Clive Madande has replaced the batter, who was released for personal reasons

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2025

Sean Williams has been released from Zimbabwe’s squad for personal reasons•ICC via Getty Images

Sean Williams has been released from the Zimbabwe squad that is currently playing the Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Region Final. The 39-year-old batter was released for personal reasons and Zimbabwe called up Clive Madande as his replacement.Related

Williams in rehab for drug addiction, will not be considered for Zimbabwe selection

Sean Williams has been around the block and then some (but he's not stopping now)

Zimbabwe, who are hosting the tournament, played their opening match on Friday, beating Uganda by five wickets. Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans took three wickets each and Brian Bennett scored a 44-ball 72 in their chase of 153, which they completed with 15 balls remaining. Williams did not feature in the match.Eight teams – Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe – are taking part in the tournament, from which the top two teams will qualify for the T20 World Cup that will be played in India and Sri Lanka in February-March 2026.Zimbabwe squad for T20 World Cup Africa Region FinalSikandar Raza (capt), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tashinga Musekiwa, Tinotenda Maposa, Tony Munyonga, Dion Myers, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Brendan Taylor.

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first against Sri Lanka in the Super Fours match in Abu Dhabi. Both sides come into this game having lost their opening matches in the Super Fours.Pakistan named an unchanged XI. Sri Lanka have brought in Chamika Karunaratne – playing just his third T20I this year – and Maheesh Theekshana, for Dunith Wellalage and Kamil Mishara.Salman Ali Agha said his decision was based on changing things up. He also said there was a definite need to improve how Pakistan finish off their innings.Charith Asalanka said he too would have liked to chase, but was happy to bat first as it looks to be a good pitch. He also said he was happy how Sri Lanka has been playing, but just wants to improve their performances at the death with both the bat and ball.The average chasing total in Abu Dhabi is 183. There should be some swing early on, though not much assistance for spin.Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Agha (capt.), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Haris (wk), Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar AhmedSri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (capt), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara

The teams have built a rivalry that’s given the IPL some of its strangest finishes and most replayed highlights

Varun Shetty02-May-2025Openers and Ashwin drub RCB
IPL 2011, final, ChepaukThe only final between these two teams was one-sided. CSK’s openers Michael Hussey (63 off 45) and M Vijay (95 off 52) took them to 205. Chris Gayle was the one threat to the total, but MS Dhoni bowled R Ashwin to him first up, and the ploy worked. RCB’s innings never took off and they lost by 58 runs. CSK lifted the trophy for the second straight year.CSK celebrate their title win in 2011•Associated PressMorkel takes Kohli down
IPL 2012, ChepaukCSK needed 43 off two overs when, lacking options, RCB captain Daniel Vettori chucked the ball to Virat Kohli for the 19th. Albie Morkel smashed him for 4, 6, 4, 6, 2, 6 to leave 15 to win off the 20th. Vinay Kumar dismissed Morkel, but after a couple of Dwayne Bravo blows, it came down to three to win off the last ball. Ravindra Jadeja edged Vinay Kumar for a boundary to complete the heist.RP Singh blows it
IPL 2013, ChepaukKohli had begun to celebrate when Ravindra Jadeja edged the final ball, bowled by RP Singh, straight to deep third only to see that the umpire had called a front-foot no ball. CSK needed two off the final ball and managed to run one while the ball was in the air, giving them the win. Singh had 16 to defend in the final over and came back strong after Jadeja took 10 off the first two. But he overstepped on the final ball to leave Kohli fuming.Ravindra Jadeja completes the winning run while umpire Anil Chaudhary signals a no-ball•BCCIRCB survive Dhoni epic
IPL 2019, ChinnaswamyChasing 162, CSK sunk to 28 for 4 in 5.5 overs. Dhoni steadied the ship even as more wickets fell around him. He began his acceleration in the 16th over and, in typical Dhoni style, took it to the last over. CSK needed 26 off Umesh Yadav. Dhoni went 4, 6, 6, 2, 6 to leave two to get off one. But he missed the last ball, and Parthiv Patel hit the stumps direct from behind to give RCB the win. Dhoni finished with 84* off 42 balls.RCB’s biggest moment
IPL 2024, ChinnaswamyCSK weren’t winning the game, but with Dhoni at the crease, playoff qualification prospects were alive with 17 needed in the final over. Dhoni had already smashed a massive six off the first ball, but Dayal’s back-of-the-hand slower one had him caught next ball. The magic seemed to leave with him. With 10 needed off 2 balls to qualify, the stage was still set for a CSK heist. But Dayal held his nerve against Jadeja. The win completed RCB’s remarkable six-match winning streak and sealed their place in the playoffs.

Long gone are the days when Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah would tear the Premier League to shreds at Liverpool.

Staggeringly, from 197 games together at Anfield, the long-feared trio would combine for a devastating 338 goals, with Virgil Van Dijk once describing them together in action as a “scary” prospect to defend against.

Now, it’s very much a work in progress in attack for Arne Slot’s men, with both Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz remaining goalless in Premier League action since joining.

On top of that, fellow summer recruit Hugo Ekitike has largely blown hot and cold on Merseyside, with no league strikes next to his name from his last five clashes.

Last summer also saw a lot of change in attack in outgoings, with the wasteful Darwin Nunez finally put out of his Anfield misery. But, away from the heavily scapegoated South American, the Reds also waved goodbye to loyal servant Luis Diaz, who is now excelling at Bayern Munich, to Liverpool’s ongoing distaste.

Diaz's electric form at Bayern

Next to the memorable frustrations regularly served up by Nunez, Diaz’s starring role at Liverpool when he was still there could be viewed as slipping under the radar, somewhat.

Yet, Diaz was still labelled as a “very special” talent at Anfield by Jurgen Klopp for good reason, with the one-time Premier League title winner collecting a standout 41 goals and 23 assists from 148 appearances at Anfield.

Before he was moved on to the Bundesliga, he also chipped in with his most fruitful top-flight season in England, tallying up 13 goals.

That same clinical edge has clearly followed him to Bavaria, with Diaz already up to a bumper 11 goals and five assists in his new shade of red from just 17 clashes.

Worryingly, Isak, Wirtz, and Ekitike only have 11 goal contributions between them back in England, with the Colombian winger proving to be a stroke of genius signing for Vincent Kompany’s men at the £65.5m range.

To add insult to injury, all three of those Liverpool underperformers mentioned cost far more to obtain, with the 28-year-old already being hailed as a star who “delivers week in, week out” by his new manager.

Thankfully, Slot and Co could be brewing a homegrown iteration of their former attacker.

Liverpool's homegrown Luis Diaz

One of Diaz’s strong points when still situated at Anfield was his ability to line up all along the forward positions, with the malleable Colombian managing to bag eight strikes from 16 appearances as an out-and-out centre-forward, away from regularly completing his duties as a left winger.

The Reds have plenty of exciting young stars in their academy right now, chiefly fellow winger Rio Ngumoha but he’s not the focus this time around.

Indeed, another teenager by the name of Keyrol Figueroa is now beginning to make a strong impression on the youth staff.

Like Diaz, he has interchanged between wing and striker duties for Liverpool U21s this season effortlessly, with his “instinctive” nature in front of goal – as it was described by Liverpool academy reporter Lewis Bower – also seeing him score goals and pick up assists aplenty.

Figueroa’s numbers at Liverpool
Position	Games	Goals + Assists
CF	20	8 + 3
RW	6	3 + 2
LW	2	1 + 0
RM	1	0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

While he has predominantly found most of his joy on youth pitches comes from leading the line, with a clinical eight goals powered home from 20 games in that role, Figueroa has also not looked out of place whatsoever on either flank, much like Diaz in his Anfield prime. To put those numbers into perspective, it’s more goals than Ngumoha has bagged at the same level, having beaten the goalkeeper on just two occasions in nine U21 fixtures.

He will also want to give a disappointing Isak a run for his money down the line, with a deadly hat-trick bagged against Everton U21s last month no doubt making him an even more popular figure in youth circles in the red half of Merseyside, away from being an adaptable figure.

It would be wild to throw Figueroa into the first team imminently, considering he is just 19 years of age and is only used to the comforts of youth football.

But, if he continues as he is now, it will surely only be a matter of time before he is unleashed, having also been described as a “ruthless” finisher of chances by his U21 boss in Rob Page.

Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp also hailed Diaz as having a similarly impressive “eye for goal” during his Liverpool playing days, as Slot and Co now hope Figueroa can be as lively in the first team picture as the Colombian down the line.

New Trent: Liverpool star is "one of the most underrated players in England"

Slot could find a shrewd solution to Liverpool’s problems in this talent.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 17, 2025

European champions Spain have all-but qualified for next summer's World Cup after crushing Georgia 4-0 on Saturday evening. Two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and strikes from Martin Zubimendi and Ferran Torres saw Luis de la Fuente's side maintain their 100 per cent record in Group E, on an evening when second-placed Turkey also defeated Bulgaria 2-0.

Controlling possession from the get-go, Spain – without star forward Lamine Yamal and defender Dean Huijsen through injury – were awarded an early penalty when Georgia defender Giorgi Gocholeishvili was adjudged to have handled Torres’ cross by VAR. On his 50th cap for La Roja, Real Sociedad striker Oyarzabal subsequently stepped up to send Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili the wrong way.

And after midfielder Alex Baena hit the post, Spain soon made it 2-0 when Zubimendi latched onto Fabian Ruiz’s lovely through ball to dink the ball home. Completing what was a dominant opening 45 minutes, De la Fuente’s men made it 3-0 when Torres tapped home from Oyarzabal’s low cross.

Looking for an early reply in the second half, Georgia carved out a decent chance when midfielder Anzor Mekvabishvili stung the palms of Spain shot-stopper Unai Simon with a long-range effort. But the visitors soon extended their lead when Oyarzabal headed home from Torres’ lovely cross. 

Pushing and probing for a fifth which did not arrive, Spain saw out a comprehensive victory which all-but seals their spot at the World Cup, with next week’s opponents Turkey highly unlikely to overturn their 14-goal deficit when the two sides meet on Tuesday.

GOAL rates Spain's players from Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Unai Simon (6/10):

  Wearing the captain's armband on a fruitful night for his country, the Athletic Club goalkeeper had little to do.

  Pedro Porro (6/10):

  Looked destined to record an assist when Oyarzabal met his delightful cross but the forward was denied by Georgia 'keeper Mamardashvili. Replaced at half-time by Marcos Llorente.

  Pau Cubarsi (6/10):

  Handed a start following Huijsen's absence, the Barcelona youngster was cool and calm in possession.

  Aymeric Laporte (7/10):

  Like Cubarsi, the centre-back was comfortable on the ball, helping Spain build from the back.

  Marc Cucurella (7/10):

  As you would expect, he was tenacious without the ball, pressing high to stop Georgia's would-be attacks at source.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Mikel Merino (6/10):

  Neat and tidy on the ball, he was unable to add to his six goals in qualifying, despite Spain's dominance.

  Martin Zubimendi (8/10):

  Instrumental in both defence and attack, the Arsenal ace doubled Spain's lead with a beautiful dinked finish.

  Fabian Ruiz (7/10):

  Brilliant as always at reading the game, the midfielder registered the assist for Zubimendi's goal thanks to a crisp through ball.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Ferran Torres (8/10):

  After winning the penalty which brought about Spain's opener, the Barcelona forward soon got on the scoresheet himself, latching onto Oyarzabal's cross to tap home. He then returned the favour by playing in the cross for the Sociedad legend's header.

  Mikel Oyazarbal (9/10):

  Marked his 50th appearance for La Roja with a coolly-converted penalty, before teeing up Torres for Spain's third. He then rounded off an impressive display with a fantastic header in the second half.

  Alex Baena (7/10):

  Injecting plenty of guile into Spain's play going forward, the midfielder hit the post before getting a pre-assist for Torres' strike.

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• AFP
  

  Subs & Manager

  Marcos Llorente (7/10):

  Replacing Pedro Porro at half-time, the Atletico Madrid man was solid defensively, making a crucial clearance late on to ensure Spain are yet to concede in qualifying.

  Fermin Lopez (7/10):

  Introduced just after the hour mark, he was involved in the build-up to Spain's fourth, playing in Torres with a cute pass.

  Pablo Barrios (6/10):

  A second-half substitute, the midfielder didn't put a foot wrong in a low-key performance.

  Borja Iglesias (5/10):

  Replacing man-of-the-match Oyarzabal, he passed up a golden opportunity to score late on, blazing over from close range.

  Yeremy Pino (N/A):

  Unable to make an impact as a late substitute.

  Luis de la Fuente (7/10):

  His pre-match team talk certainly worked as Spain were rampant in the opening 45 minutes. His substitutions were good, too, maintaining his side's dominance over proceedings.

Bouchier, Kemp top-score with 31 before Davies, Tyson defend below-par target of 102

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-Sep-2025Freya Davies and Bex Tyson starred with the ball as leaders Hampshire defended a total of 101 to win by four runs in a game reduced to 17 overs-a-side by rain at Chelmsford.Davies returned figures of 2 for 15 and Tyson 2-20 in a heroic fielding effort by the visitors which meant Essex fell short of a target of 102, finishing 97 for 6, Sophie Munro top-scoring with an unbeaten 28.Earlier, Maia Bouchier and Freya Kemp both made 31 before the visitors crumbled from 59 for 1 to what looked an under par 101 for 7, Esmae MacGregor was the pick of the home attack with 2 for 17.It was no surprise Grace Scrivens chose to bowl first when play finally began at 3:30pm, MacGregor soon backing up her captain’s decision by castling Rhianna Southby, but ecstasy turned to agony for the Scottish seamer in her next over when Bouchier struck a glorious straight six.At the other end Kemp reverse lapped Abtaha Maqsood for three before dispatching Munro to the fence twice in three balls. The stand reached 49 before MacGregor switched ends to have Bouchier caught at mid-off as part of a wicket maiden to signal the start of the collapse.Kemp cracked Scrivens square for four only to fall later in the same over trying to cut one too close to her before Maqsood accounted for Abi Norgrove. Eva Gray and Jo Gardner combined brilliantly to run out Nancy Harman and the slump continued as Naomi Dattani holed out in the deep.Skipper Georgia Adams, dropped on one by Scrivens struggled to find any fluency in the death overs as the visitors closed on 101 for 7.Essex stumbled out the blocks with Scrivens chewing up 12 balls for two before skying Daisy Gibb to Bouchier at mid-on. Jo Gardner, promoted to open produced a solitary boundary as the rate climbed above 7.Pressure told as Gardner lofted Adams to Bouchier at deep mid-on and Jodie Grewcock perished to an even better grab by Dattani out on the fence from the bowling of Tyson.Gray’s promotion up the order came to nothing as she perished trying to clear the ropes and as Hampshire continued to apply the squeeze, Sophia Smale’s attempts to get creative floundered as she too holed out attempting an ambitious switch-hit.Flo Miller, dropped on 10 scored the first boundary in 61 balls and Munro caught the mood with two in one over from Mary Taylor leaving 27 needed from the final three overs.Dattani was similarly carted to the fence, but Davies returned to trap Miller lbw and though Munro kept things interesting 14 from the last over proved too many.

If Leeds United end up getting rid of an under-fire Daniel Farke in the near future, they will need to heed a lesson of years gone by.

As was seen after Marcelo Bielsa’s exit – who lifted the Championship title aloft much like the German – the grass isn’t always greener when you dismiss an under-pressure manager in the Premier League.

Indeed, a flurry of managers in the form of Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce all didn’t work, which culminated in relegation.

The West Yorkshire giants would then land Farke to pick up the pieces, but even he will know he is on thin ice now regarding his job security, with four defeats picked up in the Premier League from his last five league clashes.

Leeds hang just one point above the dreaded drop zone, with Farke’s atrocious record in the top division of just nine wins from 60 matches, not doing a lot to raise spirits.

He hasn’t been helped, arguably, by some unconvincing transfers coming through the door in the summer, with Leeds splashing out £98m on some hit-and-miss purchases.

Where Perri ranks among Leeds' recent signings

The West Yorkshire outfit’s spending power was somewhat pushed to the background when weighed up next to fellow promoted side Sunderland, who sit eight points better off than Leeds, owing to £162m being forked out.

Still, Leeds have managed to steal some headlines with their own notable business, with Noah Okafor already two goals down donning his new white strip, after leaving AC Milan behind for a fresh adventure in the Premier League.

In much the same vein as Sunderland landed Premier League experience centrally with Granit Xhaka, Leeds also went down the shrewd, top-flight-calibre route themselves when acquiring Sean Longstaff’s services, with journalist Daniel Storey even going as far as to hail the capture of the Newcastle-born star for just £12m as “one of the best signings in the Premier League”.

Unfortunately, though, as Leeds have grown accustomed to over recent years when landing duds such as Luis Sinisterra and Rasmus Kristensen, they have also fallen victim to some underwhelming signings from the summer just gone, with Lucas Perri – in particular – sticking out as a costly blunder already in between the sticks.

Even the most casual observer of the Championship last season would have known that Leeds were far from satisfied with the amount of errors Illan Meslier was making in goal, during a crunch promotion run-in, with pundit Adrian Clarke stating last season that the error-prone Frenchman “has to go” if Premier League action was back on the menu.

The Championship title-winners listened to Clarke’s advice, with all signs pointing in the direction that picking up Meslier’s replacement in Perri for £13.9m from Lyon was a smart use of money, considering Meslier’s fellow compatriot had an encouraging ten Ligue 1 clean sheets under his belt when making the switch to England.

Games played

6

Goals conceded

12

Goals conceded*

2.0

Saves

12

Touches*

43.7

Accurate passes*

20.5 (58%)

Clean sheets

2

Unfortunately, though, under the intense heat of being near the foot of the Premier League, Perri has largely crumbled, with moments of “superb” goalkeeping, for which he was praised by journalist Graham Smyth after clawing away a goal-bound effort against Nottingham Forest, often then met with moments of Meslier-like indecision.

Consequently, Perri has now let in a concerning 12 strikes from six Premier League games, among other worrying numbers, with the outstanding ‘keeper they thought they’d obtained from Lyon yet to come to the forefront.

Purchased for a steep £13.9m, this is an almighty concern that he doesn’t look all that much of a notable upgrade on his former Lorient counterpart, with former Leeds player Jon Newsome even coming out after the crushing 3-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest to state that Perri looks like a “waste of funds”.

Journalist Adonis Storr has also been openly critical of Perri by stating that he always “parries straight to opponents”, which led the Tricky Trees to have a field day against the ropey Brazilian.

If Perri remains this unconvincing in goal in the long run, Leeds will find it hard to beat the drop, with one of his defensive teammates at the City Ground also in with a worrying shout to be one of the Whites’ worst bits of business from their recent bumpy Premier League history.

Leeds dud fast becoming one of their worst signings

In Perri’s defence, at least he has two clean sheets next to his name to have something to smile about.

On the contrary, fellow summer arrival Jaka Bijol is yet to collect a Premier League clean sheet from his limited opportunities in Farke’s first team mix, having been branded as “monstrous” centre-back by Como scout Ben Mattinson when plying his trade for Udinese.

Winning 4.8 duels won on average last season per Serie A clash, the hope would have been that Bijol would instantly get up to speed with the high intensity of the Premier League and be the gritty warrior Leeds need to comfortably survive.

After all, he cost even more than Perri to obtain at the £15m mark, with only Anton Stach and the aforementioned Okafor costing more this summer at £17.4m and £18m, respectively.

While Stach has that sweetly struck free-kick against Wolverhampton Wanderers to hold onto, and his Swiss counterpart has those two Premier League strikes also in his favour, Bijol’s start to life in England has been strangely stop-start.

Indeed, the Slovenian centre-back has only managed to line up for three Premier League clashes to date this season, with many wondering whether Leeds had made an almighty error splashing the cash on Bijol, only for him to warm the substitutes bench behind Pascal Struijk.

However, Farke might well have been better placed to leave the shoddy number 15 on the bench for the foreseeable future, when analysing his disastrous Premier League appearances so far, as Bijol was caught ball-watching for Forest’s decisive match-winner on Sunday afternoon.

Perri is hardly loving life under scrutiny at Elland Road, knowing he now has an out-of-sorts Bijol in front of him, with Leeds last keeping a clean sheet in league action when Struijk partnered Joe Rodon, and the Slovenian was left rooted to the bench.

Minutes played

90

82

Goals conceded

3

3

Touches

89

79

Accurate passes

81/86 (94%)

65/71 (92%)

Tackles won

0/0

1/1

Interceptions

0

1

Clearances

3

4

Blocked shots

0

0

Ball recoveries

6

1

Total duels won

1/3

4/6

At their current rate, with 20 goals already leaked, Leeds could be on their way to conceding even more goals than the 78 strikes they gave up during the 2022/23 season when relegation was on the cards.

That same season, Leeds had to put up with a weak Robin Koch in defence, who once cost £12m from Freiburg in another shambolic defensive purchase.

At his current downward slope, Bijol is likely to be remembered more for being a Koch-like blunder than a bright spark like Okafor, with the Slovenian having to buck his ideas up soon, or be viewed as £18m that was rashly chucked away.

Thankfully, he does have time on his side to rewrite his Leeds narrative, as Perri and Bijol hope the slide can be eventually arrested, with or without the manager that brought them to this country remaining in the dug-out.

Fewer touches than Perri: Farke must ditch Leeds flop who's Meslier 2.0

Daniel Farke has a new Illan Meslier figure to worry about at Leeds United.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 10, 2025

A taint on Liverpool’s season has become turmoil. One loss became two became three. Now, Arne Slot’s champions are in dire straits, having lost five of their past six games in the Premier League.

This is a crisis, of course, with the Reds such a far cry from last season’s quality that not even an echo of that thrilling form can be found in this current crop. But then the season is still young, and there is a good chance that Slot, hailed as a “genius” and a “football scientist” by journalist Marcel van der Kraan last year, will find a solution.

But that solution needs to come quickly, with the expensive new signings all flattering to deceive, bar Hugo Ekitike and perhaps goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, solid if unspectacular in recent weeks as Alisson recovers from injury.

There was always going to be a period of integration, but this has gone beyond that. And, sadly, it feels like the Anfield side are missing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Why Liverpool miss Alexander-Arnold

Not for a long time have Liverpool seen a star depart in such bitter circumstances. Alexander-Arnold was the hometown poster boy, instrumental in so much success under Jurgen Klopp’s wing.

But the whispers of his departure had started long before he left for Real Madrid at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, his contract about to expire and Real Madrid paying an £8m premium to free him early and add him to the Club World Cup squad over the pond.

Booed by segments at Anfield after the confirmation of his switch to Spain, Alexander-Arnold is no longer considered Merseyside’s Gerrard-esque superstar, even if he leaves a glittering legacy at his boyhood club.

But away from the emotion, Liverpool have missed their one-of-a-kind defender’s creativity. Jamie Carragher once said Trent’s range of passing was like “having Kevin De Bruyne playing at right-back”, with vision and accuracy on the ball that most could only dream of.

Indeed, no defender in the Premier League has racked up more assists than the 26-year-old, and with him having played fewer matches than all just below him.

1

Trent Alexander-Arnold

64

2

Andy Robertson

60

3

Leighton Baines

53

4

Graeme Le Saux

44

5

Kieran Trippier

38

As the English top flight undergoes something of a cultural and tactical shift, with long throws and low blocks and direct play all the rage once more, Slot’s Liverpool have toiled away and fallen by the wayside.

Trent’s passing would be quite the tonic right now. As per FBref, the Three Lions man ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 5% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for assists made per 90.

But there’s no use crying over spilt milk – or sold starboys, for that matter. Slot needs to find a solution, and he might just have one in another city-born talent.

Liverpool's new version of Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool have signed a new creative superstar in Florian Wirtz. The German hasn’t clicked yet, but his generational quality suggests there is a propitious future awaiting the attacking midfielder.

However, Wirtz isn’t the player in question here. Instead, Curtis Jones is quietly producing progressive playmaking performances under Slot’s management and must now be utilised in a more important role to help turn the tide that has swept the club’s title ambitions away over the past few months.

Jones is Liverpool’s leading academy graduate now that Alexander-Arnold has up and left. The versatile centre-midfielder has racked up 193 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 19 goals and providing 23 assists.

He never quite nailed down a role of significance in Klopp’s team, and while he played his part for Slot last year, Jones has been somewhat on the backbench since the summer, certainly in the Premier League.

In any case, Jones spoke at the start of the Dutch coach’s tenure of his admiration and excitement, feeling his ball-playing skill lends itself to success in Slot’s system.

With Liverpool struggling for control and focused creativity, might Jones be the answer? From limited match action this term, he has proven himself an interesting solution and must be handed a string of starts, especially with Alexis Mac Allister having drifted so far from his usual level.

There’s no question that Jones has become more progressive with his passing since Slot replaced Klopp. In fact, DataMB revealed earlier this week that the England international’s 17.82 progressive passes per game this season trumps every other Premier League midfielder, and that having recorded the highest pass completion rate (91.01%) besides.

He’s only started two league matches this season, featuring nine times in total, but the 24-year-old has also won 65% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

It’s no wonder that one Premier League analyst hailed him as “one of the most underrated players in England”, not necessarily the flashiest, but an industrious and dynamic player who is now adding layers.

This has always been Jones’ skillset, but now, he is starting to evolve into a forward-thinking player, shaking off that ‘conservative’ tag. Sideways passes and a play-it-safe attitude have been, unfairly, regular criticisms of his game.

Liverpool need to see positive change over the coming weeks. Eighth in the Premier League and struggling for any semblance of fluency and confidence, Jones could provide a shrewd answer, combining with those around him, shoring up the defence and rethreading the attacking patterns that have frayed and split this year.

The new Diaz: Liverpool preparing club-record bid for "magical" Salah heir

Liverpool are facing the truth that they will need to start drawing plans to replace the great Mohamed Salah on the right wing.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 15, 2025

Nottinghamshire offspinner made history on debut and, at age of 17, has further ambitions to fulfil

Vithushan Ehantharajah03-Apr-2025It comes as no surprise to hear that Farhan Ahmed’s favourite bowler is Nathan Lyon. The offspinner grew up watching videos of Lyon on YouTube, and spent this winter consuming as much as he could live, particularly during the five Tests of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Ahmed, like the Australian, is a twirler who is tall in his action, coming over the top of the ball to impart more overspin than your traditional “doorknob” offie.Modelling yourself on a bowler who has 553 Test wickets can only be a good thing. But Farhan aimed to go one better last season by trying to meet the man himself. With Lyon playing in Lancashire’s County Championship campaign through to July, the 17-year old spotted that his club Nottinghamshire would come up against him twice.Through restrictions imposed by Cricket Australia, Lyon sat out the first meeting at Trent Bridge, but that meant he would definitely play in the return fixture. Farhan circled that as the chance to finally meet his idol. Alas, life got in the way in the form of a Mathematics exam.”I was going to, and then I had a GCSE exam that week,” Ahmed recalls, still a little disappointed. “Notts played Lancashire in Southport and that was his last game. He didn’t play at Trent Bridge. I didn’t get to catch up with him.”I’ve watched Nathan Lyon bowl so much and he’s the offspinner that I always look up to. I see how threatening he is from around the wicket on a first day of a Champo game when it’s not spinning. You’re always looking at how to get the guy out and I worked on it quite a bit last year: changing the angle up and it’s helped me so much already.”Farhan continued his development on an impressive Under-19s tour of South Africa•Gallo ImagesHe ended up getting a 6 in Maths – a B in old money – and further studies will get in the way of his 2025 plans on a cricket field. But as you can tell by how he talks about the game, and the 25 wickets he took at 23.92 in his opening five first-class appearances last year, time in the classroom won’t stymie the progress of one of the most exciting youngsters in English cricket.Farhan’s name has been doing the rounds for a while, around the same time the precociousness of his brother, Rehan (three years older) was talked up ahead of a surprise Test debut at the end of 2022. That Farhan is an orthodox fingerspinner and Rehan a legspinner is no accident, by the way.”Dad said: ‘Rehan’s going to be a leggie so you’re going to be the offie, that’s how you’re going to play in the same team in the future – you can’t be two leggies and one misses out. I want you all to play together in the same team’.Farhan beams when talking about Rehan, who now has 11 England caps across all formats. “I’ve always said that he’s a role model. We live together and we eat together and everything. He’s already a role model that I’ll always look up to.”Two years after Rehan became the youngest man to play Test cricket for England against Pakistan (where their father, Naheem, was born), and then the youngest to take a five-wicket haul on debut, in the second innings at Karachi, Farhan emulated big bro with his own pair of red-ball records.In his maiden County Championship appearance last August against eventual champions Surrey, Farhan’s 7 for 140 in the first innings put him in the books as the youngest to take five or more in a first-class match in Britain. With three more wickets in the second, he dislodged WG Grace after 159 years as the youngest to take 10 or more in a first-class match on these shores.Farhan’s dream is to play alongside his elder brother Rehan for England•Getty Images”Last summer was a very important summer for me, I felt,” he says. “I thought it was very good and I was very grateful to break into the team. Especially in the Champo, I didn’t expect that.”I thought I was going to be involved in the Metro stuff (One-Day Cup) and trying to get involved in that was basically the main aim for last year.”I don’t like to look too far ahead, I try to live in the moment. [This season] For me, it’s trying to play as many Champo games as I can, hopefully perform well and see where that takes me.”The winter was spent honing his craft with the England U19s in South Africa. Further success included 11 dismissals across the two Youth Tests and four more in the 50-over leg in which he was the team’s most misery bowler, with an economy rate of 3.59. As well as working on his batting – he has the capacity to be a handy lower-order batter – he had the opportunity to work with another hero, Graeme Swann. Mentality formed a key part of their discussions.”Swanny’s been very good. He’s always helped me in whichever way. The main thing with Swanny is he’s in the wicket-taking mindset.”It’s not like if he gets hit for a six, he’d go defensive. It’s always coming back. I’ve worked with Swanny more tactically, the different fields and stuff like that.”What sets Farhan apart from his peers – and spinners a few generations above – is his unerring accuracy. Developmentally, he is ahead of the curve. But he has stock deliveries to fine-tune and, taking inspiration from Saqlain Mushtaq – perhaps the first exponent of the “doosra”, which turns away from off stump – tricks to hone.”I’d say at the moment I’m consistent with bowling different balls,” he says. “I think, over time, it’s just about working out what sort of pitch I need to bowl what kind of spin. I reckon that will come over time and with experience, hopefully.Related

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“I’ve got one coming,” he says of a doosra-like variation. “It’s been on display in the 19s, it’s just about bringing it over to the Champo. I reckon it will take three or four months and hopefully it will come out. It’s just the pace and the consistency of it.”Farhan carries a refreshingly practical outlook for what lies ahead this summer. At 17, he would be forgiven for wanting it all right now. But he appreciates Liam Patterson-White and Calvin Harrison have their own claims to the No.1 spinner spot at Nottinghamshire. Nevertheless, he has formulated early-season plans, even at his home ground, which is hardly spin-friendly.”Let’s talk about the start of April: I reckon you get more natural variation and once you have the shape on it and the overspin. I don’t know if it’s going to spin, so the batter will have no clue himself how much it’s going to turn,” he says. “If it goes straight then he’s already in two minds. In the early season, there’s not much going for you with the weather conditions. Any advantage you get, like bounce, can help quite a bit.”It’s always something as a professional cricketer you have to adapt to. You shouldn’t just think spinners can’t play at Trent Bridge because they always can, and they can always perform here as well. Especially on a green wicket, where they say the seamers get the wickets… but the spinner comes on. If it’s going to turn or not, the batsman’s already in two minds.”Having started his first-class and List A careers in 2024, Farhan is angling for a chance to make his T20 bow with Notts Outlaws. Wherever they come, he just wants more first-team cricket on merit.His long-term aims are just as clear. And it is not just playing for England but realising his dad’s dream of representing his country alongside Rehan. Such is his ambition, he throws eldest brother, Raheem, into the mix – a 21-year-old batter currently unattached, who will trial for Notts and other counties this summer in search of a professional contract.”It’s definitely the pinnacle and the end-goal,” Farhan says of a potential family affair at international level. “Hopefully that comes and we keep doing it for a while. Plus, there’s my older brother Raheem to come and do that as well. All three of us – we dream!”

حقق برشلونة انتصاره الأخير يوم الثلاثاء الماضي ضد أتلتيكو مدريد على ملعب الكامب نو في الدوري الاسباني، ولم تكن سعادة جماهيره قد اقتصرت على هذه النتيجة المهمة فقط.

واستعاد برشلونة خدمات نجمه البرازيلي رافينها الذي قدم أداءً رائعاً منذ دخوله بديلًا ضد تشيلسي، وكان من أبرز اللاعبين في فوز البلوجرانا على أتلتيكو مدريد.

وعثر برشلونة على إيقاعه بفضل عودة رافينها لصفوفه، ومع ذلك فقد انتشرت تكهنات حول مستقبل الجناح البرازيلي في ملعب الكامب نو.

وبحسب “راديو كتالونيا” فقد تلقى نجم برشلونة والمنتخب البرازيلي رافينها عروضاً من المملكة العربية السعودية.

اقرأ أيضاً.. لاعب فرنسا السابق: برشلونة يبالغ في الاعتماد على يامال .. وفوزه بدوري الأبطال “مستحيل”

وتسعى المملكة العربية السعودية للحصول على خدمات رافينها وقدمت له عروضًا مغرية ومبالغ مالية طائلة، وترغب بتحويله لأحد أبرز لاعبي دوري روشن.

وعلى الرغم من أن رافينها لا يفكر في مغادرة برشلونة إلا أن هذا العرض المغري كفيل بإثارة إعجاب أي لاعب، بعد أن اتبعت المملكة العربية السعودية نفس التكتيك مع مواطنه فينيسيوس جونيور في ريال مدريد ولكنهم لم يقنعوه بعد بالانتقال.

وفي الوقت الذي لا ينوي فيه رافينها مغادرة برشلونة في المستقبل القريب، فإن النجم البرازيلي لن يتخذ قراره النهائي إلا بعد نهاية كأس العالم 2026.

وينتهي عقد رافينها مع برشلونة في عام 2028، ومع ذلك فإن النادي أمامه متسع من الوقت لتمديد بقائه في ملعب الكامب نو وتوقيع عقد جديد طويل الأمد.