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A look at some of the takeaways from the men’s and women’s Super Smash that ended with Central Stags and Wellington Blaze winning respective titles

Deivarayan Muthu04-Feb-2025Stags’ youngsters roarNo Doug Bracewell (at the SA20 with Joburg Super Kings). No Ajaz Patel (injury). No Seth Rance (retired). No Josh Clarkson (impending fatherhood). No problem for Stags as they toppled a powerful Canterbury Kings side that included as many as ten players who have played international cricket for New Zealand.For the Stags, it was William Clark, 23, and Curtis Heaphy, 21, who sealed their chase of 136. Toby Findlay, another youngster, sparkled in the final, coming away with 3 for 29 in his four overs, including the big wicket of Daryl Mitchell. Having sussed out that the pitch was two-paced, Findlay used his variations well, often digging the ball into the track to mess with the timing of Kings’ batters. In his first season as a contracted CD player, Findlay emerged as a Super Smash champion and promises more for the future.Blair Tickner, the senior Stags seamer, finished with a chart-topping 16 wickets in nine innings at an average of 18.43 and economy rate of 9.21.Amelia Kerr shone with bat and ball in the Women’s Super Smash•Getty ImagesAmelia Kerr at it with ball and batHaving won the T20 World Cup with New Zealand in 2024, Kerr added the women’s Super Smash trophy to her cabinet. She racked up 441 runs in 12 innings – the highest in the men’s or women’s Super Smash this season – to go with 15 wickets in 11 innings at an economy rate of 6.06. Two of those wickets came in the final where Blaze successfully defended 104 in front of their home crowd.Kerr was also in the thick of the action in the Eliminator against Northern Brave, following up her 29 off 24 balls with 4 for 19. Blaze’s imports from across the Tasman, Hannah Darlington and Maitlan Brown, also played their part in them becoming back-to-back champions in the women’s competition.Jamieson, Shipley, Sears return to actionKyle Jamieson, Henry Shipley and Ben Sears, who were injured before the Super Smash, returned to action and hit full tilt in the competition. Having proved his fitness – and form – Sears also made New Zealand’s squad for the upcoming ODI tri-series in Pakistan and the Champions Trophy.Kyle Jamieson made a successful return from injury in the Super Smash•Getty ImagesAs for Jamieson and Shipley, they were part of an all-New Zealand Canterbury attack that troubled a number of batters. Jamieson, who didn’t play any competitive cricket for 10 months prior to the Super Smash, marked his return from back injury, with 2 for 26 against Otago Volts at Molyneux Park. Midway through the Super Smash, Jamieson earned a PSL deal with Quetta Gladiators and continued to operate without any apparent discomfort.In the men’s final, Jamieson burst through Jack Boyle’s defences with a sharp inducker and proceeded to dismiss Dane Cleaver, who had top-scored for Stags, but it was not enough for the Kings to wrest the title. Jamieson ended the tournament with 14 wickets in 12 innings at an excellent economy rate of 5.95.Shipley, who was also working his way back from a back injury, took 12 wickets in eight innings at an economy rate of 8.04. He also made some cameos with the bat in Kings’ run to another final.Meet Matt Boyle, the breakout star of the tournamentThough New Zealand don’t have the depth of India or England, they have some young talent bubbling through. Twenty-two-year-old Matt Boyle is the latest talent who is already being talked up as a future Black Cap. A tall left-hander who can hit the ball long and far, Boyle emerged as the top run-getter in the men’s Super Smash, with 377 runs in 11 innings at an average of 37.70 and strike rate of 156.43 for Kings. Matt is the younger brother of Jack, who has moved to Central Districts from Canterbury and son of Justin Boyle, who played for both Canterbury and Wellington.Central Stags are Men’s Super Smash champions•Getty ImagesBoyle had also showcased his power for New Zealand XI in December last year, when he clattered an unbeaten 57 off 34 balls against a Sri Lankan attack, which included mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana and slinger Nuwan Thushara, in a ten-over tour game in Lincoln.Bevon Jacobs watchAfter having secured an unexpected IPL deal with Mumbai Indians and having broken into the New Zealand squad, Bevon Jacobs turned up at the Super Smash for Auckand Aces, hitting 263 runs in eight innings at an average of 37.57 and strike rate of 140.64. His unbeaten 90 off 56 balls against Northern Brave in Hamilton was arguably the innings of this season. Having entered the fray at 30 for 3 in the fifth over, Jacobs propelled Aces to 187 for 5. Though Brave chased down the target, Jacobs served a reminder of his raw power and potential.After Aces were knocked out of the Super Smash, Jacobs headed to the UAE to link up with MI Emirates, the affiliate of his IPL side, in the ILT20.

Tottenham Hotspur are poised to be without a big name for their crucial North London derby clash against Arsenal on November 23, with the player’s return from injury up in the air.

Spurs take on Mikel Arteta’s Premier League title frontrunners in a mouth-watering clash at the Emirates Stadium following the conclusion of this latest international break, and the stakes are high for both sides.

Thomas Frank is attempting to guide the Lilywhites to a top four finish and build upon Ange Postecoglou’s final season in charge with another piece of major silverware, but concerns have surrounded their general creativity in open play and plethora of key absentees.

While Arsenal have also struggled to keep their star attackers fit this campaign, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres all racing to be fit for Tottenham, Frank’s extensive injury list is much longer.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

Cristian Romero

Other

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are among the forwards who’ve been absent with serious injuries, and the latter is not expected to return until midway through 2026.

Summer signing Randal Kolo Muani was the latest to be sidelined after fracturing his jaw in their 2-2 draw with Man United last weekend. While the Frenchman, who only just returned to full fitness after a dead leg, won’t require surgery, it remains to be seen how long he’ll be out for or if he’ll be able to wear a mask and play against Arsenal.

Star winger Mohammed Kudus was ‘touch and go’ to face Man United and ultimately left out by Frank, with the 25-year-old also not selected for Ghana’s upcoming friendlies against Japan and South Korea.

There is every chance that Kudus, who’s stood out as their most in-form attacker this term, will recover from his knock in time to play against Arsenal, but the same cannot be said for striker Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham poised to be without Dominic Solanke for North London derby

The Englishman has yet to start a competitive game since Frank’s arrival at the club, playing just 49 minutes in total across all competitions, and his once minor ankle issue is taking a while to fully recover from.

Solanke was forced to undergo small surgery on his ankle problem and the initial prognosis was that he’d be back fairly soon. However, the 28-year-old still hasn’t played a single minute since Tottenham’s 2-0 win away to Man City right at the start of the season.

Recently, when asked if Solanke would be back on the field before the end of 2025, Frank’s response wasn’t that convincing at all.

Standard Sport have now reported that Solanke returning from injury to face Arsenal is looking “unlikely”, and they could even welcome back defender Radu Dragusin before him.

The Romanian is set to feature in a behind-closed-doors friendly during the international break, which will be his first piece of action since rupturing his ACL back in January. Some reports suggest that Tottenham could even sell Solanke when the window reopens, with Frank viewing the forward as “expendable” amid repeated links to former Brentford star Ivan Toney.

Right now, Frank has just Mathys Tel, who can’t participate in the Champions League after being left out of their 22-man squad, and Richarlison to select from as their readily available striker options.

If injury were to befall Richarlison, like it did for large periods of last season, Frank would be in serious trouble.

Solanke finished 24/25 as the club’s second top scorer behind Brennan Johnson, and they’ve missed both his poacher’s instinct and general link-up play.

A Manchester City star who Pep Guardiola recently called “incredible” now wants to leave in the January transfer window, and a Premier League club have emerged as potential suitors.

Man City could be rocked by multiple departures this winter

The January transfer window is now less than a month away, but Guardiola has insisted it is “too early” to start thinking about potential additions to the squad, with a busy month ahead, as his side look to keep the pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race.

With the north Londoners being held to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, following City’s 3-2 victory against Leeds United on Saturday, there is now a five-point gap, and the games are coming thick and fast, with Guardiola’s side set to play seven games this month, including a trip to Fulham tonight.

In truth, there are signs that some additions could be needed this winter, given that the Blues arguably aren’t the side they once were, having only managed to scrape past Leeds, after suffering back-to-back defeats against Newcastle United and Bayer Leverkusen.

However, Man City could also be rocked by a couple of departures, according to a report from The Daily Mail, which states James Trafford wants out just five months after moving to the Etihad Stadium, while fellow goalkeeper Stefan Ortega is also open to a move.

Trafford was originally told he would be joining as the new first-choice goalkeeper, but the former Burnley man has found game time hard to come by recently, with Gianluigi Donnarumma emerging as the preferred option between the sticks.

The 23-year-old’s chances of going to the World Cup with England are under threat, with Thomas Tuchel only willing to take players receiving regular minutes, which means a January move would make sense, and Newcastle United are expected to make an approach.

"Incredible" Trafford needs to be playing consistently

Guardiola recently made it clear he is a big fan of the Englishman, saying: “With Trafford, I see the training sessions and for a long time I haven’t seen a goalkeeper as good as James. We have two incredible keepers.”

Related Man City exploring move to sign £65m Premier League star alongside Anderson

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Having equalled the record for clean sheets in a single season in English football during 2024-25, it is little wonder the £50k-a-week shot-stopper is eager to be playing consistently, particularly considering his chances of going to the World Cup are in jeopardy.

Guardiola’s side are in safe hands, with Donnarumma making a solid start to life at City, keeping six clean sheets in all competitions, while also ranking highly across some key metrics for goalkeepers over the past year.

Gianluigi Donnarumma’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Goals against

0.89 (95th percentile)

Save %

50% (87th percentile)

Clean sheet percentage

35% (80th percentile)

Letting Trafford leave could be risky, given that the goalkeeper could be a quality back-up option for Donnarumma if the Italian were to get injured, but the Englishman is simply too good to play second fiddle, and City shouldn’t stand in his way this January.

A former Tottenham player has backed one of Thomas Frank's key players to "control" Viktor Gyokeres ahead of the north London derby against Arsenal. Spurs are eighth in the Premier League, whereas the Gunners sit top of the pile heading into Sunday's clash at the Emirates. But one man is predicting Mikel Arteta's side will come unstuck against the Europa League holders.

Gyokeres warned about Tottenham talisman

Former Tottenham midfielder Sandro believes that Arsenal striker Gyokeres will provide a stern test for Spurs centre-back Cristian Romero this weekend. However, the Brazilian believes Dutch defender Micky van de Ven will keep the former Sporting CP forward in check, that is if the 27-year-old is fit to face Frank's players. Sancho also stressed how important getting all three points will be for their season.

He said, via The Metro: "Gyokeres will be fit for this game. Gyokeres is a player that works very, very hard for the team. I saw him here in Portugal and he can run! He can run, he will give everything for the team. But I think Romero is an intelligent defender, he’s strong and he’s a winner. Van de Ven is fast enough to control him, fast enough to control him in the deep. Gyokeres is a fighter. He will fight with Romero all game long, you’re going to see that. They will be 100% fighting throughout this match, because I see two players that want to fight. Romero will be there to fight for everything. Every single ball, he’s going to throw his head in. Gyokeres will also push Romero, I’m so excited to watch them battle. This could be a very important game for us to change our momentum. If we can win this game, it could be a game changer for the period ahead."

Gyokeres has scored four goals in the Premier League following his switch from Portugal in the summer. So far, he has proven to be a solid recruit, although he is unlikely to get anywhere near the goalscoring numbers he produced at Sporting CP, where the Sweden international bagged 97 goals in 102 matches.

AdvertisementGettyVan de Ven hailed as world class

Another former Tottenham player has sung the praises of Van de Ven this week. Ex-Spurs centre-back Michael Dawson believes the 24-year-old will captain the club one day and is one of the best in the world in his position.

He said: "For me, Micky van de Ven is one of the best centre-backs in the world, not just the Premier League. I honestly believe that. I'm a huge, huge fan and I think he’s got everything. There aren’t many centre backs around that have the pace he does but also are able to read the game in the way he does. I know people will probably say his pace gets him out of trouble at times but I don’t really buy that and I think at times last season he was left to cover an awful lot of ground because of the way the team was set up. That goal he scored in the Champions League was mind blowing. For a centre-back to do that was special and I don’t really see any weaknesses, he’s got all the attributes to go right to the top. Without a shadow of a doubt he’s a future Tottenham captain. I look at Virgil van Dijk and he’s the benchmark for me in terms of how long he’s been at the top for, but I don’t think Micky is far off that, I really don’t. He’s got all the attributes to be a leader and I’m sure the reason he was tied down to a long-term contract was with that in mind."

Tottenham backed to beat Arsenal

Tottenham face a mighty test on Sunday, as Arsenal have won four and drawn one of their five Premier League home games this season. While Spurs' home form is poor, their away record is the second-best in the division. However, their results at the Emirates do not make for pleasant reading if you are a Tottenham fan. In 20 outings there, they have won two, drawn six, and lost 12. But Sandro thinks his old team will emerge victorious this time out.

He added: "When you talk about Arsenal and Tottenham, I just want Tottenham to win, 100% of the time. But to try to guess is very tough because Arsenal are doing a good job at the moment. Arsenal are in good shape but I think Spurs will win 1-0."

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AFPBig tests ahead for Tottenham

Frank's side are gearing up for a brutal few days as after travelling to Arsenal, they head to Paris to take on Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in Europe's elite competition on Wednesday. They then round off the month with a clash against London neighbours Fulham on Saturday.

Luis Suárez acknowledged that there are “many things” in which he is “not an example” after serving multiple suspensions for Inter Miami this season. The Uruguayan opened up about his disciplinary issues and admitted MLS has been more challenging than he expected, having already missed several matches due to on-field incidents.

• Getty
  

  'An example of rebellion'

  In a wide ranging interview with , Suarez addressed the numerous controversies that have followed him around this season – and throughout his career. He suggested that it is a recurring pattern in his footballing life. 

  "I often think that I can be an example of rebellion, of resilience, of continuing to fight, of continuing to struggle. On the other hand, there are many things in which I'm not an example," he said. "And I accept it, I know it, and I understand it. I've always fought against criticism: I debuted for Nacional at 18, and they criticized me for missing goals. That's when I started trying to turn the page on those criticisms, and then when I went to Holland, they told me I was fat, and they said the same thing at Ajax. 

  "Later, at Liverpool, they attacked me for my acts of indiscipline. Then, at Barcelona, for going through bad spells. In every stage of my career, I've always fought against the same thing." 

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• AFP
  

  Childhood difficulties

  The Uruguayan striker – widely considered one of the greatest players of his generation – revealed that a difficult childhood might have influenced his antics on the pitch. 

  "It's been like this since I was a kid. I didn't have enough to eat and I always had to go out and find food for myself and my family. It was always, always like that," he said. "Ever since I've had a conscience, I've always fought against everything. I've never had anything easy. I've never had anything easy, and that's always made me fight to the end." 

• Getty
  

  A tricky time in MLS

  Suarez also admitted that he has found MLS much harder than he anticipated. He joined Miami before the 2024 season, arriving in a Miami team that also featured Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets. 

  "Well, to be honest, I was a little surprised by all the travel and matches, but that's because we also happened to be at the club during a period when we qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League, the League Cup, and the Club World Cup, always reaching the final stages, and that means a lot of travel," he explained. "The trips are long, at least two hours of flight time, but we're used to it. No complaints whatsoever, on the contrary, we're trying to enjoy what's left. Sometimes it seems like people underestimate us, but when it comes to competing, the results speak for themselves. Winning matches isn't easy; every match is a challenge for us."

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  Crucial stretch

  His comments come ahead of a crucial game for the Herons. They face FC Cincinnati next Saturday in the Eastern Conference semifinal. Suarez missed the previous fixture after picking up a one-game suspension for kicking out an opposing defender. Miami won that game 4-0, leading to some suggestions that the MLS Cup favorites might be better equipped to win without him.

The summer of 2023 was a landmark period for Arsenal. It signalled the arrival of a certain Declan Rice no less.

The midfielder arrived in a club-record £105m move. The Gunners had beaten Manchester City to his services, thus securing the talents of one of England’s finest players of his generation.

Since he moved across London from West Ham to Islington, there has still been a feeling that Arsenal have missed a player of the calibre of a certain Granit Xhaka.

Over the last year, in particular, Rice has eradicated memories of the Swiss warrior but their Arsenal stories are woven together.

The year Rice arrived, Xhaka left and in perhaps peculiar circumstances. The veteran had just enjoyed the finest individual campaign of his time at the Emirates Stadium, scoring nine goals in all competitions.

No longer was he the defensive midfielder that a great Arsene Wenger once signed. He was now a goalscoring number 8.

After departing, Xhaka enjoyed a fabulous time under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga but he’s now back in England and proving to be one of the signings of the summer.

How Xhaka inspired Sunderland to a draw with Arsenal

Over the last few years the newly promoted teams have been swept aside without so much as a noise. To put it frankly, they’ve been terrible.

However, Sunderland are bucking that trend. Ahead of Sunday’s fixtures in the Premier League, they sat fourth in the table and a large reason for that has been the performances of Xhaka.

The Switzerland midfielder signed for the Mackems in a £17m deal back in the summer and was swiftly made club captain. His displays since then have been admirable.

Sky Sports analyst and Sunderland supporter Dougie Critchley went as far as to say he is the “best player” he’s ever seen in the famous red and white strips after his goal against Everton last week.

While Xhaka did not find the net against Arsenal on Saturday, it was another fine display from Sunderland’s tempo-setting midfielder.

Xhaka is a warrior, a leader of men and he demonstrated that by completing 90% of his passes, winning four of his five ground duels and completing seven clearances this weekend.

Xhaka vs Arsenal
Minutes played	90
Touches	57
Accurate passes	35/39 (90%)
Key passes	0
Shots	0
Fouled	1x
Tackles won	2
Interceptions	1
Clearances	7
Recoveries	1
Ground duels won	4/5
Aerial duels won	1/1
Stats via Sofascore.

Dan Ballard and Brian Brobbey made the headlines but Xhaka issued Arsenal a timely reminder of his qualities.

Up against Rice and Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal’s midfield pairing exudes similar qualities but they aren’t the only men in Mikel Arteta’s ranks who bring a Xhaka-like presence to the squad.

Chalkboard

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

Arsenal's Granit Xhaka of 2025

The date is 28th October 2019. Unai Emery has chosen to substitute club captain, Xhaka. The response from Arsenal supporters inside the Emirates Stadium was remarkable.

He was booed and jeered as he left the field, which sparked an eyebrow-raising reaction from the Swiss. He cupped his ear, asked for more and then chucked the captain’s armband on the floor.

It was not a surprise to see that he was stripped of the captaincy just ten days later.

Speaking about the incident back in 2023, Xhaka labelled the situation as a “nightmare”. “The passports were out. I was done with Arsenal”, he said.

He ultimately stayed and enjoyed a remarkable change in fortunes under Arteta. The Spaniard turned him into a more forward-thinking midfield and after a hellish first few years in London, enjoyed a fabulous 2022/23 season, in particular.

That was the year Xhaka scored nine times and provided seven assists in all competitions.

The 33-year-old was still a vocal presence on the pitch and while he didn’t possess the armband, he still felt like a captain on the pitch. In the present day, the same could be said of defender Gabriel Magalhaes.

While the Brazilian hasn’t fallen out with supporters since moving from Lille in a £27m move, their Arsenal careers certainly have parallels.

Gabriel headed to London as an exciting talent but he was still incredibly raw. He showcased that during his first few years in English football.

The centre-back was rash and truth be told, a bit error-prone. Rio Ferdinand was particularly scathing of the defender back in 2022.

It was an incident that led to a DM exchange between Gabriel and Ferdinand and since that moment, he has gone from strength to strength.

Like Xhaka in his early days at Arsenal, the big Brazil international was a bit of an accident waiting to happen but they both enjoyed remarkable comebacks.

In the words of Jamie Carragher, Gabriel is now “the most influential player in the Premier League” this season and is in with a real shout of winning the PFA Player of the Year award if the Gunners win the league.

The defender has been a colossal presence in the heart of Arteta’s backline, a true “monster” as per pundit Troy Deeney. He’s a giant at the back, composed with the ball at his feet and has made a rather ridiculous impact from set-pieces.

So far this season, Gabriel has scored two goals and supplied three assists. Since joining in 2020, no centre-back in Europe’s top five leagues has scored more goals than him (22).

Like Xhaka, he’s also now one of the strongest commanders of men in the squad. He’s captained Arsenal on several occasions now and to quote Carragher once more, he is “the leader” in Arteta’s backline.

A midfielder he may not be, but he is certainly like Xhaka in plenty of ways. From being riddled with mistakes to becoming a cult hero at the Emirates, the parallels are certainly there.

Liverpool are in a dire rut of form at the moment and the pressure only ramped up on Arne Slot following their 3-3 draw with Leeds United on Saturday evening.

As if Slot didn’t think things could get any worse, what hasn’t helped is Mohamed Salah’s remarkable interview after the game.

The Egyptian has been on the substitutes bench for the last three games and according to reports, will not travel to Milan when the Reds face Inter in the Champions League this week.

What Mo Salah has said about his Liverpool future

Salah was in conversation with reporters after Liverpool’s dismal draw with Leeds at the weekend and it’s safe to say he did not cover Slot and Co in glory.

“‘I’m very disappointed, Salah began. “I’ve done so much for this club – everyone can see that – over years, especially last season, sitting on the bench I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That’s how I feel it.”

The Liverpool great continued: “It’s very clear that someone wants me to get all the blame. Club promised me a lot in summer. So far I I’m on bench three games, so can’t say they have kept those promises.

“I say many times I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship, I don’t know why. It seems like someone does not want me in the club.

“But again this club, I always support it. my kids will always support it. I love the club so much and I will always do. I called my mum yesterday because I knew I wasn’t going to start and told my mum and dad to the Brighton game [next Saturday].”

How Salah trained on Monday

Salah smiled and chatted with his teammates on Monday as he attended the club’s first training session since his outburst over the weekend.

He arrived on the training pitch in conversation with French striker Hugo Ekitike. Salah listened as Slot addressed the squad and then took part in a series of warm-up and passing drills, interacting with the likes of Curtis Jones, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai.

The session was overseen by Slot who is really up against it now. Who the Liverpool board decide to side with, Salah or the Dutchman, will be very interesting.

Every team wants a world-class centre-forward to lead their line, and there is arguably a lack of top strikers in today’s game compared to previous generations.

Scoring goals on a regular basis is a priceless attribute, and all clubs want a proven finisher in their ranks, but they can come at a huge price. That being said, there are still a plethora of elite strikers at the top of their games, but who is the best number nine around today?

Ranking factors

To help rank the strikers in order, we have considered the following criteria:

Current form – how well a player has performed in the past few months Importance to their teams – how influential they are to their team’s performances Role – how unique their skillset is Reputation – what others say about them

Top 15 strikers in the world

Rank

Player

Age

Club

Nation

1

Erling Haaland

25

Man City

Norway

2

Harry Kane

32

Bayern Munich

England

3

Kylian Mbappe

26

Real Madrid

France

4

Julian Alvarez

25

Atletico Madrid

Argentina

5

Robert Lewandowski

37

Barcelona

Poland

6

Viktor Gyokeres

27

Arsenal

Sweden

7

Alexander Isak

26

Liverpool

Sweden

8

Lautaro Martinez

28

Inter Milan

Argentina

9

Victor Osimhen

26

Galatasaray

Nigeria

10

Hugo Ekitike

23

Liverpool

France

11

Marcus Thuram

28

Inter Milan

France

12

Cristiano Ronaldo

40

Al Nassr

Portugal

13

Omar Marmoush

26

Man City

Egypt

14

Nick Woltemade

23

Newcastle

Germany

15

Joao Pedro

24

Chelsea

Brazil

15 Joao Pedro Chelsea and Brazil

Joao Pedro quickly made an impact at Chelsea after signing for £60m from Brighton by helping the Blues win the Club World Cup in the USA.

The Brazilian, now valued at a career-high €50m, also started the 2025/26 Premier League season on fire and looks set to be Chelsea’s first choice striker for years to come.

Joao Pedro: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Club World Cup

2025

14 Nick Woltemade Newcastle and Germany

Eyebrows were raised when Newcastle splashed the cash on Nick Woltemade in a club-record £69m over the summer.

However, the towering German has taken to life in England with ease, replacing Alaxender Isak and scoring goals on a regular basis. Woltemade hasn’t looked out of place in the Premier League.

13 Omar Marmoush Man City and Egypt

After starring for Eintracht Frankfurt, Omar Marmoush got his big move to Man City in January 2025, and he continued to find the back of the net for fun.

Pep Guardiola called the Egypt international “the best player in the Bundesliga” after signing Marmoush for City, and he already has a Premier League hat-trick to his name.

12 Cristiano Ronaldo Al Nassr and Portugal

Arguably one of the best players to have ever graced the game, Cristiano Ronaldo is still going strong at the age of 40 and has actually scored more goals since turning 30 than he did before.

He’s been plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League for Al Nassr since 2023 and has continued to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Ronaldo has now scored over 950 career goals for club and country and has been showing no signs of slowing down, continuing to feature regularly for Portugal.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Ballon d’Or

2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017

Best FIFA Men’s Player

2008, 2016, 2017

European Championship

2016

Premier League

2007, 2008, 2009

La Liga

2012, 2017

Serie A

2019, 2020

Champions League

2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018

FIFA Club World Cup

2009, 2015, 2017, 2018

UEFA Super Cup

2014, 2016, 2017

Nations League

2019

FA Cup

2004

League Cup

2006, 2009

Community Shield

2007

Italian Cup

2021

Copa del Rey

2011, 2014

Spanish Super Cup

2012, 2017

Italian Super Cup

2018, 2020

Portuguese Super Cup

2003

11 Marcus Thuram Inter Milan and France

Marcus Thuram made history in 2025 with the quickest goal to be scored in a Champions League semi-final following his clever flick against Barcelona.

The goal highlights Thuram’s quality, and he is now valued at €75m by Transfermarkt, a figure which has more than doubled since moving to Inter Milan from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2023.

The French forward has had the best goalscoring season of his career in 2024/25, and at 27, appears to be at the peak of his powers.

Marcus Thuram: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Serie A

2024

Italian Super Cup

2023

Nations League

2021

10 Hugo Ekitike Liverpool and France

Hugo Ekitike became a man in demand after impressing for Eintracht Frankfurt, with Liverpool winning the race to secure his services for an initial £69m.

The 22-year-old previously made his loan move to Frankfurt from Paris Saint-Germain permanent in 2024 and enjoyed his best ever season in front of goal.

PSG are doing just fine themselves without Ekitike, however, they will surely be kicking themselves in regards to selling the “next Mbappe”.

Hugo Ekitike: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Ligue 1

2023, 2024

French Super Cup

2023

9 Victor Osimhen Galatasaray and Nigeria

Galatasaray struck gold by signing Victor Osimhen on loan from Napoli last summer, with the Nigeria international continuing to do what he does best – score goals.

Osimhen fell out with Napoli chiefs last summer which resulted in his move to Turkey for the 2024/25 season, and that has now become permanent. The striker has been called “one of the best centre-forwards in the world” by Alvaro Morata.

8 Lautaro Martinez Inter Milan and Argentina

Alvarez’s international teammate, Lautaro Martinez, is next on the list, with the Inter Milan star a regular source of goals for the Serie A giants since 2018.

In fact, Martinez has hit double figures for Serie A goals in all eight of his campaigns in Italy and has now surpassed 150 goals in all competitions for Inter.

Now Inter captain, Martinez appears to be in the prime of his career and even Lionel Messi backed him to win the Ballon d’Or just last year.

7 Alexander Isak Liverpool and Sweden

Alexander Isak is regarded as one of the world’s best centre-forwards after starring in the Premier League for Newcastle United, and his record £125m transfer to Liverpool was the saga of the 2025 summer window.

Jamie Carragher, at the beginning of 2025, actually called Isak the “best striker in the Premier League”, however, his start to life at Anfield hasn’t gone to plan which has seen him drop down the rankings.

Alexander Isak: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

League Cup

2025

DFB-Pokal

2017

Copa del Rey

2020

6 Viktor Gyokeres Arsenal and Sweden

Many wouldn’t have expected Viktor Gyokeres to be one of the best strikers in the world a few years ago when he was at Coventry City in the Championship. However, the Sweden international is now deservedly regarded among the elite after starring on the European stage with Sporting CP.

Gyokeres scored 43 times in his debut season in Portugal and has proven this year that he wasn’t a one-season wonder by finding the back of the net more than 50 times in 24/25. He has now got his return to England with a big-money move to Arsenal and has continued to find the back of the net, albeit on a less regular occurence.

Norwich City have held talks with one manager who has a 100% win record over the recently sacked Liam Manning.

When Norwich City could appoint Manning’s replacement

The Canaries finally parted ways with Manning after a seventh straight Carrow Road defeat prior to the international break.

The 2-1 loss to Leicester City was Norwich’s 10th defeat from 15 Championship games, leaving them in 23rd place and four points off safety.

Sporting director Ben Knapper said in a statement that he understood criticism from supporters and is looking to “repair the relationship” with fans.

“We have tried absolutely everything possible to work through this incredibly challenging period but, unfortunately, given the recent run of results and performances, we have been left with no choice other than to make a change at this stage.

“Liam and his staff worked tirelessly to move our football club forward. They are all fundamentally good people and we wish them the very best in whatever comes next.

“We very much understand the frustration and criticism from our supporters at this stage. So far, results and performances on the pitch haven’t been good enough.

“We accept that responsibility, but it’s now imperative that we start to repair the relationship with our supporters and do everything we can to give them something to get behind.”

Birmingham City vs Norwich City

22nd November

Norwich City vs Oxford United

25th November

Norwich City vs QPR

29th November

Watford vs Norwich City

6th December

Sheffield United vs Norwich City

9th December

Something that will get supporters back on side will be to appoint a winning manager, with former midfielder Gary O’Neil linked with the vacancy.

Norwich, according to reliable reporter John Percy, have interviewed O’Neil and want to appoint a new manager by November 22, the day club football returns and the Canaries travel to Birmingham City.

Norwich City hold talks with Will Still

Sky Sports reporters Zinny Boswell, Lyall Thomas and Anthony Joseph shared a Norwich City manager update on Wednesday morning, naming the three bosses who the Canaries have spoken with.

As well as former player O’Neil, Norwich have also held talks with Jon Dahl Tomasson and Will Still, with the former Southampton manager available following his St Mary’s departure earlier this month.

Still, who plays a 3-4-1-2 system, struggled to turn the Saints around, winning two of his 13 Championship games which resulted in his sacking a week prior to Manning.

He did defeat Manning and Norwich 3-0 at Carrow Road in an EFL Cup second round tie, though, which began a terrible spell at home for the former Canaries boss.

Still has a 100% win record vs Manning, and he was impressing over in France with Lens before his move to England, being linked with numerous jobs.

The 33-year-old is still inexperienced in English football, though, and after his spell on the south coast, taking a chance on Still would be a gamble by the Norwich board as they look to climb out of the relegation zone.

It could be a risk worth taking, although O’Neil and Tomasson have more experience in English football than Still.

Deepti Sharma’s fifty kept India in the contest but they fell short in the final equation

S Sudarshanan20-Sep-20251:42

Mooney: ‘There’s no ceiling for this group’

Australia 412 (Mooney 138, Voll 81, Perry 68, Reddy 3-86) beat India 369 (Mandhana 125, Deepti 72, Harmanpreet 52, Garth 3-69) by 43 runsCricket was played at a breakneck speed in Delhi on Saturday with close to 800 runs scored at a rate of over eight per over. Australia’s 412 was fuelled by what was then the second-fastest ODI century from Beth Mooney. India – and in particular Smriti Mandhana – came out hunting for both those targets. They got one – Mandhana is now the second-fastest centurion – but India fell just 43 short in the series decider.In the end, Australia protected a proud record of never losing a bilateral ODI series in India as they prepare to defend their crown in exactly these conditions.

India fined for slow over rate

India were fined 10% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate. They were ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration. In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC code of conduct, players are fined 5% of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.

With just ten days to go for the Women’s World Cup 2025, a world record chase was attempted for a second day in a row after Pakistan almost chased down 313 in Lahore on Friday. Faced with a mountainous target of 413, India galloped at a high speed to be placed 204 for 2 in just 20 overs. But Australia gave a reminder of why they are the defending world champions by keeping at it, and striking regularly, to win the series 2-1Riding on a 57-ball century from Mooney and aided with misfields aplenty from India, Australia equalled their highest total. Strange as it may sound, their final total seemed to fall short of what they were likely to score before a late collapse of 6 for 34 ended their innings in 47.5 overs.India’s turbo-charged response was led by vice-captain Mandhana. She added 121 in just 69 balls with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, as Australia searched for ways to plug the flow of runs. It inadvertently came through Harmanpreet’s knee injury break, after which India lost three wickets in 19 balls.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Deepti Sharma, batting at No. 5 in Jemimah Rodrigues’ absence, continued to keep India’s hopes alive with a counter-attacking half-century. She scored a 58-ball 72, and her strike rate of 124.13 was her quickest for a knock above 20 runs. She added 65 off 54 balls for the eighth wicket with Sneh Rana to take India closer to the target. But with 59 needed off 46 balls, she holed out to deep midwicket to dash India’s hopes of a miracle.Mandhana started from where she left off in New Chandigarh, hitting Megan Schutt for three successive fours in the third over. She also greeted her nemesis Ashleigh Gardner with a six and four, before smashing Kim Garth for two fours and a six in the space of five balls. Earlier in the evening, Australia had scored 77 for 1 at the end of the first powerplay – a score India easily surpassed in seven overs. They were 96 for 2 in ten overs, which is the second-highest total in the first powerplay in women’s ODIs.Mandhana showed no signs of slowing down, getting to her half-century in 23 balls, before reaching her hundred in just 50 balls. She bettered her own mark of 77 balls from a few days ago, and also relegated Mooney’s 57-ball effort from earlier in the game to joint third-fastest. At the other end, Harmanpreet showed her silken touch as well as brute force on her way to a 32-ball fifty. But once Harmanpreet and Mandhana fell in consecutive overs, India’s challenge fizzled out.But for India’s fielding missteps earlier in the afternoon, which cost them 26 off 11 balls as per ESPNcricinfo’s logs, the result might have been different. Fielding has been one of the focal points under head coach Amol Muzumdar’s regime, and India looked to have turned a page with a clinical show in England. However, after dropping four catches in the first ODI, India grassed three chances on Saturday.Getty Images

Georgia Voll was the beneficiary of all three – first, when Richa Ghosh was wrongfooted and couldn’t hang on to the outside edge in the seventh over, and then twice by Radha Yadav. First on 23 when Radha only got her fingertips to a powerful swipe at square leg, and then on 36 when Radha misjudged the pace of Voll’s flick and was late on the jump at midwicket. Voll scored 81 before top-edging a sweep to substitute Uma Chetry at short fine leg.The tone was set early by captain Alyssa Healy, who wanted India to “run around in the heat”, and opted to bat. She attacked India’s new-ball bowlers and Australia managed to hit two fours in each of the first five overs. Kranti Goud then dismissed her for the third time in three games but Voll kept attacking, with Ellyse Perry offering stability during a fluent innings of her own.After Voll’s fall in the 22nd over, Mooney came in and never let the momentum shift. She found gaps at will, used the crease well to access empty parts of the field, and got to her fourth ODI century. The highlight of her innings was how she kept going in the hot and humid conditions, and scoring at a high rate while taking minimum risks. She added 106 from 72 balls with Perry, and then 82 off 46 with Gardner, to set the platform for Australia to post the highest total in women’s ODIs against India.It was only the seventh time a team crossed the 400-mark in women’s ODIs. That India responded with a strong challenge and posted the highest total in a chase in this format will give them solace with a World Cup on the horizon.