There are six newbies, including a former USA international, in West Indies’ squad for the tour of the UAE to take on Nepal

Deivarayan Muthu26-Sep-2025

Ackeem Auguste

Ackeem Auguste, who turned 22 earlier this month, is set to become the fourth St Lucian to play for West Indies men in international cricket after Daren Sammy, his current coach at St Lucia Kings in the CPL, Johnson Charles and Garey Mathurin. A sleek left-hand batter, Auguste can slot in at No. 3 or even in the middle order. In 2024, he won the CPL with Kings as an emerging player and more recently, in CPL 2025, he became a regular for the franchise, scoring 229 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of over 160.Auguste has not played an official game in the subcontinent yet, but has had exposure to a variety of spinners, including mystery spinners, during his two-week stint at the Chennai Super Kings Academy last year.Amir Jangoo is likely to compete with Jewel Andrew for the second wicketkeeper’s spot•CPL

Amir Jangoo

Another left-hand batter with some eye-catching strokes in his locker, Amir Jangoo can also double up as a wicketkeeper. On his ODI debut against Bangladesh last year, Jangoo looked the part during his unbeaten 104 off 83 balls, which sealed a chase of 322 in Basseterre. When he did that, Jangoo, who hails from Trinidad & Tobago, became only the second West Indian after Desmond Haynes to hit a century on ODI debut.More recently, in CPL 2025, he made three half-centuries in four innings for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons. He is likely to compete with Jewel Andrew for the second wicketkeeper’s spot in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.Karima Gore was more known for his left-arm fingerspin but has refashioned himself as a batter who can bowl•CPL T20

Karima Gore

Karima Gore was born in the Bronx in New York and has played 24 international games for USA, but his Antiguan heritage – he was raised in Antigua and plays for Leeward Islands – allows him to represent the West Indies. An allrounder, Gore was more known for his left-arm fingerspin when he was part of USA and San Francisco Unicorns in MLC, but in CPL 2025 for Falcons, he refashioned himself as a batter who could bowl.In his first CPL season, Gore emerged as Falcons’ highest run-getter, with 219 in ten innings at a strike rate of 129.58. Gore had started the season with back-to-back fifties from No. 3, but his form cooled off in the latter stages of the competition. He is electric in the field, which makes him an attractive package.Zishan Motara has played just two T20s so far•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Zishan Motara

Barbados’ Zishan Motara, who has played just two T20s so far for just one wicket, has been fast-tracked into the West Indies set-up. The 19-year-old, the youngest in this list, seems to have the raw material to succeed in top-flight cricket: he’s tall, generates extra bounce and has a fairly sharp wrong’un in his repertoire.He was a net bowler with Barbados Royals in CPL 2024 before he broke into their main squad and debuted for them this season. Zishan’s father Zahir, who was a former basketball captain for Barbados, is now a basketball coach. Zahir had also played club cricket in Barbados.Ramon Simmonds was Royals’ second-highest wicket-taker in CPL 2025•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Ramon Simmonds

A left-arm quick with the yorker and a few slower balls among his variations, Ramon Simmonds was a bright spark in an otherwise gloomy CPL campaign for Royals. He was Royals’ second-highest wicket-taker with 13 strikes in nine innings at an economy rate of 8.05.When Jason Holder was with Royals in 2022, he was impressed with Simmonds’ variations and his composure under pressure. The 23-year-old left-armer has been a “project player” for Royals, having also turned out for their team – Paarl Royals – in the SA20.A legspin-bowling allrounder, Navin Bidaisee gave a good account of himself in CPL 2025•CPL T20/Getty Images

Navin Bidaisee

A legspin-bowling allrounder, Navin Bidaisee could potentially give West Indies the balance that they have been searching for. Hailing from Trinidad & Tobago, Bidaisee was drafted by St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for CPL 2025. He made an immediate impression on CPL debut, against former champions Kings, scoring a 35-ball half-century from No. 5 in a chase of 201. He seemed set to take Patriots home until he holed out off the final ball.With the ball, he dismissed Quinton de Kock and Sherfane Rutherford, helping Patriots snatch a one-run win against Royals. Prior to CPL 2025, Bidaisee was the joint-second-highest wicket-taker in the Breakout League, with ten strikes in six innings at an economy rate of 6.25.

It might not have been pretty, but Liverpool have that winning feeling again, having ended their recent rut with a deserved 1-0 win away at Inter Milan on Tuesday evening.

There few highs, but also – more importantly – few lows at San Siro for Arne Slot’s side, with the reigning Premier League champions looking far more comfortable than they did just days earlier amid the chaos at Elland Road.

Perhaps that speaks to the gulf in quality that has opened up between the Champions League and England’s top flight, although, regardless, seeing off last season’s losing finalists is no mean feat. Slot needed that.

Having been vindicated in his decision to leave out Mohamed Salah for the trip to Italy, the title-winning Dutchman’s ruthless streak might well be beginning to pay off.

The issue is, the Egyptian isn’t the only problem still to be solved, with more members of last season’s glorious side still looking way off the pace.

Liverpool's worst performers against Inter in numbers

Now, this isn’t to try and pop the balloon following what was a much-needed victory for Slot and co, although the former Feyenoord boss himself would admit that his side were far from perfect on the night.

Indeed, a string of absences – and not just that of Salah – saw the Reds lineup with something of a new-look forward line, albeit with it taking a controversial Dominik Szoboszlai spot-kick to eventually settle the affair.

All eyes were on the pairing of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike – with the night marking just their second start together all season – yet, perhaps as to be expected, there was little in the way of fluency or dynamism, even with the visitors posing the greater threat during the first half, in particular.

Isak, in particular, endured yet another frustrating outing to continue his Merseyside woes, with the £125m Swede regularly failing to make things stick through the middle, losing the ball on eight occasions from just 25 touches, as per Sofascore, prior to being withdrawn on the 68-minute mark.

While the price tag may suggest otherwise, the 25-year-old shouldn’t necessarily be the only avenue for concern, with it also proving a difficult outing for Joe Gomez at right-back.

Accurate passes

Jones (67)

Duels won

Mkhitaryan (8)

Aerial duels won

Van Dijk (3)

Successful dribbles

Ekitike (5)

Touches

Bastoni (94)

Key passes

Akanji (3)

Possession lost

Dimarco (17)

The Englishman was safe and steady, although he provided little attacking flair, having lost the ball 11 times himself, while failing to provide a single successful cross or key pass, having won just a solitary duel all night.

The Anfield side looked far more progressive and threatening with substitute Conor Bradley unleashed down that side, with the hope being that the Northern Ireland star can remain injury-free heading into a hectic festive period.

Slot will surely wish to bring the academy graduate into the starting lineup on a regular basis, although one man who could fall out of the reckoning is last season’s star, Alexis Mac Allister.

Liverpool's new Joe Allen & Lucas Leiva

Central to what made Slot’s side so impressive last term was the midfield unit, with the Dutchman reinvigorating Ryan Gravenberch in that deep-lying role, while also finally getting a tune out of Szoboszlai in an advanced, attacking berth.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

It was also, however, another fine campaign for that man Mac Allister, with the 2023 summer arrival from Brighton having cemented his status as “one of the best signings” that the club had made in the FSG era, in the view of DaveOCKOP.

The World Cup winner was the key, the glue keeping it together in the centre of the park, having also showcased his attacking flair with 13 goals and assists in all competitions.

From that knack for delivering clutch moments, the Argentine has frustratingly tailed off this time around, with his effort against Real Madrid earlier this season having been his only goal to date in 2025/26.

With just two assists also added into the mix, the 26-year-old is morphing into Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen territory at present, representing a solid but unspectacular option at the heart of the midfield.

Indeed, neither man was particularly adept at making the difference in a creative sense, with Allen scoring just seven goals in 132 games during his time at Anfield, while cult figure Leiva also netted just seven times himself, albeit from 346 total games.

To compare Mac Allister to such a limited pairing might appear hyperbolic, although again on Tuesday night, he was distinctly lacking any spark or flair, having failed to provide a single key pass, nor attempt a single shot or dribble.

He did win six of his seven ground duels, while losing the ball just five times, but again, there was that risk-averse feel to his performance, echoing those sorry days of Allen and Leiva lining up in the Brendan Rodgers and early Jurgen Klopp era.

As already stated, Mac Allister’s prior work ensures he remains one of FSG’s “best signings”, not least considering his bargain £35m fee, although like many of his teammates, the former Seagulls star simply doesn’t look like the player of 2024/25.

As bad as Isak vs Inter: Liverpool mainstay must now be axed by Slot

Liverpool secured a significant victory at Inter Milan in the Champions League.

ByAngus Sinclair 2 days ago

Beaten in their first three games, Thunder remain seventh on the table but are now back in the hunt after a convincing win over Scorchers

AAP19-Nov-2025Sydney Thunder have breathed life back into their WBBL season, recording their first win of the summer with a convincing nine-wicket victory over Perth.Set 151 to win at Sydney’s Drummoyne Oval, Tahlia Wilson’s unbeaten 55 from 44 balls helped Thunder cruise to victory with ten balls to spare.Phoebe Litchfield then finished the game with a big six to bring up her 35-ball half-century, while Georgia Voll hit 43 from 31 at the top.Beaten in their first three games, Thunder remain seventh on the table but are now back in the hunt ahead of their clash with last-placed Brisbane on Friday.After being given a life early when Freya Kemp put down a sitter when on five, Thunder opener Wilson was clinical from there on.She sat at the other end while Voll was the main aggressor, before taking over the innings when the right-hander was caught behind.Leading run-scorer in the 50-over WNCL last summer, Wednesday’s knock marked only Wilson’s third half-century in 80 WBBL games.Earlier Katie Mack threatened to make the Thunder pay for a missed chance of their own, when the opener was dropped first ball at slip by Heather Knight before reaching 79.She hit Voll for three straight boundaries a few overs later, kicking off an innings where she drove through the covers at will and pulled the ball to the boundary regularly.Signed by Scorchers to offer more support to Beth Mooney, it was Mack that was the lead act on Wednesday night.But no other Scorcher passed 20, with the innings stagnating when Kemp was run out and Paige Schofield trapped lbw in the space of two balls in the 12th over.That ultimately proved decisive with the Scorchers’ 150 for 7 never looking like enough once Thunder got going.

Former captains Mohammad Ashraful and Akram Khan point at systemic issues around team selection, lack of batting plans, and players not adapting to the modern way

Mohammad Isam16-Oct-2025Bangladesh’s seemingly never-ending issues in the batting department remains in focus as they head into another ODI series – this time against West Indies at home – within three days of their 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Afghanistan.There is a confidence problem within the batting group, with captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz conceding after their 200-run defeat in the third ODI that they wanted to bat 50 overs but were struggling to.Fans are irate too. On Wednesday, one group gave the Bangladesh players an unsavoury welcome, including inflicting damage on some players’ vehicles. Another group urged people to stay away from the Shere Bangla National Stadium for the first ODI against West Indies on Saturday.Related

Bangladesh, West Indies prepare to do battle with puzzles to solve

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Bangladesh call up Soumya and Mahidul for West Indies ODIs

Former Bangladesh captains Mohammad Ashraful and Akram Khan have both said that Bangladesh’s batting approach and overall strategy in the last 12 months have left them baffled.Ashraful, who has recently started his coaching career, said that the problems begin at the top, with Bangladesh’s top-order. Only Saif Hassan, playing his maiden ODI series, played the lead in whatever starts Bangladesh got against Afghanistan. Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 22 runs in five innings between them. Mohammad Naim scratched around for seven in his only appearance.The situation was slightly better against Sri Lanka in July, although Tanzid and Parvez Hossain Emon scoring a fifty each hardly made a difference to the team’s performances. Shanto made 37 runs in three innings back then.”I think the biggest concern is the lack of runs from the top order,” Ashraful told ESPNcricinfo. “It has been going on for a while now. Shanto isn’t scoring runs, so that’s becoming a problem. In fact, the lack of runs from the top order goes back quite a long way. During the West Indies series last year, it was Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali and Mehidy Hasan Miraz bailing us out every time. We did put up reasonable totals but I kept feeling that we were at least 50 runs short in those three matches. Even before that, in the previous Afghanistan series last year, we couldn’t get good starts because of poor strike rates.”Ashraful said that the lack of runs from Shanto and Litton Das, and Mehidy’s lukewarm batting tempo through the middle-overs, have dented Bangladesh severely. Among the batters around the national side these days, Mehidy is the most experienced with 113 ODIs, while Litton is on 95 and Shanto 55.Litton Das has been in and out of the ODI team•AFP/Getty ImagesLitton’s ODI career has stalled after a prolonged batting drought in the format. He has scored only 35 runs in his last nine innings going back to December 2023. He has been dropped twice from ODIs, although he is a Test regular and the T20I captain.”Whenever the team’s established batters don’t score runs, it makes life difficult for the rest,” Ashraful said. “Litton has been in and out of the ODI team for a while now. He is sometimes out of the squad, and then they bring him in on the back of some runs in another format. He returns, and then he fails again.”I also feel that since Mehidy began batting at No. 5, he is scoring runs but not how modern batters go about it. We are going back to our time when a batter would score 65-70 off 100 balls.”

“The ODI team hasn’t settled down. There’s too much chopping and changing. I think many of these decisions are being taken due to pressure from media and social media”Mohammad Ashraful

Bangladesh have been going through a batting transition in the last 24 months. Those who exited the format – Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah – possessed vast ODI experience. Tanzid, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy and Jaker have since taken over those batting positions and the swaps haven’t been smooth.Tanzid no longer enjoys a blanket backing from the management. Hridoy’s honeymoon period is long gone – he has failed to make meaningful contributions since the century against India in the Champions Trophy. Jaker is struggling, too, in the last few months.Akram, the BCB’s cricket operations chairman across two terms in the last ten years, is sympathetic.”I think there’s too much pressure on the players,” Akram told ESPNcricinfo. “They are not a bad team. These are not bad players. Generally, however, I am not seeing the ability to play big knocks. I don’t see the batters planning their innings, or at least breaking them down to phases of 15 balls each. Batting like this was possible in Abu Dhabi where we saw that only one innings got close to the 300-run mark. But we didn’t plan well.ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been among the runs, but his strike rate has been a concern•AFP/Getty Images”I think the coaches should be held accountable. Losing one in ten matches is okay, but when you lose most games, there will be questions. It is high time we understand the importance of the men’s cricket team. Their level of performance reflects the overall health of cricket in the country. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement.”Ashraful also feels there should be better decision-making in the selection of the side. Apart from what he said about Litton, he pointed to the selection policy when it came to Soumya Sarkar.”The ODI team hasn’t settled down. There’s too much chopping and changing,” Ashraful said. “I think many of these decisions are being taken due to pressure from media and social media.”It will be a tough series against the West Indies. It won’t be like the ODI series in the past few years. West Indies are fresh from a Test series in India where two of their batters struck centuries in the second Test. I think that makes them a team with more confidence.”In home conditions, however, “we can always hope to do well,” Ashraful said. Which, of course, might only serve to paper over the cracks.

يلاقي فريق ريال مدريد نظيره سيلتا فيجو، مساء اليوم الأحد، ضمن مباريات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لموسم 2025-2026.

ويستقبل ريال مدريد خصمه سيلتا فيجو، بملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” في مباراة من الجولة السادسة عشر للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

ويأتي ريال مدريد في المركز الثاني بجدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، ويملك في رصيده 36 نقطة، بعدما فاز في المباراة الماضية على أتلتيك بلباو بثلاثية نظيفة.

ويتواجد سيلتا فيجو بالمركز الثالث عشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، حيث يملك في رصيده 16 نقطة.

ويتصدر برشلونة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 40 نقطة، وقد حقق الفوز بنتيجة 5-3، مساء السبت أمام خصمه ريال بيتيس. موعد مباراة ريال مدريد وسيلتا فيجو اليوم

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الحادية عشر مساءً بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة ريال مدريد وسيلتا فيجو

تذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN SPORTS HD1. معلق مباراة ريال مدريد وسيلتا فيجو

يعلق على المباراة، علي محمد علي.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

MatériaMais Notícias

A Portuguesa-RJ confirmou a contratação do zagueiro Jadson Cristiano, de 34 anos, para a temporada de 2026. O defensor chega para reforçar o elenco nas disputas da Série D do Campeonato Brasileiro, Copa do Brasil, Campeonato Carioca e Copa Rio, competições que compõem o calendário rubro-verde no próximo ano.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

— Estou muito feliz por retornar ao Brasil depois de tantos anos fora e por ter a oportunidade de defender a Portuguesa-RJ. É um clube tradicional, centenário, que vem se estruturando e acreditou no meu trabalho. Espero usar toda a experiência que acumulei ao longo da carreira para ajudar o grupo nas competições do próximo ano e contribuir para que o clube alcance seus objetivos — disse o atleta através das redes sociais.

Com uma vasta trajetória no futebol internacional, Jadson Cristiano acumula passagens por Portimonense (Portugal), Vasco, Wuhan Three Towns (China), Shandong Taishan (China), entre outros clubes. Ao todo, são mais de dez anos atuando no exterior, sendo seis temporadas em Portugal e cinco na China. Durante esse período, o defensor conquistou títulos como a Segunda Liga Portuguesa, a Segunda Liga Chinesa, a Copa da China e a primeira divisão do Campeonato Chinês.

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Natural de Natal (RN), Jadson vive agora sua terceira experiência em clubes do Rio de Janeiro. O zagueiro iniciou sua carreira profissional no América-RJ, em 2014, e posteriormente defendeu o Bonsucesso, antes de seguir para o futebol europeu em 2015.

Antes dele, a Zebra já havia anunciado as chegadas de Léo Muchacho, Agustín Vanega, Rhuan Silveira, Gutemberg Martins, Guilherme Silveira, além do retorno do meia Anderson Rosa, que volta a vestir as cores do clube.

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With a thrilling 2025 World Series in the books, it’s time to look ahead to MLB award season.

The majority of MLB awards for the 2025 season will be announced over the coming eight days, including who won MVP in the American League and National League, the sport’s most prestigious awards.

Before the announcement of the league’s top honors, here’s a look at how the voting process works.

Which awards are given out after the MLB season?

A number of awards and honors are bestowed to the top players in MLB each year. Here is a full list of those awards.

Roberto Clemente Award (Given to the player that best represents baseball on and off the field through character and community involvement)Gold Glove AwardsSilver Slugger AwardsPlatinum Glove AwardsRookie of the Year Manager of the YearCy Young (Given to the best pitcher in each league)Executive of the YearAll-MLB teamsHank Aaron Award (Given to the top hitter in each league)Rivera/Hoffman Reliever of the YearEdgar Martinez Outstanding Designated HitterComeback Player of the YearMVP (Given to the top player in each league)Heart & Hustle Award (Given to a player that’s passionate about baseball and “best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game”)Who votes for MLB’s major awards?

The Baseball Writer’s Association of America is responsible for voting for MVP, Cy Young Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year awards, the biggest awards of the year. The BBWAA uses 30 voters to vote on each of the four awards.

Managers and coaches from all 30 teams vote on both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove award winners, though they can’t vote for any players on their team. Fans then vote on the best Gold Glove winner from each league, and that player wins the Platinum Glove award.

All-MLB Team, which was first awarded in 2019, is voted on by fans as well as a panel including media members, former players and baseball officials.

For the Hank Aaron Award, fans account for 30% of the voting, while votes from broadcasters and analysts count for the remaining 70% of the points. Comeback Player of the Year is voted on by a panel of league beat reporters.

The Executive of the Year award is voted on by executives from all 30 teams prior to the start of the postseason. Reliever of the Year is voted on by a group of retired relievers.

Finally, the Heart & Hustle award sees committees from the MLB player’s alumni association nominate a player from every team. The MLBPAA, fans and players then vote for the winner among those 30 nominees.

When are MLB award finalists and winners announced?

The finalists for MLB awards were announced earlier this week. Winners of the Roberto Clemente Award and Gold Glove awards have additionally already been announced.

Outside of those awards winners, the majority of the remaining MLB awards will be announced between Nov. 7–13. Only the Heart and Hustle Award will be announced later than Nov. 13, on Nov. 20.

For the full MLB award announcement schedule, click here.

How the voting process works for MLB Awards

For each of the awards voted on by the BBWAA, there is weighted point system that determines the winner. For MVP, there are 10 spots on each ballot. First-place votes are worth 14 points while second to 10th-place votes are worth 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 points in descending order.

There are five spots on the ballot for the Cy Young award. First place votes are worth 7 points while votes for second to fifth place are worth 4-3-2-1 points in descending order. Rookie and the Manager of the Year get three spots on the ballot. First place for those awards is worth five points, second place is worth three points and third place is worth one point.

Where and how to watch the MLB award announcements

MLB awards will be announced on MLB Network, and will include reactions from the winners of the awards. For those unable to tune in, MLB and BBWAA’s social media channels will also share who wins each honor.

In Oct. 1992, Deion Sanders had an iron grip on the sports world. That month, the Braves outfielder played eight games in the National League Championship Series and World Series while also playing two games at cornerback for the Falcons.

This is to say: the Colorado football coach knows Major League Baseball playoff uniqueness when he sees it—and he sees it in Dodgers designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who delivered one of the great sports feats of this century in Game 4 of the NLCS Friday.

“I’ve seen some wonderful things that have transpired in sports. It’s hard for me to say (it's the greatest performance ever in any sport), but that is unbelievable," Sanders said via Pat Graham of the AP. “He’s doing something that’s unfathomable.”

In Los Angeles's 5–1 win over the Brewers on Friday, Ohtani smashed three home runs while striking out 10 batters as a pitcher.

Sanders, for his part, slashed .400/.455/.500 with one run batted in in the '92 playoffs, while adding a reception and five decent kick returns on the gridiron that month (no matter: he'd finish the year as an All-Pro anyway).

“Can they just hand (Ohtani) the MVP during the game?" Sanders asked, echoing many viewers Friday. The fourth for the future Hall of Famer doesn't seem far away.

Manchester United’s lack of success in the Premier League has been there for all to see, with the club now going 12 years without a title – something which was unthinkable during the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

The Red Devils have been through countless managers since the Scotsman’s retirement, but Ruben Amorim is the latest to try and end such a drought.

The 40-year-old has come under huge scrutiny over the last couple of months, and understandably so, given his measly win percentage of just 41% across all competitions.

However, the manager has already been massively backed by the hierarchy in the market, as seen by the £200m spending spree during the summer transfer window.

As part of the heavy backing from INEOS, the former Sporting CP boss added numerous attackers to his first-team squad, with one already making an immediate impact after his move to Manchester.

The stats behind Mbeumo’s start to life at Man Utd

During the summer, a real impetus was placed on improving United’s frontline, which saw the vast majority of their spending directed into the final third.

Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha were just two of the additions made by the hierarchy, with Bryan Mbeumo the final part of the new-look attacking trio formed by INEOS.

The Cameroonian joined in a deal worth a reported £71m from top-division rivals Brentford, with such a deal seeming to be an overpay at the time it was confirmed.

However, 15 games into his career at Old Trafford, such a move now looks like excellent business, with the 26-year-old already scoring six times in the Premier League.

Such a tally is the highest in the first-team squad, but his underlying stats in the league further showcase his impressive start to life at the Theatre of Dreams.

Mbeumo has also registered 1.5 shots on target per 90, with an accuracy rate of 58%, with both tallies currently the highest of any player in the first-team setup.

The United star who’s becoming the best in the world

Despite the struggles over the last couple of seasons, numerous United players have still managed to catch the eye – but none more so than Bruno Fernandes.

The 31-year-old, who’s the club’s captain, registered by far and away the most goals and assists last campaign, subsequently ending the year on 37 goal contributions across all competitions.

He’s no doubt been at world-class level over the past couple of years, with more of an argument certainly being made after showcasing his versatility under Amorim in 2025/26.

Bruno has dropped into a deeper midfield role this season, but it has not stopped him from starring in the Premier League – as seen by his incredible tally of 10 goals and assists in his 15 appearances.

Alongside Mbeumo and Bruno, goalkeeper Senne Lammens has also massively exceeded all expectations after his own summer transfer to join the Red Devils.

The Belgian was brought in from Royal Antwerp on deadline day to bolster the shot-stopping department and provide an upgrade on the now departed Andre Onana.

Whilst he had to bide his time early on in his career at Old Trafford, the 23-year-old has now cemented himself as the club’s number one between the sticks and has become one of Amorim’s star men.

He’s now featured in nine league matches after his summer transfer, with his stats from the current campaign showcasing his immediate impact – leading to huge praise being directed his way.

Lammens has conceded just 11 goals in his nine matches to date, subsequently registering two saves per 90 whilst achieving a save percentage of 62% – one of the best records in the division.

Senne Lammens – Man Utd stats

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

9

Minutes played

810

Saves made

2.0

Goals prevented

0.14

Goals conceded

11

Clean sheets

1

High claims

8

Long balls completed

6.9

Stats via FotMob

He’s already prevented 0.14 goals this season – ranking him in the top 25% of all ‘keepers in league, resulting in one analyst labelling him “one of the best in the world”.

The Belgian’s impressive figures have also been evident with the ball at feet, subsequently completing 6.9 long balls per 90, which places him in the top 15% of other goalkeepers in England’s top-flight.

Given his £15m fee and the issues that the club faced in such an area before his move, it’s safe to say that Lammens has certainly been a better addition than Mbeumo.

At just 23, he has plenty of time in his career to reach the next level, which certainly could allow him to become one of the best goalkeepers in the world for at least the next decade.

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Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb 2 days ago

Get up to speed with all you need to know as the clock ticks down to the first ball in Perth

Alan Gardner19-Nov-2025So this Ashes is a big deal, is it?
As the oldest rivalry in cricket (yes, we are deliberately overlooking USA vs Canada) the Ashes is always a big deal. But the 2025-26 series has been amped up to what feels like a new level – and this despite England’s woeful record in Australia, which reads P15 W0 L13 over their last three tours of the country.Why’s everyone so excited then?
There are a number of factors at play. Foremost is the style of cricket England have adopted – dubbed “Bazball” by one of ESPNcricinfo’s own – and the sense that they will come and have a go in a manner than few English teams in Australia have managed this century. There is also the hangover from the last Ashes, in England in 2023, which ended 2-2 but sparked all sorts of back-and-forth over “moral victories” and who really came out on top.Related

Will this Ashes be the making of Bazball 2.0?

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They didn’t manage to Bazball Australia at home, then?
No, but they did come back from 2-0 down, and were arguably only denied victory in the series by rain in Manchester. But let’s not go over all that again. England have been planning for the next campaign down under ever since, and have assembled what might be their fastest-ever bowling attack in a bid to win in Australia for the first time since 2010-11.So should Australia be worried?
Not on the face of it, given England have rarely even come close to winning a Test in the (Un)Lucky Country in the intervening period – and have particularly painful memories of a grueling visit, wreathed in Covid regulations, in 2021-22. Australia, meanwhile, have won five of their last seven Test series, including four in a row, and last experienced defeat in India in 2022-23. At home, they haven’t been beaten since 2020-21 (again by India). They also reached the final of the World Test Championship, although lost out on the mace to South Africa.I sense a ‘but’ coming here…
You guessed it. But Australia, who have picked a squad with only one player under the age of 30, are in the rare position of having significant question marks over their XI. Notably, it looks like they will field a debutant opener, while the man at the other end, Usman Khawaja, might be on borrowed time. They have also been beset by untimely injuries: captain, Pat Cummins, will miss the first Test as he continues to rehab from a back stress reaction, while another of Australia’s “Big Three” seam attack, Josh Hazlewood, is out with a hamstring strain.All eyes are on when Pat Cummins could play a role in the Ashes•Getty Images

So England will be taking on a weakened opposition?
On paper, yes, although Scott Boland (Test bowling average in Australia: 12.63) is a more than capable back-up for Cummins, while Brendan Doggett, another likely debutant, has both form and pedigree after his long wait for a baggy green. Steven Smith won’t miss a beat as stand-in captain, either. Whether this is the “worst Australia side since 2010-11” is up for debate, but their selection quandaries have certainly added to the intrigue around the build-up.Ah yes, the old ‘phoney war’…
As daft as ever, and impossible to get away from. But at least it’s almost time to take out the trash talk.Any other reasons for optimistic Englishmen to stay up through the night?
Well, Australian pitches have certainly made for entertaining viewing over recent seasons and might help level the playing field. Whether England have brought the right attack for the conditions is another debate.Will this be Joe Root’s Ashes?•Getty Images

They do arrive with the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked Test batters, Joe Root and Harry Brook (the latter for the first major Test of his supreme away record), as well as a fit Ben Stokes, after a shoulder tear sustained during the English summer. They’ve been lucky with injuries (so far), with Mark Wood surviving his own hamstring-knack scare over the weekend. And the only major talking point around their batting order – the identity of No. 3 – was put to bed during the warm-up game against England Lions by Ollie Pope making scores of 100 and 90.All aboard the Bazball bus, then!
At least until the wheels fall off. The series starts in Perth, where England have only ever won once (at the old WACA Ground) – with Optus Stadium hosting an Ashes Test for the first time. Then it’s on to the pink-ball day-night game at the Gabba in Brisbane, followed by Adelaide, which last hosted England for a daytime Test in 2013-14. If the Ashes are still alive come the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, we should have a series on our hands.Sounds like the chances are good?
Let’s see. It’s certainly their best shot in a long while. At the very least, it’s to be hoped that England won’t have conceded the contest inside 12 days’ cricket.Fingers crossed! Anything else I should know?
Regardless of whether England can be competitive/win a Test/not suffer complete embarrassment, let’s hope that Root finally scores a hundred on Australia soil. Otherwise Matthew Hayden’s middle stump is going for a walk – and not in the good way.