Tottenham Hotspur face Doncaster Rovers in the third round of the Carabao Cup tonight, looking to extend their excellent start to life under new boss Thomas Frank.

The Lilywhites have only tasted defeat once in their first six competitive outings across all competitions, with this evening’s clash against the League One side their first in the League Cup for 2025/26.

Such a game will no doubt allow the Dane to rotate his first team squad and hand valuable minutes to players who have struggled to nail down a regular starting role.

It’s crucial that the manager finds the balance between youngsters and senior first-team options, with Grant McCann’s side already dumping out Championship opposition in Middlesbrough earlier this tournament.

Frank may have to make some bold changes to his side, potentially dropping one player who’s already been in tremendous form during the early stages of the campaign.

Why Richarlison should be dropped against Doncaster

Usual number nine Dominic Solanke has been out injured for the opening stages of the season, resulting in Richarlison being given the nod to lead the line by the new manager.

The Brazilian has failed to impress over recent seasons, but Frank’s arrival has given him a new lease of life, already finding the back of the net on three occasions.

He netted twice on the opening day of the season against Burnley, with the latter of his two strikes being named as the club’s Goal of the Month for August.

The 28-year-old also found the back of the net in Saturday’s clash with Brighton & Hove Albion, getting the ball rolling after being 2-0 down within the first half an hour.

The former Everton star has featured for 348 league minutes of the league season, potentially being in need of desperate rest to avoid picking up another injury.

It may appear a controversial decision given his recent form in North London, but he may need to be benched to allow one player to make a rare start for the Lilywhites.

The Spurs player who should make his first start tonight

During the off-season, Spurs made numerous impressive additions that have already strengthened the options at Frank’s disposal for his first year at the helm.

Mohammed Kudus was the most expensive one of the summer additions, costing £55m from local rivals West Ham United – already making an immediate impact in North London.

The Ghanaian has already registered four assists for the club, subsequently becoming the first player since James Maddison to register two assists on his debut for the club.

Players such as Xavi Simons and Joao Palhinha have also arrived during the off-season, subsequently cementing their place as regular starters in the first team squad.

However, the same can’t be said about Mathys Tel, after the French striker joined on a permanent basis from Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window.

Such a move generated huge excitement within the fanbase, but he’s yet to make a huge impact under Frank in the first month of his spell in the Premier League.

Games played

24

Minutes played

1321

Goals scored

3

Assists

1

Yellow cards

3

Red cards

0

Average rating

6.75

The 20-year-old has only made a single appearance in the league, only featuring for a total of 98 minutes in England’s top-flight in the 2025/26 campaign to date.

Such a lack of action could be a surprise given his impressive tally of three goals in his 20 appearances for the Lilywhites last season, with tonight the perfect opportunity to hand the Frenchman a rare start.

Tel, who’s been labelled “incredible” by one analyst, has still managed to impress despite his limited action, registering an 81% pass accuracy rate and a 50% dribble success rate.

He’s also won 5.5 duels per 90, whilst winning 1.8 fouls per 90, offering a constant threat to the opposition backline – something which Frank will want to utilise against the League One outfit.

Given his exclusion from the Champions League squad for the 2025/26 campaign, the Carabao Cup could be an excellent chance for Tel to gain valuable first-team minutes.

It’s also a chance for Richarlison to get a needed rest after his number of minutes early on this campaign, potentially giving the Frenchman a chance to stake his claim for a starting role.

The best since Kane: Spurs talent could steal the #10 shirt from Maddison

Tottenham Hotspur may already have a star who could be Thomas Frank’s new number ten.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 23, 2025

Although Sandro Tonali has found his "balance" in the Premier League with Newcastle, the Italy international is not ruling out a return to Serie A in his homeland. An AC Milan fan since childhood, the midfielder spent four seasons in the Italian top-flight, playing for a year with Brescia before having a three-year spell with the Rossoneri. He joined the Magpies in a then-record deal in 2023.

Tonali thriving in the Premier League

Newcastle splashed a reported €70 million (£60m/$82m) to sign Tonali from Milan in the summer of 2023, making him the most expensive Italian player of all time. While he suffered a setback in his first season after FIFA hit him with a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules relating to matches in Italy, he marked his return in August 2024. In the 2024-25 season, he made 36 Premier League appearances and scored crucial goals as Eddie Howe's side lifted the Carabao Cup.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTonali open to Serie A return

Speaking to ,Tonali said: "You can never know what will happen, I tell everyone it's possible. I'm not closing the door on Italy; it's my country. Maybe not now because I've found my balance at Newcastle, but the league is getting better and better, the level of the teams is rising."

Juventus expressed interest in signing Tonali over the summer

The 25-year-old midfielder could have returned to Italy just two years after arriving in England, as reports revealed that Juventus were in talks with the Magpies over a swap deal including forward Dusan Vlahovic and Tonali, in light of Liverpool's interest in Alexander Isak. Another ambitious transfer swap, which could have seen Douglas Luiz arrive at St. James' Park with Tonali going the other way, made the rounds in the media, too.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty Images SportTonali's future at Newcastle

The Lodi-born midfielder is under contract with Newcastle United until 2028. Earlier this year, reported that Tonali had little desire to leave the Premier League side, attributing his commitment to the unwavering support he received from the club during his betting ban. 

However, reports that a "possible" meeting between a few Juve officials and Giuseppe Riso, Tonali's agent, took place in recent days. Newcastle will reportedly demand a fee of at least €70m to let their star midfielder leave. 

Warwickshire wriggle out with a draw after dogged rearguard on final day

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay21-Apr-2025

Dominant Nottinghamshire ran out of time and had to settle for a draw against Warwickshire after rain took out much of the final day of their Rothesay County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston.Warwickshire, trailing by 274 on first innings, entered the final day on 163 for six second time around, with the visitors four wickets away from the win their command of the match deserved. But rain prevented play until 3.45pm, leaving Nottinghamshire’s bowlers just 36 overs at their disposal on a flattening pitch.Overnight pair Ed Barnard (40 not out, 149 balls) and Olly Hannon-Dalby (seven not out, 62 balls) blocked their way to safety as Warwickshire ended on 181 for six.Warwickshire ended with much relief at a draw, having been outplayed. Nottinghamshire’s frustration, after seizing control with some brilliant bowling on the second day, was deep, though they did not help themselves with pedestrian batting on the third morning. With heavy rain always likely on day four, there was a clear case for pressing home their advantage in more proactive fashion and trying to force victory before the final day.Nottinghamshire’s gamble on the weather allowing them sufficient time did not succeed as Barnard and Hannon-Dalby ‘parked the bus’ on an increasingly placed pitch. After play finally resumed, just three runs came from the first 14 overs.The seventh-wicket pair survived 20 overs with few alarms when Nottinghamshire had their last throw of the dice – a new ball with 16 overs remaining. By that stage, however, the dark clouds had rolled back in and the floodlights were on and only four balls were possible with the new ball before the umpires took the players off for bad light, never to return.Warwickshire were left mightily relieved to have drawn a match in which they were so emphatically second best. Nottinghamshire might reflect that county championship matches are very hard to win, so when you do build a winning position, it’s a good idea to stay positive and do everything you can to turn it into a victory.

Aston Villa have experienced a far from ideal summer transfer window.

Indeed, Unai Emery’s Villans were rocked early on by PSR-related worries, with Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers routinely linked away from Villa Park to try and cough up some much-needed money.

In the end, Jacob Ramsey was sacrificed, as the homegrown midfielder waved the West Midlands goodbye for £43m to join Newcastle United.

In terms of incomings, it has hardly been the most exciting environment, either, with moves for both Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson to leave Chelsea behind for another Premier League shot at redemption going awry.

It could well go down to the wire as the clock ticks down to 7pm on Monday evening, with a dramatic last-gasp move in the offing.

Aston Villa's last-minute business

Strap in to the deadline day rollercoaster; it might well be an intense one for fans of a Villa persuasion.

Indeed, it’s not out of the question that Emiliano Martinez could be leaving Villa Park behind, with reports emerging on Sunday that Manchester United are looking at him to replace error-prone Andre Onana, as the Argentine’s name reappears on their shopping list.

In case Martinez leaves, Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa has emerged on their radar, as has Senne Lammens at Royal Antwerp.

But, the most eye-catching rumour of them has little to do with the ‘keeper department, as Villa prepare a last-gasp swoop for forgotten Red Devils winger Jadon Sancho.

Despite largely impressing last season on loan at Chelsea, Sancho looks to be on the way out of Old Trafford before deadline day is up.

According to the Athletic, the possibility of the £31m-rated attacker coming to Villa Park is being explored as part of a deal that sees Martinez relocate to the Theatre of Dreams.

This could be quite the last-ditch move in the West Midlands, with Emery potentially working his magic on yet another much-maligned United presence, like he did with Marcus Rashford last season on loan.

How Sancho can be Emery's new Rashford

Rashford was in dire need of a confidence boost when walking into Emery’s camp last season, after seeing his Red Devils reputation tarnished in front of his eyes.

After being pushed out of Ruben Amorim’s starting XI in Manchester, it might well have been hard for the 27-year-old to get back to letting his football do the talking.

However, he managed that in style under the Spaniard’s wing, with a sublime four goals and six assists coming his way from just 17 clashes.

Games played

41

Minutes played

2419

Goals scored

5

Assists

10

Trophies

1x

Sancho also silenced some of his vocal naysayers on loan at Stamford Bridge last campaign when deployed regularly down Rashford’s usual left flank, with five goals and ten assists next to his name after 41 games in West London, as a Europa Conference League trophy was even lifted off the back of his short-term heroics.

Hailed as a “special” player by Enzo Maresca, Emery could perhaps the correct manager to raise his game to another level beyond his impressive Chelsea stint, having just proven himself to be the spark that Rashford needed to breathe life back into his own faltering playing days.

The Villans require some more options down either flank, too, with Leon Bailey another notable departure this summer.

That’s where Sancho could come to the rescue, having lined up down either channel for Chelsea last season, as Emery hopes his side can kick on past a turbulent window to be a success story in the Premier League once more.

Aston Villa now reach agreement to sign "brilliant" star ahead of Everton

The Villans are set to get their man…

ByTom Cunningham Aug 31, 2025

GOAL ranks the top three soccer players produced by every state in the South, including Dempsey, Richards and Graham Zusi

Welcome to the South. American soccer, traditionally, has been concentrated in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic states, the Pacific Northwest and California. But there are some ballers from down south, too. Texas, in particular, has delivered top-level talent, with Clint Dempsey, Stu Holden and Omar Gonzalez – all seminal figures in the American game – coming from of the Lone Star State.

The South has contributed plenty. Florida, Alabama, Virginia and Maryland – if we're being a little generous geographically – have all had their part to play in the story of American soccer. And what they perhaps lack in number, they more than make up for with a little bit of southern grit. As Dempsey once said: "You don't know where I'm from, dawg."

Some regions in the U.S. have deeper player pools than others, so who is the best of the best? Which state has been the most fertile ground for developing American soccer talent?

GOAL ranks the top three men's soccer players from each of the 50 states. Next up, the South. Previous: Northeast

• AFP
  

  Alabama: Chris Richards

  Hometown: Birmingham

  Clubs played for: Bayern Munich, Hoffenheim, Crystal Palace

  USMNT caps: 33

  Why he’s No. 1: Richards is proof of how finding the right club can change your career. Hyped by American fans when he joined Bayern Munich in 2018, Richards was too raw to make it in Bavaria at first. A middling loan to Hoffenheim followed, but he has since become a standout under Oliver Glasner for an excellent Crystal Palace team. These days, he's a top name on the teamsheet for the USMNT, too. Certainly, a bigger move is on the way for a real talent. 

  Runners-up:

  2. Tanner Tessmann (Birmingham): Coming into his own at Lyon, but still needs to show he can do it for a full season. 

  3. Aron Johannsson (Mobile): A dual-national who rather lost his way, Johannsson had all of the talent, but never quite put everything together. 

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Arkansas: Thomas Roberts

  Hometown: Little Rock

  Clubs played for: FC Dallas, North Texas SX, Columbus Crew 2, Stabaek FC, North Carolina FC

  USMNT caps: 0

  Why he’s No. 1: Arkansas is home to any number of NFL and NBA stars. Soccer really isn't the state's calling card. Thomas Roberts, now of the USL's North Carolina FC, was a youth national, but is on his sixth club at the age of 24. 

  Runners-up:

  2. Parker Maher (Fort Smith): A brief USL spell but little else for the Missouri State talent. 

  3. Central Arkansas (Conway): OK, so not an individual player. But shout out to the Bears as the only Division 1 men's college program in the state.

• Getty
  

  Delaware: Mark McKenzie

  Hometown: Bear

  Clubs played for: Bethlehem Steel, Philadelphia Union, Genk, Toulouse

  USMNT caps: 22

  Why he’s No. 1: Where do you want to start? McKenzie is the epitome of an American homegrown centerback in the modern era. He starred for a number of club teams before moving swiftly through college, MLS and then into Europe. These days, he is a regular for Toulouse and a presumptive starter for the USMNT at the World Cup – assuming he stays fit. 

  Runners-up: 

  2. Anthony Fontana (Newark): A seasoned journeyman who contributed to a Supporters' Shield win for the Union and flirted with a European career.

  3. Rob Smith (Wilmington): One of the original MLS midfielders, Smith played for the Crew and also featured for the U.S. youth national teams.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty
  

  Florida: Graham Zusi

  Hometown: Longwood

  Clubs played for: Central Florida Kraze, Sporting Kansas City

  USMNT caps: 55

  Why he’s No. 1: Now we're talking. Florida is a sporting hotbed in general, and it has made a fine contribution to soccer, too. Zusi enjoyed a wonderful MLS career, playing 355 times for Sporting KC, serving as both a winger and right back. His impact at the 2014 World Cup simply cannot be understated, as Zusi provided two assists for a solid USMNT. Seven All-Star appearances, two MLS best XIs, and one of the top assist providers in the league, Zusi had a legendary career. 

  Runners-up:

  2. Dax McCarty (Winter Park): Could have earned the top spot. McCarty was a fantastic MLS journeyman who slotted in wherever he played. A word, in particular, for his marking of Lionel Messi in Atlanta's win over Miami in the 2024 MLS playoffs.

  3. Aidan Morris (Fort Lauderdale): Give it a year or two, and Morris might be higher. He had slipped slightly since joining Middlesbrough, but remains a solid performer for the Championship club. The question is: what's next? 

Originally a white-ball series for both formats, the boards agreed to make it an all-T20I series with a T20 World Cup early next year

Danyal Rasool30-Apr-2025Faisalabad will host international cricket for the first time in 17 years when Bangladesh visit Pakistan for five T20Is in May. A total of 24 Tests and 16 ODIs have been played at the Iqbal Stadium, but this will be the first time it will host T20I cricket when the first two T20Is of the series are played there on May 25 and 27.The remaining three games will take place at the newly renovated Gaddafi Stadium; it will mark the first time Pakistan’s national side will play international cricket here since the redevelopment. All five matches, which take place at the height of the dry summer season, will start at 8pm, when temperatures are relatively more moderate.Related

BCB in 'active discussions' with PCB over upcoming Pakistan tour

Litton Das named Bangladesh T20I captain; Mahedi Hasan to be his deputy

The addition of Faisalabad to Pakistan’s international venue list makes it the fifth city in Pakistan to host international cricket since it resumed following a near-decade long hiatus after the terror attacks against the Sri Lankan national side in 2009. It supplements Lahore, Rawalpindi, Karachi and Multan: the four cities where international matches have taken place in during this time.Bangladesh’s visit to Pakistan was initially pencilled in as a joint T20I and ODI series, with three games in each format. However, the boards agreed to replace the ODIs with two additional T20Is as preparation for the T20 World Cup in February-March 2026, scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka.Bangladesh are due to arrive in Pakistan on 21 May, with the final T20I on 3 June. A return series in Bangladesh is scheduled for July, with the sides expected to contest four T20Is, though the official schedule of that series is yet to be confirmed.The series begins a week after the end of the Pakistan Super League on 18 May, extending a home season for Pakistan that has been almost non-stop since England’s visit for a three-Test series in October. Bangladesh, meanwhile, are currently contesting a two-Test series against Zimbabwe at home.

It has started to feel like James Tavernier’s time as the first-choice right-back at Glasgow Rangers has been in question every single transfer window in recent seasons.

The Light Blues captain is not a perfect player. He has defensive flaws that sometimes see him caught out defending the back post or switching off in transition.

However, he always seems to find a way to get back into the starting XI by proving his worth on the pitch with his performances for the Scottish Premiership giants, which is exactly what he has done this season.

Why James Tavernier is still a starter for Rangers

Tavernier turns 34 next month and is valued at just £1.3m by Transfermarkt, but he looks worth way more than that on the field for Russell Martin’s side.

The English defender has started three of the club’s five matches in the Scottish Premiership so far, per Sofascore, and delivered two goals and seven chances created.

Taverniers scored five goals and provided 13 assists in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign for Rangers, per Transfermarkt, and is showing that he still has what it takes to put up impressive numbers in the final third this season.

One of the reasons why he is a locked-in starter for Rangers at the moment is that summer signing Max Aarons has failed to live up to expectations so far.

Why Max Aarons looks worth less than James Tavernier

The Bournemouth loanee was an exciting addition to the squad at the time of his arrival from the Premier League side, as he had been incredibly highly-rated in the past with Norwich.

Aarons won two Championship titles with the Canaries down south and was reportedly valued at a whopping £30m by Norwich in 2021. That came a year after Spanish giants Barcelona failed with an attempt to sign him on loan to bolster their squad.

Now, a player once valued at £30m and pursued by Barcelona looks worth less than Tavernier on the pitch for Rangers this season, which is why the captain has retained his spot as the first-choice right-back.

25/26 Premiership

James Tavernier

Max Aarons

Appearances

5

3

Sofascore rating

7.02

6.63

Goals

2

0

Big chances created

1

0

Key passes per game

1.4

0.3

Duels won per game

3.0

4.0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Gers skipper looks worth more than Aarons based on their respective performances in the Premiership this season, as the Bournemouth loanee has not offered anywhere near enough of a threat in possession from a full-back position.

The former Norwich star has not played a minute of football for the Gers since he was given a straight red card for hauling Christos Tzolis down early on in the 6-0 defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League.

Aarons has been an unused substitute in the last two Premiership matches, which Tavernier has started, after being sent off in that European humiliation.

BBC Sport reporter Kenny Macintyre said “Max Aarons for me in every game has looked out of his depth. I know it’s early days but it’s a huge concern” after the first leg against Club Brugge, an opinion that is unlikely to have been changed by the defender’s sending-off in the second leg.

Aarons, simply, has not been good enough on or off the ball in the games that he has played for the Light Blues since his move to Ibrox in the summer, which is why Tavernier is the current first-choice and looks worth even more than him to the team.

Related Rangers flop who's "not helped his team" is as big a problem as Martin

This Glasgow Rangers flop has been as much of a problem for the team as Russell Martin this season.

Posts ByDan Emery Sep 16, 2025

Hopefully, the 25-year-old full-back will be able to turn his Ibrox career around and start to show supporters why he was once wanted by Barcelona and valued at £30m.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos se prepara para encarar o Flamengo, pela semifinal do Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20, nesta sexta-feira (4). Comandado pelo treinador Orlando Ribeiro, a equipe realiza uma grande campanha tanto na competição estadual quanto na nacional. 

+ Já atualizou sua camisa de 2023? Confira os novos uniformes do Peixe!

Fernandinho, atacante dos Meninos da Vila, valorizou a preparação do time para o importante duelo.

– Tivemos um período bom de preparo e pudemos ajustar algumas situações passadas pelo treinador – disse a jovem promessa.

O Peixe enfrenta o Flamengo, que superou o Athletico para estar no atual estágio do Brasileirão. O ponta Fernandinho valorizou a qualidade do elenco para conseguir alcançar a grande final

– Sabemos da qualidade do adversário, mas também temos os nossos pontos fortes. Acredito em um jogo disputado. Entraremos com foco total para fazer uma grande partida – concluiu o atacante.

Com entrada gratuita, a partida desta sexta, que acontecerá no estádio Bruno José Daniel, às 18 horas.

Last week, Mumbai Indians (MI) had straightjacketed the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batters on an atypically slow surface at the Wankhede Stadium. On Wednesday, they did the same in the reverse fixture at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, cantering to a seven-wicket win after keeping SRH to 143 for 8.Getting to that total was an achievement for SRH after they had slumped to 35 for 5, with Heinrich Klaasen hauling them to something like respectability with a superb 71 off 44 balls. Moderately respectable as the total may have been, it was far from enough to put pressure on MI, who raced to victory with 26 balls remaining, with Rohit Sharma continuing his return to form with a second successive half-century.Related

• 'There are times when you have to rejig your attitude' but SRH haven't done that

• Add a dash of Boult to a slice of Bumrah – the recipe for MI's turnaround

• Ishan Kishan walks but Ultra Edge shows no edge

The defining performances of the match came from Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar, who picked up two new-ball wickets each as SRH slumped to the lowest powerplay score of the season, 24 for 4. They were in danger of collapsing to a double-digit total when they lost their fifth wicket in the ninth over, but Klaasen and Impact Player Abhinav Manohar ensured that didn’t happen, putting on 99 for the sixth wicket in 63 balls.The damage had already been done, though, as 144 proved to be no challenge at all for an MI team that seems to be building ominous momentum after the customary slow start to their season. After winning just one of their first five games of IPL 2025, they have now won four out of four.SRH, meanwhile, are second from bottom with just two wins in eight games. They took a net run-rate hit too; theirs is now -1.361, only marginally better than bottom-placed Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) -1.392.

Boult and Chahar set the game up

The early exchanges set the tone, with both Chahar and Boult swinging the new ball while also benefitting from the ball stopping on the surface. Conditions still weren’t as tricky as SRH’s top-order slump made them look, though; both Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma were caught while going hard at the ball, slicing shots they were early on, while Nitish Kumar Reddy chipped a drive to mid-on.The defining moment of SRH’s top-order collapse, however, was the wicket of Ishan Kishan, who was out to a leg-side strangle for the second time this season. He began walking even though no MI player made a genuine appeal, and Ultra Edge proceeded to rub more salt in SRH’s wounds, showing no spike as ball passed bat.1:28

Aaron and Knight stumped by Kishan’s ‘bizarre’ dismissal

Klaasen keeps SRH afloat

When Hardik Pandya made it 35 for 5 with an offcutter-bouncer that got big on Aniket Verma, SRH had no option but to make early use of their Impact Player and bring on an extra batter, Manohar.It was Klaasen who did all the heavy lifting, though, particularly early on in the sixth-wicket partnership. Left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur helped him spark the innings to life with a series of long-hops in the tenth over, and Klaasen helped himself to a six and two fours. Fifteen came off that over, and 16 off the next, bowled by Hardik.Klaasen went on to play a number of sensational shots – none better than a reverse-scooped six off Jasprit Bumrah in the 19th over – but thanks to SRH’s circumstances, his innings was necessarily one of restraint, as a control percentage of 86 suggested. The risks he took were measured ones, off marginal errors in line and length from MI’s bowlers. That he still finished with a 160-plus strike rate was a testament to his quality, with Manohar’s 43 off 37 balls and the scores of SRH’s other batters putting his innings in context.Mitchell Santner, varying his pace and seam orientation cleverly while keeping the stumps in play as much as possible, made the best of SRH’s self-imposed restraint, conceding just 19 runs – and just one four – in his four overs.Klaasen and Manohar gave SRH the push they needed at the death, as 35 came from overs 17 to 19. But the finish was muted. Bumrah dismissed Klaasen with a full-toss off the last ball of the 19th, and Boult came back to end the innings with a double-wicket 20th.One of them was another unusual dismissal, a rare hit-wicket. He sneaked a yorker past Manohar and hit the stumps, but the batter, sitting deep in his crease, had already disturbed the stumps while trying to bring his bat down to keep the ball out.1:43

Is Rohit Sharma well and truly back?

Rohit bosses the chase

SRH had replaced Mohammed Shami – who had endured a difficult season, picking up just five wickets in seven games at 52.20 while conceding 10.87 runs per over – with Jaydev Unadkat, and the left-arm quick marked his return with an early wicket, getting Ryan Rickelton caught-and-bowled in the second over of MI’s chase with another ball that stopped on the surface.But whether because of dew or other reasons, the ball in general seemed to come on to the bat much better during the second innings. Even Pat Cummins’ offcutter into the pitch, such a potent weapon on slow surfaces, sat up to be hit here, with Rohit and Will Jacks pulling him for a six each in a 17-run third over.That set the tone for the rest of the powerplay, with MI scoring 56 for 1 in this phase, the highlight an effortless six over long-off from Rohit off Unadkat, with arms at full extension.Rohit came into this game having improved his scores with each innings, his first seven visits to the crease bringing him 0, 8, 13, 17, 18, 26 and 76*. He seemed on course to keep that sequence going, but fell against the run of play on 70, chipping an Eshan Malinga yorker to midwicket in the 15th over.MI only needed 14 off 32 at that point, though, and Suryakumar Yadav was already batting on 26, picking his spots and targeting them clinically. He finished the game with a flurry of boundaries, to end it unbeaten on 40 off just 19 balls. The final act of the match summed up the contest: a flat Suryakumar pull off Zeeshan Ansari could have been caught at deep square leg, only for Reddy to overrun the ball and let it run away to the boundary.

Aston Villa are now dark horses in the race for an “amazing” striker, after recently opening talks over a deal, and there is a feeling he would be keen on the move.

Villa keen on new striker after Watkins' slow start

The new Premier League campaign is still at a very early stage, but it would be fair to say Ollie Watkins hasn’t exactly hit the ground running, having failed to score in his opening three games, most recently struggling against Crystal Palace.

The 29-year-old missed one big chance and had just 24 touches of the ball in the 3-0 home defeat against the Eagles, the second-lowest number of any Villa starter.

As such, Unai Emery may be tempted to play Evann Guessand in a central role against Everton on Saturday, while there have also been reports that the Villans could look to bring in a new centre-forward during the January transfer window.

Aston Villa plan move to sign "colossal" star who has £34m+ release clause

The Villans could look to capitalise in the January window.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Sep 8, 2025

Earlier this week, it emerged that Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta is a target for Emery’s side, and there has since been another update on their pursuit of the striker.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are now dark horses in the race for Mateta, who is thought to be excitied over the idea of a move to Villa Park, given the centre-forward’s ambitions of playing in Europe.

In fact, talks have already been opened with Palace intermediaries, with Villa trying to gauge whether it will be possible to get a deal done this January.

That said, it could be difficult to get the move over the line, given that Oliver Glasner’s side have little interest in sanctioning a departure, and they could demand upwards of £60m+ if the striker is tied down to a new deal.

"Amazing" Mateta has earned move to Europa League club

Palace will be disappointed not to be playing in the Europa League themselves this season, missing out due to issues surrounding multi-club ownership, but the 28-year-old has earned the opportunity to test himself in the competition.

Over the past two seasons, the former Mainz striker has been particularly impressive, maintaining a fantastic goal and assist record in the Premier League.

Glasner also clearly holds his first-choice centre-forward in high regard, saying last season: “With his two goals today, he is amazing in the box. He has the feeling that a number nine must have in the box. He makes so many runs where he doesn’t get the ball. You need to suffer as a striker because you make so many runs where you don’t get the ball. He gets the reward and it decides the game for us.”

Emery will be hoping the likes of Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott can make an impact going forward, but if the manager still feels a striker is required in January, Mateta could be a fantastic option.