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If the semi-final win against Australia was emotional – captain Harmanpreet Kaur was unable to hold back tears in the dugout – the day India finally lifted their first-ever Women’s World Cup was filled with nothing but smiles. A beaming Harmanpreet walked into the press conference room, bringing the trophy along. The emotion this time was of a different kind, like the buzz of a dream realised. And the one word she kept returning to was “self-belief”.One of the first questions, inevitably, was about the feeling of finally touching a trophy that had long eluded India.”I’m just trying to express what I’m feeling. I’m numb, I’m not able to understand,” Harmanpreet said. “So, it’s just that there were ups and downs, but the team had self-belief. I’ve been saying this since day one. We weren’t looking to the left or right. We were only looking at our main end goal.Related

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• 'Knew today's her day' – Harmanpreet's gut inspires call to let Shafali bowl

“We felt we could win from the first ball itself because the way our team was playing in the last three games, a lot of things changed for us, especially our self-belief. We have played good cricket for a long time. We knew what we could do as a team. We knew there would be tough conditions for batting, but credit goes to Smriti [Mandhana] and Shafali [Verma]; they handled the first 10 overs very well.”There was laughter, too. Harmanpreet’s luck with the toss hadn’t improved all tournament – she won one in nine attempts – and she lost it again on the day of the final. “From the first ball itself, I had the belief that it doesn’t matter – because we don’t normally win the toss – we knew we had to bat first,” she said, smiling.There was belief, but there were also nerves. Laura Wolvaardt’s century had kept South Africa in the chase before her dismissal in the 42nd over finally swung momentum India’s way.”Our aim was simple. We knew that if we thought of a big target, we would come under pressure,” Harmanpreet said. “The main thing was to keep batting and keep playing our game. We tried to score 300 runs on the board; we were one run short. But after that, I think we came onto the field as a strong unit. Whenever we needed it, we got a breakthrough. It was a very good match.”It seems easy to say now, but there was a lot of tension in between when they were batting – like Laura, she was not giving a chance. But at the end of the day, I’m feeling great. I don’t know how to express it, but I’m just trying to tell you what I’m feeling.”After the final wicket fell – fittingly, with Harmanpreet taking the catch – India took a victory lap around a roaring DY Patil Stadium. At one point, former India players Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and Anjum Chopra joined the team and were handed the trophy. Goswami was in tears as she embraced Harmanpreet and a few other team-mates in the middle.Pratika Rawal gets off her wheelchair to celebrate with her team-mates•ICC/Getty Images

“Jhulan was my biggest support,” Harmanpreet said, when asked what it meant to share that moment with former players. “When I joined the team, she was leading it. She always supported me in my early days when I was very raw and didn’t know much about cricket. Anjum , too. Both of them have been a great support for me. I’m very grateful that I got to share a special moment with them. It was a very emotional moment. I think we all were waiting for this. Finally, we were able to touch this trophy.”The campaign itself had been a deeply emotional one. Harmanpreet revealed how injuries to Yastika Bhatia and Pratika Rawal had left the dressing room in tears.”When she [Pratika] got injured, everybody was crying…yet, everybody was so positive. Everyone was thinking that our end goal was this trophy. We had to keep working hard day and night. And this is the result.”India’s journey through the tournament was far from smooth. Two early wins were followed by three straight losses – to South Africa, Australia and England – before a recovery against New Zealand sealed their semi-final berth. Beating Australia in the semi-final was the breakthrough they needed.”The last month has been very interesting,” Harmanpreet said. “It’s very rare that things don’t go according to your plan, and yet you stay so positive. After that day [the loss against England], a lot changed for us. Every time, we cannot go on repeating the same things. We had to come with a strong mind.”That defeat to England proved transformative. The squad turned inward, working on visualisation and meditation sessions to refocus.”That night changed a lot for us,” she added. “It had an impact on everyone. We were more prepared for the World Cup. We started visualisation and meditation. That showed we were here for something, and this time we had to do it.”There have been parallels drawn between this and India’s men’s World Cup win in 1983. For a side that had reached finals and semi-finals but always fallen just short, Harmanpreet saw this win as the long-awaited shift Indian women’s cricket.DY Patil Stadium was a sea of blue on Sunday•ICC/Getty Images

“We have been talking about this for many years – we’ve been playing good cricket, but we had to win one big tournament. Without that, we couldn’t talk about change…we were waiting badly for this moment, and today we got a chance to live it. I don’t know how to express it, but I’m so happy and so proud of this team.”When the final wicket fell, Harmanpreet sprinted across the field, embracing each of her team-mates in celebration. But the longest hug was reserved for Smriti Mandhana, her partner across 106 ODIs.”I’ve played many World Cups with her [Mandhana]. Every time we lost, we went home heartbroken and stayed quiet for a few days. When we returned, we always said, ‘we have to start again from ball one’. It was heartbreaking because we played so many World Cups – reaching finals, semi-finals, and sometimes not even that far. We were always thinking, when will we break this?”The 39,555-strong Navi Mumbai crowd stayed through a two-hour rain delay, unrelenting in their chants for the home side. The DY Patil Stadium, which had hosted several women’s international and WPL fixtures, and long seen as the home of women’s cricket in India, once again proved a lucky venue. Harmanpreet also shared an anecdote about how the side felt relieved when the venue had changed from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai in August.”As soon as we got to know that our venue had been changed to DY Patil Stadium, we all got so happy because we’ve always played good cricket there. We said, ‘We’ve come home now, and we’ll start fresh.’ We didn’t want to look back at previous World Cups, we left them there. The new World Cup had just started.”Celebrations stretched late into the night. After the victory lap and presentations, the team stayed on the ground with friends and family before heading to their hotel with a procession.”We’ve been waiting for this moment. The celebration will go on all night. And then let’s see what BCCI is planning for us,” Harmanpreet quipped.

Jurrien Timber says Harry Kane is one of the best players in the world but admits that Arsenal are relishing the chance to keep the Bayern Munich striker in check. The Gunners have had an outstanding start to their Champions League campaign, scoring 11 goals and conceding none in four games. That record has only been bettered by Bayern, who top the competition's league phase table on goals scored. Now, they are preparing to lock horns.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Arsenal host Bayern in heavyweight clash

  On Wednesday night at Emirates Stadium, Premier League leaders Arsenal entertain Bundesliga table-toppers Bayern in a mouth-watering contest. Both teams have 12 points from a possible 12 in their Champions League campaigns so far and both have comfortable leads in their respective divisions. The German giants have scored a remarkable 41 goals in 11 Bundesliga matches, winning 10 of them, whereas the Gunners are six points clear ahead of second-placed Chelsea in the Premier League. Arguably for both sides, this is their biggest test of the season. Both teams are in strong positions to make it through to the knockout stages of the competition, and a defeat in north London will not be terminal. But bragging rights are on offer, likely sending a message to their European rivals. One man who has helped Bayern reach this point is England captain Kane, who has continued his prolific scoring form this season. If Mikel Arteta's side can stop him, they may come out on top.

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  Kane presents 'a nice challenge'

  Arsenal defender Timber is well aware of Kane's quality. The 32-year-old has scored 26 goals in 19 appearances for club and country this term, but on the flip side, the Gunners have conceded just six times in all competitions. Either way, this is a clash of two juggernauts fighting for supremacy.

  When asked about having a plan to combat Kane, he replied: "That is not going to be easy, of course. I think he is an amazing striker, everyone knows that. He has so many qualities. He has been doing it for such a long time already, and now at Bayern Munich he has been one of the best players in the world. So, it is going to be a nice challenge for us as a team, as defenders, to stop him tomorrow. I think when you face an opposition with Harry Kane as the striker, he is a topic and you discuss him as defenders, because he is one of the dangerous players. It is the same with any other game, we discuss their players and the way they play. For tomorrow, it is the same."

  Timber also talked up how hard it is for teams to breach Arsenal's defence, with the players eager to be part of that collective effort.

  "If you look at Ebs’ [Eberechi Eze] performance the other day against Tottenham, he scored three goals but defensively he was amazing as well," he said. "So, I think it is the whole team that is trying to step up and do a bit more also. You have the example of Gabriel, everybody knows he is out and at the same time we know as defenders, as a team, we have to step up when a big player like him goes out of the team. I think it is just everyone taking their responsibility in defending and also attacking."

• Kane wary of Arsenal's threat

  You don't have to go too far back for an Arsenal vs Bayern clash. Indeed, the two clubs faced off against one another in 2024, with the Bavarian outfit knocking out Arteta's side in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Kane himself had an excellent record against Arsenal while playing for Tottenham, with the striker finding the net on 11 occasions. But he thinks that won't have much bearing on Wednesday's fixture.

  Ahead of the game, he said: "With Tottenham, it was always one of the biggest games of the season against Arsenal; I have friends who are fans of both teams. It's not quite the same with Bayern as we don't always play against each other – we got an important win against them in the quarter-finals two years ago. I've scored a lot of goals here in this stadium – but haven't won many games. I hope we can change that tomorrow. Obviously when I was at Tottenham, the North London derby was always a big moment. But it's not about me against Arsenal, it's about Bayern against Arsenal. I'm in good form and it's all about helping my team and scoring goals."

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  Arteta ready for big Bayern test

  While some sides may balk at a challenge such as facing Vincent Kompany's high-flyers, manager Arteta is chomping at the bit for this one.

  He told reporters on Tuesday: "For sure, this is the kind of game in the competition that we want to face, and we've been very consistent in both competitions and as you mentioned they have as well. Tomorrow is a great test for us to see where we are."

The last international break of the year is finally coming to an end this weekend, meaning Arsenal can once again continue their title charge.

However, instead of looking over their shoulder at Liverpool, the new hunter is, unfortunately, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

The Citizens have already gotten the better of Mikel Arteta’s side in two Premier League title races, in large part thanks to the outrageous goalscoring ability of Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian is an unstoppable machine of a player, but fortunately, it feels like Arsenal now have their own version of him, and he’s not even a striker.

Haaland's record vs Arsenal

There are more than a handful of players Arsenal fans have dreaded seeing play against their team over the years.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

When he was at Chelsea, Didier Drogba was a nightmare for the North Londoners, as was Harry Kane when he played in N17.

Unfortunately, even though he hasn’t been in the league anywhere near as long, Haaland has become another goalscorer who just seems to have the Gunners’ number.

For example, while he didn’t score against them in the FA Cup three years ago, or the Community Shield a year after that, he has made a habit of putting the ball in their net in the league.

In the seven appearances he’s made against the North Londoners in the competition, he has scored five goals, with the two blanks coming home and away in the 23/24 season.

Interestingly, while he provided two assists in the 22/23 game at the Etihad, the former Borussia Dortmund star has never scored more than one goal in a match against Arteta’s side.

In all, Haaland scoring against Arsenal feels practically invincible, even this season, when Arteta has built an almost impregnable defence, one that features the club’s own version of the Norwegian.

Arsenal's own Haaland

Now, while people might try to argue that Viktor Gyokeres or Bukayo Saka could be Arsenal’s answer to Haaland for their goals and where they play, they’d be wrong.

Instead, and this might sound odd to begin with, it’s Gabriel Magalhaes.

After all, City’s biggest strength is their attack, and their best attacker is the Norwegian, while the Gunners’ biggest strength, and so far this season, the Brazilian has been their best defender.

Moreover, like the former Dortmund star, the 27-year-old is a monster of a centre-back, someone who makes full use of his 6 foot 4 frame to bully opposition players off the ball or block their path entirely.

He is not a stereotypical ball-playing defender; he’s an old-school blood and thunder type, someone who relishes the physical battle and celebrates a well-timed slide tackle just as much as a goal.

However, unlike some other players of his ilk, the former LOSC Lille ace is also a tour de force in the opposition’s box.

Since moving to the Emirates, the São Paulo-born titan has scored 22 goals and provided eight assists in 227 appearances, and with five goal involvements already this season, he’s only becoming more of an attacking threat.

Appearances

227

Starts

216

Minutes

19391′

Goals

22

Assists

8

Points per Game

2.02

It’s this combination of being incredible in all phases of play that led to Jamie Carragher suggesting that he could “be seen as the most influential player in the Premier League” only last month.

It also lends plenty of credence to Statman Dave’s claim that he’s one of the best defenders “on the planet.”

Ultimately, while he’ll never get the adulation of a striker, Gabriel has slowly become Arsenal’s own Haaland-like player, and the sooner he’s back from injury, the better.

A new Saka: Arsenal chasing "one of the best wingers in the world" for £88m

The game-changing winger could be a Saka-like addition to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 18, 2025

This was the 12th instance of a batter retiring out in a men’s T20I, and the first in a match featuring two Full Member teams

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-2025

Roston Chase became the first batter to retire out during a men’s T20I featuring two Full Member teams when he went off during West Indies’ chase of 190 in the deciding game against Pakistan in Lauderhill on Sunday.West Indies had gotten off to a good start, with Alick Athanaze scoring a 40-ball 60 opening the innings, but they slowed down once he was dismissed to leave the scoreboard reading 110 for 3 at the end of the 13th over. The requirement then was 80 runs from 42 balls.While Sherfane Rutherford, the No. 4, got going immediately, Chase struggled to go big, hitting just two fours in a 12-ball 15 before he was called back to the dugout – 41 runs were needed off 18 balls after that, and West Indies only managed 27 to concede the series 2-1.There has been only one previous instance of a batter retiring out in a men’s T20I featuring a Full Member team: in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Namibia’s opening batter Nikolaas Davin retired out after scoring 18 from 16 balls in a chase of 126 in ten overs against England in North Sound. The other ten such dismissals have all been recorded in matches involving two Associate teams.Chase, incidentally, had been retired out once before in a T20, at the ILT20 earlier this year. His team Abu Dhabi Knight Riders batted first in that game against MI Emirates, and Chase, batting at No. 6, had failed to get a move on after walking out in the 12th over, scoring 20 from 13 at the end of the 18th over, when he was retired out.

After watching on as Celtic fell further behind in the Scottish Premiership last weekend, Chris Sutton and Kris Boyd had a lengthy chat about Brendan Rodgers’ future.

Rodgers blasts unacceptable Celtic

The Scottish Premiership champions are beginning to falter under Rodgers. The Bhoys now find themselves as many as five points behind Hearts and Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of Dundee only compiled their misery.

With their European form creeping into their domestic outings, questions will continue to be asked about Celtic’s summer recruitment. Many around Celtic Park were far from confident that club chiefs had done enough in the summer and have since been proved right.

Rodgers, however, took aim at the players that he did have at his disposal against Dundee rather than those that Celtic missed out on in the summer.

The former Leicester City manager told reporters: “I just said that this is where you really have to be a man, because at Celtic it’s great from the outside when you look in and you win in trophies and playing great football, but you’ve got to deal with pressure.

“And also the result and performance today isn’t good enough or acceptable for Celtic. I’ve come here a number of times over a number of years, and that today is not the level, so we have to find it.”

At a time when Rodgers’ future remains so uncertain, the Bhoys’ current form is far from ideal. The manager is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal and one Sky pundit has already delivered a worrying verdict about his time at Celtic.

Sutton reacts to damaging Rodgers claim

Speaking about the future of Celtic’s manager after his side’s defeat against Dundee, Sutton reacted to Boyd’s claim that Rodgers is publicly looking for a Premier League job.

Sutton replied to Boyd’s verdict by asking: “Did he say that?

“I think he took a bit of responsibility there [in his post-match interview]. He said it was his issue to get the team playing better.

“He will point – and I think fairly so – to rotten recruitment.

“You look in the final third for that spark and the players who have left and have they replaced them. I get the argument but should the team be playing better?”

Whether Celtic are in for a repeat remains to be seen, but they must turn their form around with or without their manager. Up next, the Scottish champions play host to SK Sturm Graz in the Europa League, where they’ll hope to pick up the first win of their European campaign.

Forget Yang: Rodgers can solve Maeda blow by unleashing Celtic star in new role

Celtic could solve their Daizen Maeda injury blow by unleashing this star in a new role.

1 ByDan Emery Oct 20, 2025

Then, as if things couldn’t get more difficult, the Bhoys travel to face league leaders Hearts. Lose that and they will be as many as eight points behind the unexpected leaders with plenty of football left to play. Simply put, it is a massive week for Celtic’s season.

We are past the midway point of the season and the next tentpole event is the All-Star break, and after that the trade deadline.

It appears that the New York Yankees are going to be in need of reinforcements as the team's overall play has dropped over the last two weeks. Questions along the lineup and the pitching staff are becoming more clear and it'll be on display with Carlos Rodon on Wednesday.

Find out why I'm fading the Yankees on Wednesday with Rodon on the mound as well as my bets for game below!

White Sox vs. Guardians Prediction and Pick

Pick: White Sox (+155)

Chicago is a tough team to trust at 24-63 on the year, especially against the vaunted 53-30 Guardians, but I’ll take the big road underdog on Wednesday with Erick Fedde on the mound. 

Fedde is enjoying a strong season with the White Sox, striking out a career best 22% of batters while doing an excellent job of limiting hard contact (68th percentile). 

While the White Sox offense leaves a ton to be desired, I believe Fedde can hold down the Guardians lineup to give Chicago a puncher’s chance at this number. 

Red Sox vs. Marlins Prediction and Pick

Pick: Marlins (+125)

The Red Sox are a top 10 hitting offense against lefty pitching, but I’ll trust Trevor Rogers on Wednesday with the Marlins at home. 

The main component of this bet is a fade of Brayan Bello, who is struggling to limit hard contact and find much movement on his pitches (second in pitching run value). Bello ranks in the 33rd percentile in hard hit percentage, and an even limited Marlins offense may be able to string together runs against Bello.

Cardinals vs. Pirates Prediction and Pick

Pick: Pirates (-125)

Pittsburgh’s rookie Jared Jones is a bit volatile, but the talent is no doubt there, ranking in the 78th percentile in strikeout rate and has a ton of pop on his fastball (94th percentile). 

I believe Pittsburgh, who has a similar offense and an edge on the mound against righty Miles Mikolas, can get it done it home at a near coin flip price.

Mets vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

Pick: Mets (-130)

The Mets continue to thrive against left handed pitching, and the Nationals keep on trotting them out there. 

The team is top five in OPS against southpaws, and while the streaking Mets have won each of the last two against the Nationals in extra innings, the Nats lowly bullpen is taxed and not equipped to handle the strong lineup late in games. 

New York should start fast and get another win. 

Reds vs. Yankees Prediction and Pick

Pick: Reds (+150)

In a battle of two left handed pitchers, I’ll take the big underdog. 

Both the Yankees and Reds are at the big league average in OPS against left handed pitching, so there is no significant edge there, and I’m interested in continuing to fade Carlos Rodon, who posted a 7.76 ERA in five June starts. 

Astros vs. Blue Jays Prediction and Pick

Pick: Blue Jays (-105)

I’ll take a stab on the small underdog Blue Jays on Wednesday given the Astros middling numbers against left handing pitching (12th in OPS). 

Further, I’m interested in fading Ronel Blanco, who has an xERA of 3.55 with a high walk rate that puts him in troublesome situations and can lead to some blowup outings eventually. 

Giants vs. Braves Prediction and Pick

Pick: Braves (-200)

I’ll back Cy Young candidate Chris Sale to take care of business against the Giants, who are middling against left handed pitching. 

Sale has found his punchout pitch with good health this season, striking out more than 32% of batters with an xBA of just .208. 

Atlanta has the edge on Wednesday and is rightfully a big favorite. 

Padres vs. Rangers Prediction and Pick

Pick: Padres (+120)

I’ll fade Jon Gray on Wednesday, who has an xERA far higher than his actual ERA (3.77 vs. 4.56) with a high hard-hit percentage, ranking in the 12th percentile. 

The Padres have plenty of power in the lineup with the likes of Manny Machado and promising rookie Jackson Merrill. Gray ranks in the fifth percentile in average exit velocity, which can lead to plenty of extra base hits and a small upset from the Padres. 

Phillies vs. Cubs  Prediction and Pick

Pick: Cubs (+110)

I’ll buy low on the Cubs with Shota Imanaga on the mound, who is due for a positive bounce after a poor month of June. 

Imanaga still has pinpoint control and doesn’t give any easy bases to opponents, which can keep the Cubs close against Cy Young favorite Zack Wheeler, who may be due for a minor set back (actual ERA: 2.73 vs. xERA of 2.98). 

Tigers vs. Twins Prediction and Pick

Pick: Tigers (+140)

I don’t believe David Festa can justify this price tag, the team’s highly touted prospect who only had two strikeouts in five innings in his big league debut. 

There’s simply too much variance on the mound to not take a stab on the Tigers at a big underdog price.

Rays vs. Royals Prediction and Pick

Pick: Royals (-110)

Tampa Bay pulled away on Tuesday, but I’ll go back to the well on the Royals, who is 30-17 at home this season. 

Brewers vs. Rockies Prediction and Pick

Pick: Rockies (+130)

The red flags are clear on Brewers starter Colin Rea, who has a 3.61 ERA but a 5.31 xERA. 

Rea has been lucky to avoid bad starts, ranking in the bottom 10 percentile in xERA, xBA and whiff percentage. 

In a hitter friendly Coors Field, I’ll back the Rockies as big home underdogs.

Angels vs. Athletics Prediction and Pick

Pick: Athletics (-105)

The Angels got a strong first start out of Davis Daniel last week, tossing eight innings of shutout baseball. 

I don’t figure that to continue for the 27-year-old, who didn’t dish out a walk in that first start. 

Give me the home underdog A’s in a regression spot for Daniel and the Halos.

Orioles vs. Mariners Prediction and Pick

Pick: Mariners (-120)

The Mariners couldn’t plate a run in the team’s opener against the Orioles, a sign of the team’s struggles on offense, but I’ll go back to the well with Logan Gilbert and Seattle at home. 

Dean Kremer will make his first start in more than a month, so he may be either erratic or limited to a pitch count, which can add more variance to the O’s side of things on the mound. 

Meanwhile, Gilbert should continue his All-Star form, ranking in the 99th percentile in pitching run value with a blistering fastball that ranks in the 83rd percentile in velocity. 

Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers Prediction and Pick

Pick: Diamondbacks (+175)

The D-Backs will start Cristian Mena in his big league debut, which is a tough ask against the loaded Dodgers lineup, but I’ll take the big underdog that has a loaded offense behind him. 

I think we can get paid on fading Gavin Stone also. He has a 2.74 ERA, but his xERA sits at 3.61 with a shaky punch out pitch (32nd percentile). 

Arizona is a top half offense that can knock around Stone and make this game more of a toss-up. 

Glasgow Rangers are already on the lookout to replace Russell Martin as manager, with an “amazing” individual admired by those high up at Ibrox.

Gers on the search for Ibrox saviour

Martin was relieved of his duties by the Gers on Sunday evening, following yet more dropped points in the Scottish Premiership, falling further behind Celtic in the process.

The limp 1-1 draw away to Falkirk proved to be the final straw for the Englishman, who had spent a tumultuous time in charge, consistently struggling to convince the fanbase, in terms of results, performances and tactics.

It’s now a case of Rangers looking for the right man to come in and replace Martin, with former Everton and Burnley boss Sean Dyche one of the names thrown into the hat recently. His style of play is completely different, but it is arguably what the Gers need, and the 54-year-old is thought to be keen on taking the job.

It is important that the club take their time in finding Martin’s replacement, however, following a period of struggle, and now another name has been mentioned as an option for the Scottish giants.

Rangers eyeing "amazing" 4-2-3-1 manager

According to talkSPORT, Danny Rohl has emerged as a target for Rangers, with the German currently without a job after departing Sheffield Wednesday in the summer.

He's like Mourinho: 54-year-old manager wants to replace Martin at Rangers

Russell Martin’s job as Rangers manager is no more, so who could be his replacement?

ByMatt Dawson Oct 6, 2025

The report states that the 36-year-old is “appreciated by senior figures” at Ibrox, with former Gers manager Steven Gerrard also in the mix to return to the club.

Rohl would be an exciting choice by Rangers, considering he is a young manager with fresh ideas, being hailed by Wednesday legend Chris Waddle for the job he did in tough circumstances at Hillsborough.

The 4-2-3-1-playing Rohl would hopefully bring improved man management compared to Martin, who openly criticised his players after the opening game of the season, and he did a superb job in steering Wednesday clear of relegation in 2023/24, having looked doomed when he arrived.

George and Brewer star with the ball as the Bears dominate at Chelmsford

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Apr-2025Emily Arlott’s maiden List A hundred spearheaded a stirring Warwickshire fightback as they recovered from 22 for five to overcome Essex for their first win in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition.The 27-year-old seamer flourished with the bat, hitting 130 from 141 balls and sharing century partnerships with both Chloe Brewer (44 from 75) and Charis Pavely (31 from 40) to propel the Bears to 289 all out at Chelmsford.Essex seamer Eva Gray returned career-best figures of five for 62 – but the home side’s tally of 32 wides did them no favours and they were bowled out for 181 in response, despite half-centuries from Grace Scrivens and Cordelia Griffith.Left-armer Katie George and medium-pacer Brewer picked up three wickets apiece as Essex were dismissed with 11 overs unused.Essex’s decision to bowl after winning the toss appeared to be more than vindicated when Gray wrecked the visitors’ top order by capturing four wickets in the space of 10 balls.Sterre Kalis was first to depart, lbw playing across the line to Kate Coppack before Amara Carr’s diving catch behind the stumps removed Davina Perrin, while George and Abbey Freeborn were both castled by inswingers from Gray.Nat Wraith also fell cheaply, caught at slip, but Brewer – who survived a difficult chance to cover from her second ball – led the Bears’ counter-attack, driving sweetly through the off side and injecting the innings with momentum.However, she was gradually overtaken by her partner, who punched Coppack for four over midwicket to reach her half-century and continued to accelerate after Brewer’s departure as she and Pavely shared another three-figure stand.Dropped at mid-on on 85, Arlott maintained focus and advanced to her century before dispatching Sophia Smale for three successive boundaries and thrashing a huge leg-side six off Gray as the Warwickshire total passed 250.Arlott eventually became Gray’s fifth victim, bowled attempting to paddle, but the damage had already been done and Issy Wong’s belligerent unbeaten 29 from 14 ensured the Bears finished on a high, with 16 coming from the final over.Wong struck with the ball when Essex launched their reply, nipping one back to clatter into Jo Gardner’s off stump, but Scrivens kept the scoreboard ticking over with a lively knock of 53 from 76.Warwickshire’s spinners struck twice in successive overs, with Scrivens edging behind off Pavely and Jodi Grewcock bowled by Georgia Davis, although Griffith took up the baton with gusto, hammering Davis down the ground for the only six of the innings.But Griffith shed partners at regular intervals, with Brewer pouching a trip of catches off George (three for 38) at midwicket and then claiming two wickets in three balls herself as Essex’s lower order fell apart.Four wickets went down for a single run, including that of Griffith for a creditable 72 from 76 and Brewer (three for 18) wrapped up Warwickshire’s success by trapping Munro leg before.

Tottenham Hotspur are maintaining their push for new signings and have no intention of stopping after sealing a £52 million deal for Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.

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Simons has been announced as Spurs’ latest summer acquisition following an “overnight” agreement in the very early hours of Friday morning (Fabrizio Romano) – gifting Thomas Frank with a versatile new attacking player.

The 22-year-old, who bagged 11 goals and eight assists over 33 appearances in all competitions last season, despite suffering an ankle ligament injury which kept him out for two months, comes to north London with bags of potential.

Chelsea were in talks to sign Simons for weeks, and even agreed personal terms with the Dutchman before Tottenham swooped in and hijacked their deal – just over a week after Arsenal did the same thing to them with Eberechi Eze.

Simons is capable of dazzling both as a winger and in the middle as a playmaker, meaning Tottenham could well decide to bring in another CAM and put the Dutchman out wide, or at the very least sign another attacking player who can interchange roles with their newest recruit.

Spurs still want to make another forward signing before the 7pm deadline on Monday, so this could be one to watch out for, and it is believed that they’re also in the market for a centre-back.

Radu Dragusin is still recovering from a torn ACL and has been running on grass for weeks, but while he’s expected to return to first-team training soon, it’ll be a long while before he’s fully match fit (Alasdair Gold).

This means that signing another central defender is viewed as a key item on Tottenham’s to-do list as we approach the transfer cut-off, with Man City defender Manuel Akanji now emerging as a top target.

The Switzerland international (30) has just two years left on his contract and Galatasaray already have a financial agreement with City, but Akanji is taking his time to decide his next move and Spurs could well tempt him (Jack Gaughan).

However, there is also stiff competition from AC Milan, who’ve made a verbal proposal to Pep Guardiola’s side (Fabrizio Romano).

Tottenham in talks to sign Manuel Akanji from Man City

As per journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking to TBR Football, Tottenham are in talks for Akanji too, and the £180,000-per-week defender is intrigued by the prospect of a move to N17.

Akanji likes the idea of a San Siro move as well, but the Rossoneri face a major roadblock in the form of his wages. The centre-back’s salary isn’t an issue for Tottenham, though, who have a slender advantage in the race for his signature as a result.

The former Borussia Dortmund ace joined City in what turned out to be one of their biggest ever bargains in 2022, with Akanji becoming one of Guardiola’s mainstay defenders in their 2023 treble-winning season.

He’s started at least 23 Premier League games in every single campaign he’s been at Eastlands, and his experience would be invaluable to Frank in case one of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero succumbs to injury this term – which is very likely to be the case if we go off the last two years.

USMNT icons Tim Howard and Landon Donovan have both praised New York City FC's decision to sign goalkeeper Matt Freese to a contract extension through 2030. The 27-year-old shot-stopper, who has established himself as a key player for both club and the U.S. over the past year, reportedly becomes the third-highest paid goalkeeper in MLS with this new deal.

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  'Glad he got paid'

  Howard specifically highlighted the goalkeeper's national team trajectory, stating that Freese has as good a chance as any to be the starting goalkeeper at next year's World Cup.

  “Congratulations, get paid, get paid bro," Howard said on podcast. "That’s a nice long contract, and oh, by the way, he saved another penalty kick this weekend as well. Because, as he says, from his own mouth, 'it’s what he does,' which is incredible. So I’m starting to believe it’s what he does.

  “Look, I’m glad he got paid, it’s actually the right time. I think he’s earned it, I think there’s a good chance, or as good a chance as any that he’ll be No. 1 at the World Cup. Smart by them [NYCFC] because if he then gets sold on or has a good World Cup or whatever the situation is, they’ll be compensated on the back end for that."

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• Strategic benefits for both player and club

  Howard pointed to the multiple advantages the contract extension creates for both Freese and NYCFC. The former USMNT goalkeeper noted how the long-term agreement provides Freese with stability moving forward in his career while simultaneously protecting the club's interests.

  “For Matt, this’ll give him really good stability I’m guessing,” Howard explained. “I haven’t seen the exact numbers yet but it’ll give him good financial stability moving forward. And then again, protects the club because he’s on the rise, right? There’s not a ton of good goalkeepers out there in the world, and if he’s on the world stage playing and does well, people are going to be interested.”

• Donovan celebrates MLS evolution

  Donovan also framed Freese's contract as evidence of MLS's positive development. The former Galaxy star expressed enthusiasm about how the league has transformed from its earlier iterations to now properly rewarding players who perform at a high level.

  “I love this in MLS now…If a guy does well, you reward him and listen, it’s smart business by NYCFC," he said. “If he blows up, if he has a Tim Howard tournament or game like you did in 2014 against Belgium, like the world’s his oyster, and they can sell him for a lot of money. So it’s great for him…I’m just happy that a guy is getting rewarded in the right way, and kudos to NYCFC for taking care of a player who has been good to them.”

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  Road ahead

  Freese and NYCFC will face Inter Miami on Wednesday night,  followed by a derby against New York Red Bulls on Sept. 27.