Sussex 210 for 9 (Coles 47, White 3-21) vs Yorkshire Yorkshire enjoyed a productive opening day of their key Rothesay County Championship clash with Sussex at Scarborough, a day lit up by a stunning James Wharton catch in the deep.Sussex, inserted on a green-tinged pitch, were limited to 210 for 9 from 96 overs. James Coles top-scored for them with 47 off 54 balls.New-ball seamer Jack White impressed with 3 for 21 from 17 overs, with the first of his wickets coming courtesy of what was labelled in some quarters as one of the all-time great catches by Wharton running back towards deep square-leg.Yorkshire came into this fixture second-bottom after 10 of 14 matches. They were seven points away from third-bottom and eighth-placed Durham, with Sussex only 21 ahead of the White Rose in fifth.These two counties were promoted from Division Two last summer. Yorkshire beat Sussex here last August. In fact, Sussex have never won a first-class match at North Marine Road. This is their 11th attempt. If Yorkshire’s start is anything to go by, that run may extend.Quite where Wharton’s catch stands on the list of all-time great grabs is difficult to say with certainty. What can be said with certainty, however, is that was a truly outstanding catch. You will struggle to see better at any county venue this season.Tom Haines looked to whip White over the leg-side but skied a chance off a top-edge. Wharton, positioned at a short midwicket, raced back towards deep square-leg and took the catch mid-air having dived full length.That left Sussex at 19 for 1 in the ninth over. From there, Yorkshire took wickets at regular intervals. Sussex reached lunch at 92 for 3 in the 29th over.Australian left-hander Daniel Hughes was the second wicket to fall when bowled by a beauty from White which angled in from around the wicket, straightened and hit the top of off stump with the score on 26.Coles and Tom Alsop steadied the ship, the former actually counter-attacking, including a six over long-on against the offspin of Dom Bess, Yorkshire’s stand-in captain with Jonny Bairstow on paternity leave. Coles fell just before lunch when caught behind against George Hill.A feature of the White Rose bowling performance was how miserly they were. For example, Sussex only scored 57 runs in an afternoon session which saw three more wickets fall – 149 for 6 at the tea break – and then 61 more after tea.White got wicket No. 4 when he had Danial Ibrahim caught at first slip pushing forwards before visiting captain John Simpson feathered behind a drive at Matt Milnes, leaving Sussex at 113 for 5 in the 44th over.Alsop, twice a fifty-maker in last year’s clash, was then the second Sussex batter to fall in the 40s after Coles. The left-hander had exactly 40 when he was bowled through the gate by one angled in from Revis with 129 on the board in the 53rd.More damage was done shortly after tea as Sussex lost three wickets for the addition of run one in eight balls, slipping to 150 for 9.The three wickets fell courtesy of catches at first, second and third slip. Two of them went to Will Sutherland’s seam in the 66th over – Fynn Hudson-Prentice for 23 and Jack Carson for a duck. Henry Crocombe also fell without scoring in the next over to Hill.Sussex were then boosted late on by an impressively watchful 10th-wicket partnership of 60 unbroken between Danny Lamb and Gurinder Sandhu. Both men pulled sixes off seam, Lamb finishing on 40 and Australian Sandhu 24.

It was an unfortunate toss to win, but India will look back at how they faced up to the challenge and question their methods

Sidharth Monga17-Oct-20241:53

Should India be worried about Australia after 46 all out?

If you were to fantasise a scenario in which New Zealand, coming off a 2-0 loss in Sri Lanka, were to challenge India in India – unbeaten for 18 straight series at home – the fantasy would have looked quite close to, if not exactly like, what happened in Bengaluru. It had been raining in the lead-up to the Test, the first day was washed out, overcast skies were expected, and as the final piece in the fantasy, you would expect New Zealand to insert India and run through them.The last bit of it, in fact, changed a little. New Zealand wanted to bat first, but were denied the death wish by India. That’s because of the dry pitch. If anything, India were clearer in what they wanted to do: bat first and play three spinners. New Zealand’s second spinner was Glenn Phillips, and they still wanted to bat first.With that stroke of luck, New Zealand put India through the wringer of good length and consistent seam movement. In the first session, Matt Henry drew an average seam movement of 1.3 degrees, Tim Southee 1 degree and Will O’Rourke 0.8. Himanish Ganjoo, analyst and cricket writer, tweeted it was not just the seam – 0.87 degrees median seam in 30 overs compared to 0.5 degrees in the last three years in India – but also 20% extra bounce compared to the last three years.Related

• 'Relentless' Matt Henry revels in the gloom

• Rohit Sharma 'hurting' after misjudging Bengaluru pitch

• Pant stays off the field after picking up knee injury while keeping

• Stats – India plumb new lows on their way to 46 all out

• India 46 all out as Henry and Conway create New Zealand's dream day

Once both the sides misjudged the conditions and India were the unfortunate ones to win the toss, the New Zealand seam bowlers were just perfect for the conditions. No drive balls, about half the balls on good length, and the extra bounce for O’Rourke.That said, India will look back at how they faced up to the challenge and question their methods. This was not like the 36 all out, the closest such event in recent memory, where the ball actually seamed less that morning and India were bundled out in just 32 false shots. Here India batted almost out of muscle memory and hoped to just hit the bowlers off their length. It took 75 false shots for India to be bowled out, which is not a million miles away from about the 10 it usually takes for a wicket on an average in Test cricket.Yashasvi Jaiswal started off leaving the ball, but drove loosely to just the 12th ball he faced. There was no reason why he should have drove at that ball in particular: it was neither overpitched nor wide. He tried to walk at the bowlers to cut down the movement, but there were 21 false shots in his 63-ball stay, 10 of those drives and aggressive shots. He could just as easily have got out to a shot that looked ugly.Rohit Sharma was not so lucky. He was bowled the first time he tried to hit out. Rishabh Pant enjoyed Jaiswal-like luck, surviving 20 false shots and a dropped catch before nicking to second slip. Sarfaraz Khan, asked to bat higher than he does in domestic cricket, took the attacking option third ball with no luck.KL Rahul was out for a six-ball duck•Getty ImagesWhile it sounds brave and selfless of Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz to bat out of position, India will also question if KL Rahul was not the best man for No. 3 in these conditions. Rahul is one of only two Asian opening batters to have scored a century in all three of Australia, South Africa and England. Rahul’s resolute old-fashioned grinding down of England, in partnership with Rohit, was the reason why India drew 2-2 in England.If India had a week to prepare for the conditions they got in Bengaluru, chances are they would have buckled down similarly. Instead they did what came to most of them instinctively: counterattack. There is logic to that too, as you don’t want to be sitting ducks on a seaming pitch. You can’t dismiss this thought process straight off the bat, but as the control figures and the final score shows, you are leaving a lot to luck if you keep on attacking in these conditions and if the bowlers are not erring in length at all.Traditional wisdom suggests you try to ride out the period of extravagant seam movement and hope that you still have one or two specialist batters left when the seam becomes softer and the sun comes out. Here, India didn’t trust the traditional wisdom, either because things were so different to their expectations that they were too shocked to respond or because they consciously decided not to do so. The ones who did – Kohli and Rahul – were unlucky to get out before they could get in.You can still get out for 46 or 36 doing that, but you can look back and say you tried to give yourselves a chance and then move on and hope for better luck another day. India did just that in Australia after 36 all out. This day, you suspect, won’t be so easy to erase from memory.

He will take over the position from Jon Lewis at a franchise that has struggled since reaching the playoffs in WPL’s inaugural season

Nagraj Gollapudi and Ashish Pant25-Jul-2025UP Warriorz (UPW) have appointed former India allrounder Abhishek Nayar as their head coach for the next edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Nayar’s appointment comes after the franchise parted ways with Jon Lewis, who had been at the helm for the last three seasons.Nayar comes to the set-up with an extensive coaching background. A Mumbai stalwart in first-class cricket, Nayar also played three ODIs for India before his retirement in 2019. Since then, he has transitioned into coaching. He was the lead coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders academy in 2018 and then joined the KKR support staff as assistant coach. Nayar also served as the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) head coach in CPL 2022.While Nayar has never coached a women’s team, he oversaw a week-long off-season camp with UPW in August 2023 in Bengaluru. He has also worked on a one-on-one basis with several international and uncapped Indian players over the years.”I really enjoyed my time working with the UP Warriorz before and I’m thrilled to take on this new role,” Nayar said. “WPL is a fantastic platform for women’s cricket and I’m looking forward to working closely with the management to build a strong team for Season 4. UP Warriorz already have a strong foundation in place, and I believe we can build something truly special. There is incredible potential and I will give it my all to help win their first-ever title this season.”During his stint at KKR, Nayar built a rapport with mentor Gautam Gambhir, and their partnership helped the franchise lift their IPL third title in 2024. When Gambhir was appointed the head coach of the Indian side the same year, Nayar joined it as assistant coach, but his contract was terminated less than a year into the job. He subsequently returned as KKR’s assistant coach for IPL 2025, having been a part of their backroom staff from 2018 to 2024.Related

UP Warriorz and coach Jon Lewis part ways

“Bringing Abhishek Nayar on board as head coach feels like a natural and exciting step forward for UP Warriorz,” Kshemal Waingankar, COO and director of cricket UPW, told ESPNcricinfo. “When someone of Abhishek’s calibre became available, it was a no-brainer. Few in Indian cricket bring the same depth of experience when it comes to shaping players and shaping winning cultures.”In just the past 18 months alone, Abhishek has been part of three championship-winning campaigns, each in a different role, each leaving a lasting impact. We are thrilled to have him lead a Warriorz side that’s united, fearless and hungry to grow. With Abhishek at the helm, we believe this group can do something truly special.”Nayar played a crucial part in unlocking Dinesh Karthik’s potential as a finisher in T20 cricket. At various times, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer and Angkrish Raghuvanshi have also credited Nayar for their batting resurgence.More recently, KL Rahul also thanked Nayar: “I’ve worked really hard on my white-ball game the last year or so. Big shoutout to Abhishek Nayar. I’ve worked a lot with him ever since he’s come into the Indian team.”UPW haven’t had the best of times at the WPL so far. They made it to the playoffs in the inaugural season in 2023, where they lost to eventual champions Mumbai Indians in the eliminator. Since then, they have finished second to bottom and bottom of the five-team points table, in 2024 and 2025 respectively.UPW have played 25 matches in the WPL across seasons, of which they have lost 15 games and won ten. Deepti Sharma was named their captain for WPL 2025, after Alyssa Healy was ruled out of the tournament due to injury.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos tem a vantagem de 1 a 0 sobre o Palmeiras, conquistada no primeiro confronto da final do Paulistão, e conta com mais “trunfos” para quebrar o jejum de títulos. Desde 2016, o Peixe não conquista uma taça, e a última foi justamente um Campeonato Paulista.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Santos

O primeiro deles é o retrospecto vitorioso de Fábio Carille. Dos quatro estaduais de São Paulo que disputou, o treinador conquistou três: ele foi tricampeão seguido pelo Corinthians, em 2017, 2018 e 2019. Nas finais, bateu Ponte Preta, Palmeiras e São Paulo, respectivamente.

Além disso, Carille, técnico do Santos, tem bom histórico diante do Palmeiras. São 12 jogos, oito vitórias, um empate e três derrotas, com 69% de aproveitamento.

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➡️ Palmeiras x Santos: onde assistir, horário e escalações da final do Paulistão

Durante o primeiro jogo da decisão, na Vila Belmiro, o Peixe foi superior ao Verdão e poderia ter conseguido uma vantagem ainda maior para a partida da volta.

PRESSÃO NA ARBITRAGEM?

O Santos acompanhou as repercussões negativas da escalação de Raphael Claus para a final contra o Palmeiras nas redes sociais e emitiu uma nota oficial sobre a situação.

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Em 2023, o lateral Rafinha, do São Paulo, foi expulso de um clássico contra o Verdão e deixou o campo dizendo: “O Claus é palmeirense”. Em 2023, o lateral Rafinha, do São Paulo, foi expulso de um clássico contra o Verdão e deixou o campo dizendo: “O Claus é palmeirense”. O árbitro também já foi elogiado publicamente por Abel Ferreira. Esses dois episódios foram lembrados por santistas na internet.

Durante a fase de grupos do Paulistão, o Peixe teve uma iniciativa semelhante. O clube emitiu uma nota sobre a arbitragem de Edina Alves, que apitaria o clássico contra o São Paulo, antes da bola rolar. Tendo influencia direta ou não, as decisões da profissional em favor do Alvinegro na partida foram muito contestadas por tricolores, e o Santos saiu vitorioso no confronto.

Tudo sobre

Campeonato PaulistaFabio CarillePalmeirasSantos

Tottenham have set a mammoth price tag for star defender Micky van de Ven amid serious interest from Real Madrid and Liverpool, according to a new report.

Micky van de Ven continues to shine at Tottenham

Van de Ven has been an outstanding presence for Spurs in the opening months of 2025/2026, quickly establishing himself as a key figure under Thomas Frank.

The young defender has combined defensive solidity with a remarkable goal-scoring touch, already finding the net five times across all competitions – a striking return for a player primarily tasked with keeping things tight at the back.

Van de Ven has also scored twice as many goals as any other Premier League defender so far this term, including Arsenal’s highly-praised set piece weapon Gabriel, with the Dutchman involved in all but one of Tottenham’s seven clean sheets this season too.

The 24-year-old’s combination of pace, power and goal threat has made him an indispensable member of Frank’s starting eleven, and his ability to contribute at both ends of the pitch gives Spurs a unique edge.

Van de Ven’s importance to the Lilywhites is nothing new, as he bailed Ange Postecoglou’s high line out time and time again when he was fit and available to take part.

With Cristian Romero out injured and steadily working his way back to match fitness, van de Ven and Kevin Danso have helped to fill the Argentine’s shoes to great effect as Spurs now sit third in the Premier League table.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

22/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

08/11/2025

Cristian Romero

Groin

01/11/2025

Destiny Udogie

Knee

08/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

08/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

Van de Ven’s brace against Everton, with both goals coming from set plays, sealed a crucial three points for Spurs last Sunday as they became the first away team to claim victory at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Ever since van de Ven’s arrival in north London over two years ago, the Netherlands international has been linked with a high-profile move elsewhere.

Real Madrid have specifically been mentioned as suitors amid their reported search for new centre-backs, so much so that reports suggest Tottenham are prepared to double van de Ven’s salary to keep him away from the Bernabeu.

Spurs are in no immediate danger of losing the centre-half, considering he’s contracted until 2029, and Frank is convinced that he is happy in N17.

That being said, there is always a danger that Real could turn a player’s head, and if they manage to tempt van de Ven, Spurs are apparently clear in their demands.

Tottenham set 'historic' Micky van de Ven price tag as Real Madrid and Liverpool circle

According to reports from Spain, Tottenham have set an ‘historic’ price tag for van de Ven as Real, Liverpool and even Bayern Munich circle for his signature.

It is believed that Spurs want a minimum £88 million for van de Ven, which is described as an ‘historic’ sum and would make him the most expensive defender in football history — eclipsing the £80 million that Man United paid for Harry Maguire in 2019.

Frank’s side are determined to keep hold of him and only a “massive offer” would see him leave, highlighting his growing importance both on and off the pitch.

This valuation could be part of a broader strategy reflecting Tottenham’s ambition and financial muscle, especially following a significant £100 million capital injection by the club’s owners, the Lewis family.

The investment underscores their long-term commitment to strengthening the squad and competing at the highest level, and stopping key stars like van de Ven from leaving will be pivotal as the north Londoners look to kick on from their Europa League triumph in May.

Former Premier League star Kevin Doyle, who represented the likes of Wolves and Reading in his playing days, has been caught on camera appearing to call Dominik Szoboszlai a “Liverpool c***”. Said words were allegedly uttered during the wild celebrations which accompanied the Republic of Ireland’s dramatic World Cup qualifying win over Hungary.

• Luck of the Irish: Parrott hat-trick secures play-off berth

  Ex-Ireland international Doyle was helping to cover that game for RTE Sports. The 42-year-old lost his composure after seeing Troy Parrott complete a historic hat-trick at the Puskas Arena. Said effort was recorded in the 96th minute of an epic encounter that saw Ireland trailing a must-win contest with just 10 minutes remaining.

  One-time Tottenham striker Parrott, who is now plying his trade in the Netherlands for AZ, helped to turn that tie on its head. With the Irish going on to prevail 3-2, they have now booked a World Cup play-off berth – presenting them with a shot at qualification for the 2026 finals.

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• What ex-Ireland star Doyle said during wild celebrations

  Jubilant Doyle was left wheeling around the RTE studio after seeing Parrott land himself a match ball in Budapest. An edited version of his celebration was posted by RTE, but the full scenes were captured off camera – with an uncut video making its way onto social media.

  In that, Doyle appears to bellow in the direction of current Anfield star Szoboszlai: "Suck on that you Liverpool c***!” He then apologises to former Reds midfielder Dietmar Hamann, who was also on punditry duty.

  Doyle hung up his boots in 2017 having finished his career in MLS with the Colorado Rapids. He has moved into media work since then, while also stepping up his long-standing interest in horse racing.

  While he was left beaming at the end of Ireland’s stunning victory over Hungary, Szoboszlai – who has been putting his versatility to good use at Premier League champions Liverpool this season – said when asked how much his heart aches after missing out on a World Cup berth: “Very much.”

• Emotional Parrott reacts to historic hat-trick for Ireland

  Ireland hero Parrott – who also bagged a brace when downing Portugal in a game that saw Cristiano Ronaldo sent off – told as emotion spilled out of him on the back of becoming the first man to net a hat-trick away from home for The Boys in Green: “I'm really really emotional right now…sorry. They're tears of joy. What a night. What a night.

  “I'd rather have that pressure on me and whatever happens will happen, rather than put it on somebody else and leave it out of my hands. I can't believe it. I really can't believe it. This is why we love football because things like this can happen.

  “Look, I love where I'm from. So this means the world to me. My family is here…this is the first time I've cried in years as well. It's unbelievable. Everyone's crying. I said against Portugal that this is what dreams are made of but tonight, I don't think I'll ever have a better night in my whole life. It really is a fairytale. You can't even dream about something like that. Honestly, I have no words to describe the emotions right now.

  “Everyone wrote us off at the start of the group. But I couldn't have said it enough, that there's always a chance. And we've taken the chance. Everyone should be proud of the group of players that are over there. To go down twice and come back like that, it's beautiful.”

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• Getty Images
  

  2026 World Cup play-off draw: When is it & who could Ireland face?

  Ireland will now take their place in the play-off draw, which will be held on November 20. The semi-finals are set to start on March 26, 2026, with the finals getting underway five days later. There are 16 teams fighting for just four places at the World Cup finals.

  Having kept themselves in the hunt for tickets, Ireland could be paired with the likes of Wales, Slovakia, Scotland, Czechia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo. They will fear nobody when looking to complete a fairytale run to another major international tournament.

Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Nawaz punished an error-strewn display in the field from the UAE, helping Pakistan recover from a jittery 80 for 5 and seal a 31-run win. Having set UAE 172 to win, Abrar Ahmed, playing his first game this series, helped run through the top and middle order, removing each of Muhammad Waseem, Asif Khan, Rahul Chopra and Harshit Kaushik. UAE would end up folding with limited resistance, and the result guarantees Pakistan and Afghanistan passage through to the final on Sunday, with the hosts eliminated.Pakistan soon ran into trouble after winning the toss and opting to bat. Sahibzada Farhan made a brisk start once more but couldn’t find staying power, holing out to the short onside boundary. It is the fourth game in a row he has been unable to convert a start, and Saim Ayub fell soon after.Related

• UAE recall Matiullah, Simranjeet in Waseem-led Asia Cup squad

• Atal, Ibrahim and Afghanistan spinners brush Pakistan aside

UAE dragged Pakistan back post-powerplay, but sloppiness in the field was a harbinger of what was to follow. After Zaman and Nawaz were each put down off an excellent Haider Ali over, Pakistan found their opportunity to cut loose, flaying the UAE for 69 in the final four overs to post 171.The hosts’ response never truly got going, as if they were unsure how to pace the chase. Waseem was circumspect for once, and Alishan Sharafu wasn’t as belligerent at the top as he would be later on during his half-century, and the asking rate only climbed. Abrar was superb through his spell, and ran through the top order, getting rid of each of Waseem, Asif Khan and Rahul Chopra. Sharafu attempted to reignite a flagging chase with a sublime display of power-hitting at the backend, and while it did plenty to burnish his reputation, UAE’s fate in this tournament had already been sealed.Drops lose matchesDespite a vastly improved bowling showing, the first innings was littered with errors in the field for the UAE, who made their bowlers’ jobs much harder than they already were. It all came to a head in the 16th over.Left-arm spinner Haider Ali had conceded just six runs in his first three overs, getting rid of Mohammad Haris and Hasan Nawaz in the process. His final over represented a chance to break the burgeoning sixth-wicket stand between Fakhar and Nawaz, with the possibility of running through the tail afterwards. Having nearly yorked Fakhar first ball, he drew Nawaz into a miscue off the penultimate delivery, only for midwicket to grass it. So he made sure the catch Fakhar offered up the next ball was as easy as it could be, arrowing straight down to long-on. That, too, would somehow be dropped by Sharafu, to howls of anguish from the bowler. That frustration would become even more acute by what followed. The wheels come offBy the end of the 16th over, Pakistan were stuttering at 108 for 5, with the UAE dragging them below seven per over. They had had multiple chances to get rid of the Fakhar-Nawaz pairing, but so far, the damage was manageable. But it was now, the first delivery after those two dropped chances, that the momentum swung on a dime.Fakhar clipped Junaid Siddique for six over long-off, and though he got out of that over, the boundaries soon began to rain down. Fakhar smashed Muhammad Jawadullah for a pair of boundaries to bring up his half-century, but the real carnage came in the final two overs. Nawaz, who had found his innings a struggle until then, lashed Siddique for two fours and two sixes off the final four balls of the 19th, before Fakhar plundered five boundaries on the trot to finish the innings off. The final two overs had gone for 42, and the final five for 74. UAE were never to recover.UAE had no answer to Abrar Ahmed’s wiles•Emirates Cricket Board

Abrar’s career-bestAbrar had lost his place to Sufiyan Muqeem in the starting eleven, but spent that time honing more than just a flashy new haircut. Given his first opportunity, the 26-year-old wasted no time making a statement. In a dazzling display of modern legspin bowling, all of his variations were on display in the shop window, and on a spinning surface, the UAE could not muster a response. A brave over in the powerplay, where he packed the offside and challenged Waseem to beat it, yielded just two, and he snared his man off the first ball of the second sliced wildly towards point.Taken out of the attack, he returned for the 13th over, and his impact was instant once more. He had the courage once again to float one to big hitting Asif Khan, whose eyes lit up as he succumbed to temptation, leathering it high into the Sharjah sky. Shaheen Afridi and Nawaz orbited around it before narrowly avoiding a collision as Afridi held on, and while Rahul Chopra was unfortunate to be adjudged lbw off a googly two balls later, Abrar had earned his luck. He would sign off his spell with the scalp of Kaushik, and ensuring he finished with his best-ever T20 figures, 4-0-9-4 a true reflection of his artistry.

Newcastle United have been dealt some bad luck recently under Eddie Howe, though that could all be about to change as they eye January reinforcements.

With the international break now here, it is fair to say that the Magpies have endured an underwhelming start to the Premier League campaign despite a £249 million transfer spend.

Compounding matters, Newcastle suffered a frustrating defeat to Brentford last Sunday, seeing Dan Burn sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity before an Igor Thiago double put the seal on back-to-back top-flight defeats.

Now, they sit 14th in the Premier League standings and look to be in a bit of a malaise, something that Howe put down to lapses of concentration in the second-half.

He said: “Really difficult second half for us. Whatever could go wrong did go wrong. We didn’t respond to the first goal well enough and then the second goal and the red card, which cost us the game.

“We showed a good mentality to our defending in the first half and we stood up to that task. Just that one throw-in and it cost us, and it was a big turning point in the match.”

Sven Botman and Kieran Tripper didn’t cover themselves in glory alongside Burn and contributed to a poor defensive display.

Still, once the dust settles, the Geordies will dust themselves down before planning for a busy festive period, starting with a home clash against Manchester City before a trip to face Marseille in the Champions League.

Come January, arrivals will be on their radar, and it appears that Howe is now plotting a solution to his defensive problems that could be cost-efficient.

Newcastle look to beat Premier League competition to Oscar Mingueza

According to AS, Newcastle are eyeing a cut-price deal to sign Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza, who is also being targeted by Premier League pair West Ham United and Aston Villa.

Barcelona hold a 50% sell-on clause on his next move due to his time with their famous La Masia academy, which could prompt the La Liga club to push for a considerable fee to ensure all bases are covered from their end.

Oscar Mingueza in La Liga – 2025/26 (Fotmob)

Chances created

15

Successful passes

356

Duels won

30

Recoveries

30

Successful crosses

8

However, Mingueza is out of contract in the summer of 2026, potentially offering up a scenario where a cut-price deal may be conducted as Celta Vigo seize advantage of their last chance to cash in on the versatile central defender.

Making 14 appearances this season, the Spain star has registered one goal and three assists and would be a useful addition, given he can also operate on the right-hand side either in wing-back or advanced midfield role.

Newcastle have held internal talks to sign a defensive midfielder

Set to become a free agent next summer, he is inclined to pay attention to offers before coming to a final conclusion on his future, and Newcastle are racing against the clock to tempt him away from Celta Vigo.

The allrounder suffered the injury while fielding in the match against Oman

Shashank Kishore19-Sep-2025

If Axar Patel isn’t available for the Pakistan game, India may not be able to revert to a three-spinner combination•Associated Press

Axar Patel could be a doubt for India’s Super Four match against Pakistan on Sunday after hurting his head while fielding during the Group A fixture against Oman in Abu Dhabi.Running around from mid-off to intercept a skier from Hammad Mirza in the 15th over of Oman’s chase, Axar juggled the chance and put it down, losing his balance in the process and hitting his head against the turf. He was seen clutching his head and the side of his neck while being ushered off the field by the physio. He did not return to the field for the remainder of Oman’s chase.Axar only bowled one over in the innings, conceding four runs, with India employing eight bowlers on their way to a 21-run win.Related

India, Pakistan will look to put off-field issues aside in Super Fours clash

While T Dilip, India’s fielding coach, suggested at his post-match press conference that Axar was “fine”, the short turnaround between matches could prove a challenge. India have less than 48 hours to take the field for the match against Pakistan in Dubai.Axar was among the many India middle-order batters who had a decent hit against Oman. Coming in at No. 5, he struck a 13-ball 26, dominating a quickfire 45-run stand for the fourth wicket with Sanju Samson, who top-scored with 56 in India’s 188 for 8.If Axar is ruled out of the Pakistan game, India may not be able to revert to the three-spinner combination they have used in all their Dubai matches so far, unless they fly in a reinforcement. Varun Chakravarthy, who was rested for the Oman match with India playing an extra seamer, and Kuldeep Yadav are the two specialist spinners in the squad.The two other like-for-like options India can summon if required are Riyan Parag and Washington Sundar, who are both part of their reserves’ list.

This might be the first international break in some time that West Ham United fans can’t wait for it to end.

The East Londoners are still in the Premier League relegation zone, but following back-to-back wins, there is a sense of optimism that they can avoid a protracted fight for survival this year.

After all, Nuno Espirtio Santo took Nottingham Forest from near the bottom of the table to Europa League football in a season and a half; why can’t he achieve something similar at the London Stadium?

However, before fans get carried away, there are still a number of players who need to be moved on from the squad, including one flop previously compared to Andrea Pirlo.

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However, while the team appears to be somewhat on the up, and the fans are starting to feel justifiably optimistic about what the rest of the campaign could bring, some players have lost out due to the appointment of the Portuguese coach.

For example, while James Ward-Prowse was a constant feature in Graham Potter’s midfield, he hasn’t played a minute under the new regime.

In fact, the former Southampton captain hasn’t even been named in a single squad, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise considering Nuno also froze him out when he was on loan at the City Ground last year.

Another Potter signing who has had no luck under the Sao-Tome-born boss is Igor Julio.

The Brazilian centre-back joined the Hammers on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion on deadline day, and so far has played 13 minutes of football under his new boss, which came in three short appearances off the bench.

What makes this worse is the fact that Konstantinos Mavropanos has been out injured for almost a month, and even so, he has still been limited to a bit-part role at best.

Finally, although this may be a bit harsh, the manager appears to have lost faith in Soungoutou Magassa.

The Frenchman started his first two games in charge, but has since played just 30 minutes of action across the last four league games, thanks to two substitutions.

With that said, he’s still young and clearly talented, so there is every chance Nuno will eventually use him more often, which cannot be said for a West Ham flop who was once compared to Pirlo, but now needs to be sold as soon as possible.

The West Ham flop compared to Pirlo

The midfield pairing of Freddie Potts and Mateus Fernandes, which has worked so well in recent games, has made it evident that West Ham need to get rid of their other midfield options, who have looked way off it this season: Andrew Irving.

The Hammers signed the Scotsman in the summer of 2023 from Austrian outfit Klagenfurt, and while it wasn’t really a big deal at the time, there was a hope he’d prove to be a bargain buy, especially as he’d been compared to the legendary Pirlo in the past.

Yes, while it was certainly tongue-in-cheek, he was given the nickname ‘Portobello Pirlo’ by the fans during his time with Scottish outfit Hearts, where he made 61 appearances, scoring five goals and providing 13 assists.

Unfortunately, while he was probably deserving of the comparison north of the border, he hasn’t shown any Pirlo-esque quality in the capital.

In fact, in the words of journalist Jordan Rushworth, he has looked more like a “National League standard” midfielder, adding that he “gets walked past every time an opposition midfielder has the ball.”

While harsh and probably a little over the top, the 25-year-old has looked miles off it in Claret and Blue, and was starting in the middle of the park during Nuno’s struggles against Brentford and Leeds United.

In fact, it was in the aftermath of the former that Jamie Carragher described the Hammers as “one of the slowest teams I’ve seen in Premier League history!”

This lack of dynamism in the middle of the park was largely down to the once-capped Scotsman, and his statistics from that game did not make for pleasant reading.

In his 61 minutes of inaction, he played a single key pass, misplaced four of five crosses, lost 100% of his tackles, didn’t make a single interception, clearance or block, and lost 100% of his aerial duels.

Minutes

61′

Expected Assists

0.02

Key Passes

1

Shots

0

Crosses (Accurate)

5 (1)

Ground Duels (Won)

4 (2)

Aerial Duels (Won)

2 (0)

Tackles (Won)

2 (0)

Clearances

0

Interceptions

0

Blocks

0

Ultimately, Irving has been really quite poor for West Ham this season, and with far better options currently doing the business for Nuno, he should be sold in January.

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