Manchester United star Matheus Cunha admits that he has to carry the "weight" of being a goalscorer at Manchester United, although he admits there is some "confusion" over how he plays. The Brazil international joined the club in the summer for a fee of £62.5 million ($83m) and has yet to catch fire at Old Trafford.
The international break has been and gone (until next month), and Newcastle United are primed to get their season up and running after an opening stretch that was disruptive to put it mildly.
Alexander Isak’s new life at Liverpool has begun, but Eddie Howe and co managed to pull through and equip their Magpies with firepower enough to challenge at the upper rung of the Premier League and in the Champions League too.
Two points and two goals from three top-flight fixtures to start the season underscore Howe’s task, and he will need to win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon without the suspended Anthony Gordon.
Joelinton is understood to have recovered from a fitness issue, but new recruits Jacob Ramsey and Yoane Wissa are sidelined for the foreseeable, the latter of which presents something of a conundrum after being welcomed as Isak’s direct replacement.
Wissa and Nick Woltemade, who joined from Stuttgart for a club-record £69m fee, are sure to contest for a place at number nine across the campaign, each meting out their differing skills on opponents throughout, and though Wissa would surely have started against Wolves, his injury means Woltemade is slung into the deep-end from the outset.
Why Howe must start Woltemade
Woltemade’s ceiling is high, but he has untapped potential, and Howe would likely want to ease him through the rigmarole of Premier League integration.
Wissa, on the other hand, scored 19 times for Brentford in the English top flight last season, leading Sky Sports’ Mark McAdam to hail his “absolutely sensational” finishing. However, the forward’s recent injury will propel Woltemade into the spotlight.
Having signed from Brentford for £55m on transfer deadline day, Wissa provides the Toon with the clinical goal threat withdrawn upon Isak’s sale. However, supporters will have to wait for a taste of his sharp attacking skills.
Given that Newcastle have blanked twice already this term and simply have to beat Wolves at St. James’ Park, Woltemade will need to be at the races as he leads a squad lacking both Wissa and Gordon’s qualities.
Now, the job involves finding the right conditions for Woltemade to succeed at number nine, and Howe might want to unleash right winger Jacob Murphy to achieve this, with the veteran’s wide spread of talents perfect for a striker such as him.
How Jacob Murphy could get Woltemade firing
Murphy would admit that for the lion’s share of his Premier League career he has been something of a journeyman, competent and industrious but rarely standing out.
However, he has become a star under Howe’s tutelage, hailed by correspondent Scott Wilson as being an “unsung hero”, having featured 139 times for the Englishman, the fourth-highest of any player across his reign on Tyneside.
And last season, Murphy came alive off the right flank, combining deliciously with Isak to form an unlikely and deadly partnership, bagging nine goals and assisting 14 more. Ten times did the duo directly come together to breach opposition defences.
Alexander Isak
27 (6)
33
Jacob Murphy
9 (14)
23
Anthony Gordon
9 (7)
16
Harvey Barnes
9 (5)
14
Bruno Guimaraes
5 (8)
13
Bringing this back to Woltemade, Isak might wear Red now, but Newcastle’s new attacking recruit could form a neat connection of his own with the experienced English winger, not just a talented goalscorer but also ranking among the top 5% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for successful take-ons, the top 15% for progressive passes and the top 18% for ball recoveries per 90.
The 23-year-old scored 12 times in the Bundesliga last season, starting only 17 matches, and that budding clinical edge could be served well by a partner in Murphy, who could also feed into the German’s dynamic range of underlying qualities.
Murphy’s intelligence underpins his style of play, and he will have no qualms about maintaining a provider approach to best serve Newcastle’s new centre-forward, whose clinical shooting and crispness on the ball last season led FBref to draw Isak as one of his most comparable players.
Less mobile than the 25-year-old, Woltemade is still one of the most technically proficient young strikers in the business, and he has a knack for the kind of smooth link-up play that will enhance Howe’s interchanging attacking system.
Moreover, he actually had a higher conversion rate than Wissa last season and was more accurate with his overall shot-taking, and this all comes together to present an “absolutely ridiculous” skill set, as has been noted by journalist Zach Lowy.
What Woltemade needs, now that he is expected to be hauled onto the centre stage immediately, is a reliable dance partner to guide him through the nerve-wracking opening moments. Wolves’ resilient and well-drilled defensive shape will seek to restrict the towering talisman, but Howe’s is a well-oiled team too, and Murphy knows the ropes better than most.
Murphy’s starting berth would come at the expense of either that of Anthony Elanga or Harvey Barnes, but both are compelling options from the bench, and this merely speaks at the strength in depth at Newcastle, even with Isak gone and Gordon and Wissa unavailable.
Wolves have suffered a pretty dour start to the season themselves and will be desperate to strike a blow on Tyneside, but Newcastle have an underlying current of coherence and quality that shoots from left to right in Howe’s system, and the scratchy noises from a turbulent summer transfer window have now abated, and Newcastle are ready, and Woltemade is ready, and Murphy will help him score.
Newcastle brewing Isak-level star in 18-year-old who's "similar to Mbappe"
Eddie Howe could develop Newcastle’s next Alexander Isak at St James’ Park.
ByWill Miller Sep 12, 2025
Mumbai Indians took a step closer to making the playoffs for a third year in succession, having triggered a UPW slide
S Sudarshanan06-Mar-2025
Amelia Kerr ran through Warriorz with 5 for 38•BCCI
Mumbai Indians (MI) mounted a fine comeback with the ball to set up a win that put them a step closer to making the playoffs for a third year in succession and pushed UP Warriorz (UPW) to the brink of exit from WPL 2025. Led by a five-wicket haul from Amelia Kerr, MI picked up nine wickets for 76 runs to restrict UPW to 150 for 9 and chased that down with six wickets and nine balls to spare.UPW were off to their best start in the competition thanks to Georgia Voll’s half-century in just her second WPL match. After being bowled for a duck on debut, she hit 55 off 33 balls to lay a strong platform. But UPW couldn’t capitalise, going from 74 for 0 to 125 for 7. The MI spinners combined to pick up eight of the nine wickets UPW lost.Harmanpreet fined 10% of her match fees
MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur was reprimanded and fined 10% of her match fees for Level 1 offence under Article 2.8, which relates to showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during a match. Harmanpreet had got into an argument with the umpires when MI were penalised for slow over rate.
In reply, Hayley Matthews struck her second half-century of the season and was involved in a 92-run second-wicket partnership with Nat Sciver-Brunt that all but sealed the win. It was Matthews’ second fifty in as many games this season against UPW, the 46-ball 68 in Lucknow following up her 50-ball 59 in Bengaluru last week.The win took MI up to second on the points table with eight points and a net run-rate of 0.267 after six outings. Their next game is against Gujarat Giants, who are third currently with six points in six matches with an NRR of 0.357.Pace-off from MIShabnim Ismail bowled the fastest ball recorded in women’s cricket history last year. Sciver-Brunt is capable of swinging the ball around in the early 110kphs. Going by the first WPL game at the Ekana Stadium, there was enough help for the fast bowlers with the new ball. Yet, the MI fast-bowling duo bowled offcutters on a red-soil surface. Ismail tried to soften Voll up with a one-two trick early on but quickly switched to taking pace off. Sciver-Brunt’s cutters proved tough to get away too, initially.Georgia Voll and Grace Harris had a big opening stand•BCCI
A refreshing start ft. Harris and VollUPW opted for a third opening pair in their seventh game at WPL 2025, with former Brisbane Heat team-mates Grace Harris and Voll striding out. The first ball of the match, from Ismail, caught Harris by surprise. It reared up from short-of-a-good length outside off and hit her high on the blade. That left Voll expecting the bouncer again, but Ismail slipped a few full ones in to keep the batter thinking. But Voll soon got the measure of the bowler as well as the surface and she hit three fours in the five balls she faced after getting off the mark.Voll was the aggressor, but it was Harris who ended the powerplay with back-to-back fours off left-arm spinner Parunika Sisodia, whom MI had brought in for Jintimani Kalita. And so UPW ended the powerplay on 50 without loss. It was the best start for UPW this season. Voll took just 29 balls to bring up a fine half-century soon after.The familiar batting collapseVoll greeted Kerr with three fours and then hit one more off Matthews in the next over. A misjudgment by Ismail at long-on saw Harris hit her only six. But a bouncer from Matthews, one she often uses to surprise the batters, got the better of Harris, who top-edged her pull to short fine-leg. Kiran Navgire, at No. 3, went for an ungainly hack, charging at Kerr, to fall for a second-ball duck. Sciver-Brunt delivered the decisive blow when Voll went for the scoop and missed.From there, UPW struggled to get momentum with only Deepti Sharma holding one end up. All of Vrinda Dinesh, Chinelle Henry, Shweta Sehrawat and Uma Chetry fell trying to hit out against spin. Deepti hit just the two fours in her 25-ball 27 as UPW scored just 61 in their last ten overs.Hayley Matthews established her dominance over UP Warriorz•BCCI
Matthews, Sciver-Brunt get the job doneMI are the most successful chasing team in the WPL and the 151-run target was unlikely to pose a major challenge. But they had a concern at the top of the order – Yastika Bhatia had tallied 38 runs in six innings before Thursday. So they pushed Kerr up to open with Matthews and the move did not pay dividends. After hitting a couple of fours, Kerr mis-swatted a back-of-a-length ball from Henry to mid-on.Matthews and Sciver-Brunt then joined forces and sped up the scoring with dew also coming to their aid. Deepti was seen using the towel to wipe the ball inside the powerplay. Kranti Goud began well and extracted enough swing, much like Henry had earlier, resulting in Matthews playing and missing a few. But a 16-run Gouher Sultana over set MI on their way.The duel between Caribbean mates Henry and Matthews was one of the highlights of the phase: Henry got one to rear up at her West Indies captain and had a few friendly words to say, only for Matthews to walk down the track to a short ball and send it sailing into the deep-midwicket stands and grin in response.MI lost three reasonably quick wickets at the doorstep of victory but Bhatia, in at No. 6, hit a couple of fours off the offspin of Voll and Deepti to seal the deal. And so, two games into their “home leg” in Lucknow, UPW have two comprehensive defeats to show.
Jacob Duffy’s international career has been a stop-start one. Since making his T20I debut in December 2020, he has largely been on the bench, with Tim Southee ahead of him in the pecking order. Till 2023, he did not play more than four T20Is in a calendar year. But in 2024, he was given more chances, and that’s helped him build his rhythm and finally deliver “genuine and match-winning contributions”.”I think it’s just nice to be able to contribute towards the New Zealand team,” he said after the third T20I against Sri Lanka. “I’ve sort of been around a while now, doing little bits here and there without probably really any genuine and match-winning contributions. To have that sort of impact on a game and a series is pretty special and hopefully more to come.”Duffy played seven T20Is in 2024, the last two of which were the two wins in the home series against Sri Lanka, which ended 2-1 in New Zealand’s favour after Sri Lanka picked up a consolation win on Thursday. He picked up seven wickets in those two wins which earned him Player-of-the-Series award.Related
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Duffy announced himself on the international stage with a four-for on debut, but since then he had only managed seven wickets in 13 T20Is before the start of this series.In the first game in Mount Maunganui, when Sri Lanka were cruising in their chase of 173, Duffy shifted the momentum with a triple-wicket over which included removing Kusal Perera and Kamindu Mendis for ducks. It was a blow Sri Lanka couldn’t recover from, triggering a slide as the visitors fell eight runs short.In the second game, Duffy removed both of Sri Lanka’s highest scorers – Perera and Pathum Nissanka – to help bowl them out for 141, sealing a 45-run win, while also registering career-best figures of 4 for 15.Duffy will now want to take his momentum into the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, and with Southee having retired from international cricket, he hopes to cement his position in New Zealand’s white-ball sides.”I guess in my role, I guess sitting behind Tim [Southee] really for a long time, You might get a game here or two games here and you just don’t quite get the comfortability at an international level but a momentum,” Duffy said.”So to get a whole series and go out and perform and start feeling a little bit more at home, that’s got a huge sort of mental positive for me. So hopefully more of that come ODI series and just hungry for more international cricket.”
Tottenham Hotspur are now expected to make a “first official approach” to sign a £43m “monster”, journalist Sebastien Vidal has revealed.
Spurs looking to sign new centre-back after Vuskovic decision
Luke Vuskovic has caught the eye of former Tottenham centre-back Ledley King courtesy of his performances, with the 44-year-old saying: “The little I’ve seen, I’ve been impressed but for any young players, it’s about learning as much as you can, taking on board what the coaching staff are trying to teach, learning from the players around you.”
However, it now appears as though Vuskovic may have to undergo a learning curve elsewhere, as widespread reports suggest the 18-year-old could be sent out on loan, with the likes of Bestikas and Hamburg named among the potential suitors.
Should the teenager be shipped out, there may be space in the squad to bring in one more centre-back this summer, with it recently being revealed that Thomas Frank views bringing in another experienced defender as a priority.
As such, in a recent update on X, Vidal has now revealed that Tottenham have “earmarked” Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo as a target, with the Uruguayan defender valued at £43m.
Such is their level of interest, Spurs are expected to make a “first official approach” for Araujo soon, but there could be competition for his signature, with Premier League rivals Liverpool and Chelsea also keen.
The Lilywhites have already held talks with Barcelona over a potential deal for the centre-back, with the La Liga champions seemingly eager to get him off the books, having lowered their asking price.
"Monster" Araujo could be solid signing for Spurs
Tottenham already have some fantastic options at centre-back, namely Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, with the overwhelming majority of fans keen to retain the services of both defenders this summer.
Tottenham eye £212k-a-week PSG ace with Enrique "more than open" to deal
Spurs could battle Newcastle for his signature.
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However, strength in depth will be needed, with Spurs set to embark on a Champions League campaign next season, and their 2024-25 campaign will serve as a reminder of the importance of having a big squad.
Indeed, the Lilywhites endured a well-documented injury crisis last term, which meant the likes of Radu Dragusin and the inexperienced Archie Gray were often given the nod at centre-back, arguably contributing to the 17th-placed finish.
As such, Araujo could be a solid addition to the squad, with the 26-year-old held in very high regard by journalist Raj Chohan.
Not only that, but the Uruguay international is vastly experienced at the top level, winning six trophies during his time with Barcelona, which could be useful for Tottenham ahead of their return to the Champions League.
A lot of the noise surrounding Chelsea right now is centered on who could leave Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks, as BlueCo look to balance the books by selling certain players.
£52m Chelsea star could now join Barcelona, he's "no longer" unsellable
The La Liga champions have cast their eyes towards Stamford Bridge.
By
Emilio Galantini
Jul 10, 2025
The club landed a seismic financial windfall by reaching the Club World Cup final, where they will face off against European champions PSG in a hotly-contested clash at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday, thanks to a stunning brace from new signing Joao Pedro in their semi-final against Fluminense.
|
Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season |
Average match rating |
|---|---|
|
Cole Palmer |
7.33 |
|
Moises Caicedo |
7.02 |
|
Enzo Fernández |
6.95 |
|
Nicolas Jackson |
6.88 |
|
Noni Madueke |
6.82 |
|
via WhoScored |
|
That 2-0 win over the Brazilian minnows means Chelsea have banked around £80 million worth of prize money en route to the final, having won five of their six games so far, on top of their participation fee. If they win the whole thing, and somehow beat an imperious PSG side this weekend, Enzo Maresca’s side will bank close to £88 million.
This cash will undoubtedly ease some pressure with regard to PSR, but after being slapped with a recent UEFA fine for breaking FFP rules, Chelsea will also want to ship a plethora of unwanted players off their considerable books.
Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Ben Chilwell, Christopher Nkunku, David Datro Fofana, Armando Broja, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke and Djordje Petrovic are just some of the Chelsea players who could reportedly leave before deadline day on September 1, while previous mainstay striker Nicolas Jackson faces an uncertain future after the arrivals of Pedro and Liam Delap.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys and Marcus Bettinelli have already been sold for around £19 million worth of transfer fees in total, but the Chelsea hierarchy will be very keen to increase this total while drastically reducing their wage bill.
Sterling and Chilwell, who were both frozen out by Maresca last summer, are among the club’s highest earners, while Chukwuemeka is believed to be on as much as £100,000-per-week.
As well as the need to offload senior players, there are a plethora of youngsters who could help to raise cash, and one of them is young left-back Ishe Samuels-Smith.
The 19-year-old joined Chelsea from Everton in 2023 for around £4 million, and Samuels-Smith recently put pen to paper on a new contract running until 2031 – meaning the west Londoners can demand a fairly substantial fee.
According to L’Equipe, Chelsea’s sister club, Strasbourg, could offer them a chance to recuperate some money off the teenager.
The newspaper states that Samuels-Smith was at Strasbourg’s training facilities on Wednesday ahead of a potential move, and the Ligue 1 side are currently in talks with his representatives as Chelsea consider selling him for £5 million.
The defender is yet to make his senior debut for the club since transferring from Goodison Park, and it now appears that Chelsea are preparing to cash in on Samuels-Smith with a £1 million profit.
He captained the Under-21s side on numerous occasions last season and was a mainstay of Filipe Coelho’s backline last season, but this seemingly hasn’t been enough to convince Chelsea that he could emerge as a first-team player.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin will be concerned over the future of some of his key players during the summer transfer window.
It remains to be seen whether or not the likes of Nicolas Raskin, Hamza Igamane, Mohamed Diomande, and Cyriel Dessers will still be at Ibrox when the window slams shut at the start of September.
According to the Daily Record, Rangers are currently waiting on a club in France to present them with an offer that is tempting enough to accept.
The report claims that Lille are preparing an initial offer of up to £15m to sign the Gers forward, although it is unclear if that will be enough for Rangers to cash in on him.
It adds that the Ligue 1 side are expected to up their pursuit of the forward in the coming days, and that they have already agreed on personal terms with the player’s representatives.
This latest report shows that there is genuine interest in the 22-year-old sensation, which means that there is a real chance that he will not be a Rangers player next season.
Why selling Igamane would be a big blow for Rangers
Losing Igamane before the end of the summer transfer window would be a big blow for Martin because of the quality that he can provide in the final third.
After joining in the summer of 2024, the versatile Light Blues forward enjoyed a fantastic first season in Glasgow, becoming a reliable attacking threat for the Ibrox giants.
Igamane, who played out wide on the left and through the middle as a centre-forward, ended the campaign with a return of 16 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions for the club.
The right-footed magician scored 12 goals in the Scottish Premiership for Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson combined, and proved his worth by scoring some big goals for the team.
Kilmarnock (H)
Goal
6-0 win
Ross County (A)
Goal
3-0 win
Motherwell (A)
2 goals
2-2 draw
Hibernian (A)
3 goals
3-3 draw
Dundee (A)
Assist
1-1 draw
St Johnstone (H)
Goal
3-1 win
Aberdeen (H)
Goal
3-0 win
Celtic (A)
Goal
3-2 win
Aberdeen (A)
Goal
2-2 draw
Aberdeen (H)
Goal
4-0 win
As you can see in the table above, Igamane’s quality in front of goal bailed the Gers out of four defeats in the league, particularly in the games away at Motherwell and Hibernian, with five goals in those two draws.
The striker also produced a stunning finish to secure a win for the Light Blues at Parkhead back in March, with a thumping strike from distance to put his side 3-2 up.
Igamane is, therefore, clearly an important player for Rangers. That is why they must ensure that they have a great replacement lined up if he joins Lille, and that is what they appear to have.
Rangers working on deal for new striker
According to the Daily Record, covering a report from Israel, the Scottish giants will be in the market to sign a new striker if they cash in on Igamane or Dessers before the end of the summer transfer window.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The report claims that the Gers are ‘working’ on a deal to sign Maccabi Tel Aviv centre-forward Dor Turgeman to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
It adds that the 21-year-old attacker is interested in a move to Ibrox this summer, which suggests that personal terms would not prove to be a stumbling block in any potential move.
The outlet also reveals that a fee of £5m would be required for the Premiership giants to seal a deal for the Israel international, who could arrive in Glasgow as a dream replacement for Igamane.
Why Turgeman would be a dream replacement for Igamane
Although it would be a shame to see the Morocco international move on from Ibrox this summer, Rangers could find themselves in a good spot with their forward options if they sign Turgeman to replace their current star.
Like Igamane, the Maccabi Tel Aviv starlet is a young centre-forward, who can also play off the left flank, with the potential to improve with more experience gained on the pitch.
Turgeman could, therefore, be a fantastic long-term signing for the Gers as a player with room to grow in value, potentially making a future profit on the £5m that they may pay for him this summer.
However, the £5m-rated striker also has the quality to make an instant impact at Rangers if he can translate his performances for Maccabi Tel Aviv over to Scottish football.
Turgeman ended the campaign with a haul of 20 goals and six assists in 44 appearances in all competitions for his club, including one goal and one assist in the Europa League.
It was his form in the Israeli Premier League, in particular, though, that may have caught Rangers’ attention, as it suggests that he has the quality to be a fantastic replacement for Igamane.
Appearances
31
33
Goals
15
12
Goals per game
0.5
0.4
Big chances missed
4
6
Big chances created
10
10
Assists
3
1
As you can see in the table above, Turgeman produced 15 goals and ten ‘big chances’ created in 31 outings in the division, which was three more goals than Igamane managed in the Premiership.
The Israel international, who was hailed as “lethal” inside the box by analyst Kai Watson, has shown that he can find the back of the net on a regular basis, whilst also being able to create high-quality opportunities for his teammates, as the Moroccan whiz did for the Gers last season.
Turgeman and Igamane’s respective statistics in the 2024/25 campaign suggest that there are a lot of similarities in the kind of quality that they can provide in the final third, whilst they are both versatile attackers who can play centrally or on the left.
Therefore, signing the Maccabi Tel Aviv star for a fee of £5m, whilst potentially pocketing £15m or more for Igamane, could be a fantastic bit of business for the Scottish giants ahead of next season.
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England finding their range after difficult start as SA seek to maintain winning run
Firdose Moonda20-Jun-2024 Big picture: Who will give way at the top of Group 2?What direction is the drama following these two teams going to go in next?On the face of it, things are going smoothly for South Africa. They are unbeaten at the tournament and have won matches when both setting targets and chasing but, and this is a big but, none of it has been easy. It’s not just they were pushed by former champions Sri Lanka (who actually did the least pushing) and fellow Super Eighters Bangladesh but also by three Associates: Netherlands, Nepal and USA. If England were watching, they will have seen the flaws in South Africa’s make-up, most notably in the batting. Two of the top three – Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram – have only just found form and the middle-order have not yet had the opportunity to play to their potential.England will have been more pre-occupied with their own sideshows. They survived a group-stage scare in which they were all but written off after their rain-out against Scotland and have played and lost to their biggest rivals, Australia. Their net-run-rate boosting victories over Oman and Namibia helped ensure their survival once Scotland’s challenge had faded, but their most recent win over West Indies could yet propel their campaign to a new level. It is entirely possible that three teams in a Super Eight pool of four could end up with two wins each, especially given USA’s underdog status in Group 2, and so net run-rate could provide decisive. England’s is currently at 1.34, which leaves them in a good position, and after their shaky start, they would like to think they’ve got on a roll.South Africa might argue that they are already on one, and all they have to do is stay consistent with the knockouts in sight. Their next challenge is to maintain their winning start against two former champions. England’s task is much less abstract. South Africa humbled them at the 2023 ODI World Cup, in the middle of a horror run they don’t want to repeat, and with only USA to come, they have a chance to stamp their authority on this event.Form guideSouth Africa: WWWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
England: WWWLW In the spotlight: Opening batters and the quickest of the quick Both Quinton de Kock and Phil Salt played their best innings of the T20 World Cup in their last games with de Kock’s 74 setting South Africa up for a big total and Salt’s 87* helping England chase 181 against West Indies. Before those knocks, the numbers were not quite what the pair may have liked. De Kock had scores of 20, 0, 18 and 10 and Salt 37, 12 and 11. Starts, for sure and crucial to the tone of the innings, but they were not there at the end. Having players with their aggression bat through could be key on surfaces that seem to have offer runs and so how they perform in the next two matches could be key to their respective team’s semi-final hopes.South Africa have not had the challenge of consistent and genuine pace until now which makes Jofra Archer an interesting opponent. He is England’s joint-leading bowler at the tournament so far and has their best economy rate of 6.58 and could prove a handful to a top-order that is still finding its feet at the event. They’ll hope to counter-punch through Anrich Nortje , who equalled Dale Steyn’s record for the most wickets by a South African at T20 World Cups in the last match, and has looked menacing throughout. Nortje is the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker so far and has been played with respect. Will England’s batters, who enjoy pace on, show him the same? Team news: Changes afoot for both teams?South Africa are spoilt for choice in the bowling department and opted to bench Ottneil Baartman to accommodate an extra spinner in Antigua. That team composition could work well for them in St Lucia too but Tabraiz Shamsi was expensive against USA and they may consider left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin instead. However, given the variations he offers, Baartman could come back into contention too and it is a case of trying to fit three players into one spot.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markam, 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi/Ottneil Baartman, 11 Anrich NortjeEngland stormed to a convincing win with this XI at this venue over West Indies, but the short turnaround means Mark Wood may be due a break from the action after another wholehearted, if unrewarded, display. Chris Jordan is the obvious inclusion, with Sam Curran’s left-handed options seemingly established ahead of Will Jacks, who struggled to translate his aggressive intent into runs in his two outings against Australia and Oman.England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt, wk), 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Mark Wood / Chris Jordan, 11 Reece Topley Pitch and conditions Runs, and a fair few of them, have been available throughout the matches that have been played here with a first-innings average of 187. However, it’s not all smooth sailing for batters. There’s good bounce and carry on offer and some grip, which brought England’s spinners into play against West Indies. The one unknown is whether playing the match in the morning will make any difference to the conditions as all three matches so far have been night games. Weather-wise, there’s rain due over the weekend but the forecast for Friday is clear and humid with peak temperatures at 31 degrees. Stats and trivia The head-to-head record between England and South Africa is all-square with each team having won 12 matches against the other. At T20 World Cups, South Africa hold the upper hand and have beaten England four times in their six meetings, including their most recent clash in Sharjah in 2021. Anrich Nortje is two wickets away from 50 in T20Is and Tabraiz Shamsi one away from 300 in all T20s. Jos Buttler needs 19 more runs to become the ninth batter to 1,000 in all T20s this year. Currently, there are five South Africans with that many for 2024: Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen and Ryan Rickelton. Quotes “Hopefully.”
Kagiso Rabada’s one-word answer when asked if South Africa are peaking at the right time “A lot of people say you learn when you lose, but I truly believe you learn when you win as well. It’s important to reflect on what we did well today. We had a good performance, now we’ll put that to bed and focus on the next performance.”
England’s Jos Buttler has had enough with the platitudes about the gains from losing.
Who’s ready to do it all over again next season? Arne Slot, for sure, will be champing at the bit, desperate to lead Liverpool out for his second season.
This time, however, the Dutch coach will not be an unknown commodity but a Premier League champion, having dominated the division to cement legendary status and join an exclusive list of triumphant debutants in the dugout.
Federico Chiesa will be frustrated with his minimal role across the campaign, especially since he’s the club’s only signing since Jurgen Klopp completed his midfield rebuild in August 2023, but injuries and Mohamed Salah’s brilliance have left the right-sided forward shackled to the sidelines for much of the year.
Chiesa’s future is undetermined, but one thing that is certain: FSG have rewarded Slot with a deep purse for summer spending.
Sporting director Richard Hughes is already working overtime, but there’s plenty more to come. Let’s have a look at how Liverpool could line up when all’s said and done come Autumn.
1 GK – Alisson Becker
Liverpool agreed a £29m deal with Valencia for Giorgi Mamardashvili last summer, and the Georgian will now join the Anfield side. However, he’ll be hard-pressed to oust Alisson Becker from his spot between the sticks.
Alisson’s brilliance has forced Caoimhin Kelleher, a fantastic goalkeeper in his own right, to search for pastures new, and Mamardashvili will have to wait to nail down the number one spot.
2 RB – Jeremie Frimpong
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave Liverpool and sign for Real Madrid on a free transfer will be a contentious subject for many years to come, but Hughes and Co might just have struck gold in replacing him with Jeremie Frimpong.
The electric right-sider has left Bayer Leverkusen after Liverpool met his £29.5m release clause, and the contrast he will offer from Conor Bradley could add a wonderfully dynamic dimension to Slot’s team.
3 CB – Ibrahima Konate
Ibrahima Konate continues to be non-committal on the contract front, but there have been tentative claims of late pertaining to progress at the negotiating table.
The 24-year-old is one of the best centre-backs in the business right now, a wonderful, athletic counterpoint to the skipper beside him.
4 CB – Virgil van Dijk
Like Salah (and unlike Alexander-Arnold), Virgil van Dijk signed a two-year contract extension at Liverpool in April and will continue his iconic career at the club.
Easily one of the best defenders of his generation, the Netherlands native is inspiring, influential and, above all else, an incredible footballer.
5 LB – Milos Kerkez
Though a deal has yet to be wrapped up, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that “club-to-club talks are underway” between Liverpool and Bournemouth.
Andy Robertson, 31, has been a stalwart servant at Liverpool for so many years, but he was a clear weak link at times this year, and Kerkez, a decade his junior, would be the perfect long-term addition.
6 CM – Ryan Gravenberch
The Premier League’s Young Player of the Year award went to Ryan Gravenberch, and rightly so.
Has there been a more influential surprise package in the division this year? After a middling debut campaign on Merseyside, the 22-year-old has gone from strength to strength.
Ryan Gravenberch in the Premier League
Stats (* per game)
23/24
24/25
Matches (starts)
26 (12)
37 (37)
Goals
1
0
Assists
0
4
Touches*
28.8
66.5
Pass completion
83%
89%
Key passes*
0.6
0.7
Dribbles*
0.9
1.0
Ball recoveries*
2.8
5.2
Tackles + interceptions*
1.5
3.5
Total duels (won)*
2.8 (47%)
5.0 (57%)
Stats via Sofascore
Liverpool failed to convince Martin Zubimendi to join their cause one year ago, but they won’t care a jot anymore.
7 CM – Alexis Mac Allister
There are rumours that Alexis Mac Allister is wanted by Real Madrid, but Liverpool will not let their midfield life-force leave this summer.
He’s almost underrated, Mac Allister, one of the biggest proponents of Slot’s tactical vision.
8 RW – Mohamed Salah
Salah. What is there to say?
Thank you, perhaps. The Egyptian King has brought so much joy, so much success to Liverpool, and he’s deservedly a two-time Premier League champion, having obliterated any number of records across the term.
Will Salah, 33 this month, match this season’s haul of 34 goals and 23 assists across all competitions?
Maybe, maybe not. In any case, the right winger will expect a higher calibre of attacking quality surrounding him.
9 AM – Florian Wirtz
What better way to reward Salah for his almighty campaign than to sign Florian Wirtz, who is regarded by sports media professional Cristian Nyari as a “truly generational talent.”
Liverpool have been locked in talks with Leverkusen for the 22-year-old playmaker, with the Germans holding out for a €150m (£126m) fee; some more talking may be required.
If Liverpool do manage to get this one over the line, it would be quite the way to offset the malaise enveloping Trent’s move to sunny Spain.
10 LW – Anthony Gordon
Luis Diaz has given a lot to Liverpool over his years at the club, and the 28-year-old is entering the penultimate year of his contract with his stock sky-high. Barcelona and Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr are both keen.
Liverpool would need to replace their Colombian maverick, and, if Football Insider are to be believed, interest in Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon could be revisited.
Newcastle would want £80m for their prized winger, but Gordon is a boyhood Liverpool fan and would be curious at moving back to Merseyside.
Manchester City have already spent big in 2025, and are showing no signs of easing up.
In January, the Sky Blues splashed a reported £180m on five new signings, recruiting Abdukodir Khusanov, Juma Bah, Vitor Reis, Nico González and Omar Marmoush.
Nevertheless, after suffering an early Champions League exit and relinquishing their Premier League title, Pep Guardiola is set to oversee a major rebuild in the summer, with plenty more new signings set to arrive at the Etihad.
As reported by Foot Mercato, Manchester City have been ‘given the initial green light’ in their attempt to sign Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who they claim is ‘keen on joining the club’.
The report notes that Costa has a €75m release clause, around £64m, reporting that Man City are willing to ‘break the bank’ to secure his services, following Ederson’s ‘disappointing season’.
Editor Zach Lowy certainly thinks this would be a good move, labelling Costa “one of the best goalkeepers in world football”, notably becoming the first goalkeeper to save three penalties in a European Championship shootout last summer, as Portugal dumped out Slovenia in Frankfurt.
Kevin Araújo Fernandes of Breaking the Lines asserts that Costa is ‘inarguably one of the brightest’ goalkeepers on the planet, underlining that he would be an excellent signing for Manchester City, but did they already sell an even bigger talent?
On Monday, following their 2-1 win over Sheffield United at Turf Moor, Burnley’s promotion back to the Premier League was confirmed.
Astonishingly, the Claret have conceded just 15 goals in 44 EFL Championship fixtures to date, hence why goalkeeper James Trafford has been earning plenty of plaudits.
Scott Parker’s side kept 11 successive clean sheets earlier this year, just the fifth club in English Football League history to achieve this, while enjoying 28 shutouts in total to date; the previous second-tier record was 25.
Meantime, the former record for fewest goals conceded in a Championship season is 30, while the Clarets’ require clean sheets from the final two fixtures, against QPR and Millwall, to match Chelsea’s all-time record of 15 goals conceded, achieved under José Mourinho in 2004/05, albeit in eight fewer matches.
Trafford has been a key figure in this defensive solidity, described as “world-class” by his manager Parker, with the table below underlining exactly why.
|
James Trafford EFL Championship statistics 2024/25 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics |
James Trafford |
Championship rank |
|
Clean sheets |
28 |
1st |
|
Clean sheet % |
65.1% |
1st |
|
Goals conceded (min 11 apps) |
15 |
1st |
|
Goals conceded per 90 |
0.35 |
1st |
|
Save % |
84.5% |
1st |
|
% of penalties saved |
100% |
=1st |
|
Post-shot xG – goals allowed |
+10.9 |
3rd |
|
All statistics courtesy of FBref.com |
||
As the table outlines, Trafford comes out on top for pretty much every statistic this season, with his two penalty saves especially remarkable considering they came just nine minutes apart, in the 88th and 97th minutes no less, denying Wilson Isidor both times, preserving a goalless draw against Sunderland in January.
Trafford joined Manchester City’s academy as a 13-year-old, before being sold to Burnley for a reported £19m two years ago, with Transfermarkt believing his current market value is now at its peak.
Thus, the 22-year-old is unquestionably a talented goalkeeper, so let’s analyse how he compares to Costa.
|
James Trafford vs Diogo Costa 2024/25 comparison |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Trafford |
Costa |
|
Appearances |
43 |
41 |
|
Minutes |
3,870 |
3,720 |
|
Goals conceded |
15 |
44 |
|
Clean sheets |
28 |
18 |
|
Save % |
84.5% |
68.3% |
|
% of penalties saved |
100% |
33% |
|
Post-shot xG – goals allowed |
+10.9 |
-2.7 |
|
% of crosses stopped |
5.9% |
6.2% |
|
Pass completion % |
72.9% |
78.5% |
|
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and FBref.com |
||
As the table outlines, Trafford has outperformed Costa this season, while plying his trade at only a slightly lower level; according to Global Football Rankings, the Championship is the 11th strongest league in the world, with the Primeira Liga ranked seventh.
So, regardless of who you believe to be the better goalkeeper, selling Trafford for £19m only to then sign Costa for in excess of three times more may be viewed as a mistake.
100% dribbles, 88% passing: Pep has found his own Cambiaso in Man City star
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