Their warring fans have united and are now railing together against the team management, while we wait, series on series, to see if they can make it to the 2027 ODI World Cup

Sidharth Monga17-Oct-20252:16

What to expect from Rohit, Kohli in this phase of their careers?

If you are the type that follows cricket for cricket’s sake, you have surely missed them. If, on the other hand, you fiendishly go looking for cricketers’ holiday photos or training photos or reassurance that they matter, you have had your fix.Actually, for once, forget social media, forget the smattering of promotional “content” reminding you how they are getting ready for the “2027 World Cup”. Forget anything that makes you cynical. This is bigger than all the cynicism and PR and pettiness and fan wars.Seven months after they last played international cricket, nearly five months after they were seen playing in the IPL, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are coming back to do what we love them for, in their best format, now their only format for India, against a team that provided the highest purpose in their working lives, in a country that proved to be the scene of their last Tests. It is hard not to be emotional.Related

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There will be so much going through our minds and hearts during these three ODIs against Australia in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney. It is a chance to watch again two of the greatest ODI batters of all time. The effortless, almost risk-free accumulation of Kohli, and the joyful explosiveness of Rohit in the back half. Okay, let’s not give in to nostalgia too much. For about three years now, Kohli has been taking risks but with the same efficiency, and Rohit has taken on such high-risk starts that he rarely ever bats into the back half.We will be looking for changes in their appearance, in their fitness, in their games to imagine what they have been up to all this time. For more than a decade, they never went away for this long except during Covid. For more than a decade, our times have been shared. We have given them our hours, they have given us theirs.Now time is what they are running out of. Not just we, but the selectors and the team management will be looking for signs to see if they can last till the 2027 ODI World Cup.Not long ago, these two were making such decisions for others.Neither, arguably, had to make such big calls.Just imagine, Kohli tweets something that is not an ad and news channels end up doing shows deciphering the meaning and significance of the tweet only for him to reveal that it was a teaser for an ad. This happened on Thursday.5:49

Agarkar on Kohli-Rohit: ‘Too early to think about 2027 ODI World Cup’

These are huge names. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Ro-Ko is how this series is being sold everywhere. At some point, without us noticing, these two supposedly bitter rivals became hyphenated. At first, it was just a media creation, but look at them now. One gets selected for the T20 World Cup because the other is the captain and you can’t drop just one of them. They end up winning the title, and retiring together. Their Test career ends in the same series. Now their “fan armies” are united in their hatred for the team management.A part of that team management is a young man, who has already benefitted immensely from these two. Kohli has always been a barometer for Shubman Gill, somebody whose scores at the same age the kid Shubman used to check to measure up to. Rohit’s new incarnation of a fiery opener has allowed Gill the ODI opener the time to be able to play a more sedate role and accumulate relatively risk-free runs.Now Gill has to be part of the decision on whether his trusted Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will serve him better than Rohit. Not just in this series and the next, but two years down the line. He has to decide whether the hyphen is fair on Kohli, who might have arguably benefitted from it in T20Is.We will watch not knowing if any given series could be the last for one or both of them. We will wait for every ODI series selection. For now, though, we will savour the three full ODIs. For we have missed them. And there the hyphen is okay.

Liverpool are in uncharted waters, with these deep fathoms threatening not only the future of Arne Slot, who won the Premier League a matter of months ago, but that of Mohamed Salah, one of the greatest players in the club’s history, too.

Where is the respite? At the moment, Liverpool can’t catch a break, fumbling a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Leeds United on Saturday after previously drawing against well-worth-their-money Sunderland at Anfield. All told, the Reds have won only two of their past ten league fixtures, losing six.

But Liverpool have sculpted this disaster themselves. They have patented a startling ability to wreak havoc on their own progress, with tactical imbalances sparking crises of confidence, sparking mutiny.

Salah’s flaming interview at Elland Road will go down in the history books, and though FSG have since underlined their faith in Slot’s stewardship, the severity of this crossroads cannot be understated.

The latest on Slot's Liverpool future

Slot is in an unenviable position, with Salah’s outburst proving the latest and most damaging in a long line of mishaps since the summer.

While FSG retain the faith in the 47-year-old, who led Liverpool to the Premier League title last year after Jurgen Klopp stepped down, there’s an acceptance that results are needed quickly if something is to be salvaged from this campaign.

The fact of the matter is that Slot’s Liverpool started wobbling well before the end of the 2024/25 campaign, and he now needs to show that he can sort out the defence and restore balance to the team. He needs to show that quickly.

27

Games

52

23

Wins

26

3

Draws

10

1

Losses

16

2.66

PPG

1.69

73

Goals scored

91

27

Goals conceded

69

Liverpool are in big bother, and though FSG have been steadfast in their backing of the Dutchman, their leniency will only stretch so far, especially when there is such an exciting successor for Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes to consider.

Liverpool could hire Slot upgrade

Last week, it was reported that FSG have been considering Julian Nagelsmann as a candidate to replace Slot, should the Reds coach be sacked, though they will face a tough task in wrestling him away from the German national team, especially with the 2026 World Cup looming large.

Nagelsmann, 38, is among the world’s finest young coaches, having managed Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in his homeland.

Would he be willing to park his international ambitions? Probably not. That’s why it’s anticipated he could be lined up ahead of the start of next season, meaning Liverpool would need to find an interim boss if Slot is dismissed before the end of the term.

What Nagelsmann would offer Liverpool

Nagelsmann has been described as the “best young coach in Europe” by journalist Josh Bunting, and though he’s the junior of practically all of the game’s standout managers, he’s hardly inexperienced, with a keen tactical mind that could be the remedy to a Liverpool team who have fallen by the wayside.

This is a fluid and interchangeable tactician. Nagelsmann employed a counter-pressing system at Leipzig before changing to a more dominant playing style at the Allianz Arena. He recognises the quirks and whims of the players at his disposal, and he crafts a system that caters to his troops.

Journalist Kai Iliev has even named him a “world-class manager” for his ability to fix a range of flaws within Germany’s national set-up. Now they are contenders. Now they believe again.

Liverpool could do with a bit of that, right? The appointment of Nagelsmann might even play into keeping Salah at the club; with the Egyptian King’s relationship under Slot having broken down, something has to give.

Liverpool, of course, will now back Salah over Slot. To do the contrary would result in anarchy. But this latest splinter in an outfit splitting wide open is not the root cause. Slot’s system is in a tailspin, and if he cannot establish form and fluency quickly, he will find that he has exhausted all the credit in the bank, and Edwards and Hughes will be forced into making a tough call.

The German coach’s principal 4-2-3-1 set-up would accommodate new signing Florian Wirtz and allow Salah to arc inwards once more and find passages into the danger area. This season, the 33-year-old has only posted five goals and three assists across all competitions.

Who could have expected this when Liverpool lifted the Premier League title? Salah was not the main man but the author of his long-term outfit’s illustrious success.

It’s not controversial to suggest that many, many Liverpool supporters would be dejected if Salah were to leave this winter, and it would be sure to put more than just a dampener on Slot’s reign at the Anfield helm.

If results do not continue over the coming weeks – with Salah off to AFCON after Liverpool host Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League this weekend – FSG will have to face the reality of theirt spiraling situation and make a change.

Could that prompt Salah to stay? Working under Nagelsmann on Merseyside, it just might, though whether the Reds are able to keep the African legend appeased and reach a decision that would see him remain at the club he has served so well over the past nine years remains to be seen.

In any case, this is a staggering, stomach-sinking situation, one that nobody could have foreseen, and Liverpool’s powers that be need to make sure an upswing is found – quickly.

Sell him before Salah & Konate: FSG must bin Liverpool's "major issue"

Liverpool have collapsed this season, and some tough decisions need to be made.

1 ByAngus Sinclair 3 days ago

Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Thomas Frank amid the mounting pressure surrounding his position as Tottenham boss.

Thomas Frank facing sack calls after underwhelming Spurs start

The north Londoners have failed to impress under Frank lately and are winless across their last five games in all competitions.

Much has been made of their lack of creative spark going forward too, not to mention their dire home form.

Tottenham have lost 10 home games in the Premier League alone this calendar year, their joint-worst record in club history, with Spurs also losing 10 in 1994 and 2003 respectively.

Only bottom-side Wolves, who appear destined for relegation to the Championship, have a worse record on their own patch this season.

Granted, their problems at home this year stretch back to Ange Postecoglou’s final half a season in charge, but the Australian notably had fewer options to play with during one of the worst injury crisis’ Spurs had ever seen.

Frank was backed with a £171 million transfer war chest in the summer window, including a deal for highly-rated young playmaker Xavi Simons, yet Tottenham’s head coach has relegated him to the bench in each of their last four outings.

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The Dane needs attacking quality.

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Emilio Galantini

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Frank’s constant tinkering has also drawn criticism, with ex-Lilywhites defender Ramon Vega recently telling talkSPORT that this will be affecting the players’ rhythm.

Vega went on to suggest that Frank doesn’t have the bottle to manage a club like Spurs, while sections of the fanbase also call for his dismissal early doors.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has already been linked with the Tottenham job, but Romano has now provided his own update on Frank’s future at N17.

Fabrizio Romano shares Thomas Frank update out of Tottenham

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano says that Spurs are monitoring Frank closely amid the growing fan unrest, but there are no immediate plans to replace him as yet.

Frank is poised to take on former club Brentford this weekend, and nothing but a win will do at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to convince some supporters that he is indeed the right man for the job.

Spurs have another crucial home game just a few days later when they face off against Slavia Prague in the Champions League, two very winnable games that could seriously help to change the mood.

They also travel to Nottingham Forest on December 14 before their final match pre-Christmas against Liverpool in north London, with Frank hoping for a vital points swing to get them nearer the Champions League places.

January is right around the corner as well, and reports suggest that Tottenham are intent on signing a new attacker to provide that much-needed extra threat going forward.

Australia seamer pleased with how he bounced back after wayward start to first Test

Andrew McGlashan02-Dec-20250:54

Clarke: Australia going to a venue where they play well

Even when Mitchell Starc blew England away with seven wickets during the first innings in Perth it did not go unnoticed that, in an attack missing Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, the visitors had taken Scott Boland for more than six an over.It came following pre-series debate about how they would look to take on Boland after largely dominating him in the two matches he played in the 2023 Ashes. However, the second day was a different story. Boland’s three-wicket burst after lunch – removing Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook in the space of 11 balls – turned the match on its head when England had been 105 runs ahead with nine wickets in hand.”It probably just proves to me that my good stuff, it doesn’t matter who it’s to, I think it feels like when I’m getting in the right areas it’s good enough to anyone,” Boland said ahead of the second Test at the Gabba. “I think that gives me a little bit of confidence that if I’m nailing my game… I’m good enough to compete with anyone.”Related

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Having overpitched too often in the first innings, Boland adjusted both his line and length in the second, hanging the ball wider, drawing Pope and Brook into drives away from their body. After the match, Andrew McDonald said the initial plans were partly to blame for the tactics Boland used with the new ball on the opening day.”I think Ronnie’s pretty nice to me there,” Boland said. “I just had one of those days where I just felt like I was over-pitching too much. Obviously, I wanted to start a little bit fuller than normal with the new ball, but I probably bowled seven or eight half-volleys and they all went for four. Some days half of them don’t and you think it’s [going] a little bit better.”I was pretty happy with how I bounced back in the second innings. I sort of went back to my natural length. Stuff that I know I’m really good at. I was obviously really disappointed with how I bowled in the first innings because generally I don’t bowl too many half-volleys.”On a pitch at the Gabba likely to have good pace and carry, if not perhaps to quite the level of Perth Stadium, Boland expects similar tactics to come into play. “I think we’ll get some good bounce here at the Gabba, which we usually do,” he said. “We went through what worked in Perth and what’s going to work here. It feels like a lot of the stuff is very similar.”Pope, who was tied down before losing patience and edging to Alex Carey, accepted there were things to learn but continued to see opportunity if Australia’s bowlers kept targeting a wider line.Scott Boland’s burst on day two in Perth helped swing the first Test•Getty Images”It’s trying to learn the lessons, and take some positives,” he said. “I think it is just about being really precise with how you go about it. They can hang it out wide but as soon as they do miss their lengths it is about trying to put them under pressure there as well.”I look back on that [second] innings and the dismissal, [and] it’s just being that bit more precise, going about it in the same way but having that little bit more [precision] in my game.”Boland, who averages 13.16 from four day-night Tests, also sees the short ball being a threat again with England unlikely to back down from a challenge despite the bigger boundaries on most Australian grounds. However, he did note that their lower order had briefly rallied in the second innings, with Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse added 50 in 36 balls, when the quicks banged in the ball in.”Definitely the ground size plays a big part in that,” Boland said. “Perth Stadium is really wide, really big pockets. And the ground is quite similar here. Same as the MCG and SCG. Adelaide’s probably the only one that’s a little bit different. I think that worked in our favour.”They [England] tried some bouncer plans which worked well at different times. I think sometimes when you do go to that bouncer plan, you can leak runs pretty quickly. I think we had them 6 for 80 [88] and then we sort of went into some full-on bouncer plans and leaked [runs] a little bit [but] we got some wickets. First innings, it worked really quick and then second things, they played a little bit better. So I think we’ll just be adjusting on the fly.”There has been intrigue this week around whether Cummins could make a late entrance for the Brisbane Test, as he ramps up his return to bowling, despite not being named in the squad although a return in Adelaide remains the likely outcome. “He looked in red-hot form the other night, as good as you’ll see [from] a fast bowler charging in in the nets,” Boland said.Meanwhile, Hazlewood is due to join the squad on Thursday to continue his return to bowling after being ruled out of the first two Tests with a hamstring injury. He is considered unlikely to be in contention until either Melbourne or Sydney.

With conditions in Guwahati nowhere near as bowler-friendly as Kolkata, India were skilful enough to keep South Africa in check on day one

Karthik Krishnaswamy22-Nov-20252:46

Did umpires stretch play despite fading light?

There are 20s, 30s and 40s, and there are 20s, 30s and 40s. On a pitch like in Kolkata last week, getting that far felt like a triumph. Not so on an entirely different surface in Guwahati, where South Africa’s batters kept getting out for similar scores.This was the classic first-day Indian pitch. A small window of help for the seamers at the start, and bits of encouragement for the spinners to keep coming back for another ball, another over, another spell. But the batters could trust their defence, and feel fairly secure if they had spent a bit of time at the crease.This was a pitch where converting starts felt like, A: a meaningful phrase, and B: a reasonable expectation. And yet, six South African batters fell for scores between 13 and 49.Related

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It’s natural temptation, while looking at such a scorecard and watching some of the dismissals — two batters caught at mid-off while looking to clear that fielder — to conclude that the batters threw away promising starts and only had themselves to blame.That scorecard and those dismissals, however, were also products of relentless excellence from an India attack of high quality and depth. For over after over, hour after hour, they gave South Africa only so much, and as avoidable as some of the dismissals looked, they didn’t come about from rash shots as much as errors committed by humans under pressure.This wasn’t the pressure of survival that batters faced in Kolkata. It wasn’t the pressure of slow, low pitches that cut off scoring options. It was the incremental pressure of spending time in the middle, surviving good bowling, getting through good spells, and even scoring runs, but somehow not feeling like you’re getting ahead in the game.India have done this many times to visiting teams over many years, but not so much in recent months. For at least a year now, India have not bowled in these sorts of conditions at home, against strong opposition.And finally, here it was, at 1-0 down in a two-Test series, with the toss lost and the opposition probably getting the best batting conditions of the match. This was India’s attack reminding viewers of its greatest strength: not just high levels of skill, but the ability to execute skills at a high level, with exacting control over long periods, as a collective.2:45

ten Doeschate: ‘These sorts of wickets suit us better’

On days like this, reward doesn’t always come in explicable ways. Jasprit Bumrah had bowled as good a new-ball spell as you can hope to see in these conditions, inducing nine false shots and conceding just seven runs in six overs, without reward and with one chance dropped in the slips. When he finally broke South Africa’s opening stand at 82, he did it with a ball that didn’t seem to do much at all; Aiden Markram seemed to play ever so slightly down the wrong line, and inside-edged his drive onto the stumps.For most of the second session, India bowled with a grim sense of purpose, looking to make the most of a little bit of help. The spinners extracted bounce from the red-soil surface, and the seamers were beginning to get a vague hint of reverse swing. But the bounce also encouraged the batters to use their feet and hit over the top, and the ball was coming on nicely enough for them to find the boundary by transferring their weight into checked drives and pushes and placing them into gaps.And yet, India went at under three an over through the session despite taking just one wicket, despite Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs going to lunch having put on 74.Hard Test cricket involving deep, skillful attacks can be like this. Batters can get in and build partnerships without moving the game through any great distance or at any great speed. This is the long game.And if you’re batting on 41 in these circumstances, and you see a ball that looks vaguely hittable, when mid-off is up saving the single, you can end up doing what Bavuma did in the third over after lunch, off Ravindra Jadeja. This was a bowler who had conceded just 21 in his first nine overs, and here was a ball that seemed to be right in the slot. Why wouldn’t you go after it?”I think we kept pressure on for long periods of time,” India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said after the day’s play. “And when scoring’s not that easy, when you can only really score off bad balls, it sort of adds pressure onto the batting units. And maybe that’s the reason for guys getting in and no one getting a big score yet.”The other reason was that India have at least two bowlers who don’t need a lot of help from the conditions to be a constant threat. Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav.Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets on a flat first-day surface•BCCIKuldeep’s dismissal of Stubbs was probably the highlight of the day, coming off a brilliantly conceived delivery, the first of a new spell. On Indian pitches with lower bounce, Kuldeep attacks the stumps relentlessly. On this surface, though, Kuldeep often hit the sticker of the bat when batters defended him off the front foot. This bounce broadened the possibilities of dismissal, bringing the right-hand batters’ outside edge into play.Stubbs tends to stride forward down the line of leg stump regardless of the line of the ball, with his front leg seldom going across to the off side. From this position, he relies on his reach, hands and head position to do a lot of work.So Kuldeep dangled the ball wide of off stump, well outside Stubbs’ eyeline, and drew his hands fatally towards the ball. It turned a little less than Stubbs probably expected, and KL Rahul caught it at slip. Stubbs was on 49; did the possibility of a pushed single to get to fifty play a role in the dismissal?”No, not at all,” Stubbs said. “To be honest, I’ve faced him quite a few times on his first ball [of a spell], and that was I think the best one he’s bowled. From my angle, it sort of beat me in the drift.”That’s why my hands got away … On a day-one wicket, that’s probably how he’s trying to get you out, but for him to bowl that first ball of his, coming back, I thought it was quite impressive.”A spinner needs to be able to beat batters in the air, as Kuldeep did with his drift away from Stubbs, to be able to threaten wickets constantly on normal day-one pitches. It helps if he can get the ball to turn sharply too, as Kuldeep did with the one that dismissed Ryan Rickelton at the start of the second session, inviting the drive, beating the batter with dip and turn, and finding the edge to the keeper.And Kuldeep has done these things many times when he has bowled on flat or flat-ish surfaces, whether it be his four-for on debut in Dharamsala in 2017, the first-day five-for against England at the same venue last year, or his eight-wicket match haul against West Indies on a slow, low Delhi pitch last month.Ravindra Jadeja drew a false shot from a vigilant Temba Bavuma•Associated Press”We know Kuldeep’s strike rate is phenomenal as it is,” ten Doeschate said. “He’s a wicket-taker and that’s why we’re picking him … But maybe the fact that he sort of gets overspin, and with the red soil and a little bit more pace in the wicket, maybe it was slightly more effective in the conditions today.”I think later on the fingerspinners are going to come into it. But certainly in terms of strategy and how we wanted to set up the first day, it’s a real bonus for him to pick up three wickets and get us a foothold in the game.”A foothold, but there is a long way to go, though India must count themselves in a good position with South Africa 247 for 6. Their anxiety about toss advantage, which has often led them to be suspicious of traditional home pitches, isn’t entirely unfounded; if this pitch begins breaking up early on day two, India will start their first innings in very different conditions.”I don’t think there was any evidence to suggest that it’s deteriorating quite yet,” ten Doeschate said, when asked how the pitch evolved through day one, and what they expect over the next couple of days. “I thought it played really nicely, particularly with the seam bowlers, it didn’t look like they could extract much from length or back of a length. So hopefully it stays in this sort of shape for at least an even amount of period for both teams to sort of cash in on the first-innings scores.”There’s some footmarks and some tiny ball marks, but nothing to suggest it’s dry or cracking at the top. So fingers crossed that it lasts and plays well for the next few days.”India’s efforts with the ball on day one could be making their team management wonder if these pitches may not, after all, suit them better than surfaces like Kolkata’s that weaponise the opposition’s bowlers too.”It’s a really tough one,” ten Doeschate said. “And my personal point of view is that the wicket very rarely determines who wins the game. If we’d played better in Kolkata, I feel we could have won the Test on that surface.”But having said that, you’ve got to introspect and look at recent results. I think these sort of wickets maybe suit us a little bit better. You’ve got to be prepared to fight really hard and this game is going to go deep. And the only thing I would say is maybe the toss becomes even more important in these conditions.”So if you are going to be prepared to lose the toss, you have to put on a display like that today and really fight for every run. Make sure you stay in the game. And at some point the pressure is going to come. It’s just going to come later in this game.”But that’s a very fair question. And yeah, the template for us is probably closer to this than, you know, playing on some of the wickets we have played on.”As big an achievement as it was, then, for India’s bowlers to keep South Africa to 247 for 6 on this pitch, it was perhaps an even bigger one to get a member of their coaching staff to make this statement.

While the draw for the 2026 World Cup took centre-stage on Friday, all eyes were back on club football over the weekend as title races across Europe took yet more twists. The gap at the top of the Premier League has been reduced, which is in contrast to La Liga, where Barcelona stretched their lead over Real Madrid.

Bayern Munich remain in control of the Bundesliga title race, but things remain too close to call in both Serie A and Ligue 1 as we approach the midpoint of the campaign. There were also telling results in both Portugal and Scotland over the past couple of days that could prove key to the destination of the title in their respective top-flights.

But who were the biggest winners and losers of the weekend? GOAL has picked out 10 from around the continent…

Getty ImagesWINNER: Unai Emery

We begin in the Premier League, where despite claims to the contrary, there may be a title race about to break out. Having drawn two of their previous four games, leaders Arsenal suffered just their second league defeat of the campaign on Saturday as they lost out to Aston Villa following Emiliano Buendia's dramatic, stoppage-time strike. The result allowed Manchester City to close to within two points of the Gunners, while Villa themselves are now three points off the summit following a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes.

Following a frustrating summer on the transfer front, there was a concern that Unai Emery's squad had gone a little stale. Villa failed to score in any of their opening four league matches of the campaign, and didn't record their first victory until September 28. That win over Fulham, however, began a run of nine victories in 10 games, with only a defeat at Anfield keeping Villa from a perfect record in that time.

Such a run is testament to the work Emery continues to do at Villa Park. The Spaniard memorably took Villa from the relegation zone to the quarter-finals of the Champions League during his first two years at the club, and if they can maintain their current form for a few months longer, then fans might even start dreaming of making a genuine title challenge. For now, he the ex-Arsenal boss will just be thrilled to have once again got one over his former club, with Emery's record with Villa and Villarreal against the Gunners since departing now read as: Played eight, won four and lost just two.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Mohamed Salah & Liverpool

Liverpool's season has hit various low points already due to their disastrous Premier League title defence, and though they didn't suffer defeat to Leeds United on Saturday, the fallout from the thrilling 3-3 draw at Elland Road has the potential to rock the Merseysiders to their core.

For the third-straight game, Mohamed Salah was named among the substitutes by Arne Slot, and for the second successive time away from home, the 'Egyptian King' wasn't even called upon to make an impact from the bench. Salah, who has been criticised of late for not stepping up and speaking out during Liverpool's poor run, chose this moment to speak to reporters, though his comments rather exacerbated the problem.

"I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season," Salah said. "Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.

"I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they keep the promise. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club."

Salah's comments have been perceived by many as him suggesting that, if things do not change drastically, perhaps with Slot being sacked, then he sees no future for himself at Anfield. With Saudi clubs swirling, Salah's Liverpool exit may well end up being swifter and more upsetting than anyone previously thought possible.

Getty Images SportWINNER: Harry Kane

Salah wasn't the only superstar named among the substitutes on Saturday, but that was where the similarities between his afternoon and that of Harry Kane ended. Kane found himself on the bench for Bayern Munich's trip to Stuttgart, but was introduced after an hour and made sure to make the most of his short time on the pitch, scoring his second hat-trick of the season.

"It's something I'm not used to, but I did it a couple of times this season. The boss (Vincent Kompany) wanted to keep me fresh and save energy," Kane explained following his side's 5-0 win that maintained their eight-point gap at the top of the Bundesliga table. “I came on after 60 minutes with a couple of other guys and we were able to exploit the space and get the goals. We had a tough battle in the cup midweek and today we faced one of the best teams in the league away, but we looked stronger in the last half an hour and punished them."

Kane is now up to 17 goals in 13 league games so far this season, and 28 in 22 across all competitions for a Bayern team who continue to show themselves to be one of the best teams anywhere in Europe, in large part thanks to their outrageously good No.9.

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Getty Images SportWINNER: Ferran Torres

Kane's future is a hot topic in Barcelona right now, with the England captain reportedly on the Blaugrana's radar as they consider how to replace Robert Lewandowski. Ferran Torres, however, is keen to show the Catalan giants that they have their future No.9 already having continued his good recent form with a first-half hat-trick to take down Real Betis on Saturday.

Ferran had secured the match ball by the 40th minute in Seville as his goals helped seal a 5-3 win on the road for Hansi Flick's side, and the Spain international is now Barca's top scorer in all competitions this season with 13 goals to his name, six of which have come in his last four games.

"He is a very intelligent player. He knows how to read spaces very well, and today he did it fantastically," Flick said of Ferran post-match. "His mentality and confidence are excellent. This is the path to follow. He deserves to be in the starting 11. He is always there when he’s needed."

The task for Ferran now is to go from being a player who is 'always there when he's needed' to first choice at Camp Nou, and he will only do that if he is able to maintain consistent form in front of goal. Saturday, then, was a step in the right direction.

Liverpool are reportedly considering leaving Mohamed Salah at home when they travel to Milan for their latest Champions League clash with Inter. Bosses at Anfield are said to be mulling over what to do with the Egyptian superstar following his explosive outburst in which he accused the club of throwing him “under the bus” and admitted to having no relationship with Reds manager Arne Slot.

• Bench duty: Salah named among the substitutes in three successive games

  The comments were made in the wake of a thrilling 3-3 draw at Leeds that saw Salah named among the substitutes for a third successive game. He failed to make it off the bench at Elland Road, with Slot favouring alternative options.

  Salah cut a frustrated figure throughout a disappointing evening in West Yorkshire that saw Liverpool collapse in spectacular fashion – having led 2-0 and 3-2 – to drop more precious Premier League points. Their superstar forward aired his frustration afterwards.

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  Thrown under the bus: What Salah said in stunning rant

  Salah said: “The third time on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I'm very, very disappointed to be fair. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I'm sitting on the bench and I don't know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That's how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am in the bench for three games so I can't say they keep the promise.

  “I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship. I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club. This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much. I will always do. I called my mum yesterday – you guys didn't know if I would start or not, but I knew.

  “Yesterday I said to them, come to the Brighton game [on 13 December]. I don't know if I am going to play or not, but I am going to enjoy it. In my head, I'm going to enjoy that game because I don't know what is going to happen now. I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go to Africa Cup of Nations. I don't know what is going to happen when I am there.”

• Does Salah have a future at Liverpool? Transfer speculation

  The 33-year-old forward went on to say of his situation: “It is not acceptable for me. I don't know why this is happening to me. I don't get it. I think if this was somewhere else, every club would protect its player. How I see it now is like you throw Mo under the bus because he is the problem in the team now. But I don't think I am the problem. I have done so much for this club.

  “After what I have done for the club it really hurts. You can imagine, really. After going from home to the club and you don't know if you are starting. I know the club too well, I have been here many years. Tomorrow [Jamie] Carragher is going to go for me again and again and that's fine.”

  Quizzed on whether he has any future on Merseyside, having signed a two-year contract extension over the summer, Salah said: “I cannot say it is impossible, but from what I feel, I have done so much for the club, I love the fans and the club so much, but I don't know what is going to happen next.”

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  Left at home: Liverpool consider leaving Salah out of Inter clash

  The reports on how Liverpool are now “facing a decision” on Salah and their plans for a European trip to San Siro. The Reds are due to travel to Italy on Monday, with club chiefs “still deciding whether to punish” their superstar No.11. It is added by that Slot still has the club's backing despite this incident and another disappointing result against Leeds.

  The Reds are scheduled to train at 11.45am before flying to Milan. Slot and one first-team player are obliged to speak with the media at 6.30pm UK time. The stunning Salah situation will be addressed during that press conference.

  It may be that a man with 250 goals for Liverpool through 420 games is left behind and does not form part of Slot’s travelling party. He is yet to start a Champions League away game this season. Whoever Slot calls upon against Inter, he needs them to deliver as questions are being asked of his future – a matter of months out from landing the Premier League title – with just one win being secured through the Reds’ last six games in all competitions.

The Tigers are bringing back relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan on a two-year, $19 million contract, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Tuesday night. The contract can max out at $20 million ’s Robert Murray reported.

Detroit acquired Finnegan at the trade deadline this past summer, and proved his worth down the stretch. In 16 game appearances with the Tigers, Finnegan posted a 1.50 ERA with 23 strikeouts, nine hits and three earned runs over 18 innings pitched. He also had four saves and three holds.

He began the 2025 season with the Nationals, for whom he had played his entire MLB career before being traded to the Tigers ahead of the deadline. In 2024, which was his fifth season in Washington, Finnegan was named an All-Star. Finnegan posted a career-high 38 saves that season.

Since 2023, Finnegan has accumulated 90 saves, which is the fifth-most in MLB in that span. Last season, he had 20 saves in Washington before adding the four saves in Detroit, with Will Vest serving as the Tigers’ primary closer.

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Após a goleada para o rival na última rodada do Brasileirão, o elenco do Vasco aproveitou a Data Fifa para treinar visando o próximo confronto contra o Palmeiras. Apesar de ter desfalques, o técnico Álvaro Pacheco poderá contar pela primeira vez com Adson.

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O atacante não participou na última partida por um desconforto muscular, apesar de ter sido poupado, não houve lesão constatada. O jogador tem participado normalmente dos treinos com o elenco durante a semana e poder ser relacionado para enfrentar o Palmeiras no Allianz Parque.

Além de Adson, o técnico argentino também poderá contar com o Cria da base JP. O volante de 19 anos estava a serviço da Seleção Brasileira sub-20 desde a segunda-feira passada, na Granja Comary, e se reapresentou ao Vasco na manhã de domingo (9).

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A volta de JP acontece em momento oportuno. O Cruz-Maltino não poderá contar com Praxedes, que lesionou na partida contra o Flamengo e está sendo tratado pelo Departamento de Saúde e Performance (Desp). O Vasco ainda não divulgou previsão de retorno para o meio-campista.

O Vasco enfrenta o Palmeiras nesta quinta-feira (13), às 21h30 (Brasília), no Allianz Parque, em busca de retomar o caminho de vitórias e superar o momento crise no futebol que se instaurou após a goleada para o Flamengo. O clube carioca está na 14ª posição com seis pontos, enquanto o Verdão ocupa a 7ª posição com 11 pontos.

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The Mariners made the first big splash of MLB free agency on Sunday night, agreeing to a long-term contract that will keep Josh Naylor in the organization for another five seasons.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan provided some further information on the agreement between Naylor and Seattle on Monday, indicating that the contract would be worth a total of $92.5 million. As such, Naylor will collect an annual average value of $18.5 million throughout the course of the deal. The contract does not include any deferred money. Additionally, Naylor’s deal to return the Mariners comes with a full no-trade clause.

The $18.5 million Naylor is due in 2026 would make him the third-highest earner on Seattle’s roster, behind only Luis Castillo ($24.15 million) and Julio Rodríguez ($20.19 million). His $92.5 million deal overtakes Ichiro Suzuki for the eighth richest contract in franchise history. Robinson Canó’s 10-year, $240 million contract still stands as the largest deal ever given to a Mariners player.

It’s a big commitment from the Mariners, but it shows just how highly regarded Naylor has become within the organization since arriving at the trade deadline in a deal with the Diamondbacks. Naylor quickly became a fan favorite in Seattle, and now he’s set to remain with the franchise through the 2030 season.

Last season, in 54 games with the Mariners, Naylor logged a .831 OPS with nine home runs, 33 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.