Betts at this point, but the latter carries a large advantage in base running and defense (despite Soto’s dubious status as a 2024 Gold Glove nominee). If Betts reels off a stunning all-around performance similar to the one he gave in the 2020 NLCS against the Braves, I’ll eat the words I’m about to type. When it comes down to it, though, Soto was intentionally walked in front of Aaron Judge by the Guardians in Game 2 of the ALCS—and they weren’t wrong to do so! He went on to hit the go-ahead home run in the clincher.

Soto is perhaps the one hitter whom pitchers would least want to face in the postseason with the game on the line. We’re about to discuss one of the very few players who may have a better argument.

Advantage: Yankees

Designated hitter

Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) vs. Giancarlo Stanton (Yankees)

Despite Stanton’s heroics over the last couple of weeks, I was not referring to him in the section above. While he did launch four home runs in the five-game ALCS, it’s worth noting those were his only four hits of the series. Stanton is the epitome of an all-or-nothing slugger.

Ohtani, meanwhile, does it all—hits for power, hits for average, takes walks, steals bases. He’s about to become the first full-time designated hitter ever to be named MVP, and there’s no one else more worthy of that distinction.

Advantage: Dodgers

Bench

Andy Pages, Chris Taylor, Miguel Rojas, Austin Barnes (Dodgers) vs. Jon Berti, Oswaldo Cabrera, Jasson Domínguez/Trent Grisham, Jose Trevino (Yankees)

Berti platoons with Rizzo at first base, but since the Dodgers won’t carry any lefthanded starters, it’d be a surprise if any of the Yankees’ bench players cracked the starting lineup during the World Series.

Los Angeles has long been known for valuing versatility and making stellar use of its entire roster based on matchups. Taylor basically wins this category for the Dodgers by himself based on his postseason experience alone, but you can bet he won’t be the only L.A. backup entrusted in a key moment this series.

Advantage: Dodgers

Rotation

Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, Landon Knack (Dodgers) vs. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil (Yankees)

The Dodgers’ starting pitching issues have been well documented. In Tom Verducci’s must-read obituary of Fernando Valenzuela, he noted that Valenzuela pitched more innings in the 1981 postseason as a rookie (40⅔ innings over five starts) than the Dodgers’ rotation has in 11 playoff games (40 IP). With Yamamoto’s arm still not completely stretched out since his return from injury last month, and Buehler lacking consistency throughout his first season back from his second Tommy John surgery, Flaherty is the only one whom manager Dave Roberts can trust to provide length—and Flaherty was shelled his last time out against the Mets.

The Yankees, meanwhile, have starters to spare as Marcus Stroman and Nestor Cortes have been relegated to the bullpen. Cole is the best pitcher on either roster and Rodón has looked good in his last two starts while learning from Cole and Yankees legend Andy Pettitte how to stay even-keeled on the mound. Schmidt and Gil have demonstrated they can get through opposing lineups twice while minimizing damage.

This answer would have been an easy call in favor of the Dodgers at the beginning of the season, but instead it’s an obvious advantage for the Yankees.

Advantage: Yankees

Bullpen

There’s some uncertainty on both sides as to which relief arms will be available when rosters are finalized Friday—Alex Vesia for Los Angeles, Cortes for New York—so I won’t speculate how that shakes out by listing each team’s entire projected bullpen.

What won’t be affected by those machinations is the Dodgers’ advantage in this aspect of the game. Roberts has proved many times over, especially this October, that he’s an expert at navigating bullpen usage. If Vesia isn’t available, there will be some concern over Anthony Banda being Los Angeles’s only lefty out of the ‘pen. But Daniel Hudson has actually been slightly more effective against lefthanded hitters this year, and Blake Treinen and Evan Phillips are the sort of elite arms whom Roberts won’t hesitate to deploy against anyone. Los Angeles wouldn’t be here without its stellar relief corps, which has yet to blow a lead this October.

The Yankees’ bullpen can’t say the same. Luke Weaver and Clay Holmes both served up home runs in New York’s ALCS Game 3 collapse against the Guardians, and Jake Cousins, Holmes and Mark Leiter Jr. combined to blow a four-run lead in Game 4 before a Yankees rally in the ninth inning. Tommy Kahnle and Tim Hill are nice weapons to have against the Dodgers’ lefty sluggers, but as a whole, manager Aaron Boone can’t be feeling as confident in his relievers as Roberts is in his.

Advantage: Dodgers

Final score: Dodgers, 7–5

South Africa’s all-format coach Shukri Conrad will make “no excuses” for losing “a game of millimetres” to New Zealand in the tri-series final in Harare and is “thrilled” with the way his new-look team played.Though South Africa lost all three matches they played against New Zealand in the competition, they came close to claiming the trophy and pulling off their highest successful chase against them. That they did that with a squad that includes only two players – Reeza Hendricks and Gerald Coetzee – who were part of their last T20 World Cup squad suggests to Conrad that the depth in South African cricket is strong as he builds towards the next World Cup in February-March next year.”There’s so many good things that we can take forward from here,” Conrad said at the post-match press conference. “The result is disappointing but there were so many good things that happened there today that we can be really proud of and that I am really proud of. With such a young and inexperienced side, to put up the type of performance today, that is also pleasing to see. It’s no excuse for losing and we’re still bitterly disappointed. But there were some really good things.”

Pretorius and Brevis repay the faith

Chief among them was the form shown by the two young batters Conrad has also included in next month’s white-ball squads for a tour to Australia: Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis. Pretorius, who scored 31 runs in his first three innings as a T20I opener, was moved down to No. 5 for South Africa’s last league game, where he made 1. He was brought back up to the top of the order for the final and set South Africa on their way with a 35-ball 51.Related

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“Lhuan-dre is one of the bright prospects for South Africa. We saw what he has in him with the innings he played today,” Conrad said. “He had a lean period throughout this tournament, but he’s a classy young cricketer and exciting times lie ahead for him. Young players go through tough times and very often don’t know how to deal with it. But for him to come back in the final and play the way he did gave us a really good foundation.”Brevis had played international cricket before, in 2023, when he scored five runs from two T20Is. He has enjoyed a breakthrough last six months with strong performances in the SA20 and call-ups to both Test and T20I squads in Zimbabwe and the ODI squad to Australia. After establishing himself as a finisher for MI Cape Town earlier in the year, he came within two shots of winning South Africa the final and Conrad is keen to develop his ability to close out games.”Dewald is a special talent,” Conrad said. “He’s hugely disappointed that he didn’t take us home but on another day, he would have hit that out of Harare. He’s a special talent. He’s probably one of the sweetest strikers of a cricket ball in world cricket at the moment. You’re never out of a game when you’ve still got Dewald Brevis in the shed or he’s at the wicket, and he’ll be better for this experience this week. He got us close on a few occasions and it’s a case of when he gets us over the line rather than if he will. This is all part of a journey for Dewald and part of his development. There’s certainly no doubting his ability.”

Bowling options at the death

The other improvement Conrad pointed out was South Africa’s bowling in the last five overs. Though they conceded 45 runs in that period, they only gave away three boundaries and took two wickets. Nandre Burger bowled two of the four overs, conceded 18 runs, and took a wicket, while Kwena Maphaka bowled the last over and gave away 11 runs. “Today, an area that we paid particular attention to was our bowling at the death. It’s been a bugbear for us for a long time,” Conrad said. “I think we’ve made huge strides insofar as that is concerned. Guys are clearer with their plans. In the last five overs, New Zealand only hit three boundaries, which is brilliant for us.”Gerald Coetzee was making a comeback during the tri-series•Zimbabwe Cricket

In South Africa’s first match in this series against New Zealand, they conceded 63 in the last five overs, which demonstrates the improvement Conrad spoke of. In that match, Coetzee bowled two of the five overs and gave away 32 runs. Coetzee did not play the final and has not been included in the squads for the Australia series, with Conrad saying he has moved down the pecking order.Coetzee remains very much part of South Africa’s core group, which Conrad will work with over the next WTC cycle (which will start with a two-Test tour to Pakistan in October) and in the lead-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup and 2027 ODI World Cup. Despite losing his first white-ball series in charge, Conrad is optimistic about what South Africa’s players can offer.”The bulk of them would have laid down a marker at some stage during this tournament that they belong at this level and that they want to be a part of this team,” he said. “It’s always great when you can grow your strength or your depth in certain areas, and I think we’ve managed to do that. Ideally, we want to play our best team and our strongest team whenever we can. And that’s going to be the case going forward now. But our experienced guys needed a break. So it’s going to be great integrating some of these young guys.”And, as always, Conrad would not leave without a parting shot about South Africa’s ambitions, especially as he looks to the next global event. “If today is going to be a yardstick, then it comes to the T20 World Cup, whoever wants to win the tournament is going to have to beat us,” he said. “I’m very confident going forward. I think we’ve got the makings of a really great side in every format.”

Zimbabwe opener Brian Bennett has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing Test against South Africa because of mild concussion. Prince Masvaure has been named as his concussion replacement for the rest of the match in Bulawayo.After South Africa declared overnight on 418 for 9, Bennett came out to open on the second day and saw his opening partner, Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Nick Welch fall inside five overs. In the sixth over, Bennett looked to pull a short ball from Kwena Maphaka but was hit on the helmet via the top edge. He was on 19 runs off 25 balls at the time.Bennett looked a bit shaken even as he passed the immediate concussion tests and continued batting. He faced three more deliveries in the next over, bowled by debutant Codi Yusuf, who picked up the first two Zimbabwean wickets, before retiring hurt in the eighth over. Bennett had looked the most assured of the Zimbabwe top-order batters at that point.Bennett came into this Test on the back of an attacking 139 against England in Nottingham. He had three fifty-plus scores, including that century, in his last three Test matches.Masvaure, 36, last played a Test in July 2024, against Ireland in Belfast, where he scored a half-century in the first innings. In the 2024-25 Logan Cup, Zimbabwe’s first-class competition, he scored 165 runs in five innings at an average of 41.25, including a best of 50 not out.

Nuno Espírito Santo kicked off his West Ham United tenure in fine fashion on Monday night.

The former Nottingham Forest boss didn’t pick up all three points in the Premier League clash with Everton, but they fought back from a goal down to claim one.

It was a display full of the sort of grit and determination that was so lacking under Graham Potter, and surely a positive sign of what could come this season.

Moreover, there were some standout performances from his starters, including a duo he could help make one of the best in the league.

The players who could thrive under Nuno

Starting with the obvious, there is no reason to think Jarrod Bowen won’t continue to be West Ham’s most important player under Nuno.

After all, the Englishman scored the goal on Monday night and racked up an unreal haul of 24 goal involvements in 36 games last season, despite the club doing so poorly for practically the entire campaign.

Finally, the Irons’ new manager was able to turn Chris Wood into a lean, mean goalscoring machine for the Tricky Trees last season, so just imagine the impact he could have on the former Hull City ace.

Speaking of the development of the Kiwi marksman, if he was able to chalk up 20 goals and three assists in 40 appearances under Nuno last year, there is no reason Callum Wilson couldn’t also have something of a late career revival this year.

The former Newcastle United star is the same age as the Forest man, and you only need to go back to 23/24 to reach the last campaign in which he was effective in front of goal, as he scored 10 goals and provided one assist in 26 games that year.

It could also be a great season ahead for Soungoutou Magassa and Freddie Potts.

The two of them are young, exciting and impressively technical central midfielders who can play in the six, and considering the development of now England international Elliot Anderson last year, there is no reason why they couldn’t be looked upon similarly this time in 26/27.

With all that said, there is one duo in particular that could be in for an extraordinary campaign under Nuno this season.

The West Ham duo Nuno could transform

While plenty of fans would probably love Nuno to transform their centre-back partnership this season, he’s not a miracle worker.

Chalkboard

However, the Portuguese coach could help make the partnership of El Hadji Malick Diouf and Crysencio Summerville on the left-hand side one of the best in the Premier League.

It’s something that certainly feels possible, as even though he only arrived in the summer, the “explosive” Senegalese international, as dubbed by one analyst, has already been described as “one of the best full-backs in the league” by another analyst.

While that is certainly high praise indeed, it’s not hard to see where they are coming from, as in just six Premier League games, the 20-year-old already has three assists to his name.

Moreover, on another night, he could have picked up one or two more against Everton, as he was constantly firing in dangerous cross after dangerous cross into the Toffees’ penalty area.

At the same time, Summerville was consistently driving at his opposite number and more often than not beating them.

In fact, the Dutchman completed three of his five dribbles, more than anyone else on the night, won five of eight ground duels, amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.67, took 55 touches, played one key pass and won two fouls.

Minutes

77′

Expected Goals

0.42

Expected Assists

0.12

Touches

55

Accurate Passes

27/29 (93%)

Key Passes

1

Shots on Target

1

Successful Dribbles

3

Ground Duels (Won)

8 (5)

Fouls Won

2

Clearances

3

Shots Blocked

1

The “unstoppable” winger, as dubbed by Statmand Dave, was so effective against David Moyes’ side that he was named the Man of the Match.

So, imagine how dangerous a pairing these two will be when they’ve had more time to play together. The former Leeds United star will be a nightmare for opposition defenders, capable of cutting inside with his close control, while Diouf will be hurtling up and down the pitch, firing in sensational crosses into dangerous areas.

Add to that a manager who was known for using flying wing-backs at Wolverhampton Wanderers and then utilising attacking full-backs at the City Ground, and the Irons left-hand side could become one of the most dangerous in the Premier League.

Ultimately, there is much of the season to come, but West Ham look like they could have something of a cheat code on one side of the pitch, and Bowen on the other.

14 goals in 19 games: West Ham are brewing 18-year-old Fullkrug upgrade

The young gem could be a real star for Nuno and West Ham.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 3, 2025

Glasgow Rangers have new owners in the 49ers Enterprises, and they have already splashed the cash in the transfer market, but who is the current record signing at Ibrox?

Football FanCast has taken a look at Rangers’ most expensive signings in their history, with a detailed look at the top 10.

1

Tore Andre Flo

£12m

Chelsea

2000

2

Youssef Chermiti

£8m

Everton

2025

3

Ryan Kent

£7m

Liverpool

2019

4

Michael Ball

£6.5m

Everton

2001

=5

Mikel Arteta

£6m

Barcelona

2002

=5

Danilo

£6m

Feyenoord

2023

7

Andrey Kanchelskis

£5.5m

Fiorentina

1998

8

Giovanni van Bronckhorst

£5.25m

Feyenoord

1998

=9

Arthur Numan

£4.5m

PSV Eindhoven

1998

=9

Barry Ferguson

£4.5m

Blackburn Rovers

2005

=9

Bert Konterman

£4.5m

Feyenoord

2000

=9

Oscar Cortes

£4.5m

Lens

2025

=9

Ronald de Boer

£4.5m

Barcelona

2000

=9

Cyriel Dessers

£4.5m

Cremonese

2023

=15

Paul Gascoigne

£4.3m

Lazio

1995

=15

Mohamed Diomande

£4.3m

Nordsjaelland

2024

17

Gaby Amato

£4.2m

RCD Mallorca

1998

=18

Michael Mols

£4m

FC Utrecht

1999

=18

Duncan Ferguson

£4m

Dundee United

1993

=18

Kemar Roofe

£4m

Anderlecht

2020

=18

Lorenzo Amoruso

£4m

Fiorentina

1997

Here's a detailed look at Rangers' 10 most expensive signings… 10 Barry Ferguson £4.5m from Blackburn Rovers

One of six players to cost a reported £4.5m was iconic Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson. The Scot came through the Ibrox academy before moving to the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers in 2003.

He’d return to Glasgow in 2005, though, and in total, Ferguson would end his Rangers career with more than 400 appearances and 15 major honours.

9 Arthur Numan £4.5m from PSV Eindhoven

Arthur Numan also cost £4.5m from PSV Eindhoven in 1998.

The full-back ended his playing career in Scotland in 2003, winning 10 major honours at Ibrox under Dick Advocaat and Alex McLeish. Since then, Numan has gone into scouting for the likes of Aston Villa and AZ Alkmaar.

8 Giovanni van Bronckhorst £5.25m from Feyenoord

Versatile left-back Giovanni van Bronckhorst already knew Advocaat from his youth days and moved to Rangers from Feyenoord in 1998. The Dutch defender would spend three years at Ibrox before moving to Arsenal in 2001, with the Gers making a profit in the process.

Van Bronckhorst would return to Rangers as manager in 2021, lasting 12 months before being sacked despite leading them to the Europa League final.

7 Andrey Kanchelskis £5.5m from Fiorentina

Russian winger Andrey Kanchelskis returned to the UK after spells with Man Utd and Everton in 1998, joining from Italian side Fiorentina.

Kanchelskis won six major honours at Ibrox before moving to Southampton in 2002.

6 Danilo £6m from Feyenoord

Centre-forward Danilo made the move to Scotland with Rangers in 2023, costing £6m from Feyenoord.

The Brazilian is under contract at Ibrox until 2028, and he has now made more appearances for the Gers than any other club.

5 Mikel Arteta £6m from Barcelona

Rangers were the first of three British clubs during Mikel Arteta’s playing career, sealing a move from Barcelona back in 2002.

The midfielder was just 20 years of age at the time and spent two years in Scotland before returning to Spain with Real Sociedad. He’d go on to become a regular in the Premier League for Everton and Arsenal and has managed the Gunners since 2019.

4 Michael Ball £6.5m from Everton

Rangers splashed the cash on left-back Michael Ball in 2001 from Everton, however, his four-year stay in Scotland had several controversies.

Ball was fined after a Glasgow derby altercation with Advocaat, and years later, a clause in the transfer resulted in Rangers and Everton being embroiled in a legal battle which meant the player was left out of the squad for months.

3 Ryan Kent £7m from Liverpool

After an impressive spell on loan in Glasgow during the 2018/19 season, Rangers signed winger Ryan Kent on a permanent transfer from Liverpool for a reported £7m.

The Gers and then-manager Steven Gerrard pipped Leeds United to a deal for the Englishman, who would go on to make more than 200 appearances for the club. He left for Fenerbahce in 2023 when his contract expired, but remains the Gers’ most expensive signing in nearly 20 years.

2 Youssef Chermiti £8m from Everton

The 49ers’ marquee signing in their first transfer window at Rangers was Youssef Chermiti, with the young forward costing around £8m from Everton.

The Portuguese forward never scored for Everton in 24 appearances and was previously on the books at Sporting CP.

1 Tore Andre Flo £12m from Chelsea

Comfortably top of the table is striker Tore Andre Flo, who has held the title of Rangers’ record signing for more than 20 years.

The Norwegian swapped Stamford Bridge for Ibrox in 2000 and spent close to two years in Scotland. Flo scored on his debut against Celtic and would net 38 goals in all competitions before being sold to Sunderland in summer 2002.

Newcastle United are looking to do all they can to sort out a new deal for a “sensational” player, amid rumours of a move to Manchester City.

Howe makes Isak admission and confirms Newcastle injury

After a two-week international break, the Magpies host Wolves in the Premier League this weekend, taking them on at St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has opened up about his relationship with the departed Alexander Isak, and how his relationship with the Swede changed.

“Alex and I always enjoyed a great relationship. I loved working with him and I hope he loved working with us. We helped him become the player who departed us today and he helped us achieve some important milestones.

“The moment he went on strike our relationship did change and that was a turning point in our relationship. Communication became difficult from that point onwards.”

Meanwhile, Howe has also said that one of Newcastle’s new signings, Yoane Wissa, will miss the Wolves game after picking up an injury on international duty with the DR Congo.

Newcastle will do everything to seal new deal for "sensational" £80m star

Speaking to Football Insider, journalist Pete O’Rourke claimed that Newcastle are pushing hard to agree a new deal for £80m-rated right-back Tino Livramento, amid interest from City who are ready to accelerate a potential transfer.

Tying down Livramento to a new contract has to be seen as key business for Newcastle, especially with City potentially hovering for him in the future.

The 22-year-old has matured into such a consistent player for the Magpies, proving to be adept at both right-back and left-back, pushing hard to start for England at the 2026 World Cup next summer.

Livramento has been hailed as “sensational” by Magpie Media, while Theo Walcott even once claimed that the Englishman possessed an “aura” during his time at Southampton as a younger player.

Anderson 2.0: Newcastle may rue selling one of the league's best for £3.5m

Elliot Anderson isn’t the only cautionary tale for Newcastle.

ByWill Miller Sep 11, 2025

He can be a mainstay for Newcastle for many more years to come, possibly making the right-back spot his own after Kieran Trippier, and Howe will surely see him as a massive part of his future plans.