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Leeds United took a gigantic leap towards promotion back to the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Preston North End at Elland Road on Saturday in the Championship.

Some of the loudest cheers of the afternoon, however, did not come for Manor Solomon or Jayden Bogle’s first-half goals. Instead, they came from the stands when the news filtered through to fans that Sheffield United had surrendered a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 to bottom-of-the-table Plymouth Argyle.

Thanks to that result for the Blades, the West Yorkshire outfit are now sat five points clear of third place and only need to rack up seven points from their last four matches to guarantee promotion.

They also have the added insurance of Burnley and Sheffield United still having each other to play later this month, which guarantees that at least one of them will drop more points.

Another one of the biggest roars from the Elland Road stands on Saturday came towards the end of the match when a teasing cross came into the box and was met by the hands of Karl Darlow, who fell onto the floor and removed any danger from the situation, as he continued his Leeds revival.

Why bringing Karl Darlow in has been a masterclass

Whilst some could argue that the English shot-stopper should have been brought into the starting line-up sooner than he was, the former Newcastle United man has been a reassuring figure between the sticks for the Whites.

Illan Meslier simply had to be dropped from the side after his third error that directly led to a goal this season in the 2-1 defeat to Swansea, fumbling a cross that allowed Harry Darling to score.

Daniel Farke replaced him with Darlow for the following match against Luton Town and the experienced colossus has shown his quality in the last three games.

The 34-year-old veteran has proven to be a safe pair of hands in goal, with no thrills or spills, and avoided the kind of controversial moments that have followed Meslier throughout the season.

Appearances

39

3

Goals prevented

-2.73

+0.56

Error led to goal

3

0

Clearances per game

0.9

1.0

Aerial duels won per game

0.5

1.0

Aerial duel success rate

100%

100%

As you can see in the table above, Darlow has been a positive between the sticks with his shot-stopping, compared to Meslier’s underperformance in that department, whilst he has also won twice as many aerial battles per game on average to claim crosses.

These statistics show that Farke has played a masterclass by bringing the Englishman into the team as the new number one because he has been a big upgrade on the French dud on current form, both as a shot-stopper and in terms of the command of his area.

His performances have gained instant respect from the fanbase, who – as shown in the post above – appreciated his cross-claiming efforts against Preston, and he will be hoping to continue this form into the final four matches to propel Leeds to the Premier League.

Darlow, who had only started one league game in more than 18 months at the club prior to the game against Luton, has revived his Elland Road career in recent weeks.

The former Newcastle and Nottingham Forest shot-stopper, however, is not the only Leeds star who has revived his career in West Yorkshire this month, as Patrick Bamford is in a similar boat.

How Patrick Bamford has revived his Leeds career

Prior to the last three Championship games, the former England international had become an afterthought at Elland Road due to his lack of impact on the pitch this season.

Bamford had been an unused substitute in 11 of his previous 19 appearances in the matchday squad in the Championship before that draw with Luton at Kenilworth Road.

TEAMtalk had reported in December that Wrexham and Genoa were both keeping tabs on the £70k-per-week centre-forward’s situation ahead of a possible swoop for his services.

The 31-year-old number nine’s current contract with Leeds is not due to expire until the summer of 2026, though, and this means that an exit from Elland Road this summer is far from guaranteed.

His last few performances off the bench suggest that a move away from the club this year may not be a foregone conclusion, that his prior lack of minutes on the pitch suggested, as he has shown great promise in his cameos.

As you can see in the highlights above, Bamford was incredibly unfortunate not to double the team’s lead against Middlesbrough with 15 minutes to go when he scored a perfectly good goal that was incorrectly ruled out for offside.

The replay showed that the striker timed his run perfectly to receive the pass from Wilfried Gnonto, and he finished equally as impressively, but the linesman got the call wrong – with no VAR to overturn it.

Even without the goal that should have stood, Bamford provided a strong presence at the top end of the pitch in that cameo by winning six of his nine duels in just 17 minutes on the pitch.

Appearances

42

Starts

32

Ground duel success rate

33%

Aerial duel success rate

18%

Duels won per game

1.5

Dribble success rate

31%

Dribbles completed per game

0.3

As you can see in the table above, Joel Piroe – the first-choice centre-forward at Leeds this season – has struggled with the physicality of the Championship this season.

The Dutch marksman, who has scored 15 goals in the league, has been dominated in duels by opposition defenders, losing 74% of his battles overall and only winning 1.5 duels per match.

Bamford, meanwhile, won six duels in just 17 minutes against Middlesbrough and one of his two ground duels in just ten minutes against Preston, which suggests that he could provide more physicality than Piroe.

After that cameo against Preston, Farke told LeedsLive: “You need to handle the pressure and the praise. Everyone senses how much effort Patrick (Bamford) puts in. He deserves all the praise.”

The English attacker appears to have revived his Leeds career, with Farke clearly appreciating the effort the forward puts in on the pitch, and it could even be time to bring him into the starting line-up to repeat the masterclass that has been played with Darlow.

Saved by Bogle: Farke must finally drop 5/10 Leeds dud who lost 67% duels

This poor Leeds United underperformer nearly cost his team dear against Preston North End.

1 ByKelan Sarson Apr 13, 2025

For two successive T20Is against India, the feeble middle order undid the good work from Nissanka, Mendis and Perera in the top order

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Jul-2024You’re watching a spaceship launch, and you can sense everyone is a little tense. Huge resources have been poured into this operation. Numbers have been crunched, models have been run, variables have been accounted for, or so you hope. But, generally speaking, the last few spaceship launches have not gone well. This could be another disaster.But wow! Okay. Maybe this time it’s different. The tower arms disengage without a hitch. The thrusters fire. The coolants flood in. The ship takes off, and there is no little elation. It looks like it’s headed where it needs to go. It cuts a mighty path into the sky, shooting through the troposphere, up towards the clouds.There are smiles. Cheers. High fives. It’s working. Until… oh… oh no. The thrusters putter out. Where once the engines produced triumphant roars, there are now only “pfffts”. The ship slows, stops in mid-air, then begins to tumble back downwards. You can barely stand to watch, but also can’t tear your eyes away. It enters the ocean with a plop, never to be seen again.Related

Why are Sri Lanka and Bangladesh so poor at T20I batting?

Wobbly SL look for respite against red-hot India

Calm, chilled and selfless: captain Asalanka steps into Sri Lanka cricket's melee

Asalanka: 'If you perform in the LPL, you should get a chance in the national team'

India seal series after Sri Lanka suffer slide of 7 for 31

This, essentially, is what it’s been like to watch Sri Lanka innings over the past two nights. Between Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, and Kusal Perera, they’ve propelled Sri Lanka to scorelines such as 77 for 1 after 9 overs, or 140 for 1 after 14. Both are positions from which many teams will push for scores of more than 200.But we know what happens here. The nosedive in the first match was truly spectacular, nine wickets falling for 30 runs. The second was almost worse, because with the first one so fresh in the mind, this felt like digging up a fresh wound. In Sunday’s match, Sri Lanka lost seven wickets for 31, having fought their way to 130 for 2 after 15 overs.Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka put on a 54-run stand for the second wicket, but Sri Lanka couldn’t finish strong•AFP/Getty ImagesPartly the problem is that Charith Asalanka, one of their more consistent batters, has failed twice at No. 5. While Asalanka may be excused (he’s getting used to leadership and all, let’s throw him a bone), but a lack of firepower from Nos. 6, 7, and 8 is a long-standing problem for Sri Lanka’s men in T20Is. Since 2019, they’ve collectively struck at 122.96 in those positions. This is ninth-worst among the top-ten ranked T20I nations.For the last several years, Sri Lanka have looked to Dasun Shanaka to produce those rapid, late runs, but given he strikes at 119 at No. 6 (after 48 innings), and 110 at No. 7, we may be getting to the end of his tenure in the T20I side. Wanindu Hasaranga – who makes it into the XI on the strength of his bowling alone – isn’t much better. When batting at Nos. 6. 7 or 8, he strikes at 128.21.It’s not as if Sri Lanka lack firepower entirely – they have so many riches at the top of the order that Avishka Fernando has not made the XI yet this series. Avishka had actually been the third-highest run-scorer in the just-concluded LPL 2024, striking at 162.60.But all their big-hitting batters want to bat in the top five. Which makes sense in a team that loses more often than it wins against quality opposition. Batters want the leeway to have slow starts to their innings, before catching up later in team environments where places are consistently under strain. You’d rather hit a 55 off 40 than a 16 not out off 9 – the player who produced the latter likely viewed as more expendable than the player who hit the fifty, by most selectors.

“It’s the experienced players who have to play lower down the order, but at the same time you’ve got to give them a bit of security to play there for a while even if they are unsuccessful for a bit. We have given that security in the past, too.”Batting coach Thilina Kandamby on Sri Lanka’s middle order woes

Sri Lanka’s batting coach Thilina Kandamby said he was aware of this problem.”I was also a middle order batter, and I know what the pressure is like in those positions,” he said. “I had also wanted to go up the order. But because there were batters already in the top order, I couldn’t bat there.”I agree that it’s the experienced players who have to play lower down the order, but at the same time you’ve got to give them a bit of security to play there for a while even if they are unsuccessful for a bit. We have given that security in the past, too. We have to create a plan to maybe push the more experienced players into those positions, even in the LPL.”Sri Lanka have some options now. They could ask Avishka to replace Shanaka at No. 6. They could perhaps have Dinesh Chandimal (who is in the squad after a great LPL at the top of the innings), try his hand one last time down the order.But there are no great finishers even in Sri Lanka’s domestic cricket right now. Hasaranga’s batting at the international level has not been sufficiently consistent either.The move may be to shove some top order batters down the order, and hope their big-hitting against the newer ball translates. Because with this current middle order, it feels like every time Sri Lanka do manage to get off the ground, which is rare enough in itself, they are still doomed to come plummeting down before they get anywhere good.

After 11 years with Brisbane Heat, and a solid debut in the T20 Blast for Northants, the batter is looking forward to a “great new adventure” with Adelaide Strikers

Matt Roller31-Oct-2022Chris Lynn’s 11-year relationship with the Big Bash League has been symbiotic. He is the tournament’s all-time leading run-scorer and his rise to prominence relied on the BBL, just as the BBL’s growth owed so much to him. But earlier this year, it looked as though their relationship was about to end acrimoniously.”Yeah, absolutely,” Lynn confirms, when asked if there had ever been a realistic chance that he would miss the 2022-23 BBL. He had an offer from the table from Adelaide Strikers after leaving Brisbane Heat, but had also signed a lucrative contract as a marquee player for Gulf Giants in the inaugural ILT20 in the UAE, which starts in mid-January, before the end of the BBL season.Related

• BBL record-holder Chris Lynn cut by Brisbane Heat after 11 seasons

• Ian Healy: Chris Lynn had lost enjoyment in under-performing Brisbane Heat

• Chris Lynn signs 11-game Adelaide Strikers BBL deal to split time with ILT20

But after crisis talks, a compromise was struck: Lynn was granted a No-Objection Certificate by Cricket Australia and will play 11 out of Adelaide’s 14 regular-season games before arriving in the UAE around one week late. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Cricket Australia about the outcome,” Lynn says. “Every party wins. Common sense ultimately prevailed.”I get to play cricket in Australia and also overseas. Ideally you want to be playing a full fixture list, but at the end of the day, I’m happy and Cricket Australia is happy. It’s a game of cricket, and one player doesn’t make a tournament. We want to try and keep it [the BBL] as strong as possible but different players are at different stages in their careers and at the end of the day, you have to look after number one.”At 32, he faces a new challenge after trading one shade of blue for another. “I knew deep down that I needed a change, and they probably got wind of that as well,” Lynn explains. “I knew it was the right decision, but communication got a little bit messy and that’s when ‘he said, she said’ conversations happen and it can get a little bit ugly.”He admits he was “disappointed” not to have been offered a contract, but was determined to maintain healthy relations with Heat and Queensland management with an eye on his post-playing career. “You can easily mouth off in the press but what are you going to gain from that? If an opportunity does come up in the future, I don’t want to have burned that bridge by making some immature comments.In his first T20 Blast season, Lynn scored four fifties and two hundreds for Northamptonshire•Getty Images”I’m Brisbane born and bred. It hurts there and then, but I’m a big man and it’s a game of cricket. I’m so cool with my decision now and I’m actually really excited to move. I’m sleeping well at night, that’s the main thing. Adelaide is going to be a great new adventure and I’m looking forward to scoring plenty of runs – and hopefully against Brisbane.”Lynn will warm up for the BBL season with a two-week stint captaining Team Abu Dhabi in the Abu Dhabi T10, his first professional appearance since a successful T20 Blast stint with Northamptonshire, for whom he aggregated 516 runs in ten innings, with two unbeaten hundreds. “The squad lists have got stronger each year,” he says. “Every player in the world wants to play in this tournament.”I’ve been training for a couple of weeks now and my body feels in the best nick it has in probably three or four years. I want to get the respect of the Adelaide players and support staff – and the fans as well – when I get down there by hitting the ground running. Every year you get older and wiser but your body does get a little bit slower – that’s why I’ve been training my backside off to get to where I want to.”Lynn has spent the last few months in Brisbane and the T20 World Cup has granted him the opportunity to catch up with some old friends, coaches and team-mates as they have passed through. Despite his stellar T20 record, Lynn never played in the tournament himself, but is tipping Tim David to have a big tournament: “He’s the face of power-hitting now,” he says.He has recently become a father, and is hoping that a strong run of form over the next four months can allow him and his young family to travel the world together. “It gives you a different perspective,” Lynn says. “The two years of Covid were an absolute nightmare. I’m not going to cry poor because I still got to work, but you do get a bit lonely at times and think ‘why the hell am I still playing?'”This year was the first time I’ve missed the IPL in about ten years. If you score runs, you get to pick and choose when you play. That’s my motivation to do really well. If you don’t score runs, are you going to get picked up at the next auction or draft? If you score runs, you get a lot more say in where you want to play. You can really call your own shots.”How long does he intend to keep playing? “The body is in good nick, so I’m hopeful I’ve still got a couple more years left,” Lynn says, “but I’m never one to squeeze that juice until there’s nothing left. I’ve got three months of solid cricket coming up, then I’m over at Northants where I’ve already signed again. And if you look too far down the track, you miss the fun bit along the way.”

‘We were not able to create those chances,’ Harmanpreet Kaur said after the match

Annesha Ghosh in Melbourne09-Mar-2020Spinners’ dream run endsThrough their undefeated run in the league stage, India’s bowlers, especially their spinners, did the heavy lifting. The slowness of all the surfaces through the group games – at the Sydney Showground Stadium, the WACA, and the Junction Oval in Melbourne – aided India’s four-pronged spin-heavy attack.”It has all panned out really well. It’s just a joke going around that this World Cup is made in such a way that it’s helping us; starting from the wickets to everything,” Veda Krishnamurthy had said on Thursday in Sydney after India made the final via a washout.The MCG turf in the final was on the quicker side, and with conducive bounce, it made for a flat deck that Australia used to notch up their highest total, 154, batting first in a T20 World Cup final across men’s or women’s cricket in just 17.1 overs. Their 184 for 4 became the highest total in a T20 world tournament final.Each of India’s four frontline spinners conceded at least 7.25 runs per over, and the treatment from a rampaging Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney meant Shikha Pandey, India’s only quick bowler in the XI – a combination they stuck with since their second group game – was carted at 13 an over.The big guns never came good with the batTeenager Shafali Verma’s tally of 163 from the five innings in the World Cup was the most from the Indian side. The combined returns of their key cogs in the top five – Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues – was 164 in the 14 innings between them. In the final, opener Mandhana fell for 11 while Rodrigues’ up-and-down campaign culminated in a duck.Kaur’s horror run with the bat, meanwhile, reflected in her scores of 4, 15, 1, 8 and 2. Any hopes of a form revival in a big-match scenario, an apt setting for Kaur’s hundreds in recent world tournaments, were dashed when she holed out to deep square leg off left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen, with India slumping to 30 for 4 in the final over of the powerplay.ALSO READ: ‘I told her she should be proud’ – India hurt but hopefulThe Indian players wear a dejected look•AFP via Getty ImagesCatches win… World Cup finalsVerma dropped Healy on 9 – a straightforward, flat, waist-high chance shelled at cover. Mooney, the highest run-scorer for Australia heading into the final, was on 8 off six when left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad spilled a return catch low to the ground. Healy went on to hammer a 39-ball 75; Mooney finished atop the tournament run-charts with a 54-ball 78.”When you lose half chances, and then it’s hard for a bowler to get that confidence back,” Kaur said after the match. “Then, I guess it’s easy for a batter too because, when they get a chance, then they are just batting freely. They don’t have any pressure.”India sacked their previous fielding coach, Biju George, ahead of the tour of the West Indies in November last year. The work put in by George’s successor Subhadeep Ghosh had held India in good stead heading into the final. Was it the nerves of playing a big match in front of a record crowd, then, that drew errors out of the Indian fielders who had fared relatively better than many of their opponents in the group games?”I don’t think we were fielding under pressure,” Kaur explained. “But unfortunately, we were not able to create those chances because that was very crucial because they both were in great form. You cannot drop the catches. After that, I think they batted very well.”Fit India movementMandhana, who cut out a few fours by throwing herself around in the circle and near the boundary, underscored India have work to do in another key area: fitness.”It’s been a clear indication that we lack in fielding and fitness, that one thing was a major difference between both the teams,” Mandhana said. “We definitely felt that through the tournament but today we didn’t field [up to the mark]. [We] not only dropped the chances, in general throughout the match.”That’s two things [we need to work on]. In batting and bowling, we’ve got the skills; we’re slowly getting into the power-hitting zone. These are two things we need to implement and hopefully, it will help us lift the ICC trophy.”

أعلن نادي برشلونة عبر موقعه الرسمي عن تجديد عقد أحد لاعبيه بعد تقديمه أداء متميزاً في بداية هذا الموسم تحت قيادة هانز فليك.

وتوصل برشلونة لاتفاق لتجديد عقد لاعبه إريك جارسيا مكافأة لما قدمه مع النادي، وكان خوان لابورتا قد أكد صحة التقارير حول ذلك أمس.

وأعلن نادي برشلونة منذ قليل، أن عقد إريك جارسيا الجديد مع برشلونة سيمتد حتى 30 يونيو 2031، وستتم مراسم التوقيع على العقد الجديد يوم الخميس القادم 11 ديسمبر.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ريال مدريد يستعد للتصعيد ضد برشلونة أمام فيفا

وقد أنهى برشلونة اتفاقه مع إريك جارسيا بعد أسابيع من المفاوضات بين ديكو المدير الرياضي وإيفان دي لا بينيا وكيل أعمال اللاعب.

ويعد إريك جارسيا هو اللاعب الوحيد الذي شارك في جميع مباريات هذا الموسم، وكان عقده القديم ينتهي في 2026 ومثل تجديده أولوية للمدرب الألماني هانز فليك والذي منحه ثقة كبيرة ولذلك أصبح مهماً لدى الإدارة الرياضية لبرشلونة، وسيحصل اللاعب على زيادة جديدة في راتبه.

Liverpool are waiting for this nightmare to end, rediscovering the form of last season under Arne Slot’s wing that led to the Premier League title and a summer of sweeping changes.

The signings made this summer were completed after meticulous research, but, nonetheless, the Reds have been dismal this year, lacking identity and inspiration. Even in victory have Liverpool given their opponents plenty of optimism.

It’s worth noting that Liverpool were far better defensively than has so often been the case this term, but this has done little to calm the anxieties of supporters who have been forced to accept a bleak new norm.

Among the bitter pills swallowed has been the form of captain Virgil van Dijk, the centre-back very much at the core of Liverpool’s problems this season and lacking solutions so often provided across his illustrious career at the club.

Virgil van Dijk's drop-off this season

Liverpool’s monster has been made mortal by the tailspin of Slot’s system this season. Ibrahima Konate’s struggles have no doubt been exacerbated by the slow recession of Van Dijk’s indomitability.

He is 34 years old, 35 at the end of the season. It is only natural that the Netherlands skipper should begin to wind down. However, it presents Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes with quite the conundrum as Konate edges toward the expiry of his £70k-per-week contract.

Liverpool signed Giovanni Leoni from Parma for about £27m this summer, but the 18-year-old Italian tore his ACL on his debut against Southampton and is not expected back until the start of next season.

The Italian would have offered a much-needed dimension over the past few months, allowing Slot to enforce more rotation, with Konate having started each of his side’s Premier League fixtures this season despite his rut. Van Dijk is now foundering beside him.

Change is needed, and with the winter transfer window approaching, it’s clear that Liverpool need a centre-back.

Liverpool targeting centre-back this January

As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool are set to table a bid for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi this winter, having reopened direct communications this week with the player’s agents after fumbling a deal to sign him in August.

Guehi is out of contract at Selhurst Park at the end of the season, and while Liverpool had a clean shot at the 25-year-old at the start of the season, notably even agreeing personal terms with the player, rival interest is now sure to be thick, with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid considered suitors.

Sources suggest FSG are willing to offer around £25m for Guehi’s signature in January, paying something of a premium for one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League.

What Guehi would bring to Liverpool

Guehi could well be plying his craft for Liverpool right now, but it wasn’t to be as sporting director Richard Hughes gambled and left it late, Palace barring the door at the eleventh hour after failing to find a replacement.

It’s a real shame. Guehi is a seasoned Premier League star who just keeps on evolving. He has been hailed as a “monster in defence” by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, but he is so much more.

As per data-driven site FBref, Guehi ranks among the top 7% of central defenders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for through balls, the top 6% for assists and shot-creating actions, and the top 15% for tackles won per 90.

If Liverpool succeed in completing a deal for the two-footed centre-half this winter, it could carry the weight of that one-time signing of Van Dijk, who joined from Southampton midway through the 2017/18 season for a £75m fee.

Van Dijk needs no introduction. He is one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history, a titan of the game.

He dovetailed into Jurgen Klopp’s exciting team and reinforced it with steel. He was the mortar which filled in the cracks and created a superteam.

Big boots to fill, but Guehi has been extensively profiled and could emulate the Netherlands man by arriving at the season’s midpoint, providing that dearly desired relief.

After such incredible success in recent years, it is staggering that Liverpool have plummeted so far beneath their expected level. This borders on a crisis, and one signing won’t stop the rot for good, but Guehi has the combative, confident defensive style to help put the Reds back on track, with his quality in the build-up something that Konate simply doesn’t possess.

It’s Van Dijk-esque, and given that Guehi would be arriving in January after previous attempts to sign him, this could have the much-needed echoes of that euphoric deal.

Fewer touches than Alisson & only 2 passes: Liverpool flop must be dropped

Arne Slot has a huge call to make about one player after his showing for Liverpool last night.

2 ByEthan Lamb Dec 4, 2025

The first update from 2025 MLB All-Star voting was revealed Monday, and it comes as no surprise that New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who is set to make his first pitching appearance of the season Monday evening, are leading the way as the top vote-getters.

This year's All-Star Game will be played at Atlanta's Truist Park on July 15, and fans were already given an early preview into what the team's uniforms will look like.

With about a month until the midsummer classic, Judge is leading all MLB players in the early voting update, having already racked up more than 1.5 million votes. Ohtani is second in baseball and first in the National League with just under 1.4 million.

We'll take a look at the top players at each position for both the AL and NL after the first update.

2025 MLB All-Star Voting First Update ResultsAmerican League

Position

Player

Team

Number of Votes

Catcher

Cal Raleigh

Seattle Mariners

1,043,168

First Base

Paul Goldschmidt

New York Yankees

667,258

Second Base

Gleyber Torres

Detroit Tigers

535,079

Third Base

Jose Ramirez

Cleveland Guardians

968,754

Shortstop

Jacob Wilson

Athletics

562,696

Outfield

Aaron Judge

New York Yankees

1,568,527

Outfield

Riley Greene

Detroit Tigers

675,070

Outfield

Mike Trout

Los Angeles Angels

475,265

Designated Hitter

Ryan O’Hearn

Baltimore Orioles

353,029

There are some close races atop various positions in the American League. Paul Goldschmidt is just narrowly ahead of Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in voting results, while Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals is in close apursuit of Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson. Additionally, Cleveland Guardians' Steven Kwan trails Mike Trout for the third outfield spot by less than 18,000 votes.

National League

Position

Player

Team

Number of Votes

Catcher

Will Smith

Los Angeles Dodgers

1,124,629

First Base

Freddie Freeman

Los Angeles Dodgers

1,136,389

Second Base

Ketel Marte

Arizona Diamondbacks

850,572

Third Base

Manny Machado

San Diego Padres

955,122

Shortstop

Francisco Lindor

New York Mets

1,019,273

Outfield

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Chicago Cubs

1,126,119

Outfield

Kyle Tucker

Chicago Cubs

704,740

Outfield

Teoscar Hernandez

Los Angeles Dodgers

685,553

Designated Hitter

Shohei Ohtani

Los Angeles Dodgers

1,398,771

The National League is largely dominated by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are tracking to fill four of the nine starting positions. In fact, the Dodgers have a player who received the first or second most votes at every single position in the first update of All-Star voting.

Phase one of All-Star voting runs until June 26, after which the votes will be tallied and the top two players from each position will advance to phase two, which runs from June 30 to July 2. More on that can be found here.

Over the last couple of years, Tottenham Hotspur haven’t been afraid to splash the cash in the transfer market, in an attempt to try and achieve Premier League glory.

The Lilywhites have a net spend of over £500m in the last five years alone, a figure which puts them fourth out of any team in the division for the same time period.

Daniel Levy was often criticised for his lack of spending in North London, but it’s clear that the 63-year-old did financially back various managers during his two decades at the club.

However, it’s clear in the modern game that money doesn’t equal success – especially in the Premier League – with numerous players often failing to live up to their big-money transfer fees.

The likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Roberto Soldado and Steven Bergwijn have all cost a pretty penny in recent years – with many of them leaving North London in deals much lower than what they arrived for.

In 2025/26, Thomas Frank has a couple of examples already within his first-team ranks, with two of his players arguably going down as some of their additions in recent history.

Richarlison & Simons’ form for Spurs in PL during 2025/26

Back in the summer of 2022, Spurs forked out a staggering £60m, including add-ons, for the signature of Richarlison from fellow Premier League side Everton.

Undoubtedly, given the nature of the transfer fee, his transfer generated huge excitement among the supporters in North London, but over three years on from his transfer – it’s safe to say it’s been a disaster.

The Brazilian has registered a total of 108 appearances for the Lilywhites, but has only scored 24 times – with half of his efforts coming in 2023/24 alone.

However, Frank has kept faith in the 28-year-old this season, but he’s failed to return the favour, as seen by his measly conversion rate of just 21% in the Premier League this season.

He’s also missed six big chances in his 11 outings to date, often being a wasteful option in attacking areas and falling way below the standards expected of a £60m addition.

Richarlison isn’t the only big-money addition to struggle under the Dane’s guidance this season, with Xavi Simons also unable to match the expectations many placed on him after his own move to North London.

The Dutch international, who cost a total of £52m in the summer, has racked up a total of 14 appearances across all competitions, but has only registered two assists in such a period.

The attacking midfielder is yet to find the back of the net, but has also struggled to provide the creative nature many would have expected, given the nature of the fee.

Simons has only achieved a total of 0.8 chances completed per 90, whilst also only completing 38% of the dribbles he’s attempted – showcasing his inability to impress with the ball at his feet.

He’s also only registered a tally of 0.17 shots on target per 90, a figure which ranks him in the bottom 14% of all attackers in the division – further highlighting his lack of quality in the final third.

The Spurs star who’s becoming their worst signing in recent history

After Spurs’ measly 17th-placed finish in the Premier League last season, Frank was always going to have a huge task on his hands to push the club back in the right direction.

The Dane has settled on a 4-3-3 system over recent weeks, but it still appears as though he’s yet to figure out his best starting eleven – as seen against Manchester United last weekend.

He utilised Richarlison in a wide-left position, leaving the likes of Wilson Odobert on the bench – with such a decision undoubtedly costing the side all three points in North London.

The Brazilian has mainly struggled to take the responsibility of leading the line for the Lilywhites, with Randal Kolo Muani also yet to find the back of the net after his loan move on deadline day.

However, the manager has been unable to call upon Dominic Solanke during the vast majority of his time at the club, with the Englishman massively struggling with constant injury setbacks.

The 28-year-old cost a club-record £65m from Bournemouth last summer, with his signature providing the side with the replacement to Harry Kane they were crying out for.

It has not all been plain sailing for the striker, with his tally of just nine goals in the Premier League throughout his debut campaign ultimately falling way below the standards many expected.

Other figures, such as 71% passes completed and just 33% aerials won last season, showcase his inability to operate as a target man – often struggling to offer an imposing figure at the top end of the pitch.

However, Frank’s arrival in North London will have given the talisman a new lease of life, but as seen by his recent setbacks, he’s so far been unable to make the desired effect under the Dane.

Dominic Solanke – PL stats (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

27

Goals scored

9

Pass accuracy

71%

Shots on target

0.9

Chances created

0.5

Dribble success

35%

Aerials won

33%

Fouls committed

1.5

Stats via FotMob

Solanke has been suffering continuously with an ankle issue over recent months, subsequently undergoing surgery that has kept him on the sidelines for an extended period.

He’s not featured since the 2-0 triumph over Manchester City on the 23rd of August, with the Englishman subsequently missing a total of 81 days of first-team action.

As a result of his fitness issues, he’s only accumulated a total of 31 minutes of league action this campaign – an unacceptable tally given the fee forked out for his signature.

Solanke has only racked up 29 league appearances for the Lilywhites in his near 18-month stint at the club, something which is nowhere near the level expected given the mammoth price tag paid for his services.

In that time, he’s also managed to register a goal in every three matches, with Solanke so far being unable to fill the boots vacated by Kane a couple of years prior to his move.

Given his transfer fee and lack of form in North London, the 28-year-old has so far been a huge waste of money, with a new centre-forward desperately needed in the near future if Frank is to be a success at the club.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Nov 12, 2025

Liverpool are now reportedly racing Real Madrid to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in 2026 amid comparisons with France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

After spending over £400m in the summer, the Reds have set their sights on further arrivals to solve the glaring problems in Arne Slot’s squad. The Premier League champions find themselves in an unprecedented position, having lost six of their last seven games in all competitions.

They must find a solution against Aston Villa this weekend and their manager expects them to do exactly that back in front of their home fans in the league.

The Dutchman did, however, confirm that Liverpool are likely to be without record signing Alexander Isak and midfielder Curtis Jones just as Ryan Gravenberch works towards making a return.

No one expected Liverpool to find themselves in this position after spending big in the summer, but it’s now something that Slot must use to prove his worth.

The Premier League crown has slipped and for the first time, he is under increasing pressure. That said, it would be incredibly out of character for Michael Edwards to make any immediate decisions and last year’s title has certainly bought Slot plenty of time to turn things around.

What could change instead is the personnel on the pitch. Despite spending big in the summer, Liverpool could yet welcome further reinforcements in 2026 after Slot complained about squad depth in midweek.

This could finally see Marc Guehi arrive as well as teenage sensation Bouaddi in what would be two excellent moves.

Liverpool learn placement in Bouaddi race

According to reporter Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are now battling Real Madrid to sign Boauddi from Lille, who are readying themselves for the inevitable sale of their 18-year-old star.

Compared to Camavinga by Football Transfers, Bouaddi has become the most “talked-about player in Europe”, according to Bailey, and it’s now Liverpool who are “most interested” alongside Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Liverpool have been left burned by Real Madrid in past transfer windows, so they should be desperate to avoid a repeat and land one of Europe’s most promising stars.

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Posts ByTom Cunningham Oct 31, 2025

Their midfield is far from set these days, either. Alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and Gravenberch, there has been a missing piece as of late that Bouaddi could provide for years to come.

Forget Endo: Liverpool star is looking like Fabinho in his final season

تعرض الأسطورة البرتغالية كريستيانو رونالدو لانتقادات قوية في البرتغال بسبب طرده مساء أمس أمام أيرلندا وطريقة مغادرته الملعب في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.

وسلطت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية الضوء على رد فعل إحدى وسائل الإعلام البرتغالية على لقطة طرد كريستيانو رونالدو أمام أيرلندا في الجولة قبل الأخيرة من تصفيات أوروبا، قبل أن يتم استبعاده رسمياً من قائمة منتخب بلاده قبل لقاء أرمينيا الأحد المقبل.

وكتبت صحيفة “A Bola” البرتغالية: “على كريستيانو أن يخجل من نفسه، ما فعله قائد البرتغال مؤسف، ليس فقط بسبب عدوانيته، قد يكون فقدان السيطرة على النفس في لحظة غضب أمر وارد، مع أنه لا ينبغي أن يحدث، أسوأ ما في في الأمر كان رد فعله، كل هذه المسرحية التي حدثت من إشارة البكاء كما لو أن الأيرلندي الذي تلقى ضربة الكوع كان يتظاهر بذلك، إلى هز رأسه كما لو أنه لم يفهم ما حدث، إلى تصفيق الجمهور كما لو أن اللوم في طرده يقع عليهم وليس عليه”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. مارتينيز يدافع عن رونالدو بعد طرده أمام أيرلندا: زاوية التصوير أسوأ من الواقع

وذكرت أيضاً: “كريستيانو رونالدو يبلغ 40 عاماً، في المؤتمر الصحفي يوم الأربعاء قضى وقته يستفز منافسيه والمدرب الأيرلندي والجمهور، خلق جوًا لم يستطع السيطرة عليه، لقد ارتكب خطأ، أقل ما يمكن فعله هو الاعتذار ولكن ما يجب عليه فعله حقاً هو الشعور بالخجل”.

وكان مدرب منتخب أيرلندا هيمير هالجريمسون الذي دخل في جدال حاد مع كريستيانو رونالدو أثناء مغادرته الملعب قد سخر من اتهامات اللاعب بخلق جو عدائي: “هنأني على ضغطي على الحكم، تصرفه في الملعب ما استحق عليه البطاقة الحمراء ولا علاقة لي بالأمر إذا إذا كنت قد شتت انتباهه”.

وسئل أيضاً هالجريمسون إذا كان قد تحدث مع كريستيانو رونالدو بعد المباراة :”لا، أعتقد أننا تحدثنا بما فيه الكفاية عندما غادر الملعب، لم يكن هناك ما نتحدث عنه، كانت مجرد لحظة سخرية منه، على ما أعتقد”.