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Jeff Stelling has criticised Unai Emery as a result of one moment in Aston Villa’s 1-0 victory against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

Cash leads Villa to victory over Man City

Emery continued his stellar record at home against Man City on Sunday, with the manager overseeing his third straight victory against Pep Guardiola’s side at Villa Park, courtesy of Matty Cash’s first-half strike from just outside the box.

It was a stellar performance from the full-back, who was voted the Player of the Match, and the Poland international has since put pen to paper on a new contract which lasts until 2029.

The Villans have really turned a corner in recent weeks, having picked up victories against some top teams, defeating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on the road earlier this month, and the Premier League table now makes for much better viewing, having moved up to eighth.

The manager has also silenced the talk about his future, after it was reported last month that Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez, Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers were all unhappy with the Spaniard, given the slow start they made to the campaign.

The 53-year-old has certainly turned the corner, but Stelling was still left unimpressed with some of the decisions he made on Sunday, calling out the decision to substitute Jadon Sancho in the second-half, having only introduced the winger just before the 30-minute mark.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Stelling came to Sancho’s defence, saying: “He’s a soft target, because over the years it’s been easy to point the finger at him, but I think on this occasion it was wrong to point the finger at him.”

Sancho's Villa career yet to truly take off

It was always going to be a risk signing the 25-year-old, given that he was unable to live up to his huge price tag at Manchester United, and his Villa career is yet to take off, having only featured for 226 minutes across five matches in all competitions.

Emery defended the decision to substitute the former Man United man by pointing out he has done the same thing with other players before and wants to introduce the Englishman slowly: “Yes, sure he’s (Sancho) not happy but I did it before with Morgan Rogers, with Emiliano Buendia, with Leon Bailey, and he played 60 minutes on Thursday,”

Aston Villa take hilarious swipe at Haaland after victory against Man City

The Villans defeated Pep Guardiola’s side 1-0 at Villa Park on Sunday.

ByDominic Lund Oct 27, 2025

“Today when he (Buendia) was injured, my plan was maybe in case he (Sancho) was going to play 30 minutes, but I decided to play more and he played 45 minutes.”

That said, given the scale of media attention Sancho received at Man United, it was a strange decision from Emery, who risks damaging his summer signing’s confidence, even if the manager didn’t substitute him due to being unhappy with his performance.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola provided an update on Rodri's condition as he revealed the club's cautious plan for the Ballon d'Or winner's latest injury return. The Spanish midfielder spent almost the entire 2024-25 season on the sidelines after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in September 2024. He returned to action towards the end of the season and appeared in a few matches in the current campaign before picking up a fresh injury.

Rodri's fitness a concern for Man City

Rodri suffered a devastating ACL injury in September 2024 that prevented him from forming part of a Premier League title defence at the Etihad Stadium – with that crown eventually being surrendered to Liverpool. More minor knocks were picked up when competing at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. 

City have always been aware of the need to handle Rodri with care, with the hope being that he could play his way towards full sharpness. Another setback was suffered, though, when lining up against Brentford last month. The 29-year-old midfielder was forced out of that contest inside the opening 20 minutes due to his persistent knee injury.

Rodri's absence has impacted the Cityzens' performance on the field. It was only after the Spaniard's injury last season that City lost form and momentum and were nearly out of the Premier League title race by the start of 2025. This season, City have started on a bright note but with Rodri featuring sparingly, their performances have been inconsistent. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesGuardiola provides update on Rodri

Ahead of the club's upcoming Champions League fixture against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, manager Guardiola provided an update on Rodri's situation as he said: “Everybody is fit except Kova and Rodri. Not long [for Rodri]. Not sure but not long. In the process and timing on when he will be back. We will wait a little more to make sure he is fine.”

City's receive setback in title race after Newcastle loss

City were finally showing some consistency after winning four matches in a row across all competitions and were back in the title race alongside Arsenal as they were only four points behind the Gunners the latest round of fixturef However, Guardiola's side suffered an unexpected 2-1 loss against the Magpies and have now dropped to the third position in the Premier League thanks to wins for Chelsea and Arsenal.

Analysing the game after the loss, Guardiola told Live: "Tight game. Entertaining game. They had chances. We had chances. In the end they scored one more goal. Two or three chances that he [Haaland] always have because he is the best. And yeah, go to the next. Two or three chances that he always have because he is the best. And yeah, go to the next. The second half we started rally well and had the momentum, we were arriving and finding players in the positions. But after we scored a goal, they scored a goal. After it was more difficult because [Sven] Botman was in the pitch, the defence was deep, so yes more difficult." 

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Getty ImagesIs Guardiola frustrated with Man City's performances?

Guardiola completely lost his cool after his side's 2-1 loss on Saturday, as the Spanish coach was first seen getting into a very animated chat with Bruno Guimaraes, with both individuals looking testy at times. The 54-year-old also appeared to argue with a cameraman as he struggled to keep his cool. When questioned on the matter, he later said: "No questions, everything is fine. I said how good he [Bruno] is [but that conversation] is for private situations. Everything is fine."

He even issued an apology to the cameraman while speaking to reporters, as he added: "I apologise. I feel embarrassed, ashamed when I see it. I don’t like it. I apologised after one second to the cameraman. I am who I am. After 1,000 games I’m not a perfect person, I make huge mistakes. It’s not about that. What is for sure, I defend any team and my club, that’s for sure. The reason why is I want to defend my team and my club."

Vinicius Junior's relationship with Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso is described as "strictly professional" amid growing discontent from the Brazilian winger over his role this season. The forward reportedly misses the close bond he shared with former manager Carlo Ancelotti after finding himself on the bench once again for the La Liga draw against Elche.

Xabi Alonso plays down Vinicius exclusion

According to a report from , Vinicius is not entirely comfortable with Xabi Alonso's management style. The Brazilian was a substitute for Sunday’s 2-2 draw at the Martinez Valero stadium, marking the fourth time this season he has been left out of the starting XI – three times in La Liga and once in the Champions League.

While sources close to the player indicate the relationship with Alonso remains professional, the atmosphere is a stark contrast to the "warmth and closeness" Vinicius enjoyed under Ancelotti. The current Brazil national team coach treated Vinicius with an almost "paternal" approach and considered him an "untouchable" member of the starting XI during the 2023-24 campaign, a season in which the winger found his best form.

Alonso addressed the decision to bench Vinicius against Elche, insisting it was a mutual understanding due to the player's heavy workload during the international break. Vinicius had just completed 180 minutes for Brazil in friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia during the final international window of 2025.

Speaking after the draw in Elche, Alonso stated: "There's no problem, we had discussed it as we often do. He understands and knew the role he would play. Today we're not happy, but everyone is eager to get back to winning ways."

Despite Alonso's public assurances, Marca reports that underlying tension exists. Vinicius was visibly angered by his substitution in the second half of El Clasico against Barcelona earlier in the season, a decision that reportedly caused a division of opinion regarding the coach's methods within the club's Valdebebas training ground.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRodrygo struggles continue despite starts

Alonso opted to start Rodrygo on the left wing against Elche, a decision that did not yield positive results. The former Santos forward's attacking contribution was described as "clearly subpar" by the Spanish report.

Rodrygo is enduring a difficult run of form and has yet to register a single goal or assist this season, with his goal drought now extending to 29 matches across all competitions. Like Vinicius, Rodrygo also featured heavily for Brazil during the recent international break, starting both matches, though he was substituted late in both games.

Contract renewal talks face uncertainty

The current dynamic between player and coach has reportedly cast a shadow over ongoing contract renewal negotiations between Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid. states that a new deal is "still far from being finalised," with the player's intermittent role adding a "cloud" to the proceedings.

Vinicius' current contract with Los Blancos expires in June 2027, and he holds a massive market value. Despite the recent omission from the first-team, the 25-year-old remains a key contributor statistically this season. He has started 10 of his 13 La Liga appearances this season, scoring five goals and providing four assists. 

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Getty ImagesWhat next for Real Madrid and Vinicius Jr?

Real Madrid are preparing for crucial fixtures immediately following the disappointing draw at Elche. They face Olympiacos in the Champions League group stage on Thursday before returning to La Liga action at home against Girona on Monday, December 1. Attention will focus on Alonso's team selection for these matches and whether Vinicius returns to the starting lineup as Real Madrid look to improve their recent form.

ITV confirmed earlier this month that it is in preliminary discussions to sell its broadcasting business to Sky for £1.6 billion. The talks come as the television industry faces fierce competition from the rise of streaming services such as Disney+, Prime Video and Netflix. The former platforms already own rights to show one Champions League and one La Liga match per gameweek.

Sky-ITV merger could impact how fans watch football

However, one finance expert believes the main concern should be the loss of free-to-air sport. ITV hold the rights for some England and World Cup games, and the worry is that users may one day have to pay for the opportunity to watch the national team, either in qualifiers or at major international competitions.

"The World Cup is currently locked into listed-event regulation, keeping prices relatively low because rights must remain free-to-air," finance expert Professor Rob Wilson told OLBG. "Should free-to-air erode and regulatory protections weaken, a very different market emerges. A largely exclusive World Cup becomes a quadrennial subscriber magnet with huge advertising and digital potential.

"Under those conditions UK rights might land in the £350 to £500 million range at the cautious end, rising toward £750 million to £1 billion if full exclusivity and deep digital rights are included. That would make the tournament comparable to a significant slice of Premier League value, something only possible if it moves away from the current BBC-ITV sharing model."

AdvertisementAFP'For Match of the Day, the threat is less direct but still real'

Wilson went on to add the free-to-air shows like Match of the Day may come under threat. While the BBC's weekly Premier League highlights show doesn't actively show domestic top-flight action live, it's still at risk of being unable to fulfil demand owing to potential financial constraints down the line.

"For shows like Match of the Day, the threat is less direct but still real," Wilson added. "The BBC would be facing a competitor with extraordinary reach across both pay and free platforms. That pushes up prices and makes it harder to retain highlight packages without paying more. In the long run it could shift the balance between free and paid access to top tier sport.

"A Sky and ITV combination would become the most influential force in British broadcast advertising. Buying strategies would change. Cross platform packages would grow. And the line between broadcast and streaming would blur even further as the combined business pushes its viewers into unified ecosystems."

'A Sky–ITV merger would push major football rights upward'

Furthermore, Wilson discussed the astronomical value of the UK sports market, adding: "The UK sports rights market today is roughly £3 to £3.5 billion annually, with the Premier League and Champions League forming its core.

"A Sky–ITV merger would push major football rights upward, while expanded competitions and tech-sector interest would accelerate growth. It is reasonable to see the market reaching £4.5 to £7 billion a year by the mid-2030s.

"For Amazon, Netflix, YouTube or Apple, participation is less about direct profit and more about acquiring customers. Each could justify spending £200 to £500 million annually on UK rights as a strategic foothold, with total disruption capital potentially exceeding a billion pounds a year if multiple platforms compete simultaneously."

Wilson continued: "ITV's channels would remain free to air because their public service obligations would transfer. But over time, the strategy would change. Expect more cross promotion between free and paid services, more sport moving into premium windows and more rights carved into layered offerings.

"In short, this deal would be hugely significant in the medium term. If it happens, it would reshape how rights are bought, how audiences are reached and how sport and entertainment flow between free and paid screens across the UK. It might even start an acceleration away from free to air programming as we know it."

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Getty Images SportPremier League & UCL rights would increase

Wilson also discussed the potential of the costs of Premier League and Champions League rights increasing should the ITV-Sky merger come to fruition. "A combined Sky and ITV would be a powerful buyer," he added. "Sky already controls much of the premium sport in the UK and adding ITV's free to air channels gives it both reach and versatility. It could bid for major rights with more confidence, and it could spread those rights across subscription, streaming and free to air platforms in ways no other British broadcaster can match.

"Premier League rights currently sit at around £1.7 billion per season, with the Champions League adding roughly another £450 to £500 million. A combined Sky and ITV would be able to monetise rights across pay TV, streaming and free to air in a way no rival could match, reducing competitive pressure and giving them licence to bid more aggressively.

"In that environment Premier League rights could plausibly rise toward the £2 to £2.3 billion range per season in the early 2030s, while Champions League rights might move into the £600 to £750 million band. Together, the two properties could command between £2.6 and just over £3 billion per year, implying an uplift of around £0.5-£1billion on the current level."

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Técnico interino do Botafogo, Fábio Matias concedeu entrevista coletiva após a vitória sobre o Boavista, que rendeu ao clube a conquista da Taça Rio. O treinador avaliou a participação alvinegra no Campeonato Carioca e falou sobre o período à frente do Glorioso, que espera a chegada de Artur Jorge, novo comandante do time.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Fogão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Botafogo

– Uma das coisas principais que a competição nos deu foi a minutagem dos atletas. Um clube como o Botafogo tem que ter atenção à base, sou suspeito para falar. Essa questão da rodagem dos meninos, atletas que estavam no DM, atletas que precisam de ritmo, hoje tivemos atletas que têm condição de serem titulares na quarta-feira. Isso é fundamental para o Botafogo e fundamental para o tamanho que o Botafogo terá daqui para frente, com Copa do Brasil e Libertadores – comentou Fábio Matias.

– Todas as situações relacionadas a quem virá a melhor pessoa para responder é o John, é concentrado tudo nele. Sou funcionário do Botafogo, não de treinador. Fiz o meu melhor para o Botafogo, fazemos tudo pelo clube. Sou funcionário do clube, sou staff permanente. Em situações de crise, você tem o permanente para sustentar – falou o interino do Glorioso, sobre a chegada de Artur Jorge.

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– Tem quarta-feira, você tem que entregar bem. Posteriormente, você tem que perguntar para o John. Se eu elogiar mais, vão achar que é conveniência (risos). Tem que deixar tudo organizado, e fizemos isso. Cabe dizer ao John como as coisas vão funcionar daqui para frente – continuou Fábio Matias.

– John está muito feliz do que está sendo feito, o Alessandro (Brito, head scout) é nosso interlocutor principal nas conversas. John tem confiança. Se ele não tivesse confiança, não ficaríamos tanto tempo à frente. Sem sombra de dúvidas, é um voto de confiança – encerrou.

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Fábio Matias deve fazer seu último jogo como comandante do Botafogo na quarta-feira (3), no primeiro compromisso da fase de grupos da Libertadores, contra o Junior Barranquilla, no Nilton Santos. Depois disso, o portguês Artur Jorge – que se despede do Braga em partida contra o Portionense nesta segunda-feira (1) – irá assumir o time. Contudo, apesar de ter sete vitórias e um empate em oito partidas, o interino diz que não existe sentimento de “missão cumprida”.

– O trabalho continua, independente de estar à frente como treinador. Nunca é dever cumprido, nossa obrigação é entregar da melhor forma. Tenho que dar suporte para as pessoas que estão vindo. É um início bom com todos os percalços que tivemos. Olha quantos meninos jogaram, isso vale muito. O lateral-esquerdo que jogou hoje estava na Dallas Cup, tiramos ele de lá e ele jogou, olha quanto ganho. Dever cumprido é o que você entrega e larga, eu não sou assim. Minha forma de ser é ajudar. Hoje temos dois profissionais da base, Rafael e Lucas. Além de formar jogadores, estamos formando profissionais dentro do clube para que as pessoas reconheçam o DNA do clube. O Botafogo está fazendo isso.

Diante do Boavista, o Botafogo teve retornos de jogadores importantes que estavam no departamento médico. Luiz Henrique, Jeffinho e Patrick de Paula (este não entrava em campo há 400 dias) participaram da partida após períodos de lesão. Além disso, Rafael fez sua segunda partida de volta do DM.

– Tiveram um ritmo muito bom, mas temos que tomar cuidado porque não queremos que esses jogadores voltem para o departamento médico. Hoje combinamos que seriam 45 minutos para Rafael, Jeffinho e Luiz Henrique. Foi determinado pela performance. Não posso mudar de ideia dentro de campo, aí eu coloco o jogador em risco.

Confira outras respostas de Fábio Matias na entrevista coletiva após Botafogo x Boavista.

– Não estava aqui no ano passado, é difícil comparar (os títulos da Taça Rio). Temos que tirar proveito das situações, mas nós tiramos proveito da Taça Rio. Tinham meninos da base que a torcida não conhecia, serviu para isso. Comparar com o ano passado eu acho ruim. O clube está cada vez mais com uma estrutura maravilhosa, com grandes jogadores, temos jogadores do cenário nacional aqui, que daqui a pouco estarão no nível de Seleção. Mas tudo depende dar continuidade ao processo, também tem que valorizar o que foi feito antes. Hoje nós preparamos para quem vem, minha função é essa. Sempre deixei isso claro durante os 30 e poucos dias que fiquei no Botafogo.

– Temos cinco ou seis meio-campistas que estão entre os melhores do Brasil. Para quem quer ser campeão, são competições difíceis, há essa ideia de equilíbrio. Em jogo tal, joga fulano, no outro, joga ciclano. Temos hoje os melhores meio-campistas, melhores atacantes. Temos um grande trabalho de scout. A missão que os atletas têm está muito clara. Os caras são acima da média, ótimos em termos de trabalho e dia a dia. Eles compram tudo e são ótimos jogadores. Não vejo problema em relação a isso, quanto mais jogadores bons, melhor.

– Precisava quebrar a barreira da base para o profissional. Tínhamos um trabalho muito sólido na base, trabalhei com bons jogadores na base, mais de 20 que estão na Europa, é um privilégio isso. Meu momento é ótimo, sou auxiliar técnico permanente do clube, mas minha ideia a médio e longo prazo é ser treinador. Essa é a experiência que eu preciso hoje. O auxiliar técnico tem que servir hoje, e isso não é fácil. Você tem que ter humildade, compreensão e saber falar. Tudo isso está me capacitando para em médio prazo dar um salto na carreira. Mas muito pelo o que o Botafogo faz por mim.

– Tudo que a gente construiu foi relacionado à questão da Libertadores. Quando a gente vai para o jogo do Boavista lá foi para ter dias de treinos, mas para transferir situações de jogo. Tivemos uma situação facilitada no segundo jogo pelo resultado. Nosso plano era zerar o departamento médico e dar ritmo de jogo a esses jogadores, então é um processo de organização interno que conseguimos executar. Quanto mais jogadores bons tivermos, melhor somos. Vejo como acréscimo. Quanto mais dúvidas tivermos, melhor. Temos 24 atletas de nível alto. Hoje faz você ter condição de brigar por título, e mais de um. Não vejo problema, vejo solução.

– Clube está vivendo um momento muito bom. Temos o foco na Libertadores. A equipe está em uma boa fase, o período de Data Fifa é muito bom para se treinar, avalio que a equipe está em crescimento. Ainda há coisas para melhorar. Fisicamente, vejo os caras um pouco mais soltos. Estamos em um momento bom, mas com margem de crescimento. Ainda temos mais dois cilcos de três para fechar o ano, não adianta dar tudo agora, temos que terminar o ano bem.

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BotafogoCampeonato CariocaFábio Matias

Celtic are back in Scottish Premiership action once again this evening as they prepare to welcome Dundee to Parkhead for Martin O’Neill’s last game in charge.

The 73-year-old manager has confirmed that the match will be his last as the interim boss before Wilfried Nancy is in post ahead of the clash with Hearts at the weekend.

Celtic won 2-1 away at Hibernian in his final away game in the dugout for the Hoops, but the experienced Northern Irishman may want to make some changes to the starting line-up from that win.

Celtic's best performers against Hibernian

Among the players who should keep their place in the XI after that game against Hibs is goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who only gave possession away 11 times from 54 touches and saved all three of the shots against him from open play, per Sofascore.

Celtic’s number one made a couple of impressive close-range saves towards the end of the game and completed all three of his run-outs to clear the ball to preserve all three points, whilst it would be incredibly harsh to criticise him for not saving Martin Boyle’s penalty.

The two goalscorers, Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels, should also retain their positions in the line-up, along with Reo Hatate and Hyun-jun Yang, who set up the goals.

Whilst Yang was not officially credited with an assist for Engels’ goal, the clip above clearly shows that it was his cross that was slightly deflected into the Belgian’s path.

Liam Scales, despite being harshly penalised for a handball, should also keep his place after winning eight of his 12 duels, per Sofascore, and completing 95% of his attempted passes.

Meanwhile, there were a couple of players whose performances may lead to them dropping out of the line-up, including right-sided attacker Luke McCowan, who should be dropped this evening.

Why O'Neill should drop McCowan today

The Scottish central midfielder has been utilised on the right wing in recent weeks, in the absence of any natural options in that position, and he started there against Hibernian on Sunday.

Unfortunately, the left-footed star was unable to deliver a high-quality performance to suggest that he deserves to keep his place in the team heading into O’Neill’s final game against Dundee.

McCowan, who was signed from Dundee in the summer of 2024, played the opening 63 minutes of the clash with Hibernian, before the manager opted to bring Benjamin Nygren on out wide.

Minutes

63

Touches

34

Shots

0

Key passes

1

Big chances created

0

Goals + assists

0

Duels won

1/4

As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old flop had fewer touches in the game than Schmeichel, a goalkeeper, and failed to make much of an impact at the top end of the pitch.

The experienced midfielder also lost 75% of his physical duels in the win, per Sofascore, which shows that he found the physicality of the game a bit too much to deal with whilst playing on the right wing.

McCowan provided quality on a regular basis in the final third in the 2024/25 campaign, with a return of eight goals and eight assists in 36 league outings for Dundee and Celtic combined, but he has been unable to carry that into the current season.

The Hoops midfielder has not provided an assist in the Premiership since O’Neill’s first game in charge against Falkirk, and his only goal of the league season came against St Mirren on the opening day at the start of August.

This shows that McCowan has not provided much of a threat at the top end of the pitch for the Scottish giants in recent months, which may be why the experiment of playing him on the wing has not been too successful.

It is also why O’Neill should ruthlessly drop him from the starting line-up for tonight’s clash with his former club, opening the door for Nygren to start on the wing instead of in central midfield.

Celtic flop who was "really shaky" v Hibs is the first player Nancy must bin

This Celtic flop is the first player who should be sold by incoming manager Wilfried Nancy in January.

ByDan Emery Nov 30, 2025

The Sweden international has scored seven goals in all competitions for Celtic this season, including five in the Premiership, per Sofascore, and he may carry more of a threat than McCowan did from the start against Hibernian on Sunday.

“We have proven players in the current squad,” Litton Das says after West Indies won the T20I series 3-0, indicating that his boys have his trust

Mohammad Isam01-Nov-2025Litton Das has words of support for his players despite West Indies trouncing Bangladesh 3-0 in the home T20I series over the past week, only the second time in 12 bilateral home series where Bangladesh have been swept away. It came on the back of Bangladesh winning four consecutive bilateral T20I series since July this year.Bangladesh couldn’t chase down 166 and 150 in the first two matches, and West Indies then. chased down a 152-run target quite convincingly in the third game on what Roston Chase said was the best pitch in the series.”We have proven players in the current squad,” Litton said after the game. “One or two series, we can play like this. A player can go through a bad time for four or five matches. A batter knows where he has to improve. I am sure the batters will focus on those areas and consult the batting coach to make a comeback. If you change players every day, the results will be the same. A new player is unlikely to give you much more. So those who are playing cricket for a long time, it is better to go ahead with them to expect better results.”Related

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Bangladesh’s batting was woeful in this T20I series, with only Tanzid Hasan hitting consecutive fifties. In the third game, only Tanzid (89) and Saif Hassan (23) crossed double-digits as they collapsed from 107 for 2 to be bowled out for 151 in 20 overs.Litton suggested that the T20I players needed some rest.Bangladesh have been the second-busiest team in 2025, having played 42 matches, two fewer than Pakistan. They have also played more than 40 matches in the last five calendar years and will feature in two Tests and three T20Is against Ireland in November and December to close off their 2025 tally.”We had separate fitness and skills camps before the Netherlands series. Then we beat them at home, before we went to the Asia Cup and Afghanistan series in the UAE, and then we came home for the West Indies ODIs and T20Is,” Litton listed. “Except for me – I was not in the T20 squad, so I got some time at home – most of these players were playing [continuously].

“World cricket is now far ahead, and those who bat on turning wickets play the reverse sweep. In that regard, we are a little behind. We need to work on those things. You should increase your strengths as much as possible, but when you apply it depends on your game”Litton Das

“Sometimes, the players need rest because when you play so much, many things will not go your way. When the players get a break, like now that the T20 series is over, they will get at least ten days of break to restart themselves. Then there is the Ireland series, and before that, there will be practice. I think all the players will recover well and will be able to come back well.”Litton, however, conceded that the Bangladesh batters were behind the times in terms of skill development, especially in T20Is.”The more you develop your skill, the better you will get. Obviously our batters need to increase their skill and play all kinds of shots. We hardly have batters who play the reverse sweep, for instance,” he said. “World cricket is now far ahead, and those who bat on turning wickets play the reverse sweep. In that regard, we are a little behind. We need to work on those things. You should increase your strengths as much as possible, but when you apply it depends on your game.”Litton said that someone like Jaker Ali should look to be more positive and surround himself with people he can trust to get out of his batting dip.”There is only one option to come back from this: to keep his spirits high, not to worry too much, because if you worry, the negative thought will come more, the positive won’t. If he can think positive, it will be very good for him,” Litton said. “I will always say that when a person is struggling, he should back himself, give himself time, and hang out with people who always help him. I think he will get back into runs soon.”

Brave’s elder stateswoman hopes to bow out on a high, just as 18-year-old challenger comes of age

Valkerie Baynes31-Aug-2025Sophie Devine has kept very few secrets about where she’s at.A month before New Zealand launched their ultimately victorious campaign at last year’s T20 World Cup, Devine – who turns 36 on Monday – announced she would step down as their captain at the end of the tournament.In June, Devine revealed that the upcoming 50-over World Cup would comprise the last ODIs of her career.Then she goes and produces a body of allround work across this year’s Hundred that has twisted all that clarity about a player in the twilight of her career out of shape, to lead an undefeated Southern Brave directly into Sunday’s Final at Lord’s.”I wish I would’ve done it at the start of my career,” Devine says with typical dry, self-deprecating humour.Speaking on a call set up by KP Snacks, who are celebrating the achievement of installing over 100 grass root community pitches in England and Wales, Devine continued: “I’m just really enjoying my time down at the Southern Brave.”I’m just really enjoying my time and contributing. That’s the biggest thing for me, especially, I guess, at this phase of my career, it’s about passing on my knowledge and helping out whoever I can.”The fact that we’ve managed to get a fair few wins on the board is nice, but we all know that it doesn’t really mean too much unless you bring the trophy home at the end, so there’s still a lot to go.”Davina Perrin celebrates her 42-ball century•Philip Brown/Getty ImagesFortunately for New Zealand – and for cricket – Devine plans to keep playing T20Is and franchise cricket for “probably how long people can handle me and put up with me”.There’s that humour again from a player who has earned the right to call the shots on her career in her own time.With 12 wickets at 14.08 and an economy rate of 6.54, she is the third-highest wicket-taker in the Hundred women’s competition. Her 3 for 15 against Northern Superchargers was one of four Player-of-the-Match performances in the space of five games for Devine. Brave team-mate and England seamer Lauren Bell is the leading wicket-taker with 19 at 7.47 and an economy of 5.35.Devine scored an unbeaten 41 off 42 balls at No. 4 against Trent Rockets in the other game during that stretch. While that remains the best of her eight innings so far with an average of 28.40 and strike rate of 109.23, having an even bigger impact with the bat in the final would ice an outstanding tournament for her.So it was with beautiful symmetry that, in the Eliminator at the Kia Oval on Saturday, the 18-year-old Davina Perrin announced she was coming for Devine and her Brave team-mates with the second-fastest century across the history of the men’s and women’s competitions.Perrin tees off during her matchwinning innings•Philip Brown/Getty ImagesPerrin’s 42-ball ton was just one ball short of Harry Brook’s record, set in 2023, and propelled Northern Superchargers into the title decider via an emphatic 42-run win over last year’s champions, London Spirit.Her 101 runs led Superchargers to 214 for 5, the highest total in the women’s competition to date – there has been just one total higher in the men’s – and ultimately sealed a second final for her team.Superchargers lost to Southern Brave in the final of the 2023 women’s competition after Brave had been runners-up to Oval Invincibles in the first two editions.Beyond a “bloody belter of a deck” at The Oval on Saturday, Perrin credited a lap round the outfield on match eve with Lisa Keightley, the former England Women’s head coach now guiding Superchargers, and a net session with assistant Liam Simpson for the best innings of her young career. Chiefly it was their advice to “puff your chest out, take the helmet off, let it flow” that was on her mind as she struck five sixes and 15 fours in a remarkable show of power and poise.”For me, I’ve got to back that up, for the team, we’ve got to back that up tomorrow,” Perrin said. “We’ve got a big game coming up and that’s where our minds are at now.Related

• Sophie Devine stars as Brave maintain perfect start

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“Whatever’s happened today, we take the token of confidence but we also park it, we move on. New game, new ground, new conditions, different team. We’re going to take whatever’s thrown at us… I guess I have made some sort of impact but a bigger impact will be the job that we do tomorrow.”Perrin’s knock impressed all who saw it, including London Spirit wicketkeeper Georgia Redmayne, who had tried to get in the youngster’s head by drawing her attention to her looming century, before scoring an unbeaten fifty in a losing cause herself.”She didn’t get too distracted,” Redmayne said. “It was very impressive and I’m excited to see how she goes in the future. It’s going to be tough for her to back it up tomorrow but I’d love to see some more striking like that in the future… hopefully not against us!”But in terms of potentially catching the eye of England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards, Perrin was happy to let her “bat do the talking”.”I just look to go out there and have fun,” Perrin said. “I don’t think about the rest of the stuff, that’s just noise. It’s all noise and the only noise I’m listening to when I’m batting is the sound of the ball flying off the bat – when it’s a good day!” KP Snacks, the Official Team Partner of The Hundred, are celebrating the installation of over 100 new community cricket pitches across England and Wales. To find out more and search for your nearest pitch, visit: www.everyonein.co.uk/pitchfinder

His undefeated knock of 76 comes in resilient batting display by Northants

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay09-Sep-2025Saif Zaib shone again with an undefeated knock of 76 as Northamptonshire’s resilient batting display held up Glamorgan’s Rothesay County Championship promotion charge at Wantage Road.The left-hander, Division Two’s second highest run-scorer this season with five hundreds to his name, shared a fourth-wicket stand of 107 with James Sales to steer their side close to avoiding the follow-on despite four wickets for Glamorgan spinner Mason Crane.Half-centuries by opening pair Ricardo Vasconcelos and Luke Procter laid solid foundations for Northamptonshire’s reply after Glamorgan opener Asa Tribe’s impressive career-best 206 had enabled the visitors to post 467.Seventeen-year-old spinner Nirvan Ramesh picked up the last two Glamorgan wickets to finish with figures of 3 for 42 on his first-class debut.Resuming on 367 for 6, Glamorgan increased their total by exactly 100 during the morning, with Tribe flicking Justin Broad off his hips for four to complete his maiden double hundred from 293 balls.But the 21-year-old was undone in the next over by a ball from Procter (3 for 89) that kept low and careered into his off stump, breaking a seventh-wicket partnership of 83 with Timm van der Gugten.The latter was pinned leg before for 33 by Calvin Harrison two balls later, but Crane went on the offensive, steering both Procter and Liam Guthrie to the fence as he and James Harris added exactly 50.With Crane’s first half-century of the campaign on the horizon, he was left stranded on 41 as Ramesh mopped up the innings, trapping Harris lbw on the back foot before having last man Asitha Fernando caught off a top edge.That left Northamptonshire’s openers with a single over to negotiate prior to lunch and, having ticked off that immediate target, they set about making inroads on their side’s hefty deficit.Although Harris and Fernando beat the bat a couple of times, the opening pair looked largely secure and Vasconcelos lifted Van der Gugten over the short midwicket boundary for six.Outscoring his partner, Vasconcelos banged Fernando through the covers for four and then posted his half-century from 66 balls – only to surrender his wicket in the next over, clipping Zain ul Hassan straight to midwicket.Harrison, back at Wantage Road for his fifth short-term loan from Nottinghamshire this season, upped the tempo by dispatching Ul Hassan for two leg-side sixes and looked strong off the back foot, punching a series of cover boundaries in his brisk 30.Meanwhile Procter took on Crane, sweeping the legspinner for six and then – having survived an appeal for a leg-side catch – danced down the track for a straight-driven four that took him to 50.However, Crane removed both established batters in the run-up to tea, with Harrison well taken at slip off an outside edge before Procter followed in his next over for 67, prodding to short backward square.Timing and placing his shots beautifully, Zaib flayed three consecutive Crane deliveries to the rope and progressed to his fifth half-century of the campaign while Sales capitalised on a chance to slip that Ingram spilled.Returning for a third spell late in the day, Crane got his man when Sales fell for 35, pumping a full toss to cover and added a fourth wicket by having Broad caught behind from the final delivery of the session.

Rapper Snoop Dogg has opened up about investing in Celtic, also talking up the idea of one manager he wants to see at Parkhead.

The Hoops’ search for their next boss is ongoing, as they look to find the perfect successor to Brendan Rodgers, following a disappointing end to his reign.

Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen has arguably emerged as the front-runner to take charge at Parkhead, with Celtic willing to give him big wages, enticing him to the club in the process.

Hayen is far from the only contender to come in, though, with England Under-21s boss Lee Carsley mentioned as an option, having been praised by Roy Keane in the past: “For England, it’s all positive. The big players performed, young players stepped up. Lee Carsley deserves huge praise. They really looked like they enjoyed it. They didn’t seem to be under that much pressure and played with freedom.”

Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou is currently out of work and has been linked with a return to Celtic, and now a new claim has dropped regarding a potential reunion.

Snoop Dogg wants Postecoglou back at Celtic

In quotes provided by The Daily Record, Snoop Dogg discussed Postecoglou coming back to Celtic, as well as opening up about investing in the club.

Opinion may be split regarding Postecoglou coming back to Celtic, although it does look unlikely, not least because his reputation has been damaged compared to when he left Parkhead last time around.

The Australian may have won the Europa League with Tottenham, but he also finished 17th in the Premier League, which ultimately cost him his job, before lasting no time at all at Nottingham Forest.

For that reason, this could be a sensible time for Celtic to avoid Postecoglou, instead looking at Hayen or someone else, bringing new ideas to the club in the process.

Celtic chiefs line up Lee Carsley approach amid "huge praise" from Roy Keane

Would he be the ideal choice for the Hoops?

ByHenry Jackson Nov 1, 2025

Of course, some would love to see him back with the Hoops, given the success he achieved there, and the football he played, but there would be a risk in rehiring him after a tough few years.

Celtic chiefs readying drastic action in Nicky Hayen pursuit with huge wages on offer