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Eddie Howe says he takes "no pride" in ending his wretched record against Manchester City in the Premier League following Newcastle United's 2-1 win. A Harvey Barnes brace, either side of Ruben Dias' goal, ensured the Magpies boss beat City at the 19th attempt in the English top-flight. Despite getting that monkey off his back, the 47-year-old focused more on his team's positive performance.

Newcastle hurt Man City's title hopes

In a pulsating clash where Newcastle had just 32 per cent possession and nine shots to City's 17, Howe's side overcame Pep Guardiola's in-form team to give them a morale-boosting victory at St James' Park on Saturday. After winning four of their last five Premier League games, City looked like they may catch table-topping Arsenal but this defeat has hurt those chances. They are down to third after Chelsea's win over Burnley and if Arsenal beat Tottenham on Sunday, they could go seven points clear of the Citizens.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHowe thrilled with Newcastle triumph

Howe cut a relieved figure after Newcastle had secured all three points on Saturday night. He would have had his heart in his mouth when Barnes' second goal was the subject of a lengthy VAR review, before the decision went their way. And the former Bournemouth manager was clearly thrilled with how things panned out in the north east. 

He told BBC Radio 5 Live after the game: "That doesn't sound good that, 19 games. I'm well aware of my record against Manchester City, that is something I take no pride in really. Trying to figure out a way to beat them is very, very difficult. Even today's game, it was so tight. The margins in Premier League games against them are so fine, but we came out on the right side today. I thought it was a great performance from the players, full of energy, heart and bravery. I'm delighted with how we played.

"The mindset was key and the attitude. The energy was back that was missing against Brentford and West Ham. Our running ability and power was there. Our technical ability was there too, which hasn't always been the case. We were brave in our approach. We tried to be aggressive and we got rewarded that at times, they punish you for that at times, so you are always on a bit of a knife-edge against them. Thankfully Nick [Pope] made some good saves when needed them and we got the goals at good times."

Howe praises matchwinner Barnes

With Barnes' contribution, he took his goal tally to six in all competitions. In the league, he is Newcastle's joint second highest scorer with team-mate Bruno Guimaraes (three) and is one behind Nick Woltemade. But the former Leicester City man did miss a glorious chance in the game, which could have proven costly. But Howe was quick to praise the winger.

He added: "Two great goals for Harvey, he missed a couple in the first half, but he is always a player that gets chances and that is the great thing about him. When you put him on the team sheet you know there is going to be some moments. His first goal was an outstanding finish and that was probably the hardest of the ones he had today, found the corner with his right foot. The second one is about being in the right place at the right time. Two massive goals for us and hopefully that can lift us in the Premier League."

Barnes himself said to BBC's Match of the Day: "It feels great [to be the matchwinner]. I don't think I was the most popular man at half time. Glad to make up for it in the second half with a couple of good goals and it was a great win for us. Hopefully after today's result we can kick on and go on a good run."

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AFPWhat comes next for Newcastle?

Newcastle, like all the teams taking part in European competitions this season, are preparing for a busy run of fixtures over the coming weeks. In fact, between Tuesday's trip to Marseille in the Champions League and their crunch derby clash with Sunderland on December 14, the Toon play six matches in all competitions. That will demand a lot of Howe's men, and whether they will be up to the task remains to be seen.

Any supporters of Glasgow Rangers and Scotland will have enjoyed their Tuesday night after former Gers academy prospect Kenny McLean scored in a 4-2 win over Denmark to qualify for the World Cup.

Whilst McLean scored from the half-way line, Scott McTominay stole the headlines with an outstanding overhead kick early on in the match, which put Scotland 1-0 up.

The attacking midfielder has now scored 14 goals for Scotland, with this strike against Denmark arguably the best of the lot, and his rise to prominence for his country is a story that the Gers could learn from.

What Rangers can learn from Scott McTominay's Scotland heroics

Per Transfermarkt, McTominay started more games as a defensive midfielder (134) than in any other position during his time with Manchester United, and scored 29 goals in 255 matches.

The Premier League giants sold him to Napoli for a fee of £25.7m in the summer of 2024, and a change in his role by the Italian side unearthed his true potential, as the majority of his starts with the Serie A champions, per Transfermarkt, have been as a central or attacking midfielder.

McTominay has not started a single game as a defensive midfielder for Napoli, per Transfermarkt, and has scored 17 goals in 50 matches for the club as a result of their decision to unleash him further up the pitch.

Rangers can learn from his rise to stardom in Naples because it is proof that a player can sometimes be hampered by the position they are playing in, and that may be the case for Mohamed Diomande.

Why Rangers need to change Mohamed Diomande's position

Football FanCast recently published an article suggesting that January may be the right time to cash in on the Ivorian midfielder, because of his regression on the pitch this season.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

McTominay’s resurgence for club and country, though, could play a role in changing that opinion, as Diomande could revive his Ibrox career by being unleashed further up the pitch.

Former Rangers boss Philippe Clement, who recently landed a new job with Norwich, criticised the midfielder and Cyriel Dessers because they were “not brave enough” in November last year, but that tough love led to Diomande ending the season with six goals and nine assists, per Transfermarkt.

All positions

48

14

Central midfield

19 (40%)

7 (50%)

Attacking midfield

16 (33%)

1 (7%)

Defensive midfield

13 (27%)

6 (43%)

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old star has been asked to play in far more defensive positions than when he excelled last season under Clement and Barry Ferguson.

Diomande has no goals and no assists in 18 games, per Transfermarkt, after his 15 goal contributions in the 2024/25 campaign, which clearly shows that the change in his position has had a negative impact on his performances.

The left-footed star, who showed off his attacking quality at Parkhead in March, is capable of far more than he has shown this season, as evidenced by his form last season.

That is why Danny Rohl should look to unleash Diomande further up the pitch, in an attacking midfield role, because his attacking instincts could see him revive his Ibrox career in the same way that McTominay’s positional change sparked his career for club and country into life.

One of the SPFL's 'most influential players' now can't get a game at Rangers

Rangers have a star who was one of the most influential players in the league last season, now he can’t get a game.

ByDan Emery Nov 19, 2025

He first dismissed Jitesh Sharma from over-the-wicket angle and then befuddled Krunal Pandya with a carrom ball

Shashank Kishore03-Apr-20251:54

Bangar: Sai Kishore has steely resolve

In 2016, when 20-year-old rookie R Sai Kishore found himself in a heated altercation with N Jagadeesan and exchanged angry words with R Ashwin during a Tamil Nadu Premier League match, his fiery intensity seemed misplaced. “If you want to take on Ashwin, bowl like him,” they told him at the time.Sai Kishore took that to heart and went on to earn the reputation of being not only a deep thinker of the game, much like Ashwin, but also a bowler who prides himself on constant reinvention and adaptation to the ever-evolving T20 landscape.Hardik Pandya, who captained him for two seasons at Gujarat Titans, once called him a “scientist” for his ability to out-think batters. Sai Kishore’s competitive energy during the game can, at times, spill over into a stare down, like the one he had with “good friend” Hardik last week, during GT’s win over Mumbai Indians.Related

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As a T20 bowler, Sai Kishore thrives when challenged. After last year’s IPL, while scrolling through X, he was intrigued by the insights from ball-by-ball and Hawk-Eye data and took away heaps of learnings from those.He studied his pitch map from the season and quickly swung into action. One of the many things he took away was the need to refine a mystery element that had been in the works but not seriously considered in the middle. On Wednesday, this “mystery” was amply on display when he dismissed Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Krunal Pandya.At first sighting, it appeared a normal length delivery that he’d slowed down considerably to get some bite off the surface. But upon a second viewing, the release made it apparent he’d bowled a carrom ball – not unusual in Sai Kishore’s world but a novelty for left-arm spinners. Last year, his Tamil Nadu colleague and fellow left-arm spinner M Siddharth unusually swung the ball. Here, Sai Kishore was turning it away from a left-hand batter.

“It’s like a carom ball. I get more dip on it, so I don’t know what it is. I can call it anything, but I’m just trying to bowl the carrom ball”Sai Kishore on his mystery delivery

It is a ball Sai Kishore has sporadically bowled across formats. During the Duleep Trophy in Coimbatore in 2022-23, Sarfaraz Khan, an excellent player of spin who was seemingly trying to get outside the line and sweep him off his lengths, was caught by surprise with ones he didn’t expect to turn the other way.”Over the last three-four years, I’ve been practising that ball,” Sai Kishore said during the innings break. “I felt I was confident enough to bowl it in this IPL, so I just went with my instincts. It’s like a carom ball. I get more dip on it, so I don’t know what it is. I can call it anything, but I’m just trying to bowl the carrom ball.”The other element on display on Wednesday night was his use of angles. He bowled over the wicket to best Jitesh Sharma, who threatened a rapid rescue with Liam Livingstone. By slowing his pace down and bowling away from his arc, Sai Kishore had Jitesh hit against the line and hole out to long-on. He finished with figures of 2 for 22 off four overs.R Sai Kishore was at his inventive best against RCB•Associated Press”I felt when you bowled into the wicket, it was assisting the spinners, and I was getting decent purchase,” Sai Kishore said. “What I mean by into the wicket is having a good shape on the ball – bowling like a proper red-ball game and trying to spin it as hard as I can. Whatever pace I could gather into it, I was fine with it.”For the entire length of his stint with GT, Sai Kishore has often flown under the radar and in Rashid Khan’s shadows. In 2023, he also had Noor Ahmed to compete with as GT went to the latter as their fourth overseas following Kane Williamson’s injury in the very first match. This rejigging consigned Sai Kishore to the bench for the entire season, and it was during this time that he tried to experiment and develop consistency.On Wednesday, Sai Kishore wasn’t Rashid’s understudy. When one of the greatest T20 spinners had a rare nightmare of a game, delivering his joint-second-most expensive spell, Sai Kishore mitigated those effects with his variations and big strikes. Sai Sudharsan brought up Sai Kishore’s impact unprompted at the post-match press conference.

“There are many captains in modern-day cricket who are averse to the idea of a left-arm spinner bowling to a left-hander. If you have that carrom ball, then they might just be a bit more encouraged”Aakash Chopra

“Saiki, we definitely have to talk about him because he was one of the main contributors for this game and a few previous games as well,” Sudharsan said. “I feel in this game, Saiki’s was the most important spell because the wicket was very difficult to bat against the fast bowler. So as batters, even me, we were trying to maximise what we get out of the spinners.”I feel he was smart enough and used the right speeds on this wicket and right angles to Tim David and Liam Livingstone when he bowled there. I feel he used the speed really well in the angles. And that’s why I think he had a great game.”What about his variations and the different things he isn’t afraid to try? Has he faced them before at the nets?”I feel off the field, I can tell you the amount of effort he puts, the amount of preparation he does in terms of tactical advantages,” Sudharsan said. “I feel that is taking him a bit ahead than other bowlers because he understands the game, he understands the situation and uses his speeds, uses his angles. That is one of his strengths and I think that is why he is bowling the way he is.”On ESPNcricinfo T20 Time Out, former India allrounder and batting coach Sanjay Bangar was equally impressed, likening Sai Kishore’s skills to some of the best exponents of the craft.R Sai Kishore celebrates Jitesh Sharma’s wicket with Rahul Tewatia•BCCI”He has been a consistent performer now and has great control over the speeds he bowls, the lines he bowls,” he said. “He is someone who has a steely resolve. When Jitesh was going hard at him, was trying to line him up, he had the guts to go over the wicket, which is considered a defensive line, and then throw it slightly away from him – it takes some doing.”If you look at the past and see which bowlers have bowled in this particular fashion, deceiving by bowling slower balls, slower pace and not bowling defensive lines, you had Daniel Vettori, [Mitchell] Santner presently, [Harpreet] Brar does that to an extent for Punjab Kings, and then there is Sai Kishore.”Former India opener Aakash Chopra felt that Sai Kishore’s new variation could help set up a trend of left-arm spinners no longer being silent spectators against left-hand batters.”It’s incredible,” Chopra said of Kishore’s carrom ball. “They say necessity is the mother of invention. Offspinners tend to do that very often, because they are turning the ball into the right-handers, so they need that carrom ball. Very few left-arm spinners do that, even though it’s the same skill set. Sai Kishore is one of those guys and it’s something others can actually pick up as well.”There are many captains in modern-day cricket who are averse to the idea of a left-arm spinner bowling to a left-hander. If you have that carrom ball, then they might just be a bit more encouraged.”

He widened the terms of the game’s discourse with his insightful, analytical mind, always upending conventional wisdom

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Dec-2024When India toured England in the summer of 2018, R Ashwin delivered a masterclass like no other.These masterclasses had been running for years, with Ian Ward, a former Test cricketer himself, coaxing the likes of Shane Warne, Muthiah Muralidaran, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Curtly Ambrose to give viewers a peek into their inner workings. Ward is an expert at steering players into talking about their craft in a way that straddles the line between nerdy and accessible to regular folk watching on TV.Now Ward juxtaposed two Ashwin deliveries on his screen: one that slid on with the round-the-wicket angle into the left-hand batter, and one that dipped and ripped past Alastair Cook’s groping bat and flicked the top of off stump. Ashwin dismissed Cook the same way in both innings of that Edgbaston Test.Related

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“For a youngster,” Ward asked Ashwin, “what’s the difference between the wrist position and where it’s coming off the fingers, to do those two deliveries?”Scores of current and former greats have given Ward precisely the kind of TV-friendly answer he’s looking for. Warne, famously, put his variations in neat, beribboned boxes: this is how I bowl the big, sidespinning legbreak; this is the one with a bit more overspin; this is the toppie; the googly; and oh, I flick the flipper out with my thumb, like this.Warne, of course, knew and mastered the infinite gradations between the sidespinner and the overspinner, but he also had an intuitive grasp of what TV audiences wanted.Ashwin didn’t give Ward the neatly packaged insight he was after. Instead of showing how he released the undercutter and the big offbreak, he launched into a demonstration of the various ways he cocks his wrist while loading up different deliveries. He even described how he does this for the arm ball, a variation Ward hadn’t even asked about.Viewers who had followed Ashwin’s career for any length of time may have chuckled at this, because this was typical. Among the many things this great cricketer has excelled at over his long career is denying interviewers the answer they’re looking for, while giving them entire chapters of tangential material. Few players have been as generous with their insight, but as with everything else about Ashwin, the generosity has come on his own terms.It has always been this way. The first time I interviewed Ashwin was during a Tamil Nadu-Railways Ranji Trophy game in 2008, a year and a half before his international debut. I asked the questions of a 21-year-old cub reporter, and he gave the answers of a man only a few months older but already nearing elite status in his profession.

Throughout his career, he has been more invested than most in broadening the boundaries of his sport, and more willing than most to throw open the doors of his laboratory

I asked him about his strengths as an offspinner. He told me that his big, strong fingers allowed him to give the ball a rip, and that this, allied with his height, enabled him to generate bounce on most pitches. And immediately, unprompted, he went on to describe the bounce as a double-edged sword, and explain why he often bowled with long-on back even in red-ball cricket, because the bounce made it easier for batters to hit him over the top. “I don’t want to give them that release shot.”It took me years to grasp the wider implications, but it was a valuable early lesson that cricket is all about trade-offs. If you want to strengthen the slip cordon, you’ll have to leave a gap somewhere else. A middled drive off a good-length ball is no less risky than one that’s edged behind. A fielder at long-on isn’t always a sign of defensive thinking. If you want to describe the sport properly, you must look at events in the context of these trade-offs. Never in isolation, never through the binary of good and bad.How Ashwin railed against binaries. After his most chastening home series, against England in 2012-13, he bridled against the wave of criticism that came his way, but what bothered him wasn’t the tone of the criticism but the fact that so much of it was inaccurate. He was happy to admit that he had struggled to control his length during that series, but couldn’t fathom the narrative that this had happened because he bowled too many carrom balls.For all the misplaced criticism he attracted, Ashwin also gained a growing band of admirers who tried to keep up with what he was doing to his craft. Wittingly and unwittingly, he went on to spend his entire career in the eye of a cyclone of narrative and counter-narrative.He came to occupy that space for many reasons. It was partly because he came along when cricket was being recorded at far higher resolutions and far greater frame rates than before, when holes in conventional wisdom were becoming increasingly evident to the viewer. He came along at a time when a significant number of journalists, analysts, commentators and observers on social media – the lines between these categories were also becoming blurry – were making a concerted effort to see the game for what it was, even if the mainstream was slow to respond.Drift into middle, clip the top of off: Alastair Cook was masterfully bowled twice at Edgbaston in 2018 by R Ashwin•Getty Images & PA ImagesBut it was also because Ashwin was a singularly active challenger of conventional wisdom, not just on the field – as no doubt many others also were – but off it too. He cared deeply not just about his game but game too, and how it was described.He went to great lengths to explain the effects of sidespin and overspin, and the typical behaviour of red-soil and black-soil pitches, but would roll his eyes if you generalised too broadly. “Come on, man,” he seemed to tell you. “It’s not that simple!” He contributed greatly to a widening of the terms of cricketing discourse, winced when those terms were misused, and never stopped trying to tell you how things worked. Sometimes, he’d throw in a stunning revelation when you least expected it.Watch that masterclass now, and it’s clear Ward has no idea what’s about to hit him when he asks Ashwin about his carrom ball, summoning onto his screen what he believes is an example of it.Then Ashwin tells him, and all of us: “The one there, actually it’s not the carrom ball.” He explains that he flicks the carrom ball out of the front of his hand, and this variation – he describes it as a “backflipper” here, but will soon begin calling it the reverse carrom ball – from underneath it, with the seam up. He says batters have begun to pick his carrom ball now, so he occasionally slips in this variant; the right-hander shaping to punch with the turn, through the off side, is suddenly confronted with a monstrous inswinger.All this becomes obvious when you watch it alongside Ashwin’s explanation, but it’s far from clear until he’s talked you through it.Ashwin revealed all this unprompted, in a widely televised interview, and along the way revealed something of who he is. Throughout his career, he has been more invested than most in broadening the boundaries of his sport, and more willing than most to throw open the doors of his laboratory. And he’s been entirely secure in the belief that he’ll remain a step ahead of the rest of us, everyone from his opponents to the casual fan, even if he gives away all his secrets.

Glasgow Rangers decided to part ways with head coach Russell Martin last month after a dismal start to the season, which saw them win five of 17 matches in all competitions.

The Light Blues endured a dismal time on the pitch for the majority of his tenure, losing more than they won and conceding more goals than they scored.

Along with that, several of the club’s signings in the summer transfer window failed to make much of an impact for the former Southampton manager, including Thelo Aasgaard.

Why Thelo Aasgard has not been a successful signing

The Norway international was signed on a permanent deal from Luton Town in the summer, but he was unable to provide a single goal or assist as an attacking midfielder for Martin.

Aasgaard’s only goal in 16 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues so far this season came against Dundee United in Stevie Smith’s match as the interim manager before Danny Rohl arrived at Ibrox.

Hibernian

Danny Rohl

0 + 1

Kilmarnock

Danny Rohl

0 + 0

Dundee United

Stevie Smith

1 + 4

Falkirk

Russell Martin

0 + 0

Livingston

Russell Martin

0 + 0

Hearts

Russell Martin

0 + 1

Celtic

Russell Martin

0 + 0

St Mirren

Russell Martin

0 + 0

As you can see in the table above, the English-born midfielder flopped under Martin in the Scottish Premiership, and has yet to produce the goods for Rohl.

The 23-year-old flop was then sent off against Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park on Sunday, as he continues to struggle at Ibrox.

After that red card, Rohl should bring another player who flopped under Martin into the side, as Nedim Bajrami could be even better than the ex-Luton man.

Why Nedim Bajrami should be unleashed by Danny Rohl

The Albania international only played 195 minutes of football for the Scottish manager, per Sofascore, and made five appearances off the bench without managing a goal, an assist, or a key pass.

Chalkboard

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

Bajrami was described as “anonymous” in a game last season by content creator Stevie Clifford, and that is exactly what he was throughout Martin’s reign.

However, the former Sassuolo man did show signs of promise when given opportunities to impress in the Scottish Premiership and the Europa League by Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson in the 2024/25 campaign.

Starts

15

8

Goals

2

1

Key passes per game

1.0

1.3

Big chances created

4

6

Assists

1

0

Dribbles completed per game

1.0

1.5

As you can see in the table above, Bajrami created ten ‘big chances’ in 23 starts across both competitions, but was only rewarded with one assist for his creative efforts.

This suggests that he was let down by poor finishing from his teammates, rather than it being a lack of creativity on his part, which is why Rohl should provide him with a chance to show what he can do in Aasgaard’s place.

After the clash with Roma in the Europa League this evening, Rohl should bring Bajrami into the starting line-up for the match against Dundee on Sunday, as he has the potential to provide more creativity than Aasgaard has.

The Norway international has failed to create a single ‘big chance’ in 809 minutes this season, per Sofascore, whilst the Albanian star created 11 in 2,330 minutes in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign.

Rohl can unearth his own Osmand by finally unleashing Rangers' "Boy Wonder"

Danny Rohl can unearth his own Callum Osmand by unleashing this Rangers youngster.

ByDan Emery Nov 4, 2025

This suggests that Rohl could unleash a more effective player than Aasgaard by bringing Bajrami into his XI to feature more prominently than he did under Martin, when he was completely anonymous due to his lack of game time.

Lionel Messi delivered a masterclass to lead Inter Miami past Nashville SC and into the Eastern Conference semifinals. After last weekend’s defeat at GEODIS Stadium forced a decisive third match, Miami responded with authority, shaking off the nerves that had built up during the week to set up a clash with FC Cincinnati.

Getty Images SportPraised Lionel Messi for his work rate and sacrifice

Messi secured his first MLS playoff trip to the semifinals after his two goals sparked a 4-0 win. Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano noted the veteran forward's work rate was equally as important as the goals he scored. 

“I have to congratulate Messi for the game he played. He was the first to lead our high press – seeing him press like that at 38 is crazy. What he did tonight was truly impressive," Mascherano said. 

AdvertisementInter Miami emerges stronger

Mascherano also praised his entire team after the dominant 4-0 victory, highlighting Tadeo Allende’s brace that sealed Inter Miami’s place in the next round of the MLS playoffs. The win capped a tough series in which Miami ultimately prevailed, and Mascherano noted that the squad’s veterans have played a key role in his development as a coach.

“The challenge remains the same – to live up to the level of the great players we have. Sometimes we manage it, sometimes we don’t,” he said. “As a coach, I try to be honest and work in the best way possible, knowing that I’ll make mistakes and must learn from them. It’s not easy to coach players with such a deep understanding of the game. That’s why you have to listen to them – I have the obligation to make decisions, but I’m not the owner of the truth. You have to listen and make the choices that can help us as a team.”

Getty Images SportMascherano unveiled an unexpected attacking trio

Regarding the attacking quartet of Baltasar Rodríguez , Mateo Silvetti, Allende and Messi, Mascherano pointed out he made the changes to give his side some unpredictability. 

 “Nashville kept changing throughout the series. We played four matches in a row against them – that’s never easy. In preparing for a game, you try to predict what the opposing coach might do, but sometimes what you prepare for doesn’t happen at all," he said. "In the first game, they used three defensive midfielders; in Nashville, they had a wider setup – different characteristics. 

"We tried to understand that within a single game, there could be many games. Silvetti, Tadeo, and Baltazar brought great energy to the team. That’s the advantage of having intelligent, hungry players. Silvetti had a phenomenal game, Tadeo Allende has had an outstanding season – strong both defensively and in attack – and we’ll try to keep that going.”

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Getty Images SportCincinnati is next

Looking ahead to the semifinal against Cincinnati, Mascherano warned of the challenge ahead. 

“It will be a very tough match – they’re a team that knows exactly how they play. If they can recover some injured players, it’ll be an intense game over there. They’re very clear in their ideas, so for us to compete, we’ll need to match their intensity," Mascherano said. "When we match the opponent’s intensity, things usually go our way. We’ll see how the week unfolds, especially with seven players returning from national duty – hopefully, they come back in good shape. It’s not easy to lose so many players at this stage of the season, so we’ll have to manage that carefully.”

But before that match, the manager stressed how important it was for Inter Miami to advance out of the first round. 

 “I’m proud of how we’ve reached this point in the season. We’ve gone through a lot of wear and tear, we’ve been playing for a long time, and I see the players enjoying themselves," he said. "I see smiles – and that’s the best way to experience football. Tactics and style come second when you see that joy. They’re in a good place, living it naturally. There are also some players who won’t be here next season, yet the atmosphere remains excellent – and that’s exactly what we need to keep building on.”

Almost as soon as pitcher Jacob Misiorowski debuted, Milwaukee Brewers fans presumably began thinking ahead to the fireballer's first All-Star Game.

Turns out they didn't have to wait long. Misiorowski has been named to the National League All-Star team as a replacement for Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd, Major League Baseball announced in a Friday night shocker.

Misiorowski, 23, is the fastest player ever to make an MLB All-Star Game by number of games played. That designation was previously held by Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, who made the All-Star team after just 11 games in 2024.

In five career starts, Misiorowski is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.

He's coming off a blockbuster outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who he beat 3–1 Tuesday with 12 srikeouts across six innings of one-run ball. He is also not scheduled to pitch again before the All-Star break.

Boyd, scheduled to pitch Saturday, would've been making his first All-Star appearance at the age of 34.

Favourites prove too strong despite spinners giving Warwickshire hope

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Jul-2025Grace Harris’s sparkling 63 not out from 33 balls led Surrey to a five-wicket win over the Bears as they became the inaugural Vitality Blast Women’s champions in front of their home fans at the Kia Oval.The Australian all-rounder grabbed hold of a final which needed a heroine, striking two sixes and seven fours to steer the home side to victory. Fittingly, Southwark-born Kira Chathli, who watched her heroes here as a child, made the winning hit with 20 balls to spare. Amu Surenkumar and Em Arlott took two wickets apiece.Earlier, The Bears struggled to build partnerships with player of the match from the semi-final Issy Wong top scoring with 31 and Laura Harris Sister of Grace a typically ferocious 25 from 11. Phoebe Franklin was the pick of the Surrey attack with 2-16, while two superb runouts helped to further restrict the Bears.Meg Austin caressed the first ball of the innings for four only for Alexa Stonehouse to bowl her with an in-swinger.Davina Perrin’s miserable day with the bat was completed when Capsey castled her for nought and it was hero of the eliminator Issy Wong who gave the powerplay momentum with four boundaries and a five from an overthrow.Stonehouse ended her fun with another ball that hit the stumps and Sterre Kalis was run out by a magnificent throw from the deep by Ryana MacDonald-Gay.Natasha Wraith played nicely for 23 but she and Surenkumar fell in the space of four balls, the latter to a lightning quick stumping by Kira Chathli off Franklin.Laura Harris, was dropped early on and went on the offensive, twice clearing the ropes. Three other boundaries took the Australian to 25, but going for another big hit off Dani Gregory she found the hands of Franklin in the deep.Franklin removed the dangerous Emily Arlott too, but Millie Taylor (20 not out) marshalled the tail, leaving Surrey 154 for the title.Surrey’s chase suffered an early setback when Danni Wyatt-Hodge, prolific in the competition, lost the chance to be leading run-scorer as she holed out in the deep.Skipper Bryony Smith swept and pulled strongly, but fell to the last ball of the powerplay from Surenkumar and when Wraith whipped off the bails to stump Capsey off Hannah Baker, Surrey were floundering at 42-3.Three Sophia Dunkley boundaries from Millie Taylor’s opening over raised hopes for the side playing on their home ground and the England international hit Baker back over her head for six in the next.That was as good as it got for Dunkley who overbalanced trying to hit Surenkumar over the top, Wraith’s fast hands doing the rest.Grace Harris though took up the baton to play the match-defining innings, driving fours cleanly through cover and mid-off.Emily Arlott was dispatched to the sightscreen for six and swept for four, but Paige Scholfield perished in the deep trying to imitate the shot to give the bears renewed hope.Harris though remained to reach 50 at a strike rate of 200, before clubbing Taylor into the seats at midwicket as Surrey scampered home.

Every West Bromwich Albion manager who has taken on the reins since Carlos Corberan’s exit in late 2024 is undoubtedly trying to achieve success with the Spaniard’s legacy weighing heavily on them.

Corberan would turn the Baggies into regular promotion contenders in the Championship, which made his departure to Valencia last year very much sting.

To make matters worse, the wheels would come off West Brom’s 2024/25 season at a worryingly quick pace after he moved on to La Liga, with his successor in Tony Mowbray only managing to collect a paltry five victories from 17 matches before being dismissed.

Now, the pressure is on Ryan Mason’s shoulders to deliver, and the strain is already beginning to show, with two recent Championship defeats on the spin for the perpetual promotion nearly-men even seeing some Baggies natives begin to grow restless with their new 34-year-old boss.

It hasn’t been completely bleak since Corberan returned to Spain, however, with a lot of star quality still on display from some new signings.

West Brom's mixed recruitment since Corberan left

In the direct aftermath of Corberan leaving, though, there were some underwhelming flops to stomach.

Namely, Adam Armstrong would relocate to the Hawthorns on loan and fail to live up to this well-known image of him being a prolific performer in the EFL’s top league, with just a forgettable three goals falling into his lap from 16 outings in the West Midlands.

Tammer Bany, who was purchased this January for a whopping £3.3m, has also failed to get up and running in England as a post-Corberan purchase.

But, there have been some success stories to hold onto.

Isaac Price is very much the first name that springs to mind in this regard, having signed for the Championship outfit a matter of days after Mowbray was unveiled.

While he was a Mowbray capture, he has very much come into his own this season under the fresh methods of Mason, with a stunning five goals and two assists next to his name in all competitions.

Other members of Mason’s first team are also in with a shout to be the best buy since Corberan moved on, with Chris Mepham one worthy candidate, as the Welsh centre-back has become an everpresent member of his new manager’s defence to soften the blow of Torbjørn Heggem exiting for Bologna.

But, it’s a different defensive monster who could be well handed the honour…

West Brom's best signing post-Corberan

While Price has dominated a lot of West Brom conversations this campaign with his goal and assist output, he has also been prone to a quiet day at the office, frustratingly.

Indeed, the Northern Ireland international would go the entirety of September without collecting a single goal or assist.

During this same month, it could be argued that Nathaniel Phillips was very much settling into his new Hawthorns environment, on the contrary, with the decision to bring in the Premier League-experienced defender for just £3m already looking to be an ingenious move.

The 28-year-old is yet to miss a Championship game this season, and for good reason, with the 6-foot-3 colossus very much living up to his billing as a “lion”, as he was lauded by his former Anfield coach in Pepijn Lijnders.

Indeed, in West Brom blue and white so far, Phillips has won a commanding 5.5 duels on average across his 12 league clashes to date.

Games played

12

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Touches*

81.9

Accurate passes*

56.6 (86%)

Ball recoveries*

4.3

Clearances*

7.4

Total duels won*

5.5

Clean sheets

3

Looking at the table above in greater detail only further reinforces how much of a sterling purchase Phillips has already been, with his brute strength when rising up for duels also gifting him one goal at his new club, already, away from also cutting an assured presence on the ball with 56.6 accurate passes averaged per tense match.

EFL pundit Sam Parkin would likely agree with Phillips being one of West Brom’s best signings in recent memory, with him labelling the former Derby County loanee as “absolutely sensational” after he collected a clean sheet versus promotion rivals Stoke City.

Mason will need both Price and Phillips performing to their maximum to try and get his side out of their current sticky patch of form.

But, while the first of those named has shone in spurts and looks a top talent for the future, Phillips has been the real deal from minute one of his West Brom journey, with 19 Premier League appearances also under his belt, standing the Baggies in good stead if they can finally break their second-tier hoodoo.

West Brom have signed "explosive" star who is a bigger talent than Fellows

West Bromwich Albion have signed a new explosive star who is an even bigger talent than Tom Fellows.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 29, 2025

Of American League teams in postseason contention, the Red Sox were one of the quietest at the trade deadline. Before the deadline hit, the Red Sox acquired two pitchers—lefthander Steven Matz from the Cardinals and starter Dustin May from the Dodgers—in exchange for prospects Blaze Jordan, James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard.

Those were the only additions the Red Sox made in what was an unsatisfactory deadline for Boston. They especially pale in comparison to their AL East rivals, the Yankees, who made a handful of moves before the deadline to improve their team and maintain their lead in the AL wild card standings.

Despite the team's lack of moves, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Boston felt they were "uncomfortably aggressive" at the deadline, per Chris Cotillo of .

"We pursued a number of really impact opportunities," Breslow said after the deadline on Thursday. "Obviously, not all of them work out, but it wasn't from an unwillingness to get uncomfortable."

Breslow insists that though the Red Sox were not interested in parting with any pieces from their major league roster, they were trying to put out the most "aggressive" offers they could. Among the moves that didn't work out was reportedly a trade for Twins All-Star Joe Ryan, which would have been a major boost to the team's rotation.

"I understand the frustration and disappointment," Breslow said, "because we’re all looking at the last week right now in terms of the trades that were made and weren’t made. There's not a lot of sympathy for how hard we tried to get deals across the line."

Breslow and the Red Sox might have tried, but several other contenders both tried got the deals they wanted done. It's natural that there is disappointment when not many moves occur, and it's Breslow's job to get them done, not bring up a "lack of sympathy" for when things don't fall into place.