La Liga president Javier Tebas has defended the decision to stage the Villarreal vs Barcelona clash in Miami in December, calling it a move driven by fans, clubs, and players. Amid criticism from Real Madrid and others, Tebas dismissed opposition, arguing global exposure is vital for Spanish football, while insisting the match preserves competition integrity and benefits international fans.

Tebas says exposure will benefit La Liga in the long-term

The Villarreal vs Barcelona match has been given approval to go ahead in Miami and is scheduled for the weekend of December 20. While clubs like Barcelona and Villarreal support the move, Madrid have openly opposed it, arguing that domestic league games should remain in Spain to preserve tradition and fairness. La Liga president Tebas has countered the criticism, asserting that the clubs, players, and fans themselves want the game overseas, and insisting that taking the league game international will not compromise the competition.

In a similar move, it has also been confirmed that the Serie A match between AC Milan and Como on January 16 will be held in Perth, Australia citing more exposure and revenue for the Italian league games.

AdvertisementgettyJavier Tebas paints a broader purpose for the critics

Tebas addressed the backlash firmly during a press conference. He argued that claims against the match were “demagogic,” emphasising that Villarreal fans, the clubs and players are all on board.

"A rather demagogic narrative is being constructed. It's Villarreal's own fans who want to come to Miami, it's the clubs that want to come to Miami, it's the players who want to come to Miami and we're talking about one match out of 380," he said. "It's about bringing our culture, our language, and our universities to the world. We don't put anything at risk."

Speaking on the Spanish players' union (AFE) and Madrid not being onboard with the idea, the president said: "See what they say now, but I know players from both teams want to come. Madrid has nothing to say on this issue. Not even the League itself. The regulations establish that the clubs request it from the Federation. La Liga gives its opinion and it is favourable.

"But with the current leaders [Madrid] it's impossible. It makes me sad because they don't like everything La Liga does. If it weren't Miami it would be something else. We're very bad and we don't do anything right. To have the squads we have, we have to remember that 42% of our audiovisual income comes from outside Spain. We have to respect those fans who pay to watch football. Because if not, we wouldn't have them."

Players and coaches speak out against the decision

Not everyone is happy with the Miami move with some citing it's only to benefit the league and the clubs for commercial purposes. Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong criticised the long journey and said it is not fair for the competition. Former Barca defender and Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman added that Villarreal could lose home advantage, as more Barcelona fans might attend. Serie A’s Adrien Rabiot expressed similar frustration over Milan’s upcoming match in Australia, citing travel strain and packed schedules. Furthermore, with the amount of games increasing and the World Cup also on the horizon, these factors further causes unnecessary stress to the players and the managers alike.

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Getty Images SportWill more La Liga games be held internationally?

La Liga aims to continue internationalising its brand while balancing competition integrity and player welfare. Compensation measures for season-ticket holders, fan engagement initiatives in Miami, and UEFA’s conditional approval signal cautious expansion. Tebas remains confident that global exposure benefits Spanish football’s long-term growth. Whether more matches abroad will follow remains a question, but La Liga is set on establishing a stronger presence in international markets. However, with no specific laws on taking games abroad, this can open up a whole different aspect of the case.

AC Milan are one of the most historic clubs in Europe. However, they have won just one Serie A title in the last 14 years.

Despite this, the Rossoneri still have a number of stars at the San Siro, and as a result, have an annual payroll of €94.7m, with the average player earning €3.3m a season.

But who earns the most? Every Milan player in the first-team squad has been ranked in order from highest to lowest in terms of wages for the 2025/26 season, with the help of Capology.

Disclaimer – only the club and the players themselves truly know their wages, so take each of these figures as you will.

Christopher Nkunku

€178,077

€9,260,000

Adrien Rabiot

€178,077

€9,260,000

Luka Modric

€124,615

€6,480,000

Rafael Leao

€123,269

€6,410,000

Youssouf Fofana

€106,923

€5,560,000

Christian Pulisic

€98,654

€5,130,000

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

€98,654

€5,130,000

Santiago Gimenez

€89,038

€4,630,000

Ardon Jashari

€89,038

€4,630,000

Pervis Estupinan

€89,038

€4,630,000

Samuele Ricci

€89,038

€4,630,000

Fikayo Tomori

€86,346

€4,490,000

Ismael Bennacer

€81,154

€4,220,000

Mike Maignan

€69,038

€3,590,000

Matteo Gabbia

€64,038

€3,330,000

Strahinja Pavlovic

€60,577

€3,150,000

Koni De Winter

€60,577

€3,150,000

Yunus Munsah

€49,231

€2,560,000

Warren Bondo

€36,923

€1,920,000

Zachary Athekame

€35,577

€1,850,000

Pietro Terracciano

€28,462

€1,480,000

Alexis Saelemaekers

€24,615

€1,280,000

Davide Bartesaghi

€21,346

€1,100,000

David Odogu

€17,885

€930,000

Lorenzo Torriani

€7,115

€370,000

Here's a detailed look at AC Milan's top 10 earners… 10 Santiago Gimenez €89,038 per week

Mexican striker Santiago Gimenez joined AC Milan from Feyenoord at the beginning of 2025, penning a deal until 2029.

In the second half of the 2024/25 season, Gimenez scored five Serie A goals in 670 minutes.

9 Ardon Jashari €89,038 per week

Ardon Jashari swapped Club Brugge for AC Milan in a deal worth a total of €39m.

The Switzerland international, who is primarily a holding midfielder, is on €4.63m a season for the next five years.

8 Pervis Estupinan €89,038 per week

After starring in the Premier League for Brighton, left-back Pervis Estupinan headed to the San Siro in a deal that saw the Seagulls receive £17m.

An Ecuador international, Estupinan is the fourth player on €4.63m a season and like Jashari, is under contract until 2030.

7 Ruben Loftus-Cheek €98,654 per week

English midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek joined Milan from Chelsea in 2023.

Loftus-Cheek penned a four-year deal and has already made more than 70 appearances in red and black.

6 Christian Pulisic €98,654 per week

Also picking up €5.13m per season is Christian Pulisic, with the attacker really finding his feet in Italy after a tricky period with Chelsea.

Captain of the United States, Pulisic signed in 2023 and has been a regular ever since. He’s under contract until 2027.

5 Youssouf Fofana €106,923 per week

Midfielder Youssouf Fofana arrived in 2024 from Monaco at a cost of a reported €25m.

The France international was linked with the likes of Manchester United before signing for Milan, penning a four-year deal at the San Siro.

4 Rafael Leao €123,269 per week

Winger Rafael Leao has been attracting plenty of interest after his starring displays in Italy and is the top earner at AC Milan.

The Portugal international was signed for €35m in 2019, and should Milan cash in over the coming years, they could make a healthy profit.

3 Luka Modric €124,615 per week

Luka Modric signed a one-year deal with AC Milan in 2025 after leaving Real Madrid following 13 years at the Bernabeu.

With no transfer fee required, Modric signed a €6.5m deal and turned 40 at the start of the 2025/26 season.

2 Adrien Rabiot €178,077 per week

AC MIlan’s joint-top earner, Adrien Rabiot moved to the club from Marseille in 2025 after a short spell with the French club.

Formerly of Juventus, the midfielder signed a three-year deal and is in line to earn just shy of €28m in wages.

1 Christopher Nkunku €178,077 per week

Christopher Nkunku is also on €9.26m per season and signed a five-year deal with AC Milan after joining from Chelsea.

Costing around €42m, the French forward has played in Ligue 1, Bundesliga and the Premier League before moving to Serie A.

Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya climb IPL 2025’s Orange and Purple Cap tables respectively after SRH vs MI game. Here are the latest rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-20250:42

Knight: Klaasen batting far too low for SRH

The Orange Cap tablePooran, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) No. 3, had started the IPL with a bang, and been the top run-getter from Game No. 7 to the Game No. 39, when a dry patch, combined with Sai Sudharsan’s prolific run, pushed him down to No. 2, with 377 runs from nine innings.MI’s Suryakumar, who has been super consistent in the IPL this season without really making an almighty splash, now has 373 runs after scoring 40 not out in 19 balls against SRH. He hasn’t had a single proper failure this season: 29, 48, 27*, 67, 28, 40, 26, 68* and 40*. That makes Suryakumar the new No. 3 on the table.Jos Buttler, the second Gujarat Titans (GT) batter in the top four with Sai Sudharsan, has 356 runs now, and is followed by the second LSG batter in the top five, Mitchell Marsh with 344 runs.A total of ten batters have now crossed the 300-run mark (Sai Sudharsan is the only one past 400): LSG’s Aiden Markram with 326, KL Rahul of Delhi Capitals (DC) with 323, Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) with 322, Yashasvi Jaiswal of Rajasthan Royals (RR) with 307, and GT captain Shubman Gill with 305.No SRH batter is anywhere near the top after predictions before the season that they would finish the job they had started last season: break all IPL run-scoring records. Their best at the moment is Heinrich Klaasen, who is just outside the top ten and just behind the men with 300-plus runs, at No. 11 with 281 runs to his name after the 44-ball 71 he hit against MI.1:43

Is Rohit well and truly back?

The Purple Cap tablePrasidh Krishna, the GT quick bowler, is well ahead of the pack at this stage, with 16 wickets from eight innings, but seven bowlers are joint-second with 12 wickets, Hardik joining that group with his sole wicket on Wednesday.In case of more than one bowler having the same number of wickets, the rankings on ESPNcricinfo are based on bowling average, placing GT’s R Sai Kishore in second place, followed by Noor Ahmad of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), DC’s Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik, RCB’s Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj of GT and LSG’s Shardul Thakur, all 12-wicket men. Of them, Kuldeep has the best economy rate (6.50), followed by Noor (7.66). The rest have all gone at over eight runs an over.The following are some of the other tables that might interest you.Highest batting strike ratesBest bowling economy ratesMost sixesBest bowling figures in a match

MatériaMais Notícias

O atacante Endrick, do Palmeiras, foi um dos principais destaques do time no empate por 0 a 0 com o Deportivo Pereira, resultado que garantiu vaga ao alviverde na fase de semifinal da Libertadores, na quarta-feira (30). Aos 17 minutos do segundo tempo, o centroavante entrou no lugar de Rony e protagonizou bons momentos no jogo. Depois da partida, porém, ele revelou que não está feliz com a falta de oportunidades, apesar de sua eficiência nos números.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Em dois lances na partida, Endrick conseguiu provocar a expulsão do zagueiro Juan Quintero. Ele também quase balançou as redes em duas oportunidades. Na primeira, finalizou dentro da área com a perna direita, levando perigo. A segunda chance, de perna esquerda, parou no goleiro Quintana, que impediu o gol.

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

– Eu fico um pouco triste por não estar jogando, mas tenho que segurar um pouco isso. Tive uma conversa com o Abel e ele me tranquilizou. Não fico na azia, como ele fala, de jogar ou não. Ele fala que o importante é trabalhar – disse o garoto em entrevista para a ESPN na saída de campo.

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Apesar de ter atuado apenas 150 minutos nos últimos 10 jogos, Endrick é o quinto jogador do elenco que mais marcou nesta temporada. Ao todo, são sete gols, ficando atrás apenas de Raphael Veiga, artilheiro do time, Rony, Artur e Gabriel Menino.

+ Murilo celebra marca defensiva inédita do Palmeiras de Abel Ferreira

No atual plantel de Abel Ferreira, o centroavante é o terceiro atleta, empatado com Artur, que precisa de menos minutos para fazer um gol.

Com a grave contusão de Dudu, que rompeu o ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho direito e lesionou o menisco, a tendência é que Endrick ganhe mais minutos na equipe principal. Logo na primeira oportunidade, após a lesão do camisa 7, o centroavante mostrou que pode ser uma das soluções para o ataque palmeirense. No entanto, essa alternativa não deverá ser no lugar de Rony.

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– Muito difícil o Rony sair, seja Endrick ou López, que precisam de sequência, a pergunta que eu faço é o que é melhor para o Palmeiras, é o que eu recorro quando eu tenho dúvidas. Eu sei o que é melhor para eles (sequência), mas muitas vezes não é o melhor para a equipe. Eu não treino um jogador, eu treino uma equipe – declarou Abel Ferreira após a partida.

Tudo sobre

EndrickPalmeiras

In an interview with Sky Sports in August, Everton manager David Moyes said, “you have to keep trying to evolve”.

The Scotsman’s desire to shape his Toffees team into a dynamic force is an ambitious one, but he’s shown since replacing Sean Dyche in January that he has what it takes to lift Everton back into the limelight after years toiling away in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

The objective last term was one of survival, but Moyes’ Everton quickly found form and steered away from the relegation fodder. Some might have feared that it would be more of the same this year, purple patch done and dusted, but careful navigation through a tricky summer transfer window has placed the club in sixth place with four games behind them.

Early days, of course, but the signs are certainly promising, with Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall among those to have sparked career revivals after leaving ‘Big Six’ clubs during the off-season.

Goalscoring problems persist

Everton have a new degree of creativity about them, with the season’s early readings suggesting they have been among the most efficient playmakers in the Premier League so far. However, they’ve missed six big chances, with Beto in particular culpable for some shoddy finishing.

Man United

4

7.9

Chelsea

9

7.7

Man City

5

7.6

Brighton

4

6.6

Everton

5

6.3

The Bissau-Guinean striker blows hot and cold, and though he scored against Wolves last month, he lacks the danger he projected on Everton’s rivals during that fine run of form last season.

Grealish isn’t a goalscorer, not really, while Iliman Ndiaye cannot be expected to carry his side in the final third across the duration of the campaign.

What Everton need is a new forward capable of leading the line over the coming years, marrying technical quality and innate shooting skills with a predatory hunger when facing the goalkeeper.

Someone like Richarlison. It’s been three years since Farhad Moshiri sold the Brazilian maverick to Tottenham Hotspur in a £60m deal, good business given his injury problems and inability to recapture that Goodison Park form in the capital.

But Richarlison, 28, remains one of the most threatening players in the Premier League, and Moyes was actually interested in re-signing the star to Everton this summer, ultimately going in a different direction.

That direction led to Thierno Barry, who is certainly unrefined and yet to stamp his authority on the English game, but then unquestionably boasts the talent and profile to rise up as Moyes’ own version of Richarlison.

Why Everton signed Thierno Barry

We are over a month into the 2025/26 season, and Barry has been used in a rotation role so far at Everton. The 22-year-old joined from Villarreal in a £27m deal in the summer, replacing Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the end of his contract.

He’s featured in each of Everton’s four Premier League matches so far, though he’s only started during the win over Wolves and was hooked shortly after the hour mark.

The integration process was always going to be one of stops and starts, but in this French forward, Moyes has landed a 6 foot 5 powerhouse with pace and potential to become an elite striker of the ball.

Last season in La Liga, he scored 11 goals and assisted four more across 35 games, starting only 25 times and creating seven big chances besides. Having won 67% of his aerial battles, you can see why Moyes was so enamoured, but his ability to drive forward with strong strides points toward that aforementioned evolution over at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, steering away from the target-man days of DCL.

Thierry Henry likes what he sees, with Barry’s movement and ability to draw defenders away intelligently, akin to Richarlison when he was in his Everton prime.

Richarlison spent four years on Merseyside, and he scored 53 goals and assisted 15 more across 152 appearances in total. Be it on the left flank or as the Blues’ number nine, the Brazil international was a force to be reckoned with.

Likewise, Barry has spent time coming off the left wing, with the right footer’s protean attacking ability lending itself to such a role. In this way, Moyes might find he can weave Beto and Barry into the same recipe. The new recruit, after all, showcased his creative capacity in La Liga last year.

In fact, Barry has actually scored eight goals from only 14 appearances out on the left wing, so he clearly has the natural sense in the final third to break the netting from any angle.

Could he reach Richarlison’s Everton level? That is not for us to know at this stage. But the Spurs man was once tipped by Carlo Ancelotti to become “one of the top strikers in Europe”, and Barry’s similar build and profile suggest he could take it one step further on Merseyside, in a team which is shaping up to challenge for places at the top end of the Premier League table.

Hailed for his “menacing” profile by talent scout Antonio Mango, Barry hasn’t yet alerted the wider Premier League audience to his presence, but he’s got all the tools to succeed in this division, and if he continues to develop his mobility and refine his presence in the final third, he might just prove to be Everton’s next version of a modern hero in Richarlison.

A budding expertise in stretching lines and making a nuisance of himself, Barry is evidence that Everton are developing into a new state under Moyes’ tutelage, and that, while the 62-year-old remains rooted in his pragmatic principles, he is eager to shape this side into something new.

For now, Beto continues to serve as Everton’s first-choice striker, but as Barry sharpens his tools, that could soon change.

Watch out Grealish: Everton brewing teen star who outscored Ndiaye in 24/25

Everton’s youth academy is ready to reveal the latest homegrown hero.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 19, 2025

Fifties from Nick Welch, Tafadzwa Tsiga can’t prevent PCC XI recording 138-run win

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2025PCC Select XI 330 (De Caires 79, Morgan 66*, Chohan 56, Ngarava 3-42) and 464 for 7 dec (Mousley 154, Rew 103*) beat Zimbabweans 403 (Madhevere 93, Williams 76, Tsiga 66, Bennett 65, Killeen 3-52) and 253 (Welch 87, Tsiga 66, Jack 3-40) by 138 runsZimbabwe will go into next week’s one-off Test against England on the back of a 138-run defeat to an unheralded Professional County Club Select XI after they failed to bat out the final day in Leicester.Set a target of 392 after the PCC XI declared on 464 for 7 an hour into the final day, Zimbabwe slipped to 51 for 4 shortly after lunch, Hampshire’s Eddie Jack knocking over three of the top four. Nick Welch counterpunched, adding 47 with Wessly Madhevere, whose 93 had steered Zimbabwe to a first-innings total of 403, and 70 with Tafadzwa Tsiga, as the tourists reached tea five down.But Welch couldn’t convert his innings to three figures as Essex allrounder Jamal Richards struck twice during the evening session, and although Tsiga went past 50 for the second time in the match, spinners Dan Mousley and Jafar Chohan plucked out the last three wickets to condemn Zimbabwe to defeat.Mousley had earlier scored a second-innings 154, putting on a stand of 179 with captain Josh De Caires as the PCC XI swiftly overcame a first-innings deficit of 73. De Caires, who top-scored with 79 after electing to bat on day one, added 84 before being stumped by Tsiga off Wellington Masakadza. Mousley was later joined in reaching a hundred by Thomas Rew, as the PCC XI accelerated towards their declaration.The Zimbabweans, who used 13 players in the match, had to be content with a solid four-day workout, which also saw opener Brian Bennett and veteran No. 4 Sean Williams notch first-innings fifties, and left-armer Newman Nyamhuri claim five wickets.

Manchester City are still awaiting the findings of their 115-charge FFP case. City were accused of 115 financial breaches in February 2023 while hearings, which lasted 10 weeks, took place last September. An outcome is said to be imminent and the most likely punishments if they are found guilty have been revealed by a financial expert as the club wait with bated breath on the decision.

Getty Images SportMan City's 115 charges outlined

Manchester City are confident of being exonerated as they strenuously deny all charges. City were first charged back in February 2023 of 115 financial charges and it wasn't until September last year that the case was heard.

With an outcome said to be imminent, the club and their fans are hoping that they are proven innocent in any wrongdoing.

The charges include:

'Failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009/10 to and including 2017/18''Failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 – present [February 2023]''Failure to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation from 2009/10 to and including 2017/18''Breaches of Premier League profitability and sustainability regulations from 2015/16 to and including 2017/18''Failure to comply with UEFA's regulations, including UEFA's Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations' Advertisement'They would look to appeal'

However, even with a verdict said to be forthcoming, it's likely City would appeal the verdict if they are found guilty and that could delay proceedings, as football finance expert Dr Dan Plumley explains. Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, he said: "It is tricky to tell on timeframe linked to appeal as it could keep going on and on.

"It depends on what the verdict is and then what either side would do next, etc., but both parties have the right to appeal, and we have certainly already heard noises from City in the past that they would look to appeal and tie the PL up in litigation.

"These things are never straightforward, and you are dealing with power and egos too in the middle of this, which cannot be ignored."

"It was always likely to be a lengthy process given the amount of charges and the time frame it relates to. Lawyers on both sides need to pore over the detail, and then there is the independent commission hearing and the verdict itself.

"There will then be a further delay until we see the decision and any detail in the public domain, which is again normal in the course of how these things run. It is a very costly exercise on both sides, though that is for sure."

Getty Images SportMan City told must likely punishment

Plumley predicts that City will face a points deduction would be the most likely punishment if found guilty, but didn't rule out more extreme measure, adding: "If City were to be found guilty, then all of those things would potentially be on the table as sanctions, and the PL could push for any or a combination of. It is really difficult to predict what any outcome could be, as there is no precedent.

"We will always be in the realms of speculation until we know, but if I were to speculate, I would suggest that a points deduction and fine would be most likely, with relegation and title stripping being the extreme, but unlikely, scenarios."

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Man City looking to maintain unbeaten run

While off-field matters may dominate the headlines, City return to action following the international break with the welcome of Everton on Saturday afternoon. The Cityzens are unbeaten in four in the league ahead of their meeting with the Toffees, winning three times in that run following the 1-0 victory at Brentford last weekend.

Pep Guardiola's side are currently three points off table toppers Arsenal, who are looking to maintain their lead at the top of the table when they face Fulham on Saturday evening. City are keen to land silverware this season having endured a trophyless campaign last time out.

City finished third in the 2024/25 campaign, 13 points behind champions Liverpool, and fell to an FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace back in May. In addition, they suffered their earliest Champions League exit in 12 years last season as they crashed out in the knockout phase playoffs at the expense of La Liga giants Real Madrid. Los Blancos made it to the quarter-finals of the competition before falling to a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Arsenal.

West Bromwich Albion’s inconsistent performances in the Championship so far this season let them down again versus Millwall.

After a 1-0 away win at Norwich City, spirits must have been somewhat high among the travelled Baggies contingent at the Den, only for all that positivity to be replaced by doom and gloom when a 3-0 loss was served up.

Truthfully, it was a car-crash showing, as every single big chance that fell to the hosts was put away, while Aune Heggebo, up top for Ryan Mason and Co, failed to fire a single on-target effort at the Lions’ net.

Again, Isaac Price also didn’t cover himself in much glory at the full-time whistle as the wheels continue to come off his own individual Championship season, after being heralded as a fan’s favourite early on.

Price's drop in form for West Brom

It has now been six straight second-tier games for the former Everton youth product without a goal or assist.

Amazingly, at the start of the campaign, Price chipped in with a breakneck four goal contributions from his opening three league clashes. But, since then, his form has dramatically declined.

Against the stern test of Millwall, long gone was the same confident performer who powered home two goals in quick succession against Wrexham, with the out-of-sorts Northern Ireland international managing just one effort – which was blocked – across his unmemorable 62 minutes on the Den turf.

Moreover, only 65% of his passes would find their intended target, with Price now no longer held in such high esteem as a potential Fellows replacement.

Mason would love to have Fellows available for selection right now, after the lightning-quick winger amassed 14 assists across all of last season, to be a constant thorn in the side of Championship sides up and down the division. Unfortunately, he moved to Southampton in the hectic summer transfer window.

However, even with Price going off the boil, the rookie head coach could well have a Fellows-like figure still up his sleeve.

West Brom's new Tom Fellows

The new Baggies manager will believe firmly in his ability to get the best out of the exciting attackers at his disposal in the long run, having worked with the likes of Mikey Moore at Tottenham Hotspur, who was tipped once upon a time to move to the Hawthorns.

That move not working out might well be a blessing in disguise now, however, with Samuel Iling-Junior recruited instead as a tricky and slick winger ready to leave a lasting impact on proceedings, out on loan from nearby Aston Villa.

Iling-Junior certainly showed off a similar burst pace to that of Fellows when gliding forward against Leicester City at the end of September, with the 22-year-old also possessing the necessary composure to finish off the opportunity after such a gung-ho gallop forward.

Sky Sports’ Jobi McAnuff would label the new Baggies’ number 22 as “brilliant” for his ability to open up the Foxes in a split second, with similar praise once handed out to Fellows, too, by former Hawthorns teammate Karlan Grant, who noted his “unbelievable” skill to carve out openings to change tense games.

Games played

172

Clubs played for

5

Goals scored

26

Assists

26

The 16-time England U21 international will also hope – in a similar fashion to the now Southampton number 18 – that he can use this formative stint in the West Midlands as a springboard to be a success elsewhere, having already been around the block with five different clubs in his early career, before moving to West Brom temporarily.

Despite once being lauded as a starlet who has “everything” in his locker to be a success by ex-youth coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, Iling Junior has yet to make a senior appearance at Villa.

Still, time is very much on the 22-year-old’s side, and if he goes on to fire home even more spectacular efforts to guide the Baggies to promotion, he will surely go on to be successful in the higher league, after becoming a short-term Fellows-style hero for Villa’s near neighbours.

88% passing, 7 duels won: 8/10 West Brom star was even better than Maja

This West Bromwich Albion colossus was even better than a returning Josh Maja away at Norwich City.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 2, 2025

Nottinghamshire batting prodigy Freddie McCann gave more evidence of his considerable potential by posting the third century of his fledgling first-class career to defy Hampshire on day one of their Rothesay County Championship clash at Trent Bridge.In only his 13th innings in the Championship so far, the 20-year-old England Lions left-hander made 138 as the current Division One leaders posted a respectable 333 after being asked to bat first on a pitch that offered plenty of encouragement to Hampshire’s seam attack, with no other batter passing 33.South African quick Kyle Abbott took five for 57 and James Fuller three for 56 but Hampshire let themselves down somewhat by dropping five catches.Hampshire openers Mark Stoneman and Fletcha Middleton had two overs to face at the close, including one from former teammate Mohammad Abbas, the Pakistan fast bowler who is making his debut for Nottinghamshire.McCann, a Nottingham-born product of the county’s academy pathway, scored 154 against champions Surrey in only his second match after making his first-class debut last August, adding 130 against Warwickshire before the end of the season.He hit 15 fours and a six and shared partnerships of 78 with Kyle Verreynne, 71 with Lyndon James and 59 with Liam Patterson-White after his side had been 82 for four at lunch.Four wickets in that opening session had represented a decent return for Hampshire’s decision to put Nottinghamshire in, although it took until the last 35 minutes for the rewards to come.Until then, Nottinghamshire’s openers had endured a torrid time on a green-tinged pitch against some testing bowling from Abbott and Fuller in particular. Ben Slater was dropped twice in the slips off Abbott – on one and nine – and needed treatment for a blow on the forearm inflicted by Fuller. Yet somehow he and skipper Haseeb Hameed pair survived 19 overs for 62.The picture changed with a double-wicket maiden from Fuller that began with Slater caught at extra cover by a leaping Nick Gubbins and ended with Nottinghamshire 63 for two after a cracking delivery with bounce and late movement had Hameed caught behind.The last two overs of the session saw Abbott, nought for 14 from seven overs in his first spell, gain the success he was due as Joe Clarke and Jack Haynes were both leg before, beaten past the inside edge playing forward, four wickets having fallen for 20 runs in 48 deliveries.Nottinghamshire recovered to 195 for five at tea, the only wicket to fall in the middle session that of Verreynne (33), who became a third lbw victim for Abbott, trying to work to leg. Yet Hampshire continued to count the cost of sloppy work in the field with James given a life on one when Fuller could not hold on at third slip off Abbott after McCann had survived what looked a hard chance to gully off Fuller on 18.Nonetheless, Nottinghamshire could congratulate themselves for showing resilience. Abbott always looked dangerous, regularly beating the bat, and in the circumstances it was a superb innings by McCann, back in the side in place of England’s Ben Duckett, who is unavailable.Hampshire’s catching did not improve after tea, with James dropped again on 29, Tom Prest failing to take a regulation chance at first slip off Brad Wheal. To add insult to injury, the spilled ball rolled into the fielding helmet stowed behind the stumps, adding five penalty runs to the total.In the event, James could not add heavily to Hampshire’s pain, falling to Liam Dawson on 33, bowled giving himself room to cut.Patterson-White played well until, having also made 33, he made the unwise decision to shoulder arms to Abbott, with the new ball, who completed the 43rd five-wicket haul of his first-class career when Brett Hutton was caught behind.Wheal dismissed Farhan Ahmed, caught at first slip, before McCann finally fell to a catch on the square cover boundary off Fuller.

After Liverpool lost for the second time in the space of a few days courtesy of Galatasaray, Jamie Carragher has called for one of Arne Slot’s biggest stars to be dropped.

Slot "disappointed" again by Liverpool

After needing late goals in several of their opening games to salvage victory, something seemed off about the Premier League champions. They looked vulnerable and defeat seemed inevitable. The late goal simply wasn’t always going to arrive. And, as expected, Crystal Palace have since exposed that uncomfortable fact for Slot’s side.

The Eagles stole the late show from the Reds to hand them their first defeat at the weekend and Galatasaray have now followed suit to deal Slot back-to-back defeats for just the second time in his Liverpool career. For many, the decision to award Galatasaray a first-half penalty was contentious, but that shouldn’t have been that for Liverpool, who never truly reacted to going behind.

Having his say on his side’s defeat, Slot told reporters: “Again, disappointed. For me, this was a different performance on and off the ball [than Crystal Palace]. First half, we played quite well and had a big chance to go 1-0 up.

“It is difficult to compare this situation to before. We are sometimes a bit outsmarted in situations like this, and I cannot blame Dominik Szoboszlai for the situation. They make a 20% penalty a 100% penalty, which is very smart from them.”

Liverpool star who's "on par with Salah & VVD" had his worst game under Slot

Liverpool endured a night to forget as they were beaten by Galatasaray in the Champions League.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 1, 2025

It doesn’t get any easier for the Reds, either. They travel to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and club legend Carragher has already called on one player to be dropped against the Blues.

Carragher calls for Liverpool to drop Wirtz

In a brutal assessment, Carragher called for Liverpool to drop Florian Wirtz “right now” following another disappointing display from the £200,000-a-week German. The former Bayer Leverkusen star is without a goal or assist since the Community Shield and is struggling to get up to speed at Anfield.

Whether it’s been out wide or in midfield, it’s hard to argue with Carragher’s verdict. Something is wrong with this Liverpool side and it’s only natural that the blame goes the way of the £116m midfielder who hasn’t contributed since Wembley.

Slot certainly has a big decision to make. A few, in fact. As the Chelsea game approaches, Liverpool must lay down a marker as Premier League champions.