تمكن نادي برشلونة من تحقيق الانتصار على حساب ريال بيتيس اليوم السبت بخمسة أهداف مقابل ثلاثة، ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

واستطاع برشلونة الابتعاد في صدارة الدوري الإسباني مؤقتًا بفارق أربع نقاط عن ريال مدريد، والذي سوف يواجه نظيره سيلتا فيجو غدًا الأحد على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو.

وقدم برشلونة عرضًا رائعًا أمام ريال بيتيس وبسط رجال المدرب هانز فليك سيطرتهم على مجريات اللقاء محققين الفوز بخماسية في النهاية. رجل مباراة برشلونة وريال بيتيس اليوم في الدوري الإسباني

وحصل فيران توريس، مهاجم برشلونة، على جائزة رجل المباراة، وذلك بعد مستوى اللاعب الرائع الذي قدمه في لقاء اليوم.

طالع .. موعد مباراة برشلونة القادمة بعد الفوز على ريال بيتيس في الدوري الإسباني

توريس استطاع تسجيل هاتريك ليقود برشلونة إلى الفوز بخماسية في لقاء اليوم، في حين قام فليك بإجلاس روبرت ليفاندوفسكي على مقاعد البدلاء.

وشارك توريس في المباراة كاملًة وصنع نجم فالنسيا السابق الفارق مع برشلونة، إلى جانب لامين يامال وماركوس راشفورد، وروني بردجي.

Can Rob Edwards save Wolverhampton Wanderers from relegation?

During the international break, the 42-year-old controversially left Middlesbrough, currently second in the EFL Championship, to take over the reins at Molineux, returning to the club for whom he made 111 appearances as a player, but he has a massive task on his hands.

Wolves currently have just two points on the board after 11 matches, no side in Premier League history has ever survived from this position, losing four on the spin ahead of Crystal Palace’s visit to the Black Country on Saturday afternoon.

The Old Gold’s eight-year stay in the top-flight is under serious threat, so if Edwards harbours any realistic hopes of leading Wolves to a great escape, he must surely unleash a new-look forward line in attack.

Jørgen Strand Larsen's downturn in form

Last season, his first after arriving from Celta Vigo, only nine players scored more Premier League goals than Jørgen Strand Larsen’s tally of 14, an impressive figure considering Wolves finished 16th.

This saw Newcastle make multiple bids to sign the 25-year-old, the highest of which was £55m, despite the fact he had cost the Old Gold only €30m (around £26m).

Wolves rejected all of these bids, with Strand Larsen instead signing a new five-year contract, but now they desperately need him to rediscover his best form.

So far this season, the striker has just three goals to his name, bagging a Carabao Cup double against West Ham in August, while his only goal in the Premier League thus far was a penalty during the infamous 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Burnley that ultimately cost Vítor Pereira his job.

Strand Larsen did find the target last Sunday as Norway crushed Italy 4-1 at San Siro, officially confirming his country’s place at next summer’s World Cup, so will be hoping to take confidence from that back into his club form.

Nevertheless, Wolves could be doing more to get the best out of their number nine, underlined by the fact that Strand Larsen’s shots and shot on target per 90 statistics have significantly decreased this season, so could partnering him alongside a “huge talent” be the solution?

Rob Edwards must unleash Wolves' next Jimenez

Wolves only made five senior summer signings, all of whom have had varying degrees of little impact, namely Fer López, Jhon Arias, David Møller Wolfe and Jackson Tchatchoua.

The last of the additions, arriving on deadline day, was striker Tolu Arokodare, joining from Genk for £24m, and he is possibly the most exciting of the quintet, even if the Wolves faithful have seen very little from him thus far.

The 24-year-old has taken an unusual route to the Premier League, beginning his senior career at Latvian club Valmiera, scoring 22 goals in just 34 appearances, hence why Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout described him as “simply too good” for the Virslīga, currently ranked the 36th best league in Europe.

​​​​​​​

After a brief and unsuccessful stint at Köln, scoring no goals for die Geißböcke, Arokodare​​​​​​​ rediscovered his mojo at Amiens, netting 21 times across two seasons for the Ligue 2 side, earning a move to Genk, scoring on 41 occasions for the Smurfs.

Of these goals, 21 came in last season’s Jupiler Pro League, which Global Football Rankings believes to be the sixth-strongest league in the world, and the Nigerian international’s statistics make for impressive reading.

Goals

21

1st

Goals inside the box

21

1st

Headed goals

3

3rd

Expected goals

28.53

1st

Shots

158

1st

Shots per 90

4.9

1st

Shots on target

52

2nd

Big chances missed

34

1st

Assists

5

17th

Big chances created

7

32nd

Key passes

32

52nd

Shot-creating actions

77

16th

Goal-creating actions

9

13th

Aerial duels won

156

3rd

Touches in the box

217

1st

The table makes for interesting reading, emphasising the fact that Arokodare is a penalty box presence, considering all 21 of his goals came inside the area, while also ranking first for shots, shots per 90 and touches in the opposition area.

Meantime, he is also excellent in the air, scoring three headers while also ending up third for aerial duels won, behind only Daan Heymans​​​​​​​ and Aurélien Scheidler​​​​​​​; the former joined Genk to replace Arokodare, while the latter moved to Royal Charleroi to replace the former.

The statistic though that leaps off the page most is the fact that Arokodare missed 34 Opta-defined big chances.

For comparison, the leaders in this metric across other European leagues last season were Ollie Watkins in the Premier League (27), Kylian Mbappé in La Liga (29), Serhou Guirassy in the Bundesliga (21) and Roberto Piccoli in Serie A (26), so no one came close to the Nigerian’s 34, which shows he is often in the right position, albeit is regularly an erratic finisher.

Chalkboard

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

Despite this, Arokodare is still highly rated, with journalist Graeme Bailey​​​​​​​ labelling him a “huge talent”, while the aforementioned Kulig notes that “physicality, heading and link-up play” are his primary assets.

This all sounds rather reminiscent of Wolves’ best striker of their current stint in the Premier League, Raúl Jiménez, who is the club’s all-time leading scorer in the competition with 40.

After bouncing around Club América, Atlético Madrid and Benfica, the Mexican really flourished at Molineux, very much considered to be one of the best centre-forwards in the division prior to suffering a horrific fractured skull in November 2020.

Arokodare certainly possesses all the raw attributes to be as good as Jiménez, so now is the time for him to prove this.

Well, Wolves supporters have been treated to a mere amuse-bouche of what their new striker could offer so far, scoring in EFL Cup ties against Everton and Chelsea, starting only once in the Premier League thus far, not doing so in any of Wolves’ last six.

So, pairing him with Strand Larsen would certainly give opposition defences something to think about, with the duo possessing similar but also complementary skillsets.

With Palace captain Marc Guéhi a doubt due to a foot injury, surely Wolves’ best hope of claiming a first win of the season is to deploy the two strikers together.

£55m spent & Hackney signs: Dream Wolves XI Edwards can build in January

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ByDan Emery Nov 11, 2025

Sri Lanka put in a spirited display, but couldn’t stop England from going top of the table

Madushka Balasuriya11-Oct-2025
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 10th WODI hundred and a four-wicket haul from Sophie Ecclestone helped England brush past a spirited if flawed Sri Lankan side in Colombo completing a dominant 89-run win, as they made it three wins in three at the World Cup – and with it go top of the group. It was Sri Lanka’s second defeat in as many games, though they have a point on board courtesy their washed out game against Australia.Here, Sri Lanka were up against it with just 17 runs on the board when Chamari Athapaththu was stretchered off the ground after she pulled up with what looked like hamstring strain in the sixth over of the chase. It was later revealed to be nothing more than cramps impacting her right calf, allowing her to bat later in the innings, but at that point Sri Lanka might have been fearing the worst.As it transpired the rest of Sri Lanka’s top order responded admirably. Vishmi Gunaratne struck consecutive boundaries off Lauren Bell to kickstart the chase, but before she could do any real damage she was done in by a ripper from Charlie Dean, turning sharply through bat and pad.This brought Harshitha Samarawickrama to join Hasini Perera in the middle, and the pair set about stitching together Sri Lanka’s best partnership of the innings – 58 off 66. During this period, you wouldn’t have blamed the boisterous crowd, one filled with several young fans, from entertaining thoughts of a famous victory.Sri Lanka had moved to 89 for 1 after 18 overs by the time Ecclestone – the number one ranked bowler in WODIs – was brought into the attack, but it wasn’t until her second over that she would begin to tighten her stranglehold on the game.The first to go was Perera, who chipped one to straight to mid-on. That over would be a wicket maiden – one of three maidens she would bowl – as Ecclestone proceeded to almost singlehandedly end Sri Lanka’s chase.Sophie Ecclestone derailed Sri Lanka’s chase•ICC/Getty ImagesSuch was her impact she ended up bowling her entire 10 overs in a single spell, during the course of which she picked up the wickets of pretty much the entire Sri Lankan top order.Samarawickrama was the next to fall, top edging a sweep off Ecclestone to short fine. Kavisha Dilhari then missed an arm ball, before arrived the coup de grace – one that dipped and turned, luring the recovered Athapaththu into a drive, before turning it viciously through bat and pad to crash into the stumps.That last wicket silenced the crowd for good, and the remaining wickets fell with little fuss – even Sciver-Brunt was able to get in on the action, rounding out her day with the wickets of Anushka Sanjeewani and Dewmi Vihanga. Sri Lanka eventually folded for 164.It was the proverbial icing on the cake for Sciver-Brunt who had earlier been on a one-woman mission to help her side overcome a tough pitch and Sri Lanka’s army of spinners.England were helped by a host of misfields littered throughout their innings, though perhaps the defining moment occurred in the 14th over.Sciver-Brunt was on three at the time, when she whipped one from Inoka Ranaweera hard and straight to Udeshika Prabodhani at midwicket, who just couldn’t hold on. It was the only drop of the innings, but ended up costing Sri Lanka north of 100 runs.England had started strong, going at around five an over in the opening powerplay, thanks to Tammy Beaumont’s 32 off 29, but an ill-advised single saw the back of Amy Jones before Beaumont herself sliced one high to point.From that point on though Sciver-Brunt was the common denominator as England strung together a spate of partnerships through the middle overs.Nat Sciver-Brunt gave the England innings momentum•Getty ImagesThe highest was 60 from 73 between Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight, a stand that had threatened to take the game away from Sri Lanka as the pair worked the field expertly, utilising deft sweeps and dabs, allied with calculated risks over the infield.The partnership was broken against the run of play as Knight gloved a reverse-sweep to slip. It was given not out on the field, but keeper Sanjeewani petitioned heavily for the review to be taken – and it was eventually, with just two seconds on the clock.That wasn’t Sanjeewani’s only intervention, as she also effected two sharp stumpings and helped complete a run out, in what was a consummate day out.Like against India, Ranaweera once more shifted the momentum of the innings, this time through a jarring intervention in the 35th over. Emma Lamb was first bowled around her legs, before a sharp bit of glove work from Sanjeewani saw Alice Capsey short of her crease after she had been deceived in the flight.Suddenly from 141 for 3 in the 31st over, England found themselves 168 for 6 a little over three overs later.Prior to this England had been eyeing up a total in excess of 270 but just as they had been looking to accelerate, they had to hold back. It meant that between the 40th and 48th over just two boundaries were struck, as England and Sciver-Brunt prioritised inching the total up to decent territory, if not imposing.The first real show of intent at the death came in the penultimate over, when Sciver-Brunt struck a sumptuous inside-out six over extra cover – to bring up her century – and followed it up with another loft down the ground.The final two overs brought more runs, as England struck 28 runs in that patch to boost their total past the 250-mark, and in the end it proved to be more than enough.

Newcastle United were their own worst enemies again, facing off against Marseille on Tuesday night in the Champions League.

The Magpies looked to have a strong grip on the contest at the intense Orange Velodrome when Harvey Barnes popped up with yet another strike to add to his glittering back catalogue for the campaign.

Yet, in typical Newcastle fashion this season on the road, Eddie Howe’s men ended up being architects of their own downfall, as a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang-inspired comeback handed the Ligue 1 hosts a slim 2-1 win.

While the Gabonese marksman continued his fine season in France and beyond, Howe’s experiment with Anthony Gordon as a lone striker seriously failed, as the 24-year-old’s own campaign – away from Aubameyang and Barnes – shows no signs of getting better.

Gordon's woes at Newcastle

As writer Thomas Hammond stated at full-time whistle of yet another away loss for the Magpies, Gordon’s showing was another “nothing” display from the ex-Everton man this season.

The 24-year-old did manage to register three shots at the Marseille goal, but with only 25 touches amassed before Nick Woltemade came into the contest, it’s fair to say the experiment of starting the Liverpool-born attacker as a sole centre-forward must come to a close soon.

Unfortunately for Gordon, though, he is unlikely to displace the aforementioned Barnes from his more natural left wing spot when considering their side-by-side numbers of late.

The underperforming England international remains on zero goals and assists in the Premier League this campaign to date, while the ex-Leicester City man has a blistering seven strikes in all competitions, from just 925 minutes of total action.

He could slide down the pecking order so much that a sale is even considered, with Newcastle clearly well-stocked down the flanks, away from their former £45m purchase.

Recouping some of that £45m back could put the Magpies in a position to go after former star Elliot Anderson, who has been touted with a return to St James’ Park.

Manchester United are also in the mix, however, and believe they could strike a deal for £60m.

With Joelinton also not what he used to be, this feels like a signing that should be urgently pursued by Newcastle and PIF if the correct sum of money is found.

To get even nearer to that golden amount, Howe will also be considering ditching this other shaky Toon regular, who had another “moment of madness” against Roberto De Zerbi’s outfit last match, as per journalist Mark Douglas.

The Newcastle dud who could now be sold

There is a somewhat stale feel to Howe’s starting XIs at the moment, as he remains staunchly loyal to many first-team faces who have delivered in the past, in the form of Joelinton and Gordon.

Nick Pope also definitely fits into this category, now, with the shot-stopper a shadow of his former self, having once been labelled as “one of the best” goalkeepers the under-fire manager has ever worked with.

There’s merit behind his comments, too, with the ex-Burnley ‘keeper 78 clean sheets down in the challenging Premier League.

Still, Howe can’t afford to be stuck in the past, if he wants to keep his employment at St James’ Park, with Pope guilty of another error this season when rushing out of his goal rashly against Marseille, leaving Aubameyang with an open goal to shoot at in the process.

This would kickstart the Marseille comeback, with reporter Andy Kerr stating – at full-time – that something isn’t “right” with the 33-year-old at this moment in time, despite the 6-foot-6 ‘keeper previously being seen as a long-standing, reliable servant of the club.

Games played

4

Minutes played

347 mins

Clean sheets

1

Goals conceded

10

With ten goals now haphazardly given up all across November, Pope could be the next figure Howe considers getting rid of to try and make up some money for the Anderson kitty, with Aaron Ramsdale a competent enough replacement in the short-term.

With Pope’s wealth of Premier League experience, as well, surely a top-flight club would gamble dropping around £10m on the number one’s services, which is what Newcastle paid for him, despite being boldly labelled as “disgraceful” at the moment by Magpie Media.

Indeed, reports earlier this year indicated that PIF were looking for a fee of around £15m for the ageing stopper, heading into the summer window.

But, for Newcastle, where they are now, a fresh pair of gloves could be what’s needed, alongside a revamp up top to turn around their current slide, to put together some substantial funds to finally bring Anderson back to Tyneside.

Same agent as Tonali: Newcastle now eyeing January move to sign Serie A midfielder

The Magpies are looking to make up for the summer.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 26, 2025

Crystal Palace could make a January move for Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande, with the Portuguese club’s stance on sanctioning a departure recently being revealed.

The interest in the Sporting star comes amid major doubt over Marc Guehi’s future, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United among the main suitors within the Premier League, while interest is also building from across Europe.

Losing Guehi would undoubtedly be a major blow, with the captain continuing to impress over the past few weeks, having kept clean sheets in three of his last four matches in all competitions.

However, with the 25-year-old’s contract set to expire next summer, it is looking extremely unlikely the Eagles will be able to keep hold of him, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of a potential replacement.

Crystal Palace could make January move for Ousmane Diomande

According to a report from Record (via Sport Witness), Crystal Palace could make a renewed approach to sign Diomande in the January transfer window, having initially set €55m (£49m) aside to bring in the Sporting CP defender during the summer.

However, it could be difficult to get a deal over the line, with the Portuguese club eager to keep hold of the centre-back, given their aspirations of winning the Liga Portugal title, meaning Palace may have to trigger his €80m (£71m) release clause.

With the 21-year-old also being described as one of the ‘most coveted’ players in Sporting’s squad, Oliver Glasner’s side may face competition in the race for his signature, but it would be a major statement of intent if they were able to lure him to Selhurst Park.

Indeed, the youngster could have a big future ahead, given the praise he has received from scout Ben Mattinson, who dubbed the Sporting star as a “hybrid” between Arsenal defenders Gabriel and William Saliba, while also adding “he could become a monster in no time”.

Despite his age, the starlet has already built up a wealth of first-team experience, making 109 appearances for the Portuguese side, including 11 in the Champions League, which suggests he may now be ready to test himself in the Premier League.

Signing Diomande would undoubtedly soften the blow of losing Guehi, but the potential transfer fee of £71m could be an issue, given that Crystal Palace paid just £27m for their record signing, Christian Benteke.

Crystal Palace also targeting Ezri Konsa to replace Marc Guehi Crystal Palace identify Ezri Konsa as new target amid Marc Guehi uncertainty

The Eagles have joined the race for Konsa, with Guehi poised to leave on a free transfer next summer.

1 ByDominic Lund Oct 31, 2025

Liverpool have now reportedly held concrete talks to sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth, as they look to the January transfer window in an attempt to solve their problems.

The Reds are in a crisis, that can no longer be denied. Defeat against Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday slammed home just how much trouble Arne Slot’s side find themselves in. Their crown has evaporated, their dominance has subsided and they sit in the bottom half after 12 games in the Premier League.

Liverpool legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher had his say on the Reds’ problems on Monday Night Football, saying that he would like to see Mohamed Salah come out and speak for the side.

“A year ago this weekend, Mo Salah wasn’t shy in coming out and speaking about his own situation, about the club not offering him a contract.

“I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match or he needs a new contract. I would like to see Salah come out as one of the leaders, one the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team. It shouldn’t always be the captain.”

The Egyptian, however, may decide to let his football do the talking as Liverpool desperately look to get back on track against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night.

The Champions League has often handed the Premier League champions some much-needed reprieve this season, with victory over Real Madrid the best win of their season last time out.

Now, the visit of PSV presents Slot’s side with a similar opportunity to turn results around, before squaring off against West Ham United this weekend.

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Posts 1 BySean Markus Clifford Nov 24, 2025

Meanwhile, in the middle of their dismal period of form, Liverpool have reportedly been getting to work off the pitch on much-needed reinforcements.

Liverpool now "seriously working" on Semenyo deal

As reported by Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are now “seriously working” on a deal to sign Semenyo from Bournemouth in the January transfer window.

Despite suggestions he has chosen to join Manchester United, those at Anfield have reportedly held “concrete talks” in pursuit of the winger, who has a release clause worth around €70m (£62m).

There is plenty of competition, but Liverpool should go all out to land Semenyo in January. They’ve missed the direct ability that Luis Diaz provided them – the ability that draws fouls, breaks low blocks down and evades an opposition press. Semenyo, however, can offer them exactly that.

The Bournemouth star has enjoyed 10 more successful take-ons than Salah so far this season and has earned high praise from ex-Liverpool man Jamie Redknapp as a result. The Sky Sports pundit described Semenyo as “unique” earlier in the campaign.

Who is to blame for Isak's form at Liverpool?

An angry Leeds United fan who tried to confront manager Daniel Farke following the defeat to Aston Villa at Elland Road on Sunday has been arrested. The incident occurred midway through the Premier League clash, as Unai Emery's side came back from behind to beat the hosts 2-1. With the loss, the Whites now sit in the relegation zone with 11 points from 12 matches.

• Fan arrested for confronting Farke

  After a steady enough start, Leeds' return to the Premier League has begun to turn sour courtesy of three consecutive defeats that have left them in the drop zone, with the latest coming at home to Villa at the weekend. Farke's side's last win came against West Ham in late October.

  The Whites got off to a bright start on Sunday as Lukas Nmecha handed them an early lead – courtesy of a howler from Emiliano Martinez – but Aston Villa bounced back in style in the second half, with Morgan Rogers scoring a brace. While the match was ongoing, a 61-year-old fan entered the pitch at Elland Road and tried to confront beleaguered Leeds boss Farke near the dugout. He was quickly escorted away by stewards at the ground before the situation could get any worse, and according to the , the supporter in question has now been arrested.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Farke reacts to fan anger

  While the angry fan received faces punishment for entering the pitch, Farke claimed that he understood the frustrations of the supporters, as he said: "I didn’t see it. Everyone is disappointed. I don't want one change in our supporters. I don't want them to be happy after (we have lost) and to give some plaudits. We have a very passionate fan base, and this is what we want – it's a privilege. I don't want our supporters to change one per cent. They should be angry and disappointed. I feel exactly the same, and for that, we would expect it, that it's like this. I totally understand this."

• 'We should've taken some points from this game'

  Farke further analysed his team's performance, while speaking on the BBC's Match of the Day, as he said: "Performance-wise, we've turned back to what we want to be. We dominated many periods against a very good side. We should've taken some points from this game. We are not back to our best, we can still improve, but at the end we are just disappointed we did not get any points. To concede two goals is not good. As good as we are attacking down the left side at the moment we concede too many goals. We concede so quickly straight after the restart. Over the course of 38 games you have ups and downs. It happens sometimes at this level. Performance-wise I was happy. At the moment we are in a period where things are going against us. Of course, the fans are unhappy and disappointed once we lose games. I don't want them to have a different reaction. I want them to feel like the world is falling apart when we lose a game, otherwise, you can't be a Leeds United supporter. I'm just fully focused on the performance. If we perform like this today we'll win many more points."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Emery praised Rogers for being 'angry'

  Villans boss Emery heaped praise on the hero of the game, Rogers, as he said: "Through numbers it is more brilliant and really relevant, his work today. His impact was positive with goals. Always he plays well. He does his task and he is versatile across different positions. Maybe today he showed that he is angry to score. Being angry, he scored two goals, focusing on how he could get numbers. He did it, helping the team and for our victory today. He is a player who can get numbers. Last year, he got double numbers for goals and assists. This year, I think he will get this again. He was playing fantastic before this match, not getting numbers, but helping the team. With those goals today, it’s more brilliant. I think Morgan is very important when he is scoring and when he is not scoring. He is working tactically, being versatile, and performing very consistently.” 

  When asked what he meant by angry, Emery said: "Hungry and angry to score. Both. It is in this direction."

Celtic are now targeting a move to sign Wessam Abou Ali from Columbus Crew, according to reports, with Wilfried Nancy looking to bring one of his star men to Scotland.

At long last, the Bhoys are closing in on a managerial appointment. The Scottish giants have taken their time, waiting for the right appointment, with Martin O’Neill doing an impressive job as interim boss in the meantime.

The 73-year-old has reiterated every week that he will happily step aside once Celtic have found their next permanent option and that looks set to happen sooner rather than later amid recent reports.

The Columbus Crew manager looks set to take his first job in European football and has the task of bridging the gap on Hearts in a shock Scottish Premiership title race.

O’Neill, meanwhile, will bow out of his second stint in charge after steadying the ship. Whether he’s still in charge by the time that Celtic travel to face Feyenoord this Thursday is the big question.

Speaking to reporters, the veteran manager said: “The answer is this: the game is on Thursday so the plane leaves on Wednesday. They better make their minds up very quickly.”

Of course, if Nancy doesn’t arrive in time, then O’Neill will have the opportunity to win his first European game of his second stint in charge to cap off a small tenure full of nostalgia.

The ball will then be in the new manager’s court, who has already reportedly identified the need for a new striker at Celtic Park and set his sights on exactly who that new striker should be.

Celtic now lining up January move for Columbus Crew star

According to the Scottish Sun, Celtic are now targeting a move to sign Abou Ali from Columbus Crew in the January transfer window. The 26-year-old Palestinian striker has been one of Nancy’s best players in the MLS and quickly won the faith of his manager after arriving from Ahly SC.

Celtic chiefs learn Nancy arrival date as personal terms update emerges

The Hoops are closing in…

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 20, 2025

Described as “clinical” by Columbus Crew general manager Issa Tall, Abou Ali first grabbed the headlines when he scored a perfect hat-trick against Porto at the Club World Cup as the MLS side watched on, waiting to secure his signature.

Since then, the 26-year-old has only impressed even more in America and may yet be on his way to Scotland to strike an instant reunion with Nancy.

Abou Ali	Record with Nancy
Games	5
Goals	3
Assists	1

With four goal involvements in five games under Nancy, Celtic would be wise to go all out to sign the 6’1 forward, who could solve their own striker problem in January.

Whether Columbus Crew will allow their star striker to leave with their manager is another question, however. Losing Nancy is already set to deal them a blow in its own right, let alone their top star alongside him.

Celtic set to make quadruple backroom appointment to Nancy's staff

Two losses in the first three games, and the next two washed out. New Zealand’s World Cup campaign has veered off track, but on the eve of an all-important clash against India, captain Sophie Devine was all calm, answering questions at the press conference in her signature deadpan style.”Thanks for not saying I’m old. I appreciate that, experienced is nice,” she said on being asked how her near 20 years as an international cricketer might help her in Thursday’s high-pressure game.New Zealand haven’t had much game time lately but they’re embracing the “underdog badge with pride”, Devine said, also acknowledging the pressure her side will be under playing in Mumbai in front of “99.9%” of India fans. But she also feels “real empathy” for hosts who have come under scrutiny after losing three matches in a row.”We’re really stepping towards that pressure,” Devine said. “In all honesty, I can’t begin to imagine the type of pressure that the Indian team is under. I know when we played at a home World Cup [in 2022], the pressure that we felt to perform in front of our home crowd was at times overwhelming. I can’t imagine what that’s like with a billion people tuned into the TV screens and the expectation and the weight that’s on their shoulders.””These are the moments that you want to be playing cricket in – a pretty much knockout game against India in India at a World Cup. We’re obviously under no illusions that India are still the favourites, without a doubt. And we will wear the underdog badge with pride, as Kiwis often do.”India might have home advantage but when it comes to ODI World Cups, their win-loss ratio against New Zealand is 0.2, the lowest against any opposition. Does that give New Zealand a psychological edge?Sophie Devine has 260 runs at the World Cup at an average of 87•ICC/Getty Images

“Yeah, ask me after the game tomorrow because I think that’s generally the way it goes, isn’t it?” Devine quipped. “We can get confidence from the fact that we’ve played them in pressure situations before. But tomorrow’s a new game, everyone starts on zero.”Related

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Whether it’s the atmosphere or the profile of the game, Devine hopes it serves as a learning experience for the young players in her side.”Some youngsters that we’ve got, they’ve still played cricket under different pressures and have had to perform at different stages,” she said. “It is such a cool opportunity. This is why you play high-performance sport, it’s why you play international cricket. To be put under the most intense pressure and see how you stand up.””To me that’s just a really exciting opportunity to not only showcase the women’s game, but showcase New Zealand cricket,” she said. “And as you mentioned, we’ve had a great record, not just females, but males as well, of playing India in these sort of tournaments.”Rustiness is a concern – New Zealand haven’t played a full game in nearly 12 days – but so is the forecast. With rain having already sabotaged their campaign, Devine responded in her trademark style when informed there’s more in the forecast.”I’m not surprised, to be honest. I expect there to be rain everywhere we go at the moment,” she said, shrugging. “But you can’t control the weather. We’ll deal with it if it comes. There’s no point worrying about it until it actually falls down and the umpires call you off, we’re just focused on what we want to do.”Thursday’s clash will also be New Zealand’s first outing at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, but they’ll be banking on local knowledge from Amelia Kerr, who has played six WPL matches at the venue.”Not just tomorrow, but everyone expects Melie to perform and to give to this group,” Devine said. “She’s played a lot with Harman [Harmanpreet Kaur], she’s obviously played with the Mumbai Indians here. Hopefully she’s got a few fans in the crowd as well that’ll be cheering for New Zealand and her.”Melie knows some of those Indian players really well. They also know Melie well. I think the Indians probably have enough pressure on them coming from the rest of your country to try and perform and get through to a semi-final, which I know is the expectation for them.”Devine ended the press conference in her typical style: “We’ll let the Indian public and the media and all that give the Indian team enough pressure and we’ll just keep going about our thing.”

West Indies batter arrives in form and in a mood to repay the faith put in him by his island of St Maarten

Vithushan Ehantharajah28-May-2025After shadow-batting at both ends of the pitch that will host Thursday’s first ODI between England and West Indies, Keacy Carty sidles up to a member of the Edgbaston groundstaff, who is currently perched on a roller moving up and down one of the side strips.The conversation is brief but civil. Carty, having enquired about whether more grass is going to be taken off the pitch and which direction the wind comes from, gives a nod farewell, rapping his knuckles on the roller in the way one might show their approval of a vintage car. An exchange of platitudes between batter and curator.This is idle water-cooler chat for Carty. He’d put in the graft in the nets, surveyed the conditions and, on his way past the water cooler, dipped an ear for a quick bit of goss before heading off to prepare for his main job – batting.And it really is a job for him. One he is proud to call his profession, but a job nonetheless. His business is runscoring. And, recently, business has been booming.In the past week, Carty has struck two ODI centuries against Ireland; the first in a rained-off second match, the second in a series-levelling (and face-saving) finale. Since last November – a span that incorporates his first one-day hundred against England at Bridgetown to take a three-match series – his average of 94.50 and strike-rate of 102.71 has come as confirmation of his talent.To Carty, however, this all falls under duty. Even the joy at thriving – duty.”It is always good to be impactful for the team,” he tells ESPNcricinfo, matter-of-factly. “But I don’t try to get too much into it on a personal standpoint. It is a job, and that job is trying to get West Indies cricket back to where we would like it to be.”There’s an almost military undertone to Carty’s words, but he is keen to stress an important differentiation. He loves what he does. It’s just far more serious at this level when you’re representing West Indies. The stakes are higher, the scrutiny fiercer, the sharp ends sharper. You, as an individual, need to be colder.Keacy Carty scored back-to-back centuries in Clontarf•Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images”If you look at batting, we have to carry out as an individual in order for the team to have a complete performance. So when you’re trying it like a job, when you’re treating it like a nine-to-five, you know what you have to do in order to your job.”Remember, this is sport – you don’t be permanent here, you just try to fulfill your duty as best as possible. Take care of matters for the team that will go to your personal stats. Then, when it’s all said and done, you can look back and feel good with yourself.”The seriousness tallies with a young batter who began first-class life as an opening batter for Leeward Islands before the long-term return of West Indies opener Kieran Powell bumped Carty down a spot from 2017 onwards. By then – aged 20 – Carty had already put the word out that he was one for the future with a mature 52 to seal 2016’s U19 World Cup against India. Ever since, his progress has been steady without ever being spectacular, although the last few months hint at a tipping point.What stereotypes there are of Caribbean batters – particularly those pedalled outside the region – are not applicable to Carty, who is an intriguing lore unto himself. And it is not unrelated to the fact he became the first cricketer born in St Maarten to represent West Indies when he earned the first of his 34 ODI caps in 2022. It takes a village to raise a child, but an island grooved this batter.As a kid, while watching football on TV, he spoke aloud his desire to do that as a job. “My father was like… “nah!” He don’t know no football.” What his father did know, as a handy seam-bowling allrounder who also opened the batting for local club, Spartans, was cricket.”By the time I really understood cricket, like between 9 and 13, he was at the back end of his career. But by then, we had played many games together.”Carty’s father remains a guiding influence, dog-sticking for his son when he’s not on tour, in between long-held coaching duties with the club’s under-13 and 15s. “He’s not really harsh, but he does have high expectations,” Carty says of their dynamic.It was from Under-15 level that Carty’s cricket took him across the channel to Anguilla. But it was the extra sessions in St Maarten, and the generosity from others involved at Spartans, that he credits for an ingrained fearlessness at stepping up levels.Keacy Carty played the matchwinning innings when West Indies beat India in the Under-19 World Cup final in 2016•Getty Images”One example, I didn’t have to ‘share’ the batting back home. So, versus when they (Anguilla) have 15 kids a day, two might bat for 25 minutes up there, from 4pm to 5:30pm – I was batting from 4pm to 5:30pm myself. I was hitting so much more than them.”When I was preparing for age-group tournaments, the local bowlers would make the effort to come out and bowl to me before I went off. Outside of my training with my dad and batting all day, Under-19 players, national team players, they’d all come and bowl to me before I leave.”I think there were one or two players better than me from that core group when I was at that age. But the difference is I was facing more advanced bowlers as a 15-year-old. By then, the players my dad had coached at a young age were between 32 and 38.”Two or three of them had played first-class cricket, so all their knowledge passed on to me. When I started, I knew a few things that was necessary. Your temperament, your preparation, your mindset when you’re playing first-class cricket for example. Like you don’t need to have all the shots. No, you don’t need to play all the shots because it’s a red-ball game. You have a lot of time. The ball is doing a lot. Bowlers will look to set you up.Related

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“Little things like getting three shots that you want to work with. Developing safe options and force bowlers to bowl in your area. I did not have to learn all these things the hard way – it was all told to me before I had even played my first game.”Carty brackets all those willing net bowlers during his teenage years and older heads sharing advice as good friends. For a man of such focus, he acknowledges the value of what he describes as “larking”. There’s even a hint of cheekiness, oddly enough when he talks about his matchday routines, which usually begins with watching the TV to discern how much the ball is moving before joking with teammates.”I’m not superstitious, and I do like to talk and laugh with teammates before I bat. I don’t like to be too focussed or totally zoned in, because you put more pressure on yourself like that. Even at this professional stage, you have to enjoy the game.”Test cricket remains a nut to be cracked, with five caps so far against a mix of South Africa at home, Bangladesh at home and Pakistan away. But it is a format he seems suitably wired for.He is yet to record even a fifty against the red ball, but that first milestone will carry great significance for him and St Maarten. Typically, he bats away the notion of being a trailblazer. He sees himself above no-one else – simply as someone who worked hard, and is willing to help others achieve, too.”I still move like a normal person on the island. Like, nobody don’t flock me or anything. I’m still just a regular guy. And yeah, I used to be very joyful about it, but like, I’ve been here a while now, so it’s like… the focus can’t be about just being proud that you’re here.”You know what I mean? Now is the time to be impactful. You got kids looking up to you that are playing cricket locally so I always tell them, I was just like y’all at one stage. It’s just that I wanted it.”