Chelsea had the chance to build on their impressive win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, but as they have done so many times this season, they faltered.

On paper, a game against Qarabağ looked like an easy three points for Enzo Maresca’s side, but in the end, they had to settle for just one.

The draw leaves them 12th in the Champions League, but the worst thing to come out of the match was another injury to Roméo Lavia.

The Belgian has been extremely unlucky during his time at Chelsea, and unless his luck improves, he could eventually be replaced by one of Cobham’s most promising prospects.

Lavia's Chelsea career

Chelsea signed Lavia from Southampton, and from under Liverpool’s nose, in the summer of 2023.

At the time, it seemed like money well spent, as the youngster was one of the most exciting midfielders in the Premier League the previous season and, as journalist Sam Tighe pointed out, “a shining star despite playing in terrible circumstances most of the time.”

Unfortunately, the youngster suffered a muscle tear and then an ankle injury in September 2023 and couldn’t make his competitive debut for the club until the 27th of December.

However, he wouldn’t kick on from there, as, thanks to a hamstring injury, he wouldn’t make another appearance all season.

Last season was marginally better, but even then, five injuries limited him to just 22 appearances, four of which came at the Club World Cup.

To nobody’s surprise, this year has not been much better, as the 21-year-old missed the first five league games with a muscle strain and came off the pitch on Wednesday night with another muscle injury.

Across the last two and a half years, Lavia has made just 30 appearances for the Blues, coming to a total of 1341 minutes.

23/24

1

32′

24/25

22

1069′

25/26

7

240′

It would be hard to describe his time at Chelsea as anything other than a failure at the moment, and if he continues to be unreliable over the coming years, he could see himself replaced by an upcoming Cobham gem.

The Cobham gem who could eventually replace Lavia

While the results for the senior side have been frustratingly inconsistent, the good news for Chelsea is that they have several exciting prospects coming through the academy at the moment.

In The Pipeline

The likes of Chizaram Ezenwata, Shim Mheuka and Reggie Walsh could all make as first team regulars in a few years.

However, when it comes to a potential Lavia replacement, it’s hard to look past Reggie Watson.

The hugely exciting talent may still be just 15 years old, but is already making waves in the academy and could become a part of the first team squad a few years from now.

The up-and-coming ace has demonstrated an ability to play in several different positions, from central midfield to centre-back, but, like the Belgian, is primarily a defensive midfielder.

According to one analyst, the “excellent” prospect has several key strengths which could make him an ideal long-term six for Marseca, such as being an “excellent ball retriever,” having “good passing and vision”, and having a knack for “dictating the tempo of the game.”

As if that wasn’t enough, the youngster is also “physically strong” for someone his age, and with all that in mind, it’s easy to see why he’s been described as being “so complete.”

Finally, on top of doing the business for the Blues’ youth sides, the teenager has also won six caps for England’s U16s, in which he’s scored three goals, primarily from defensive midfield.

Ultimately, it will be a few years yet until Watson is playing for the first team, but if Lavia remains injury-prone at that time, the Belgian could find himself replaced by the youngster.

He was as bad as Hato: Maresca must now ruthlessly drop 5/10 Chelsea dud

It was a night to forget for the Chelsea ace, who was as bad as Jorrel Hato.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 6, 2025

Even if you're not a big fan of the New York Yankees and think their mystique is overstated, there's something about a player making their Major League debut at Yankees Stadium that adds just a bit of extra intensity to the moment. And when the player comes out of the gate with a measure of success, well, it's tough to imagine many cooler introductions to the sporting world.

Cam Schlittler fit the bill last night, working into the sixth inning and holding the Seattle Mariners at bay to pick up up a victory in the Yankees' 9-6 win. The 6'6" right-hander impressed right out of the gate, striking out seven batters a formidable fastball.

Everything came together perfectly for him to get the moment of his life as manager Aaron Boone strode out to take him out of the game in the sixth inning. Schlittler received a well-deserved standing ovation from the Bronx crowd and YES' cameras honed in a heartwarming moment from his parents as they shared a hug.

That's the good stuff right there.

It was only a few months ago that Schlitter was pitching for the Somerset Patriots. Now he's out there on a massive stage against a playoff-caliber team making it look easy. Hard to imagine the sense of pride and joy going on in that hug.

The Schlittlers may have more opportunities to tell everyone in their section that there as he slots potentially as a key aide in their quest to win the American League East.

ألغى حكم مباراة الزمالك وكايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي، هدفًا ثاني لصالح القلعة البيضاء سجله التونسي سيف الدين الجزيري، وذلك في المباراة المقامة بينهما الآن، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.

ويلعب الزمالك ضد كايزر تشيفز، في إطار الجولة الثانية من عمر مواجهات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية، ذلك على ملعب الفريق الجتوب إفريقي.

وأحرز سيف الجزيري، هدفا ثانيا لصالح نادي الزمالك في الدقيقة 8 بعدما وصلته تمريرة طويلة إلى داخل منطقة الجزاء ونجاحه في استخلاص الكرة من مدافع كايزر تشيفز، سدد في المرمى.

طالع.. خاص | سبب استبعاد محمد عواد من قائمة الزمالك أمام كايزر تشيفز في الكونفدرالية

ولكن حكم المباراة، قرر إلغاء الهدف بداعي الدفع من سيف الجزيري لمدافع كايزر تشيفز، لتبقى النتيجة 1-0 لصالح الزمالك.

وكان سيف الجزيري قد سجل الهدف الأول في الدقيقة الثالثة من بداية اللقاء. هدف الزمالك الملغي أمام كايزر تشيفز في الكونفدرالية

Manchester United have been boosted in their efforts to sign a player who has been compared to Lionel Messi, with an offer potentially incoming.

Neville hails Amorim's "best week" at Man Utd

A feeling of positivity has finally returned to Old Trafford, following three Premier League wins in a row, with Saturday’s 3-2 win at home to Brighton another big step in the right direction.

In fact, United legend Neville even believes that has been Ruben Amorim’s “best week” in charge, finding plenty of positives in the last three games.

“I think that it feels like his best week in the job. I think where we’ve all been with it, I wouldn’t have been surprised if we talked about him losing his job. I was thinking he was under massive pressure after going into the international break in October. I felt as though that change could be imminent.

“But the victory at Anfield shows you how things can turn around and then obviously this was so important today. He’s not out of the woods yet and it’s certainly not time to get carried away but I think Manchester United are now where they thought they probably would be.”

Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, two of United’s most expensive signings of all time, are beginning to purr, and the Red Devils are now being linked with a move for an equally exciting attacking player.

Man Utd boosted in Kubo chase

A newspaper in Spain claims to have a “bombshell” update regarding the future of Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo. They report he is expected to leave the Spanish club in 2026, with Manchester United in line to bid for him.

The Japanese starlet is also wanted by the likes of Tottenham and Everton, both of whom have shown an interest, and he may cost as little as £35m as Sociedad have decided to cash in for less than his release clause rather than risk his value plummeting any further after a run of bad form.

Kubo is a special talent who has even been dubbed the ‘new Messi’ in his homeland, while Zinedine Zidane also once spoke highly of him when was out on loan from Real Madrid, even though he failed to excel at the Santiago Bernabeu in the end.

Kubo is primarily a right winger, coming in onto his left foot like Mbeumo, and while fitting him into the team may not be easy, competition for places and elite squad depth can only bed a good thing for Amorim.

Forget Sesko: Man Utd have Van Persie 2.0 who's 'one of the best in the PL'

Manchester United have found their next Robin van Persie in this star, and it is not Benjamin Sesko.

ByDan Emery Oct 27, 2025

Still only 24, there is still so much more to come from the Japan star, and if United can pip others to his signature, they could have a future Old Trafford superstar on their hands, both on the pitch and in terms of marketing.

Lauren Bell, Mady Villiers restrict Originals to 95 for 8 before Laura Wolvaardt sees visitors home

ECB Reporters Network06-Aug-2025

Lauren Bell struck to leave Manchester Originals in tatters•Getty Images

Southern Brave started life after Charlotte Edwards with a convincing win over Manchester Originals at Emirates Old Trafford.The damage was all done with the ball, as Lauren Bell took 3 for 28 and Mady Villiers 2 for 19 to limit the hosts to just 95 for 8 from their 100 balls.Seren Smale fought a lone hand for Originals on a wicket that none of her team-mates ever looked at home on, making 40 from 34 balls to give her side the faintest hope at the halfway mark but no side has ever defended fewer than 109 in the Hundred women’s competition and their total never looked like enough.And while Brave were rarely fluent, they were always comfortable – easing to a six-wicket win with 11 balls to spare. Former Originals batter Laura Wolvaardt, a direct signing for Southern Brave this season, showed her old team what they were missing with an assured and unbeaten 42.She was supported by Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who made 32, as Brave’s batting line-up eased over the line in first gear. Having endured a surprising eighth-placed finish last summer, with just one win, Brave – and their new head coach Luke Williams in particular – will have been pleased to start the campaign with a victory.For Originals it was a disappointing start to the season and, Smale’s innings aside, a day of few positives – they’ll hope to demonstrate it was mere blip next time out at the Kia Oval on Saturday.Meerkat Match Hero Bell said: “It’s great to get our first win on the board. In tournament cricket it’s really important to get a good start, and it was a good team performance.”The girls stuck in. The wicket was a bit tricky but we’ve got a great line-up and the batters did the job. We’ve had a lot of really good chats about being really confident, backing our strengths, and having fun out there.”

Former Barcelona forward Vitor Roque feels he moved to Europe too early in his career as he reflected on his disappointing period with the Catalan club. Now back in Brazil with Palmeiras, Roque believes the return was an important step that will help him move forward professionally. His resurgence has not gone unnoticed, as the Brazilian forward has been selected by Carlo Ancelotti for Brazil’s upcoming friendlies.

• Roque’s forgetful time at Barcelona

  Roque joined Barcelona in 2023 for €35 million (£31m/$40m) after impressing with Athletico Paranaense, where he scored 21 goals in 60 appearances. He had already shown his potential by winning the South American U20 Championship in 2020, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals. Expectations were extremely high when he arrived in Barcelona, but his debut season fell short. Under coach Xavi, Roque made only 16 appearances and scored two goals, with limited playing time suggesting a lack of trust from the coach. His situation declined further when Hansi Flick took charge, as he was immediately loaned to Real Betis in August 2024. The loan spell was cut short and by February this year Barcelona had sold him to Palmeiras for €25m (£22m/$29m) plus add-ons. 

  Barcelona sporting director Deco sympathised with Roque for his difficult spell at the club, believing he struggled to cope with the pressure that comes with playing for Barcelona. Deco said: “I feel really sorry for him. With Vitor, I always think arriving in January did not do him any favours. He started well and scored a few goals, but then it became hard to handle the pressure that comes with playing for Barcelona.”

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Roque reflects on his time at Barcelona

  Now thriving at Palmeiras and back in the Brazil squad, the 20-year-old's career is certainly back on track as he reflected on his La Liga adventure. 

  "I went to Europe very early," he said at a press conference. "I learned a lot and I think the same way. Returning to Brazilian football is not a step backward. Sometimes you have to take a step back to take two steps forward. Luiz Henrique is a real example. He came back to win titles, and I hope to win some too."

  Roque pointed to Zenit St Petersburg full-back Luiz Henrique as an example, noting how the player returned from Real Betis to Botafogo before earning another move to Europe. "Luiz Henrique is a real example. He came back to win titles, and I hope to win some too," he said.

• Palmeiras resurgence rewarded with Brazil call

  Roque’s path to redemption at Palmeiras was far from smooth, as he went his first 10 matches without scoring. Despite the slow start, the club showed full confidence in him, giving him the time and support needed to settle. Their patience paid off, as Roque delivered an outstanding 2025 season, scoring 20 goals and providing five assists in 52 appearances across all competitions. His resurgence became a key factor in Palmeiras leading at the top of the league with 68 points, edging Flamengo on head to head record. Roque’s strong form has also put him firmly in the Golden Boot race, sitting just one goal behind the league’s top scorer, Kaio Jorge, and he could end up a Copa Libertadores winner as his side meet Flamengo in the final later this month. His performances have earned him a place in the Brazil national team, with Carlo Ancelotti recalling him to the squad.

  Roque spoke about his redemption at Palmeiras, explaining how dejected he had felt before coach Abel Ferreira restored his confidence. He said, “When I returned from Europe, I was in a bad place psychologically, with no confidence whatsoever. When I was at Palmeiras lacking confidence, coach Abel placed his trust in me.”

  He added: “Having a consistent run of games is very important to regain that confidence. I managed to score goals and provide assists. I am very happy to be here.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Ancelotti's prepparation for the World Cup

  Brazil are set to face Senegal in a friendly match this week as Ancelotti prepares to test different player combinations to help shape his final squad for the World Cup next year. They will then take on Tunisia on November 18.

Aston Villa’s first Premier League win of the season didn’t fall until late September, but heading into Liverpool’s clash with Unai Emery’s side later today, the two sides are somehow tied on 15 points in the early league standings.

Of course, the West Midlands outfit has turned around its slow start, but it speaks more to how alarmingly quick the wheels have fallen off for Arne Slot’s machine in recent matches, with his side deep in a four-game losing streak in league action, alongside also tasting defeat in the Champions League and the EFL Cup along the way.

The under-fire Dutchman will surely be considering changes aplenty heading into this late-night clash against the Villans, with Alexis Mac Allister in danger of being dropped, as his own personal season shows no signs of improvement.

Mac Allister's drop-off at Liverpool

It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that Mac Allister was crucial to Slot and Co. last season as they romped home to the Premier League title.

Of course, Mohamed Salah stole most of the plaudits as everything he touched turned to gold, but the ex-Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder was also a sensational spectacle to take in all campaign long, with five goals and five assists heading his way, strengthening his presence as a constant livewire from the centre of the park.

Unfortunately for Slot, though, it looks as if the Argentinian’s days of hammering home strikes like this sweetly struck one against Fulham are long behind him, with Mac Allister now looking “like Fabinho in his final season”.

It’s been lethargic showing after lethargic showing all season long, in truth, with the number ten doing little to tighten his grip on a first-team spot against Villa when struggling, again, against Crystal Palace mid-week as a much-changed Reds XI crashed out of the EFL Cup as abject 3-0 losers.

Mac Allister would fail to hit a single shot at stand-in Palace keeper Walter Benítez, while also only managing to win a weak two duels centrally, as per Sofascore.

With news emerging that Ryan Gravenberch could be fit for the clash later today, it might be a case of swapping out the South American “disappointment” – as one analyst also branded him recently – for the returning Dutchman.

Mac Allister isn’t the only worrying drop-off Slot has had to contend with, though, as this high-profile summer signing is already in danger of being seen as a flop, based on his early days at Anfield, despite joining with such fanfare.

Liverpool star is looking "painfully out of his depth"

Liverpool demanded everyone’s attention in the hectic summer transfer window.

£415m was wildly spent, after all, with £40m of that huge amount being forked out to land blistering AFC Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez, following a breakout campaign on the south coast.

His unbounded energy for Andoni Iraola’s men, which resulted in five league assists coming his way last season, must have made Kerkez a priority target for Liverpool, as they went about refreshing their defence in the wake of Trent Alexander-Arnold gallivanting off to Real Madrid.

Yet, while his extremely dangerous pace is clear for all to see in the above clip, Kerkez has yet to really find his Bournemouth groove again at Anfield, with two games on the trot against Chelsea and Manchester in October, seeing him attempt just one dribble.

Kerkez’s numbers vs Palace
Stat	Kerkez
Minutes played	90
Goals scored	0
Assists	0
Touches	76
Accurate passes	40/53 (75%)
Possession lost	19x
Tackles won	0
Total duels won	3/9
Stats by Sofascore

Much like Mac Allister, too, he struggled again when selected against the Eagles mid-week, with Ismaila Sarr having a field day up against the out-of-sorts Hungarian, leading to his two goals rubbing more salt into the gaping Liverpool wound.

Away from that one-on-one battle, Kerkez also only won three out of his nine duels on the night, on top of losing possession a high 19 times, with journalist Tim Spier’s comments that the number six is “painfully out of his depth” lining up for the red half of Merseyside very much ringing true.

Andrew Robertson might be a sensible replacement moving forward, as Slot attempts to put together a strong enough XI that can clinch a desperately needed win against Villa, with the “naive” full-back – as Gary Neville has labelled him – likely to drop out subsequently, alongside Mac Allister.

Every Liverpool game that Jeremie Frimpong will now miss after latest injury

More bad news for the Reds

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 31, 2025

Australia have not found a replacement for Warner yet in Tests, and it’s not necessary the gap will be filled soon

Andrew McGlashan20-Dec-20241:33

Cummins: ‘Top three is a really hard place to bat’

A year that started with David Warner playing his final Test will draw to a close with Australia still searching for his long-term replacement, and a reality dawning that it might be sooner rather than later that they need another new opener as well.Rohit Sharma batted away suggestions that India had over-celebrated avoiding the follow-on at the Gabba and Pat Cummins said “can’t say I’ve ever been scared of momentum” when asked if the visitors took more from how that Test finished, but it feels like Australia have blinked first ahead of the crunch encounter at the MCG.Australia’s opening batting position was the major talking point heading into the series and whoever is selected in the role on Boxing Day – Sam Konstas is favourite but it may not be him – will mean that three players have had the job alongside Usman Khawaja, himself desperately short of runs this year, since the middle of January.Related

Konstas' MCG debut confirmed, Head faces a fitness test

Finch: Selectors may have to 'cherry pick' Hazlewood's Tests

Konstas handed Boxing Day Test call-up

Australia tried to manufacture openers out of Steven Smith and Nathan McSweeney with both being aborted. Josh Inglis has never opened in first-class cricket. Beau Webster has done it seven times, and scored 136 against New South Wales, but not since 2019. The door isn’t completely shut on someone else moving up.Konstas is a specialist opener and may yet prove to be the answer – it has felt like an inevitable path to international cricket and plenty of good judges have already anointed him – but the selectors didn’t think he was ready a month ago. He has, however, taken his opportunity to keep his name in lights in the last few weeks with a century for the Prime Minister’s XI against the Indians (minus Jasprit Bumrah), 88 against a good Western Australia attack and a dashing BBL debut, although caution needs to be used when assessing the latter.”What I can say is Sam has a self-confidence you don’t see in very many,” Sydney Thunder coach Trevor Bayliss said this week. “I’ve only seen it in a few over the years, and all of those players were outstanding Test players and international players, guys like [Michael] Clarke and [Brad] Haddin, Warner and Smith.”This decision will be picked apart a few days after former Australia coach Darren Lehmann said chair of selectors George Bailey was too close to the players and couldn’t make hard decisions. But it feels McSweeney, who had not opened before this season, has had the rough end of the deal having come up against Bumrah who is putting together one of the great series.His axing has come two Tests after his 39 in the first innings in Adelaide was lauded by team-mates as having been key in helping set up victory when he and Marnus Labuschagne survived the first evening under lights. He also came through a tricky opening day at the Gabba in the 13 overs sent down before the rain. However, perhaps crucially to his ambitions, he could not go on with either innings on the second day.1:37

Clarke: Everyone wants to see Rohit back to his confident self

Whoever gets the nod at the MCG is effectively being asked to do something no one else in that position has been able to manage: keep out, and score runs off, Bumrah.There has been much talk of the success of enabling Travis Head to come in after the 30-over mark in the first innings of the last two Tests when he has flayed thrilling centuries, but today’s decision appears to signal a change of tact from purely soaking up deliveries. It’s unlikely to signal a switch to something close to Bazball, but perhaps Ronball is going to make a comeback. Bailey stressed the importance of a left-hander opening, so the similarities between McSweeney and Labuschagne in the top three may have proved too great for not enough output.While McSweeney is the one to have paid the price, the sense is that plenty of the top are now on notice. “If you look more broadly I don’t necessarily the top six as quite functioned to the level that we need in this series as a whole,” Bailey said.Head is flying and Smith’s century was very timely, but Khawaja, Labuschagne and, lower down, Mitchell Marsh have made 214 runs in the series between them at 14.26. All three have credit in the bank, but it will be starting to run low.It is true that the evidence backs up what is becoming a well-worn trope about batting having become harder in Australia since the altered Kookaburra was introduced, combined with more grass being left on pitches – the “perfect storm” as Smith termed it after his century – but KL Rahul has shown that it is possible to make runs as an opener in the first innings, while Yashasvi Jaiswal had to get through the new ball before he could compile 161 in Perth.Amid all this, regardless of what happens in the final two Tests against India – and if Australia don’t regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy it will lead to a lot more questions being asked – there is likely to be plenty more movement at the top of the order in the next 12 months. Head is a good chance of opening in Sri Lanka, which is admittedly a very conditions-based call, and even if Khawaja gets his wish of finishing at next summer’s Ashes, it means we’ll be back here having another debate on replacements this time next year.Warner was joking when he said his phone was always on before this series began but, wherever anyone stands in their views of him, there can be no doubt the size of the task to filling those shoes. In a few days it will be someone else’s turn. Bumrah will be waiting.

Without being guilty of stating the obvious, it’s not a great time to be a West Ham United fan at the moment.

The team looked terrible under Graham Potter at the start of the season, and apart from a brief moment against Everton, they’ve not looked much better under Nuno Espírito Santo.

The Portuguese coach has a tough job on his hands to get the Hammers out of the relegation zone, and things have only just got more complicated.

It now seems that Lucas Paqueta wants to leave the club, although his departure wouldn’t be ideal, West Ham appear to have a player who could step into his shoes.

Latest on Lucas Paqueta's West Ham future

As if Nuno’s task to keep West Ham in the Premier League wasn’t already challenging enough, it now seems that the incredibly talented Paqueta wants to jump ship in the winter window.

Chalkboard

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

At least, that is according to a recent report from the Times, which claims that, despite a move to Aston Villa not materialising in the summer, the Brazilian ace is still keen to leave the East Londoners as soon as possible.

It is unclear just how much money it would take for the Irons to sell, but given his desire to leave, underwhelming performances and the fact that there are less than two years left on his £150k-per-week contract, it seems unlikely they’ll make a profit on the £51m they paid Lyon for him in 2022.

However, while losing the Paquetá-born midfielder would be far from ideal, it might not be the nail in the club’s Premier League coffin that many might spin it as.

After all, even though his talent is undeniable, has the 28-year-old star actually been as effective for the club as fans hoped he would be when he first joined?

25/26

10

3

24/25

36

5

23/24

43

15

22/23

41

12

Well, across his 130 appearances for the Irons, the former Lyon ace has scored 21 goals and provided 14 assists, which works out to a decent but unspectacular average of a goal involvement every 3.71 games.

Moreover, last season saw him score just five goals in 35 games, of which two were penalties, meaning he averaged a non-penalty goal every 11.66 games, which isn’t good enough for someone meant to be a team’s talismanic number ten.

In short, while the best situation would be one in which Nuno could get the best back out of Paqueta, losing him in the winter might not be as bad as some would have you believe, as he’s barely contributed to the team for over a year now.

Moreover, West Ham already have a creative gem who could potentially prove to be a brilliant replacement in the long run.

West Ham's Paqueta replacement

While there are undoubtedly other ways in which Nuno and West Ham could approach a Paqueta-less side, perhaps the best would be to use Mateus Fernandes.

The former Southampton star joined the club for around £40m in the summer, and while he’s spent more time in central midfield since then, he’s no stranger to playing further up the pitch.

For example, during his time with the Saints, the “exceptional” Portuguese ace, as dubbed by analyst Mattinson, made 21 appearances in attacking midfield.

Moreover, despite playing for a team that were relegated and, for some time, looked in danger of breaking Derby County’s most unwanted record, the 21-year-old still produced six goal involvements in 36 league games.

For comparison’s sake, Paqueta scored just four goals in 34 league games.

Finally, on top of possessing the ability to play “those KDB-type passes,” as Mattinson puts it, the former Southampton ace is also happy to help out all over the pitch, as his underlying numbers show.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last season for percentage of aerial duels won, the top 5% for tackles and ball recoveries, the top 11% for long passes attempted and completed and the top 14% for passes into the final third, all per 90.

% of Aerials Won

62.5%

Top 2%

Tackles (Def 3rd)

1.39

Top 3%

Tackles

2.75

Top 5%

Ball Recoveries

5.54

Top 5%

Interceptions

0.87

Top 7%

Touches (Mid 3rd)

26.82

Top 9%

GCA (Defensive Action)

0.03

Top 10%

Passes Completed (Long)

3.40

Top 11%

Passes Attempted (Long)

6.06

Top 11%

Dribblers Tackled

1.02

Top 11%

Pass Completion % (Medium)

85.9%

Top 14%

Passes into Final Third

3.03

Top 14%

Shots Blocked

0.25

Top 14%

Total Passing Distance

569.45

Top 15%

Blocks

1.33

Top 15%

Ultimately, in an ideal world, West Ham would keep hold of Paqueta and help him get back to his best this season.

However, if he really is to leave in the winter, then fans should not worry too much, as Fernandes could step in and step up.

West Ham brewing Noble 2.0 who knows "what it means to wear the shirt"

The academy product might be able to add some much-needed fight and heart back into Nuno’s West Ham side.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 28, 2025

The New Zealand captain paid tribute to the team’s coaches who had shown faith during a long run of defeats

Shashank Kishore21-Oct-20243:54

Kerr, Halliday deliver World Cup glory to NZ

Long after the remnants of golden confetti and firecrackers that added to New Zealand’s moment of glory had been cleaned up following their trophy presentation, Sophie Devine and her band of women strolled towards the centre of the Dubai International Stadium.Some players kissed the turf as a mark of respect, others simply lay flat on their backs, arms spread out and eyes closed, soaking in the euphoria with the quiet calm of an empty stadium helping them connect with their inner sanctum.Then there were happy phone calls made back home to families who must’ve either stayed up all night or woken up early to watch them play. Melie Kerr played a Kiwi folk song on her guitar, Suzie Bates called for a huddle and made a rousing speech that was applauded wildly, Lea Tahuhu, with a trophy in one hand, a chilled beer in another, was showing off some funky dance moves, while Devine led the singing of their team song.Related

• Kerr, Halliday deliver World Cup glory on dream day for NZ cricket

• Devine on New Zealand's T20 World Cup win: 'Hard to put into words what it means'

• From schoolgirl dreamer to World Cup champion, Amelia Kerr bridges New Zealand's eras

The joyous mood was a reflection of how it was when New Zealand arrived at the ground for the final. Even if there was pressure, you couldn’t quite tell. Their first act upon entering the arena was to huddle near the boundary with Devine taking out a piece of paper and reading out from it to peels of frenzied laughter and back-slapping.”Well, we have a bit of a tradition before the start of each warm-up, someone gets nominated to do a joke of the day,” Devine revealed later, about their ritual. “I was in charge of a joke, but I had a number of them, but I’m not sure if I can repeat any of them unfortunately. We’ll keep it PG, but it’s just a nice way to lighten the mood and have a bit of a laugh before we get stuck into business.”Only last month, they were thrashed 3-0 by Australia to take their winless sequence to 10 matches. The top order looked wonky and was far too dependent on Kerr and Devine for bailouts that merely kept them in the game. They scrapped to stay alive, picking players on potential, and prayed they would come good.They landed in UAE as rank outsiders, not even dark horses, fully knowing their first match against India could make or break their campaign. It turns out they’d been preparing for it from a year out. The only bit of attention to detail they couldn’t account for was the change in venue. They’d been preparing to play amid tea gardens in Sylhet but ended up plotting India’s downfall around Dubai’s ring of fire.They laid down the marker right there, hitting 160 and using every bit of intel, like Devine’s knowledge of Smriti Mandhana’s propensity to step out to spin, having played with her at Royal Challengers Bengaluru. And then using that intel to set fields to target that weakness, like having a wide long-off and having her caught there inside the powerplay.That win should’ve galvanized them; instead, they were given jolted by Australia in their second game. From there, they went on a roll, gathering unstoppable momentum to beat Sri Lanka, Pakistan and West Indies coming into Sunday’s final, where they went hard from get go, allowing no respite to the South African bowlers.Sophie Devine poses with the T20 World Cup trophy•ICC/Getty ImagesIn this journey of 18 months, mostly comprising new lows they kept plummeting to, like a 3-0 sweep in Australia or going through an entire summer in England without a win, Devine and co fed off crumbs of comfort. Like the satisfaction of bowling out Australia in the second T20I, even though they couldn’t chase it down. Or Georgia Plimmer, a teenage sensation, hitting her first fifty after averaging under 10 in her first year in T20Is.”It’s really hard to pinpoint one moment or one game,” Devine said when asked about the turning point in their journey between the end of the previous T20 World Cup to this one. “Probably most recently is that India game, though. I think that was probably the most complete performance we’ve had since the World Cup in South Africa and everything did come together.”As I said, it showed that belief and confidence in this group, and to put it together and to know that we could do it, I think was a massive moment for us and helped us on our journey to being here tonight with this [trophy] in front of us.

The New Zealand team having a nice sit down pitch side with the World Cup trophy and some chilled beverages pic.twitter.com/vBRnOMjLxb

— Shashank Kishore (@captainshanky) October 20, 2024

“So hard to pinpoint because there’s so much that goes into it. I mean everyone thinks about the games, but it’s the work that goes on behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t see. But, yeah, I think if you’re talking about performances, that India one probably set the tone for us.”When Devine was crestfallen after a semi-final loss to New Zealand in 2016, she’d candidly reflected on how “not winning a World Cup trophy” despite having come close twice until then gave her sleepless nights. Now, sitting beside one, with a grin that didn’t leave her face from start to finish as she patiently answered questions, Devine doffed her hat to the coaching staff in her moment of glory.”Oh, I think the coaching staff don’t get enough credit,” Devine said. “They’re probably the first ones to get absolutely slammed by critics, media, outsiders, and they get forgotten when a team wins, but they have been outstanding. They’ve stood with every single one of us players and backed us and believed in us, given us the confidence to know that when we play our best, when we play the brand of cricket that we want to, you can win World Cups.”So, the likes of Ben Sawyer [head coach], Dean Brownlie [assistant coach] as well as Craig McMillan [batting coach] who’s recently on board, Paul Wiseman [spin consultant], but I also think back to Craig Howard who had a really important role with the spinners previous to that. I think about Andre Adams [former bowling coach] and his impact around the group.Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu celebrate New Zealand’s T20 World Cup win•ICC/Getty Images”There’s been so many people that have come into our environment and have added to it and have helped this team grow that to be able to, I guess, sit here with a World Cup trophy, it goes to them as well and everything that they’ve been able to give to the players, to the group, to New Zealand cricket.”I think so much has to go to them. Obviously, we’re the ones that do it out on the park, but the hours that they spend toiling away, planning, preparing players, Yeah, they really are the unsung heroes and so much credit has to go to them.”Devine’s sense of humour was also perfectly intact when asked what it meant to the people of New Zealand. “Yeah, great question,” she laughed. “I don’t know how much it means because, well, firstly it’s about 5am in the morning back in New Zealand, but I think the impact is going to take a bit of time to sink in.”We’ve spoken about it before, the 2000 World Cup [Cricinfo women’s World Cup, won by New Zealand] and the impact that had and that took years to see the numbers swell and the interest in cricket grow, and fingers crossed we can do that too back home as inspire that next generation of players.”But I think the great thing about being a Kiwi is we all get in behind each other. It doesn’t matter what sport you play. I think the amount of support we’ve had from fellow athletes, from members of the public, from celebrities, it’s been pretty cool to have that support and it does, it just shows you how connected New Zealand is and makes you really proud to be a Kiwi.”