Category Uncategorized

In the aftermath of the Juan Soto free agency sweepstakes, which resulted in a historic, $765 million contract for the 26-year-old slugger with the New York Mets, a rumor emerged that a security guard employed by the New York Yankees had disallowed a member of Soto's family, as well as his chef/driver, from certain areas, upsetting Soto.

Soto reportedly forgave the Yankees for the incident, but the story was presented in such a way that it seemingly had an impact on his decision to switch boroughs. But, coming straight from the source, Soto on Friday denied the rumor during a Spanish language interview with "Grandes en los Deportes."

Soto called the Yankees' staff "tremendous,” adding that he never had to worry if a member of his family was taken care of during his tenure in the Bronx.

"My family was treated very well by the organization," Soto said, according to a translation by the New York Post. "They were always there to help me and my family at every moment."

Soto, who was acquired by the Yankees in December of 2023, enjoyed a career year in his lone season in the Bronx, posting a .288/.419/.569 slash line with a career-best 41 home runs, 109 RBI, 128 runs scored and 129 walks in 157 games played, helping New York reach its first World Series since 2009.

Backed by hard-driving agent Scott Boras, Soto, the top free agent on the market, met with several organizations, but the final bidding came down to the Yankees, Mets, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees, who reportedly offered $760 million over 16 years, fell just short to the Mets, who also included a luxury suite in their offer, which the Yankees balked at, citing past traditions with star players.

Above all, Mets owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns sold Soto on the club's vision.

"The Mets is a great organization and what they have done in the past couple—showing the ability to grow a team, grow a dynasty—is one of the the most important things," Soto said during his introductory press conference on Dec. 12. "What you were seeing from the other side was unbelievable. The future that this team has a lot to do with my decision."

MatériaMais Notícias

Mesmo tendo ficado duas vezes atrás do placar, o Palmeiras buscou o empate fora de casa contra o Fortaleza e segue na liderança do Campeonato Brasileiro. Assim, o Verdão segue dependendo apenas de si para conquistar a competição nacional, nas três rodadas que ainda restam. E o triunfo aconteceu mesmo com o Palestra atuando boa parte do segundo tempo com um jogo a menos, devido a expulsão do zagueiro Gustavo Gómez.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasFlávia Mota destaca chegada ao Palmeiras como um dos pontos positivos de 2023Palmeiras24/11/2023Fora de CampoEx-Palmeiras comenta possível saída de Abel Ferreira: ‘Sinto que está próxima’Fora de Campo24/11/2023Futebol NacionalPalmeiras x São Paulo: onde assistir ao vivo, horário e prováveis escalações do jogo pela final do Paulistão Sub-20Futebol Nacional24/11/2023

O Laion saiu na frente ainda no primeiro tempo, com gol marcado por Thiago Galhardo. O empate palmeirense aconteceu já quando o clube não tinha o seu capitão em campo, com Raphael Veiga acertando um belo chute de fora da área. No entanto, o Tricolor de Aço voltou à frente pouco minutos depois, com gol de Calebe. Mas o Alviverde buscou o empate com Zé Rafael.

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

CINCO PONTOS QUE MARCARAM A PARTIDA

>ENCAROU! Enquanto o técnico Abel Ferreira, do Palmeiras, reclamava com a arbitragem na beira do gramado, logo no início do jogo, Juan Pablo Vojvoda, comandante do Fortaleza, ficou encarando o português. O clima estranho, no entanto, não se estendeu em confusão entre os treinadores.

>DE PRIMA! mas se a primeira chegada do Leão deu trave, a segunda não teve jeito: foi gol. Guilherme partiu pelo lado esquerdo e serviu Thiago Galhardo que, de primeira, matou o goleiro Weverton colocando o Leão na frente.

>DE NOVO GÓMEZ? Expulso há duas rodadas, quando o Palmeiras perdeu para o Flamengo, o zagueiro retornou após cumprir suspensão na vitória palmeirense sobre o Internacional e novamente recebeu um cartão vermelho. O lance da punição aconteceu em um lance que Murilo escorrega, Calebe sairia na cara do gol e sofre a falta do paraguaio na entrada da grande área.

>LÁ E CÁ! Mesmo com um jogador a menos, o Palmeiras conseguiu o empate minutos após perder Gustavo Gómez com Raphael Veiga acertando um belo chute de fora da área no canto esquerdo do goleiro João Ricardo. Porém, na sequência Calebe colocou novamente o Fortaleza na frente.

> O ERRADO QUE DEU CERTO! Quando parecia que o Verdão perderia o jogo e também a liderança do Campeonato Brasileiro, um chute torto de Piquerez encontrou Murilo, que escorou de cabeça para área e a bola sobrou para Zé Rafael finalizar no canto esquerdo para definir o placar.

continua após a publicidade

COMO FOI O PRIMEIRO TEMPO

O Fortaleza começou melhor e não demorou muito para sair na frente. Aos 19 minutos, Thiago Galhardo aproveitou boa jogada de Guilherme pelo lado esquerdo e bateu de primeira no canto direito de Weverton. Antes, Caio Alexandre já havia acertado a trave palmeirense em um chute de fora da área. O meia do Leão, inclusive, interessa à equipe alviverde para a próxima temporada. Após abrir o placar, o Laion foi controlando a partida e só foi sofrer perigo no fim da etapa inicial, principalmente quando Raphael Veiga finalizou no canto esquerdo e parou no goleiro João Ricardo, que fez boa defesa. 

E O SEGUNDO TEMPO?

O Fortaleza voltou para o segundo tempo já podendo ampliar o placar, mas Tinga finalizou para fora uma grande oportunidade. Ainda assim, o Tricolor de Aço manteve o jogo controlado. E parecia que ficaria ainda mais quando Gustavo Gómez foi expulso por fazer uma falta na entrada da grande área, matando uma jogada que começou com um escorregão de Murilo. 

Mas foi quando o Verdão parecia que teria ainda mais problemas, que o clube alviverde buscou o empate, com um chute de Raphael Veiga de fora da área, no canto esquerdo do goleiro João Ricardo. 

O problema da equipe palestrina foi que a resposta do Laion foi rápida, com Calebe empatando. E o time nordestino ainda teve a oportunidade de matar a jogada, quando Mayke perdeu a bola, ficou pedindo falta, Zé Welison saiu na cara do gol, tocou para Calebe, que devolveu para Welison que finalizou, mas Mayke salvou antes da bola entrar.

E se quem não faz, leva, o Fortaleza sofreu o empate quatro minutos depois em uma bola que foi rebatida após cobrança de escanteio, Piquerez bateu torto, mas a bola sobrou na área com Murilo ajeitando de cabeça para Zé Rafael chegar batendo no canto direito. 

continua após a publicidade

+ CONFIRA MAIS DETALHES SOBRE A PARTIDA]

O QUE VEM POR AÍ

O Palmeiras voltará a campo nesta quarta-feira (29), quando enfrentará o já rebaixado América-MG, no Allianz Parque, às 21h30. Após, o Verdão terá pela frente o Fluminense, em casa, e o Cruzeiro, fora, na reta final do Brasileirão. Já o Fortaleza vai encarar o Bragantino na quinta-feira (30), às 20h30, em Bragança Paulista, enquanto as duas partidas seguintes serão diante do Goiás e Santos, sendo o primeiro em casa e o segundo como visitante. 

FORTALEZA 2 X 1 PALMEIRAS
CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO – 30ª RODADA

Data e horário: 26 de novembro de 2023, às 18h30 (de Brasília)
Local: Arena Castelão, Fortaleza (CE)
Árbitro: André Luiz Policarpo Bento (MG)
Assistentes: Guilherme Dias Camilo (Fifa-MG) e Leonardo Henrique Ferreira (MG)
Árbitro de vídeo: Carlos Eduardo Nunes Braga (RJ)
Público e renda: 40.382 pessoas | R$ 990.006,00
Cartões amarelos: Bruno Pacheco (Fortaleza); Mayke e Garcia (Palmeiras)
Cartões vermelhos: Gustavo Gómez (Palmeiras)

GOLS: 0-1 Thiago Galhardo (19’/1T); 1-1 Raphael Veiga (20’/2T); 2-1 Calebe (24’/2T); 2-2 Zé Rafael (31’/2T)

FORTALEZA
João Ricardo; Tinga, Brítez, Titi e Bruno Pacheco; José Welison (Pedro Rocha, 46’/2T), Caio Alexandre (Pochettino, 39’/2T) e Calebe (Lucas Crispim, 46’/2T); Yago Pikachu (Machuca, 39’/2T), Thiago Galhardo (Marinho, 30’/2T) e Guilherme. Técnico: Juan Pablo Vojvoda

PALMEIRAS
Weverton; Marcos Rocha (Rony, 11’/2T), Gustavo Gómez e Murilo; Mayke, Zé Rafael, Richard Ríos (Artur, 11’/2T), Raphael Veiga (Fabinho, 38’/2T) e Piquerez; Breno Lopes (Vanderlan, 17’/2T) e Endrick (Naves, 38’/2T). Técnico: Abel Ferreira

Elche's on-loan Barcelona defender Hector Fort has revealed a personal post-match conversation with Hansi Flick, saying that the manager "cares about me." The youngster also lifted the lid on the "special" experience of facing his close friend Lamine Yamal during Elche's 3-1 LaLiga defeat, a match which also saw Inaki Pena return to face his parent club.

• Fort reveals post-match chat with Flick

  Fort has revealed details of a post-match conversation with Flick, in which the German coach showed his personal concern for the on-loan La Masia graduate following Sunday’s 3-1 defeat for the visitors.

  Fort, along with goalkeeper Pena, returned to face their parent club for the first time since their temporary summer moves. Speaking to DAZN and as reported by Mundo Deportivo after the match, the 18-year-old full-back expressed his appreciation for Flick's gesture and opened up about the "special" experience of competing against close friend Yamal.

  Despite the disappointment of the result at the Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys, Fort shared a warm exchange with the Barcelona manager on the pitch after the final whistle. The conversation highlighted that the young defender remains firmly in the thoughts of the coaching staff back at his parent club, who are monitoring his progress and well-being.

  "He’s a warm person, he cares about me and he was asking me about the injury I had," Fort revealed. "He asked me if I was happy at Elche and I appreciate his interest."

  The gesture from Flick suggests that Barcelona see a long-term future for the defender, with the loan move to Elche viewed as a crucial step in his development pathway towards a potential first-team role at Camp Nou.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'I see him as my friend' – Fort on facing Lamine Yamal

  The match also presented a unique personal challenge for Fort, who was tasked with marking his close friend and fellow La Masia product, Yamal. The Barcelona winger opened the scoring in just the ninth minute, but Fort, who came on as a second-half substitute, relished the duel against a player he has known for years.

  "I don’t see Lamine like everyone else. I see him as my friend," Fort explained with a smile. "We’ve been together for many years, we’ve shared a lot, and I was excited to face him. I don’t think I did too badly. I caught him a bit tired."

  The full-back admitted the context of the game provided an extra spark. "It always helps to have the extra motivation of playing in front of my fans and my former teammates, but it’s a shame about the result."

• Pena describes 'special and strange' Barcelona return

  Pena, who started the match for Elche, the return was an emotional one. Having spent years at Barcelona, he admitted it felt unusual to be in the opposition's dressing room.

  "It’s strange to play here in another jersey," Pena said, although he noted it was not an entirely new experience, having previously played against Barca while on loan at Galatasaray.

  The 26-year-old was seen embracing his former goalkeeping colleagues—Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Wojciech Szczesny, Joan Garcia, and Diego Kochen—after the game. "I have many friends, but I train with the goalkeepers every day and it was really nice to see them," he reflected on the reunion.

  Both players were ultimately on the losing side as Barcelona secured a comfortable victory to maintain their second-place position in the La Liga table. After Yamal's early opener, Ferran Torres doubled the hosts' lead in the 12th minute. Elche pulled a goal back through Rafa Mir just before half-time, but a 61st-minute strike from Marcus Rashford sealed the three points for Flick's side.

  Pena played the full 90 minutes, making three saves but conceding three goals from the six shots on target he faced. Fort was introduced in the second half and provided a solid account of himself against a tiring Barcelona attack.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Why Pena chose Elche loan move

  Speaking after the game, Pena also elaborated on his decision to join Elche on loan, revealing that manager Eder Sarabia was a "decisive" factor. The goalkeeper had to wait for registration processes to be completed, but Sarabia's confidence in him was key.

  "When I found out about this situation mid-summer, Eder (Sarabia) was aware of it, and that was decisive because he told me he was sure about it and that I could wait," Pena explained. "And from a footballing perspective, we know their philosophy and their style of play; we know how they want their goalkeeper to play, similar to Barça's philosophy. And I'm also at home, having been away for many years, and all of that made it a good decision."

After recent criticism about his Liverpool form, one national team manager has had his say on one of Arne Slot’s stars — claiming that the Reds’ recent dip is “not his fault”.

Carragher reveals Liverpool frustration

To say it’s been a month to forget for Liverpool would be an understatement.

The Reds entered the October international break off the back of three straight defeats for the first time under Slot, and several players have been hit with criticism as a result.

The Chelsea defeat will have particularly frustrated Slot, who saw Estavao Willian seal the points for Chelsea in last-gasp fashion.

By the time that the full-time whistle sounded at Stamford Bridge, Liverpool may have even been relieved to be entering the break, but that has only left the door ajar for further criticism from the likes of Jamie Carragher.

The Anfield legend revealed his current frustration, saying:

“The thing that has frustrated me in the last two games is that we have allowed a situation [to finish] end-to-end.

“Sometimes when you are playing a game, ‘Liverpool are playing Crystal Palace and Liverpool are better than Crystal Palace and are the favourites to win the game’. But you have been battered in the first-half, it’s 1-1, they’re on an unbelievable run, I am like ‘get out of there with a point’.

“Slightly different with Chelsea because when it went 1-1 I think a title-winning team go and win that game especially with the problems Chelsea have. But Liverpool were never in control of the game I felt after it went 1-1. You’d expect them to win the game, but they were never in control.”

It’s not just Carragher who has had his say, either. The international break has also handed one national team manager the chance to defend one of his star men amid Liverpool criticism.

Nagelsmann: Liverpool form not Florian Wirtz's fault amid real truth

Defending his star, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann claimed that all of Florian Wirtz’s struggles have not been all his fault — suggesting that some of his Liverpool teammates can take the blame as well.

Revealing that Wirtz has been among the top creators in the Premier League this season, there’s certainly some truth in Nagelsmann’s defence.

The German has been below his best form, that can’t be denied. But he is not the problem at Liverpool. When he emerged from the bench against Chelsea, the Reds looked a different side going forward.

Liverpool now preparing move to sign Guehi alternative in PSG star compared to Gabriel

The Reds are still looking to solve their centre-back problem.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 11, 2025

It’s simply about finding the right balance, whether that means dropping the likes of Alexis Mac Allister or handing Curtis Jones a starting place.

MatériaMais Notícias

Morreu nesta segunda-feira (31), aos 78 anos, Roberto Frizzo, conselheiro vitalício do Palmeiras e ex-vice presidente do clube. O empresário ficou conhecido entre os palmeirense por ser o idealizador do dossiê que pediu o reconhecimento do Mundial de 1951 pela Fifa.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeiras‘Zerado’ na janela, Palmeiras é o clube da Série A que menos contratou na temporadaPalmeiras31/07/2023PalmeirasPróximos jogos do Palmeiras: onde assistir ao vivo, datas, horários e calendárioPalmeiras10/10/2023PalmeirasOPINIÃO: ‘Palmeiras vai pegar o pior Galo dos últimos três anos, mas isso não significa nada’Palmeiras31/07/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

O falecimento do ex-dirigente foi comunicada pelo Verdão, que não informou a causa da morte. Segundo apurou o Lance!, Frizzo passou por um procedimento médico e acabou não resistindo, pois já estava com a saúde debilitada.

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

Frizzo foi vice-presidente do Palmeiras durante a gestão de Arnaldo Tirone entre 2011 e 2013, período em que o clube foi campeão da Copa do Brasil, mas também acabou sendo rebaixado pela segunda vez.

continua após a publicidade

No entanto, sua participação no dia a dia palmeirense começou bem antes, quando em meados da década de 2000, ao lado de Arnaldo Branco, idealizou o dossiê que buscava reconhecer a Copa Rio de 1951 como o primeiro Mundial de Clubes da história. O documento foi enviado para a Fifa, que chegou a se manifestar sobre o tema alguma vezes, embora não tenha havido uma oficialização definitiva. Em 2014, o então presidente da entidade, Joseph Blatter, reconheceu o Verdão como primeiro campeão do mundo.

+ ANÁLISE: Palmeiras faz o ‘básico’, volta a ser eficiente e mostra que pode seguir forte

O velório de Roberto Frizzo está marcado para a manhã desta terça-feira (1), no Funeral Home, e o sepultamento acontece na parte da tarde, no Cemitério do Morumby.

continua após a publicidade

Em sua conta oficial no Twitter, o Palmeiras lamentou a morte:

“A Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras lamenta profundamente o falecimento de Roberto Frizzo, vice-presidente do clube no título da Copa do Brasil de 2012. Durante os muitos anos de prestação de serviços ao #MaiorCampeãoDoBrasil, também foi peça fundamental no reconhecimento da FIFA à conquista do #PrimeiroCampeãoMundial, em 1951. Nossas condolências aos amigos e familiares neste momento de dor”

West Ham have a new preferred choice to take over from Graham Potter, with the Englishman’s dismissal appearing inevitable after a poor start to 2025/2026.

Graham Potter on the verge of leaving West Ham

Potter’s nine-month tenure in the Hammers dugout has been one to forget so far.

Under his leadership, West Ham have recorded their second-worst win percentage of the Premier League era, behind only Avram Grant, who led them to relegation in 2011.

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12 Graham Potter

26.1%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

The mood around East London is already sour, with supporters poised to stage protests against West Ham’s ownership at every Saturday home game this season (The Telegraph), and Potter’s side aren’t exactly helping matters.

Their hugely frustrating opening five Premier League games are best summed up in one word — fragile.

They’ve leaked 13 goals already, more than any other Premier League side, with seven of them coming directly from corner kicks. Rivals are taking serious advantage of West Ham’s set-piece weakness right now, and that is on the manager to fix.

Whether that be Potter, or far more likely a replacement, West Ham are staring relegation in the face if they cannot plug their gaping holes – a fact not lost on critics like Wayne Rooney.

Reports suggest Potter could stay on at West Ham until after the Arsenal game, depending on how they fare at Everton, with ExWHUemployee suggesting that the hierarchy want to give any new boss the best possible chance of a good start at home to Brentford on October 20.

Out of every linked manager, Nuno Espírito Santo has been tipped as the favourite to take over from Potter at West Ham, and there are suggestions that he’s “close” to agreeing a potential deal if the latter does depart (ExWHUemployee).

However, while Nuno is most likely as things stand, insider Claret & Hugh has claimed that they’d actually prefer someone else.

West Ham would prefer Marco Silva over Nuno Espírito Santo

Indeed, that man is Fulham boss Marco Silva, who has done an excellent job at Craven Cottage with very limited resources for years.

The former Everton and Hull City manager had Fulham briefly contending for a European spot last season, with Silva’s side also making a solid start to 2025/2026 — losing just one of their opening five Premier League matches.

The Whites have won three games on the bounce in all competitions, and Silva is yet again doing very solid work in West London despite spending the least money of any Premier League side last summer.

Premier League’s lowest summer spenders

Team

Money spent

Money received

Net spend

Wolves

£121,000,000

£119,000,000

£2,000,000

Bournemouth

£120,000,000

£207,000,000

-£87,000,000

Everton

£112,000,000

£3,500,000

£108,500,000

Burnley

£111,000,000

£31,000,000

£80,000,000

Leeds

£98,000,000

£7,000,000

£91,000,000

Brentford

£85,000,000

£134,000,000

-£49,000,000

Brighton

£69,000,000

£133,000,000

-£64,000,000

Crystal Palace

£47,000,000

£63,000,000

-£16,000,000

Aston Villa

£37,500,000

£47,000,000

-£9,500,000

Fulham

£34,500,000

£15,000,000

£19,500,000

via BBC Sport

Now, C&H report that Silva is West Ham’s preferred managerial choice over Nuno, but the latter is still in pole position.

Sullivan and Karren Brady aren’t too keen on paying up to £10 million in compensation to take Silva off Fulham’s hands, meaning that Nuno is still the favourite to replace Potter as things stand.

This search for a new manager also comes amid increasing concern from West Ham shareholders over a potential drop to the Championship, so whether they move for Silva or Nuno, the board needs to get this appointment spot-on — especially amid growing unrest among the fanbase.

أوضحت رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، سبب عدم إيقاف الحكم مايكل أوليفييه، مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد، بعد حدوث إصابة في الرأس، قبل هدف الشياطين الحمر ضد الريدز.

ومنح بريان مبيومو المنضم إلى مانشستر يونايتد في سوق الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية، التقدم لفريقه بعد مرور دقيقتين فقط على ملعب آنفيلد، بتسديدة قوية في شباك مامارداشفيلي.

واشتكى لاعبو ليفربول من إصابة لاعب خط الوسط الأرجنتيني الدولي ألكسيس ماك أليستر في الرأس، قبل أن يسجل مبيومو هدف مانشستر يونايتد الأول.

وكان ماك أليستر قد تعرض لضربة غير مقصودة من زميله المدافع الهولندي فيرجيل فان دايك، بعد التحام هوائي مع مبيومو.

أقرأ أيضاً.. مبيومو يدخل تاريخ الدوري الإنجليزي بهدفه في مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد

وسقط اللاعب الدولي الأرجنتيني على الفور على الأرض وهو يمسك بمؤخرة رأسه، لكن اللعب استمر وفاجأ مبيومو جماهير ليفربول في ملعب أنفيلد بالهدف.

وأفادت صحيفة “مترو” البريطانية أنه خلال احتفالات مانشستر يونايتد، فقد كان ماك أليستر يتلقى رعاية طبية من إخصائي العلاج الطبيعي واستمر في اللعب بعدما ارتدى واقيًا حول رأسه.

ولم يتمكن نطام حكم الفيديو المساعد من التدخل لعدم ارتكاب مخالفة، ومع ذلك فإن الحكام قد اعتادوا على إيقاف اللعب إذا تعرض اللاعب لإصابة في الرأس.

وعلقت رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي لشبكة “سكاي سبورت”: “أوليفر لم ير الإصابة وبالتالي لم يستطع إيقاف المباراة”.

وقد تفاجأ جيمي كاراجر مدافع وقائد ليفربول السابق من هذا التفسير، حيث قال: “كان ماك أليستر قد أمسك برأسه، آرني سلوت غير راض عما حدث معه”.

وأضاف: “أعتقد أن العديد من اللاعبين قد استغلوا قاعدة إصابة الرأس، كانت هناك حالة في مباراة آرسنال أمس حيث كان الجانرز غير محظوظ عندما سقط لاعب فولهام أرضاً”.

وواصل كاراجر: “أنا مندهش من عدم عودة مايكل أوليفر مرة أخرى رغم إصابة اللاعب في الرأس”.

ويعتقد ستيفن وارنوك مدافع ليفربول السابق أيضاً أن عدم إيقاف اللعب كان خطأ: “هناك اعتقاد بين جماهير ليفربول أن هناك إصابة في الرأس في خط الوسط، اصطدم فان دايك ومبيومو مع ماك أليستر وبعدها تلقى العلاج من قبل إخصائي العلاج الطبيعي، كان يجب إيقاف اللعب بسبب هذه الإصابة بعد ضربة من زميله فان دايك”.

The visitors are 6-0 down after being whitewashed in the ODI series

Andrew McGlashan18-Jan-20251:25

Knight: England will ‘keep believing’ after Australia’s ODI sweep

Heather Knight believes that an injection of fresh faces and a return to England’s best format gives them hope of turning around the Ashes series around after they were trounced 3-0 in the ODIs.England have left themselves no option but to win every remaining match of the multiformat series – three T20Is and the day-night Test at the MCG – after falling 6-0 behind with their heavy defeat in Hobart as Australia secured an ODI whitewash. Even if it’s 6-6 heading into that game Australia would only need a draw to retain the Ashes.Related

Swing in, speak out: the story of Megan Schutt

Gardner's century and King's five-for give Australia ODI series sweep

Gardner glad to have reached 'emotional' maiden hundred without nervous ninties

“The last Ashes series was 6-0 and we’re able to turn things around,” Knight said. “I think having a change of format will be really good for us. I think T20 cricket is one of our best formats. I think that little reset will do us some good.”We’ve got to keep believing, but we can’t look too far ahead. Back in the last Ashes, we kept it game by game and just got on a bit of a roll. We’re still alive, we’re still in it, and we’ve got to keep believing we can.”Bess Heath, Dani Gibson, Freya Kemp and Linsey Smith come into the squad for the T20Is have not been part of the one-day series.Both teams have points to prove in the format after England went out in the group stage of last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE and Australia exited in the semi-finals. The home side have not played a T20I since that tournament whereas England have had a tour of South Africa but Knight did not see that as a significant advantage.”I think they’re a team that play T20 cricket very well,” she said. “And as are we. We’ve played some brilliant T20 cricket recently in the last year. So hopefully it does [help] but I don’t think it will make a huge advantage them not playing too much.”England have left themselves needing to win all the remaining matches to take the Ashes•Getty ImagesMeanwhile, Kate Cross will be among a handful of England players who will now switch their attention to preparing for the pink-ball Test at the MCG.Knight confirmed that Cross, who has been recovering from a back problem picked up in South Africa, was very close to playing the final ODI and that the bowler herself felt she could have featured.”Kate felt like she was pretty close and probably fit enough to play,” Knight said. “But we felt like it was too much of a risk really because she hasn’t had a huge amount of cricket. She’s still in a place where it is a bit grumbly and can flare up at any time.”The Test match girls will have a little bit of a camp away from us, training, so Tammy [Beaumont] and Ryana MacDonald-Gay will be a part of that. They’ll get a really good preparation. So, it’s moving in the right direction [for Cross].”Switching between formats is a challenge during this series in a condensed schedule. There are just two days between the end of the ODIs before the first T20I at the SCG, then a four-day gap for players to get ready for the pink-ball four-day encounter in Melbourne.Australia are expected to name their Test squad on Monday.

As Nottingham Forest prepare for a first European campaign since 1995/96, will they make any more signings before the transfer window slams shut on 1 September?

So far, Brazilian duo Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha have arrived from Botafogo, Angus Gunn will be the new back-up goalkeeper and Dan Ndoye has joined from Bologna, the winger costing a reported fee of £35m.

However, having sold Anthony Elanga to Newcastle for £55m, Nuno Espírito Santo will still want to add attacking talent to his squad this month, so do the Garibaldi Reds lead the chase to sign a highly-rated young talent?

Nottingham Forest's pursuit of a new winger

As Forest search for a new wide-attacker, it was reported by David Ornstein of The Athletic earlier this week that they’d had a £35m bid rejected by Ipswich Town for Omari Hutchinson.

Transfer Focus

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

The England under-21 international only made his move to Portman Road permanent from Chelsea 12 months ago, costing a reported £22m, so the Tractor Boys are demanding a higher fee.

With Brentford also interested, seeking a replacement for Bryan Mbeumo, journalist Graeme Bailey believes that a possible transfer tug-of-war could see Hutchinson move for in excess of £40m.

Thus, as Forest turn their attention to other targets, Football Insider’s Keith Wyness reports that they are in a ‘stronger position’ to sign James McAtee from Manchester City, valued at around £30m by the Sky Blues.

The report notes that a £25m bid was rejected earlier this summer, although Wyness believes a higher offer should see the deal finalised, with Pep Guardiola keen to move him on this summer.

Jordan Campbell of The Athletic notes that it is ‘expected’ that McAtee will be on the move this summer following a lack of first-team opportunities at the Etihad, so could he soon swap Man City for the City Ground?

What James McAtee would bring to Nottingham Forest

McAtee joined Manchester City at the age of 11, making his senior debut against Wycombe Wanderers in an EFL Cup tie four years ago.

He first truly caught the eye during a two-season loan spell at Sheffield United, making 75 appearances for the Blades, including 30 in the Premier League, scoring 14 goals and registering eight assists.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout was certainly impressed, labelling him a “top talent”, adding that he is a “highly technical… advanced playmaker”, who possesses “electric pace” and “exceptional” creativity.

He then returned to Man City for the 2024/25 campaign, with manager Pep Guardiola noting that the youngster is “intelligent”, but used him very infrequently, with the table below documenting his frustrating year.

Appearances

27

Minutes

936

Starts

9

Goals

7

Apps 15 mins or fewer

10

PL starts

3

UCL starts

Zero

Times unused substitute

25

As the table outlines, despite scoring seven goals in all competitions, including bagging an FA Cup hat-trick against Salford City, McAtee started just nine times all year, allowed to represent England at the under-21 Euros in Slovakia earlier this summer, rather than being involved at the Club World Cup.

Thus, back in January, James Ducker of the Telegraph reported that the ‘frustrated’ McAtee was pushing for a move to Bayer Leverkusen, only for Guardiola to refuse to sanction a sale, but surely the 22-year-old will move on this month.

The key question for Nottingham Forest supporters remains: would McAtee be a better signing than Hutchinson?

Well, let’s compare the duo to answer that question.

Appearances

75

82

Minutes

4,316

5,167

Goals

14

14

Assists

8

8

All statistics below are on a per-90 basis:

Expected goals

0.23

0.15

Expected assists

0.18

0.16

Progressive passes

3.29

3.01

Progressive carries

3.34

4.58

Goal-creating actions

0.31

0.32

Chances created

1.3

1.1

Big chances created

10

13

Big chances missed

4

6

Take-on success %

41.4%

39.8%

Touches

37

44

Worth stating first and foremost that the two timeframes chosen see both players spending the first season at a Championship club who were promoted, before representing the same side as they endured a miserable relegation from the Premier League, making the comparison as fair as possible.

With that in mind, remarkably, the pair scored the exact same number of goals and registered exactly the same number of assists, with Hutchinson doing so in around 850 more minutes on the pitch.

Their statistics are generally similar across the board when it comes to underlying metrics too, with McAtee coming out on top for progressive passes and chances created, while Hutchinson is the superior dribbler.

Given Sheffield United’s style of play, McAtee saw seven fewer touches per game, thereby afforded fewer opportunities to show his quality, making his number all the more impressive.

Thus, if a deal for Hutchinson becomes prohibitively expensive, the out-of-favour Man City youngster would surely be an excellent addition for Forest.

Hudson-Odoi 2.0: Nottingham Forest in talks to sign "outstanding" £35m star

Nottingham Forest are targeting attacking reinforcements

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 7, 2025

Shahbaz Ahmed waged a battle with the bat in a tall chase but ran out of partners in the end

Himanshu Agrawal11-Dec-2024

Hardik Pandya struck twice in the 16th over•PTI

It was a tale of two birthday boys in Bengaluru. Baroda’s left-arm quick Lukman Meriwala celebrated by nabbing three top-order wickets in the same over, before Bengal allrounder Shahbaz Ahmed kept his side alive with a half-century in the chase of 173. Shahbaz ran out of partners though, and Baroda beat Bengal by 41 runs to book their place in the semi-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Bengal were off to a steady start with 28 runs on the board after three overs, before Meriwala’s dream over. He had Karan Lal chopping on for 6, trapped Sudip Kumar Gharami lbw for 2, and took a stunning return catch to dismiss Writtick Chatterjee for a duck.Next over, Atit Sheth added to the damage by having a dangerous-looking Abishek Porel caught at mid-on for 22 off 13 balls. That is when Shahbaz walked out at No. 6, and joined hands with Ritwik Roy Chowdhury. Despite being 31 for 4 in a tall chase, Chowdhury and Shahbaz counterattacked by cracking four boundaries and a six off the first nine balls of their partnership.Shahbaz then swung Sheth for six and also drove him for a boundary in the eighth over, while Chowdhury whacked Hardik Pandya for six over fine leg in the tenth. But next ball, Hardik had Chowdhury caught behind, leaving Bengal at 88 for 5 at the halfway stage, and Shahbaz with too much to do. Although Shahbaz kept losing partners, he smacked 55 off 36 balls with three fours and four sixes before falling to Sheth in the 18th over.The base for Baroda’s total of 172 was laid by their openers Shashwat Rawat and Abhimanyusingh Rajput. They had taken their time to settle in on a slow pitch, with Rajput riding his luck in the powerplay. First, he was dropped on 4 by Chowdhury off Mohammed Shami in the opening over of the game (Shami would finish with the expensive figures of 4-0-43-2). Then, with Rajput on 16, Bengal’s review for a not-out on-field call for lbw off Kanishk Seth returned umpire’s call.Rajput and Rawat upped the rate with 50 runs on the board after the powerplay and all ten wickets intact. Shahbaz was slashed over extra cover for four and reverse swept for six. In the eighth over, Rajput swat-pulled Saksham Choudhary for six over long-on, before Rawat heaved and Rajput slapped Shahbaz for six and four more.Their stand ended on 90 in the tenth over, and that started a phase where Baroda lost 4 for 23 within five overs. But handy cameos from Shivalik Sharma (24 off 17), Bhanu Pania (17 off 11) and Vishnu Solanki (16* off 7) ensured Baroda posted 51 in the last four overs. In the end, the 172 they took their side to proved more than enough.