Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has piled praise on a Gunners star who perhaps went unnoticed during their 3-1 win over Bayern Munich.

Arsenal end Bayern Munich unbeaten streak with 3-1 victory

Vincent Kompany’s Bundesliga champions went into Wednesday night’s Champions League clash off the back of a season-long unbeaten streak, winning all but one of their total games in all competitions.

It was Arsenal’s biggest test on paper, but Arteta’s side passed it with flying colours.

Arsenal delivered a commanding second-half performance to defeat Bayern at the Emirates Stadium, extending their perfect Champions League record to five wins from five matches and establishing themselves as genuine European contenders.

Arteta’s side opened the scoring through Jurrien Timber, who powered home a header from Bukayo Saka’s corner after 22 minutes. The Dutchman’s near-post run proved decisive as he guided his effort beyond Manuel Neuer, continuing Arsenal’s remarkable threat from set-pieces this season.

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Bayern responded ten minutes later when 17-year-old sensation Lennart Karl announced himself on the big stage with a composed finish. Joshua Kimmich’s accurate pass found ex-Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry, who cushioned the ball into Karl’s path and allowed the teenager to volley emphatically into the roof of the net — with the home side conceding their first goal in Europe this season.

However, the second period belonged entirely to the Gunners, who began to dominate.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

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Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Noni Madueke, introduced as a first-half substitute for Leandro Trossard, broke the deadlock with his first Arsenal goal after two months out with a knee injury. The winger’s clinical finish, feeding off fellow sub Riccardo Calafiori, restored the lead and shifted momentum decisively in the home side’s favour.

Gabriel Martinelli sealed the victory seven minutes later after capitalizing on a catastrophic error from Neuer, with the result sending Arsenal three points clear at the top of the Champions League table and sealing their first victory over Bayern in a decade.

Captain Martin Odegaard made his comeback from injury as a late substitute too, providing further encouragement ahead of Sunday’s crucial Premier League clash with second-placed Chelsea.Declan Rice was simply sensational against Bayern, with the midfielder dominating in midfield and causing Kompany’s men all sorts of problems.Arteta’s substitutions were inspired as well, but one man who delivered yet again was summer signing Cristhian Mosquera.

Mikel Arteta praises Cristhian Mosquera after Arsenal display in Bayern win

The young Spaniard came in to partner William Saliba in place of Piero Hincapie and the injured Gabriel Magalhaes, and despite being scarcely mentioned by critics, Mosquera impressed against Bayern.

Arteta, speaking in his post-match press conference, reserved special praise for the ex-Valencia star.

Those within Arsenal believe the 21-year-old could become one of world football’s best centre-backs in the next few years, and nothing we have seen has given us any reason to doubt that theory.Mosquera made his Premier League debut in Saliba’s stead against Liverpool at Anfield in August, barely setting a foot wrong despite being given a baptism of fire.The youngster does a quite simply brilliant job whenever called upon, and the initial £13 million that Arsenal paid Valencia for his services back in June is beginning to look like one of the bargains of 2025.

يسعى نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، إلى التفوق على نفسه خلال مباراة يوم الأحد المرتقبة، ضد فريق وست هام في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب “لندن الأولمبي” مباراة فريقي ليفربول ووست هام، يوم الأحد، في خضم منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

ولا يمتلك ليفربول أي فرصة أخرى سوى تحقيق الفوز في مباراة وست هام بعدما عانى من سوء النتائج مؤخرًا، حيث سقط أمام نوتينجهام فورست بثلاثة أهداف دون رد في الجولة الماضية، وتلاها هزيمة أمام آيندهوفن بنتيجة 4/1 في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. شيرر ردًا على تصريحات كاراجر: حديث محمد صلاح خارج الملعب غير مهم

وذكر موقع ليفربول أن محمد صلاح هو اللاعب الأكثر تسجيلًا للأهداف في تاريخ مواجهات الفريق ضد وست هام، في مختلف المسابقات، برصيد 13 هدفًا في 18 مباراة.

وأوضح أن فقط ضد مانشستر يونايتد (16 هدفًا) وتوتنهام (14 هدفًا)، سجل محمد صلاح أهدافًا أكثر لـ ليفربول في جميع المسابقات.

ويُعد محمد صلاح أكثر من ساهم في الأهداف مع فريق واحد في تاريخ الدوري الإنجليزي، برصيد 276 هدفًا، بالتساوي مع واين روني، ويأمل فض الشراكة بعدما غاب عن المساهمات في الفترة الأخيرة.

Bayern Munich director of sport Max Eberl issued a cryptic update on Harry Kane’s future, saying the striker “knows exactly what he wants” amid speculation linking him with a big-money move to Spanish giants Barcelona. The England captain has been in remarkable goalscoring form for the Bundesliga heavyweights, who are hoping to keep him beyond 2027.

• Kane has been in stunning form for Bayern and England in 2025

  In what has been a tremendous 2025-26 season so far, Kane has scored 24 goals in just 20 games in all competitions for Bayern, who are currently eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table. 

  The 32-year-old helped Vincent Kompany’s side bounce back from their midweek loss at Arsenal in the Champions League with a 3-1 league victory over St. Pauli on Saturday, with Raphael Guerreiro, Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson doing the damage for the Bavarians.

  Kane also played a key role in helping England qualify for the 2026 World Cup, scoring eight goals in as many qualifiers as Thomas Tuchel’s men topped Group K with a 100 per cent record. 

  In their final competitive fixture before next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States, former Tottenham striker Kane scored both goals as the Three Lions downed Albania 2-0 on 16 November.

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  Bayern chief speaks out on England captain's future

  However, while Kane continues to flourish at Bayern, speculation is swirling regarding his long-term future at the club. The forward, whose current contract expires in 2027, can reportedly trigger an exit clause before the end of January which would allow him to leave next summer for just £56.7 million (€65m/$76m).

  And while Bayern chief Eberl believes there is a strong chance Kane could extend his stay in Germany, he has fuelled speculation over the attacker’s future with recent comments on the situation.

  Speaking to following Bayern’s win over St. Pauli, Eberl told reporters: “Harry knows exactly what he wants and we have plans for him. We would like to continue. We can very, very well imagine that, but we will basically discuss everything with Harry.”

• Barcelona presidential candidate refuses to rule out Kane bid

  Eberl’s comments come after Xavier Vilajoana, who is running against Joan Laporta in Barcelona’s presidential elections next year, refused to rule out a statement move for Kane, should he emerge victorious.

  “We have incredibly talented players at La Masia, but of course, if we don't have players, we will look elsewhere,” Vilajoana told “I will always look for a player who understands Barca's DNA, not just a name. It's a dangerous thing to look for just a name, but someone who fits our style and culture."

  When asked if Kane would fit that profile, he said: "If we don't have a Harry Kane inside [the club], we are going to get him. Why not?”

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  Former Tottenham striker remains calm over his future in Germany

  Meanwhile, Kane is remaining calm over his future at Bayern, saying there is “no rush” to enter into discussions regarding a new contract.

  “I haven't had any contact with anyone, nobody has contacted me,” he told German newspaper this week. “I feel very comfortable in the current situation, even though we haven't yet discussed my situation with Bayern.

  “There's no rush. I'm really happy in Munich. You can see that in the way I'm playing. If there's contact, then we'll see. But I'm not thinking about the new season yet. First up is the World Cup in the summer. And it's very unlikely that anything will change after this season.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), por enquanto, adotou postura de “ignorar” os pedidos de paralisação do Brasileirão 2024. O movimento pela interrupção do torneio acontece após denúncias do dono da SAF do Botafogo, John Textor.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Os autores do movimento são integrantes da ANAF (Associação Nacional dos Árbitros de Futebol). A partir das denúncias de Textor, que insiste na acusação de manipuçação de resultados no futebol nacional, a entidade divulgou nota pedindo a paralisação do Campeonato Brasileiro. O pedido teve endosso da CPI do Senado Federal, que também investiga o caso.

Segundo apuração do Lance!, a CBF não vê sustentação nas argumentações e desconsidera a representatividade da ANAF, embora respeite a atuação da CPI.

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➡️ Veja o depoimento de John Textor, dono do Botafogo, na ‘CPI da Manipulação de Jogos’

A entidade que diz representar a maior parte dos árbitros da Série A é a Associação de Árbitros de Futebol do Brasil (Abrafut), fundada em 2023 e com quase 500 associados. A própria CBF alega que grande parte dos árbitros da primeira divisão nacional estão filiados à associação.

A Abrafut também saiu em defesa de Raphael Claus e Daiane Muniz, que foram atacados pelo Botafogo. O clube pede que o árbitro não apite mais seus jogos enquanto a investigação da CPI estiver em andamento.

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CONFIRA PARTE DA NOTA OFICIAL DA ABRAFUT, APOIADA PELA CBF, SOBRE ACUSAÇÕES DE TEXTOR E PEDIDOS DE PARALISAÇÃO

A ABRAFUT é a entidade que representa 492 (quatrocentos e noventa e dois) árbitros do quadro da CBF, sendo a única entidade reconhecida pela CBF e o Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva do Futebol (STJD), para representação dos árbitros.

As graves e reiteradas ilações proferidas pelo Sr. John Charles Textor, Diretor da SAF BOTAFOGO, que vêm ocorrendo desde o ano passado, envolvendo a suposta existência de manipulação de resultados no futebol brasileiro, ainda não foram alicerçadas e corroboradas por qualquer prova, seja ela qual fosse.
Mesmo sendo o citado diretor intimado, pelo Superior Tribunal Desportivo do Futebol, a entregar qualquer tipo de documento que pudesse justificar as graves ilações e acusações proferidas.

Não é demais lembrar que a equipe que dirige teve inúmeras oportunidades esportivas para alcançar seus objetivos, que contaram inclusive com falhas nos padrões normais de desempenho de atletas profissionais de sua própria equipe, situações que ocorrem no âmbito esportivo e humano, afinal, ninguém consegue ser perfeito todo o tempo. O ser humano está sujeito a falhas e equívocos involuntários e indesejáveis, e nem por isso deve ser suspeito de ato ilícito premeditado.

ABRAFUT repudia de forma veemente as colocações do citado dirigente, repudia inclusive os pedidos de suspensão de ambos (Claus e Daiane) das atividades como árbitros, já que não há nada, reitera-se, nada, que desabone a conduta dos profissionais citados.

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BotafogoJohn Textor

India’s captain said she always had belief in her team even when things got tough in the World Cup

Sruthi Ravindranath03-Nov-2025

Harmanpreet Kaur sprints off after taking the final catch of the tournament•ICC/Getty Images

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

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

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

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

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has been filmed in an X-rated rant following his old side's 4-1 thrashing by PSV Eindhoven. The former Reds defender could not believe what was unfolding in front of his eyes at Anfield during their Champions League humiliation on Wednesday. And in the heat of the moment, the ex-England international explained why manager Arne Slot should be sacked for a certain decision.

Things go from bad to worse for Liverpool

Some Liverpool fans were calling for the sacking of Slot following his team's 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend, and now those naysayers have come out in force after their 4-1 drubbing by PSV. The Merseyside outfit set some unwanted records with their ninth loss in 12 games in all competitions, and with their current form, it is difficult to see where the wins are going to come from. 

After the defeat, Slot said: "I think what has happened mainly with all the losses we had is that so many times if we have a good spell, we concede. And that moment changes the momentum. I think the thing we have to start doing is making sure that if we are in a better phase and we do create a chance, that we then also score the goals. That the scoreline is also positive. I think the mentality is great from these players as well. Apart from the quality, the mentality is also great. Otherwise, you can't go after three minutes, after losing on Saturday, three minutes down, 1-0 down, and then have a performance as we had the first half. That can only be possible. But their mentality, as they also reacted well after 2-1 down, because I think then we had our chances as well. So yeah, I don't think we are that far off, which sounds weird because the results tell us something different. But the games, the performances give me a different opinion about how we play than the scoreline does."

AdvertisementCarragher slams Liverpool star

After the encounter, a compilation video that captures Carragher's in-game reactions was posted on social media. In it, he criticises Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk for his handball that led to PSV's first goal, forward Cody Gakpo, and, in particular, defender Ibrahima Konate. For the latter, he said in his diatribe that Slot should be sacked for continuing to pick the Frenchman in his starting line-ups despite making a string of mistakes this season.

He said: "Honest to god, I've had enough of them. That Konate, I mean, that's a sackable offence for the manager for f******g keep picking him. He should be sacked for that."

Slot's position at Liverpool becoming 'untenable'?

When Carragher had some time to reflect after the game, he made it clear that he doesn't think Slot should be sacked yet but the Dutchman is on thin ice. He also stated that Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are not having good seasons, but the onus is on some of their less high-profile names to stand up and be counted during this barren run.

He said on CBS Sports: "Liverpool is not a sacking club, Liverpool, I think, are different from almost every club in European football where the manager is the king, you know, the managers get time. Liverpool have never sacked a manager who's won the league, never in the history. They've all, you know, after a few years they've gone, they've resigned. I couldn't believe over the weekend that people were talking about the manager's job when I spoke to Liverpool supporters after losing at home to Nottingham Forest. It's only going to amplify now and I've always been in the camp of you stick with the manager because I'm angry with the players if I'm being totally honest, I'm really angry with the players but it does get to a stage with any manager at any club where I always use this word untenable, where it almost feels like it can't go on any longer. 

"I'm not quite there yet personally in terms of the manager but I know a lot of supporters will be. But I've had a lot of time to think about it because I knew the game was over well before the final whistle. I think what you see now is Liverpool in 2018 under [Jurgen] Klopp starts this sort of journey being a great team and then Slot comes in and we're now, what are we, seven or eight years later. The catalyst for Liverpool at the very start of that run was Alisson, Van Dijk, and Salah. Alisson's injured a lot now, so he doesn't play so much but you're watching Van Dijk now, not the same player, and Mo Salah looks like his legs have gone. I don't like criticising them and I think some of the criticism of them this season as players has been harsh. You're always looking for your leaders in your team to step up when things are not going well."

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AFPWhat comes next for Liverpool?

After this wretched run of form, this weekend's trip to West Ham now looks like a very daunting contest. Liverpool sit 12th in the table and desperately need a win to arrest this slide.

Incidentally, Carragher added that Liverpool have been "carried" by some of their greatest ever players in the past year or so and now that we are coming towards the end of the Salah, Van Dijk, and Alisson era, new heroes need to be made.

He added: "Now I've been critical of Mo Salah off the pitch, I want him to come out and do an interview tonight and speak to the Liverpool supporters about what the players are going to do, what's going on in the dressing room, giving the supporters hope that things are going to improve. But I don't like criticising them on the pitch because they're absolutely legendary what they've done and the legs have just gone, especially with Salah. Van Dijk now can't help other players. He needs help himself and that just means that he's a normal centre-back like I was at one stage, so maybe he's not superhuman right now. But they've been that good for the football club. 

"I look at some of the others, step up! Can you only play well when they play well or they carry you? Their seasons last season were off the scale and everybody else enjoyed that win in the league and they're all league champions, they've got it on their CV and great. But when they're not there, where are they? Where are the others? Where are the other players? So that's why I get angry about talking about the manager, but it's inevitable and something could happen. But in terms of the players and the way they're performing now, that is not acceptable for Liverpool Football Club. I actually think, and maybe I thought this a little bit last season, are some of them good enough for Liverpool if Liverpool want to win the biggest trophies? We saw them at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. We saw them against PSG away from home last season. I mean, woeful performances and they've been carried by some of the greatest players the club have ever had. This is maybe a snapshot of the future of Liverpool when Mo Salah moves on, Virgil van Dijk moves on and Alisson moves on."

South Africa 319 for 7 (Wolvaardt 169, Ecclestone 4-44) beat England 194 (Sciver-Brunt 64, Capsey 50, Kapp 5-20) by 125 runsLaura Wolvaardt’s batting masterclass and Marizanne Kapp’s five-for propelled South Africa into their maiden World Cup final, off the back of a 125-run victory over England.Wolvaardt’s breathtaking 169 in the first semi-final in Guwahati carried her side to 319 for 7 from their 50 overs, the second-highest score in World Cup knockout matches.Asked to stage the second-highest successful chase in women’s ODIs – behind Australia’s 331 to beat India earlier in this tournament – England fell short in the face of the brilliant bowling of Kapp, who took 5 for 20. Those wickets included two in the first over of the reply, as England lurched to 1 for 3, and the prize wicket of Nat Sciver-Brunt who had built a century stand with Alice Capsey. Later in the innings, Kapp took two more wickets in as many balls to put South Africa on the brink of victory.South Africa face the winner of the second semi-final between Australia and India for the title on Sunday, which will be their third consecutive World Cup final, after they finished runners-up at the T20 events in 2023 and 2024.Wolvaardt was a class above in the South Africa batting line-up. Her innings was full of trademark elegant drives early on, followed by a brutal leg-side assault as she hit the accelerator in the closing stages. She was supported by Tazmin Brits, who scored 45, but later went off during England’s innings with what appeared to be a wrist injury after landing awkwardly in the field, followed by Kapp’s rapid 42 off just 33 balls. Wolvaardt shared a seventh-wicket stand worth 89 with Chloe Tryon, who finished unbeaten on 33 herself.Sophie Ecclestone overcame a shoulder injury suffered in the previous match against New Zealand on Sunday to finish with 4 for 44 but, apart from her bowling figures, and fifties for Sciver-Brunt and Capsey, there was little to celebrate for England. Only two others – Danni Wyatt-Hodge and tailender Linsey Smith – reached double figures.As if determined to model South Africa’s bowling performance on Wolvaardt’s batting masterclass, Kapp removed Amy Jones with a ball of the highest quality in the first over. A fuller delivery outside off stump jagged back in between bat and pad and clattered into off stump. Heather Knight was more complicit in her dismissal three balls later when, with leaden feet, she prodded at one that shaped away from outside off and edged onto her stumps. The dismissal gave Kapp figures of 2 for 0 from her first five balls.Ayabonga Khaka made it three England ducks in a row just two balls into the second over, when she drew a faint edge off Tammy Beaumont with one that straightened off the pitch for caught behind.South Africa let England off the hook somewhat, as Sciver-Brunt and Capsey took them from such a poor start to 108 for 4, when Capsey fell moments after reaching her maiden ODI half-century. Capsey had been dropped on 28 by substitute fielder Nondumiso Shangase at long on off the bowling of Sune Luus as South Africa struggled to make further inroads with Kapp off the field. Sciver-Brunt, meanwhile, narrowly avoided being run out as she retreated to the bowler’s end.Marizanne Kapp struck twice in the first over of the chase•ICC via Getty Images

No sooner had Capsey reached fifty, that she picked out Nadine de Klerk at mid-off with Luus the bowler once more. Either side of her dismissal, Sciver-Brunt reached her own half-century, powering Luus over long-off for six, while Brits put down a difficult chance leaping to her right at midwicket. She fell heavily, forcing her off the field in pain and clutching her arm.Kapp struck in the second over of her return spell to remove Sciver-Brunt, caught behind after she was enticed to drive at a length ball, which wobbled away ever so slightly off the seam and brushed the outside edge. In her next over, Kapp had Sophia Dunkley and Charlie Dean caught behind off successive deliveries. The energy with which she roared to celebrate her last wicket matched that of her first.Wyatt-Hodge, playing just her second match of the tournament after being brought in for Emma Lamb to bolster a struggling middle-order, faced just seven deliveries for 2 not out against New Zealand. With more time in the middle here, she managed 34 off 31. When she and Smith fell to Nadine de Klerk, however, it was all over for England.South Africa’s resounding victory was a result of their ability to get out of trouble. They fell from 116 without loss to 119 for 3, as Ecclestone took a sledgehammer to the excellent structure laid down by Wolvaardt and Brits, with two wickets in the space of four balls.Brits could have been out for 1 off what would have been the sharpest of return catches by Lauren Bell. She had attempted a reverse-sweep off Ecclestone’s fellow left-arm spinner, Linsey Smith, before ending up in an awkward heap as the ball struck her front pad well outside off stump. When Brits tried it again, it was her undoing, as Ecclestone speared one in full on middle and leg and drew a bottom edge onto the stumps.Anneke Bosch, brought into the starting XI to boost the batting which had failed so miserably against England last time these sides met, lost her off stump as she charged at Ecclestone, yorked herself, and departed for a three-ball duck.Bell put down another tough chance leaping to her left at short fine leg off Kapp, on 36 at the time. But Kapp added just a handful more runs before Ecclestone returned with immediate impact, with Kapp skying a fuller ball outside off stump high over mid-on where Dean ran back and settled underneath it.Another cluster of South Africa wickets fell when Annerie Dercksen, apparently having failed to learn from Brits’ downfall, tried to reverse-sweep Ecclestone. She hit the ball into the pitch outside off, then again through her swing. The second impact ricocheted into the stumps.Having lumped Dean for a massive 82 metre six over wide long-on, Wolvaardt bided her time through Ecclestone’s final over. She then helped herself to 13 of the 15 runs to come off the next, by Sciver-Brunt, including another six over long-on, followed by a pulled four through backward square.Sciver-Brunt conceded 14 off her next over, which also included Wolvaardt’s third maximum. This time, the shot was over deep midwicket, and she raised her 150 with a similar effort off Smith, who leaked 20 off the over, all but one of them to Wolvaardt.When Wolvaardt finally holed out to Capsey as she launched Bell down the ground, she walked off to warm congratulations from her opponents, as well as the gratitude of her team and the rapture of the crowd, who knew they had witnessed something special.

She’s now the No. 1 allrounder, the No. 2 batter and No. 3 bowler in the ICC rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2025Ashleigh Gardner’s storming Women’s World Cup 2025 has put her at a level seldom, if ever, attained by any allrounder, of any gender, in any format, in the history of the sport. She sits, following the latest update to the ICC rankings, among the top three batters, bowlers and allrounders in Women’s ODIs.Full rankings tables

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Gardner has been one of the most important drivers of Australia’s unbeaten run in the tournament so far, scoring 265 runs at an average of 88.33 and a strike rate of 128.01, and taking seven wickets with her offspin at 30.00. Four visits to the crease have brought her two hundreds, both coming in tense situations.When she walked in against New Zealand, Australia were 113 for 4, which soon became 128 for 5. She smashed 115 off 83 balls to lead them to a total of 326.Then, in a chase of 245 against England, Gardner entered with Australia 86 for 4. She scored an unbeaten 104, off just 73 balls, and put on an unbroken 180 with Annabel Sutherland to clinch victory with a whopping 57 balls to spare.Those knocks have propelled Gardner up six slots, from No. 8 to No. 2, in the latest update of the ICC’s ODI rankings, with only India’s Smriti Mandhana above her. Gardner has, meanwhile, kept hold of her top spot among allrounders and the No. 3 spot among bowlers.England’s Sophie Ecclestone sits on top of the bowlers’ chart with Australia legspinner Alana King, who took a World-Cup-record 7 for 18 against South Africa, in a career-best second place, having shot up five spots.

The New York Mets lost to the Boston Red Sox on Monday night, 3-1, and Juan Soto's hustle is once again a talking point.

After the Mets dropped two of three in Soto's return to Yankee Stadium last weekend, the highly-paid superstar was criticized for not hustling to first base on a groundout. He followed that up with another failure to get out of the box on Monday, hitting a high fly ball to left field in Boston that he clearly thought would be a home run; it ended up banging off the Green Monster. Because Soto didn't run after hitting the ball he turned a potential double into a single.

After the game Soto defended himself and said he thinks he's been hustling "pretty hard." His manager does not agree.

Speaking to media following the loss Carlos Mendoza revealed the plan he has with the Mets to address the issue with Soto.

"We'll talk to him about it," Mendoza said. "In this ballpark, anywhere but in particular in this one with that wall right there, you've got to get out of the box. So, yeah. We'll discuss that."

It isn't a great look for the Mets or Soto that the simple concept of hustle has become a talking point less than two months into the 15-year, $765 million deal he signed in the offseason. On the other hand, it's a long season and it's best to address any problem areas as early as possible.

Despite it all, the Mets are one of the best teams in baseball in the young 2025 season, boasting a 29-19 record with another battle against the Red Sox at Fenway Park set for Tuesday night.

Nottingham Forest have the ‘strongest’ interest in a midfielder who’s been compared to Aston Villa star John McGinn, with Evangelos Marinakis expecting offers for Elliot Anderson.

Elliot Anderson shining for Forest with £100m price mooted

Anderson has emerged as one of the Premier League’s most impressive midfielders this season, with Forest reportedly setting a £100 million asking price to deter potential suitors during January.

The 23-year-old has transformed into one of England’s most complete central midfielders since his £35 million arrival from Newcastle in July 2024.

His exceptional form also convinced Thomas Tuchel to hand him a senior international debut in August, with the Three Lions manager subsequently praising him as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.”

Anderson featured heavily during Forest’s fairytale seventh-placed finish last campaign, making 37 Premier League appearances whilst scoring two goals and registering six assists.

However, his development has accelerated dramatically throughout 25/26, establishing himself as Sean Dyche’s most influential player whilst earning recognition among Europe’s elite midfield talents.

Related Nottingham Forest make approach for Matic-like starlet who could replace Anderson

Forest have slapped a £100 million price tag on the latter’s head amid growing interest.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Dec 6, 2025

Man City have emerged as Anderson’s preferred destination should he depart the City Ground, though Man United and Liverpool are apparently monitoring developments closely as well.

Pep Guardiola views him as an ideal long-term successor to Rodri, who is currently suffering from another injury setback which threatens to derail his mission to return to Ballon d’Or winning form.

Reports suggest that Forest are already making enquiries for potential Anderson replacements as interest grows in his signature grows, and this is backed up by The Mail’s Simon Jones.

Nottingham Forest make approach for Hibernian star Josh Mulligan

According to their information, Forest have emerged as frontrunners in the race for Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan, with Dyche’s side making initial enquiries ahead of a potential January move.

The Scotland international has impressed since arriving at Easter Road during the summer on a free transfer from Dundee, featuring in all 24 of their competitive matches whilst chipping in with three goals and three assists.

Mulligan, who The Mail report has been compared to McGinn for his tenacious style of play, was lavished with praise by Hibs boss David Gray following the Edinburgh side’s 3-0 win over Falkirk last weekend.

Steve Clarke recently called Mulligan into Scotland’s World Cup qualifying squad, challenging him to become a leader at club level.

With the 2026 tournament approaching and the Tartan Army qualified, regular Premier League football would significantly enhance his international prospects.

Hibernian secured Mulligan on a four-year contract and will demand substantial compensation before considering any mid-season departure.

Forest’s Europa League participation provides additional motivation for strengthening squad depth during the January window, with the Tricky Trees also expecting offers for Anderson next year.