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The offspinner has put her career in veterinary science on hold to live her cricket dream

Shashank Kishore16-Oct-2024Eden Carson, 23, imagined being a reel sensation for things more serious than just a sheepish grin. But when she woke up on Monday, her Instagram blew up with “tons of stories” that she had been tagged in for being tongue-tied and grinning away when asked of New Zealand’s semi-final entry at the T20 World Cup.”When that interview [to TV presenter Laura McGoldrick] first happened, I don’t think it really set in that we’d made the semis,” Carson tells ESPNcricinfo. “I was just so proud and overwhelmed with joy that we’ve got this far, because I know a lot of people probably didn’t think we would get here.”Quickly realising the light-heartedness of the question, Carson breaks the seriousness and continues. “I’ve seen that reel a few times. The morning after, one of the girls was like, ‘oh you’ve been in my feed a lot’ and I was like ‘one reel of me giggling in that interview is all over the internet and stories’, so yeah, it’s just been there haunting me [laughs] at the moment.”Related

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Carson probably doesn’t realise she isn’t the only one haunted. India were, too, when she damaged them big time in the opening game by picking up the wickets of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana with her offspin. It helped break New Zealand’s 10-match losing streak, while also throwing India’s tournament hopes into jeopardy.That performance set the tone for Carson, who has been Sophie Devine’s go-to powerplay bowler. Four of her five wickets in the tournament have come in this phase, her economy a miserly 5.44. And of the wickets she has picked up far, Mandhana’s has been her favourite.”I went into that game really wanting her wicket, especially because I was a match-up to her,” Carson says. “I was nervous in that first game because I hadn’t played India before. We knew a lot was riding on that game and if we could beat them, it’d help us big time. One of the girls actually told me ‘hey, you need to remember they haven’t faced you either’, and then I was like, that’s fair. So it’s kind of a two-way street really.”Carson feels like “I belong a lot more” now than she did when she first earned a New Zealand call-up ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022. She celebrated her initiation with a bronze medal finish. Carson now has a chance of better that in UAE, at the T20 World Cup.”I have a lot more of a bowling routine now,” she says. “Like taking deep breaths when I’m at the top of my mark. I know what ball I’m going to be bowling. The outcome I want and the ball that I can’t bowl to my field and things like that.”Through the weight of her performances over time, Carson has been able to justify to herself the decision to put “everything else on hold.” She is a qualified veterinary nurse who also until recently worked at a dairy farm at home in Ranfurly, a town in New Zealand’s south island.Carson’s family runs a sheep and beef farm, but a desire to “prove” to her dad she can be “more than handy” at a farm got her to milk cows and work at a dairy farm owned by a family friend. That gig helped Carson earn extra income while studying and coming through the ranks playing domestic cricket in Otago.”My days would begin really early – I’d milk the cows early, and some days when I had morning training, I’d be like ‘so sorry, can’t get the cows in’ and head off to Dunedin, which is like an hour-and-a-half away from home. Our family friends were really adjusting; even now whenever I’m off cricket I often drop by to meet them.”Eden Carson played a key role in detailing India’s campaign early on•ICC/Getty ImagesIt’s at the farm that Carson’s love for animals grew. It had a massive influence on her choosing to pursue a degree in veterinary science, which she completed recently.”I think being on a farm has really driven that as well,” she says. “Just having lots of pets at the farm is fun. I always say I’m going home to see my parents, but it’s mainly to see my cats [laughs]. I was happy to be able to finish my studying just to have a back-up after cricket as well because you know cricket’s not going to be forever as well.”Carson, who has an annual retainer from New Zealand Cricket, now lives in Dunedin with her aunt to focus on the game. While cricket remains her primary focus, she has also branched out to learn the Māori language to keep up with her roots and culture – her mother is Māori.”I’ve loved it so much and I’ve had a lot of motivation to be able to learn it, even though it is quite hard,” she says. “Also being on tour makes things busy, but I’ve been staying on top of things which is good. But I’m really enjoying it at the moment.”Carson dreams of being the “world’s best offspinner”. Having gone through some technique changes “like getting more body into the ball, because my back was failing me a little bit earlier”, she is confident of ticking off her boxes.”I like Ash Gardner, she’s one of the best allrounders, but recently I follow Charlie Dean as well,” Carson says. “She’s one of the better off spinners as well; some people might not agree but I do. Just like watching her action and the variations she has. She’s also a great fielder and batter, so yeah.”For now, there’s just one thing on her mind. A World Cup trophy.

They score a lot of runs together, but not necessarily quickly, and may be too similar to make sense as a combination in top-level T20

Sidharth Monga29-Oct-20223:01

Flower: The rest have to come to the party if Babar and Rizwan miss out

A question first. There is an opening pair that has scored 2019 runs together at an average of 50.47 since the start of 2021. Is it good for the team?Of course anybody who knows T20 cricket will tell you this is insufficient data to form any kind of sound judgement about a partnership. However, even if you don’t have the strike-rate handy, if a wicket falls every 50 runs over a period of two years, which at this average is about 40 matches, it might not be unfair to assume that the pair doesn’t take many risks.Now if a batter alone averages 50, and if we assume the same conservatism about him, others can still complement such a batter by taking more risks around him in the knowledge that if they happen to get out, there will be a set batter in the middle. If a partnership averages 50 over such a long period, it needs at least one of the batters to be in the form of his life or be a T20 freak. Neither of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the pair in question, is.Related

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Pakistan have more runs in their line-up, but they are refusing to score them

One of the underappreciated parts of T20 cricket is partnerships. If your spinner has bowled a tight over, you don’t give the batters a release bowler. Similarly you need to know when to sneak in a quiet over from a part-timer. With the bat, you want complementary batters batting together. A right-hand batter and a left-hand batter, for example. A spin-hitter and a pace-hitter.The idea is to make sure the opposition doesn’t stack similar kind of bowlers in one spell of play because both batters struggle against that variety. It happened with India in the last T20 World Cup when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom tend to go slow against spinners, got stuck against Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi in the game that sealed their fate.Babar and Rizwan are too much like each other. They have similar scoring trends against same styles of bowling and in same innings phases. Both are at their slowest in the powerplay, both are slow against spinners and not dashing against pace early on, both are right-hand batters. Both of their sets of numbers suggest they like to get themselves in before playing the big shots, which is why opening the innings gets the best out of them, but is it really the best for the team when both open?Will Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan change their approach?•Getty ImagesThis is not hindsight, nor does this blame the opening pair for Pakistan’s last two results, but this is one structural issue Pakistan needed to address even if both last-ball finishes had gone their way. This has nothing to do with the quality of the batters that follow in the middle order either. If they get a chance to bat, they mostly do so when the openers have failed to kick on after a slow start. They come in with a much smaller margin for error. And there are also times when a partnership averaging 50 will be broken early, which leaves the middle order with a role they are not used to playing. If that happens all of a sudden in a World Cup, especially in a group that is not likely to have upsets, you find yourselves in the situation Pakistan are in.There must have been some internal reason for Pakistan opening with Babar and Rizwan, because international teams can’t be unmindful of the risks that such a decision presents, but it was strange that Fakhar Zaman used to bat at No. 3 when he was fit. It is not possible Pakistan haven’t thought about it. It is too simplistic to call Babar and Rizwan selfish, which some are suggesting now. There have been all kinds of insinuations from pundits in the year gone, by with one of the coaches in the PSL even saying his team tries to not get Babar out when they play Karachi Kings, but Pakistan’s team management deserves a chance to explain their thinking.The most plausible explanation is, as chief selector Mohammad Wasim told this year, that they don’t trust the middle order enough. Or that Fakhar, recovering from his knee injury, has not been in the best of form. However, a better way to deal with the situation might actually be for Pakistan to spread their two “reliable” batters and let others hit around them. Even Shan Masood at least brings the right-left dynamic.Now that Pakistan are in the strange position of hoping for an India win against South Africa, they perhaps need to look no farther than India. Even they had a great win-loss record – in both the limited-overs formats – but they have consciously become more flexible and dynamic with their batting. They are aware of the need for complementary batters at the wicket. When Rohit bats with KL Rahul and Kohli, he makes sure he is the aggressor. It is a small modification in approach, but a big leap of faith in the price you put on your wicket.Hopefully Pakistan will take that leap soon because that bowling attack deserves trophies.

This and other vital issues are tackled in this month’s Briefing

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Jun-2020The Briefing Do you remember what cricket was like? The smell of fresh-mown leather, the sound of willow hitting stumps, fast bowlers delivering devastating googlies, batsmen shining their bats vigorously on their groins. That was the basic gist, right? It’s been a while.The route forward
As cricket plots its short-term future, several proposals for how the game can be made viable in the time of coronavirus have been put forward. Many, including the ICC’s cricket committee, have recommended not using saliva to shine balls, with some suggesting an artificial substance should be allowed for that purpose. The West Indies tour of England could go ahead in some form, though there will not be any spectators in attendance, though it is possible Dominic Cummings is due another eye test by then.What else could change? Socially distant bum pats? Close fielders unnerving batsmen with fake coughs, instead of sledges? Spraying hand sanitiser instead of champagne at trophy presentations?And if there are no fans in the stands for the foreseeable future, can it really be a legitimate India v Australia Test series without thousands yelling “Kohli is a w***er” at the SCG? Plus, just who will be around for Ben Stokes to call a “f**king four-eyed t**t”? What kind of future is that?Shane Warne has no problems with Steve Waugh
As there has been very little cricket actually played in the past month, we’ve been trawling social media for theatrics, but one place you will absolutely not find any drama is Warne’s Twitter feed. Just read this tweet about Steve Waugh, in which Warne insists he’s “said 1000 times I do not hate S Waugh at all” before two sentences later going on to say “Steve was easily the most selfish cricketer that I ever played with.” Obviously, there can be no resentment in this relationship. Even though Warne tweeted twice more last month throwing shade at Waugh – specifically about his lopsided run-out record – the man has just spoken out in the clearest terms. Some of his best friends are Steve Waugh. Let it go. It’s nothing. Guys!Rising to the challenge
Wimpy cricketers may all be holed up at home, but the game’s true heroes picked up their briefcases, sucked in their paunches, buttoned up their suits, and got stuck in to the vitally important task of governing the game. A big ICC directors’ meeting was held last week, and with the game in such peril, what better time for cricket’s thought leaders to show real leadership? What exactly does a road map for international cricket starting up again look like? Can biosecure environments actually make tours possible? And what can we do about this hugely anticipated T20 World Cup, which is supposed to start in less than five months? These are all major challenges requiring urgent address. But instead of discussing any of this in depth, the directors just talked at length about an information breach, presumably to the press, and deferred the real meeting to June 10.Further adventures in administrative boldness
Sri Lanka Cricket, meanwhile, insisted forcefully that Colombo needed a huge new 40,000-capacity stadium in order to host future ICC tournaments, for which Sri Lanka had not yet won hosting rights, making a show of inaugurating the project alongside a government minister. Less than a week later, when it was clear public opinion was against the project, the government rowed back on their commitment to providing land for the stadium, and SLC immediately switched to pretending it found the whole idea ludicrous to begin with. “What fifth stadium? What’s wrong with the four we have? And in the middle of a pandemic? Whose dumb idea was this?”Cricket Australia fam
As one of the wealthiest cricket boards on the planet, Cricket Australia is better placed than most to weather the financial storm that the pandemic has wrought. Which is why, in these harrowing times, the board has committed to stick fearlessly by its executives, making an inspiring commitment to pay them 80% of their salaries while the board weathers this challenge. Almost everyone else at the board, meanwhile, gets knocked down to 20% of their previous pay, and now possibly faces redundancy.Next month on The Briefing:– “This is what I’ve been saying the entire bloody time!” Cameron Bancroft reacts to proposals that foreign substances should be used for ball management.- Sri Lanka Cricket revisits the new stadium project. Unless the government doesn’t want to. They don’t? Oh… okay… I mean… yeah, it’s a waste of money. Obviously. Always said that.- Warne’s non-hate for Waugh continues: “Look, I absolutely do not hold a grudge. I just think it’s funny that for that Barbados Test in 1999…”Briefings

The Dodgers didn't take long to open up the scoring in their National League wild-card round matchup versus the Reds on Tuesday night.

Sitting on a 2–1 count against Cincinnati starting pitcher Hunter Greene, Los Angeles lead-off hitter Shohei Ohtani turned on the fourth pitch of the at-bat—and smoked it to Dodger Stadium's right field seats.

The home run came off the DH's bat at a crisp 117.7 mph, setting a record for the hardest hit dinger off of a 100+ mph pitch in the MLB's Statcast era.

Oh yeah, and it also gave the Dodgers a quick 1–0 lead. Take a look:

What can't Shohei Ohtani do?

L.A. starting pitcher Blake Snell took care of business in the bottom of the first, not allowing a hit and striking out two, helping the Dodgers hold a 1–0 lead through one frame.

كشفت تقارير صحفية، عن كواليس قرار المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، آرني سلوت، باستبعاد النجم المصري محمد صلاح من مباراة يوم الثلاثاء ضد إنتر ميلان، في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويتجه ليفربول إلى إيطاليا لخوض مباراة ضد إنتر ميلان، مساء الغد، في الجولة السادسة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مرحلة الدوري 2025/26.

وأعلن ليفربول قائمته المستدعاة من جانب المدرب آرني سلوت لخوض مباراة الثلاثاء والتي شهدت غياب محمد صلاح، إثر تصريحاته النارية التي أدلى بها يوم السبت الماضي.

وذكرت شبكة “ذا أثلتيك” العالمية أن المدير الرياضي لنادي ليفربول، ريتشارد هيوز، هو من اتخذ قرار استبعاد محمد صلاح من قائمة الفريق لمباراة الغد، بالتعاون مع مالكي النادي والمدرب آرني سلوت، مما يؤكد دعمهم للهولندي.

اقرأ أيضا.. ردود أفعال جماهير ليفربول على استبعاد محمد صلاح من مباراة إنتر ميلان: الأصلع يخرب النادي

وأوضحت أنه لا يعتبر قرار ليفربول باستبعاد الدولي المصري من مباراة إنتر ميلان إجراءً تأديبيًا، وينظر إلى هذه الخطوة بمعزل عن تأثيرها على إمكانية اختياره مستقبلًا، بما في ذلك مباراة السبت في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز على أرضه ضد برايتون.

كما أفادت مصادر مطلعة على الوضع، تحدثت شريطة عدم الكشف عن هويتها لأنها غير مخولة بالحديث علنًا، أن محمد صلاح لن يواجه أي إجراءات تأديبية أخرى بسبب تصريحاته، وتعتقد أن اللاعب والنادي سيستفيدان من فترة غياب قصيرة عن التشكيلة.

ويصر ليفربول على التزامه التام تجاه محمد صلاح وعقده الذي يمتد حتى 2027، مع التأكيد على أن الوضع الحالي مؤقت ويمكن تحسينه، كما يُقال إنهم لا يخططون حاليًا لرحيل المهاجم، ولا يخططون لاستغلال فترة انتقالات يناير للبحث عن بدائل محتملة.

هذا، ومن المقرر أن ينضم محمد صلاح إلى معسكر منتخب مصر في المغرب يوم 15 ديسمبر المقبل للمشاركة في كأس الأمم الإفريقية.

Leeds United pulled off an impressive victory to get back to winning ways in the Premier League on Wednesday night. Daniel Farke’s side beat Chelsea 3-1 at Elland Road to pick up a huge three points.

It was the perfect start for the Whites in front of a packed-out home crowd. After an intense first five minutes or so where they dominated, Leeds broke the deadlock.

It came from a corner, with defender Jaka Bijol making a brilliant run to the front post and emphatically heading home.

Chelsea didn’t really threaten much and eventually paid the price. Leeds doubled their lead right on the stroke of half-time, through a brilliant strike by Ao Tanaka.

The Whites won the ball back on the edge of the visitors’ penalty area, with Jayden Bogle finding Tanaka in space. The Japanese international fired home a strike from range to put them 2-0 up.

Chelsea did pull one back with just 50 minutes on the clock, thanks to substitute Pedro Neto at the back post. Yet, Leeds managed to keep them at bay, and with 18 minutes to go, capitalised on a defensive error to secure all three points.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored their third, a goal which capped off a brilliant performance.

Calvert-Lewin’s stats vs. Chelsea

Calvert-Lewin’s goalscoring form has begun to improve in recent games. He bagged against Manchester City last weekend, and again against Chelsea on Wednesday night, although that strike was certainly easier.

It was a mistake from Blues defender Tosin Adarabioyo which led to the goal, with the centre-back playing a sloppy pass to Robert Sanchez.

The Spaniard was immediately under pressure, with the ball crocheting off his body and into the path of Calvert-Lewin, who tapped home from two yards out.

However, it was not just his goal which impressed about the former Everton striker’s performance.

He was a nuisance throughout for the Chelsea defence, with Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post awarding him a 9/10 rating, explaining that he ‘brought others into play’ superbly.

Indeed, the statistics back up what was a superb showing from Calvert-Lewin. He only had 37 touches but made an impact with most of those, winning an impressive 11 duels, managing three shots and, of course, bagging Leeds’ third goal.

Chalkboard

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

However, the Whites’ number nine was not the only one of their players to stand out against Chelsea.

Leeds’ other standout player vs. Chelsea

It was a huge win for Leeds on Wednesday night, which took a huge effort across the board. One of the best players was midfielder Anton Stach, who ran the game in midfield and was impressive defensively, too.

The numbers from the game reflect a controlled midfield performance from Leeds’ summer signing. He had 50 touches and completed 19 out of 24 passes, creating a superb four chances, one of which teed up Tanaka for his goal.

Off the ball, Stach made four recoveries and won three duels.

Touches

50

Passes completed

19/24

Chances created

4

Ball recoveries

4

Duels won

3

Clearances

3

Assists

1

The 27-year-old German was a “revelation” in the centre of the park, according to journalist Adonis Storr. That is something Smyth seemed to agree with, also giving him a 9/10 rating post-match, calling that showing his ‘best Leeds performance’.

Indeed, it is easy to see why Smyth is of that opinion. For the German to put in a showing like that against a side competing in the Champions League and that are pushing Arsenal at the top of the Premier League is a colossal effort.

He was everywhere against one of the strongest sides in the top flight, and the chances he created added that creative spark in the final third. He played a huge role in Leeds’ attacking play, which ultimately helped get them over the line.

Stach proved why he could be considered an undroppable member of this Leeds side. This was a much-needed win, and he was right at the heart of it.

Calvert-Lewin’s goals recently have been key, but Stach’s performance in midfield is exactly what is needed for them to beat the drop.

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ByDan Emery Dec 1, 2025

Southampton are now keen on a move for a “special” Premier League forward, with the board planning to back Tonda Eckert when the January transfer window opens.

Saints shooting up the Championship table under Eckert

Since appointing Eckert as manager, originally in a caretaker role, the Saints have taken major strides forward, and they are now on a run of six wins in their last seven Championship matches, most recently defeating West Bromwich Albion 3-2 at St. Mary’s.

As a result of their much-improved form, Eckert’s side have shot up the Championship table, now sitting pretty in ninth place, just one point off the play-offs, meaning an instant return to the Premier League is starting to become a realistic possibility.

The new manager has made it clear that promotion is his goal, saying: “We go all in; there is no other way. I don’t shy away from being ambitious to say that we want to play for promotion, whatever that is going to look like in the end. We will go for every single point there is to take.”

With Sport Republic perhaps looking to strike while the iron is hot, they are now planning to back Eckert with funds in the January transfer window, according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states the board are looking to sustain their momentum.

Chelsea’s Tyrique George has now been identified as a target for the upcoming window, with Southampton keen on a move for the forward, who they are hoping they can convince to drop down to the Championship.

George is ready to leave the Premier League side, given a lack of game time under manager Enzo Maresca, and there is no shortage of potential suitors, with the likes of Leeds United and Everton also interested.

The 19-year-old is yet to start in the Premier League this season, meaning Chelsea are now starting to consider a departure, with a move to sister club Strasbourg also a possibility.

"Special" George could boost Southampton's promotion push

The teenager, who is represented by the same agent as Joe Aribo, has found minutes hard to come by under Maresca, but he has impressed when given the opportunity, amassing six goals and six assists in 36 appearances for the Blues since making his breakthrough last season.

Scout Jacek Kulig clearly believes the youngster has an exciting future ahead too, stating he is destined for something “special”, but the starlet is currently at risk of his development being stifled by a lack of football.

Live Football Streams: Watch Premier League, Championship, La Liga & more

All the fixtures and channels to watch live football on TV this week can be found here.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

Consequently, stepping down to the Championship could be a savvy move for the left-winger, who has two goals to his name in four appearances for England U21s.

That said, it could be difficult for George to break into Southampton’s starting XI to begin with, given that they have been in red-hot form in recent weeks, scoring a whopping 16 goals in their last five matches.

Baseball fans, the wait is over. Opening Day 2025 has finally arrived, which means it's time to lock in for the next six months while America's pastime gets its day in the sun.

Given the momentous occasion, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich showed up to the field on Thursday with a very special outfit to kick things off.

Yelich's all-plaid suit is believed to be an homage to the late, great Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker, who died in January at the age of 90. The announcer was a known lover of plaid sportscoats, and the team is actually honoring him this season with a plaid patch on their uniforms.

Clearly, though, Yelich decided to take things up a notch with this plaid get-up, courtesy of New Jersey-based designer Tom Marchitelli, per the .

As was the case with many a Brewers player, the slugger and Uecker were great friends. After the announcer's death, Yelich honored him with a touching social media tribute, and also used a custom Bob Uecker bat in spring training, per the .

The Brewers are currently in New York for their first of three games vs. the Yankees, which will start up at 3:05 p.m.

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has revealed his favourite Premier League club and named the footballer he wants to train MMA with.

Aspinall preparing for first undisputed heavyweight title defence

Jon Jones earned a reputation as a ‘duck’ after showing little interest in defending his UFC heavyweight title, with the American ultimately opting to retire back in June rather than fight interim heavyweight champion Aspinall.

Consequently, the English fighter was named undisputed champion in anti-climactic fashion, with Dana White making the announcement after a UFC fight night in Azerbaijan.

While still a remarkable achievement, the Salford-born fighter would no doubt have been hoping to make a statement by defeating Jones for the belts, rather than simply being awarded them outside the octagon.

The whole saga has been extremely frustrating for the 32-year-old, who hasn’t fought since defeating Curtis Blaydes via a first-round knock-out way back in July 2024.

However, the Englishman is finally set to return to action this weekend, taking on French heavyweight Ciryl Gane at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, in what will be his first title defence.

The 6 ft 5 heavyweight is also a football fan, although he revealed he was a latecomer to the sport, being convinced to start following Manchester City at the age of 30, due to his son being a supporter.

Ahead of his upcoming fight against Gane, Aspinall was asked which Man City player he would choose to train MMA with at his gym, and Erling Haaland, of course, was the first name that sprang to mind.

Haaland continues to smash records at Man City

In his first season in the Premier League, Haaland broke the record number of goals in a season, scoring 36 in 35 games, and the Norwegian striker is currently in the form of his life, having found the back of the net in 12 matches on the spin.

Aspinall will no doubt be hoping City can reclaim their Premier League crown this season, having won their last three matches, and the 25-year-old, who is regarded as one of the world’s best strikers, will be key to their chances.

The centre-forward’s injury record may be a concern, having suffered ankle and knee problems last season, but if he stays fit (and avoids training in MMA!), anything is possible for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Already shifting their focus towards the January transfer window, Everton are reportedly ready to offer one want-away forward a fresh exit route.

Duncan Ferguson takes aim at "poor" Beto

It should come as no surprise that Everton are already eyeing additional support in attack. That’s where their biggest weakness lies. Despite adding the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Thierno Barry and Jack Grealish to David Moyes’ side in the summer, the Toffees are still struggling to find goals – scoring just twice in their recent four-game winless run.

A large part of that problem has been Beto and his underwhelming performances. With Barry still not ready to step into the side as a starter every week, the responsibility has fallen the way of Beto to lead the lines for Moyes, who has even been critical of the forward himself in the early stages of the campaign.

In Monday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham, the 27-year-old failed to impress once more and quickly became the subject of Duncan Ferguson’s frustration in his post-match analysis.

If Everton are looking to push beyond the bottom half and back to where many feel they belong, then signing a replacement for Beto in January should be top of their priority list.

There’s also no guarantee that Barry will prove his worth as of yet. The summer arrival has started just once in the Premier League and made five other appearances from the bench, but is yet to find the back of the net.

The Toffees must welcome a player at the peak of their powers and may well have the perfect player in mind to do exactly that when the winter window swings open.

Everton readying Maeda move

As reported by Sports Boom, Everton are now ready to offer Daizen Maeda an exit route from Celtic amid his desire to leave the Scottish giants in 2026.

The Japan international revealed earlier this season that he had an agreement with another club before the Bhoys blocked his move late on in the summer window. Now, Everton could take full advantage to swoop in this winter.

Maeda revealed: “There were some things that I had agreed to personally, so I wanted to take on the challenge. I had received an offer, and I had been telling the club that I wanted to take the next step, but Celtic hadn’t been able to make any good reinforcements, so in the end they told me they couldn’t let me leave.”

Not just O'Brien: Moyes is wasting Everton star in his current position

David Moyes’ Everton side still need to go up a few gears over the coming weeks.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 1, 2025

Whilst the forward, who can also play as a winger, is yet to replicate last season’s incredible form which ended in 33 goals and 12 assists in all competitions, he is more than capable of reaching that level again.

Dubbed “brilliant” by Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, Everton should do everything to sign Maeda when the January transfer window arrives.