All posts by n8rngtd.top

Club hope to give long-serving coach “send-off he deserves” after seven years in the role

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2025Hampshire hope to give Adi Birrell “the send-off he deserves” by winning the T20 Blast and Metro Bank Cup double after announcing he will leave the club at the end of the season. Birrell, 64, joined Hampshire ahead of the 2019 season but will complete his tenure later this month and return to his native South Africa to spend time with his family.After a convincing win at Durham in the quarter-finals, Hampshire head to Edgbaston on Saturday targeting a record fourth Blast title ahead of their semi-final against Northamptonshire. They will then face Worcestershire at Trent Bridge in the Metro Bank Cup final the following weekend, eyeing a first List A trophy since 2018.Hampshire have been competitive across formats under Birrell, winning the Blast in 2022 and finishing runners-up in the County Championship on three separate occasions. They have struggled in the Championship this year in the absence of James Vince, but have still thrived in both white-ball formats.Birrell also deputised as Southern Brave coach in the men’s Hundred this year, but is now unlikely to return to that role next summer. Hampshire are expected to lean on the global network developed by the GMR Group – their new Indian owners, who co-own Delhi Capitals – in recruiting his successor.”All good things come to an end, and we are sad to see Adi go,” Giles White, Hampshire’s long-serving director of cricket, said in a club statement. “It’s been a fantastic seven years at the club, during which he has become a hugely popular figure and overseen a successful period across all formats.”Under his leadership, the team has reached numerous finals, come close in Championships, and lifted the Blast title in 2022. His contribution has left a lasting mark, and he will be deeply missed by players, coaches, and fans alike at the Utilita Bowl.”We hope to give him the send-off he deserves, with two pieces of silverware still up for grabs in the next two weeks and important days ahead in the Championship. Everyone at Hampshire Cricket and the Utilita Bowl wishes Adi the very best as he looks forward to spending more time at home on the farm.”

Tournament opener to be held in Guwahati; Navi Mumbai to host second semi-final and, potentially, the final on November 2

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Aug-2025The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai has replaced Bengaluru as the fourth Indian venue for the upcoming women’s ODI World Cup starting September 30, the ICC announced while issuing the revised schedule for the eight-team tournament on Friday. According to the updated itinerary, Guwahati will now to host the tournament opener between India and Sri Lanka.Navi Mumbai will host two group fixtures involving India (against New Zealand on October 23 and against Bangladesh on October 26), the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh game (originally slotted for Colombo on October 20), the second semi-final (October 30) and potentially the final, on November 2, if Pakistan don’t qualify. One other game – Sri Lanka vs England (October 11) – has been switched from Guwahati to Colombo. The Bangladesh vs New Zealand game on October 10 has moved from Visakhapatnam to Guwahati, while England vs New Zealand on October 26 – the only day game in the tournament – has gone the other way, Guwahati to Visakhapatnam.The changes became necessary after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) failed to obtain police clearances to host games at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the wake of the stampede that led to 11 deaths and many injuries during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL victory celebrations on June 4.Prior to Navi Mumbai, the BCCI had identified Thiruvananthapuram as a potential replacement for Bengaluru. While the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) expressed its readiness to host, it’s believed that the lack of direct flights from the city to some of the other venues proved a hurdle.Related

• Venkatesh Prasad: 'Want to bring cricket back to Chinnaswamy'

• KSCA secretary, treasurer resign citing 'moral responsibility'

In June, the ICC, while announcing the dates for the tournament, had listed Bengaluru as one of the five venues for the tournament. Along with the opener involving hosts India, the city was also scheduled to host the October 30 semi-final and the final on November 2 (if Pakistan didn’t make it).This is the latest setback for the KSCA, which has been involved in several issues with the police and Bengaluru’s civic authorities as well as the electricity department, which has cut off power supply to the venue owing to non-compliance with fire-safety regulations.Bengaluru hasn’t hosted any top-flight cricket since May 17, when the RCB vs Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2025 game was washed out. In the aftermath of the stampede, the state government had held the franchise and KSCA responsible for the mismanagement of the parade, and instituted a one-member committee to investigate the incident. The committee subsequently deemed the stadium “unsafe” to host large-scale events. Since then, the police has refused to give permission to the KSCA to host matches at the Chinnaswamy.This forced the KSCA to shift the Maharaja T20 – the state’s premier franchise tournament – from Bengaluru to Mysuru. The KSCA had offered to host the tournament behind closed doors, but even that wasn’t allowed by the authorities.

The Baltimore Orioles' match-up against the New York Mets on Thursday included a bit of pregame entertainment that admittedly wasn't for everybody.

Electronic musician Dan Deacon performed his unique rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Camden Yards which, well… you can listen to below. Deacon, who has been meandering down his own psychedelic-esque path of music since the early 2000s, created a kooky, experimental piece that deviated from what one might expect for a standard national anthem performance and immediately elicited polarizing reactions from MLB fans.

Some called it bizarre. Others called it genius. One fan shared a video of Deacon's performance and wrote in the caption, "I think the Orioles have officially hit rock bottom."

That prompted plenty of people on social media to come to Deacon's defense, declaring that the Baltimore-based electronic composer is a legend in his own right. Judge it for yourself:

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has experienced almost every emotion in his first four matches in charge of the Ibrox giants since his move to the club.

The German tactician has lost 3-0 to Brann in Europe, won back-to-back games in the Scottish Premiership, and lost a League Cup semi-final in extra time.

Rohl has been thrown in at the deep end at Ibrox after replacing Russell Martin in the dugout, as the Light Blues had only won five games in 18 matches in all competitions at the start of the season after, what now looks like, a dismal summer window.

Russell Martin's worst Rangers signing

Working with sporting director Kevin Thelwell, the worst signing of the summer transfer window, with Martin in charge, currently looks like Youssef Chermiti.

Rangers reportedly paid £8m to sign the Portugal U21 international from Everton, which made him the club’s most-expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo arrived for £12m in 2000. The second-most expensive signing of the summer was Oscar Cortes for £4.5m.

Unfortunately, the Light Blues have not been rewarded with much output for that outlay, with one goal and one assist in 11 appearances for the club, per Sofascore.

Chermiti missed two huge chances to find the back of the net against Celtic on Sunday, which caused commentator and pundit Michael Stewart to describe him as being “so poor” in front of goal.

Given the money spent and the return on their investment so far, it is hard to argue against the young striker being the worst summer signing from Thelwell and Martin.

Another summer signing who should be in contention for that award, though, is central midfielder Joe Rothwell, who currently looks like he should be sold in January.

Why Rangers should move on from Joe Rothwell

The Gers signed the Englishman from Premier League side Bournemouth for an undisclosed fee to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

At the time of his arrival, Martin described Rothwell as a “huge asset” who would “bring a real winning mentality to the group”, which was an exciting statement from the head coach.

Unfortunately, though, that has not played out on the pitch. Instead, the experienced midfielder looks like he should be sold in January because his performances have not been good enough.

As you can see in the table above, Rothwell has struggled to deal with the intensity and physicality of Scottish football, losing more than half of his ground duels and failing to make at least one tackle per game on average.

The Englishman has been an unused substitute in the last two Premiership matches, which resulted in two of the club’s three league wins this season, but did come on in extra time against Celtic.

That cameo did little to help his case to return to the team in the Premiership, though, as Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar described him as “rotten”.

Rothwell, at this moment in time, does not look suited to playing Scottish football, because of his lack of physicality and intensity, which seems unlikely to change, given that he turns 31 in January.

It has also been an issue for him on the European stage. Rothwell lost 100% of his duels and failed to win a single tackle in 64 minutes against Brann in the Europa League recently, per Sofascore.

Rohl has already opted against using him in the Premiership and waited until extra time to bring him on against Celtic, which suggests that he has not been overly impressed by his levels in training.

Rangers flop who was even worse than Butland is now on borrowed time

This Rangers flop who was worse than Jack Butland may be on borrowed time in the starting line-up.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 3, 2025

Therefore, Rangers should look to immediately move on from Rothwell when the January transfer window opens for business, unless he can finally start to show why Martin was so excited to sign him in the summer.

Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder made merry as South Africa dominated the Chattogram Test

Sampath Bandarupalli30-Oct-2024575 for 6 South Africa’s total in Chattogram, their third highest in Tests in Asia. Their two bigger totals are 584 for 9 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2010 and 583 for 7 against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2008.2020 Previous instance of South Africa going past the 500-run mark – 621 all out against Sri Lanka in the Boxing Day Test in Centurion. South Africa’s 575 for 6 in Chattogram is their highest total away from home since the 637 for 2 against England at The Oval in 2012.Related

• South Africa's batting close to finding the 'sweet spot' again

• Sweeping success – Stubbs and de Zorzi put the heat on Bangladesh

• Rabada's strikes, Mulder's century pile on the pain for Bangladesh

South Africa scored 95.83 runs per wicket in Chattogram, the highest by them in a Test innings since 2017, when they posted 573 for 4 against Bangladesh in Bloemfontein at 143.25 runs per wicket.3 Batters to score their maiden Test hundred in Chattogram – Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder. Only once before have three batters scored their maiden Test tons in the same innings – Gerry Gomez, Robert Christiani and Clyde Walcott for West Indies against India in Delhi in 1948.144.2 Overs batted by South Africa in their first innings in Chattogram, the most by them in a Test innings since their 146 overs against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom in 2017.1 Chattogram marked the first instance of three South Africa batters scoring hundreds in the same Test innings in Asia. It was also the first instance of three South Africa batters scoring a century in the same Test innings since 2017.Stubbs made the first century by a South Africa No. 3 since 2018•AFP/Getty Images201 Partnership between de Zorzi and Stubbs for the second wicket. It is South Africa’s first 200-plus partnership for any wicket in Tests since October 2017. South Africa had two 200-plus stands in the same innings against Bangladesh in the 2017 Bloemfontein Test.3 Century partnerships for South Africa in their first innings, the joint-most by them in a Test innings. They had 16 such instances previously, but only once since 2017 – against Sri Lanka in the 2020 Centurion Test.17 Sixes hit by South Africa in their first innings against Bangladesh, the most they have hit in a Test innings, surpassing their 15 against West Indies in 2010. Only two teams have hit more sixes in a Test innings – 22 by New Zealand against Pakistan in the 2014 Sharjah Test and 18 by India against England earlier this year in Rajkot.9 Sixes were hit off Taijul Islam’s bowling, the joint-second most conceded by any bowler in a Test innings. Rangana Herath was hit for ten sixes by India’s batters in the Brabourne Test in 2009.Paul Strang against Pakistan in Sheikhupura in 1996, Ray Price against South Africa in Harare in 2001, Dane Piedt against India in Visakhapatnam in 2019, and Ben White against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2023 have also conceded nine sixes in a Test innings.2018 The last instance of a No. 3 batter scoring a Test hundred for South Africa before Stubbs – Theunis de Bruyn scored 101 against Sri Lanka in the 2018 Colombo Test.

There are Cy Young Awards and World Series titles. And then there is another kind of meaningful accolade: high praise from Sandy Koufax. The Hall of Fame pitcher saluted Clayton Kershaw on the announcement of his impending retirement by calling his fellow Dodgers lefthander a friend and the kind of person who inspires teammates.

“As great of a pitcher as he is, or was, or whatever the timing is now, that’s as great a person as he is,” Koufax tells . “He’s one of these people who your teammates want to win for. And they think they’re going to win because of you. And that’s a tribute to him as a human being.”

Kershaw announced Thursday he will retire after this season, ending an 18-year career in which he has compiled a record of 222–96 with a 2.54 ERA. He will make his final regular season start at Dodger Stadium Friday night.

Koufax and Kershaw have been friends since February 2010, when Dodgers manager Joe Torre invited Kershaw to join them as they traveled round trip between Arizona and Los Angeles for a program at the Nokia Theatre LA Live to benefit Torre’s Safe at Home Foundation, which he and his wife, Ali, created to end domestic violence through education, counseling and providing safe spaces. Kershaw was about to begin his third major league season.

“On the ride back and forth to Arizona, Clayton and I talked for quite a while,” Koufax says. “Basically, we’re friends. I care about him. I care about his family. There’s not much more to say. He’s a special guy.”

During the 2010 program, Kershaw held his left hand against Koufax’s left hand, palm to palm. Kershaw’s hand practically disappeared behind Koufax’s much bigger hand.

Koufax says the key change in Kershaw’s growth as a pitcher was when he added a slider to complement his curveball and fastball.

“It’s because of the break,” Koufax says, “which makes it hard to hit. Anything that has a vertical break makes it harder to hit. If you look at a bat you know where the difficulty is: up and down.”

Kershaw, 37, and Koufax, 89, rank first and second in strikeouts (3,039 and 2,396) and wins (222 and 165) among Dodgers left-handed pitchers. When asked about Kershaw’s famous competitive streak, especially when pitching through and around injuries in the back half of his career, Koufax says, “Whether he was right or not right, he was going to compete. And, you know, that’s what it boils down to. Everybody has their good days and bad days, so the idea is to try and figure out how you win on the bad days—or not necessarily the bad days, but the less than good days.”

Few cricketers have as many subplots to deal with as Bavuma, but you would hardly know it watching the breezy innings South Africa’s captain put together in Gqeberha

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Dec-2024When you’re Temba Bavuma, an innings is not just an innings, a fifty is not allowed to only be a fifty, every hundred heaves with meaning, and a career playing a bat-and-ball sport has to feel like a tightrope maze over a river teeming with crocs. This is the lot of the trailblazer. And as far as trails go, this is a pretty rough one to blaze. Test batting, in the imagination of many, is among the most cerebral endeavours in sport. And you need not go hunting in especially dark corners of the internet to encounter the vile opinion that pursuits that require brain power are best handled by certain types of people. Bavuma likely falls outside these descriptions.Bavuma didn’t really ask for any of this. Ahead of this match, questioned on how he got through tough times in his first ten years in Test cricket, he focused his answer on his “love for the game”. He’d rolled up to that press conference driving the team mini van himself through the gates of the stadium, like a dad popping down to the hardware store to pick up some new screws in whatever family vehicle was available. No drivers, no security, no hangers on. Why complicate life?Related

• Pathum Nissanka 2.0 – Quiet, disciplined, and just a little greedy

• 'You discover yourself in hard times' – Bavuma reflects on his Test journey

• Rickelton's maiden ton propels SA but Asitha, Kumara ensure opening day is evenly shared

• Test centurion Rickelton proves to himself that he belongs on international stage

The innings he played the next day was awash in this simplicity. Though South Africa were 44 for 3 when he arrived at the crease in Gqeberha, he himself was clearly judging length beautifully. Fifth ball, he slid back against Prabath Jayasuriya and flicked one effortlessly off his pads for a four through midwicket. Not long after that, he dabbed a shortish, slightly wide ball, perfectly in the gap between slips and gully. A third boundary, riding the bounce of an Asitha Fernando delivery to deposit him through point, came off the 20th ball he faced.Off 30 deliveries, Bavuma was on 27, having just launched Jayasuriya so powerfully over deep midwicket, the ball was briefly lost over the corner wall. This was the over before lunch, so he have hunkered down and done the responsible thing. Not in this innings. Bavuma had been by a distance the best batter in the first Test. In this kind of form, no outside context was required. The bowler had pitched short and runs were on offer. “Those screws are on sale? Yeah, I’ll take them.”Temba Bavuma revealed that this upper cut was fully improvised•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesAt the other end, Ryan Rickelton had laboured to 29 off 74 balls, having flirted with plenty of balls outside off stump, where Bavuma had been more compact in defence.”For Temba to come in at 40-odd for 3 and not counterpunch but just kind of change a bit of momentum our way was very important,” Rickelton, who top scored with 101, said after play. “He’s moving really well, playing the ball really late as well, and hitting it where he wants it to go.”If there is a little surprise in Rickelton’s voice, it is because Bavuma has a reputation. Frequently his innings are weighed down by all sorts of contexts. Not for nothing is Bavuma’s Test match strike rate a shade under 50.”Usually, I think out of the two of us, people expect me to be scoring quickly. And it was nice to have the shoe on the other foot and sit and watch from the other side. He took a lot of pressure off me. He played just really good cricket shots on a wicket that isn’t the easiest to score on. He opened up the game and he wore them down quite a lot.”

“Usually, I think out of the two of us, people expect me to be scoring quickly. And it was nice to have the shoe on the other foot and sit and watch from the other side.”Ryan Rickelton on Temba Bavuma’s knock

Bavuma continued to float through the innings, the Gqeberha band piping up through the afternoon to bathe the surrounds in further joy and levity. He passed Rickelton and got to fifty off the 57th delivery he faced, flitting down the track to spin, easing into checked drives, almost as if top-scoring in the last game had untethered a part of him, somehow. Even in that Durban match, batting with the tail after Sri Lanka’s quicks had ripped the top order apart, he still was able to play a shot straight out of childhood fantasy – upper-cutting Lahiru Kumara for six over the slips with both his feet off the ground – a shot he later revealed was completely improvised. Maybe this version of Bavuma has always been there.Three innings into this home season, he has made 70, 113, and now 78 off 109, all outstanding innings, each varying dramatically in texture from the last. With five potential knocks to go, Bavuma now has the chance to write his name across the summer. An opportunity, perhaps, to drive his detractors back further, though they will likely continue to hang that conversion rate around his neck. With Bavuma, there are always these subplots, always things that remain unsaid but widely understood, bubbling beneath the things that are actually said.But perhaps it is best not to peer too far ahead, or look too far sideways. Why complicate life? Maybe it’s best to spend a moment in the spirit of Bavuma’s innings. On day one at St George’s Park, a batter revelled in his own excellent form, and produced the kind of innings so full of fun you couldn’t help but get caught up.

Brandon Williams’ attempts to rebuild his career away from Old Trafford appear to be stalling once again, with Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic confirming that discussions are underway regarding a potential January departure. The 25-year-old, who arrived in East Yorkshire only in mid-August, has barely had the opportunity to make an impact, and already his short stay looks destined to end prematurely.

• A difficult few years following high-speed crash

  The struggles of the Carrington Academy graduate have been well-documented, particularly since he became embroiled in a serious road incident. In August 2023, Williams was seen driving his Audi A3 at dangerously high speeds along the A34 near Handforth in Cheshire, before losing control and crashing into the central reservation after a collision with a Ford Fiesta. He later admitted guilt to reckless and uninsured driving. The consequences were significant. In May, he received a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, alongside a three-year driving ban and mandatory community service. The legal troubles arrived atop an already challenging period in his football career, which triggered a spiral from which he has struggled to emerge. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Struggling to prove himself at Hull

  Williams has managed just five minutes of senior football since signing for the Tigers, when he was introduced briefly as a substitute during the club’s third Championship match of the season. What followed has been a stretch of prolonged exclusion. He made four appearances as an unused substitute, and in 11 matchdays, his name did not even feature in the squad list. For a player desperate to restart a career once brimming with promise, the stagnation has been a sad sight.

  Despite the optimism surrounding his arrival, Jakirovic’s recent comments suggest Williams’ long-term prospects at the club are uncertain. Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, the Hull head coach confirmed that the left-back had felt discomfort in his calf and would undergo an MRI scan. He also revealed that the club had mapped out a six-week programme to help him build up match rhythm through Under-21 fixtures.

  He said: "He felt yesterday his calf a little bit so he will go on MRI. We are waiting [for] news and also we made one plan for him, six weeks plan, that he has a rhythm of games. He played for the Under-21s and then together with the club now we will decide what we will do with him in January. [Whether] he will stay with us [or] he will fight for his place, so he will continue forward maybe, to change clubs, but we will see.

  "This is also a question for all clubs. Right now, in those [academy] games he showed something but I don’t know if it’s enough for the Championship. This is something what maybe I need to decide we will do with him. Whether he will stay or he will change."

• A rise under Solskjaer that faded too soon

  Williams’ early years at Manchester United suggested a very different trajectory. He broke through as a dynamic 19-year-old under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, making 51 appearances across two seasons, 50 of those during Solskjaer’s tenure. Representing England at the Under-20 and Under-21 levels, he was widely regarded as one of United’s brightest homegrown prospects. But the momentum faded quickly. A loan move to Norwich City in the 2021/22 season gave him regular playing time, but that did not help him grab the spotlight. He was again sent to Ipswich Town for the 2023/24 campaign, but he failed to reach 1,000 minutes before his stint at Portman Road ended early. When United declined to renew his contract in 2024, Williams found himself without a club for an entire year.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images Sport
  

  What comes next?

  For a player who once looked destined for a long and successful Premier League career, Williams’ decline has been both swift and sobering. Meanwhile, Hull are currently ninth in the Championship with 28 points from 18 matches. They will continue their push for a play-off spot when they meet Middlesbrough on Friday evening.

Seamer Jake Ball chimes in with 4 for 34 as Somerset win by six wickets

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay14-Aug-2025Somerset 252 for 4 (Vaughan 95, J Rew 53*) beat Yorkshire 247 (Revis 85, Ball 4-34) by six wicketsFour-wicket seamer Jake Ball and opener Archie Vaughan with a career best 95 starred as Somerset ended Yorkshire’s 100 percent winning start to this season’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup by bowling the Group B leaders out for 247 at York and then chasing confidently.Somerset joined their hosts on 12 points at the top of the table at the halfway stage in the group campaign courtesy of this six-wicket win with five balls remaining. Both counties having won three and lost one.Yorkshire still hold sway courtesy of a superior net run-rate, but they were second-best on a used Clifton Park pitch.Yorkshire lost wickets in clusters at either end of a scrambling innings which saw ex-England limited overs quick Ball take an excellent 4 for 34 from 9.4 overs and Matthew Revis top-scored with a middle-order List A best of 85 off as many balls.Ball’s best List A figures in just over six years preceded Sheffield-born teenager Vaughan’s classy 127-ball effort with 11 fours. It was ironic that this senior best should come against the county for whom his father Michael starred.Yorkshire, inserted, slumped to 28 for 3 inside 10 overs.Without injured in-form opener Imam-Ul-Haq (hip), they lost Adam Lyth bowled by a beauty from Ball, Will Luxton run out next ball and James Wharton caught behind one-handed going low to his right by James Rew off Ben Green.Luxton misjudged a push to mid-off, where Josh Thomas misfielded before recovering to throw the non-striker’s stumps down.Revis, who hit nine fours, held things together on the pitch used for Tuesday’s win over Lancashire, with Yorkshire compiling nothing more than a workable total.Fin Bean, on 28, cut 18-year-old debutant seamer James Theedom to backward point with the score on 72 in the 18th over.Revis oozed confidence following three recent Championship centuries and a 69 earlier in this competition. He reached a 49-ball fifty here shortly before Yorkshire reached the halfway-mark in their innings at 115 for 4.He found an ally in fellow all-rounder George Hill. They calmly shared a recovery fifth-wicket partnership of 102.Yorkshire then lost four quick wickets, including Revis and Hill caught pulling, as the score fell from 174 for 5 in the 36th over to 204 for 8 in the 42nd. Green’s second wicket accounted for Revis, 34-year-old Ball’s second was Hill for 41.Tom Lammonby’s left-arm seam also claimed two wickets in that period.Dan Moriarty heaved the only two sixes of Yorkshire’s innings in a career-best 30 before holing out to cover as Ball struck twice in the 49th over to wrap things up.Vaughan, in his first competitive senior career appearance against his birth county, steered Somerset’s stress-free chase.Lammonby was well caught at deep gully by Lyth off Hill en route to 48 for 1 after 10 overs before 19-year-old Vaughan shared a second-wicket partnership of 70 with Lewis Goldsworthy, 30.Vaughan was particularly strong off the back foot on either side of the wicket. He reached his fifty off 65 balls.Goldsworthy fell at 111 for 2 in the 25th over when he top-edged a pull at Revis to long-leg.Vaughan continued on unflustered, sharing 64 with his captain James Rew. But he was bowled looking to go over the top against Dom Bess’s off-spin. Still, at 175 for three in the 38th, Somerset were in a strong position.James Rew finished unbeaten 53 off 62, while brother Thomas also contributed 31.

Arsenal’s fourth Premier League win in a row yesterday has seen the Gunners take a huge stride towards finally ending their drought for a league title.

Mikel Arteta’s men secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace at the Emirates – a result that takes his side four points clear at the summit.

It was far from a vintage display for the Spaniard’s outfit, but the manager will be pleased that his side managed to battle through the adversity and claim three more vital points.

The likes of Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres endured quiet afternoons in North London and were unable to add to their tallies in the 2025/26 campaign.

However, one player did manage to step up to the plate and produce the goods and subsequently pop up with the vital contribution yesterday afternoon.

Eberechi Eze’s display against Crystal Palace

Back in the summer transfer window, Arsenal forked out a fee in the region of £67.5m for the signature of Eberechi Eze – in an attempt to bolster their depth and quality in the final third.

Since arriving from Crystal Palace, the England international had only netted one goal, with such an effort coming against League One side Port Vale in the Carabao Cup.

Ahead of the clash, there was a sense of inevitability he would score against his former employers – and that he did, firing home a loose ball just minutes before half-time.

Alongside his first Premier League goal, Eze also impressed with his creativity, subsequently registering seven passes into the final third, which saw him create two chances in the process.

The 27-year-old also won five of the seven duels he entered, whilst also completing 100% of the duels he entered – producing a really impressive all-round showing in North London.

However, despite Eze’s showing, one other Gunner managed to impress in the triumph, with the regular starter now becoming one of the manager’s most important players.

The Arsenal star who’s becoming one of Arteta’s most important players

Gabriel has been one of Arsenal’s star men over the last couple of years, with his performances at both ends having a real impact on the club’s ability to challenge for a title.

The Brazilian’s showing against Palace yesterday was yet another example of his quality, with the centre-back hitting the woodwork and coming perilously close to his third goal of the campaign.

Out of possession, he led the Gunners to a sixth Premier League clean sheet of the campaign, after making six clearances and winning 100% of the ground duels he entered.

However, the 27-year-old isn’t alone in becoming a key man for Arteta, with midfielder Declan Rice producing a phenomenal display against Palace yesterday afternoon.

The Englishman had huge expectations placed upon him after his £105m transfer from West Ham United, but it’s safe to say he’s massively surpassed all of the supporters’ expectations.

He’s started all but one league game this campaign, with his showing against the Eagles one of his most impressive over the last couple of months.

Rice created three chances and made two tackles during the victory, both of which were the highest tallies of any player on the pitch throughout the 90-minute match.

Other figures, such as 38 passes completed, with 12 being into the final third, showcase his incredible composure with the ball to dictate the play at the heart of the side.

However, out of possession, the Englishman was just as impressive, as he made two interceptions and won 100% of the aerial duels he entered against Oliver Glasner’s men.

To top off his excellent display, Rice was handed a superb 8/10 match rating by The Express’ Tom Parsons – topping off what was a phenomenal afternoon at the Emirates.

After such a showing, there’s little debate that the Englishman is once again becoming one of the club’s first names on the teamsheet in the hunt for a Premier League title.

If he can continue to perform alongside Gabriel and Eze, there’s no reason why Arteta’s men can’t go all the way and end the generational wait for a top-division title.

Fewer touches than Raya: Arteta must drop 5/10 Arsenal dud after Palace

Arsenal strengthened their grip on top spot after an impressive 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 26, 2025