تعرض منتخب مصر للخسارة أمام أوزبكستان، وديًا، على هامش الاستعداد لبطولة كأس الأمم الإفريقية المغرب 2025.

وواجه منتخب مصر نظيره أوزبكستان، في تمام الساعة السادسة من مساء اليوم الجمعة، على ملعب “هزاع بن زايد” بالإمارات. 

طالع.. صدمة لـ الأهلي.. لاعب منتخب مصر يغادر مباراة أوزبكستان مصابًا

ويشارك منتخب مصر في دورة ودية خلال معسكر نوفمبر الجاري، في دولة الإمارات رفقة أوزبكستان وإيران وكاب فيردي، في إطار استعدادات الفراعنة لكأس أمم إفريقيا المقبلة. 

وخسر منتخب مصر من نظيره أوزبكستان وديًا، بهدفين نظيفين، وأحرز هدفي منتخب أوزبكستان اللاعب أورونوف. 

ويلاقي منتخب مصر نظيره الرأس الأخضر، في مباراة تحديد المركزين الثالث والرابع في بطولة كأس العين الودية التي تقام في الإمارات. 

وكان منتخب الرأس الأخضر قد خسر أمام إيران بركلات الترجيح، بالأمس، لينتزع المنتخب الإيراني بطاقة التأهل إلى نهائي البطولة الودية لملاقاة أوزبكستان.  موعد مباراة مصر والرأس الأخضر وديًا 

ومن المقرر أن يواجه منتخب مصر نظيره الرأس الأخضر يوم الإثنين المقبل الموافق 17 من شهر نوفمبر الجاري، في مباراة تحديد المركزين الثالث والرابع على ملعب هزاع بن زايد. 

Birmingham City might not be wrapped up with all their dramatic summer business just yet.

At the start of the frantic transfer window, you couldn’t move for rumours suggesting the Blues were going to splash the cash on another exciting talent, with the number of incoming signings standing at 12.

That tally could well sneak over to the 13 threshold before 7pm, as a late loan deal looks to be in the offing to boost Birmingham’s already flashy attack.

Birmingham to sign Premier League attacker

It would be fair to say the whirlwind activity has slowed down in recent times, however.

Expect the pace to pick back up, though, with Football League World revealing that the Blues are plotting a late loan move for experienced Sunderland forward Patrick Roberts, alongside also not giving up on winning the services of Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun.

The report states that Chris Davies wants more ammunition after a lacklustre showing in Birmingham’s recent 2-0 loss to Leicester City, with Roberts ticking the boxes.

Derby have also been interested this summer, but it looks as if the Championship newcomers are lone suitors now chasing after the 28-year-old with Sky Sports reporting on Monday lunchtime that the Blues are ‘set to sign’ the winger on loan.

How Roberts could be Gray 2.0

He might well end up being Davies’ second coming of Demarai Gray, offering the Blues another skilful, yet seasoned head up top.

After all, while he has fallen down the pecking order as Sunderland shot up to the Premier League, Roberts would still be a top asset for Birmingham to possess temporarily, based on his previous EFL heroics.

From 170 games at the notoriously punishing level, Roberts has amassed a healthy haul of nine goals and 22 assists, with nine of those goal contributions coming about just last season, before he was cast aside for Sunderland’s own quickfire business.

Gray has also proven himself to be sharp, tricky performer – much like Roberts down the right flank – whenever he’s plied his trade in the tough division, with eight goals and four assists next to his name from 76 Championship career outings.

Two of those assists have been tallied up since his return to the club, with Birmingham hopeful that the loan addition of another second-tier veteran can propel the Blues further into the promotion reckoning, after a largely positive return to the level so far, minus the disappointment of the 2-0 loss at the King Power Stadium.

24/25

4th (promotion)

42

2 + 7

23/24

16th

32

0 + 2

22/23

6th

42

5 + 7

After all, from his three seasons at the level with the Black Cats to date, Roberts has managed to steer the Wearside outfit to two triumphant playoff finishes, culminating in the glory of promotion at the end of last campaign.

Tony Mowbray would even herald his slick Englishman as “magic” during the 2022/23 season, irrespective of his side unfortunately slipping up in the lottery of the playoffs, with Davies now wanting a slice of Roberts at his very best to improve an attack already boasting Kyogo Furuhashi, Jay Stansfield, and the aforementioned Gray.

The West Midlands outfit has shown they can already cut it with the big boys of the EFL’s elite league, with just one defeat from their opening four league encounters.

But, landing Roberts, who is just fresh off a promotion success, could be a sublime addition to really take Birmingham to that next level, as his know-how, alongside Gray’s further experience, attempts to make back-to-back promotions an insane reality.

Birmingham hold talks to sign "valuable" £3m ace; waiting on "green-light"

This is exactly what Chris Davies could be after.

ByHenry Jackson Sep 1, 2025

Of Alexander Isak, Arne Slot said, “We have to build him up gradually.” There will be an expectation from some that Liverpool should field their record-breaking recruit from the get-go after such an expensive and charged transfer saga, but this isn’t the case.

And anyway, Liverpool have already integrated Hugo Ekitike into Slot’s squad, with the 23-year-old Frenchman having scored three goals and supplied one assist from his opening four matches in a Red shirt.

There’s no doubt that the Reds have broken the bank this summer; Slot has acknowledged this himself. But with such remarkable and calculated investment, there are the means for healthy rotation that will allow Isak to ease into life on Merseyside after playing so little football over the past three months.

One constant, of course, is the persisting presence of Mohamed Salah on the right flank. Fitness permitting, it’s unlikely the Egyptian King will be hauled from his place on the right wing with any consistency this season.

Salah is 33, though, and Liverpool must begin to plan for their talisman’s departure, with Federico Chiesa and perhaps Jeremie Frimpong the only real alternatives.

Mohamed Salah's Liverpool future

Salah penned a new contract in April, ending fears of a departure on a free transfer at the end of the 2024/25 season. He will stay on the books until 2027, but the chances of another renewal are slim, it must be said.

Last season, he scored 34 goals and served 23 assists across all competitions, practically single-handedly dragging Slot’s Liverpool to the title. That’s not actually true, of course, but there’s no denying Salah’s matchless influence, a strong current at the heart of most of Liverpool’s attacking play.

With a goal and an assist from three Premier League matches so far this season, the veteran will continue to play a big role, although the weight of responsibility has been lifted by the signings of players like Isak and Ekitike.

Might this have a positive effect on Salah, who surely fancies his chances of adding 22 goals to his haul before his time comes at Liverpool, and he eclipses Wayne Rooney and maybe Harry Kane to stand as the Premier League’s second-highest scorer in history?

Alan Shearer

441

260

Harry Kane

320

213

Wayne Rooney

491

208

Mohamed Salah

304

187

Andy Cole

414

187

In any case, Liverpool will need to sign a successor before long, and it’s sure to be a costly bid at that. With that in mind, perhaps FSG might come to regret having sold a young star who has the potential to replace Salah down the line.

Liverpool sold their dream Salah heir

Ben Gannon Doak has been regarded as one of the finest young prospects in British football right from the start of his career in Scotland with Celtic, where he featured four times for the seniors before joining Liverpool in 2022 for €700k (about £600k).

The 19-year-old was billed as Liverpool material, all right, but he only ended up playing ten times for the Reds, injured when breaking through in 2023/24 before spending last season on loan in the Championship with Middlesbrough, where he notched ten goal involvements from just 24 matches.

The power and precision that are natural parts of Gannon Doak’s arsenal have led to comparisons with the above-mentioned Rooney, who likewise played with unusual physicality and gusto when emerging at Everton and when finding his feet with Manchester United.

Actually remarked to play “like a Scottish Wayne Rooney” in 2024 by his agent Jackie McNamara, the teenager’s style and performances so far lend credence to the comparisons, for sure.

Thanks to data platform FBref, we can note that Doak ranked among the top 5% of positional peers in the Championship last year for assists, the top 5% for key passes, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for progressive carries per 90.

Rooney, as we have seen earlier, retired as one of the most prolific and decorated players in Premier League history. As yet, Gannon Doak has but three appearances to his name in England’s top flight, and searches for his duck-breaking goal.

But the talent is there, it really is, and Liverpool might come to regret having sold the youngster to Bournemouth, even for a £25m fee, even with a buyback clause wedged into that contract on the south coast.

Former Scotland manager Craig Levein certainly recognised Gannon Doak’s potential from the off, saying, “This kid could be a world-class player.”

The evidence hardly suggests the contrary. Sure, the winger has one long road to travel before entering conversations even on the fringes of the park in which Salah sits, but his athletic style, powerful running and direct approach against defenders all suggest such a future is within the realm of possibility.

Furthermore, he demonstrated when on loan at Middlesbrough a capacity for show-stopping goals to complement his physical qualities and success as a playmaker.

Bournemouth have got themselves a gem. Because Gannon Doak has opted to follow the track taken by Dominic Solanke before him and many more sharing similarities of pathway, leaving an elite outfit to develop their skills in a setting more promotive of rising prospects looking to reach the top.

As with Rooney at Everton early on, Gannon Doak might now find himself in line to rise to the fore and stand out in the Premier League, playing under Andoni Iraola’s wing and blooming into a top talent.

Maybe the plan is for the player to enjoy several seasons with the Cherries before returning to Anfield with a more refined touch, but the details of the buyback clause are unknown, and there’s every chance that Gannon Doak has played his last for Liverpool and will instead go from strength to strength elsewhere.

He wanted to join City: Liverpool have already sold an Isak-esque talent

Liverpool have made wholesale changes in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 12, 2025

Chelsea were dealt a seismic blow defensively in the last few days, with news that Levi Colwill will now miss the majority of 2025/2026.

He was meant to be one of the pillars of Chelsea’s defence next season, but the 22-year-old has now ruptured his ACL, ruling him out for the majority – possibly the entirety – of the new campaign.

Colwill sustained the problem at the end of his first training session back at Cobham earlier this week, and after he underwent successful surgery, the centre-back’s recovery timeline is expected to stretch to around six to nine months.

The injury is a brutal blow. Colwill was a mainstay last season, starting 35 Premier League matches and playing a key part in Chelsea’s Champions League qualification push – not to mention Club World Cup glory.

With him now sidelined for the foreseeable future, boss Enzo Maresca has declared that his defence is a top-priority position to strengthen during these final few weeks of the window – confirming that Chelsea will dip into the market amid their ongoing talks for Alejandro Garnacho and Xavi Simons.

“It is a priority for me,” Maresca told Channel 5, via Standard Sport. “Levi is a fantastic player. What we achieved last season is because of him. He played a lot of games with me, I love him. We are going to miss him.

“We are trying also to find different solutions.”

Jorrel Hato, signed from Ajax for around £36 million, steps into the spotlight. Despite being just 19, Maresca insists the Dutchman’s senior experience – over 100 Ajax games – makes him “mature enough” to slot into the backline immediately.

However, Chelsea are reliably believed to view the teenager as more of a left-back to cover for Marc Cucurella (Ben Jacobs), and even before Colwill’s injury, the west Londoners were looking at signing another centre-half (Simon Phillips).

Their need for another option has now intensified, with Benoit Badiashile also out till September.

Chelsea open talks with Ajax defender Aaron Bouwman

According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea could turn to another Ajax teenager – Aaron Bouwman – after Hato.

The 17-year-old is yet to make a senior appearance for the Eredivisie giants but is amassing quite the reputation as one of Europe’s rising stars defensively, impressing in the pre-season Como Cup, and Bouwman is a standout in Ajax’s prestigious youth set up right now.

It is unclear whether Chelsea plan to integrate him into the first team, but they’re serious about potentially capturing him.

TT state that Chelsea have opened talks with Bouwman’s agents in the last few days and are in pole position to sign the Dutch starlet ahead of both Man City and Arsenal – who are also looking at him.

If Bouwman isn’t exactly ready to reinforce Maresca’s senior defensive options, then other reports suggest that Chelsea could U-turn over selling Renato Veiga and give the Portuguese a chance to stake his claim in the squad.

Nottinghamshire batter Matthew Montgomery joins Derbyshire on three-year contract

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-2025Gloucestershire’s England Lions fast bowler Ajeet Singh Dale has agreed a move to Lancashire at the end of the season, signing a three-year contract, while fellow seamer Matt Milnes has opted for a return to Kent after three injury-hit seasons with Yorkshire.Singh Dale, 25, is regarded as one of the quickest bowlers on the county circuit and was subject to interest from several counties after entering the final summer of his contract with Gloucestershire, whom he joined from Hampshire in 2022. Across four seasons at Bristol, he took 81 first-class wickets at 38.24, as well as being picked for the Lions in 2024 and 2025.Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, described Singh Dale as an “exciting young fast bowler with genuine pace and a real hunger to keep on developing and improving his game” who would help add depth to the attack at Old Trafford.Singh Dale said: “I’m really excited to be joining Lancashire and can’t wait to get started with the club in November. Lancashire has an exceptionally strong squad, which can compete across all formats, and I’m looking forward to pushing myself in a new environment while contributing towards success for this great club.”I have heard great things about the set-up and facilities at Emirates Old Trafford and I’m confident it’s the right place for me to take the next step in my career with the Red Rose.”Matt Milnes claimed his maiden five-wicket haul for Yorkshire this week• Allan McKenzie/SWPIx.com

Milnes, 31, has opted to head back to Kent on a three-year deal in order to be closer to family, having failed to make the expected impact after signing for Yorkshire in 2022. He only managed five County Championship appearances across three seasons, due to a series of back problems, with his best figures coming in their most-recent match – victory over Sussex at Scarborough that lifted hopes of the club avoiding relegation.A member of the Kent team that won the 2021 T20 Blast, Milnes said he was “excited to come back to Kent and join this new project under Adam Hollioake”. In a successful first spell at Canterbury, he claimed 126 first-class wickets at 27.15, as well as 37 in T20.Simon Cook, Kent director of cricket, said: “We’re delighted that Milnesy has chosen to come back to Kent. He was an extremely big part of our bowling attack during our sustained periods of success in his first time here, and he is an extremely talented bowler in both red- and white-ball cricket.”As we plan for the future in our ethos of producing Kent talent, his experience will also be a great boost to us, too.”

Montgomery to join Derbyshire

Matthew Montgomery’s offspin has been successful in T20•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire batter Matthew Montgomery will make the switch to Derbyshire on a three-year contract. He will join the club initially on loan for the Metro Bank One-Day Cup (although will be ineligible to face Notts).Montgomery, who was born in South Africa but has a German passport, made his Notts debut in 2021 and scored the first of his two first-class hundreds the following summer. Although he has only played once in the County Championship this year, he became an integral part of the T20 side, topping the bowling averages with 15 wickets at 18.06.”Matt has chosen to join our project at Derbyshire and we’re delighted to welcome him to the club,” Mickey Arthur, Derbyshire’s head of cricket, said. “He’s a batter with real ability in all formats, and he will get the opportunity to show what he can do. His bowling will also be a real asset for us in T20 cricket.”Montgomery said: “I’m excited to work with Mickey and join a group that is moving in the right direction. I look forward to taking this next step in my career and hope I can contribute to Derbyshire’s success across all formats.”

Big-money transfers haven’t been alien to Manchester United over the last couple of years, with mammoth funds being splashed on numerous talents in the transfer window.

At present, the Red Devils’ £89m deal to re-sign Paul Pogba from Juventus in the summer of 2016 remains their record signing, but the club have been perilously close to breaking such a sum in recent windows.

Antony joined during the Erik ten Hag reign, moving to Old Trafford alongside the boss after spending multiple years with the Dutchman at Eredivisie outfit Ajax.

The deal for the Brazilian will go down as one of the worst in English history, scoring just 12 times in his 96 appearances in Manchester after joining the club for a staggering £86m.

The 25-year-old has since left in a £19m deal to join Spanish side Real Betis – with Ruben Amorim’s side taking a £67m loss on the investment made back in the summer of 2022.

However, there’s a new attacker at the Theatre of Dreams trying to avoid suffering a similar fate in his quest to help catapult the side back to their former glory in the near future.

United’s move to land Bryan Mbeumo this summer

After ending the 2024/25 campaign in a measly 15th place in the Premier League, huge changes were needed at United during the off-season to prevent a repeat this time around.

Amorim wasted no time in clearing the deadwood out from his first-team squad, subsequently freeing up valuable wages to land new top-level talent to transform the club’s fortunes.

Bryan Mbeumo was one of three big-money attacking reinforcements made during the summer, arriving in a package totalling £71m including potential add-ons.

The Cameroonian international scored 20 times in the Premier League for Brentford last campaign, ending the year as only one of five players to achieve such a feat in England’s top-flight.

Whilst it’s undoubtedly another expensive addition made by the hierarchy, it’s one that has injected needed top-flight experience into the current squad to aid their ambitions of rising up the table.

At 26, he will be entering his prime years at Old Trafford, also having the opportunity to make himself a fan-favourite during any attempt of domestic and continental success.

Mbeumo has already made an immediate impact in 2025/26, scoring twice in his first four outings for the Red Devils – arguably being the biggest threat currently available to Amorim within the final third.

Whilst his early form in Manchester has given supporters a newfound sense of optimism, the hierarchy could’ve saved themselves millions had they put more faith in one talent who left a couple of years ago.

The former United star who is just like Mbeumo

The Ten Hag era at United was certainly a topsy-turvy one, achieving great feats like winning the FA Cup, but also getting hammered 7-0 by rivals Liverpool at Anfield.

His recruitment in the transfer market was also extremely lacklustre, splashing big money on players who ultimately failed to cut it in the Premier League – as seen by Antony’s spell at the club.

Casemiro was another addition made during his tenure, costing a fee in the region of £70m from Real Madrid despite being 30 at the time of his switch to England.

Numerous of his outgoings also proved to be mistakes, with the decision to offload Anthony Elanga for just £15m another blunder made when he was at the helm.

The Swede came through the youth ranks at Old Trafford, going on to make 55 appearances over a three-year period – but only 26 of which came during Ten Hag’s spell in charge.

He failed to net a single goal during the 2022/23 campaign, leading to his subsequent move to Nottingham Forest that summer in a deal that catapulted him to the next level.

Elanga spent two years at the City Ground, racking up 11 goals and 21 assists in his 82 appearances – subsequently catapulting the Reds to Europe for the first time in three decades – before joining Newcastle United in a £60m deal this summer.

One of his efforts came against United last campaign, producing an incredible 85-yard solo effort which saw Nuno Espírito Santo’s side claim a 1-0 win over Amorim’s men.

As a result of his performances, he was labelled as a similar player to new addition Mbeumo by FBref, managing to outperform the £71m man in numerous key areas.

The Swede managed to post a higher shot on target accuracy rate in 2024/25 (55%), subsequently making the most of the opportunities falling his way and demonstrating his clinical nature.

His dominance over the Cameroonian is further reflected in his higher tally of key passes per 90 (1.9) and carries into the opposition box per 90 (2.7) – having the technical ability to subsequently cause the opposition havoc.

That’s an attribute that’s been outlined much through Elanga’s career, with former Red Devil Paul Parker once stating that he is like “a young Ryan Giggs” in the way he drives forward with possession.

Games played

38

38

Goals & assists

17

27

Shot on target accuracy

55%

43%

Key passes made

1.9

1.8

Progressive carries

2.7

1.9

Carries into the opposition box

2.7

1.9

Crosses completed

6.7

5.3

Fould drawn

1.7

1.1

Tallies such as 3.7 progressive carries per 90 and 6.7 crosses completed per 90 were also higher than those produced by Mbeumo – further showcasing the constant threat he possesses in attacking areas.

Given the lack of success from the United first team in recent years, the decision to allow Elanga to depart now looks to be a huge mistake – especially given his rapid development away from the Theatre of Dreams.

Undoubtedly, there’s huge excitement around Mbeumo at present, but the club may well have been better off keeping hold of the Swede instead of splashing yet more funds on a new attacker.

Man Utd talent who left the club for £0 has been outscoring Sesko & Mbeumo

Manchester United may have made a mistake in allowing one former talent to depart Old Trafford.

1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 11, 2025

Inter Miami will look to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time in club history when they face Nashville SC Saturday in the second leg of the opening playoff round at Geodis Stadium. The visitors are under pressure to win and close out the series, while the hosts will aim to force a decisive third game.

Getty Images SportInter Miami focused on one mission at a time

For the second game of the series, Miami visit to Nashville – a team they’ve defeated twice in the past two weeks, both times convincingly.

Despite those recent wins, the Miami manager Javier Mascherano acknowledged Nashville’s quality and the challenges they’ve posed to his side, emphasizing the need for focus and improvement ahead of Saturday’s decisive playoff match. The Herons hold an 8-3 aggregate goal advantage over Nashville across their last two meetings.

“We have to pay attention to the details and keep improving to arrive in the best possible shape,” Mascherano said. “Even though we’ve had two good results against them in recent weeks, we know Nashville have put us in tough situations before. We managed to handle them well, but we expect them to test us again, and we have to be ready for that.”

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'I don’t believe in identical matches'

The Inter Miami boss confirmed that he will have a full squad available, with the only exception being David Ruiz, who remains in recovery. The team’s key figures – including Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Rodrigo De Paul – are all fit and available for selection.

“We have a core group – a spine that’s untouchable – because any team that wants to succeed needs one,” Mascherano said. “From there, we make adjustments depending on what the team and the game demand. I don’t believe in identical matches, so it’s essential that everyone understands their importance.

"I always say the quality of minutes matters more than the quantity. We’ll decide who starts based on what we think the match requires. Aside from David, who’s still recovering, everyone’s ready – and every player will have a role to play.”

Getty Images SportMascherano addresses De Paul’s absence

Mascherano addressed De Paul’s recent trip to Argentina following Inter Miami’s 3-1 win over Nashville in the first game of the series. The midfielder used his days off to travel to Buenos Aires to take care of personal matters – and also attended Futttura, the debut concert of his partner, Tini Stoessel.

“He had to travel for personal reasons, and we gave him permission,” Mascherano said. “When you give players time off, you don’t ask what they’re going to do.”

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If Miami win Game 2 of the series at GEODIS Park, they would advance to the next round – and in doing so, erase the bitter memory of last season, when – after claiming the Supporters’ Shield with a record points total – they were eliminated at the same round by Atlanta United, a team that had only made it through via the Wild Card.

Scott Boland believes he’s better prepared for what England’s batters will throw at him this summer if he gets the chance to play in the Ashes after he was attacked relentlessly in his two Tests during the 2023 series in the UK.Boland has the lowest Test bowling average of anyone with more than 50 wickets in the last century after a hat-trick in Jamaica reduced his figure to 16.53, leaving him sixth on the all-time list.While he took 18 wickets at 9.55 in his debut Ashes series against a pre-Bazball England team in 2021-22, he took just two wickets at 115.50 in the 2023 Ashes where he played just the two Tests at Edgbaston and Headingley.Related

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Speaking at an event in Melbourne on Wednesday that marked 100 days to go before the first Ashes Test in Perth, Boland said he is unsure how many Tests he will play this summer given he still remains behind Australia’s big three – Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood – in the pecking order when all are fit. But he believes he’s ready to handle whatever approach England take to him if he gets the chance.”I’ve obviously thought about it a lot since it happened in 2023,” Boland said. “But I still think there were times in England where I bowled pretty well and just didn’t get a wicket. I’m a better bowler than I was back then. I’m going to be in our conditions that I know really, really well. I’m hoping to put in some good performances.”Boland expects the conditions to be vastly different to England if the pitches in Australia play as they have done over the last four summers, which he believes will help Australia’s bowlers against the Bazball brand.”They’re going to play aggressively,” Boland said. “If the wickets stay similar to what they’ve been over the last few years, I think we’re going to be in the game all the time.”There were little parts of the England tour last time, when the ball sort of moved around and favoured the bowlers, but generally over there, the wickets have been a bit flatter. And then when you come to Australia, certainly the last three or four years, they’ve been bowler friendly.”Boland, like many Australians, watched parts of the recent England-India Test series with great interest. But the difference in conditions is highlighted by the fact that England and India combined for a record 21 centuries in the five-match series.In 15 Tests in Australia since the last Ashes series down under, batters have made a combined total of 19, with the same India side scoring just three across the five Tests last summer and only one in the last four. Australia’s batters, who have been under the microscope for their recent output have scored 15 of those. England scored just one in the 2021-22 Ashes, which was made by Jonny Bairstow in Sydney, but only four batters in Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Ben Stokes are likely to return.Record crowds are expected for the Ashes•Getty Images

Despite the likelihood of seam bowler-friendly pitches this summer, Boland is not anticipating that he will play in a four-pronged pace attack at any stage despite being picked ahead of Nathan Lyon in extreme conditions with a pink Dukes ball at Sabina Park in Jamaica last month.”I hope so, but probably not in Australia,” Boland said. “Nathan’s one of the best spin bowlers in the world, so I think he can bowl in any conditions. He’s probably been the glue to our bowling line-up over the last few years. And then I probably see Greeny [Cameron Green] coming back and bowling a lot more, he obviously hasn’t bowled for 12 months, so that probably hurts the chances of four quicks as well.”Boland has not bowled since the Jamaica Test and instead has been working diligently in the gym to avoid carrying any of the knee soreness he battled last summer into the Ashes. Boland said a discussion with Australia coach Andrew McDonald had led to a shift in his gym regime which he believes is paying dividends.Boland is unsure how many of the first four Sheffield Shield games he will play ahead of the first Test despite not being a guaranteed started in Perth with discussions ongoing between Cricket Australia’s high performance team and Cricket Victoria about his playing schedule.”It’s changed a couple of times, but I’m sure over the next few weeks we’ll nut it all out,” Boland said. “There’s so much time between game one and game four, I’m hoping to play two or three.”Despite an incredible record, Scott Boland is never certain when he will play next•AFP/Getty Images

The second round of the Shield sees a potential match-up between Boland and incumbent Test opener Sam Konstas as Victoria host New South Wales at Junction Oval on October 15, with Konstas fighting an uphill battle to retain his Test spot for the Ashes. Boland knocked over Konstas three times out of four meetings in Shield cricket last summer.CA has been careful in managing the loads of Boland and other back-up bowlers throughout the summer to keep them fresh in case they are required. But there is a danger of them not playing enough. In 2023-24, Boland was Australia’s back-up quick for seven straight Tests but did not play a single game while last year he played three of the five Tests against India when Hazlewood got injured, just as he did in the 2021-22 Ashes.The lengthy gaps between the first, second and third Tests, and bowler-friendly pitches may create a possibility where Australia’s big three can play all three without significant workload issues. But there are only four-day breaks between Adelaide and Melbourne then Melbourne into Sydney which is when Boland will likely be required. Getting him enough cricket to that point will be a challenge if he is carried as the spare bowler in the squad and required to stay with the team in the case of concussion.There are CA XI and Australia A matches against England Lions in Perth and Brisbane that run alongside the Test matches where there may be opportunities for him to get match overs in while remaining in the same city as the Test squad. But Victoria’s last Shield match before the BBL break is at the MCG from December 4-7 while the Brisbane Test is being played. There is no Shield cricket after that as the BBL begins on December 14.”There’s such good breaks in between the first two Tests that gives whoever plays, gives gives them opportunity to really reset, freshen up,” Boland said. “But I think going from last year, we had a three-day break in between, we bowled the last session here in Melbourne to the bowling in the first session in Sydney, it’s hard work, and probably does take you a session or two to sort of get everything moving again.”

da aviator aposta： Before the international break, Tottenham Hotspur’s fast start to the season was stunted at home to Bournemouth, who claimed a 1-0 win down N17.

da realbet： But fears of that same plague of inconsistency have been pushed aside after an emphatic 3-0 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium, shifting Spurs into second place in the Premier League ahead of Liverpool’s clash against Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

Three wins from four marks an impressive start to life for Thomas Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou in the summer after the Australian coach slumped with his side down to a 17th-place finish in the Premier League.

Even the Europa League triumph couldn’t save him, but in spite of all the upheaval – including the shocking exit of Daniel Levy – Tottenham are reshaping into a force to be reckoned with.

The exciting signing of Xavi Simons bears testament to that.

Xavi Simons' Spurs debut

Simons, 22, looked Chelsea-bound for much of the summer transfer window, but Tottenham ended up winning the race and now they boast one of the most exciting playmakers in the business.

Against West Ham, the Netherlands international impressed across his 71 minutes on the field, making the assist for Pape Matar Sarr’s opening goal after the interval, curling a corner in and over the rabble and onto the unmarked Senegalese’s head.

Then the Lilywhites’ task was made easier by Tomas Soucek’s red card after a reckless challenge on Joao Palhinha. Two more goals ensued, and while Simons didn’t land a debut strike for himself, he looked very much at home on the Premier League stage.

Finer displays will follow, but this was very promising indeed, especially when considering he was deployed out wide instead of his natural berth at number ten.

Simons has what it takes to effectively replace the injured James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, maybe even rivalling such stars as being Tottenham’s finest attacking midfielder since the days of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen in their pomp.

Spurs' new version of Dele Alli

In January 2024, Tottenham beat off fierce competition from Barcelona to sign teenage midfielder Lucas Bergvall. In fact, all the pointers previously claimed the Sweden prospect would join La Blaugrana, but he was convinced by the Lilywhites project after a hijack.

An elite talent, Bergvall has since settled into life as a Tottenham senior, and he’s still only 19 years old. In this regard, he’s somewhat like the aforementioned Dele, and might even come to be Frank’s own version of the fallen England sensation.

Dele, now 29, is clubless after being released by Como in Serie A, but it’s not hard to remember those days of old when he played with such rarely-seen gusto, a true wonder-kid after joining Spurs from MK Dons in League One in 2015.

His first three seasons in the Premier League were beyond spectacular, and had he continued in that thread of form throughout his career, Dele would surely be hailed now in conversations similar to that of the division’s greatest.

Dele Alli: Premier League Stats per Season

Season

Apps

Goals (assists

23/24

0

0 (0)

22/23

2

0 (0)

21/22

10

1 (0)

20/21

15

0 (1)

19/20

25

8 (4)

18/19

25

5 (3)

17/18

36

9 (11)

16/17

37

18 (9)

15/16

33

10 (9)

Stats via Transfermarkt

Bergvall is not the same as Dele, but his athleticism and intelligence and movement and application all bespeak the skill set of a top-level talent.

And against West Ham, the Scandinavian’s goal-and-assist performance carried shades of Dele back in his heyday.

Cristian Romero arced an aerial pass through to Bergvall moments after Soucek’s red card, and the youngster’s success in timing his run and turning the ball beyond the hapless goalkeeper with a precise header underlined his Dele-esque performance.

Because, after all, such headed goals were staples of the Three Lions star’s skills when he was in his prime at Tottenham. Who remembers that performance against Chelsea back in 2017, for example?

But the similarities don’t stop there. Bergvall’s success at such an early age is bringing him into direct comparison with a young Dele, and it’s something Spurs can now use to deepen their connection with the fanbase as this new era gets up and running.

After all, at 19 years and 223 days old, Bergvall is Tottenham’s youngest scorer in the Premier League since… You guessed it, Dele, who was 19 years and 205 days old when he scored in a 3-1 win over Aston Villa in November 2015.

There’s no question that Tottenham landed one of Europe’s prized up-and-coming midfielders when beating Barcelona to his signature, and now, with Frank at the helm, there’s a sense that Bergvall is coming into his own.

He’s a European champion, and he’s now showcased his ability to produce a rounded display in the Premier League, with data from Sofascore revealing that he won five duels, made two tackles and created a key pass against struggling West Ham.

He also completed 100% of his dribbles, demonstrating a progressiveness that will help Tottenham to no end.

Football.london handed him an 8/10 match rating, drawing attention to his neat interplay and clever touches, as well as his intelligent involvement in the build-up to Tottenham’s third, when Van de Ven sealed three excellent points for the north Londoners.

Bergvall remains a young midfielder making his way in the Premier League, but already, he is so accomplished within Tottenham’s squad.

He has featured 50 times for the Londoners and is starting to show in Frank’s system an ability to stand out among his peers, something Dele did with such prodigious aplomb during the early days of his time in a Tottenham shirt.

Related He'll be Frank's own Bale: Spurs have hit gold on "phenomenal" £20m star

Tottenham Hotspur have unearthed themselves a new gem over the last couple of months.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Sep 12, 2025

An unbeaten 104-run partnership between debutant Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat – playing his second game – helped a nervous Pakistan overcome a stutter to chase down 281 in the penultimate over and take a 1-0 lead in the ODI series with a five-wicket win.West Indies had put up 280 through three half-centuries in the first innings, but Pakistan’s spinners contained them to keep them to a below-par score with Shaheen Shah Afridi (4 for 51) and Naseem Shah (3-55) mopping the hosts up at the death.Pakistan’s pursuit was far from convincing, struggling to pace the innings too. Babar Azam (47) and Mohammad Rizwan (53) each fell after promising, if placid, starts, and West Indies found themselves burrowing into the lower order when Rizwan fell with 101 still to get. But Nawaz overcame early struggles and briefly rode his luck with a couple of dropped chances to turn the game around with 63 not out, eventually finishing it at a canter alongside the more solid Talat, who made an unbeaten 41 in 37 balls.Much of Pakistan’s ODI success over the past year depended on Saim Ayub getting them off to a flyer, so it felt significant West Indies neutralised that threat early, Jayden Seales extracting rubber-ball bounce that took his edge and flew on command into the keeper’s gloves. While Babar took his time to settle, Abdullah Shafique looked classically pretty through an even-paced knock, but found himself undone by slightly lower bounce that excited Shamar Joseph enough to force his captain’s hand into a successful review.Initially, it appeared the worst of Babar and Rizwan was on display in that third-wicket partnership. At one point early on, they would play sixteen successive dot balls as the asking rate crept above six. They began, as they so often do, to catch up, finding regular boundaries and running a few twos, and the asking rate gradually eased back down into the fives. Whether that redeemed their slow start or made them even more culpable is by now an intractable question to answer.But West Indies trusted their pace bowlers longer than Pakistan had, only delivering one over of spin until the 20th over. But that wasn’t a commentary on Gudakesh Motie’s skills, who began to trouble the pair, ultimately sending Babar packing when he ventured out for a slog and was deceived by the turn three runs short of his half-century.Salman Ali Agha was more proactive, but threw away a decent start when he scooped a ball that gripped right back into a grateful Roston Chase’s hands. The value of Rizwan’s wicket was growing with each passing wicket, and he’d eased himself past a half-century by once more, Joseph found a way to rap him in front of the pads, this time securing the on-field decision that put West Indies on top.Nawaz and Talat, one ODI in 2019 the sum total of their 50-over international experience, seemed unlikely saviours at that point. Hasan scored just three off his first 12 balls, and looked vulnerable against spin. Shai Hope dropped him early as a nick off an attempted slog couldn’t nestle into his gloves, and with the asking rate rising, he was the one Pakistan required out there until the very end.The tide began to turn in the 39th over by which time the dew was making the ball hard to grip. Talat smacked Chase for two boundaries, before a rare errant over from Joseph saw five wides and 17 runs scored which brought the asking rate to just above seven. It was the break Pakistan needed to pace the innings on their terms, with each player finding the boundary anytime the equation became uncomfortable.With four overs to go and Nawaz on 49, Motie put down an unforgivably easy chance at short third, and as Seales went down on his knees in disbelief, the fate of the game was sealed. Talat plundered 15 off the following over, and five balls later, Nawaz had sealed the win.Evin Lewis and Keacy Carty’s 77-run stand got West Indies flowing despite losing an early wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Earlier, West Indies were put in to bat partially because of the uncertainty of conditions both overhead and underfoot, and once they’d brushed off the customary first-over wicket Afridi tends to take so often, Evin Lewis and Keacy Carty began to set a platform in the powerplay. Shaheen and Naseem struggled to find bite with the new ball, and by the eighth over, Rizwan had turned to the spin of Ayub. On a surface that has seen just the one ODI played, no one really knew how successful that would be, but the next two and a half-hours answered that question.With the surface gripping, each of Pakistan’s three spinners – Ayub, Agha, and Sufiyan Muqim – were thrust in immediately. The following 27 overs saw just one over of seam bowled as West Indies found themselves bleeding the occasional wicket while the run-rate Lewis and Carty had helped keep around six dipped below five. It was telling that the one over of seam – from Faheem Ashraf, saw Lewis pillage a six and a four bringing up his half-century in the process.But Lewis – on 60 – felt Ayub was the spinner to target, and having dispatched him for a boundary, opted to heave the final ball of his third over into the air. Shaheen spun himself around a couple of times before improbably holding onto it. A tortured innings from Sherfane Rutherford then concluded when he spooned Agha to cover-point.Chase (53) and Hope (55) put together a stand for the fifth wicket, but with no break from the stifling spinners, the run-rate began to fall. The 64 they added came off 89 deliveries, and with just one ball after the 34th over, Shaheen and Naseem began to find reverse swing. It took them a couple of overs to find their accuracy, during which Chase brought up his half-century. But he holed out to Naseem almost immediately afterwards, and just as the ball began to reverse, West Indies’ tail was exposed.The yorkers began to land, and West Indies had no answer. Naseem and Shaheen found pinpoint accuracy, and any runs West Indies scored had luck attached to them. At one point, the matting for the stump-mic helped lift the ball over Rizwan for four byes, and the following over a 140kmph yorker from Naseem hit leg stump, but without dislodging the bails.Even so, the last three were cleaned up by Pakistan’s two frontline quicks hitting the base of the stumps, and bowling West Indies out with an over to spare. Later, Pakistan would achieve their own target with seven balls to go.