New Zealand is finally set to enter the world of privately owned T20 leagues, with plans afoot to start NZ20, a tournament comprising six privately owned franchises in January 2027. The league’s operating model would be similar to that of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with the tournament receiving the license from New Zealand Cricket (NZC), but managed independently.Plans don’t currently have NZC approval, but if they do secure that, NZ20 will replace the Super Smash, the current six-team competition. That tournament is now two decades old and is played by the local cricket associations in New Zealand: Auckland, Northern Districts, Wellington, Central Districts, Canterbury and Otago. It is managed by NZC, whereas NZ20 will have teams with private owners.According to Don MacKinnon, who heads the NZ20 Establishment Committee, the concept for the league originated from former New Zeeland greats including Stephen Fleming who then engaged with the New Zealand Players Association (NZPA} to gauge whether the time had come for a franchise-based league. MacKinnon, a professional lawyer who heads the country’s Sports Integrity Commission, and has served as a director on the NZC Board, was approached about three months ago to see if the concept was feasible.In a conversation with ESPNcricinfo, MacKinnon said NZ20 was an “extremely viable” project and it was the “ideal” time to launch.”The concept is a pretty simple one really. It’s to see if New Zealand cricket could provide us with a clean window, which in our mind is absolutely essential for a very short privately owned competition, ideally in the peak of summer in New Zealand,” MacKinnon said. “So ideally for a men’s competition in the month of January at potentially a lot of our holiday venues, some of our beautiful grassbanks ground and a short fan-centric, fun type competition, but one played by the very best players in New Zealand and hopefully some internationals.”

‘Super Smash not working’

The absence of a New Zealand T20 league until now has been notable, especially as its players and coaches have been popular in leagues across the globe. But MacKinnon said collective belief among former players was that the time was ripe for New Zealand to create its own domestic brand.Back in 2014 the NZC Board had turned down the idea of such a league because it did not believe it could create a successful product and would “struggle” to compete with the likes of the IPL and BBL. MacKinnon agreed with that decision but pointed out the time now was right to “develop our own unique competition.” He said that NZ20 would not be aping the IPL or BBL.”We are looking at something very boutique, very New Zealand centric, a unique experience for players who come here, as I said, small grounds, a great lifestyle, something that we think players would love to be involved in.”Finn Allen is among the New Zealand players who play overseas in the January league period•Sarah Reed – CA / Getty Images

MacKinnon said the Super Smash was “not really working with the fans” and has become more of a “development” competition for players. NZ20, MacKinnon believes, has the potential to “reenergise domestic cricket” in New Zealand. “What’s different about it? Well, it’s partly driven out of private investment and so you get the ability to be very innovative. You have the ability to have greater capital, to invest in better fan experience both at the ground but also whether you are watching on television or online. We also think that if we get this right, we will attract the very best New Zealand players back into our domestic competitions.”MacKinnon did not disclose whether IPL franchise owners were looking to invest, but said there was strong interest both from India as well as other investors globally. “We’ve also looked really closely at some of the models around the world and particularly the CPL where the league owners and the team seem to have done a great job in moving that competition not only into a point of profitability but also has really engaged fan interest. So that’s one of the models we’re looking at very closely. But by no means the only one.”

NZ players ‘would desperately love’ to play NZ20

The current plan involves starting the men’s tournament in January 2027 followed by the launch of the women’s league in December 2027. The biggest challenge remains finding a clear window with the BBL, SA20 and ILT20 running simultaneously in January. Those tournaments generally involve the participation of several New Zealand international.MacKinnon acknowledged that hurdle, but believed current New Zealand players were keen to participate. “We appreciate we won’t be able to attract everybody that we’d like to have, but the feedback from current New Zealand players is they would desperately love for this tournament to go ahead and would do everything to participate in it.There would be plans to launch a women’s edition later in 2027•Getty Images

“So that’s the first goal. We are designing this competition very much along the lines that we want the Lockie Fergusons and the Finn Allens of this world and the Kane Williamsons playing in it. So that’s the most important goal because at the moment a lot of those players aren’t playing in our Super Smash.”MacKinnon is confident NZ20 can attract “marquee players” if they get the right owners. MacKinnon also highlighted one of its USPs would be to allow players to own a stake in the league. “We also are looking at a model where the players may well have an ownership share of the league,” he said. “And we are doing that because we want an extremely high level of access to player intellectual property. We want to be able to open our players up to the wealth. And to do that, that intellectual property needs to be very readily available.”

NZC approval</h2.NZC approval will have to come swiftly if NZ20 is to take off by January 2027. MacKinnon emphasised that his committee wanted to work with NZC. In fact, the NZ20 committee comprises two members from NZC's board along with representatives from NZPA and members associations.MacKinnon said that NZC had told the NZ20 Committee they were looking at various options. "We have been in constant discussions with the New Zealand Cricket Board over the last two to three months. They have been excellent to deal with. They have been very clear to us that while they're excited by this project, they have other options they're looking at including quite clearly whether they wish to consider trying to get a team into the Big Bash."MacKinnon said he would obviously like NZC to pick NZ20 as the "preferred option" but admitted ideally he would want the final decision to be made as soon as possible. "At the same time we are proceeding on the basis that we believe we will get a license and we are continuing to talk to investors and making progress in that regard. We would love to be in a position by the end of January [2026] to have some real certainty about whether we can make the competition start in January 2027 and that's our timeframe."

Sadaqat picked up two wickets before hitting a 47-ball 79 not out to help defeat India A

Shashank Kishore16-Nov-2025

Maaz Sadaqat, 20, has probably never been searched or spoken about as much as he was on Sunday night.Under the glare of a primetime audience in a high-stakes clash against India A, the youngster from Peshawar delivered two decisive punches. His tidy left-arm spin removed Jitesh Sharma and Nehal Wadhera in quick succession, sparking a collapse that saw India A lose 8 for 45 and crumble for 136 all out with an over left.And as if that wasn’t enough, Sadaqat then opened the chase with a sparkling statement of intent, hitting a robust 31-ball half-century in an exhilarating display of batsmanship, guiding Pakistan A to a commanding eight-wicket win with plenty to spare in their second game at the Rising Stars T20 Asia Cup.This was Pakistan A’s second straight win in the competition, which assured them of a semi-final berth.Suryavanshi fires early salvoIndia A were once again propelled by the precocious brilliance of 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the wunderkind who had lit up the tournament with a breathtaking 144 against UAE just two nights ago.On a crumbly surface offering grip and turn, he wasted no time in taking on fast bowler Ubaid Shah, younger brother of Naseem, to give India A the early momentum. His intent helped the team wade through the early loss of Priyansh Arya, who top-edged a pull to mid-on. What stood out was Suryavanshi’s game awareness: he quickly sensed that this pitch wouldn’t suit premeditation, and adjusted accordingly.Vaibhav Suryavanshi did not take much time to tee off•Asian Cricket Council

By holding his shape and trusting his hands, he produced an array of eye-catching strokes: like the crisp inside-out punch over cover, a clean swing over deep midwicket, and a series of razor-sharp pick-ups against spin.His 49-run stand with Naman Dhir ensured India A found a boundary almost every over until the tenth, setting a brisk, early tempo despite the tricky conditions. Suryavanshi even took on left-arm spinner Sufyan Muqeem, before an attempt to launch him over the ropes had him fall for a 28-ball 45.Sadaqat’s Act-IAfter Suryavanshi’s dismissal, India A went 29 balls without finding the boundary. That lull coincided with the introduction of Sadaqat, whose thrifty left-arm spin tightened the screws almost immediately. Using his angles cleverly, he coaxed the ball to drift, grip and occasionally rear up, while subtle changes of pace denied the batters any rhythm.Jitesh, coming off a blistering 32-ball 83 not out against UAE, miscued a lofted attempt to long-off, and Wadhera was stumped after being lured out by one that drifted away late. Between those two blows, Ashutosh Sharma was unfortunate to be given lbw to a delivery that skidded on but appeared to strike him outside the line.Sadaqat finished with figures of 3-1-12-2, setting the stage for right-arm seamer Shahid Aziz to return and wipe out the lower order. From looking set to score 180, India A collapsed to 136 all out.The Irfan Khan-led Pakistan A struck regularly in the second half•Asian Cricket Council

Sadaqat’s Act-IIOn a surface where run-making seemed progressively difficult as India A found out, Sadaqat had clean plans: of taking the attack to the bowlers with the new ball inside the powerplay. And on Sunday, nothing was going to stop him.Reprieved second ball when Wadhera put down a tough chance at backward point, Sadaqat took the attack to left-arm seamer Gurjapneet Singh in his first over. Then with spin introduced in the fourth, he laid into leg spinner Suyash Sharma, hitting him for back-to-back boundaries.Jitesh persisted with Gurjapneet for a third straight over inside the powerplay, but Sadaqat snuffed out any fight from India A by clobbering him for 18 – including a flat-bat six over long-on as Pakistan A brought up their 50 inside five overs. This turbocharge meant Pakistan A didn’t lose momentum even with the loss of Mohammad Naeem.As good as Sadaqat was in front of square, there was so much more to his batting. He welcomed the offspin of Dhir by reverse-sweeping him for a six, racing to a half-century off just 31 balls.On 54, he top-edged Suyash, only to be dropped by Suryavanshi at point. Then on 56, he swung one over long-on, only for Wadhera to sensationally intercept the ball and throw it back into the field of play for Dhir to take the relay. However, the third umpire ruled it in favour of Pakistan. Strangely though, he did not rule it a six and it was given as a dot ball instead.Those two chances aside, there were hardly moments on the field where India A had any semblance of control. Sadaqat remained unbeaten on 79 off 47 as Pakistan A cruised home in style.

Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Moeen Ali, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Spencer Johnson are also being released by the franchise

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Nov-2025Venkatesh Iyer, who made a name for himself and was elevated to the national team following a strong IPL debut season in 2021 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), is among the players being released by the three-time champions.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Iyer, who was bought for a record INR 23.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction by KKR, who used a right-to-match card to get him, is part of a lengthy list of high-profile names who are not being retained by the franchise.The other high-profile players being let go are the South African duo of Anrich Nortje (bought for INR 6.5 crore) and Quinton de Kock (INR 3.6 crore), Australian quick Spencer Johnson (INR 2.8 crore), Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz (INR 2 crore) and England allrounder Moeen Ali (INR 2 crore).Related

RR trade Samson to CSK for Jadeja and Curran

The uncapped Indian pair of Luvnith Sisodia and Chetan Sakariya, who had replaced the injured Umran Malik last season, are also being released.After making a big impression in his debut IPL season – which came after he had starred for Madhya Pradesh in the domestic limited-overs tournaments in 2020-21 – Iyer had a quiet IPL 2022, but was again a star for KKR in IPL 2023, when he scored 404 runs, including a century, to average 28.86 at a strike rate of 145.85 for the season.A key part of the team, he has even led the side on occasion and, last year, was talked about as a possible captain before Ajinkya Rahane was handed the reins. As it happened, Iyer scored just 142 runs in 11 games at a strike rate of 139.22.KKR, who won the IPL in 2024, finished near the bottom of the table the following season. Among the players to perform poorly was de Kock (152 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 129.91), while the likes of Nortje, Johnson, Gurbaz and Moeen didn’t get too many opportunities for one reason or another and weren’t too impressive when fielded.

Chelsea have received a massive Liam Delap boost as the striker is set to make a swift recovery from his shoulder injury. Delap looked set for more time on the sidelines after being forced out of last weekend's game against Bournemouth in the Premier League at the Amex Stadium with a shoulder injury. The English forward landed heavily and looked to be in real pain in the first half of the game.

Fresh injury setback for Delap

After spending close to two months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury at the start of the season, Delap returned to action in November. He featured in Enzo Maresca's starting against Bournemouth last weekend but lasted less than half an hour due to injury. The Chelsea forward appeared to dislocate his shoulder after a heavy fall and was replaced immediately. Delap had caught the eye in the opening exchanges against Bournemouth for his physical approach and was perhaps fortunate not to have been booked for catching Marcos Senesi with a stray arm twice before he had to be taken off.

After the game, Maresca sounded worried about Delap's fresh setback, as the Italian coach had said: "Unfortunately, he has already been out for two months and he has to be out again. We don't know for how long, but it looks quite bad, his shoulder. He has been unlucky. We are also a bit unlucky because we need that kind of a No.9."  

AdvertisementGetty Images SportChelsea's massive Delap boost

According to , Delap did not fracture his shoulder and he is expected to recover from it in the next three or four weeks. This means that in the New Year, Delap will fully recover and will be ready to take the field for the Blues. However, the English forward is set to miss matches against Atalanta in the Champions League, Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup and then Everton, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Bournemouth in the English top-flight. 

Providing a positive update on Delap's condition, Maresca had said before the Atalanta clash: "Liam is fortunately not any fracture. We had Liam two months out [earlier in the season]. Joao Pedro plays as a No 9, Pedro Neto too, also Tyrique [George] as a number nine. We try to find solutions. We know Liam needs to play games to be fit and be better and better. Now, unfortunately, he is out again."

Emegha to remain at Strasbourg

Following Delap's injury, reports emerged that the Blues might fast-track Emmanuel Emegha’s arrival from Strasbourg. However, the later reported that Emegha won't be rushed to Stamford and the youngster would rather join the Premier League giants in the summer of 2026, as decided earlier. Now, with Delap's latest update, Emegha is sure to stay in France for six more months. 

Chelsea opted to bring back Marc Guiu from his Sunderland loan back in August after Delap's earlier injury, and the plan is to stick with the former Barcelona star yet again to provide cover for Delap. Guiu replaced the injured Englishman against the Cherries, with Maresca explaining that the physical nature of the match suited the teenager more than using Joao Pedro as a makeshift centre-forward. 

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AFPPalmer fails to make Champions League squad

Despite starting in the Premier League last weekend, Palmer was not included in the Chelsea matchday squad for their Champions League fixture against Atalanta on Tuesday.

Explaining his decision to omit the starting attacker, Maresca said: "[He] played half an hour the other day, played one hour today. So now it's important that he can build the physical condition."

The Italian coach had earlier called for protecting Palmer as much as possible, as he had said: "We need to protect Cole for sure, 100%. Not only Cole in my personal view, because as I said now, because of the Club World Cup or because we never stop, we need to manage and protect different players. The solution with Cole, I don’t know, now we have a meeting with the medical staff, and we will decide the best solution for him. But it’s also a kind of injury that is not like black and white. It’s an injury that someday you can be better. It’s not that you have pain and tomorrow will disappear. Sometimes you can be better, sometimes you can be worse. That’s why we need to manage day by day." 

Manchester United are now on red alert in the race to sign a Real Madrid star ahead of Manchester City in a shock £69m deal next year.

Amorim "angry" at "frustrating" West Ham draw

Like the rest of Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim was left angered by Man United’s 1-1 draw against West Ham. The Red Devils were in control for the large part and deservedly got their opener through unlikely goalscorer Diogo Dalot in the second-half, but that’s when things started going wrong.

With seven minutes remaining, the visitors sent a timely reminder of United’s struggles courtesy of Soungoutou Magassa, who scored his first Premier League goal to snatch a point for West Ham.

Amorim, left frustrated at full-time, told reporters: “Yeah, it’s frustrating, it’s angry. That’s it.”

The former Sporting CP manager also pinpointed where things went wrong, saying: “Yeah, but there are second halves that we lose control of the game.

“Today, I think it was not that case. Maybe after the first goal, we lost some second balls and Matheus [Cunha] won one or two second balls there and made it a transition.

“We try to defend all the time far from the goal because we knew it. They tried to make a cross, win a corner. Like it happened, long ball, they win a second ball against three guys of us in the defence. So, we need to be better in the second half.”

Any assumption that United have turned a corner under Amorim is quickly evaporating and the Old Trafford boss desperately needs further reinforcements in 2026.

Midfield stars such as Conor Gallagher and Elliot Anderson have already been mooted, but United could still set their focus on welcoming Rodrygo from Real Madrid. The Brazilian is attracting plenty of interest and could yet swap the Bernabeu for the Premier League.

Man Utd on red alert in Rodrygo race

According to reports in Spain, Man United are now on red alert in the race to sign Rodrygo next year and could land the talented winger ahead of rivals Man City, as well as a number of other Premier League sides.

The Brazilian has struggled for game time under Xabi Alonso – starting just three La Liga games all season – and looks destined to leave Real Madrid next year.

Sparking a flurry of interest, Madrid reportedly value their winger at around €80m (£69m). Whether INEOS and others deem that fee reachable for a player who’s yet to impress Alonso remains to be seen, however.

Man Utd now rivalling Liverpool to sign £87m forward who Klopp loves

The Red Devils have joined the race for a new attacker, who has made an impressive start to the campaign.

ByDominic Lund Dec 5, 2025

At his best, Rodrygo played a key part in Madrid’s success in the Champions League and in La Liga. Now, he’s been cast aside to hand United the opportunity to land arguably their best signing yet under Amorim.

Dubbed “spectacular” by former Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti in 2023, Rodrygo is still just 24 years old and is full of potential – even if he’s forced to realise it with a move to Old Trafford in 2026.

Amorim's £150k-p/w star just had his worst game for Man Utd vs West Ham

Naseem and Abrar picked up three wickets, while Rizwan and Agha struck fifties as Pakistan got over the line by two wickets in a tense finish

Danyal Rasool04-Nov-2025Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed inflicted a late collapse on South Africa to bowl them out for an under-par 263 in the opening ODI in Faisalabad.On a dry, flat batting surface, it allowed Pakistan to control the tempo of the chase, one in which they further tightened their grip with an 87-run opening stand in the first 15 overs. South Africa battled hard through the middle overs to drag the hosts back, but Mohammad Rizwan, freshly stripped of the ODI captaincy, shepherded his side calmly through the middle overs with 55, while Salman Agha chipped in with a half-century of his own.But it wasn’t without a dramatic late stumble that almost derailed Pakistan right at the death, needing a late Mohammad Nawaz six to see Pakistan through to a final-over two-wicket win that should have been more comfortable than it ultimately was.Pakistan appeared to have complicated a chase that – at the outset – looked especially straightforward. With 12 overs to go, Pakistan needed just 69 with seven wickets in hand and their two most reliable batters, Rizwan and Agha, having compiled a 91-run partnership. But Corbin Bosch, Pakistan’s tormentor-in-chief this series, struck when Rizwan flicked straight to deep backward square, and Pakistan suddenly began to find run-scoring hard.Salman Agha and Mohammad Rizwan added 91 together•Associated Press

However, they retained wickets as Hussain Talat and Agha kept counting the runs down, albeit a little more conservatively than Pakistan might have wished. The upshot, however, was a run-a-ball 45-run stand that took Pakistan to less than 30 runs away from a series lead. But when Talat misjudged a slower ball and looped one to mid-off, George Linde took a stunning catch diving forward, and threw the ball and the game back up into jeopardy.Linde would come back into the attack, ball turning square by this stage, and send back Hasan Nawaz, who saw fit to come down the crease against the turning ball and attempt a straight slog, already halfway down the crease when he was stumped. Pakistan’s plight became even drearier when, 12 runs shy, Agha holed out to Donovan Ferreira, who covered a huge chunk of the Iqbal Stadium before taking a catch that dismissed Pakistan’s anchor.With the equation suddenly ten in seven, it was thanks to a straight hit from Nawaz down the ground of the final ball of the 49th that brought the game irrevocably in Pakistan’s control. There was time enough for Nawaz to be dismissed with the scores level, with Pakistan limping over the finish line – quite literally – when one thudded into Naseem’s pads as they scuttled through for a legbye. It seemed an apt metaphor for the ultimate unconvincing manner of Pakistan’s win.It needed to be nothing like that, especially with Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub batting. The duo matched South Africa’s opening pair in the venom of their opening stand, finding boundaries and sixes in the first 15 that took them to well beyond the required rate. It was only a half-hour of pressure from South Africa’s spinners, Bjorn Fortuin and Ferreira, that turned a cakewalk into a contest.On ODI debut, Donovan Ferreira dismissed both Pakistan openers•Associated Press

Ferriera struck first with an arm ball that skidded into Ayub as he shaped for a cut. He would double up two overs later as Fakhar mistimed a slog that found long-on before Fortuin struck the dagger into Faisalabad’s hearts. With Babar Azam crawling along to 7, he got one to skid along the angle and trap him plumb in front, both bowler and batter barely waiting for the umpire’s decision.But Pakistan’s stalwarts of late salvaged the situation and steered Pakistan back on course. In their slightly humdrum yet dependable way, Rizwan and Agha kept turning the strike over and taking Pakistan closer to South Africa’s total. Most crucially, they avoided the fate of South Africa in the middle overs, denying the visitors the constant flurry of wickets that had characterised the first innings and hamstrung South Africa.This series has seen six captains across the two sides, and yet, it has been the home skipper who has won the toss each time. After winning their sixth on the trot, Pakistan elected to chase. Through the debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius and the returning Quinton de Kock, the visitors may have given Pakistan reason to regret that decision with a near-flawless start.They took on Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem early and refused to let the spin of Agha or Abrar settle either. Pretorius, who took much of the early impetus, danced down the ground to drive Agha over cover in the innings’ eighth over, while de Kock smashed Abrar over long-off to bring up the 50-run stand.By the end of his first three overs, Agha had leaked 30, and Shaheen was forced to turn to Ayub, and that is where Pakistan began to regain some control. South Africa continued to tick along at a fair clip as Pretorius completed a 48-ball 50, but Pakistan starved him of the strike for the next few overs. Even so, South Africa had got to 98 in the 16th over before Pretorius tried to carve Ayub through the offside, only for Nawaz to complete a sharp catch diving to his weaker right side.For the moment, though, South Africa were not to be slowed down by one bump. Tony de Zorzi made his intentions clear by creaming Nawaz over the top for a six so huge it flew out of Iqbal Stadium and required a replacement ball. De Kock was milking the spinners and getting a boundary away each over, with one through short fine off Ayub, bringing up his own half-century in his comeback ODI.Abrar Ahmed came back well in his later spells•Getty Images

The reintroduction of Naseem would serve as the first real break on South Africa’s careening sled. He’d copped 19 in his first three, but coming around the wicket to the two left-handers, he conceded just one in his return over, and when Ayub kept things tight at the other end, Naseem struck in the following over.It was the free-flowing de Kock who, cramped for room from the angle, chipped onto the stumps as he tried to guide the ball fine. Ayub struck six balls later to extinguish de Zorzi’s innings in its embryonic stages, and the momentum began to shift.South Africa lacked batting heft lower down the order. Sinethemba Qeshile’s back-to-back boundaries off Shaheen broke the shackles, while captain Matthew Breetzke walloped Abrar for a six and a four as South Africa attempted a relaunch. But Nawaz induced a top edge from Qeshile off the first ball of the next over, and from thereon Pakistan began to punch their way through a brittle South Africa.It was the first of five wickets to fall within 37 runs as Pakistan gutted their way through South Africa. Abrar got rid of Breetzke and trapped Fortuin first ball, almost believing he had a hat-trick when the umpire raised his finger for his third delivery in a row, but on that occasion, an inside edge denied him the honour.Bosch shielded Ngidi from the strike and put on a valuable 41 runs at the very end, but the resigned disappointment on South African faces at the ultimate score they’d posted told the real story. Four hours later, it was clear how just a few more runs might have made all the difference.

Liverpool wobbled again without Mohamed Salah – who was named on the bench – during a trip to Leeds, with the points being shared in a six-goal thriller. Ao Tanaka snatched a stoppage-time equaliser for the hosts in a 3-3 draw at Elland Road after Hugo Ekitike had earlier bagged a quick-fire brace for the Reds. Leeds had remarkably battled back from two down before Dominik Szoboszlai fired the Reds back in front and looked to have won the game, only for there to be an even later sting in the tail that cost Arne Slot's side dearly.

After surviving a couple of early scares, Liverpool took control of the game without ever becoming dominant. The best of the first-half chances fell to the men from Merseyside, with Curtis Jones crashing the first of those against the crossbar in the 16th minute as his curling effort from the edge of the box left the woodwork rattling.

Virgil van Dijk really should have done better just before the half-hour mark when planting a free header over the top, while Cody Gakpo saw a swift counter-attack late in the first-half result in a low shot deflecting narrowly past the post. Slot’s side got their noses in front within three minutes of the restart, with a stray pass from Joe Rodon allowing Ekitike to burst through one-on-one and roll a composed finish into the bottom corner. The Frenchman grabbed his second less than two minutes later as he just about stayed onside to meet Conor Bradley’s low cross and bundle beyond Lucas Perri.

The hosts were given a lifeline with 17 minutes left on the clock when Ibrahima Konate slid in recklessly on Wilfried Gnonto and, following a VAR review, Dominic Calvert-Lewin made no mistake from the penalty spot. Elland Road was rocking again in the 75th minute as Anton Stach restored parity, but those spirits were dampened again 10 minutes from the end when Szoboszlai latched onto a pass from Ryan Gravenberch and calmly rolled into the back of the net. Leeds were not to be denied, though, and Tanaka played his super-sub role to perfection as he crashed home from close range after the ball dropped his way at the back post.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Elland Road…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Alisson (6/10):

  The Brazilian showed some smart reflexes in tricky wet conditions and could do nothing about Leeds’ goals, with the efforts of those in front of him leaving a lot to be desired.

  Conor Bradley (6/10):

  Caught out of position at times, but recovered well when pegged back. Was booked for a rash challenge late in the first-half, but made amends when teeing up Ekitike’s second goal.

  Ibrahima Konate (3/10):

  Still looks far from convincing when facing his own goal, with a couple of boots swung at fresh air. Slid into a needless challenge which gifted Leeds a penalty and failed to block their equaliser.

  Virgil van Dijk (6/10):

  Enjoyed the physical battle that Calvert-Lewin provides. Was rarely troubled in the opening 45 and could have scored had he kept a free header down. Left frustrated at those around him.

  Milos Kerkez (6/10):

  Put in a brave block very early as Leeds pushed for an opener and lashed a wild shot a long way off target from miles out. Worked hard throughout without offering much.

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  Midfield

  Ryan Gravenberch (6/10):

  Provides cover for the back four and is happy to slip into a defensive berth when required, as he cleverly snuffed out any danger. Provided the perfectly-weighted pass for Szoboszlai’s goal.

  Curtis Jones (7/10):

  Lively and alert from the off, he always wanted the ball and was happy to drift all over the pitch. Rattled the crossbar with a dipping shot early on. Unlucky not to get an assist.

  Florian Wirtz (6/10):

  Still looks short on confidence, as he waits on a first competitive goal, with the German happy to move the ball on instead of trying something himself.

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  Attack

  Dominik Szoboszlai (7/10):

  The Hungarian is not a winger so naturally drifts inside off the flank, leaving Liverpool short on width and an out ball. Fired a first-half free-kick over the bar but showed nerves of steel to roll home late on.

  Cody Gakpo (5/10):

  Gets into good positions and is a willing runner down the channels, but needs to improve his end product. Over-hit too many crosses.

  Hugo Ekitike (7/10):

  Held the ball up well, with quick feet and clever flicks posing problems. Delivered a clinical finish for his first goal and displayed a poacher’s instinct with his second.

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  Subs & Manager

  Alexis Mac Allister (5/10):

  Stepped over Gravenberch's pass, which allowed the ball to run through for Liverpool's third.

  Joe Gomez (5/10):

  Allowed Brenden Aaronson to slip past him for Leeds’ second goal, with the Reds full-back retreating too far before addressing the ball.

  Wataru Endo (N/A)

  On too late to make an impact.

  Alexander Isak (N/A)

  Almost headed home to make it 4-3 but wasn't to be.

  Arne Slot (4/10):

  Can't seem to get anything right at the moment. Decided not to introduce Salah off the bench and his side simply cannot be allowing Leeds a way back in when 2-0 up and cruising. Poor.

Liverpool thought they were back, two goals to the good, but these new habits have seeped into the fabric of Arne Slot’s project, and they are proving tough stains to wipe out.

Still jubilant from their win against Chelsea in midweek, Daniel Farke’s Whites met Liverpool with the expected passion and combativeness, fuelled by a raucous home support, and while the champions weathered that early storm and struck twice through Hugo Ekitike, back in the starting line-up, they succumbed to more defensive disaster, drawing the game 3-3.

The Frenchman has been a shining light throughout a dreary campaign for the Redmen, overshadowing record signing Alexander Isak, but Liverpool’s frontline still lacks balance and connectivity, and that’s why FSG are gearing up for a winter raid on Bournemouth for Antoine Semenyo.

The latest on Semenyo to Liverpool

It has emerged that Semenyo, who has been Bournemouth’s talisman this season, has a £65m release clause in his contract that becomes active during the winter transfer window.

Cue the circling sharks.

Liverpool are joined by Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in their vested interest, but the Reds have been reported to be leading the race for a player earmarked as the perfect successor to Luis Diaz, who joined Bayern Munich in August.

A big-game player with so much dynamism, the Ghana international, 26, has been declared the “best winger in the country” by Chris Waddle, and you would sense that he would only go from strength to strength in a leading role on Merseyside.

Ibrahima Konate’s latest blunder illustrated the desperate need for new defenders, but Slot will feel that Semenyo’s signature is equally important for the Anfield side, whose balance is all wrong in the final third.

And there’s one man in particular who is flattering to deceive.

Liverpool star must be replaced by Semenyo

Liverpool have been in a rut this season, and Cody Gakpo has been carried along in the stream, popping up with some moments in front of goal but lacking the multifacetedness that a winger like Semenyo would bring to the table.

Against Leeds, Gakpo failed with all six of his attempted crosses and lost the ball 13 times. He created only one chance for his teammates (data via Sofascore).

There is a pointed lack of nuance to the Dutchman’s game. Oh, he’s talented, to be sure, and dynamic enough, but Semenyo far outstrips him in such areas, so powerful and athletic and clever with his movements and decisions.

Matches (starts)

14 (12)

14 (14)

Goals

4

6

Assists

3

3

Touches*

42.2

48.9

Shots (on target)*

2.4 (0.4)

2.4 (1.4)

Accurate passes*

19.1 (79%)

19.7 (78%)

Chances created*

1.8

1.3

Dribbles*

1.1

1.6

Recoveries*

2.7

5.0

Tackles + interceptions*

1.1

2.0

Duels won*

4.9

6.5

Gakpo knows where the back of the net is, and he is skilled in playmaking too, but Semenyo is the talk of the town and rightly so, standing out in a Bournemouth team that might have lost their way in regard to three-point hauls, but remain one of the most interesting attacking outfits in the country.

Conversely, Liverpool are a structural mess, and their Netherlands winger is failing to provide the width and energy and solutions that were presented with a regularity that led to the Premier League title last season.

As analyst Josh Williams put it, it was an “annoying” display from Gakpo, and the 26-year-old needs a contrasting profile down the left if Liverpool are to restore their presence as superstars.

Liverpool ace who's fallen off a cliff looks like "Fabinho in his final year"

Liverpool’s draw against Sunderland illustrated a litany of problems Slot is still dealing with.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 4, 2025

South Africa came into this match against Australia with a proud record against legspin. Then they ran into a genius

S Sudarshanan25-Oct-2025

Alana King took the best figures in the history of the Women’s World Cup•ICC/Getty Images

You can tell when a legspinner is in rhythm. It’s a sight to behold when they get the ball to rip away from the right-hand batter. Add drift to the mix, and the spectacle reaches another level.Annerie Dercksen found this out the hard way on Saturday, against Alana King. Dercksen was on the front foot, looking like she wanted to drive inside-out. She may even have been in a good position to middle the ball, had it not kept drifting into her and bowled her after beating her inside edge.Related

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It’s hard enough to play a legspinner when you know where the ball will land. When you’re never quite sure… well, that’s what happened to Chloe Tryon off the very next ball. She looked in a pretty good position for a front-foot flick towards mid-on or thereabouts, until King’s in-drift kicked in, forcing her to play around her front pad and chip a catch straight to short midwicket.King was all over South Africa, landing her legbreaks exactly where she desired, laughing at the notion that wristspinners’ wickets tend to come at the cost of runs and control. At the cost of runs? How about figures of 4 for 0 in 2.3 overs?South Africa had come into this Women’s World Cup 2025 match against Australia with one of the best-performing top orders against legspin in recent years. Since the start of 2023, five members of their top seven in this match – Tazmin Brits (80.00), Sune Luus (77.50), Marizanne Kapp (66.33), Laura Wolvaardt (58.33) and Tryon (57.00) – had had 50-plus averages against this style of bowling.3:06

Review: South Africa undone by the ‘King’ of Indore

Those numbers hadn’t fazed Australia in the least. They brought King on as early as the 12th over of South Africa’s innings. She had come on as early against Pakistan too, but before this World Cup, the last time she had bowled this early in an ODI was back in October 2023.And King, right from the start, had the ball on an almost literal string. If her first two wickets, of Luus and Kapp, had come against batters looking to take her on, these two fully showcased her artistry.She took just 21 balls – a record for Women’s ODIs where ball data is available – to complete her five-wicket haul, and by the time she was done she had taken the first seven-wicket haul in a Women’s World Cup game.Six games into this World Cup, King has 13 wickets at 12.92. And an economy rate of 3.57.King’s final wicket showcased the other quality that sets the best legspinners apart: big, ripping turn. Nadine de Klerk knew she could expect in-drift, and seemed to have the threat of lbw in her mind. It meant, however, that her feet were firmly cemented, nowhere near the ball when it ripped across the face of her bat to hit the top of off stump.Masabata Klaas lost her off stump to Alana King•Getty ImagesKing had figures of 7 for 18, the best by an Australia bowler in ODIs, bettering her team-mate Ellyse Perry (7 for 22) and her head coach Shelley Nitschke (7 for 24). All seven of her wickets had come off legbreaks.”I’ve become more consistent with my stock ball and I trust that,” King told the broadcaster. “It has been my go-to ball and has given me my reward.”It wasn’t all that long ago that Georgia Wareham was ahead of King in the pecking order of Australia’s legspinners. That Wareham could lengthen the batting strengthened her case. But King’s bowling has improved leaps and bounds, and she has also demonstrated an ability to hit sixes with great frequency – she hit six of them in just 31 balls in an ODI series in India in 2023-24. She has made herself hard to look past. King has been an ever-present in Australia’s XI during this World Cup, while Wareham has played just the three games, and didn’t even get to bowl against South Africa.”She’s been fantastic,” Nitschke said about King’s growth. “She’s a big-game player and when she’s up and about, she brings a lot of energy to the team. She obviously burst onto the scene a couple of years ago and had a really strong Ashes for us and has continued to perform particularly in this format. So fantastic to see her out there tonight, still performing for us in the middle of a World Cup and a big game.”South Africa headed into this game full of confidence, having won five matches in a row. Then they happened to run into Alana King.

There has been much ado over Chelsea’s credentials as Premier League title challengers this season, but Wednesday evening’s defeat at Leeds United served as a sobering reminder that Arsenal are frustratingly further along in their project.

Enzo Maresca’s multi-title-winning maiden campaign in the Stamford Bridge dugout underscored his capacity to lead the Blues over a number of successful years, and there has been much to like about Chelsea this term.

However, it doesn’t feel like they will get their paws on the league title just yet, with the matchless Moises Caicedo illuminated once again in his absence, suspended for the loss.

The Gunners are nine points ahead at the summit, and Chelsea have improvements still to be made across a number of areas. Central defence is among the priorities, to be sure, with Tosin Adarabioyo’s error-strewn display at Elland Road underscoring that argument.

Tosin's performance vs Leeds

Tosin has faced heavy criticism since blundering late on against Leeds, the ball swept from underneath him by Noah Okafor, leading to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s late goal to condemn Chelsea to a 3-1 defeat.

This emphasises the need for defensive additions at Chelsea. Maresca has been left with a number of not-quite-perfect options in his rearguard this season, and the 28-year-old Tosin has sadly fallen below expectations, actually winning only one of four duels on the evening. His error was not an isolated incident.

He could do more in the build-up, too. The 28-year-old likes to get on the ball, but he isn’t as progressive as some of his positional peers and this runs counter to the possession-based, flowing football Maresca has implemented.

It’s clear that the former Fulham star needs to be withdrawn from the starting line-up, but Chelsea don’t exactly have an overload of central defensive options, with Levi Colwill still injured and Wesley Fofana in and out of the team.

It will come as no surprise that Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are gearing up for a big-money move in 2026.

Chelsea lining up Tosin ugrade

According to Football Insider, Chelsea have learned that it is likely to cost them £80m to prise Murillo away from Nottingham Forest next year, with the Brazilian centre-back also attracting the vested interests of Barcelona.

Murillo, 23, is into his third year in the Premier League, and he’s thriving. Instrumental in building Forest up to European contenders, his terrifying physicality and aggressiveness are exactly what Chelsea need.

More to the point, he’s fostering an interesting technical profile, and while Chelsea are eager to complete a deal in January, it may be that they have to wait until the end of the term.

In any case, he would prove an upgrade on Tosin

Why Murillo would be a Tosin upgrade

Murillo just keeps adding layers to his skillset. Hailed as “one of the best defenders in the Premier League” by some experts on Brazilian football.

Curiously, he is not the tallest, standing just shy of 6 feet tall. Nonetheless, Murillo is a force to be reckoned with, a monstrous defensive presence.

And, in spite of the upheaval at Forest this season, he has remained a steely presence in the backline, albeit less creative now that Sean Dyche has settled into his seat.

Statistics can be misleading, and though Murillo isn’t directly creating chances for his teammates this season, he remains one of the division’s most dynamic and well-rounded centre-halves, ranking among the top 5% of peers in the Premier League this season for interceptions and blocks, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for progressive passes and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, as provided by FBref data.

His enterprising take on the defensive game is something that Tosin simply doesn’t boast in his locker to anywhere near the same standard. Moreover, the 23-year-old is five years Tosin’s junior, and thus has so much scope for growth.

A goalscorer, protector, enforcer and leader, all wrapped into one, there is little question that Murillo would settle into Maresca’s starting line-up at Chelsea, surely at Tosin’s expense.

The English centre-half has been an astute addition after joining Chelsea on a free, but now it is time for that ruthless streak that the west Londoners have shown so many times before.

By implementing that success-first strategy, it will only elevate Maresca’s project.

As bad as Tosin: Maresca's 4/10 flop must never start for Chelsea again

Chelsea’s title hopes seemingly went up in smoke away at Leeds United.

By
Robbie Walls

Dec 4, 2025