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Some of Australia’s Test players will appear in the league after the SA series while Maxwell could be ruled out of the entire season

Andrew McGlashan11-Dec-20222:04

Zampa on Test selection: I’d like to throw my hat in the ring

So, when’s it on?
The competition begins on December 13, the day after the second Australia-West Indies Test in Adelaide is completed, with Sydney Thunder taking on Melbourne Stars in Canberra. It runs upto February 4. Through the regular season there are games every day other than Christmas Day.Hang on, January. Isn’t there a lot on?
You could say that. There is now a crunch of T20 leagues during the month with the inaugural editions of both the SA20 and ILT20 taking place. That has put huge demand on leading overseas players and both the rival leagues pay more than the BBL, although the gap was closed somewhat by the player draft earlier in the year. Still, a lot of the overseas players in the BBL will depart for those other two tournaments in early January.Related

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Adam Zampa and Jason Sangha named BBL captains

Remind me of the structure
It’s 61 games in all, with the teams playing each other twice, home-and-away, during the regular season. It has been a challenge to keep the show on the road in the last two Covid-19 summers, but things should be back to normal this time. There is then the five-teams final structure which runs like this: Eliminator (4th vs 5th); Qualifier (1st vs 2nd); Knockout (3rd vs winner of Eliminator); Challenger (Loser to Qualifier vs Winner of Knockout); Final (Winner of Qualifier vs Winner of Challenger).Do power surge, X-Factor and Bash Boost still exist?
One out of three. The Power Surge remains (and was also brought into the WBBL this season) but the X-Factor, which allowed a player to be subbed into the game at the 10-over mark of the first innings, and Bash Boost, which provided an extra point for the side ahead at the 10-over mark of the second innings, have been scrapped. Because of that, the points structure will revert to two for a win, one for a tie and no resultWill the Aussie players be available?
Yes…and no. The good news, if you want to term it that way, is because South Africa pulled out of their one-day series (to prioritise their own T20 league), Australia’s white-ball only players will be available for the entire tournament. So that means the likes of Aaron Finch (Melbourne Renegades), Marcus Stoinis (Melbourne Stars), Adam Zampa (Melbourne Stars), Josh Inglis (Perth Scorchers) and Tim David (Hobart Hurricanes) will be on show from start to finish, unless any of them are included in the Test squad to tour India. Sadly Glenn Maxwell may miss the entire competition due to his broken leg and Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out after ankle surgery.Glen Maxwell could be out for the whole season for Melbourne Stars•Getty ImagesAs far as Australia’s Test players go, some of them will appear after the South Africa series. The big one is David Warner who has signed for Sydney Thunder, but Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja will both be available in a small window for Brisbane Heat, as will Nathan Lyon for Sydney Sixers, Travis Head and Alex Carey for Adelaide Strikers and Cameron Green for Perth Scorchers. As it stands, Steven Smith does not have a deal with Sydney Sixers which is proving rather controversial. The Test quicks – Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood – will rest before India.How do the squads shape up?
This is as of December 10 and still subject to changesAdelaide Strikers Wes Agar, Cameron Boyce, Alex Carey, Harry Conway, Ryan Gibson, Colin de Grandhomme (New Zealand), Travis Head, Adam Hose (England), Henry Hunt, Thomas Kelly, Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Chris Lynn, Ben Manenti, Harry Nielsen, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Henry Thornton, Jake WeatheraldBrisbane Heat Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Sam Billings (England), Max Bryant, Sam Hain (England – replacement), Sam Heazlett, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Colin Munro (New Zealand), Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matt Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Ross Whiteley (England), Jack Wildermuth.Hobart Hurricanes Asif Ali (Pakistan), Faheem Ashraf (Pakistan), Iain Carlisle, Zak Crawley (England – replacement), Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Nathan Ellis, Caleb Jewell, Shadab Khan, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, James Neesham (New Zealand – replacement), Mitchell Owen, Joel Paris, Wil Parker, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Chris Tremain, Matthew Wade, Mac Wright.Melbourne Renegades Zak Evans, Aaron Finch, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Martin Guptill (New Zealand – replacement), Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Akeal Hosein (West Indies), Ruwantha Kellapotha (Sri Lanka – replacement), Nic Maddinson, Shaun Marsh, David Moody (replacement), Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Tom Rogers, Andre Russell (West Indies – replacement), Will Sutherland, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Jon WellsMelbourne Stars Trent Boult (New Zealand), Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke (England), Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sam Elliott, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Campbell Kellaway, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron McClure, Tom O’Connell, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Luke Wood (England), Adam ZampaPerth Scorchers Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Faf du Plessis (South Africa – replacement), Cooper Connolly, Stephen Eskinazi (England – replacement), Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Peter Hatzoglou, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kelly, Adam Lyth (England – replacement), Hamish McKenzie, Tymal Mills (England), Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Andrew TyeSydney Sixers Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Dan Christian, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Chris Jordan (England), Hayden Kerr, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Izharrulhaq Naveed (Afghanistan), Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, James Vince (England)Sydney Thunder Ben Cutting, Oliver Davies, Brendan Doggett, Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan – replacement), Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales (England), Baxter Holt, Nathan McAndrew, Usman Qadir (Pakistan – replacement), Alex Ross, Rilee Rossouw (South Africa), Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner, Sam Whiteman.Faf du Plessis will play for the Scorchers till January, when he will leave for the inaugural season of the SA20•Associated PressHang on, Faf, Dre Russ…didn’t they get ignored at the draft?
Indeed they did. But there have been plenty of moving parts since then. Andre Russell will make a cameo four-game appearance for Melbourne Renegades as a part-replacement for Liam Livingstone who was the No. 1-draft pick before being called into England’s Test squad (and now he’s injured in any event). Faf du Plessis has been signed by Scorchers as a replacement for Laurie Evans, the English batter, who failed a dope test last month. He will depart for the South Africa league in January.Any young guns we should be watching?Yes, plenty. While there is debate around the quality of the BBL there are a lot of talented cricketers in the Australian system. Just to pick out a few you can look at Josh Philippe (Sydney Sixers), offpsinner Todd Murphy (Sydney Sixers), Sydney Thunder’s new captain Jason Sangha, the ‘Wild Thing’ Lance Morris (Perth Scorchers) who has just earned a Test call-up, allrounder Will Sutherland (Melbourne Renegades) in the midst of a breakout season, 20-year-old batter Campbell Kellaway (Melbourne Stars) and Hayden Kerr (Sydney Sixers), one of last season’s standout performers.

The side could face a turning point with some experienced names having not delivered

Daniel Brettig19-Jan-20212:36

Hussey: Question marks in Australia batting apart from Smith, Labuschagne

Cameron Green had his head down as the Australian squad lined up to shake hands with their Indian usurpers. Green is 198cm tall, bowls with a high arm, an upright seam and has the capacity to swing it. In raw material terms he is capable of bowling spells as impactful as Stuart Broad, with the advantage of being a centimetre or two taller.Green went wicketless in the Border-Gavaskar series because that raw material is not yet being utilised to its fullest, due to a combination of past injuries and sensible conservatism, as he is also worth his place as a top six batsman. It would be churlish in the extreme to call Green to account for Australia’s failure to beat India in his debut series. But there is something of a parallel between Green’s bowling and that of the Australian team overall.In raw material terms, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon are among the most gifted combinations ever to take the field in baggy green caps. Yet against India they have twice failed to bowl out an understrength India team in consecutive Test matches, turning a probable 3-1 series win into a chastening 2-1 defeat. In all, they have bowled 228 overs in consecutive fourth innings and claimed just 12 wickets in that time, at a cost of 663 runs.After a draw at the SCG was frustrating, and caused the red mist to descend on the captain Tim Paine, defeat at the Gabba ended an undefeated streak in Brisbane that had lasted 32 years, while also slipping the Australians to third in the World Test Championship. This is the kind of result that forces change.Related

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Where Green has the entirely reasonable excuses of his youth and inexperience, with the hope that he will soon be much better for this series, Australia overall are far from a collection of striplings who will get better. Instead they are a mature team not making the most of their collective ability, and questions will need to be asked about why.Lyon is 33, Starc and Hazlewood 30, and Cummins at 27 is being openly discussed as a future captain of his country. Elsewhere the team is populated by a 34-year-old David Warner, a 28-year-old Marcus Harris, a 31-year-old Steven Smith, a 33-year-old Matthew Wade and a 36-year-old captain in Paine. Only Marnus Labuschagne, 26, is of a presence even remotely similar in age to Green.This is all to say that Australia should no longer be a team finding their way, either after Newlands 2018 or in Test cricket in general. What will be troubling for Paine, the coach Justin Langer and his fellow selectors Trevor Hohns and George Bailey is that India have made them look like a less seasoned Test team at times this summer, an extraordinary scenario given the number of injuries the tourists have faced. It is a credit to Ajinkya Rahane, India’s captain of quiet words and bold deeds, but a significant mark against Paine, the wartime leader who has tried to hang on.The latest examples of Indians rising above their station while Australians sunk beneath theirs were telling to the tale of the Gabba and its epic conclusion to the series. Mohammed Siraj hit the sore spots of the Gabba pitch more consistently than any member of the home side’s attack, to the point that more jingoistic Australian observers might have questioned why the pitch appeared to fall asleep whenever Starc, Hazlewood and Green bowled on it. Cummins was, especially at the death, an honourable exception.

“Whatever the call to be made, including Paine’s retention, it is patently clear that some elements of the national team and their support network need a refresh”

Elsewhere Washington Sundar, seemingly in the India squad as a graduated net bowler before R Ashwin was ruled out, asked more questions than the 100-Test man Lyon on what was reputedly his favourite pitch to bowl on. Having entered the series needing just 10 wickets for 400 in his career, Lyon has collected a measly nine, despite having a pair of fifth-day pitches to twirl away upon in Sydney and Brisbane.For too long on the final day, basically whenever anyone other than Cummins or Hazlewood were bowling, Australia did not pose much of a threat relative to the match scenario or the conditions. Tactically the hosts were uninspired, seeming to be as conscious of a draw to preserve their second position on the World Test Championship table as they were of placing India’s batsmen in zones where minds would start to play the sorts of tricks that commonly bring fourth-innings wickets. Not inclined to gamble, they lost their chips anyway.Through all but the final 19 or so overs, Cheteshwar Pujara endured with reserves of gumption that sustained him even when he threw his glove away in obvious pain after being jammed on the bat handle. Repeatedly battered about the helmet, the body and the gloves, he was the supporting partner in stands with Shubman Gill, Rahane and Rishabh Pant that set India up for a crowded and ultimately magical final hour. Pant’s fearlessness was a beacon that shone harsh light on Australia as well as glory upon his team.Singed by public opprobrium after some of their mouthier antics at the SCG, Paine and his men needed to respond with a greater level of creativity than they could muster. In this there were echoes of much of the summer, where Australia have often looked as though they are content in the knowledge that the formula they know best in Australia need not be deviated from, even as they faced an India side that, through a combination of Covid lockdowns and unusually high turnover of players, presented the hosts with a dizzying array of fresh questions.No more was Australia’s commitment to the tried and true underlined than by how Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon played the entire series, needing the imposition of a major injury to force a change. What that meant was in this match, where all needed to be at their best, there was a collective flatness manifest more pointedly with some than others, but coming home very much to roost when, second new ball in hand, Cummins and Hazlewood were cuffed with close to impunity by Pant and Washington.Plenty to ponder: it’s now a tall order for Australia to reach the World Test Championship final•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaSean Abbott, Michael Neser and Mitchell Swepson have sat on the sidelines throughout, without an opportunity to help write the remarkable script of this series. Perhaps there was hesitation in calling up anyone who was not James Pattinson, ruled out of the series before Sydney due to a freak farming accident, or Jhye Richardson, who at 24 is the best hope of a pace bowling refresh for the “big three” of Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc.The lack of flexibility was in contrast to England in 2019, when a fresher bowling attack, more cannily rotated, was up to the task of securing the Ashes with a Test match to spare, and all too similar to those at the SCG a week before. They were galling for Langer, grimmacing in the stands, and will surely be the catalyst for some hard conversations, either side of the tour to South Africa that looms next month.A little over 25 years have passed since Allan Border’s storied tenure as Australia’s Test captain came to an end, amid garlands from all and sundry for how he had pulled Australian cricket out of the depths of despair. What is less understood about the handover in 1994 was that it arrived after quiet conversations between Border and the selectors about the future, and amid concerns that a talented side had plateaued somewhat without better tactical direction and a more assertive approach in general.Back then, of course, the panel had Mark Taylor as captain-in-waiting, the ideal pair of hands for what was to come next, including the skipper’s return to a more commanding role relative to the coach of the day, Bob Simpson. This time around, there is no standout in the same way, unless Cummins is to be another break with convention as a fast-bowling captain.Whatever the call to be made, including Paine’s retention, it is patently clear that some elements of the national team and their support network need a refresh. Because in terms of raw material, particularly with the ball but also with the bat, this Australia side are not doing themselves justice.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers to open the second half of the season. Los Angeles stopped the three-game slide with a win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night but it was back to the bad habits in a 10-7 loss on Tuesday, the club's seventh defeat in its last 10 games. The suddenly mistake-prone Dodgers made two more errors, each of which cost the team a run—and the latter of which resembled something you'd see from a little league team, and not one of the best teams in the majors.

But it hasn't just been poor fielding that has sunk these Dodgers lately. It's been nearly every facet of the game. Since July 4, a 14 game stretch, the Dodgers have averaged just 3.4 runs per game and its injury-ravaged pitching staff has yielded an average of 5.9 per contest. That's far from a winning recipe.

And manager Dave Roberts sincerely hopes that things don't get much worse.

"It better be rock bottom," Roberts told reporters after Tuesday's loss. "As far as how we've been pitching, how we've been playing defense. I think the offense is kind of starting to tick up, which is good. There's certainly more in there. But I think as far as quality of baseball, it's been a tough watch. It really has."

Perhaps the only fortunate part of this slump for the Dodgers is its timing: a week before MLB's trade deadline, which will give Dodgers brass a chance to perhaps jolt the roster with some imports, ideally in the form of some late-inning relievers to ease the club's overtaxed bullpen.

Other than that, it's on Los Angeles to pull itself out of this free fall. As the Dodgers look to maintain a 3.5-game lead in the National League West, the club's next five series will come against teams above .500.

Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound isn't coming anytime soon.

Ohtani is now not expected to start pitching in games again until after the MLB All-Star break, which will take place from July 14–17. According to Bob Nightengale of , the Los Angeles Dodgers plan to keep Ohtani from pitching until after the break, avoiding rushing him back as he is already putting up MVP-level production as a hitter.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said in April that Ohtani has looked "great" in bullpen session, but was a couple months away from pitching in a game again. Now, it appears he still is over a couple months away, and will at the earliest pitch in the second half of July.

Ohtani has not pitched since he was with the Los Angeles Angles in 2023, when he went 10–5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts across 23 starts and won the American League MVP award. Ohtani suffered a torn UCL toward the end of the 2023 season, and underwent surgery on his throwing arm.

As a hitter, Ohtani has slashed .308/.410/.641 with 12 home runs, 21 RBIs and 10 stolen bases so far this season. While only playing as the Dodgers' designated hitter for all of last season, Ohtani hit .310 with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases as he helped the Dodgers win the World Series.

Safe to say, the Dodgers aren't planning on rushing Ohtani to the mound anytime soon. Though the Dodgers are currently missing Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow due to injury, they have increased depth in the rotation thanks to the addition of Roki Sasaki and the return of Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin, who both missed the entire 2024 season due to injury. Clayton Kershaw also appears primed to return shortly after making another rehab start on Sunday.

A former England international, who played Premier League football, has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape. The suspect, who is said to have represented the Three Lions in the 2010s, was detained when passing through Stansted Airport following an allegation from an ex-partner that is now being investigated by the relevant authorities.

• Suspect apprehended at Stansted Airport

  Police have announced that the player in question has been bailed pending further inquiries. He was apprehended by security when being stopped at Stansted. Border Forces stepped in at passport control.

  reports that the former Premier League performer was wanted by police over a “non-recent allegation of attempted rape reported by a former partner”. He was stopped from boarding a flight with a budget airline on November 30.

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• Getty
  

  Allegation made by former partner

  A source told The Sun, with efforts being made to avoid causing a scene in a very public place: “He was walking through passport control when he was discreetly pulled aside by Border Force. There was clearly an issue and he was led away.”

  A complaint is said to have been lodged by the player’s ex-partner several weeks ago. Essex Police subsequently opened an investigation. Officers from that constabulary are said to have been alerted to possible movement, allowing them to descend on Stansted Airport and make an arrest.

• Suspect held in police custody

  The one-time England international will have been held behind bars after being taken to a local police station, as he waited for his solicitor to arrive. Fingerprints, a DNA sample and mugshots have been taken – as is standard procedure in a case of this type.

  It is reported that the suspect was held in custody for “several hours” before being released on bail as inquiries continue. The player at the centre of the investigation is said to have “attended recent public events”, leading to confusion as to why he has only now been arrested when passing through an airport.

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• Getty
  

  Statement from Essex Police

  An insider for The Sun added on decisive action that was taken over the weekend: “It’s bizarre that he was arrested at the airport when he has been quite visible in public recently.”

  The complainant is said to have been “interviewed by specialist sex crimes officers and offered counselling and support”. A spokesperson for Essex Police has said, with the suspect unable to be named for legal reasons: “A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape and has been bailed to a date in late February 2026 while we continue our inquiries.”

A proud part of Arsenal’s DNA has long been their development and promotion of young academy talents.

This has been especially true over the last few years, with the emergence of players like Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and, of course, Bukayo Saka.

The latest player who seems ready to make the leap from the youth sides to regular senior football is Max Dowman.

However, the talented 15-year-old certainly won’t be the last, and there is already one youngster making waves in the academy who could soon find himself in the first team.

Dowman's rapid rise to stardom at Arsenal

Even before this season, Arsenal fans have been at least somewhat aware of Dowman.

After all, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig boldly proclaimed him as the “most exciting prospect” he had seen “since Lamine Yamal.”

That might sound absurd, but over the course of last season, the youngster ended up scoring 19 times and providing five assists in just 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes, for the youth sides.

Appearances

23

Minutes

1945′

Goals

19

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

1.04

Minutes per Goal Involvement

81.04′

That comes out to a sensational average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes, made all the more astonishing by the fact he was playing for the u18s and even the u21s.

With performances like that in age groups well above his own, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see the Chelmsford-born dynamo included in the first team’s pre-season tour.

The 15-year-old made his debut against Newcastle United, and in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, spent his short cameo “humiliating Premier League players.”

His competitive debut came at home to Leeds United in the Premier League, and then he became the youngest player to ever start a game for the club against Brighton & Hove Albion in the League Cup.

The superstar in the making then broke another record in the Champions League a week later, and was described as “a miracle player” by Slavia Prague defender David Zima.

In all, it certainly seems like Dowman is destined to reach the top of the game with Arsenal, although he might be joined by another academy gem this season.

Hale End's next superstar

It’s been a good season for Hale End this year, as on top of Dowman, Andre Harriman-Annous has also been given his full competitive debut by Mikel Arteta.

It could get even better, though, as there is another youngster in the system, who, like the record-breaker, could find himself becoming more involved with the senior side as the campaign goes on: Ife Ibrahim.

The 17-year-old has been with the club since May 2016, and while he started out as a striker, he has since moved back down the pitch, into defensive midfield.

However, he’s not limited to just one position, as the highly rated youngster has also played at right-back, in central midfield, and even as a centre-back.

It’s no surprise that he has been used in the defence before, as even though he’s still so young, the versatile prospect is huge and towers above some of the first team in pictures taken of the time he trained with them. It is no wonder that analyst Harvey Diamonds said that he has a “languid frame like [Patrick] Vieira and [Abou] Diaby.”

Don’t let his size and physicality fool you, though; the Hale Ender is no slouch on the ball.

In fact, academy expert Will Balsam described him as someone who makes everything look so “effortless.” Moreover, this and his height mean “he eats up space, recovers the ball, and glides past players with ease.”

He has also made an impression on U23 scout Antonio Mango, who has described him as “composed, technically talented in possession and calculated out of possession.”

Overall, while he plays in a totally different position to Dowman, Ibrahim sounds like the sort of Hale End product who could come in and have a serious impact on the first team soon enough.

Zubimendi upgrade: Arsenal chasing "the best CM in the world" for £114m

The incredible international could already be a significant upgrade on Zubimendi for Arsenal.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 11, 2025

Everton very much need a victory away at Sunderland this coming Monday night after a pretty disastrous October to date.

The month did open with the Toffees battling it out at home to Crystal Palace and picking up a hard-fought 2-1 win, but since then, it’s been two Premier League defeats on the spin, with the most recent loss at home to Tottenham Hotspur – with Thomas Frank’s men running out emphatic 3-0 victors – exposing Everton’s clear weaknesses from set-pieces.

Moyes will have also left those two defeats frustrated by what Beto is offering his side up top, with a few missed chances here and there from the goal-shy number nine, leaving him rooted on just one goal for the season so far.

Even more frustratingly, Everton have been blessed with some top attacking talent this campaign – excluding the ex-Udinese striker from the conversation – despite things often falling apart at the final decisive moment.

Everton's best attackers this season

This late winner against the Eagles very much sums up the Merseyside giants this season, with Beto missing a glorious chance, before someone else – thankfully – mops up the next opportunity.

In that case against Oliver Glasner’s tricky visitors, it was Jack Grealish who managed to be in the right place, at the right time, to fire home, handing himself his first Premier League goal since 2023 in the process.

Away from breaking his goalscoring duck, though, the Manchester City loanee has been a “revelation” in Everton blue so far – as pundit Chris Sutton recently put it – with the disenchanted playmaker at the Etihad now a focal point of many a Toffees attack, as seen in him creating a Premier League-best 19 chances from open play.

Next to him in attack, who has also turned around his playing days after a failed big move, is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, with the 27-year-old able to quickly move on from his Chelsea disappointment under Moyes’ wing.

The brand-new number 22 has also created four big chances, himself, with 4.6 duels won on average across his eight league outings, as per Sofascore, also displaying a tenacious number ten option.

Yet, it’s neither Grealish nor Dewsbury-Hall that could now be considered one of Everton’s biggest talents since the golden days of Romelu Lukaku, with suggestions even emerging that the star in question is one of the best in his position in such a daunting league.

Everton's biggest talent since Lukaku

Everton would love to have a striker of Lukaku’s clinical edge on their side at the moment, with the Belgian a firm fan favourite throughout his 166-game spell on Merseyside.

Indeed, the intimidating centre-forward would hammer home a weighty 87 goals in total for the Toffees, leading to one of his ex-managers in Ronald Koeman, heralding him as a “world-class” finisher.

In the here and now, Iliman Ndiaye is also being lauded week in week out for his standout showings in attack, with Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher – despite his Liverpool connections – going out of his way to label the ex-Sheffield United man as a “superstar” earlier in the year for his electric ability to bamboozle any defender in his path.

He certainly showed off why he’s been considered a maverick since leaving Marseille behind for Everton against Manchester City, with Ndiaye constantly bombing down the right wing at the Etihad to harass the home side’s defence, much like Lukaku would consistently terrorise defenders during his Toffees pomp.

Journalist Patrick Boyland, after the 2-0 loss, even hailed Ndiaye as being “one of the best in the league in his position” after he proved to be a major thorn in the side of Pep Guardiola’s hosts all afternoon.

Indeed, Boyland also noted that his “mesmeric” nature against City has further been matched with plenty of grit and fight this season for Moyes and Co.

Games played

9

Goals scored

3

Assists

1

Expected assists

2.16

Ball recoveries*

6.4

Ground duels won*

6.6

Total duels won*

7.0

His first Premier League season in Everton blue saw him tally up a whopping nine league goals in total, but he wasn’t always the most creative talent, away from cutting a lethal presence in front of goal.

Now, he looks to be a far more well-rounded talent, worthy of being in the conversations Boyland has started, with the Senegal international leading the way overall with his expected assists numbers this campaign, on top of also beating out the likes of Bukayo Saka down the right by winning a high seven duels on average, next to the Arsenal forward’s 6.4.

He does need to fine-tune certain aspects of his game, but Ndiaye is undoubtedly in these conversations now, as a talent capable of “standing out a mile” with his genius, as ex-Toffees player Mark Pembridge noted last season.

While true superstars have been few and far between in recent times, Ndiaye certainly stands aloft as arguably the club’s biggest talent since £75m man, Lukaku – a fact only further enhanced by his soaring £49m market value, as per CIES.

Like the Belgian, he has that knack for tearing through a defence and winning games on his own for Moyes and co, seemingly relishing that talismanic status.

Long may he continue to dazzle at the Hill Dickinson.

How Richarlison feels about January return to Everton as Friedkin prepare to go all in

He could make a sensational return.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 30, 2025

عاد لامين يامال ليتقدم لصالح برشلونة أمام سيلتا فيجو، خلال اللقاء الذي يجمع بين الفريقين في الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

ويستقبل سيلتا فيجو ضيفه برشلونة على ملعب “بالايدوس” ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر من منافسات الليجا.

وجاء هدف برشلونة الثالث قبل نهاية أحداث الشوط الأول عن طريق الجناح المتألق لامين يامال في الدقيقة 49 بعد متابعة لكرة مرتدة بالخطأ من دفاع سيلتا فيجو.

اقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | ليفاندوفسكي يسجل هدف برشلونة الثاني أمام سيلتا فيجو.. وإيجليسياس يرد بصاروخية

وكان هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة قد دخل اللقاء بتشكيل مكون من:تشيزني، بالدي، كوبارسي، أراوخو، إريك جارسيا، فرينكي دي يونج، داني أولمو، فيرمين لوبيز، لامين يامال، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، ماركوس راشفورد.

ويجلس على دكة بدلاء برشلونة كل من: فيران توريس، كريستنسن، كاسادو، جيرارد مارتن، مارك بيرنال، كوندي، درو فرنانديز، روني باردجي، كوشين، آلير، اكسبارت.

Manchester United are reportedly in the mix alongside David Beckham’s Inter Miami to complete the signing of a huge young prospect who could star at the 2026 World Cup.

Bruno wants more success at Man Utd

The Red Devils return to Premier League action on Saturday lunchtime, making the trip to Brentford after enjoying all week to prepare for the game.

Bruno Fernandes will be as important as ever for United, having scored his 100th goal for the club earlier this month, and he has outlined his desire to enjoy more success at Old Trafford in the coming years.

“Obviously, thanks to everyone from day one. All the assists, all the goals, all the penalties that you guys you gave me the chance to score.

“I’m very happy and proud to achieve this big number. It wasn’t something I was dreaming about when I grew up to become a footballer but, obviously, it’s a privilege for me and I hope that, together with this, we can put a lot of trophies in the cabinet because that is what matters most.”

Fernandes remains a key figure moving forward, but United will need to look at long-term replacements for him eventually, and one player has been linked with a move to the Club.

Man Utd eyeing move for teenage star

According to The Boot Room, Manchester United are interested in signing 16-year-old Tijuana prodigy Gilberto Mora, with lots of clubs in the mix to snap him up.

The Mexican attacking midfielder is also wanted by the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, with Red Devils legend Beckham keen on bringing him to the MLS club.

Not a huge amount will be known about Mora, given his tender years, but the level of interest in him immediately highlights what a big prospect he is.

At just 16, he has already made 41 appearances for Tijuana, scoring seven goals and chipping in with two assists in that time, and even more impressively, he also has three caps to his name for Mexico’s senior team.

The report states that Mora is “expected” to be part of their squad at next summer’s World Cup, allowing him the opportunity to be a breakout star at the tournament, especially as Mexico are one of the co-hosts.

Too often in the recent past, United have been guilty of signing players who are past their peak, from Edinson Cavani to Cristiano Ronaldo, to name just a few, but it is imperative that they focus on bringing in the top young talent in the game.

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By
Dominic Lund

Sep 26, 2025

Mora falls into that bracket, and if the Red Devils were able to beat the likes of Madrid and PSG to his signature, it would be a big coup, at a period where United are desperately looking to edge their way back to the top of the European game.