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Didier Deschamps has revealed that a firm half-time pep talk inspired France to "let loose" and secure a convincing 4-0 victory over Ukraine, sealing their qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The Bleus boss admitted he "gave them a piece of my mind" after a frustrating first half, leading to a dominant second-half performance with goals from Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Hugo Ekitike.

• France secure 2026 World Cup qualification with dominant second half

  The French national team has officially qualified for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, following a commanding 4-0 victory against Ukraine on Thursday. The game saw Les Bleus make a decisive breakthrough in the second half after being unable to dismantle a compact Ukrainian defence in the opening 45 minutes.

  Mbappe scored a brace, while Olise and Ekitike each added a goal, with the latter marking his first international strike. The win means France now sit comfortably atop Group D with 13 points from five matches, with four wins and one draw. Ukraine are third with seven points.

  Speaking after the match, coach Deschamps expressed his satisfaction: "You always have to appreciate the good times. It’s never easy. Even if it seems logical and natural that the French team qualified. We had that objective tonight, in a heavy and stressful context (a nod to the attacks of November 13, 2015). The group responded very well, after a difficult first half against a compact defence. We let loose and that made the difference. I appreciate this qualification, for the entire staff as well, even if it’s not the first. But the French team must be in the final stages of every competition."

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• AFP
  

  Deschamps' half-time intervention sparks second-half surge

  A key turning point in the match was Deschamps' half-time address to his players. The coach, known for his calm demeanour, admitted to delivering a firm message to his squad after a goalless first half that saw France dominate possession but create only two clear chances.

  "At half-time, I said we needed to keep pushing, to be more dynamic," he said. "We had almost total possession in the first half, but only created two chances. We injected more energy, and the introduction of Maghnes Akliouche and Hugo Ekitike made a big difference. I didn't get angry, but I gave them a piece of my mind. And then we scored quite quickly. After that, they opened up, and fatigue also played a part. We've played quite a few matches like that."

• Mbappe's brace and Ekitike's international debut goal

  Mbappe was once again the talisman for Les Bleus, netting two crucial goals. His penalty broke the deadlock early in the second half, and he added his second late in the game, demonstrating his continued importance to the national team. Olise also found the back of the net, showcasing the depth of attacking talent at Deschamps' disposal.

  A particularly notable moment was Ekitike's first international goal for France, sealing the 4-0 victory in the 88th minute. Ekitike's introduction, alongside Maghnes Akliouche, was highlighted by Deschamps as a key factor in injecting "more energy" into the team, proving the manager's tactical adjustments were instrumental in the turnaround.

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• Deschamps' final official match on French soil

  The victory held additional personal significance for Deschamps, as it marked his last official outing on French soil as manager of Les Bleus. Deschamps previously announced that he will relinquish his position as national team coach after the 2026 World Cup, concluding a highly successful tenure that began in 2012 and has seen him never miss qualification for a major tournament.

  Despite the sentimental occasion, Deschamps maintained a pragmatic outlook. "I don't feel nostalgic about it, I don't look back. I'll have time for that later. It was just perhaps the last time in France with the French national team," he commented. While this was his final official home match, he will likely have the opportunity to officiate one last time during the World Cup preparation friendlies.

أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم ”فيفا” عن مواعيد مباريات منتخب فرنسا في بطولة كأس العالم، والتي سوف تقام العام المقبل في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا والمكسيك.

وأجرى الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم فيفا، قرعة كأس العالم أمس الجمعة، في ولاية واشنطن عاصمة الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، في حضور الرئيس دونالد ترامب.

وسوف يقام كأس العالم، العام المقبل بمشاركة 48 منتخبًا، وذلك لأول مرة في تاريخ المسابقة، وهو النظام الجديد للبطولة.

طالع.. كومان: وقعنا في مجموعة متوازنة بـ كأس العالم.. ولا أعرف تونس جيدًا

وأسفرت قرعة كأس العالم عن وقوع منتخب فرنسا في المجموعة التاسعة، إلى جانب السنغال والفائز في الملحق من العراق وبوليفيا وسورينهام، وأخيرًا النرويج.

وسوف تلعب فرنسا أولى مبارياتها في كأس العالم أمام نظيرتها النرويج، يوم 16 يونيو من العام المقبل، في مواجهة مرتقبة بين نجمي ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي، كيليان مبابي وإيرلينج هالاند.

كما تلعب فرنسا مع السنغال في لقاء مكرر من كأس العالم عام 2002، حيث فازت السنغال وقتها في مفاجآة كبيرة بهدف دون رد. مواعيد مباريات فرنسا في كأس العالم 2026

الجولة الأولى:

فرنسا والسنغال.. يوم 16 يونيو في ولاية نيويورك جيرسي بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

النرويج والفائز من ملحق (العراق وبوليفيا وسورينهام).. يوم 16 يونيو، الساعة 1 بعد منتصف الليل، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية  في ولاية بوسطن.

الجولة الثانية:

فرنسا والفائز من ملحق (العراق وبوليفيا وسورينهام).. يوم 22 يونيو، 12 منتصف الليل يوم 23، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية في ولاية فلاديلفيا بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

النرويج والسنغال.. يوم 22 يونيو، الساعة 3 فجر يوم 23، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية في ولاية نيويورك جيرسي.

الجولة الثالثة:

فرنسا والنرويج.. يوم 26 يونيو، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية في ولاية بوسطن بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

السنغال والفائز من ملحق العراق وبوليفيا وسورينهام.. يوم 26 يونيو الساعة 10 مساءًا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية في ولاية تورنتو بكندا.

He capped the occasion with an unbeaten 44 that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award

Mohammad Isam28-Oct-2025

Rovman Powell helped revive West Indies’ innings•AFP/Getty Images

Rovman Powell marked his 100th T20I in style, sticking to his “batting template” of a late surge to guide West Indies to a 16-run win over Bangladesh in the first T20I in Chattogram. On Monday, he became only the third West Indian to reach the milestone of 100 games, capping the occasion with an unbeaten 44 that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.Powell, however, didn’t make a great start to his innings against Bangladesh. He couldn’t time the ball properly, striking just one four as he made 18 runs off his first 22 balls. It was in the 19th over when Powell finally struck his first six – a mow across the line against Mustafizur Rahman.Then, when he got the strike in the final over, he hammered Tanzim Hasan for three sixes in a row, ending up unbeaten on 44 off 28 balls. He made 26 runs in his last six balls. The late momentum took West Indies to 165 for 3 in 20 overs, before their bowlers helped dismiss Bangladesh for 149.Related

Seales and Hosein boss powerplay as West Indies go 1-0 up

“I am very happy,” Powell said. “It is not always that someone gets to play 100 T20Is, especially for West Indies. It shows the hard work that I have done in the duration of my career. A lot of credit goes to my family and friends, and the players with whom I have played these 100 matches. It is very special to get Man-of-the-Match award in my 100th game.”I think it’s a batting template that I have used in the last year or two. I have had good success with it. I try to get a start and get into the last five overs when I try to hit as many sixes as possible.”Powell also noted that heavy dew affected the West Indies’ bowling effort. He added that they would have felt pressure had Bangladesh kept wickets in hand towards the end of the 166-run chase.”If one of the main Bangladeshi batters had stayed at the wicket for longer, we would have been under pressure,” he said. “It was very wet in the end. Having said that, a lot of the credit goes to our bowlers. They stuck to their plans and picked up wickets at critical times.”We had information about the ground but we didn’t know it would get this wet. Maybe that’s something that we keep in consideration.”Instead, Bangladesh lost four wickets in the powerplay and lost all their frontline batters by the 12th over. Fast bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib top-scored for Bangladesh, making 33 runs.Tanzim said that Bangladesh could have done with a better powerplay and with specialist batters in the final overs.”Of course, when there was dew, the ball came on to the bat more easily,” Tanzim said. “If we had one set batsman at that stage, the game would’ve been much easier. In the last couple of overs, a settled batsman always keeps you in the game. We lost four wickets in the powerplay. Even if it had been two, the chase could still have been managed.”Powell, meanwhile, looked forward to a series win for West Indies on Wednesday. He said that they have the opportunity to get over their recent T20I record – they have lost their last seven T20I bilateral series – if they can win the second game against Bangladesh to clinch the series.”Whatever the stats say, it doesn’t leave a good taste in our mouth. Myself and the guys are eager to turn that around. Being 1-0 up against Bangladesh will provide the opportunity for us to turn it around. Bangladesh are a tough side at home. We will see if we can continue improving to win the series in the next game.”.

Celtic appear to be inching ever closer to finally appointing their long-term successor to Brendan Rodgers, who resigned last month after a loss to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

Martin O’Neill has been in interim charge for the Hoops since Rodgers left the club, and oversaw three wins in four matches before the international break, including a 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock last time out.

The experienced boss may not manage another game for the Scottish giants, though, as Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy appears to be on his way to Parkhead.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph reports that the French manager has been given permission to speak with the club this weekend to discuss a move to Glasgow.

If Nancy does take over at Parkhead, he will be looking to build on the success that Rodgers, as shown in the graphic above, achieved during his second stint at the club.

The Columbus Crew tactician should also look to build on some of the good work that O’Neill has done in his interim spell, as the experienced boss has got the best out of Johnny Kenny.

How Johnny Kenny could fit in Wilfried Nancy's set-up

The Ireland international has scored four goals in four matches under O’Neill in recent weeks, having only scored two goals in his first 17 appearances for the club in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

This shows that the former Shamrock Rovers star has stepped his game up since Kelechi Iheanacho suffered a hamstring injury last month, as he has shown that he can be relied on to score goals for the Hoops.

Kenny has been playing as the sole number nine in a 4-2-3-1 system for O’Neill, after playing a similar role in a 4-3-3 set-up for Rodgers, but Nancy’s preferred formation, per Transfermarkt, is a 3-4-2-1.

Diego Rossi, who is a similar profile of player to Kenny in terms of his build and attributes, has typically been deployed as one of two second strikers operating behind a focal point centre-forward in that 3-4-2-1 shape, although he has also played as part of a front two in a 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2.

Appearances

48

37

Shots

112

123

xG

13.14

15.54

Goals

21

19

xA

5.60

6.46

Big chances created

14

11

Assists

7

5

As you can see in the table above, Rossi has thrived in that role under Nancy in the last two seasons, racking up 40 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

Kenny, therefore, could look to thrive as one of the two players behind a starting number nine, as he perhaps lacks the physicality to play as the focal point on his own in that system.

With this in mind, the Hoops could land an upgrade on him as an out-and-out centre-forward by signing a Premier League player who is a reported target.

Celtic eyeing move for Premier League striker

According to 67HailHail, Celtic are monitoring Brighton & Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson ahead of a potential swoop for his services in the January transfer window.

The report claims that he was linked with a move to Parkhead in the summer transfer window before the Ireland international, understandably, opted to sign for Serie A side Roma on loan.

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It adds that his loan spell with the Italian giants could be cut short, though, in January because of his struggle for form, with no goals in ten matches so far.

Celtic are keeping tabs on his situation with a view to chasing a deal to sign him on loan for the second half of the 2025/26 campaign to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

Despite his struggles with Roma this season, which is why he may become available in January, Ferguson could arrive as a dream first signing for Nancy at Parkhead.

Why Evan Ferguson would be a dream first signing for Wilfried Nancy

The Ireland international would come in as a dream first signing because he could be the focal point that the French head coach needs to play his 3-4-2-1 formation with the Hoops.

Celtic, since they sold Adam Idah in the summer, do not have a physical and imposing centre-forward who can act as a focal point, as Kelechi Iheanacho and Johnny Kenny are both more suited to playing with another striker or as a second striker behind a number nine.

Ferguson, standing at 6 foot 2, can provide that natural number nine presence to lead the line as the centre-forward in a 3-4-2-1, acting as an upgrade on Kenny as the main number nine.

In fact, former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker once likened him to Manchester City’s monstrous forward Erling Haaland. He said: “I do see a hint of Haaland about him, his stature, his movement, his youth and stuff like that.”

He has a physically imposing presence that could make him a handful for Premiership defenders to deal with, whilst his career so far also suggests that he could offer more quality than Kenny as an out-and-out number nine.

Age

21

22

Height

6 ft 2

5 ft 8

Senior Ireland caps

26

0

Senior Ireland goals

8

0

Top 5 European leagues + SPFL games

75

15

Top 5 European leagues + SPFL goals

13

5

As you can see in the table above, Ferguson has 26 more caps and eight more goals than Kenny, who is older than him, for Ireland, whilst he has also scored eight more top-level goals.

The Brighton loanee has struggled in the Serie A this season, undoubtedly, but he managed six Premier League goals each season as a teenager in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns, per Sofascore, which is no mean feat.

The 21-year-old marksman, whose finishing was hailed as “phenomenal” by James Milner, has shown incredible promise in the Premier League and at international level for Ireland, whilst Kenny has never played at a level above the Premiership and is yet to be capped by Ireland, although he is in the current squad.

This suggests that Ferguson would be an upgrade on his international teammate as an out-and-out centre-forward, potentially taking his place or forcing Nancy to unleash him in the Diego Rossi role behind Ferguson.

"I will step aside" – O'Neill says no talks with Celtic board over permanent role

He’s had his say.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

Overall, the Brighton striker would be a dream first signing for the French boss, should he take over at Parkhead, because of the role that he could play in the team, and the quality that he could bring to the pitch.

With nine games played in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, we’ve already seen the champions’ crown slip, two sackings from one club and one Manchester United fan may just be closing in on a much-needed haircut.

But there’s still plenty more to come and an AI Supercomputer has now predicted how the final table will look come May, using data from the first nine game-weeks to predict every result and the final standings.

Relegation battle

It’s been a refreshing season down at the bottom. As things stand, none of the three promoted sides sit inside the bottom three and all have reached 10 points or above already.

For context of just how important that achievement is, Southampton finished bottom with 12 points after 38 games last season, whilst it took Ipswich and Leicester City all season to reach 22 and 25 points respectively. Sunderland have particularly thrived and sit as high as fourth in the Premier League with 17 points to their name. After nine games, it’s hard to see a world in which they don’t avoid the drop.

The Supercomputer seems to agree with how impressive the promoted sides have been so far this season and believes that, for just the fifth time in Premier League history, all three will avoid the drop. That leaves West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest – the current bottom three – in the dropzone at the end of the season.

15

Fulham

40

16

Leeds United

34

17

Burnley

33

18

Nottingham Forest

30

19

Wolves

27

20

West Ham

26

Bottom half

Away from relegation trouble, the supercomputer has predicted some comfortable campaigns for Brentford, Everton, Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace. Opinions will differ around those clubs whether a mid-table finish would be satisfactory, but Brentford should certainly take hold of that with both hands.

In their first season without Thomas Frank in the Premier League, many predicted the Bees to go down and although there’s still every chance that happens, victory over Liverpool proved just the positive direction that Keith Andrews is taking them. Not only has he steadied the ship, but he has also added his own pragmatic style in West London.

11

Crystal Palace

50

12

Brighton

48

13

Everton

47

14

Brentford

42

Top half

Look away now Chelsea fans, because your top four spot is up for grabs. According to the Supercomputer, the Blues are in for another frustrating campaign after spending big once more in the summer.

Despite impressing at times, Enzo Maresca’s side have largely remained inconsistent and that could leave them scrapping away to stay in the top six altogether. The same can be said for Newcastle United, who have impressed defensively but remained blunt going forward in the absence of one of the world’s best forwards in Alexander Isak.

Manchester United, meanwhile, have been on the up lately and are just two wins away from five on the bounce. After finishing in the bottom half last season, the Supercomputer believes that Ruben Amorim’s side will earn their place back inside the top six and above Chelsea.

5

Man Utd

65

6

Chelsea

63

7

Aston Villa

62

8

Bournemouth

60

9

Newcastle

59

10

Sunderland

52

Top four and Premier League winners

From the glory of champions, the most glaring prediction that the Supercomputer has made centres around Liverpool’s fall from grace. It does believe that the Reds will finish inside the top four, but as many as 17 points behind league leaders Arsenal in a title defence to forget for Arne Slot. Given that they’re currently winless in four league games, however, the Dutchman may just take that final table.

As for Tottenham Hotspur, from the chaos of Ange-ball, they’re expected to rise to as high as third in the league under Frank. The Lilywhites have started in excellent fashion under the Dane and could yet continue that to earn their way back into the top four.

For the Gunners, meanwhile, glory may finally be on the horizon. They’ve waited over two decades to lift the Premier League title again and have been forced to applaud both Liverpool and Manchester City in recent years. Now, at long last, it could finally be Mikel Arteta’s year. The Supercomputer has even gone as far as to predict that they’ll win it by 13 points.

1

Arsenal

89

2

Man City

76

3

Tottenham Hotspur

74

4

Liverpool

72

Last weekend Jamie Carrgher went as far as to suggest that Arsenal defender Gabriel could win the PFA Player of the Year award.

Only three defenders have done that before; John Terry, Virgil van Dijk and Paul McGrath. It’s an illustrious list and one that the Brazilian could well join.

This season he has been one of the best players in the Premier League and perhaps the best defender in Europe’s top five leagues.

While he is a warrior of a defender, it’s his record in the final third that has stuck out the most. He’s a menace from set-plays and proved as much again on Saturday when the Gunners defeated Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor.

How Arsenal beat Burnley

Gabriel may not have scored in Lancashire this weekend but it was still a mighty performance from the Brazilian who played a vital role in Mikel Arteta’s side opening the scoring.

How did the goal come about? From a set-piece, of course. Declan Rice’s inswinging delivery found Gabriel at the back post who nudged the ball across the face of the goal.

Viktor Gyokeres was ready and waiting to head the ball home from close range. It was his first league strike since early September when he scored against Nottingham Forest and his first away goal in Arsenal colours.

While the Swede was forced to sit out the second half with an injury, he enjoyed a fabulous game with Gunners reporter Charles Watts noting that it was his “best 45 minutes in an Arsenal shirt by a distance.”

Gabriel and Gyokeres were not the only ones to put in a superb performance. The aforementioned Rice was also exceptional, playing a hand in the first goal and then scoring the second, ghosting into the area to power a header into the back of the net.

Rice was simply everywhere, amassing more touches (94) than any player on the field and registered the second-highest volume of passes behind William Saliba.

A £105m signing back in 2023, he has proven to be worth every penny, as has a certain Leandro Trossard.

Arsenal's bargain signing continues to fly under the radar

Back in 2020, Arsenal signed a certain Gabriel for just £27m. What a bargain that has turned out to be. The same can be said for another £27m acquisition in the form of Trossard.

The Belgian wasn’t at the top of the club’s shortlist but their hands were rather forced when they missed out on winger Mykhailo Mudryk. Arsenal were reportedly in the race to sign the Ukrainian but he eventually moved to Chelsea instead.

The result? The Gunners looked towards Trossard who had fallen out with the top brass at Brighton.

Since heading to the Emirates Stadium, he has become a scapegoat at times. When he starts, he struggles to have much of an impact but as a substitute, he is a true game-changer.

In the 2023/24 campaign, the forward netted six goals as a substitute in all competitions. No other player in Europe’s top five leagues scored more from the bench that term. That season he bagged 17 goals with only Bukayo Saka scoring more for the club.

2024/25 was a quieter one for the Belgium international, scoring only ten times, but this season he has looked somewhere near his best and his performance against Burnley proved exactly why he’s so underrated.

Heading into 2025/26, Trossard could quite easily have been moved aside. With Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze having signed, the former Brighton attacker looks expendable. Well, amid injuries to the likes of Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli, the Belgian has become an important member of Arteta’s side once again.

He has found the net on three occasions and registered a further three assists, the latest of which came on Saturday.

Trossard vs Burnley
Minutes played	89
Touches	56
Accurate passes	21/31 (68%)
Big chances created	1
Key passes	2
Accurate crosses	1/3
Shots (on target)	2 (2)
Duels won	3/9
Fouled	2x
Stats via Sofascore.

Played in behind by Gyokeres, Trossard raced onto a ball on the left, bided his time and then played an inch-perfect cross into the path of Rice.

It was a typical Trossard assist, truth be told. Perfectly crafted and weighted, it oozed class. He certainly isn’t the flashiest of players but he is always available, he’s reliable and fits Arteta’s system like a glove.

For £27m, what more do you want? On his 100th appearance for the club, he gave us a reminder of what an amazing piece of business he has proven to be.

Heading into Liverpool’s highly anticipated clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday night, one obvious player was stealing all the headlines.

Indeed, it was billed as the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Anfield in the Champions League, but the former Reds prodigy turned Los Blancos star only came on for the final exchanges.

Thankfully, Arne Slot’s resurgent side backed up a 2-0 win over Aston Villa with a superb showing against Xabi Alonso’s challengers, as a full team effort guided the Reds to a memorable 1-0 win on Europe’s grandest stage.

It was a phenomenal performance but there was perhaps an even better display post-game from skipper Virgil van Dijk. Keen to dismiss Trent as a talking point, he simply responded to being asked whether he was going to speak to the right-back with one word: “No.”

So, any talk of a meltdown has subsided now, as Liverpool look to be slowly returning to the polished machine they were last season when the Premier League title was triumphantly lifted.

How Liverpool downed Madrid

There must be something in the water on Merseyside that sees Liverpool raise their game whenever the LaLiga giants stroll into town.

In 2024, the Reds cruised to a 2-0 victory over the Spanish titans, with Alexis Mac Allister on the score sheet that night.

Deja vu occurred on Tuesday evening; therefore, as another comfortable victory saw the former Brighton and Hove Albion star pop up with the decisive match-winner.

Mac Allister headed home Dominik Szoboszlai’s inch-perfect delivery, with the South American also managing to come off at the end of the clash with 100% of his tackles won.

Szoboszlai offered far more than just being a classy operator from set-pieces, with a total of five shots registered by the Hungarian, only for Thibaut Courtois to have another unbelievable night against Slot’s men.

Come the end of the contest, journalist Bence Bocsak even boldly stated that the classy number eight was the “best midfielder on the pitch”.

That’s high praise, indeed, considering the visitors boasted Jude Bellingham in their ranks, but there was no fear in Liverpool’s game, coming up against some of these world-class talents, as evidenced in Conor Bradley’s ice-cold display.

Bradley – who noted that he wasn’t “fazed at all” after the match – came up against 2025 Ballon d’Or runner-up Vinicius Junior, and had him in his pocket all night long, heroically winning seven duels and three tackles.

Yet, there is one more Liverpool hero who could be turning into Slot’s very own Philippe Coutinho in front of our eyes.

Slot has found Liverpool's new Coutinho

Coutinho is remembered for being an exceptional midfield talent at Anfield, capable of lighting up Champions League occasions with his trickery and skill.

His final season for the Reds saw the Brazilian fire home a ridiculous five strikes from five Champions League clashes, with ex-Liverpool midfielder Craig Johnston once stating that Coutinho was the “absolute jewel” in their crown.

Coutinho at Liverpool
Position	Games	Goals + Assists
LW	106	37 + 26
AM	84	15 + 18
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Johnston also stated that he provided Liverpool with “the best of both worlds” in terms of his audacious tricks and flicks, but also his hard work and adaptability for the cause, having often been moved to the left wing during his Anfield career.

That worked a treat, too, with 37 of his 54 career strikes for the red half of Merseyside coming from the left flank.

Florian Wirtz very much put in a Coutinho-like shift against Alonso’s men on Wednesday evening, as the easily scapegoated German was equal parts skill and equal parts grit down the left channel, to ensure a 1-0 win was secured.

Only eight of his 197 games for Bayer Leverkusen would come down this channel, but he looked a natural from this spot against Madrid, with a whopping five key passes amassed come the end of the tie and completing his one and only tackle.

The big-money summer signing has not been at his best in Liverpool colours just yet but this certainly provided hope for the future. There is a player in there, for sure.

Moreover, Wirtz completed all 100% of his dribbles as a constant Coutinho-esque threat for the visitors from Spain to keep tabs on.

He also covered a staggering 11.37km of the pitch just from energetic runs alone, with the aforementioned Johnston also once praising Coutinho for his ability to “keep running.”

In an ideal world, Wirtz would want to play in that preferred number 10 position for Slot and Co week in, week out.

But, with an “outrageous” performance now under his belt on the left – as Liverpool-based account Anfield Wrap described it – the £116m summer buy could slowly be morphing into a Coutinho-like presence, with the goals and assists hopefully flowing soon.

Better than Bradley: Liverpool star looked sellable, now he's their star man

Liverpool produced their best performance of the season to defeat Real Madrid in the Champions League.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 5, 2025

We’ve known for more than a year that Kyle Tucker would be the prize free agent this offseason. Now it’s time for him to find a new home.

Tucker spent the 2025 season with the Cubs after they swung a huge deal to land him from the Astros last December. It was pretty much understood from the jump that his time in Chicago would be short, as the Cubs have no plans to ink him to the kind of contract he’ll surely land on the open market.

The 28-year-old four-time All-Star missed a chunk of the season while dealing with a calf injury and a small fracture in his right hand. That certainly impacted his numbers. In 136 games, he slashed .266/.377/.464, with 22 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases. His wRC+ of 136 was good, but also his lowest mark since 2022, and he produced 4.5 fWAR. He has only played in 214 games over the past two seasons, but remained mostly healthy for the prior three years.

When Juan Soto got $765 million from the Mets, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. landed $500 million from the Blue Jays, Tucker had to be thrilled. He’s likely in line for a 10-plus year deal in the $400 million range that will likely pay him at least $35 million a year, and potentially more.

Here’s a look at four potential landing spots for Tucker in free agency.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Most MLB fans are going to hate this, but it’s the fit that makes the most sense. While the Dodgers are undoubtedly a juggernaut, their biggest offensive weakness was in the outfield during the 2025 campaign. L.A.’s left fielders combined to produce -2.4 WAR, led by Michael Conforto’s brutal season (-0.7). Teoscar Hernandez (1.5) also had an average campaign after signing a big contract in the offseason, while Any Pages (3.8) broke out before falling apart in the postseason. Adding Tucker would allow the Dodgers to shift Hernandez to left field, where he belongs, and shore up the only weak spot in the team’s lineup. And, let’s be real, they won’t have an issue affording his massive deal.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants have been looking to add a top left-handed bat for years. They got one by trading for Rafael Devers, but the team’s offense collapsed after that addition before finding some footing late in the season. Still, San Francisco finished 22nd in OPS (.697), 25th in batting average (.235) and 19th in home runs (173). The Giants have about $137 million committed to players for 2026, giving them plenty of room to bring in Tucker, and he’d fit perfectly in right field immediately. A lineup that includes Tucker, Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, and Bryce Eldridge would pack a ton of punch and potentially be good enough to challenge the Dodgers in the NL West.

New York Yankees

Cody Bellinger opted out of his contract, and Trent Grisham is hitting free agency, which means the Yankees will lose 63 home runs from their outfield. Over the past few years, they’ve missed on adding the top bats available, most notably in losing out on Juan Soto and having to watch him walk across town to the Mets. Tucker’s left-handed swing would do damage at Yankee Stadium’s short porch. In 16 games as a visiting player, he has four home runs, but only a .698 OPS and a 98 wRC+. I feel safe in saying that wouldn’t hold long-term. He’s a fit now and in the long run as a star to pair with Aaron Judge.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies face the prospect of losing Kyle Schwarber in free agency, and there’s a chance they will entertain trading Bryce Harper. If either happens, they’ll need a left-handed bat to replace them. Enter Tucker, who fills a huge need at the plate and in the field. Philadelphia’s outfielders struggled in 2025, as none of them produced more than 1.7 WAR, and Nick Castellanos finished underwater at -1.0. Schwarber, Harper, and Trea Turner played at or near their expected levels, but the rest of the offense dragged behind. More punch is needed, even if they keep their two biggest bats. Tucker’s presence would make everyone better.

Cummins is the fifth-fastest to 300 Test wickets in terms of balls bowled, reaching the milestone in 13,725 balls

Shubh Agarwal12-Jun-20251:53

‘Once the ball gets older, Cummins puts his hand up’

Pat Cummins has reached the milestone of 300 Test wickets, claiming his 14th five-wicket haul during the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s. Picking five of the six South African wickets to fall on day two, Cummins finished with figures of 6 for 28 in 18.1 overs.Six wickets short at the start of the Test, he has now become the 40th bowler to reach the landmark and the eighth for Australia. Among pacers, he is the 30th to enter this club and the sixth for Australia.Cummins is the fifth-fastest to reach there in terms of balls bowled, completing 300 wickets in 13,725 balls, beating Malcolm Marshall by three deliveries. His bowling strike rate of 45.75 is the best for an Australian seamer.He also levelled with Imran Khan to become the joint-tenth-fastest to complete 300 wickets, reaching there in 68 Test matches.Cummins has picked up 136 wickets as the captain of his side. Among pace-bowling captains, only Imran has picked up more wickets (187). Among Australian captains, only Richie Benaud is ahead by a slender margin of two wickets. Overall, only ten bowlers have picked up over 100 Test wickets while being the captain of their side.Cummins has been among Australia’s greatest match-winners with the ball in this format. Overall, 184 of his Test wickets before this WTC final came in wins. The likes of Jason Gillespie, Mitchell Johnson, Dennis Lillee, Brett Lee, Mitchell Starc and Glenn McGrath are ahead but no one has a better average than Cummins’ 18.09, which is bound to improve further if Australia win the WTC final to claim their second successive title.Also, he is only the second Australian to claim over 200 wickets in the WTC, and the only quick bowler in the list with 206 wickets at 22.11 runs apiece.Cummins has mostly been a first-change bowler for Australia, coming in after the new ball bowlers in 48 of the 126 innings in which he has bowled in Test cricket. He is the only Australia quick with more than 100 wickets as a first-change bowler, with Peter Siddle behind him with 87 wickets on this metric. Among those who have over 50 wickets as the first-change bowler, only Scott Boland (52 wickets) has a better average than that of Cummins (Boland 15.75, Cummins 24.50).Overall, only four quick bowler have more than 100 Test wickets as first-change bowler – Courtney Walsh (106), Cummins (107), Morne Morkel (129) and Ian Botham (129).Cummins made his Test debut in 2011. However, after one Test – where he was the Player of the Match against South Africa – he was sidelined for six years owing to recurring injuries, and made a return in 2017 when he played his second Test. England’s Joe Root has been the highest run-scorer during Cummins’ career since November 2011, scoring 13,006 runs in this period.Cummins has dismissed Root 11 times, the most time he has dismissed a single batter in Test cricket, followed by Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma (eight times each).He also holds the record for the best bowling average for an Australia fast bowler in a calendar year with more than 50 wickets. He averaged 20.13 for his 59 wickets in 2019, bettering Lillee’s feat in 1981 – 85 wickets at 20.95.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes England is "not ready for a black superstar" like Jude Bellingham amid a wave of ongoing criticism for the midfielder. The Real Madrid star has endured limited game time for the Three Lions in recent months and was criticised for his reaction to being substituted in Albania. Now, however, ex-striker Wright has leapt to the defence of the 22-year-old.

Bellingham under scrutiny

Despite being an important player for Madrid and playing a big role in England's run to the final of Euro 2024, Bellingham is not a guaranteed starter under manager Thomas Tuchel. The German caused a stir in June when he said his mother finds some of Bellingham's on-field actions "repulsive" – something he later apologised for. The former Borussia Dortmund talisman was then left out of England's games in October, despite recovering from shoulder surgery. Then, when the attacking midfielder was accused of a negative reaction to being taken off late on in England's 2-0 win over Albania at the weekend, Tuchel said he would review his actions. 

When asked whether Bellingham is possibly not buying into the collective of the England team, he told reporters: "That is a bad impression. It should be about the collective. What we did in camp is all about the collective. I have to then review it – I was happy about the goal. I had a quick talk with Morgan Rogers, and I was sure that everyone celebrated together. I will have a look at it. That is not the image we want to transport. We feel everyone is committed and that everyone accepts tough decisions, be it before the match or in the match."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWright 'worried' for Bellingham

As the criticism continues to rain down on Bellingham, Wright has come to the aid of the youngster, saying that media coverage of him is influenced by his skin colour and that he "frightens certain people".

He said on Stick to Football: "What they said about Jude not celebrating was complete fabrication, it was a lie. What they’ve tried to do is build something, because England have won so easily, they’ve not conceded any goals. They needed something else to pile on top of the narrative. 

"I’m worried for Jude simply because he’s somebody that they can’t control. You can’t control him. Coming off the, ‘Who else?’ and what he’s done at the World Cup (European Championship), he’s showing people that ‘I’m here, I’m black and proud and ready to go'.  I’m an Englishman, even though when I was younger, people used to say to me, ‘Yeah but you’re not really English, are you?’ — ‘Yeah, I’m English.’ I don’t think they’re ready for a black superstar who can move like Jude’s moving, they can’t touch him, like I just said. He goes out there, performs, does what he does, says, ‘Who else?’ It’s too uppity for these people.

“I’ll put it in football terms. They love N’Golo Kante, he’s a humble black man, he gets on with what he’s doing. I’m not saying he’s an Uncle Tom or anything, that’s how his personality is. But if you get a (Paul) Pogba or a Bellingham, and you get that kind of energy, that does not sit well with the people, that kind of person. For someone like Jude, for some reason, frightens people because of his capability and the inspiration he can give.

"It’s something that you’re taught as a black man when you’re going out there, you just want to do the best you can and keep your head down and be, for want of a better word, a humble f*****g slave. This is dragging up from that kind of energy. Because if you are outspoken, black, playing to that level and not caring, that frightens certain people, and that’s what’s going to happen with Jude."

False narrative over Bellingham's behaviour

This is the second time in a matter of days that Wright has stuck up for the Birmingham City academy product. After the Albania match, Wright accused the media of making a mountain out of a molehill when it came to Bellingham's conduct.

"They [the media] need to create this kind of beef because there's nothing else to talk about till the World Cup, so it's gonna be this all the way to the World Cup," Wright wrote on Instagram. "They hate that they can't get to him. They hate that they can't influence his career like they have done to so many before him. A blessed young man with talent and love in abundance."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Bellingham?

Now that England have qualified for the World Cup and played their last games of 2025, the Three Lions stars will head back to their clubs for the foreseeable future. Bellingham is likely to be part of Tuchel's 2026 World Cup squad but whether this media storm blows over or if he can usurp Morgan Rogers in the starting XI remains to be seen.