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Chelsea made their return to Premier League football in fine fashion on Saturday afternoon, comfortably dispatching Burnley 2-0.

That victory, followed by the rest of Saturday’s results, has left the Blues as the closest competitor to Arsenal, sitting six points off them and facing them on Sunday.

However, while Enzo Maresca has a squad full of incredible players, some might argue that they are just a bit short in certain areas compared to the Gunners.

Fortunately, that looks like something Chelsea are looking to address, as reports have linked them with one of Arsenal’s transfer targets, someone who could help make them serious title contenders.

Chelsea enter race for Arsenal target

Even with the transfer window not opening for over a month, Chelsea have already been linked with a plethora of unreal, difference-making players.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, while he’s inexperienced, Juventus’ Kenan Yıldız would be an excellent signing for the Blues, having already scored three goals and registered four assists in 15 games this season.

Likewise, Antoine Semenyo, who is one of the most sought-after players in the country at the moment, would be an incredible addition to Maresca’s side.

However, if a player is going to come in and help turn the Blues into serious title contenders this season, they are likely going to be a defender, like Murillo.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of several sides interested in the Brazilian international.

Alongside the West Londoners, Arsenal and Barcelona have also been credited with interest in the 23-year-old centre-back, who Nottingham Forest value at up to €90m, which is about £79m.

Therefore, it could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Murillo’s ability and potential, Chelsea should fight for him, especially as he could help make them serious title contenders.

Why Murillo could help Chelsea win the Premier League

As things stand, Chelsea are currently second in the Premier League, six points behind Arsenal, having scored just a single goal fewer than them.

However, while their attack is certainly comparable, the Blues have conceded 11 goals to the Gunners’ six, and you are conceding almost twice as many goals as your rivals, you aren’t going to finish above them in the table.

Now, one of the key reasons for the West Londoners’ middling defensive record – in the context of a title challenge – is that their best centre-back, Levi Colwill, has been out for the whole season so far, and the likes of

Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah have not been anywhere near the same level in his absence.

Therefore, for Maresca’s side to become true contenders for the league, they need more and higher-quality defensive reinforcements, which is where Murillo comes in.

Despite having practically no stability at Forest this season, the Brazilian titan has still put up some seriously impressive underlying numbers.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 3% of centre-backs in the league for blocks, the top 5% for interceptions and successful take-ons, the top 7% for ball recoveries, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 11% for through balls and more, all per 90.

% of Dribblers Tackled

100.0%

Top 2%

Blocks

1.83

Top 3%

Shots from Free Kicks

0.12

Top 5%

Interceptions

2.07

Top 5%

Successful Take-Ons

0.49

Top 5%

SCA (Defensive Action)

0.12

Top 7%

Passes Blocked

0.85

Top 7%

Ball Recoveries

4.87

Top 7%

Shot-Creating Actions

1.46

Top 9%

Tkl+Int

3.65

Top 9%

Goals/Shot

0.25

Top 11%

Goals – xG

+0.09

Top 11%

Non-Penalty Goals – npxG

+0.09

Top 11%

Passes Attempted (Long)

9.99

Top 11%

Through Balls

0.24

Top 11%

SCA (Live-ball Pass)

1.10

Top 11%

SCA (Dead-ball Pass)

0.12

Top 11%

Progressive Passes

4.87

Top 13%

SCA (Shot)

0.12

Top 13%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.24

Top 13%

Goals

0.12

Top 15%

Add to that the fact that he played a massive role in the Tricky Trees having one of the best defensive records in the country last season, and it’s easy to see why one analyst made the bold claim that he’s “one of the best defenders in the Premier League.”

On top of all of that, the “monstrous” international, as dubbed by journalist Ryan Taylor, is both young at just 23 and experienced, having made 87 appearances for Forest, 27 for Corinthians and one for Brazil.

Now, with all that said, there is still a chance the Sao Paulo-born star wouldn’t be a starter when everyone in Maresca’s side is fit, but he would be an exceptional cover, and all title-winning sides need that.

Ultimately, it wouldn’t be cheap, but Chelsea should do what they can to sign Murillo, as he could be one of the final pieces to Maresca’s puzzle.

Chelsea now ahead of Arsenal in race for "unpredictable" striker, talks opened

The Blues have taken the lead in the race for a new centre-forward

ByDominic Lund Nov 24, 2025

Head coach Gambhir and batting coach Kotak have done it in the past but they can only share the experience, not make time move faster

Sidharth Monga26-Jul-20252:29

Kotak: ‘Credit to Gill’ for changing his batting approach

There is perhaps nothing more absolute and objective than time. It takes one second for one second. Sixty of them will make a minute. There is no way around it. You can’t do anything to make the earth move faster or slower. It is never more apparent than when you are so far behind in a Test that a draw is the only result possible for you, and you have to bat five sessions to earn it.Against modern Test attacks, it is generally not possible to bat five sessions for a draw unless the conditions are your friend. You need it to be either devoid of lateral movement and uneven bounce, or you want it to run out of life so that things are happening too slowly off the surface. A bowler, the best of the series, down for two sessions helps.Then, and only then, begins the battle with time, which can also be extremely subjective. How you perceive time can make it seem stress-inducingly quick or painfully slow. It perhaps seems so only to those on the outside, but time can move extremely slowly during such situations.Related

Stats – England break Old Trafford scoring record

Stokes puts England on top but Rahul, Gill keep India alive

England hope 'stiff and sore' Stokes can bowl on fifth day

India’s dressing room has two men who have achieved these feats at different levels. Their head coach Gautam Gambhir once batted 643 minutes for just 137 runs while following-on to help India save a Test in Napier in 2008-09. Not long before that, the batting coach Sitanshu Kotak resisted Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium for 796 minutes for a draw. Kotak’s bringing of Mumbai down to their knees is part of Ranji Trophy folklore.The experience is out there, they can perhaps tell the formula to those going out: four overs equal 15 minutes, eight overs is half-an-hour, double that and you get a drinks break. One more drinks break, and there is a session break. You need these landmarks on the way.It still can’t help time move faster. The biggest challenge when attempting such draws is to not get ahead of yourself. You can’t think, “yeah, this looks easy now” and start thinking of the next challenge: Ben Stokes, or the second new ball, or overcast skies. You can get away with doing that in a chase. You can perhaps take risks when you are confident and make sure that even if you get out, you leave the rest a manageable task.There is no such concept here. It has to be done one ball at a time. There is no get-out-of-jail-free card, except to wait for the sentence to get over. You have to find the sweet spot between concentrating and relaxing. Too focused, and you can exhaust yourself. Too relaxed, and you can make a mistake. And if you get out, your team is no closer to finishing the task than the objective passage of time.KL Rahul plays the short ball comfortably despite a packed leg-side field•Getty ImagesKL Rahul and Shubman Gill have the techniques and the temperament. Gill is naturally an even-tempered person. Rahul has seen enough ups and downs in cricket to know better than to get swayed by outcomes. They have both had one infamous meltdown on a Test field each. Rahul in South Africa, Gill at Lord’s.However, with bat in hand, a natural extension of their bodies, they have the kind of game that can take care of them as they go about batting time. They have seen through a hat-trick ball, the tricky three overs before lunch, the new ball, then a drinks break, then sets of 15 minutes to tea, then repeated it to stumps.They have had other landmarks. Perhaps a Jofra Archer spell. Then making him bowl bouncers. Then switch off and switch on as he went around the wicket. Same with the other end. Liam Dawson switching to over the wicket. Kick them away. One ball at a time. Move around, get one to kick and beat the outside edge, but play the next ball for the angle because not many will turn. As Gill did in the 62nd over, having faced 162 balls by then.2:11

Manjrekar: Second new ball will be the next big challenge for India

Rahul, who faced his first ball after Gill had already played one, went into stumps having negotiated 210, which was 33 more than Gill. At one point, he was so engrossed in just defending the ball and switching off that he forgot to run. Gill had to shout at him.Runs were immaterial and were scored only when the ball was really bad or when played instinctively. Or, at times, just to buy time, that wonderful concept. When you keep defending, defending, defending, even though time is moving too slowly, you are concentrating so hard you can feel hurried. So you hit a four, move your legs, knock gloves with the non-striker, switch off, and switch on again.The job is only 40% done. Day five will move at its objective pace again. It will feel too slow and too quick at times. There will be landmarks. Get yourself in, then new ball in 17 overs, then proper switch on, personal milestones perhaps. If you get close to erasing the deficit, you can sense time move faster because every run you score will also take time for England to score it back. For England, it will start rushing out of their hands if India get close to saving the match.Such Test innings are perhaps appreciated more by eccentrics, but there is every bit of the competitiveness that makes sport a spectacle. On a beautiful Saturday evening, as the shadows at Old Trafford lengthen, time is moving smoothly. It will find its own rhythms on Sunday morning: slowly for some, quickly for some others. It will, in actual fact, move only one second at a time.

Manchester United might be in the market for a striker during the January transfer window. The Red Devils signed Benjamin Sesko over the summer, but he picked up a knee injury during their most recent Premier League clash, a 2-2 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur.

Even if that blow doesn’t prove to be a severe one, as is expected, the Red Devils could still be in need of a new number nine in the winter window. When Sesko is absent or injured, it leaves Joshua Zirkzee as the only senior striker in the squad – although 17-year-old Chido Obi could also be called upon.

It seems as though Ruben Amorim’s side may have a centre-forward in mind if they dip into the market.

United’s centre-forward target

At this stage, it is unclear how much INEOS will put into the transfer kitty for Amorim to dip into in the January market. However, there has been a clear plan to back the Portuguese, so there could well be funds made available.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

If that is the case, the Red Devils could be looking to win the battle to sign Brazilian striker Vitor Roque. The 20-year-old is someone United are racing to sign, according to Pete O’Rourke, transfer correspondent for Football Insider.

However, they will not be the only Premier League club looking to sign the striker in a couple of months.

Londoners Chelsea and Spurs are in the frame too, although it could be a deal that is ignited “more in the summer” if reports are to be believed. As for a price, reports in Spain indicated that he could cost as much as £44m.

Why Roque would be a good signing

Whether this is a move that happens in January or the summer, there is no doubt that United would be buying an exciting young talent. Although he struggled during his first stint in Europe at Barcelona, Roque has proven he has plenty of ability since.

Nowadays, the one-cap Brazilian international is plying his trade back in his home country, for Palmeiras. His form has been impressive in 2025, too. In 52 games across all competitions, Roque has found the back of the net 20 times and assisted five goals.

In the Brazilian top flight, the 20-year-old has played his best football. He’s made 30 appearances in the competition this calendar year, bagging 16 times, at better than a goal every other game.

Described as an “unstoppable” force by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Roque’s underlying numbers back up how well he has played.

For example, he’s averaging 0.76 goals per game, which places him in the top 6% of Brazilian top-flight strikers.

Goals

0.76

94th

Expected goals

0.58xG

92nd

Goals per shot

0.21

89th

Shot-creating actions

4.07

88th

Take-ons completed

1.85

97th

If this deal gets over the line, it could be like the second coming of Matheus Cunha for United. Roque’s fellow Brazilian has not set the world alight in terms of goals and assists, with just one to his name so far against Brighton and Hove Albion.

But, he has still played superbly, and shown exactly why United paid the £62.5m fee to Wolverhampton Wanderers. After a wonderful performance away to Liverpool, journalist Sam Pilger described him as “an incredible signing” for the Red Devils.

If United were to sign Roque, they would love for him to have such an impact, even if he wasn’t able to chip in with goals and assists as much as you might expect. There are similarities between the Palmeiras star and United’s new number 10, with both exciting Brazilian forwards who can be a real difference maker.

For a fee of £44m, this is certainly an interesting move for the Red Devils. They may need him in January, but if they end up getting him in the summer, Roque could be an exciting addition to their attack, just as Cunha has been so far this season.

With Sesko scoring just twice so far this term, injury or not, the Old Trafford side could be in need of a suitable rival in that number nine berth.

Man Utd "monster" is fast becoming their new Vidic and it's not De Ligt

Ruben Amorim may have uncovered Manchester United’s new Nemanja Vidic.

1 ByJoe Nuttall Nov 11, 2025

USWNT star Alyssa Thompson continues to shine in the Women's Super League, with another stunning goal being recorded for Chelsea. The highly-rated forward has only been in England for a matter of months, but her undoubted talent is being showcased in the best possible manner. Her second WSL goal was crashed into the top corner during a 1-1 draw with Liverpool.

Two in two: Thompson produces another moment of magic

Thompson’s first in the top tier of English football was recorded in a 1-1 draw with London rivals Arsenal. Said effort saw her use explosive pace to surge up the pitch before exchanging passes with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and firing into the back of the net.

Having got a taste for finding the target, Thompson conjured up another moment of individual brilliance against Liverpool. Once again the top corner was found after being given far too much space in which to work her magic.

On this occasion, the 21-year-old picked up the ball on the left flank, having been picked out in space by Wieke Kaptein. She was allowed to drift inside, following a clever drop of the shoulder, and proceeded to curl an unstoppable strike beyond Faye Kirby.

AdvertisementWatch USWNT star Thompson score stunning goal for Chelsea

Rave reviews: Thompson starring after big-money transfer

Having joined Chelsea in September, Thompson is delivering an immediate return on the transfer fee that the Blues invested in her potential. She was the club’s record signing at the time of her arrival from Angel City FC, with a little under £1 million ($1.3m) changing hands.

Thompson said when linking up with the reigning WSL champions: "Chelsea is such an amazing club, one of the best in the world. Being able to play with players that are the best in the world is an amazing opportunity at such a young age, and I want to learn, grow and develop a lot. I feel like Chelsea is such an amazing environment to do that in."

Thompson continues to develop at an impressive pace, having already become an Olympic gold medal winner at the 2024 Games in Paris – when she worked under former Blues boss Emma Hayes.

She has been earning rave reviews from those in the Chelsea camp, with current head coach Sonia Bompastor telling reporters after witnessing her stunning strike against Arsenal: "I’m glad she plays for Chelsea. You can see how much talent she has and the quality she brings to the team. I think she’s improving game after game, becoming more connected to her teammates, and understanding the way we want to play better. I think that’s good."

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GettyMore dropped points: WSL champions held by Liverpool

Thompson said of opening her goal account in the WSL: "It was amazing, it felt like a dream. I was in shock, honestly! I was really happy, and it was so nice celebrating with the girls and just having them all around me."

Those emotions have now been experienced for a second time – having scored her first Chelsea goal in the Champions League – but she was unable to prevent Bompastor’s side from dropping more points in domestic competition as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Liverpool. The Blues – who are unbeaten across their last 34 WSL fixtures – remain second in the table, three points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

McGrath confident of Australia’s “settled squad” with “so much depth” to defend the ODI title despite the unfamiliar conditions

Andrew McGlashan12-Sep-2025For many overseas cricketers, India is becoming something of a second home these days but despite the increasing familiarity with the country, Australia are preparing to embrace the unknowns at the upcoming women’s ODI World Cup.It’s a situation that will confront all the teams in the competition – even to a degree joint-hosts India – given the mix of venues. The Holkar Stadium in Indore has never hosted women’s internationals, Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium hasn’t staged women’s ODIs and its last women’s T20Is were in 2019, and Visakhapatnam’s previous ODIs were in 2014. Navi Mumbai, the late replacement for Bengaluru, while having staged Tests and T20Is, hasn’t yet been used for the 50-over format in women’s cricket.Then there’s the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo to throw in the mix. The venue has hosted seven women’s ODIs this year featuring Sri Lanka, India and South Africa but Australia, who will face Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the ground, last played there in 2016 when only five of the current squad were on the tour.Related

All-woman panel to officiate at 2025 women's World Cup

Perry backs 'huge depth' to see Australia through in ODI World Cup defence

Head coach Shelley Nitschke said last week that she had reached out to the men’s set-up for help gathering data, specifically referencing Colombo where Australia played two spin-dominated ODIs earlier this year, and the players are aware they will need to be adaptable throughout the tournament.”We have been quite lucky, we feel like we’re travelling to India every second month almost,” vice-captain Tahlia McGrath said ahead of Australia’s three-match ODI series against India which starts on Sunday in New Chandigarh. “Spent a lot of time over here, played in these conditions a lot, but we’re playing in some parts that we’re not very familiar with.”[We are] in New Chandigarh at the moment, never been here before, [and] lots of the World Cup venues never been to before. So it’s about learning the conditions, adapting to the conditions, being flexible and communicating really well as a group because it is a little bit foreign to us.”No matter where you are in India, you can get thrown up very different conditions from day to day, so excited about the challenge, [we have] a little bit of experience, but a little bit of unknowns.”

“It’s about learning the conditions, adapting to the conditions, being flexible and communicating really well as a group because it is a little bit foreign to us.”Tahlia McGrath

The series against India will be Australia’s first internationals since the Ashes finished in early February but McGrath was confident the stability of the squad will serve them well.”We’ve been pretty settled with our squad for quite a while now, so we’ve been pretty lucky with that,” she said. “The only thing is, though, we’re over here for a very long time and I think we’ve got 15 in the World Cup squad and 17 over here at the moment, so it’s a really good opportunity to play a few players, play some different roles.”Not sure what Shell’s got in mind, but we’ve got so much talent, so much depth over here that it doesn’t really matter what team we throw out or what batting order, all that sort of thing, we’re in pretty good hands.”Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux is not expected to feature in the India series as she completes the final stages of recovery from knee surgery but is expected to be ready for the World Cup. The uncapped pair of wicketkeeper Nicole Faltum and allrounder Charli Knott have been included for the bilateral series although, barring injuries, may not feature in what is a chance to gain further experience around the squad.Once the World Cup begins, Australia will be aiming to become the first side since 1988 to defend the ODI title while the memories of their semi-final defeat in last year’s T20 World Cup still linger.”An ODI World Cup is special, they’re probably the pinnacle,” McGrath said. “For the players that were in Dubai it adds that bit of motivation, not a nice feeling the way we exited. And then the extra little bit of motivation as well that we want to be the first team in a while to go back-to-back [in the] ODI World Cup.”

Every baseball fan has been there.

In the third inning of Milwaukee's tilt against the Los Angeles Dodgers at American Family Field, Brewers manager Pat Murphy thought a ball was heading out for a home run. It fell just a few feet short.

Appearing on the national TNT broadcast, Murphy was mic'd up from the Brewers' dugout as third baseman Andruw Monasterio lifted a Clayton Kershaw slider 360 feet onto the left field warning track where it was caught by outfielder Michael Conforto.

"Get out of here. Get up. Get out of here. S—," Murphy said on the TNT broadcast.

Too relatable.

The Brewers did plate three runs Tuesday night, which was enough to earn a 3-1 win over the Dodgers. Rookie sensation Jacob Misiorowski dazzled the Dodgers' star-studded lineup, logging 12 strikeouts and allowing just one run over six innings of work.

Legendary coach Arrigo Sacchi has slammed the Italy squad after their 4-1 loss to Norway in World Cup qualification, saying that manager Gennaro Gattuso may need to take them back to the basics to rebuild their confidence and overall structure. The Azzurri, having missed out on the last two World Cups, will have to navigate the play-offs to secure a place at the competition next year after finishing second in their qualifying group.

Italy collapse in 4-1 loss to Norway

Italy entered the match needing an improbable 9-0 victory to secure automatic qualification for the World Cup, but their hopes quickly faded despite a positive start. Pio Esposito opened the scoring early, and Italy defended well to hold a 1-0 lead at half-time. However, the second half saw a complete shift in momentum. Antonio Nusa equalised in the 60th minute, sparking Norway’s comeback. Erling Haaland then delivered a swift and decisive brace, effectively taking the game out of Italy’s reach. Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen added a late goal to complete the rout. The heavy defeat ended Italy’s hopes of automatic qualification, leaving them to face the pressure of the play-offs once again.

Gattuso apologised to the fans after the heavy defeat, saying: “We must apologise to our fans because 4-1 is a heavy defeat. It's a shame because we had a very good first half, where we played as a real team.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSacchi suggests Italy to go back to basics

In an interview to , ex-Azzurri coach Sacchi criticised the Italian players for committing errors that cannot be made at the highest level. 

"We need to acknowledge our limitations," he said. To do so, however, requires a generous dose of humility. Here, we need to behave like a teacher teaching the alphabet to first-grade children, and mind you, I'm not exaggerating. I hear talk of formations, playbooks, attacking tactics, but do we really understand that we need to work in depth on the basic concepts? In my opinion, a training camp at Coverciano would be useful before the March match. But I'm sure the clubs would oppose such a request from the coach. I remember well the battles I had to fight when I was on the national team bench. In Italy, individual interests and selfishness always prevail, and people don't want to understand that building a team—and the national team is a team—takes time, patience, and training, lots of training. But mine, I already know, are just empty words.

"I saw individual and team errors that, at a certain level, just can't be made. I'm looking for an explanation in the psychological attitude, perhaps in the second half. The Azzurri got a bit scared, they lost heart and were afraid to win, I don't know… The fact remains that in all four goals we conceded on Sunday night there were glaring errors that a Serie A player cannot make. The defenders made all sorts of mistakes, some turned their backs on the opponent who was crossing, some left Haaland free to shoot in the middle of our area, some botched the pass while building up, some got fooled by counterattack feints. No, we really won't get far like this."

Sacchi believes Italy have no need to feel the pressure

Italy have not featured at a World Cup since 2014. Their last two attempts ended in play-off heartbreak – first against Sweden in 2018, then in a stunning defeat to North Macedonia in 2022. With that history looming in the background, the upcoming play-offs carry enormous weight. Sacchi believes that after the damaging loss to Norway, Gattuso should look to rebuild the team's morale before the play offs.

"No fear [for the play-offs], ever. But I see a lot of unknowns. After taking four slaps like that, I don't think the atmosphere is calm and relaxed," he  said. "Therefore, we need to rebuild the morale of the entire group. I'm worried, and not a little, about the pressure the national team will be under before the decisive matches. This is not a team that, in my opinion, can handle such a heavy burden. I think it would be wise, after analysing the mistakes made and looking for suitable solutions, to put an end to the controversy, eliminate the doubts and focus everyone on the objective. Right now, everything is needed except tension."

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Getty Images SportGattus's preparations for the play offs

Gattuso will seek to build on Sacchi’s suggestions as he guides Italy toward the play-offs. He plans to study the 4-1 loss to Norway in detail, identifying both strengths and weaknesses within the squad. His focus now is on assembling the best possible team, refining tactics, and ensuring Italy are fully prepared to win the play-offs and secure World Cup qualification.

AC Milan are now reportedly plotting a move to sign Niclas Fullkrug from West Ham United after the striker’s agent made a damning admission ahead of the winter window.

The forward has struggled ever since arriving in the Premier League, but whilst he continues to contemplate his future, things have been looking up for West Ham. The Hammers made it back-to-back league wins on Saturday by defeating relegation rivals Burnley 2-1. It followed their 3-1 victory over Newcastle United last weekend and took them level on points with the Clarets.

The international break comes at a bad time for the Hammers, with Nuno Espirito Santo now settled into life in London and gradually turning things around. After the break, his side visit Bournemouth in search of a third-consecutive victory which could take them out of the relegation zone.

Nuno says West Ham have a "really good" talent who's "massively impressed" Carrick

The former Hammers midfielder has lavished praise on him too.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 8, 2025

It’s also a game that could see Callum Wilson square off against his former club in search of two goals in two games. Getting the summer arrival fit and firing on all cylinders will be key to West Ham’s survival and potentially key to determining Fullkrug’s future.

AC Milan join Fullkrug race after agent admission

According to Tuttomercatoweb, AC Milan have now joined the race to sign Fullkrug, who has missed the last four Premier League games through injury and scored just three goals during his time at West Ham.

When the forward arrived from Borussia Dortmund, there were question marks about his age, but those questions that were answered by the impressive season that he had just enjoyed in Germany – helping his side reach the Champions League final in 2024.

Any hope that Fullkrug could replicate that form in the Premier League didn’t take long to disappear, however, and now he looks destined to leave.

Speaking on the TOMorrow Business Podcast, Fullkrug’s agent Thorsten Wirth made a damning admission about the forward’s time at West Ham, saying: “Looking back, we have to say the transfer didn’t work out. There’s no point in sugar-coating it.”

Meanwhile, when asked about Fullkrug’s future, he said: “This always has to happen in cooperation with the club, but I believe it can make sense to change something there.”

Although Peter Crouch went as far as calling the forward “excellent” at Euro 2024, it’s fair to say that Fullkrug’s time at West Ham simply hasn’t worked out and he should move on in 2026.

As exciting as Potts: 19-year-old West Ham star has "the world at his feet"

And does Heather Knight hold the record for captaining the most women’s internationals?

Steven Lynch01-Apr-2025There were three innings of 97 in the space of two days last week, two in the IPL and one in a T20 international. Was this a first for T20s? asked Swaminathan Ramachandran from India
This was indeed a first. A score of 97 is fairly rare in T20 matches anyway – there had been only 53 such innings before last week’s rush. That started when Shreyas Iyer’s 97 not out helped Punjab Kings to victory over Gujarat Titans in the IPL in Ahmedabad on March 25. The following day, Tim Seifert matched that score as New Zealand beat Pakistan in Wellington, then Quinton de Kock also hit 97 not out as, back in the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati.As this list shows, there had never previously been a day with two 97s in T20 matches worldwide, and just two instances of two in the space of three days – February 22-24 in 2023, and October 12-14, 2022, when both 97s were by Saurashtra’s Samarth Vyas.Jofra Archer conceded 76 runs in his four overs the other day, which I read was a record for the IPL. Who held it before him? asked Avikesh Krishna from India
Those painful figures for Rajasthan Royals’ Jofra Archer – 4-0-76-0 – came in just the second match of this IPL, against Sunrisers in Hyderabad. His first over went for 23 (including four fours and a six from Travis Head), his second cost 12 (there were two fours from Nitish Kumar), the third 22 (three sixes from Ishan Kishan) and his last went for 19, plus four byes – it included three fours from Heinrich Klaasen, and another from Kishan.The man who’s probably relieved he no longer holds the IPL record for the costliest analysis is the Indian seamer Mohit Sharma, who leaked 73 runs in his four overs for Gujarat Titans against Delhi Capitals in Delhi in 2024. The only other bowler to concede 70 in an IPL match is Basil Thampi, against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru in 2018.There have been seven costlier analyses than Archer’s in all T20 matches. Right at the top is the unfortunate Musa Jobarteh, whose four overs cost 93 as Zimbabwe piled up a T20I record total of 344 for 4 against Gambia in a T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Nairobi in 2024.Hasan Nawaz started with 0, 0, 105*, 1, 0 in his debut series for Pakistan•AFP/Getty ImagesHasan Nawaz made a century against New Zealand in the T20I series, but also picked up three ducks. Was this a record? asked Nick Peterson from New Zealand
The new Pakistan opener Hasan Nawaz had a strange start to his international career in the recent T20 series in New Zealand: he started with two ducks, hit an undefeated 105 in the third match in Auckland, and rounded the series off by being out for 1 and 0.Only two men have made fewer than 106 runs in a T20 series in which they batted at least three times and also scored a century. South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw made 0 (out first ball), 0 (second) and 100 not out (from 48) against India in 2022. And the New Zealander Colin Munro made 0, 101 and 0 in a home series against Bangladesh in 2017. Chris Gayle’s 113 runs in five matches (four innings) in the 2016 T20 World Cup in India included 100 not out against England in West Indies’ first match, in Mumbai.Heather Knight has just been stood down as England’s captain after about ten years. Did she captain in more international matches than anyone else? asked Alan Varney from England
Heather Knight captained England for the first time in June 2016, and in all skippered in 199 matches – nine Tests, 94 ODIs and 96 T20Is. It turns out that the only person to captain in more women’s internationals is the lady she replaced: Charlotte Edwards skippered in 220 – ten Tests, 117 ODIs and 93 T20Is.Five other women have captained in more than 150 international matches: Mithali Raj 195 (eight Tests, a record 155 ODIs and 32 T20Is), Meg Lanning 182 (4/78/100), Harmanpreet Kaur 154 (3/28/123), Chamari Athapaththu 153 (0/53/100) and Suzie Bates 151 (0/79/72).The men’s record is held by MS Dhoni, who captained in 332 international matches (60 Tests, 200 ODIs and 72 T20Is). Ricky Ponting skippered in 324 (77/230/17) and Stephen Fleming in 303 (80/218/5).I was gobsmacked to discover that Len Hutton batted for 292 overs during the course of his 364, the Test record at the time. Was this the most in a Test? asked Richard Lyle from England
When Len Hutton made 364 against Australia at The Oval in August 1938, both his score and England’s 903 for 7 were Test records (since broken). Hutton was out not long after lunch on the third day: in all he batted for 797 minutes and faced 847 balls.The painstaking researches of the Australian statistician Charles Davis reveal that Hutton was out to the third ball of the 292nd over of the innings, bowled by the great legspinner Bill O’Reilly, who was sending down the 82nd of his eventual 85 overs. This was also a record at the time, but was surpassed nearly 20 years later when Hanif Mohammad batted for more than 16 hours in scoring 337 for Pakistan against West Indies in Bridgetown in January 1958. Ball-by-ball information for this match can no longer be found, but the best guess is that Hanif survived until the 312th over of the innings.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

The reason for cancellation is not yet clear, but it is the second time in as many games Pakistan have scrapped their customary pre-match media duties

Danyal Rasool20-Sep-2025Pakistan have cancelled another scheduled pre-match press conference, this one ahead of their Super Fours game against India on Sunday. According to the schedule the Asian Cricket Council released, a Pakistan player or member of the coaching staff was scheduled to do a press conference at 6pm local time on Saturday. The team was also slated to train from 6pm onwards for three hours at the ICC Academy in Dubai. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that training is set to go ahead as scheduled.The reason for cancelling the press conference is not yet clear. It is the second time in as many games Pakistan have scrapped their customary pre-match media duties. They had declined to hold a press conference ahead of their must-win game against UAE, while the handshake saga with match referee Andy Pycroft raged on.Meanwhile, Pycroft has been confirmed as the match referee for the India vs Pakistan game on Sunday too.Related

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In the days since, that feud has largely been put to rest after the ICC organised a meeting between Pycroft and Pakistan’s coach, captain, media and team managers where Pycroft offered his regrets for the way events at the toss against India had unfolded. He had told Salman Ali Agha there would not be a handshake with the India captain Suryakumar Yadav, which Pakistan had interpreted as Pycroft’s failure to uphold the ICC’s code of conduct and demanded his “immediate removal” from the tournament.The meeting before the UAE game appeared to have placated the PCB somewhat; they put out a short video of it, with no audio, and said in a statement that Pycroft had apologised. That, in turn, appeared to have angered the ICC, who took exception to the recording of that video, writing a strongly-worded e-mail to the PCB, saying the board had breached protocol by filming without consent in the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA). There is no official confirmation that the PCB ever responded to that email.India will not hold a press conference on Saturday either. As is customary for sides who play their next game after only a day’s gap, they held an embargoed press conference looking ahead to the Pakistan clash, following the conclusion of their game against Oman on Friday night.Sunday will be both sides’ first game in the Super Fours stage.