The West Indies batters hit 78 off 39 balls during their thrilling ninth-wicket stand but fell short in a close contest

Ashish Pant09-Nov-2025The series that keeps on giving. After two humdingers in Auckland, the third T20I between West Indies and New Zealand in Nelson was shaping up to be a more one-sided contest, with the visitors having slipped to 88 for 8 in 12.3 overs, chasing 178, staring at a comprehensive defeat. Surely game over, right?Shamar Springer and Romario Shepherd, however, had other ideas. In a stunning rearguard action, the duo added 78 runs for the ninth wicket off just 39 balls to keep West Indies’ chase alive. From 90 off 45, they brought the equation down to 13 off seven. But New Zealand, just as they did in the second T20I, held their composure in the end.Jacob Duffy pulled off a stunning return catch off the final ball of the 19th over to send back Springer. And with 12 needed of the final over, Kyle Jamieson stepped up for the second game running to dismiss Romario Shepherd. New Zealand won the third T20I by nine runs to go 2-1 up in the five-match series.Electing to bat, New Zealand recorded 177 for 9 in their 20 overs on the back of Devon Conway’s 56 off 34 balls and Daryl Mitchell’s 24-ball 41. The final score was threatening to be a lot more, but three run-outs and Matthew Forde and Jason Holder’s two-fors denied New Zealand a late charge.Ish Sodhi’s 3 for 34 and Duffy’s two-wicket opening over had West Indies on the mat, before the visitors threatened to pull off the improbable again. In the end, they fell short… again.Shamar Springer gave West Indies hope at the death•Getty ImagesShepherd and Springer spring a surpriseThe game was done, the writing was surely on the wall, but Shepherd and Springer proved otherwise. When the duo got together, West Indies were in all sorts at 88 for 8 in the 13th over. Springer slog swept Sodhi over deep midwicket first ball. Shepherd soon joined him, smashing Duffy for six over fine leg and then slicing him over point. At the time, a comprehensive New Zealand win felt just two mis-hits away, but these mis-hits never came.Both Springer and Shepherd found the boundaries regularly. Springer muscled Mitchell Santner over long-on, and then walloped Jamieson for back-to-back fours. By the time the 18th over from James Neesham was taken for 19, West Indies believed. With 24 needed of 12, it was their game to lose, especially when Duffy was sent out of the stadium for a 103m six over long-on by Shepherd.But Duffy, who had struck two telling blows earlier, dove low to his left and plucked out a stunner as Springer fell for a superb 20-ball 39. Jamieson, who had defended 16 in the previous match, was now tasked with defending 12 in Nelson. He went the hard-length way, rattling Shepherd with the extra bounce. With the equation down to ten off two, Jamieson bowled a shin-high full toss that was miscued to only as far as Mitchell at long-off, as a third-straight last-over finish went New Zealand’s way.Kyle Jamieson had a torrid time in his opening spell•Getty ImagesWest Indies slip and tumbleMuch before the Shepherd-Springer mayhem, West Indies looked in complete disarray. Jamieson conceded three fours in his opening over, but as Duffy had all series, he kept at it. He bowled Amir Jangoo, chopping back onto his stumps first ball. Three balls later, he had Shai Hope caught at deep backward square leg. At the other end, however, Jamieson continued to bleed runs and also put down Alick Athanaze, as West Indies breezed past 50 in 6.3 overs.Sodhi’s introduction flipped the script. He had Athanaze caught behind with a long-hop, while Michael Bracewell sent back Sherfane Rutherford. Sodhi then found Rovman Powell swinging for the hills, but Powell missed instead and saw his stumps in a mess. By the time Sodhi trapped Forde lbw for 4, West Indies had lost 6 for 35 in less than six overs.Forde shines, others disappointEarlier, Conway – managing to avoid his series nemesis Forde in the opening over – got into his groove, pumping Akeal Hosein over deep midwicket for a huge six. Forde himself was tight with his lines and conceded just 14 in his three overs in the powerplay. This spell included getting rid of Tim Robinson, who was looking to turn the fast bowler around the corner, but popped a straightforward return catch instead.However, West Indies bled runs at the other end. Hosein’s two overs went for 21, while Shepherd conceded 11 runs, as New Zealand reached 47 for 1 after six overs.Matthew Forde picked up 2 for 20 in his four overs•Getty ImagesA failed Athanaze experiment and Conway’s fiftyAthanaze, more in the side for his top-order batting, had never bowled in any of his 11 T20Is before this game. The decision to introduce him right after the powerplay was surprising. Bowling with his cap on, Conway first pulled a short ball through midwicket, before lifting Athanaze inside-out over covers, on a delivery that also turned out to be a front-foot no-ball. While Conway couldn’t make use of the free-hit, Ravindra ended the over lofting Athanaze straight down the ground as New Zealand collected 16 runs in the seventh, giving their innings much-needed impetus.By this time, Conway had gotten a hang of the Nelson surface and brought out his repertoire of shots. He scooped Shamar Springer over short fine leg, before thrashing him past point to move into the 40s. He reached his 12th T20I fifty by mowing Hosein over cow corner, while Ravindra at the other end also got going nicely. He struck back-to-back fours against Holder, as New Zealand racked up 49 runs in the four overs after the powerplay.The New Zealand slideAt 96 for 2 after ten, New Zealand had their eyes set on 200, but poor running and effective West Indies bowling held them back. Ravindra’s sprightly knock was cut short by Shepherd, whose slower offcutter stopped on the surface and caught Ravindra’s leading edge to extra cover.Conway was then undone by some Athanaze brilliance: Mitchell squeezed a fuller-length Springer delivery to the left of deep midwicket and called for two right away. Conway responded, but Athanaze sprinted to his left and fired a direct throw at the non-striker’s end to find the opener well short.With the run rate slowing down, Mitchell took Hosein downtown for two sixes and a four in the 15th over before Bracewell was run out. Forde made a mess of Neesham’s stumps with a quick and full ball, while Santner sliced a low Springer full toss outside off to deep point.When Holder removed Mitchell and Mitchell Hay in the 19th over, New Zealand had slid from 144 for 3 to 169 for 8 in 21 balls. The hosts managed only 35 runs in the last five overs, losing six wickets to fall well short of what they would have wanted at the halfway stage of their innings.In the end, it was just enough.

Rishabh Pant gave India a brief injury scare ahead of next week’s first Test against South Africa in Kolkata by having to retire hurt while batting for India A against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.During the first session of the third day, Pant was struck three times – on his body and helmet – by fast bowler Tshepo Moreki, forcing him to retire hurt on 17 off 22 balls in the 34th over of India A’s second innings.However, he allayed fears of serious injury by returning to bat in the final session, after Harsh Dubey put on 184 for the sixth wicket with Dhruv Jurel, who made an unbeaten 127. Pant took on the spinners, racing to a half-century before declaring India A’s innings on 382 for 7. He was dismissed for 65 when he top-edged a slog sweep off left-arm spinner Kyle Simmonds to the wicketkeeper.Pant had walked out to bat at No. 5 in the third over of the day after overnight batter KL Rahul was bowled for 27 – he added just one to his overnight score – by an inducker from Okuhle Cele. Pant didn’t take long to get going, his first three scoring shots were 4, 4 and 6 – all off Cele – but a series of short deliveries left him wincing in pain.Related

• Dhruv Jurel makes case for India Test spot with twin hundreds against South Africa A

• Kamboj, Suthar take India A home after Pant 90

• Rishabh Pant returns to India's Test squad

While Pant was keen to continue batting, he had to be taken off by India A coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar and the physios as a precautionary measure. He was grimacing in pain every time the ball thudded into his bat, and his range of motion was limited due to some taping on his elbow after being hit there.The first blow Pant suffered was to the helmet when he attempted a reverse pick-up shot off Moreki, who had bowled a short ball from around the stumps. Pant was off balance at the point of impact and immediately fell to the ground, forcing the physios to conduct a mandatory concussion test. Once cleared, he pulled out from his stance to take his helmet off and gather himself before taking strike.The second blow had Pant groaning as the ball thudded into his right elbow as he shaped to play a short-arm jab. This time, the physio administered some pain-relief spray and taped the elbow. The third blow to the abdomen from a delivery that cut back in off the seam eventually forced the management to take Pant off the field.Having proved form and fitness with a 90 in the second innings of the first four-day fixture that India A won last week, Pant has had a more challenging time in the second game. In the first innings, he was rapped on the glove by a short ball from Moreki and caught at slip for 24.At the toss of the second game, Pant had kept an exact count of the number of days he’d been away for – 98 – while recovering from a fractured toe after being hit by Chris Woakes during the fourth India-England Test in Manchester in July.He spent two months in rehab at the Centre of Excellence following surgery, and resumed training in early September before playing for India A to get some match time ahead of the South Africa Tests. In his absence, Dhruv Jurel kept wickets during the two home Tests against West Indies as well as the fifth Test at The Oval, which India won to level the five-Test series at 2-2.India play two Tests against South Africa from November 14 in Kolkata, and then from November 22 in Guwahati, a city that will be hosting Test cricket for the first time. India are currently third in the World Test Championship table with 61.90% points; South Africa, meanwhile, are fifth with 50% points.

Former Real Madrid and Spain centre-back Sergio Ramos has departed Mexican side Monterrey following their final game of the season. Monterrey fell to a 3-2 defeat to Toluca in the semi-finals of the Liga MX playoffs, and Ramos has confirmed that he has played his final game for the club. However, the legendary defender has no plans to call time on his playing career.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'This is my last game' says Ramos

  Ramos moved to the Mexican side earlier this year following his departure from La Liga side Sevilla. The 39-year-old returned to the Spanish outfit in 2023 after his PSG exit but at the weekend confirmed that Monterrey's 3-2 loss to Toluca would mark his final appearance for the club.

  "I made it very clear last week. Obviously, yes – this is my last game," Ramos said following the weekend's defeat. Reflecting on the semi-final loss, the experienced defender stated that "losing a semi-final always hurts, especially when you fall just short of a final."

  "There’s a lot to assess. We practically gave away the first half. We lacked intensity, rhythm, personality, and control of the ball. You can lose – football works that way – but if you lose, it should be by playing like we did in the second half, not the first, which we gifted to them."

  Ramos leaves the club having made 32 competitive appearances in 2025, scoring seven goals and receiving one red card, and is determined to play in Europe once again.

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• Ramos keen to continue playing

  And as a free agent, Ramos is free to choose where to play next outside of the traditional winter and summer transfer windows. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has also confirmed that the World Cup winning centre-back has a number of proposals as he assesses his options.

  "Sergio Ramos leaves Monterrey as he confirms he’s played his last game in Mexico," Romano posted on his official X account. "Ramos wants to continue playing football, no plans to retire and set to assess proposals. Free agent from now on."

  AC Milan have since emerged as a potential destination for Ramos with Italian publication Calcimercato reporting that former Spain star is offering his services to the Italian giants. Ramos is keen to reunite with former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric, who left Los Blancos for the San Siro earlier this year.

  Modric has made an impressive start to life in Milan as the Rossoneri look to secure the Scudetto in Max Allegri's first game back at the AC Milan helm.

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  Ramos a surviving member of Spain's 2010 World Cup winning squad

  Ramos is one of four members of Spain's 2010 World Cup winning squad still playing. Winger Pedro is on the books at Serie A side Lazio, while centre-back Raul Albiol plies his trade for Pisa. Juan Mata, meanwhile, moved to A-League side Melbourne Victory earlier this year after a brief stint with Western Sydney Warriors.

  Ramos is not looking to follow in the footsteps of compatriots Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, who both called time on their career recently. The ex-Barcelona pair both played the full 90 for Inter Miami, who claimed a 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2025 MLS Cup final over the weekend.

  Lionel Messi was instrumental in the victory, providing two assists as Alba and Busquets both ended their respective playing spells on a high.

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• What trophies has Ramos won?

  Ramos has enjoyed a distinguished career for both club and country, which saw him win La Liga five times, the Champions League four times and the Copa Del Rey twice with Real Madrid. In addition, he claimed two Ligue 1 winners' medal during his two-year spell with PSG.

  For country, meanwhile, Ramos was part of the Spain squad that won Euro 2008 and Euro 2012, and was a key member of the side that won the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. Andres Iniesta scored a extra-time winner 15 years' ago as La Roja got the better of the Netherlands.

  And Spain are looking to win football's showpiece in North America next summer and were drawn against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H in Friday's World Cup draw.

Fiorentina have been forced to implement urgent security measures and involve local authorities after players, staff and their families received threats from sections of their own supporters. The alarming situation erupted in the wake of the club’s latest defeat, which leaves them bottom of Serie A and still without a win this season, deepening the crisis in Tuscany.

Fiorentina pump up security after threats from fans

Fiorentina’s 3-1 defeat to Sassuolo has sparked one of the darkest moments of the 2025-26 Serie A campaign, with the Viola bottom of the table after 14 winless matches and tensions boiling over among frustrated supporters. In the hours following the result at Reggio Emilia, several players and staff members reported receiving threats, which escalated concerns within the club and forced officials to take immediate action. With the squad enduring their worst start to a league season in history, the growing anger from certain fans has crossed into alarming territory, prompting Fiorentina to intervene quickly.

The club has responded by stepping up security protocols and contacting local authorities to guarantee the protection of players and their families. The Viola also reached out directly to all individuals impacted, ensuring they received immediate support while investigations began into the threats made. The incident reflects the intense pressure surrounding the team amid a spiralling on-field crisis that has now evolved into a broader institutional emergency.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFiorentina release crucial statement condemning fan behaviour

In an official communication, the club stated: "ACF Fiorentina expresses its full solidarity and solidarity with the players and their families following the unacceptable and shameful threats received in the hours following the defeat in Reggio Emilia against Sassuolo.

"This type of behaviour has no place in football, nor in any part of our society.

"The Club immediately contacted its members and the relevant authorities to ensure that all necessary measures are taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the players, staff members, their loved ones, and the families affected.

"ACF Fiorentina, while thanking the many supporters who have already expressed their affection and support following these unfortunate events, reiterates that there will never be room for intimidation, hatred, or violence.

"Our commitment to protecting our players and their families remains absolute."

Fiorentina winless in Serie A after 14 games

This crisis comes during a historically disastrous season for Fiorentina, who sit bottom of Serie A with just six points from 14 matches and remain the only winless side in the league. The collapse has been sudden and dramatic, especially following a sixth-place finish the previous year and expectations of a competitive return to European football. Manager Stefano Pioli was dismissed in early November after four draws and six defeats, but his successor, Paolo Vanoli, has also struggled to ignite any meaningful turnaround.

The turmoil extends beyond the pitch as sporting director Daniele Prade resigned shortly after Pioli’s dismissal, leaving a leadership vacuum at a time when the club desperately needs stability. Summer signings such as Edin Dzeko and Roberto Piccoli have failed to make an impact, while Vanoli has criticised his squad’s mentality, claiming they “don’t work for each other” during the recent run of defeats. The lack of cohesion, confidence, and direction has created a volatile environment now spilling into dangerous territory.

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Getty Images SportFiorentina shift focus towards Conference League clash

Fiorentina now face the complex task of protecting their players while attempting to salvage a season that is rapidly slipping towards disaster. Enhanced security measures will remain in place as authorities investigate the threats, and the club plans to support affected individuals while reinforcing its zero-tolerance stance on violence.

The immediate focus shifts to Thursday’s Conference League fixture against Dynamo Kyiv, where a positive result could help ease tension. Attention will then turn to Sunday’s crucial Serie A clash against Hellas Verona, a match that could define Fiorentina’s trajectory heading into the new year.

ESPNcricinfo looks back at some of Rohit Sharma’s best innings in ICC knockouts

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2025

30*(16) vs Pakistan

2007 T20 World Cup final, JohannesburgIn just his sixth international, a 20-year-old Rohit gave India a big finish after they chose to bat in the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup. Coming in at No. 6, he hit two fours, a six and four twos to ensure 27 came off the final two overs and India’s total was 157.Rohit Sharma gave a glimpse of his attacking batting as early as in his sixth international – at the T20 World Cup 2007•AFP

137(126) vs Bangladesh

2015 ODI World Cup quarter-final, MelbourneWickets through the middle overs slowed India’s scoring, and Rohit’s job was to bat deep as they aimed to build a big total that would take them through to the semi-final. On 90, Rohit was caught off a waist-high full toss that was called a no-ball, an incident that led to a furore in Bangladesh. From that point on, Rohit blasted 47 off 25, playing some exquisite shots, and India got to 302, a winning total.

123*(129) vs Bangladesh

2017 Champions Trophy semi-final, BirminghamWith India chasing 265, Rohit put on an exhibition, hitting 16 boundaries in his century and building a 178-run stand with Virat Kohli that took India home with nine wickets in the bag.

47(29) vs New Zealand

2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, MumbaiKohli’s 50th hundred headlined the day, but by the time he was in, a significant amount of the pressure on India had been relieved by Rohit’s whirlwind start. In their semi-final losses in the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup, India had made poor starts. Here, Rohit blasted four sixes early to make sure India were scoring at nine an over in the first powerplay.Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma added an unbroken 178 for the second wicket in the Champions Trophy 2017 semi-final•Getty Images

47(31) vs Australia

2023 ODI World Cup final, AhmedabadIn the final, with India put in, Rohit was off early. It was only Travis Head’s brilliance in the field that stopped his onslaught. Once he was out, India slowed down dramatically and ended up short of a winning total.

57(39) vs England

2024 T20 World Cup semi-final, GuyanaAgainst the same team they had stumbled in at the 2022 T20 World Cup, India lost the early wickets of Kohli and Rishabh Pant. With history weighing on him, Rohit embodied the bravery he had beseeched his team to have and continued to play his shots on a challenging track. His innings set the base for India to reach 171, which was more than enough on the surface.

76(83) vs New Zealand

2025 Champions Trophy final, DubaiWhile he had not registered a fifty in the tournament, Rohit had maintained his attacking intent throughout. In the final, with his side chasing 252, he laid down the marker for India’s approach by pulling the second ball of the innings for six. More boundaries followed off the seamers, and Rohit rotated well against the spinners, ensuring that even as India lost wickets in the middle, the asking rate never became daunting.

Shohei Ohtani essentially threw a rehab start at Dodger Stadium against the San Diego Padres Monday. Too valuable as a hitter to the Los Angeles Dodgers to send to a normal minor league rehab stint to build arm strength, Ohtani returned immediately to a big league mound for the first time in 662 days and after undergoing a second elbow procedure.

How did he look? Amazing, of course. Only Ohtani could throw a pitch 100.2 mph and hit a double 105.2 mph after not pitching for 22 months.

It’s only one start—the equivalent of a rehab outing, at that—so we’re a long way from drawing any conclusions. But it’s our first look at Ohtani pitching for the Dodgers, so let’s dive into first impressions. Here’s what we learned from Ohtani’s debut as a Dodgers pitcher:

Ohtani is throwing harder than ever.

His average four-seam fastball velocity of 99.1 mph was a career high in his 84 games. , you say,

Ok, then: it was the highest first-inning velo in his career, topping the 98.9 mph he averaged just before he was hurt in August 2023.

Ohtani threw from the windup.

We had not seen that before. I like it, especially for a guy with two elbow procedures. He is tall and athletic, assets that should not be diminished by pitching from the abbreviated stretch with bases empty.

Ohtani threw from the lowest release point of his career.

His release point was 2 1/4 inches lower than where it was in 2023. This continues a trend for him. His release point Monday was 6 3/4 inches lower than in 2021.

Here you can see how his release point over the years has gradually declined (all pitches here are four-seam fastballs with the bases empty):

Adolis Garcia is a bad man.

His Texas Rangers were on the verge of an extra-innings defeat Monday night after a go-ahead home run from Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson in the top of the 10th to help power a three-run frame.

Garcia walked up to the plate with two on in the bottom half with an opportunity to restore the tie. And he did just that, hitting an absolute no-doubter to left on a full count. The ball quickly flew off his bat and over the left-field wall at Globe Life Field, leaving no question that he just evened the score once again.

The clutch homer wasn't the story, though—it was Garcia's epic celebration after he made contact.

From the broadcast angle, you can see Garcia immediately turned his head after making contact to let out a ton of emotion. But the close-up shot is even better:

He faced the Orioles dugout as he fired himself and the crowd up. And the best part is, he didn't start his trot around the bases until the ball long left the park.

Unfortunately for Garcia and the Rangers, they couldn't score after the one-out blast, which sent the game to the 11th inning where the O's put up four runs and held on for a 10–6 win.

Garcia's celebration will live on though, even if it just became a fun meme instead of a Rangers win.

The great rivalry of the early 2000s was Arsenal vs Manchester United. It was Arsene Wenger against Sir Alex Ferguson. They loved to hate each other.

That’s understandable too. Before Chelsea arrived on the scene with Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich, the two red-draped teams traded blows, re-claiming the Premier League title from each other on countless occasions.

So, in the modern era, you can forgive certain pundits for having an element of bias about Manchester United and Arsenal.

Gary Neville is one who has been particularly scathing of the Gunners in recent years. Arsenal have been set-piece kings but the former defender slated them for being too “rigid” and “obsessed” with scoring from set-play scenarios.

Well, while they are still brilliant from those phases, their now larger squad means they look better set up to take advantage of other goalscoring opportunities.

He’s not been afraid to criticise players either. He claimed David Raya was a “nervous wreck” during his debut season at the club but he is now one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Rio Ferdinand, of course, has also fallen victim to getting things wrong.

When Ferdinand slated Arsenal's big-money star

Let’s set the scene for you. The year is 2022/23. Arsenal are playing arguably the best football of the Arteta era. They should win the title.

Yet, a draw in April 2023 was perhaps where things started to go wrong. The Gunners took on Declan Rice’s West Ham at the London Stadium and really should have walked away with all three points.

Arsenal raced into a 2-0 lead courtesy of strikes from Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard but they were pegged back and eventually drew the game 2-2.

A penalty was conceded by Gabriel Magalhaes who slid in on Said Benrahma and the match, and perhaps Arsenal’s season changed from there. It wasn’t the first time the big Brazilian had given away a penalty either, notably giving one away against Manchester City earlier in the campaign.

Bemoaning that moment against the Hammers, Ferdinand was very vocal about what he thought about the central defender.

“They had the game in a stranglehold, they had West Ham where they wanted them, going into half time 2-0 up, you coast that game. But rash… and I’ve said this about Gabriel a few times. He’s rash, he makes mad, wild decisions. As a defender, you’ve got to be calm. There’s no need for him to do what he did. It was a rush of blood, he needs to eradicate that, get that out of his game quick.”

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Ferdinand continued: “As a manager you don’t want to see that. Because those types of things ruin the head too many times, it starts becoming part of their make-up, and you’re going, ‘hold on, can I rely on this guy?’. I think he’s had a fabulous season, Gabriel. But those types of decisions can be very costly, he’s in the run-in now. That will hurt, the way they dropped points.”

Why Gabriel is now the best in the Premier League

Well, it’s safe to say that Gabriel has certainly eradicated those mistakes in recent years.

It’s true that during the embryonic stages of his career at the Emirates Stadium he was rash and wild with some of his play. Yet, over the last few seasons, the £65m-rated defender has become a genuine monster at the back.

Not forgetting his astute defending, he is the best goalscoring defender in the Premier League.

After scoring that header against Newcastle United in the dying embers a few weeks ago, it meant that he has scored 18 Premier League goals, at least six more than any other defender since he made his English top-flight debut back in September 2020

Meanwhile, in the last three seasons, Gabriel has scored eight goals in the Premier League. No centre back has managed more.

But, let us remember that he is indeed a defender. First and foremost, he will be judged on that and he’s pretty damn good in that department too.

In fact, he may well have become more important than William Saliba to the cause. The Frenchman has been earning considerable hype for a number of years now but Gabriel – a man who has now captained Arsenal on a few occasions – looks like the glue that binds things together.

Jamie Carragher outlined that last season when the former Lille man was out injured with a severe hamstring injury.

“I think he [Saliba] is one of the top centre-backs in European football. As a partnership, him and Gabriel is as good as anything in the Premier League. I think Saliba is the better player but Gabriel is the better leader, and Saliba needs to bring that to his game if he wants to get to the levels we talk about with Virgil van Dijk.”

A leader of men, a dogged competitor, a true fighter and a player who now makes very few rash mistakes, he is right up there with Saliba and Van Dijk as the best centre-back in the English top-flight.

Arsenal have found a new Saka-type player & he's Arteta's "future captain"

Arsenal’s “future captain” has enjoyed a similar rise to Bukayo Saka.

By
Matt Dawson

Oct 13, 2025

Losing Cole Palmer to injury had the potential to completely derail Chelsea so early into the new Premier League season.

Enzo Maresca’s Blues did lose 3-1 to Brighton and Hove Albion in what was their first game without their star man at the start of September, but since then, the West Londoners have picked up five straight wins in all competitions to flex the quality oozing throughout their squad, even with Palmer missing.

Thankfully for the Italian, many a new star has been unearthed in his absence, with Chelsea youngster Tyrique George – in particular – making his presence known last time out as the Blues humbled Ajax 5-1 on their own patch in the Champions League.

Why George is pushing for a Chelsea start

Rumours had begun to surface recently that one of Chelsea’s own in George was looking for a move away, with Joao Pedro and Liam Delap both ahead of him in the Stamford Bridge pecking order in the striker department.

But, with Pedro suspended and Delap still out injured for the mid-week clash with the Amsterdam giants, the 19-year-old seriously impressed as a second-half substitute in the main striker position, as a first-ever goal on Europe’s grandest stage fell into his lap.

Just a matter of minutes after being introduced into the contest, George would power home this fine effort past a hapless Remko Pasveer, with the night very much belonging to Chelsea’s rising stars, as both Marc Guiu and Jamie Gittens also got in on the act with goals and assists.

This emphatic display mid-week could well mean Maresca is wracked with some selection headaches heading back into Premier League action later today versus Sunderland, with George no doubt pushing for a start ahead of the aforementioned Guiu, even if Pedro is now back, too, from sitting out the clash against Ajax.

George isn’t the only starlet who will be demanding first-team minutes against the Black Cats, however, as this fellow Stamford Bridge prodigy has an even more compelling case to remain in the Italian’s starting XI for the test of Regis Le Bris’ visitors.

Maresca must start teen who's "similar to Cole Palmer"

If Chelsea can keep up this sterling run of form moving forward, Maresca and Co. could well be viewed as outside challengers for the Premier League title, especially when Palmer is also reintroduced into the first team fray.

Until then, however, the Blues do arguably possess another Palmer-like talent in Brazilian superstar Estevao, with Maresca himself even declaring that the 18-year-old is “similar to Cole Palmer” in terms of potentially becoming a future number ten option in time, away from being an out-and-out winger, which is extremely high praise, indeed.

Games played

11

Minutes played

443

Goals scored

2

Assists

1

Such outlandish praise is unlikely to backfire, too, with the South American teenager very much used to such latherings of praise by now, having been branded as “world-class” when still on the books of Palmeiras by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

He has slotted in nicely at Chelsea, too, much like Palmer managed when leaving Manchester City behind, with two goals and one assist already coming his way in England, despite being afforded just 443 minutes of action.

One of those efforts did come about during the rampant display against Ajax, with the breakout number 41 backing up his last-gasp goal against Liverpool by confidently dispatching this spot-kick with ease.

Pedro Neto does have a strong argument to hand to return to the XI against Sunderland on Estevao’s right-hand side, however, with a goal and assist tallied up last time out, enough to push Ange Postecoglou off his precarious Nottingham Forest tight-rope.

Subsequently, this showdown with the Wearside titans could be the perfect opportunity for Maresca to experiment with Estevao as a number ten option, to try to begin his journey to become the next iteration of Palmer, with both Andrey Santos and the aforementioned Guiu failing to do much from this role at the City Ground.

Maresca will, of course, feel more secure with Palmer back in his lineup when he’s finally rid of his injury troubles.

Yet, the future looks extremely bright at Stamford Bridge, away from Palmer, with Estevao leading the way as the brightest light of Chelsea’s next generation.

Enzo Maresca given big injury update with Chelsea star now "very close" to returning

The Blues are already revitalised after their previously worrying form.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 23, 2025

Pat McAfee primarily focuses on the NFL and college football and professional wrestling, but decided at the last minute this year that he wanted to be involved in the MLB All-Star festivities. ESPN did not hesitate as they put him front and center to have him introduce the participants on Monday night and let him host a Q&A panel earlier in the day.

Some baseball fans may have been surprised to find McAfee so prominently involved, but regular ESPN viewers barely batted an eye. As (at least) one person on social media pointed out, at this point ESPN is mostly made up of McAfee and Stephen A. Smith noting, "Kids today don't realize it, but you used to be able tot urn on ESPN and not see Stephen A. Smith or Pat McAfee."

One ex-ESPN employee agreed as former NFL Primetime host Trey Wingo added that "it used to be a glorious buffet when you could pick and choose what you wanted. Now it's like a banquet dinner: chicken or fish?"

Wingo worked at ESPN for more than two decades from 1997 to 2020. Chicken and fish were available when he worked there, but not quite to this extreme.