Tag Futebol

Football might have come to a brief stop, but there is no rest for the wicked, and Arsenal have a potentially era-defining few months ahead of them.

To ensure they get over the line in the Premier League next season, Mikel Arteta and new Sporting Director Andrea Berta need to nail their transfer dealings, and if they can bring in Rodrygo, that’d be an excellent start.

The Real Madrid superstar has been linked with a £85m move to the Emirates on multiple occasions over the last few weeks, and the combination of his outlandish ability and stature in the game makes him someone who could really move the needle in the Gunners’ favour next year.

However, if recent reports are to be believed, the North Londoners could now be closing in on another attacking talent who’d be an even more exciting signing than the Brazilian international.

Arsenal transfer news

Given Arsenal’s position in English football and how close they seem to be to glory, it’s hardly been a surprise to see them linked with a plethora of incredibly exciting players in recent weeks, such as Bradley Barcola and Takefusa Kubo.

Transfer Focus

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

The former could cost the club a whopping £101m this summer, which might be an eyewatering sum of money, but it might also be fair enough, as in 58 games for Paris Saint-Germain this season, he scored 21 goals and provided 19 assists.

Kubo would be a far cheaper option at around £50m, but he’s not been anywhere near as prolific as the Frenchman, racking up a reasonable but unspectacular haul of seven goals and four assists in 52 games.

However, while a wide player would be a welcome addition to the club, Arteta and Co’s priority has to be a new number nine, someone like Benjamin Sesko.

Fortunately, a recent report from Caught Offside has claimed that Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Slovenian striker.

In fact, on top of confirming that Berta has already held direct talks with RB Leipzig, the report has revealed that the Gunners are now among the frontrunners for the player, alongside London rivals Chelsea.

However, it won’t be a cheap deal complete; the report states that Leipzig want €80m for their star attacker, which is around £68m, and a fee Arsenal should pay, as not only would Sesko be an incredible signing, but a more exciting one than Rodrygo as well.

Why Sesko would be more exciting than Rodrygo

So the first thing to say is that Rodrygo would, in fact, be an incredibly exciting signing for Arsenal to make this summer. After all, he’s a Champions League and La Liga-winning winger who knows how to score a goal or two.

However, for our money, the “instinctive” Sesko, as dubbed by journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor, would be just that bit more exciting, and there are several reasons why.

The first is that, in signing him, Arteta and Co will finally be addressing the club’s longstanding need for an out-and-out striker, and more than that, he’d be coming in with a proven track record of scoring goals and providing assists.

For example, in the 22/23 campaign, he scored 18 goals and provided four assists in 41 appearances; last season, the Slovenian international scored 18 goals and provided two assists in 42 appearances, and then this year, the Leipzig star was able to rack up an impressive haul of 21 goals and six assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3258 minutes.

In other words, the Radeče-born “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, averaged a goal involvement every 1.66 games, or every 120.66 minutes this season.

Sesko vs Rodrygo 24/25
Player	Sesko	Rodrygo
Appearances	45	50
Minutes	3258′	3290′
Goals	21	13
Assists	6	10
Goal Involvements per Match	0.6	0.46
Minutes per Goal Involvement	120.66′	143.04′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In contrast, the Real Madrid star scored 13 goals and provided ten assists in 50 appearances, totalling 3290 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.17 games, or every 143.04 minutes, in a far better team.

Finally, on top of his current ability in front of goal, the former Salzburg gem has received some rave reviews from scouts and analysts, with the respected EBL claiming he “has the potential to become the best #9 in the world” – which is also what makes him that bit more appealing than Viktor Gyokeres, another of the more heavily linked strikers in recent weeks.

He argues that this is down to the combination of him being “a 6’4 speed demon” who is “unstoppable in transition” and the fact “he can dribble”, all while also being “an elite ball-striker.”

That might sound hyperbolic, but a few of these strengths are on show in this goal, with him using his acceleration and mighty left foot – and you only need to look through some of his other goals to see his immense technical ability.

Ultimately, Arsenal need more than one attacking signing this summer, but from his goal tally this season to his potential and technical ability, Sesko would be the club’s most exciting addition.

Mega Martinelli upgrade: Arsenal eyeing £101m star with "devastating pace"

The sensational talent would be a real needle-mover for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 2, 2025

Fair to say, it has been a very forgettable season for West Ham United.

The Hammers are currently 15th in the table, a major downturn following three top-half finishes in four years, while they’ve enjoyed just five home wins, their lowest tally since being relegated in 2010/11.

The Irons could improve that tally in their final home match of the season on Sunday, welcoming Nottingham Forest to East London, although, having won only four of 16 Premier League matches under Graham Potter, confidence is unlikely to be sky-high.

Thus, a big summer is ahead for the Hammers and, if they’re going to start contending for European spots once again, their recent recruitment record needs to improve.

Jarrod Bowen's West Ham career

While many of West Ham’s recent big-money signings have turned out to be massive flops, the reported £22m paid to sign Jarrod Bowen from Hull City in January 2020 has proved to be an absolute bargain.

Now the club captain, he has scored 72 goals and provided 50 assists in 236 appearances for the Hammers, including the historic late winner against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League Final, securing the club’s first trophy for 43 years.

So, let’s assess how he compares to West Ham’s other big-money signings of the London Stadium era.

Players

Fee

Appearances

Max Kilman

£40m

39

Crysencio Summerville

£25m

22

Niclas Füllkrug

£27m

18

Luis Guilherme

£25m

12

Edson Álvarez

£35m

71

James Ward-Prowse

£30m

65

Mohammed Kudus

£38m

78

Lucas Paquetá

£50m

118

Gianluca Scamacca

£30m

27

Nayef Aguerd

£30m

58

Kurt Zouma

£30m

103

Nikola Vlašić

£33m

31

Saïd Benrahma

£30m

155

Sébastien Haller

£45m

54

Pablo Fornals

£24m

203

Jarrod Bowen

£22m

236

Issa Diop

£22m

121

Felipe Anderson

£36m

73

Marko Arnautović

£20m

65

André Ayew

£20.5m

50

What the table above highlights, first and foremost, is that West Ham have spent, and arguably wasted, an absolute mountain of money since relocating to the London Stadium almost a decade ago.

A few players on that list, namely Kurt Zouma, Pablo Fornals, and Saïd Benrahma did establish themselves as stalwarts, while others have been mercurial talents without ever really getting it all together; looking at you, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paquetá, Felipe Anderson, and others.

That’s not to mention the complete flops, who we won’t name, and let you make up your own mind!

Nevertheless, Bowen has been, indisputably, West Ham’s best signing of the modern era, so should the Irons go shopping in the EFL Championship again, as they search for their next gem?

West Ham chasing a new centre-back

According to a recent report by Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian, West Ham are ‘continuing’ to pursue a deal to sign Burnley central defender CJ Egan-Riley.

It has been widely reported, including by L’Équipe, that the 22-year-old is close to joining Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, who are owned by Todd Boehly’s company BlueCo, and his current market value is estimated to be around £12m, according to Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, West Ham are still very much in the running to sign the centre-back who Graeme Bailey of TBR Football describes as a “brilliant young defender”, while Andy Bayes of BBC Sport outlines that he, alongside partner Maxime Estève, has played a ‘key role’ in Burnley’s promotion.

So, let’s assess how Egan-Riley compares to West Ham’s current selection of centre-backs this season.

Appearances

43

27

39

34

Minutes

3,705

1,788

3,439

2,077

Tackles

60

41

36

33

Tackles won

42

26

23

39

Interceptions

36

23

42

50

Clearances

199

72

202

118

Blocks

39

24

56

24

Errors leading to a shot

2

3

5

1

Ball recoveries

185

70

143

70

% of aerials duels won

49.3%

48.9%

67.3%

70%

Pass completion %

86.2%

87.7%

86.5%

85.9%

Touches per 90

79

58

58

50

As the table outlines, Konstantinos Mavropanos has been West Ham’s best-performing centre-back this season, but Egan-Riley certainly compares favourably to the existing trio.

The Burnley youngster ranks first when it comes to tackles and ball recoveries, while many of his other statistics are more than comparable, while admitting he’s played the most minutes, and is operating at a lower level in the Championship, of course.

Nevertheless, the available evidence suggests he would be an excellent addition for the Hammers, if they’re able to beat Strasbourg to his services, and that is why he could be the best signing since Bowen because, at the age of 22, he could be a star for the club for many, many, years to come.

Huge upgrade on Soucek: West Ham make contact to sign "midfield machine"

West Ham could be about to kickstart the needed overhaul of the squad under Graham Potter this summer.

ByEthan Lamb May 9, 2025

Liverpool will be crowned Premier League champions if they avoid defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.

The momentum built up across Jurgen Klopp’s swansong season was expected to be derailed when Arne Slot, an unknown presence from Holland, took his place.

But FSG’s data-driven approach came up trumps, with more popular names such as Roberto De Zerbi, Luciano Spalletti, and Ernesto Valverde reported to have been ‘serious contenders’ for the hot seat by The Athletic.

Now, the data scientists and analysts will need to peer through Liverpool’s distinctive prism once again as a title-winning squad (not yet confirmed, but surely) look to defend their crown while challenging for the major honours which proved a stretch too far this year.

While fans are expecting strikers, left-backs, and centre-halves galore, there’s also the matter of the right side of Liverpool’s backline, with Trent Alexander-Arnold expected to sign for Real Madrid when his contract expires this summer.

The latest on Trent Alexander-Arnold

Fans have held onto hope, hopeless hope, that Alexander-Arnold will renew his Liverpool contract. But everything suggests he is on the cusp of joining Los Blancos at the start of a new era, with Carlo Ancelotti to depart in the coming weeks.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the formalities are all that stand between the 26-year-old and a new chapter over in Spain, with reporters on Liverpool’s side echoing the claims, offering little in the way of optimism.

With Liverpool on the brink of winning the Premier League, perhaps the England international is waiting until all is said and done before accelerating his personal plans to the final stage.

But that stage is, sadly, set.

Premier League

255

18

65

Champions League

60

2

13

FA Cup

13

1

3

Carabao Cup

10

0

6

Europa League

5

0

2

Club World Cup

2

0

1

CL Qualifying

2

0

1

Community Shield

2

1

0

UEFA Super Cup

1

0

0

He’s won the lot, and he could win plenty more on Merseyside yet. But Trent’s head has been turned, and while Conor Bradley is an exciting young talent, Liverpool need to ensure they are well-stocked at right-back next year and beyond.

That’s why FSG are preparing to sign a talented young defender.

Liverpool advancing talks for Trent heir

As per Brazilian publication RTI Esporte – as translated by Sport Witness – Liverpool are one of the strongest teams pushing to sign right-back Wesley Franca, 21, this summer and have now made their first move.

Indeed, Wesley’s representatives have actually flown across the Atlantic and landed in England as they look to canvass their client’s qualities to FSG’s transfer team, with Flamengo hoping to earn around €35m (about £30m) from his sale.

Signing the rising star isn’t going to be a walk in the park, though, with both major clubs of a Manchester persuasion in the mix too.

What Wesley would bring to Anfield

Wesley has featured 124 times for Flamengo’s senior squad after graduating from the academy, scoring three goals and providing five assists for his teammates.

As with Klopp, Liverpool would be foolhardy to try and replace Alexander-Arnold with a B-grade version, but in Wesley, they would be signing a right-back with similar strengths, excelling in passing and crossing, while bringing his own distinctive style to the Anfield side.

Crisp, powerful and steely in defence, Wesley ranks among the top 9% of full-backs in divisions similar to the Brasileiro Serie A over the past year for pass completion, the top 18% for shot-creating actions, the top 21% for progressive carries, the top 12% for successful take-ons, the top 16% for ball recoveries and the top 12% for tackles and interceptions per 90.

This is quite the oversaturation of data, so let’s simplify it: talent scout Antonio Mango has lauded him for his “consistent and well-rounded” game, blending athleticism with natural intelligence and a stage presence that bespeaks a future on the Premier League pitch.

Such an energetic game with a skill at beating his man with the ball at his feet highlights a tenacious attitude that Slot would love to work with.

It would be remiss for the powers that be at Anfield to expect Wesley to replicate Alexander-Arnold’s sweeping creative skill set, but there’s nothing to suggest that he wouldn’t bring his own brand to the team, all the while providing consistent crosses into the box and support for Salah and co.

Looking at his opening performances in the Brazilian top flight this year, it’s not hard to see why he’s all the talk.

Matches (starts)

5 (5)

Goals

0

Assists

1

Touches*

76.6

Pass completion

87%

Key passes*

1.4

Crosses*

1.4

Dribbles*

1.6

Ball recoveries*

4.6

Tackles + interceptions*

3.4

Duels (won)*

6.8 (57%)

His strong start to the 2025 campaign highlights the quality that Liverpool would be weaving into their ranks, with Mango also gushing over the player’s “immense” performances right from the get-go.

FSG chiefs might feel that £30m is quite a steep figure to pay for a young defender plying their trade in South America, especially when there’s so much to do across various other positions.

But if sporting director Richard Hughes can succeed in whittling the price down, there’s every reason for Liverpool to be investing in this talented Brazilian, who recently earned his first two caps for the national team.

Given that Bradley has been in such fine fettle since breaking onto the scene, signing an up-and-comer such as Wesley could be the way to go for a Liverpool team looking to increase their depth.

With both players jockeying for the number one spot, it might even prove to elevate both stars to an even higher level.

Liverpool want world's "best player" in £77m deal who'd be Slot’s own Mane

Liverpool are planning to strengthen Arne Slot’s frontline in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 25, 2025

Those of a Liverpool persuasion will feel battered and bruised after Arne Slot’s side’s staggering drop-off this season.

The slew of defeats have forced a retreat from their position at the top of the Premier League ladder, and as Alexis Mac Allister said after arresting the losing run at West Ham United on Sunday, the title is not on anyone’s mind; rather, finding a measure of consistency and fluency on the pitch is the incentive right now.

Liverpool might have spent a bucketload this summer, but they also parted with key players, with writer Eddie Gibbs saying, “Liverpool right now look like a side caught between three different ideas of themselves, with none taking root.”

A few tweaks are needed, to be sure. And Liverpool are considering a new wide forward to restore balance across the frontline.

Why Liverpool want a forward

When Liverpool capped off their summer spending spree with the British-record addition of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, the Premier League was in concert: Liverpool had signed a host of elite players.

And while Isak scored his first Premier League goal for the club on Saturday, it’s been a testing start to the season, with injuries and a lack of fluency a by-product of Liverpool’s wider struggles.

Florian Wirtz, too, looks like he is starting to click into gear, but the Reds have been imbalanced in the final third, and adding width would open up a new dimension from which Slot could rebuild his side’s form.

Well, according to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are frontrunners in the race for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, who has been among the standout forwards in the Premier League this season.

The Ghana international, 25, has a £65m release clause which becomes active in January, and so Liverpool are not alone in their interest, with Manchester City and Tottenham also ready to lodge bids if the right opportunity presents itself.

In fact, Pep Guardiola’s side have initiated contact, so it’s time for Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes to roll up his sleeves.

Why Semenyo would be a better signing than Isak

Semenyo has only gone from strength to strength since joining Bournemouth from Bristol City in the Championship in January 2023. Andoni Iraola has taken that promising skillset and sculpted it into something special.

Now, Semenyo is considered to be “one of the best players in the league” by BBC writer Umir Irfan and it’s a sentiment many would agree with after a prolific start to the campaign, six goals and three assists posted in the Premier League already.

Two-footed and effortlessly dynamic, Semenyo has proved too tricky to handle for many Premier League defenders in recent memory, something of a monster in the duel and a fearsome, rip-roaring asset down the wing. He is a big-game player besides.

The thing is, Semenyo is conservative in his athletic application; he does not prance about with the force of an uncoiled spring. In this he echoes Luis Diaz, who brought a different flavour to Slot’s title-winning team and has not been directly replaced.

Perhaps Semenyo could be the signing that Liverpool need, one which would prove even more impactful than Isak, who has yet to prove he is worth the record sum, even when banked by such illustrious heights in black and white over the past several years.

Matches (starts)

13 (11)

12 (12)

Goals

4

6

Assists

3

3

Touches*

43.5

49.6

Shots (on target)*

2.5 (0.5)

2.2 (1.2)

Accurate passes*

19.1 (79%)

19.9 (77%)

Chances created*

1.9

1.3

Dribbles*

1.2

1.8

Recoveries*

2.7

5.2

Tackles + interceptions*

0.9

1.8

Duels won*

5.2

6.3

Gakpo has enjoyed a quietly effective season on the left so far for Liverpool, even against the current of their crisis. However, he is far less mobile than Semenyo, and he lacks the clarity and sparkle on the ball that Semenyo imbues the Cherries flanks with.

It really cannot be understated how unique Semenyo is. This is a winger who is making incremental gains, a winger who could now bloom into a true superstar not only in the Premier League but in Europe’s elite club competition too.

Liverpool have been imbalanced this season, and this is the profile that Liverpool need. It has the potential to be the best signing of the season for the Reds, albeit one which should have been completed back at the start of the campaign.

Better move than Semenyo: Liverpool set to table bid to sign £53m "machine"

Liverpool and FSG are considering a host of positions ahead of the January transfer window.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 1, 2025

تلقى نادي بيراميدز، خسارة قاسية أمام البنك الأهلي، بنتيجة 6-1، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية.

والتقى بيراميدز مع البنك الأهلي، في إطار منافسات الجولة الأولي من عمر مواجهات المجموعة الثانية لبطولة كأس الرابطة للموسم الحالي 2025-2026.

ويتواجد بيراميدز والبنك الأهلي في المجموعة الثانية لـ كأس الرابطة، مع بتروجيت والجونة ومودرن سبورت والإسماعيلي ووادي دجلة.

بيراميدز، يخوض بطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية، بمجموعة من اللاعبين الناشئين، وذلك بعد قرار من إدارة النادي.

طالع | بيراميدز يتخذ قرارًا جديدًا بسبب مباريات كأس عاصمة مصر

وسجل أهداف نادي البنك الأهلي، أحمد ياسر ريان في الدقيقة 20 من تصويبة بعيدة من خارج منطقة الجزاء بعدما استغل خطأ من حارس بيراميدز.

وأضاف الهدف الثاني للبنك الأهلي أحمد متعب، بتسديدة من داخل منطقة الجزاء عند الدقيقة 24، وأحرز الهدف الثالث اللاعب مصطفي شلبي في الدقيقة 29.

وجاء الهدف الرابع والخامس عن طريق يسري وحيد في الدقيقتين 31 و40، اختتم السداسية أحمد أمين أوفا في الدقيقة 69.

بينما سجل هدف بيراميدز الوحيد عن طريق أحمد فكري محمد في الدقيقة 58.

وبهذا يتصدر البنك الأهلي، ترتيب المجموعة الثانية من كأس الرابطة المصرية برصيد 3 نقاط، وبيراميدز في المركز السابع والأخير بدون نقاط.

ومن المقرر أن تستكمل منافسات الجولة الأولي لمواجهات دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس الرابطة، يومي الأربعاء والخميس 10 و11 ديسمبر. أهداف مباراة بيراميدز والبنك الأهلي اليوم في كأس الرابطة المصرية

MatériaMais Notícias

Em busca do pentacampeonato da Copa do Brasil, o Palmeiras estreia na competição nesta noite diante do Botafogo-SP, no Allianz Parque, buscando um bom resultado já no primeiro jogo da eliminatória.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Para construir uma vantagem que faça o Verdão jogar mais tranquilo em Ribeirão Preto, daqui três semanas, o time de Abel Ferreira precisa fazer as pazes com as redes.

Isso porque o ataque alviverde não vive boa fase no Brasileirão, e com apenas um gol nas primeiras quatro rodadas, o atual bicampeão brasileiro tem o segundo pior ataque da competição.

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Já na Libertadores, a fase do ataque alviverde muda completamente, e o time tem sete gols nos três jogos que fez na fase de grupos.

Este será o segundo encontro do Palmeiras diante do Botafogo-SP neste ano, uma vez que o Verdão bateu o rival do interior por 1 a 0 na campanha do tri do Paulistão.

➡️ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

O provável Palmeiras para encarar o Botafogo-SP é: Weverton, Mayke, Murilo, Gómez e Piquerez; Aníbal Moreno, Zé Rafael e Raphael Veiga (Luís Guilherme); Estevão, Endrick e Flaco López.

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A lot of planning went into Major League Baseball's Speedway Classic between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves at Bristol Motor Speedway.

An entire field was constructed in the middle of the race track, custom uniforms were handed out and there was even a pregame concert with Pitbull and Tim McGraw. Unfortunately, the one thing you can't plan for wouldn't comply for the first MLB game in the state of Tennessee.

Weather hit in Bristol, Tenn. which forced the contest between the Braves and Reds to start in a rain delay. A disappointing start to an event that was months in the making. But what can you do? Boston Red Sox legend and current MLB on Fox broadcaster David Ortiz provided plenty of optimism and kept the energy light during the delay by showing his skills as a weatherman.

"I'm a meteorologist," Ortiz joked on the broadcast as he analyzed the radar. "It's a little bit of green over Bristol, let's see the weather right here. See that little bit of green open? It will be gone in a little bit people. Don't rush it out, sit down and have a drink because that's going to go away in a little bit. It's a lot of green but I can see a little window right there."

You can watch the hilarious clip below:

First pitch at Bristol Motor Speedway was scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET. Starting lineups were announced and the national anthem was sung but the tarp had to be rolled out due to rain in Bristol that delayed the action.

At least Big Papi brought the fans at home some rain-delay entertainment.

Rookie batter Tommy Boorman compiles match-winning 38 as hosts hold their nerve

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Aug-2025Rookie batter Tommy Boorman compiled a superb match-winning innings of 38 not out under intense pressure to carry Gloucestershire to an impressive three-wicket victory over Leicestershire in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.Making only his third List-A appearance, Boorman struck two fours and two sixes and staged an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 35 in 18 balls with Craig Miles, who helped himself to a brace of sixes in making 18 not out as Gloucestershire reached their victory target of 286 with nine balls to spare.Gloucestershire appeared to be cruising when James Bracey compiled an eye-catching 96 from 106 balls and staged an opening stand of 105 with Cameron Bancroft, who contributed 40. But seamer Alex Green turned the tide back in Leicestershire’s favour, taking 5-52, dismissing both openers and dangermen Ben Charlesworth and Jack Taylor to set up a tense finale.

Peter Handscomb could count himself unlucky to finish on the losing side, Leicestershire’s skipper raising a brilliant 107 from 125 balls with nine fours and a six and sharing in a substantial partnership of 115 for the fifth wicket with Ben Cox, who contributed a run-a-ball 61, as the Foxes recovered from 76 for 4 to post 285 for 7.Liam Trevaskis produced a hard-hitting 30 not out as the visitors added 61 runs in the final five overs, but Gloucestershire seamer Josh Shaw excelled with the new ball, returning figures of 3 for 40 to keep last season’s beaten semi-finalists in check.Gloucestershire’s decision to bowl first was justified when Shaw claimed 3 for 20 with the new ball to reduce the Foxes to 22 for 3. The Yorkshireman bowled Rishi Patel between bat and pad without scoring, had Sol Budinger held at deep third via a top-edged cut and then had Lewis Hill caught at the wicket in the act of cutting, at which point he had dismantled Leicestershire’s top order in the space of 15 deliveries from the Ashley Down Road end.Having mustered just three boundaries in the powerplay, the visitors were under duress in the face of variable bounce on a slow pitch. But Shan Masood and Handscomb effected a partial recovery, staging an important alliance of 54 in 13.3 overs. The fourth-wicket partnership was beginning to flourish when Ben Charlesworth made a breakthrough with his first ball, persuading Pakistan Test captain Masood to top-edge a pull shot to deep fine leg and depart for 35 with the score 76 for 4 in the 19th.That was as good as it got for Gloucestershire. New batter Cox looked to disrupt the home side’s smooth progress from the outset, clearing the rope behind square for the first six of the innings when Matt Taylor dropped short as the Foxes reached halfway on 113 for 4.The batters managed to get on top for the first time against spinners Ollie Price and Jack Taylor, Handscomb and Cox combining excellent running between the wickets and clever placement in raising a 50 partnership from 57 balls. Averaging a half-century every four innings in List-A cricket, Handscomb went to his 42nd fifty from 76 balls, while Cox attained the same landmark via 45 deliveries with five fours and a six.Gloucestershire needed a wicket and Akhter obliged, bowling Cox to terminate a partnership that had revitalised Leicestershire. Cox had scored a run-a-ball 61 and helped establish a platform from which the visitors could launch a late assault.Matt Taylor removed Ian Holland cheaply, but there was no shifting Handscomb, the Australian going to his ninth List-A hundred by launching Akhter over long-off for six. He received staunch support from Liam Trevaskis with a quickfire unbeaten 30 from 22 deliveries in a valuable seventh-wicket alliance of 51 in 35 balls as the Foxes smashed 61 runs in the final five overs.Gloucestershire openers Bracey and Bancroft were initially circumspect in the face of the new-ball threat. But Bracey soon warmed to his task, greeting Tom Scriven with a pick-up for six over midwicket and a pull for four next ball as the home side advanced to 47 without loss at the end of 10 overs. So dominant was Bracey, that Bancroft contributed just seven runs to the 50 partnership.Bracey went to an authoritative half-century from 58 deliveries, reaching that landmark with his ninth four, causing Handscomb to turn to spin. The opening partnership had realised three figures before the Foxes made the breakthrough they so desperately needed, Bancroft edging a catch behind off Chris Wright in the 20th over.Ollie Price proved adept at rotating the strike thereafter and Gloucestershire were well-placed on 134 for 1 at the halfway stage, requiring a further 152 at 6.1 an over. These two posted a 50 partnership from 65 balls, but Price fell for 29, hitting Green straight to Handscomb at midwicket.Green then struck a telling blow, having Bracey held at deep square leg, at which point Gloucestershire still needed 108 to win with two new batters at the crease. Charlesworth hit a quickfire 19, only to succumb to a leg-side strangle as Green made another important intervention.Sensing an opportunity, Leicestershire kept up the pressure and Trevaskis dismissed Joe Phillips for 14 to further reduce the home side, still 61 short of their target with nine overs remaining.Boorman helped himself to a six and a four off Holland, but Gloucestershire’s task was made harder when Green accounted for Jack Taylor and Akhter with successive deliveries in the 46th over.Miles hit a straight six off Green and Boorman repeated the feat off Trevaskis as the eighth wicket pair held their nerve. Miles hit the winning six in the penultimate over.

It may seen hard to believe, but Aaron Boone has now managed the Yankees for eight years.

Hired in the wake of Joe Girardi's 2017 exit, Boone has mostly been successful—going 697-497 for a winning percentage of .584. However, a World Series title has eluded a man who has now won more games with New York than Billy Martin.

When the Blue Jays eliminated the Yankees in the American League Division Series on Wednesday with a 5–2 win, Boone tied (per Josh Dubow of the AP) a record for most playoff games managed for one team without winning the World Series. That record had been held by Mike Hargrove, who managed 52 Cleveland postseason games from 1991 to '99 without a title.

During his playing career, Boone played 17 playoff games—all with New York in 2003. He did not win the World Series, but he did hit one of baseball's most famous walk-off home runs in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against the Red Sox.

Boone is under contract for 2026, but Yankees fans have to be growing impatient as their long-by-New-York-standards championship drought hits 17 years.

In the ever-growing cross-city rivalry between the Mets and the Yankees, Juan Soto's mega-contract he signed this offseason—sending him from the Bronx to Queens—is only the latest blip on the radar.

The deal, a 15-year, $765 million pact, keeps the four-time All-Star with the Mets through 2039 and through his age-40 season … at least we think.

In a recent appearance on , host Brandon Tierney went on a bit of a rant about Soto's transition from pinstripes to orange and blue—and in doing so, questioned if the outfielder is really as young as we think he is:

"If you gave me a chance to put him on the Yankees right now, for the contract he signed with the Mets, or the contract that the Yankees offered, my answer would be … I'm good," he said. "Pass."

"Now I'm not good to the point where I'm feeling good about the Yankees team," Tierney continued. "And that's a Cashman thing, but 15 years of this? Honestly, does he look 26 [years old]? … When you're 26, you still have a youthful glow … I think that there's a chance, a good chance, he's not 26. I'll say it. Whatever."

What is this, ?

Tierney went on to dig himself deeper, saying that, while he doesn't want to give his theory any more credence, Soto may be closer to age 30.

Quite the interesting hill to die on.

The Mets are just 1-9 in their last 10 games as they cling on to the final National League wild-card spot with just over a month to go in the 2025 season. Soto leads New York in home runs with 29 and is batting .252 with 69 RBIs.