Pakistan lost six wickets for 40 runs late in the chase to lose the match by 25 runs
ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2025With 11 days to go for the World Cup, Pakistan and South Africa played out a high-scoring thriller in Lahore. There were three centuries: Tazmin Brits posted her career-best 171 not out, Laura Wolvaardt brought up her ninth ODI hundred, and Sidra Amin hit 122. After over 90 overs and a rain break, South Africa won the match and took a 2-0 unassailable lead in the series with a match to spare.Chasing a revised target of 313 in 46 overs due to rain, Pakistan lost their first three wickets for 101, with Omaima Sohail making a brisk 43 and laying a solid platform. From there, Amin and Natalia Pervaiz stitched a momentum-changing 146-run stand off just 111 deliveries to lift Pakistan to a strong position. When Amin was cleaned up by Chloe Tryon, attempting to slog to the midwicket region, Pakistan needed 66 from 49 balls, with Pervaiz batting on 55 off 46. However, South Africa struck again, thanks to Tryon, and that shifted the momentum in their favour.Pakistan lost captain Fatima Sana, Natalia Pervaiz (73 off 60), and Diana Baig in a span of just nine balls, as South Africa seized control late in the chase. The hosts eventually folded for 287 in 44.4 overs, losing their final seven wickets for just 40 runs. Nadine de Klerk led the bowling effort with 3 for 45.South Africa posted 292 for 3 after being asked to bat first, but were sloppy in the field. Sidra Amin, who went on to register her sixth ODI hundred, was dropped several times during her innings.Earlier, Brits and Wolvaardt got off to a steady start and converted it to a 260-run opening stand. Brits was the aggressor in the stand and reached her sixth ODI ton a few overs before rain interrupted play. After 41 overs, South Africa were 238 for no loss, with Wolvaardt unbeaten on 95. Once play resumed and the contest was reduced to 46 overs per side, Wolvaardt reached her ninth hundred in ODIs, and South Africa added 54 runs in the last five overs. Brits, who scored 101 not out in the series opener, remained unbeaten on Friday, scoring 20 fours and four sixes.
After an incredible few months, Arsenal suffered their first defeat since August 31st at the hands of Aston Villa on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s side went behind in the first half, and while they did pull one back in the second, they were the victims of a 95th-minute Emiliano Buendía winner.
It wasn’t a terrible performance from the Gunners, but it was also some way off their best, and one of the players who has received plenty of criticism from the fans has been Martin Odegaard.
The captain was certainly not to blame for the result, but he did look a little off the pace at times, and after his underwhelming season last year, he is under the microscope more than most.
While his place in the team is safe for now, there are three players who could replace him in the coming years, and none of them is Eberechi Eze.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
3 Ethan Nwaneri
Starting with the player who is perhaps the closest to eventually challenging Odegaard for a place in the starting lineup: Ethan Nwaneri.
The Hale End star is already a regular in the match-day squads, and while there has been some concern from fans over his lack of game time this season, it’s important to remember he is still just 18 years old.
Moreover, due to injuries, he ended up playing a far more significant role in the team last season than anyone would have predicted, and to say he impressed would be an understatement.
Nwaneri in 24/25
Appearances
37
Minutes
1378′
Goals
9
Assists
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.29
Minutes per Goal Involvement
125.27′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
For example, the “phenomenal” prospect, as dubbed by former professional Stephen Warnock, scored nine goals and provided two assists in 37 appearances, totalling 1378 minutes.
That works out to a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or more crucially, one every 125.27 minutes, which helps to justify Joe Cole’s claim that “he’s the most exciting footballer in England and maybe Europe.”
Now, a lot of his game time did come out wide, in place of Bukayo Saka, but the Enfield-born gem is first and foremost an attacking midfielder, as it’s where he spent most of his time in the academy and where his combination of shooting, passing and dribbling abilities are best placed.
There is little chance of Nwaneri replacing the Norwegian this season, but in a couple of years, if he fulfils his potential, there could be a real battle for that ten position.
2 Max Dowman
After Nwaneri, the Arsenal gem who feels like they could seriously rival Odegaard in a few years, is, of course, Max Dowman.
The 15-year-old might just be the most talked-about prospect in the country this season, and based on his form in the academy and for the senior side, it’s not hard to see why.
For example, when it comes to the former, the Chelmsford-born phenom has racked up a comical tally of six goals and one assist in just four appearances across the U19S and U21S.
Then, when it comes to the first team, he has already, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, started “humiliating Premier League players.”
For example, he ran rings around Leeds United on his league debut, then became the youngest player in the club’s history to start a game in the Gunners’ League Cup clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Finally, if all that wasn’t enough for someone who hasn’t even finished his GCSEs yet, he also became the youngest player in Champions League history when he came off the bench against Slavia Prague.
Now, like with Nwaneri, Dowman is not going to be a serious rival for Odegaard this season, but at the rate he is progressing, that time could come far sooner than most are expecting.
1 Holger Quintero
Last but by no means least, the final Arsenal player who could one day be the star to displace the captain from the team is Holger Quintero.
Now, just a week or so ago, most fans would have absolutely no idea who the 16-year-old was, but now, after the Gunners signed him and his twin brother Edwin Quintero, he has become one of the most exciting youngsters on the club’s books, and for good reason.
According to Mattinson, the Ecuadorian wonderkid is a “skilful attacking midfielder with 1v1 prowess to take on players”, which sounds quite a bit like Dowman, which can’t be a bad thing.
He appears to be more than just another promising youngster, though, as respected talent scout Jacek Kulig has stuck his neck out, labelling him “one of the most exciting U17s in South America.”
He is also someone who could potentially play the probing through balls that Odegaard has started to bring into his game, with Mattinson claiming he has an “excellent weight of pass” and is a “decisive creator with a killer final ball.”
However, due to rules around foreign-born youngsters, the midfielder won’t be able to join up with his new teammates until January 2027, so he is probably the last in line to compete with Odegaard.
Ultimately, the captain’s place in the team is currently safe, as it should be, but with three of the most exciting players in the game coming up behind him, Odegaard might have to step up his game over the next few years.
Arsenal hold initial talks to sign £88m Odegaard upgrade who's "Mbappe-like"
The incredible international game-changer would be unreal for Arsenal, but could spell trouble for Martin Odegaard.
Injuries to key players, departures of overseas players for national duty, and the break in momentum – they were playing a game after 20 days – contributed to RCB’s nosedive against SRH
Shashank Kishore24-May-20250:58
Moody: RCB need to move on from this loss quickly
Sometimes, a loss helps as much as a win does. That’s the sentiment Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) want to channel after a heavy defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2025 game in Lucknow may have stalled their top-two aspirations.For 14 overs in their chase of 232, RCB had the game by the scruff of the neck. Their batters seemed in perfect symphony. Virat Kohli, fresh off his Test retirement announcement, was flowing. Phil Salt, back after illness, was firing away. Rajat Patidar’s injured-and-repaired right hand was looking mobile again. Jitesh Sharma, the stand-in captain, kept reeling one big hit after another.RCB, who had only ever chased down 200-plus twice in 18 years, were on track to scale a peak. And then they unravelled, as they went from 173 for 3 to 179 for 7 in the space of 12 balls. A march towards the top spot turned into a swift nosedive that has sent them to No. 3, with their net run-rate taking a huge hit in the process too.Related
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Andy Flower: RCB do not have 'ideal lead-in' to playoffs
But, in the aftermath, there’s more reflection than panic.”I think sometimes losing a game is a very good sign because you can check, analyse where we are lacking,” Jitesh said on the broadcast. “If you keep winning, you don’t see your mistakes. You keep going with the flow. But I think the positive things are everyone is chipping in.”I’m batting well, Rajat is batting well – Rajat has come back. Even the bowlers are bowling well. Virat is in form. But after this loss, we will get that light setback to check again, see the set-up, how to get things working again. Once we’ve got this setback, I think we will go forward again.”Friday’s fixture was RCB’s first in 20 days. Last week, they had their home fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) washed away by rain. The four days after that were spent indoors, thanks to wet weather in Bengaluru. The break was a lot longer in Salt’s case. Having last played on April 24, he spent two weeks on the sickbed before returning re-energised after a short trip home.”It’s a funny one,” Salt said in the press conference after his 32-ball 62, his third half-century of the season. “Obviously when you’re ill you sit in your bed and wonder if you’re ever going to feel better again. You think about all the things you took for granted when you were healthy.”As a group, we’d not played until tonight in three weeks or so. I don’t think I’ve played in a month, which is a long time. More than anything else, I’m just glad I’m healthy and feeling good and playing another game of cricket.”When they last played, on May 3, RCB had completed a magnificent double over Chennai Super Kings (CSK). While the long break since then has allowed Patidar time to heal sufficiently to at least bat, it has also taken away the winning momentum they were building. Salt underlined the need to quickly get this loss out of the way.”You don’t mind not having this game in the playoffs,” Salt said. “You can take it as a disappointment or you can take it for what it is. We’ve qualified. We’ve lost a game. No one likes to lose games of cricket. I hate the fact we’ve lost, as everyone else in an RCB shirt [does].”[But] you’d rather have that now than you would in an Eliminator, let’s say. So, we’re going to get an opportunity to pick the bones out of it, have a look at things we did well and things we didn’t do so well and come back. We’ve got one more group game and headed to the playoffs.”
“Honestly, we’ve qualified for the playoffs. Once you’re in you’ve got to play in a pretty carefree manner and do what you can to win the trophy. We’re not too far ahead of ourselves at the moment with that thinking”Phil Salt
Despite that bit of perspective, it’s fair to say RCB’s journey has hit a bit of a speed bump.Josh Hazlewood’s absence owing to a shoulder niggle is no longer just a missing piece. It feels like a fault line beneath a strong foundation RCB carefully built at the auction. Without him, they lack an all-phase bowler. On Friday, against SRH, they bled 71 in the powerplay and 54 at the death.Lungi Ngidi hasn’t been able to conjure the same kind of intensity or form Hazlewood brought. On Friday, he went for 51 in his four overs. In three days, he too will leave to prepare for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. This will leave RCB’s overseas pace stocks worryingly thin, though there is hope that Hazlewood will be around. Nuwan Thushara hasn’t played a game yet. Blessing Muzarabani will be straight off a flight following a Test match in England for the next game.On Friday, they had another massive injury scare. Tim David, a wrecking ball in the death overs with his big hits, limped to the crease dragging an injured hamstring and was barely able to run. He had felt a twinge while fielding and immediately went out. David’s role as a finisher has been key to RCB being the best death-overs bating team this season. But this throws a big doubt over his participation in the remainder of the season.1:01
Did RCB get their bowling tactics right?
And it comes amid more departures; Jacob Bethell is done for the season, he has national duties to take care of. Devdutt Padikkal is gone, his injury has opened up No. 3 – a crucial pillar now suddenly fragile. On Friday, Mayank Agarwal, an opener, stepped in as a stop-gap arrangement and looked like he was playing catch-up.So, unless Hazlewood returns or a Plan B emerges fast, their promising campaign that had their fans dreaming of a maiden title runs the risk of a slow fadeaway, with resources stretched just a little too thin. Yet, Salt isn’t panicking.”Obviously the schedule has done a bit of jumping around,” he said. “We’ve got another opportunity to go out and show ourselves and our fans what we can do before the playoffs begin [against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 27]. I can’t speak for anyone else, a lot of times in cricket you do all the preparation, so much that goes into it. Performance on the night, sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t happen.”I can’t sit here and tell you we prefer to finish one, two, three, four, five. Honestly, we’ve qualified for the playoffs. Once you’re in you’ve got to play in a pretty carefree manner and do what you can to win the trophy. We’re not too far ahead of ourselves at the moment with that thinking. In a few days we’re playing again here in a game we want to win, and show how good we are.”
Yorkshire captain on fitness and longevity in the professional women’s game
Valkerie Baynes05-May-2025Fitness never fails to land as a touchy topic in sport.Charlotte Edwards doesn’t even like saying it anymore, instead referring to “the F-word” as new head coach of an England Women’s squad who found this side of their game called into question after repeated failures on the big stage.Lauren Winfield-Hill – a veteran of 104 England caps, most recently in 2022, and the picture of a professional athlete still going strong on the domestic circuit at the age of 34 – believes “sometimes you’ve got to be careful with your language of what is fitness in cricket”.”I think the biggest thing is the physicality and the athleticism,” she tells ESPNcricinfo. “Can you hold long spells as a bowler? Can you get up and down for twos as a batter? And how good’s your fielding; are you cutting twos, are you taking catches?”If that falls under the banner of fitness, Winfield-Hill says “yeah, there’s some big improvements to be made” in the England Women’s squad.”I sort of prefer the athleticism and the physicality piece,” she adds. “Sometimes we can get skewed with fitness: ‘Can you run for a long time? Do you look athletic?’ and all this sort of stuff and that’s irrelevant.”At the T20 World Cup in Dubai in October, two straightforward catches went down amid a rash of fielding errors as West Indies raced to a powerplay of 67 without loss in pursuit of 142. A further three catches went down and England found themselves scrambling in the field as their opponents romped to a six-wicket win with two overs to spare, knocking them out of the tournament at the group stage.”The fielding was poor at times, very, very poor, and the movement and the cutting twos and things like that,” Winfield-Hill says. “And that’s not a blanket thing for every single player. There’s some players that can certainly make strides in that area, there’s some players that are great athletes.Winfield-Hill hasn’t given up on her England ambitions but accepts her opportunities may be elsewhere•Getty Images”Across the board, I feel like the physical stuff, it’s almost like your commitment to everyone else. Batting and scoring runs, that piece is quite selfish, you can just look after yourself. Bowling is quite similar. But the fielding is the bit that you do for everyone else. If you are fielding a square leg for Lauren Bell, it’s not really for you, it’s for Lauren Bell. It’s captivating this bit where we’re all in and we’re willing to work really damn hard for each other and go through it a bit, get in there and get some tough sessions in, get down and dirty and show how much you’re willing to commit to each other.”Winfield-Hill points out that a relentless schedule, including ever-expanding franchise leagues which disperse players for extended periods of time, adds to the challenge, but says a willingness to work harder and commit to one another as team-mates is crucial.She is well-qualified to comment, based on her experience, longevity and performance.
The physical stuff, it’s almost like your commitment to everyone else. Batting and scoring runs, that piece is quite selfish. But the fielding is the bit that you do for everyone elseWinfield-Hill on the need for basic standards in the field
For two years running, in 2022 and 2023, she was the leading run-scorer in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy with 470 runs at 78.33 and 663 at 51.00. She is a gun fielder and handy wicketkeeper, having assumed the latter role throughout her four seasons in The Hundred to date.Plus, she looks like one of the fittest players in the country. But is it okay to say that?If so, why is it that when professional athletes are paid to engage in physical activity, there is a squeamishness about the word, fitness?Boiled down, a lack of fitness is often seen as a euphemism for being fat because no one calls anyone fat in the media any more, for good reason. It wasn’t so long ago that they did, with devastating consequences.At the premier of his Disney+ documentary last month, Andrew Flintoff spoke of how the media still hadn’t apologised for brutally fat-shaming him 25 years ago. In 2020, he revealed that the criticism had driven him to bulimia.That episode involved a cruel takedown of Flintoff’s physical appearance amid leaked information over his off-field behaviour when what he really needed was help.Winfield-Hill has a four-year deal with Yorkshire but sees no reason to retire when it expires•Royal LondonSo by the time Ollie Robinson was told privately and via the media that he needed to get fitter by Jon Lewis, the then England men’s bowling coach who would go on to become England Women’s head coach, during a dire Ashes campaign in 2021-22, was that a comment on his appearance, conduct or the fact he had broken down a number of times during the tour?When Alex Hartley, the former England spinner turned commentator first criticised the women’s team following their T20 World Cup exit she said: “I’m not going to name names, but if you look at them, you know. You know who’s blowing a gasket and who isn’t. About 80% of the England team are fit and athletic enough, but there are girls in that side who are letting the team down when it comes to fitness.”She then drew comparisons with the 15 or 16 “genuine athletes” in the Australia squad so the issue inevitably blew up again when England lost the Ashes 16-0.What it all comes down to is performance – players being able to execute the skills required to win games.Dane van Niekerk and Lizelle Lee would argue they didn’t get the chance to prove themselves in that respect at the end of their international careers. Van Niekerk never played for South Africa again after failing to run 2km in the prescribed time for selected for the T20 World Cup in 2023 and Lee retired from international cricket amid a dispute over a weigh-in the previous year.Cricket South Africa subsequently relaxed fitness requirements for men and women, allowing for more discretionary selection.For England, an increased focus on performance as a selection tool has begun with Edwards calling on all centrally contracted players to be available for the first seven rounds of the domestic 50-over competition.”I love that domestic cricket has been really valued,” Winfield-Hill says. “For a few years it’s sort of been like, ‘oh, don’t play if you don’t want to’, and volume of runs or wickets within the domestic structure is not really necessarily being considered.”Asking the players to play and to dominate and to perform because it’s an open forum and it’s a bit of a trial for everyone, it’s a great thing. You need players who are currently in possession to be kept on their toes and you’ll see who the best players in the country are. It is the performance world and it should be about who performs. It’s a stats driven game. You’re there to score runs and take wickets, and whoever’s doing that should have a good opportunity of wearing an English shirt… it is the fairest way to do it, and then there’s no questions about selections.”Again, the Australians are held up as an example.England’s players look on as Australia celebrate their Women’s Ashes whitewash•Getty Images”I hate banging on about the Aussies, I think our domestic structure is better,” says Winfield-Hill. “I feel like I’m a good judge because I’ve played in both countries for the last two years. Domestically we play a much larger volume of cricket and the only way you get good at cricket is by playing a lot of cricket.”But one thing they do do is they’re very rigid on their selections and if you absolutely don’t tear up domestic cricket and you’re not a good athlete and you’re not a good team person, you won’t be playing for Australia. It’s not just like, ‘oh, you’ve performed in domestic levels, so we’ll give you a go.’ It’s like, ‘no, you need to knock these people off their perch.’ I’d love to see that in England.”England hopefuls have no shortage of opportunities to show what they can do under the new county-based domestic structure.Edwards has frequented the grounds throughout the opening rounds of the Metro Bank One Day Cup, where Winfield-Hill captains Yorkshire in Tier 2.The Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup also gets underway on Monday, featuring teams from all three tiers of domestic cricket in a knockout competition over the next three weeks.Related
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Winfield-Hill hasn’t retired from international cricket. But while she has agreed a loan deal to play for Tier 1 team Essex in the T20 blast starting later this month, she says that while her best playing years lay ahead, “I just don’t necessarily realistically think that’s in an England shirt”.The move to Essex seems more about testing herself by playing at the highest level possible which, with her 35th birthday approaching in August, should stand as an inspiration for players younger and older.”I’ve obviously got a four-year contract at Yorkshire and I’m like, I don’t have to retire in four years,” she says. “Touch wood, I feel like I’m somebody that physically looks after myself, but I am looking around at Faf du Plessis, Wayne Madsen, they’re in their forties and they’re still great athletes going really well. Why do you have to stop? We put limitations on things just because it’s not been done before and it’s like, well, it can be done and you can play till you’re 40 if you want to play till you’re 40.”The way the game is now, the way women’s sport is now, people can play for a lot longer. The sports medicine is way better in terms of the support that you get, how you can look after yourself and the actual money means that you can keep playing without having to get ‘a real job’.”I’ve always said I am going to play until either my body’s buggered or it’s not fun anymore, whichever comes first. If it’s fun, then you’re obviously performing. If you’re not performing, it’s not fun.”Performances that make cricket fun? Now there’s an F-word the England team might be happy to say in full.
Toss India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bat against Oman in the last league fixture of the Asia Cup, in Abu Dhabi. With this being a dead rubber – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have qualified for the Super Four – India experimented with their combination, resting their bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy. They handed Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh their first games of the tournament.With Abu Dhabi less conducive to spin than Dubai in recent times, India fielded just two specialist spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel though Abhishek Sharma can also pitch in with left-arm spin, if needed. Arshdeep, who returned to the XI, is on the brink of a milestone: he is just one strike away from 100 T20I wickets. He is set to become the first Indian to the landmark.Suryakumar explained that India chose to bat to test their depth. “We’ve not batted [first] in this competition and we want to know our depth. having game-time is important going into Super Fours,” he said.Oman also made two changes, with Zikira Islam and Mohammad Nadeem coming in for Wasim Ali and Hassnain Shah.Oman captain Jatinder said his team lacked experience and exposure at this level and were keen to compete against India. This is the first international game between Oman and India.India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Sanju Samson (wk), 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Kuldeep Yadav.Oman: 1 Aamir Kaleem, 2 Jatinder Singh (capt), 3 Hammad Mirza, 4 Vinayak Shukla (wk), 5 Shah Faisal, 6 Zikria Islam, 7 Aryan Bisht, 8 Mohammad Nadeem, 9 Shakeel Ahmed, 10 Samay Shrivastava, 11 Jiten Ramanandi.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is in the market for attacking quality and could now turn to a Premier League star who is high up on his shortlist at the Etihad Stadium.
Man City leave it late to see off Leeds United
Despite sitting at opposite ends of the table, Manchester City dug deep to see off Daniel Farke’s Leeds United in a dramatic clash on Saturday afternoon that helped to narrow the gap on Arsenal and Chelsea in the top-flight standings.
Phil Foden’s early and late strikes were enough to seal the deal. However, Guardiola will be frustrated at surrendering a two-goal lead when it appeared his side were in cruise control.
Either way, Foden made it clear that he and his teammates were ‘delighted’ with the end result as the Citizens avoided dropping points in back-to-back fixtures after the conclusion of the international break.
He said: “When there was a short break, the manager got us together, and we adapted to their formation. We had a few half-chances, and finally, I’ve found a bit of space and found the bottom of the net.
“There are still things we can improve. We’re delighted with the result. The title race is never straightforward. There are always ups and downs and periods where you can’t seem to get going, and we’ve had that. The belief and togetherness came through at the end.”
For some, an overreliance on Erling Haaland is something Manchester City need to be cautious of moving forward, hence they may now make a move to sign Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo as he is available for £65 million.
Looking to scale up in all areas, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson could be at the centre of a transfer battle between the Citizens and Manchester United. In other news, he isn’t the only player Guardiola is willing to fight over.
Manchester City have Everton's Iliman Ndiaye high on their shortlist
According to Foot Mercato, Manchester City have Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye high on their shortlist after his excellent start to life in the Premier League this campaign.
Scoring four times and notching an assist in 15 matches across all competitions, the Senegal international is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, with the trio all keen to bolster their frontline once the transfer window opens.
Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan
There has been a new update on City’s pursuit of a new forward, who Pep Guardiola has dubbed “extraordinary”.
By
Dominic Lund
Nov 27, 2025
Labelled “top drawer” by Jamie O’Hara, initial contact has been made for the Rouen-born man as Guardiola steps up his hunt for invention, even if Ndiaye is unlikely to be an out-and-out alternative to Haaland.
Over a long Premier League season, his ability to operate almost anywhere in a front four is a commodity most managers would love to have, especially given he has created 15 chances in the top-flight circa 2025/26, per Fotmob. Based on that, it’s perhaps no wonder previous reports have suggested he is valued at £70m.
Now, it remains to be seen whether they can push a deal over the line as Guardiola seeks reinforcements in order to further Manchester City’s title challenge.
A shocking stat has suggested that Chelsea have no chance of beating Arsenal in the Premier League title showdown. The Blues arrive at the Emirates on Sunday with an opportunity to cut Arsenal’s lead at the Premier League summit, but history and numbers paint a grim picture for Enzo Maresca’s resurgent side, who have only beaten their rivals once in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge in the last seven years.
A high-stakes London derby framed by bleak statistics
The Blues have climbed into second place after stitching together three consecutive league wins, yet they remain six points behind a near-faultless Arsenal team who have dropped points only twice all season. Mikel Arteta’s side have recorded 14 victories and two draws in their last 16 matches, a run of form that would intimidate anyone, let alone a Chelsea team seeking only their second win over Arsenal in seven years at Stamford Bridge. However, one headline stat is damning as Chelsea have won just one of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Arsenal. For a fixture that once swung like a pendulum, the balance has tipped dramatically in one direction and refuses to budge back.
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The derby dominance that should terrify Chelsea
Arsenal’s record in London derbies under Arteta has reached staggering levels. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign, they have lost only three derbies in the league, and just one away from home, at Fulham nearly two years ago. They have swept all four derby fixtures this season, including last weekend’s dismantling of Tottenham. This will be the fifth time Arsenal have faced Chelsea while sitting top of the table. The Gunners won the previous four in 2003, 2004, 2007 and most recently in the 5-0 demolition at Stamford Bridge in April 2024. Hence, the trend is unmistakable. Chelsea once made the Bridge a nightmare for Arsenal, beating them six times in seven visits between 2013 and 2018. But Marcos Alonso’s winner in 2018 marks the last time the Blues claimed three points at home against their London rivals. Since then, Arsenal have built a remarkable unbeaten run of six league games at Stamford Bridge, three wins and three draws. For a side looking to mount a title challenge, Chelsea must shatter a curse that has hardened over nearly a decade.
Arteta praises Chelsea, but refuses to declare them contenders
Arteta suffered his first defeat as Arsenal manager against Chelsea in December 2019, just days into the job. Since then, he has turned the London rivalry on its head. He has won seven of the last 11 meetings, boasting a 58.3 per cent win rate that stands behind only Pep Guardiola and Kenny Dalglish among managers who have faced Chelsea at least ten times.
Asked whether Chelsea deserve to be considered genuine title rivals, Arteta chose diplomacy over provocation.
The Spanish manager said: "I think we are all there, and they are there because they fully deserve what they have done in the last few years. I think the squad that they assembled, the numbers that they have, the quality that they have, the number of coaches they have it makes sense that what is happening there is very, very positive and they deserve to be there."
When asked if he still views Chelsea as the league's best attacking force, he replied: "They were [the best last season], the sample now this season is early, so it's difficult to say. But it is one of the teams that I enjoy the most watching and they have a lot of fluidity, they have a lot of threat, they have a lot of individual talent, they are very clear what they want to do and that's why they are very tough."
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Arsenal’s star men carry a psychological edge
Chelsea supporters may cling to hope that Martin Odegaard, the man who has tormented them more than any other, misses out through injury on Sunday. The Norwegian has seven goal contributions in eight league matches against Chelsea and, remarkably, has never lost a Premier League game to them. Gabriel Magalhães shares that unbeaten streak, and only Patrick Vieira, who faced Chelsea ten times without defeat, boasts a longer run in the division. Meanwhile, Leandro Trossard remains another Arsenal weapon sharpened specifically for this fixture. The Belgian has scored four Premier League goals against Chelsea, and another on Sunday would make him only the fifth Belgian to reach 50 goals in the competition.
Everton are set to step up their interest in Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee, with the Toffees’ interest in Arsenal front man Gabriel Jesus hitting a dead end.
The Toffees have shown plenty of signs of promise so far this season, albeit whilst remaining inconsistent. Their 2-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday represented their first Premier League win in three games and first clean sheet in eight games, but David Moyes reiterated that he wants everyone to “keep believing” at Everton.
The experienced manager told reporters: “Look, we’ve wanted to try to become a much better footballing team and the players we’ve brought in have helped us to do that.
“We don’t want to lose what we’ve had – desire, heart, commitment – but I think we had to try to find a way of getting a little bit better at certain things and I think we have to build. Look, I trust the owners will help us in all the windows as we go forward and we’ll try to make things better as we go along.
“We need to get people believing in Everton like we do, like the supporters here do, and what we want us to be in the future. To do that we need to keep picking up the wins and attracting top players like Kiernan and Jack Grealish and players of that ilk. We need to keep attracting that level of players to come to the Club.”
What was apparent against Fulham, however, was just how much Everton’s forwards are still struggling. Whether it’s been Beto or one of their most expensive signings, Thierno Barry, the Toffees just haven’t been able to get their strikers firing and something needs to change.
Friekdin are already reportedly looking at potential solutions and have now reportedly made their position on signing Zirkzee clear.
Everton make Joshua Zirkzee position clear ahead of January
As reported by Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett, Zirkzee is now “high up” on Everton’s shortlist and those in Merseyside could make their move if the Man United striker becomes available in January. Ivan Toney is the second name in contention, with Arsenal set to refuse offers for Jesus.
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The Dutchman has made just five appearances all season and is yet to start a single Premier League game. This follows the arrivals of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha as well as his own disappointing debut campaign last time out.
But is Zirkzee the answer to Everton’s problem? They’ve already revived the best version of Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City and now there’s a chance they could get the same opportunity with Zirkzee.
Praised as “amazing with his back to goal” by Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski last season, the Man United man is still just 24 years old and has plenty of time to find his feet elsewhere in the Premier League.
Everton hatch striker plan as Moyes moves for star with 18 goals this season
One Chelsea star has been critiqued for his performance in their game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Robert Sanchez having more touches than him at Stamford Bridge.
In what was Chelsea’s final Premier League game ahead of the November international break, the Blues played host to a Wolves side who, after 10 games, were still without a win in the top flight.
Enzo Maresca’s side struggled to do much with the chances they generated in the first half against Wolves, frustrating the home support at Stamford Bridge. Soon after the half-time break, however, the Blues broke the deadlock.
Malo Gusto opened the scoring with what was his first-ever senior goal just minutes into the second half. This lead was doubled just after the hour mark when Joao Pedro smashed a deflected Estevao cross beyond Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
The game was put beyond any doubt when, with less than 20 minutes to go, Pedro Neto scored against his former club. The win moved Chelsea to second in the table. However, one Blues player was slammed for his performance against the relegation-threatened side.
Delap failed to make mark against Wolves
Signed in the summer from Ipswich Town, Liam Delap has endured a tough start to life at Chelsea. An injury saw him sidelined for weeks to open the 2025/26 campaign, missing almost two months. Upon his return, against Wolves in the Carabao Cup, Delap was sent off for accumulating two yellow cards after coming off the bench.
Delap, who reportedly signed a contract worth £100,000 per week, made his first start for Chelsea since returning from injury against the Old Gold, but failed to make an impact. Simon Johnson, who works for The Athletic, was critical of what the striker produced, noting that he did not appear at match fitness and said he was “struggling”.
As per SofaScore, within 64 minutes of football, Delap had just one shot on target. He was dispossessed on three occasions and by having just 15 touches in the game, had less time on the ball than Sanchez.
Delap is still a young player, one coming back from a relatively long set-back no less. His performance against Wolves, though, can simply not be the level that he consistently operates at going forward.
Chelsea weighing up move for England international
GOAL sat down with the American defender to discuss the gut punches, the photos that mean everything to him, and what it means to enjoy life even when it isn’t perfect.
It’s almost cruel to ask a photographer to pick favorites. Every image is more than a picture – it’s a memory. Each one holds the who, what, where, when, and why of a life. For photographers, a single frame can feel like a piece of themselves, caught in the click of the shutter.
U.S. international Mark McKenzie is still new at this photography thing, less than one year in, but even for him, picking favorites is tough. He'll narrow it down to two, though. The first came this summer while on a trip to Greece. He was there with his wife alongside national team teammate Chris Richards and his girlfriend. What sticks out about those particular photos is how carefree they were. Those were the simple times.
"It was a time when we weren't thinking about anything, just enjoying the moment, just at peace," McKenzie tells GOAL. "We were on a boat just sitting watching the sun as it hit the waves, talking about how crystal clear the water was. Chris and I are diving off the boat. Those pictures, the sheer enjoyment, the sheer peace that we were in…"
The defender, who stars for Toulouse in Ligue 1, drifts off and begins describing another favorite set. They’re from the complicated moments – the good kind. He won’t quite say it, but these are the ones he treasures most. Taken just weeks after that Greece trip, they were shot in the hospital, in the moments after his son was born.
"Those speak for themselves," he says with a smile. "We had our parents there and seeing them experience the joy of holding their first grandchild. There was this moment of love that we felt in the room. Seeing my parents turn into grandparents was like, what? I just realized that life moves fast."
That end statement, the life-moving-fast part, is at the core of all of this. It's the reason McKenzie started picking up the camera in the first place. Few do so these days, particularly with the convenience of a smartphone in their pocket, but McKenzie doesn't take pictures for convenience. He takes photos to capture life, warts and all. He takes pictures to have something tangible to hold that allows him to look back on that life. He takes them to remind himself that this existence is made up of split seconds, and the moment you forget that fact is the moment that those split seconds start to feel a little bit more insignificant.
"I think this past year has been a realization of just becoming more present, more focused on the moment," he says. "It's about appreciating being present and how fleeting all of this stuff is. At the end of it all, my family and my loved ones are the most important factor in my life outside of my faith. I think that these are the moments that are the most beautiful moments and, as you get older, those moments start to become a little bit fast."
McKenzie's journey as a photographer, then, is really his journey in life. It's a life that promises to twist and turn over the next year as he fights for a World Cup spot with the USMNT. That fight will evolve quickly over the next few months, and McKenzie knows better than most that it can evolve in the harshest of ways. The build-up to that will include numerous games, challenges, and, again, moments that could ultimately determine whether or not McKenzie achieves his dream or not.
So how do you fight against that? How do you stop and acknowledge how fast life is moving while also working in an industry that demands that you move even faster? How do you find some semblance of peace in the process while knowing how all-encompassing the end result is? Well, you do so by enjoying the journey, and McKenzie has found his way of doing that: snapping some pictures along the way.
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Living in the present
McKenzie's photography journey, in some ways, started just this year. When his wife got pregnant, he was inspired to document their journey to parenthood. It evolved into something more than that, though. At the Gold Cup, he frequently had his camera in hand to capture the quiet moments of USMNT camp. The hobby became something less focused and something a bit more freeing.
It wasn't totally new, though. He'd had an interest in it since childhood. His parents often joked about how he always wanted to be behind the camera, taking pictures more than actually being in them. It's just that, as a footballer, his profession generally calls on him to be on the other side of the camera. International soccer stars aren't just on that side of the lens; they're under the microscope with the world watching.
McKenzie uses his camera to watch the world. More importantly, though, he uses it to capture a glimpse into that world. The glimpse isn't always perfect, but it doesn't have to be. In McKenzie's eyes, it shouldn't be.
"With film photography, you don't get the instant gratification of what the photo looks like," he says. "You take the photo, and then you're not so concerned. We have iPhones now. You take the photo, and then you want to edit it or take it again. You spend so much time taking the picture and trying to find the best angle and making sure it isn't blurry, and the next thing you know, you've lost the actual feeling. You've lost the meaning behind taking the photo itself."
That was a lesson McKenzie took from childhood. He looks back fondly on the moments his entire family was together, digging through shoeboxes to look back at old pictures.
Now, he gets to be the one behind the camera, creating his own documentation of life in a way that many have forgotten over the years. Then, once they're created, he doesn't just show them off on an LED screen. Scrolling through iPhone camera rolls is so impersonal, he believes. There's just a different sensation that comes from actually holding a memory.
"It's that nostalgic feeling," he says. "I'd go to my grandma's, and it felt like she had all of our youth in a shoe box. You pull them out, and you just say, 'Wow, yeah, this is what life was like back then. ' You value those times. I'm 26. I have a son now, and I'm married. Those days of being at home? Those times with my family, my mom, my dad, and my sister? They're a blessing. When those times become less frequent, you realize how important they are and how intentional you have to be about making time for them. You have to prioritize it. That's the root of this: just being present."
There's a forward-thinking aspect of it, too. At the Gold Cup, McKenzie often thought about the fact that his son would someday get to look at his pictures, not on a phone but in his hand. In truth, McKenzie's son is at the forefront of most things he does these days. That's fatherhood, right?
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Redefining himself after becoming a father
Everyone says that you can feel the exact second your life changes. Anyone who has become a parent can identify with it. That includes McKenzie. The moment he held his son, everything else seemed to disappear. It was at that moment that he ceased being anything other than a father, at least in his own eyes.
"Alongside marrying my wife, having our son is the biggest blessing in life. There's nothing that can top it," he says. "I don't think there's a trophy or individual accolade or World Cup or Champions League that can top that feeling of holding your child. Babies are one of God's many miracles…The whole perspective I have on my life, my career, my decision-making, all of that shifted to what's best for my family and setting him up for success and making sure his future is better than mine."
Fatherhood, of course, has come with its own unique set of challenges. With McKenzie currently playing for Toulouse in France, family isn't particularly close by as he hails from the Bronx in New York City. Loved ones have found a way to help out in shifts. Parents and siblings have come across the Atlantic in waves to help the McKenzies navigate this crazy, life-changing world of parenthood.
"The late nights are difficult because I've got training and games," he says. "Then there are just the moments where my wife needs a break to reset, right? It's easier said than done, but I have to give so much credit to my wife. She's done a phenomenal job."
Parenthood doesn't just alter your sleep schedule, though; it also alters your mindset. McKenzie felt that happen to him in real time. For years, he's placed so much of his self-worth into his life as a soccer player. His successes and failures, ultimately, defined him right up until the next roster, game, or trophy. It's a feeling anyone in a competitive field knows. McKenzie, like many, has found himself lost in that field.
Not as much anymore, he says. He's more comfortable within himself now, largely because he has redefined what "himself" actually means.
"The game loves you one day and chews you out the next day," he says. "I've had games where I was flying and the best I could ever be, and games where I made mistakes and people wanted me out. I think, through those experiences, I've been able to recognize that football is a part of who I am, but it's not who I am.
"It's something I love dearly, but when I step off the pitch, my son doesn't care if I scored or made 10 blocks; he cares about the fact that I love him and that he's cared for and that he feels my presence every day."
That shift has helped him find balance – as a player, and as a person.
"I put so much pressure on myself to not make mistakes and be perfect and make sure people wouldn't be able to say bad things about me after the game, but the reality is that people can always find something. There's always something they'll want to change or a person they'll prefer over you because they do this or that better. When I started to realize that, I became more mature and grounded in my faith.
"The biggest step is recognizing that I go out there, I give my all to play to the best of my ability. After that, I can only control what I can control: my work ethic and my mentality. Then, what everyone else see and say after the game? That's out of my control."
A lot is beyond McKenzie’s control at the moment. That’s simply the reality of the months ahead.
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Learning from gut punches
McKenzie has achieved more than he likely could have dreamed of in his soccer career. He emerged as a homegrown star with the Philadelphia Union, earned a European move to Genk and a rise up the ladder with Toulouse, where he's now thriving in Ligue 1, one of the best leagues in the world. Internationally, he's earned 25 caps for his country, won two Nations League trophies and earned a spot at both the 2024 Copa America and 2025 Gold Cup.
There’s still one moment that eats at him: finding out he wasn’t selected for the 2022 World Cup. He knew he was on the fringes, and he knew his exclusion was a real possibility. It still hurt. Nothing could prepare him for that kind of letdown.
"It's who I am," he says. "I'm a competitor at the end of the day, but I think there's also a line where that competitive edge can drive you too far, and you become so encompassed with this one idea, with this one concept, that you lose sight of who you are and you lose your identity. Missing out on the 22 World Cup? It ripped me apart, bro. It was gutwrenching because I was so close. When you get that call that you're not going, that you weren't selected, it's a punch to the stomach.
"It's an important feeling to have, I think, because it puts everything in perspective in life. Okay, maybe I put too much onus on this, so much that I lost who I was, lost focus on being present, lost focus on the small areas of my game or my life that I need to improve."
McKenzie has improved. He's been right in the mix under USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has had the team humming this fall with a five-game unbeaten run against World Cup-bound teams. Under Pochettino, the U.S. has switched to a back three system, something that McKenzie plays regularly with Toulouse. The 26-year-old defender recently started against Uruguay, helping the U.S. to a 5-1 win in a game where he had the honor of wearing the captain's armband.
Once again, McKenzie is right in the mix just a few months before the game's biggest tournament. This time, though, it feels different. In 2022, McKenzie can acknowledge that he struggled to stay present, that he was always looking at the bigger picture. Not this time.
"If you asked me about it four or five years ago, I would have told you like, 'Oh yeah, every day it's on my mind, and everything I do is pointing towards it'," he says. "Again, my identity now isn't just this game. I know I have that hunger and drive and competitive nature to be at the World Cup, don't get me twisted. When I say that's my goal to be in that World Cup squad, I mean it: my goal is to be there in 2026.
"My mentality is to do everything I can and control everything I can to be there, but I can't control anything outside of that. It's a dream to play there and, if I get that opportunity, I'll make the absolute most of it."
Until then, there's so much to do. There are photos to take, a son to raise, and some little things to enjoy that, ultimately, could make all the difference.
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The fast life
One year after making his big move, McKenzie feels comfortable in France. His French has gotten better. He and his wife have a grocery store they love, one with fresh produce. There's a preferred butcher in town, too. Most importantly, there's a sense of home
Publicly, McKenzie offers few glimpses into that. His social media, by and large, focuses on soccer. There are very few behind-the-scenes photos of the McKenzies. There was no grand announcement when they became parents. Everyone would find out at some point, at least everyone who really mattered. There was no need to broadcast it all to the world.
It's not that McKenzie doesn't want people to know him. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's just that there are some aspects of life that he and his family want for themselves alone.
"I try not to live in the media or on social media," McKenzie says. "I saw a video recently about how we've become more like TV characters than actual people. We're living through a screen and posting to get likes and whatnot. You lose that real aspect of who you actually are. I try to be open as I can, but also try to keep my life, in a sense, in a bit of shade as well. Not everything needs to be broadcast, but there are things that matter more and things that should be talked about.
"I think it's important in this day and age to be real, but also just to live your life, man. Don't spend it so focused on what everybody else is going to say."
Who knows what the next few months will bring? Who knows where life will take McKenzie? Not long ago, he was on that boat with Richards, diving into the sea without a care. Now there’s so much to think about, so many moving parts that won’t slow down.
That’s where the photos help. They’ll get better, he says, because he’s still learning. They don’t need to, though. It isn’t about sharper shots or better technique. The camera is a way to make sense of it all. Like everything else in his life, he’s still figuring it out.
"It's something that takes me outside of myself," McKenzie says, reflecting on his still-new hobby. "It takes me out of how pragmatic I am and how structured I am. I'm disciplined, and this makes me tap into a creative side of my mind and a more artistic part of who I am. In the beginning, you're learning and there are challenges that come with that, but that's also where you find the most enjoyment, right? You can look back and say, 'Last year, I was doing this, and now I'm doing this. ' It helps me step outside of this game that takes up so much of my life. I'm blessed to do it for a living, but I have an opportunity to not be a footballer all the time. That's important.
"I've just realized that life moves fast," he concludes. "Life moves so fast, man, and if you aren't careful, it goes right past you before you even realize it. So enjoy it, man. Really enjoy it."