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Australia’s Mitchell Starc, meanwhile, lamented the state of the old pink ball and his team-mates’ lack of situational awareness

Matt Roller04-Dec-2025

Jofra Archer played a valuable hand batting at No. 11 for only the second time in Test cricket•Darrian Traynor/CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

England believe that the chaotic final half-hour at the Gabba swung the opening day of the second Ashes Test in their favour, after Joe Root and Jofra Archer’s unbroken tenth-wicket stand of 61 took them to 325 for 9 under lights.At the scheduled 9pm close, England were 269 for 9 after 68 overs, with Root unbeaten on 111. It was a remarkably similar situation to the opening day of the 2023 series between these teams in Edgbaston, when Ben Stokes declared with Root on 118 to give England four overs to bowl at Australia before the close.The added element of the pink ball – and the opportunity to bowl at Australia under floodlights – strengthened the case for a declaration, prompting David Warner on Fox commentary to say he was “absolutely baffled” that Stokes had not pulled the plug on England’s innings.Related

Root ton, Starc six as England reach 325 for 9 on opening day in Brisbane

Crawley settles the nerves as he bounces back from Perth pair

Starc on left-arm wickets record: Wasim still the GOAT

Steven Smith, who had floated the prospect of opening the batting with two nightwatchers in such a scenario, was at pains to slow the game down as much as possible, and Root remonstrated with umpire Sharfuddoula at Australia’s apparent time-wasting when Travis Head got padded up to spend a single ball under the helmet at short leg.But Root and Archer seized the opportunity to tee off, adding 56 runs in the final six overs of the day in a partnership that Zak Crawley said had changed the mood of the day for England’s players, who watched on from the viewing gallery outside the away dressing room. “We definitely won that last hour,” Crawley said. “We’re positive going into tomorrow.”Joe Root and Jofra Archer added an unbeaten 61 off 44 balls before stumps•Darrian Traynor/Getty ImagesArcher, batting at No. 11 for only the second time in Test cricket, started the carnage by charging Scott Boland and swiping him over square leg for the first six of the day off the first ball of an over that cost 19 runs. He then swung Mitchell Starc’s full toss over the sprawling Brendan Doggett at long-on, and Root reverse-scooped Boland over deep third in the following over.By stumps, Archer had registered a new Test best of 32 not out, while Root reached 135 overnight. Their stand was England’s first half-century partnership for the tenth wicket since Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson added 66 in the drawn Old Trafford Test in the 2023 Ashes, and their first in Australia since Norman Cowans and Derek Pringle in 1982.Starc, whose six wickets had put Australia firmly on top, was exasperated not only with the state of the old pink ball, but with his team-mates’ lack of situational awareness. “If you have a look at that ball, it’s basically bowling with a tennis ball,” he told SEN radio. “They chanced their arm, there were a few that dropped short. I think there’s a little bit of tactical nous in there as well.”Hopefully, we take that tenth one early tomorrow and get batting with the sun out. We saw that it [the ball] didn’t do a whole lot, and day two is generally a good day to bat on. If we can get stuck into batting early tomorrow when there’s sun on the wicket – and their balls go soft as well – it could be a good day’s cricket.”Crawley, who had briefly changed back into his whites in anticipation of fielding, said that the situation had been “perfect” for England. “There was no talk of a declaration,” he said. “We were just saying, ‘Go really hard,’ and it was a win-win: if it comes off, then we’ll get 50 runs like we did, or if you got out, then we could have a crack at them under lights.”They’re valuable runs and it would’ve worked out either way… We were pretty happy with [being bowled out for] 260 and having an hour at them at that point, to be honest. We were quite optimistic about that last hour, and then it turned out we batted for all of it. It felt like it was a great chance for us either way – with bat or ball – to seize that last hour.”Australia only bowled 74 overs out of the scheduled 90 on the first day, which Simon Katich described as “an absolute joke”. They risk being docked World Test Championship points if they fail to bowl England out inside 80 overs. “The over rates are what they are,” Starc said. “If we keep taking the wickets, they won’t worry about it.”

The Mets are adding to the back end of the bullpen by making a major splash in free agency. New York has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract with reliever Devin Williams, according to multiple reports.

The deal includes $5 million in deferred money each season ($15 million total) and a $6 million signing bonus that will be prorated across the three years, per MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Williams, 31, spent the 2025 season with the Yankees. He was a marquee offseason acquisition by the organization, who got him in a trade with the Brewers last winter. Williams failed to live up to his lofty expectations for the Yankees, recording a -0.3 bWAR with a 4.79 ERA, 90 strikeouts and 18 saves in 60 2/3 innings.

Prior to his down year in ‘25, Williams, a two-time All Star, had three consecutive seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA while dominating in a late-innings relief role in Milwaukee. In his career, he owns a 3.02 ERA with a 14.1 K/9 and 86 saves across 308 appearances.

The addition of Williams doesn’t take the Mets out of the running to re-sign Edwin Díaz, who hit free agency this offseason. New York remains interested in bringing Díaz back even after shoring up the bullpen with a three-year contract for Williams, per MLB.com’s Anthiny DiComo.

Eighteen years and 206 days. It was a long wait. Entire careers started and ended in the time between India’s previous ODI victory at home against Australia in 2007 and the 102-run triumph in New Chandigarh on Wednesday.The final margin may make the win seem easy but it took spirited bowling from India following Smriti Mandhana’s century to draw level at 1-1 in the three-match series. Riding on Mandhana’s 12th ODI ton, India posted 292, a total that seemed lower than what they should have got. In response, India’s seamers stifled the top order and the spinners put pressure on the middle to hand Australia their biggest ODI defeat. All this after being thrashed in the opening match at the same venue.

Australia fined for slow over rate

Australia have been fined 10% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against India in the second ODI on Wednesday in New Chandigarh. Australia were ruled two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.

Match referee GS Lakshmi imposed the sanction on the visiting team in accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. According to the code of conduct, players are fined 5% of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. Australia captain Alyssa Healy pled guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

Australia wanted to “get out in the heat and acclimatise,” said their captain Alyssa Healy after asking India to bat on a flat track. India’s innings was Mandhana or bust. She hit a six off her eighth ball, won an unfavourable match-up against Ashleigh Gardner, and made use of the first powerplay to race to a 45-ball fifty. With India a batter short after Jemimah Rodrigues was ruled out of the series with viral fever, Mandhana never let the tempo drop.With Shafali Verma no longer in India’s ODI plans, Mandhana has taken on the role of aggressor and got to her century off just 77 balls, the second quickest for India. Only Meg Lanning (15) and Suzie Bates (13) have more hundreds than Mandhana. Her presence in the middle meant Australia couldn’t use their legspinners to full effect. Georgia Wareham went for 29 in her first two overs, with India’s vice-captain hitting her for three fours and two sixes, while Alana King was only introduced in the 34th, the over after Mandhana fell.While Mandhana thrived, the other India batters struggled. Pratika Rawal couldn’t find a way around Australia’s tactics and 20 off her 32 balls were dots. Harleen Deol did not score a run off 17 of her first 19 balls. Deepti Sharma made 40 off 53 but hit just two fours. Darcie Brown picked up three wickets, having found her rhythm towards the end of the innings.Kranti Goud removed Alyssa Healy early•Getty Images

Australia were tasked with achieving their highest chase in ODIs and fast bowler Renuka Singh, playing her first international following a stress injury last year, took only six balls to strike. Georgia Voll, who had come in because Phoebe Litchfield was rested for a minor quad strain, bagged a five-ball duck in her first international match in India. Soon, Kranti Goud dismissed Healy for the second time in two games. After the first powerplay, Australia were 25 for 2, their lowest 10-over powerplay total since the 2017 World Cup.Ellyse Perry kept Australia on track with Beth Mooney and then Annabel Sutherland. India dropped a few catches: Richa Ghosh failed to hold on to a tough leg-side chance after Perry attempted a paddle, Deol dropped a miscue from Mooney after running in from long-off, and Radha dropped Sutherland off her own bowling. Perry and Mooney added 50 off 73 balls before Perry and Sutherland put on 46 off 45 balls.India also had an injury scare when Renuka walked off clutching her left calf. She bowled a spell of six consecutive overs at the start of the chase and was brought back after a five-over break. While Renuka came back on to the field a few overs later, she did not bowl anymore.It was Sneh Rana who deceived Mooney with a wider line – with Arundhati Reddy, in for Rodrigues, taking a running catch – and then Radha dealt the chase a severe blow by dismissing Perry caught and bowled. When Reddy ended Sutherland’s aggressive innings, India sensed a win, which was sealed by Deepti taking two wickets in two overs. She had Gardner and Tahlia McGrath caught in the outfield to all but shut out Australia.There was no coming back from there and Goud bowled Wareham and had Megan Schutt caught and bowled to complete a memorable win.

The sixth edition will run from November 27 to December 23, with SLC keen to prepare batting-friendly pitches ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup

Madushka Balasuriya01-Aug-2025

Jaffna Kings are the LPL defending champions•AFP via Getty Images

The Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2025 will be held from November 27 to December 23. Now in its sixth edition, the tournament will take place across three venues – Colombo, Kandy and Dambulla.This will be the fourth time in six years that the LPL is scheduled for the November-December window rather than its preferred July-August slot. The last two seasons took place during July and August, however this year, with the 2026 T20 World Cup set to begin in February, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) felt the later window better suited their needs.”The idea to conduct the LPL during this time frame is aimed at aligning the tournament with the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2026,” LPL tournament director Samantha Dodanwela said.ESPNcricinfo also learnt that talks are underway to incorporate a sixth team into the tournament. The first five editions saw five teams representing Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla and Jaffna compete.”Potential owners for a sixth team are currently being vetted,” Dodanwela confirmed.The inclusion of a sixth team has long been discussed, though SLC’s cautious approach to introducing new ownership might be understandable. The LPL has struggled with long-term franchise ownership over the years.Earlier this year, Jaffna Kings – formerly the longest-standing franchise, having joined in the tournament’s second edition – and Colombo Strikers were terminated by SLC for “failure to uphold contractual obligations.” As a result, the LPL currently has no franchise owners with a history stretching back beyond 2024. New owners for both the Jaffna and Colombo teams are yet to be announced.Dodanwela also elaborated on SLC’s desire to curate more batting-friendly surfaces, with a view to better prepare players for the kind of wickets they are likely to play on during the T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.”We were quite happy with the wickets during the last edition, particularly in Dambulla and Kandy,” Dodanwela noted. “We saw lots of high scores and even some centuries during that portion of the tournament. It was only in Colombo where batting was a little harder.”Backing up Dodanwela’s assessment is the fact that the pitches at the R Premadasa Stadium are currently in the process of being relaid. Several national players, such as Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva, also recently voiced the need for more batting-friendly surfaces.

Essex have now won four matches in a row and could yet sneak into the latter stages

ECB Reporters Network supported Rothesay 24-Aug-2025Essex 289 (Westley 92, Taylor 5-61) beat Gloucestershire 159 (Bracey 37, Critchley 3-27) by 130 runsTom Westley continued his late-summer purple patch of run accumulation with a well-crafted 92 to inflict the first defeat of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign on Gloucestershire and enhance Essex’s chances of qualifying for the knock-out stages.The Essex captain has now racked up 443 runs in seven innings in this season’s competition, including a century and three fifties. Add in three red-ball centuries in June and July’s matches and he has scored 905 runs in just two months. His latest knock encompassed 103 balls and included eight boundaries.Gloucestershire were already through to the knockout rounds – they wait to see if they are straight into the semi-final as Group A winners – but after six successive wins this was an underwhelming performance against an Essex side who have now won four games in a row. The visitors were dismissed for 159 with 89 balls to spare with Matt Critchley hastening the 130-run defeat with 3-27.Essex had looked set for a bigger total score while Westley was at the crease. But from 182 for 2 they lost eight wickets in 15 overs, subsiding to 289 all out, to a Gloucestershire spin attack that found turn and grip on a worn Chelmsford wicket. Jack Taylor led the way with his leg breaks for career-best List A figures of 5 for 61.Like Westley, James Bracey had also been in scintillating form in the competition, with 431 runs from his first six innings. His wicket, heaving across the line against Simon Harmer for 37 at 77 for 4, opened the door for Essex and they duly burst through.The loss of opening partner Cameron Bancroft, caught behind jamming his bat down to a ball of full length from Jamie Porter, did not inhibit Bracey. He was soon finding gaps in the field and pulled Shane Snater for six over fine leg. However, he contributed to the exit of the becalmed Ollie Price, his drive being deflected on to the stumps by Porter, following through.Ben Charlesworth lofted Westley for a straight six, but in attempting a second next ball was well held on the boundary. Jack Taylor followed Bracey when he squirted Luc Benkenstein to short third man to reduce Gloucestershire to 88 for 5 before the halfway point.Graeme van Buuren prodded unconvincingly at Westley and was caught behind and Miles Hammond’s careful 30 was undone when he lunged forward and was bowled by Matt Critchley. Three balls later Tommy Boorman was caught behind and the leg-spinner had a third wicket when Zaman Akhtar was caught and bowled.At the start of the day, Matt Taylor extracted some early life from a green-tinged pitch used for all four of Essex’s home 50-over games and got one to go away from Robin Das. Bracey took the catch at full stretch behind the stumps.Things looked went well for Essex for the next 30 overs or so as Westley put on 103 for the second wicket with Critchley and 75 for the third with Charlie Allison. The innings went downhill once Allison departed.Critchley had just brought up the century partnership with Westley inside 18 overs with his seventh boundary when Ollie Price got the next ball to turn late and rapped his left pad. He departed for 64 from 66 balls.Allison’s enterprising 40 from 43 balls ended when he sliced to short extra cover off Jack Taylor to precipitate a collapse with three wickets in 23 balls. The Gloucestershire captain quickly accounted for Luc Benkenstein, caught at long-off, and brother Matt had Curtis Campher cross-batting to long leg.The wickets did not stop there. Westley’s 135-minute stay ended when he was bamboozled by one from van Buuren that kept low. Quick hands by Bracey had Simon Fernandes stumped chasing a wide one from Price and Snater perished launching Jack Taylor to long legSome belligerent late hitting from Harmer, including two huge sixes off, took him to fifty from 36 balls before he gave a tame return catch to Jack Taylor, who wrapped up the innings by having Charlie Bennett claimed at long-off.

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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  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.

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

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

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

Ranking Celtic's best performers against Dundee

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

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

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

Ranking Celtic’s top performers vs Dundee

Rank

Player

1

Colby Donovan

2

Reo Hatate

3

Daizen Maeda

4

Hyun-jun Yang

5

Kasper Schmeichel

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

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

Why Colby Donovan is undroppable for Wilfried Nancy

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

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

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

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

Vs Dundee

Donovan

Celtic rank

Sofascore rating

8.3

1st

Duels won

6

1st

Aerial duels won

3

1st

Aerial duel success rate

100%

1st

Tackles won

2

1st

Touches

91

4th

Successful crosses

3

1st

Key passes

2

2nd

Stats via Sofascore

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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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