England have made a mess of their succession planning after ignoring white-ball cricket since 2019

Andrew Miller07-Apr-20255:06

Roller: Managing all three formats will be Brook’s biggest challenge

The devil was in the detail of Rob Key’s statement, after the ECB confirmed the inevitable elevation of Harry Brook to England’s vacant white-ball captaincy.”This opportunity has come slightly earlier than expected,” Key said in his second sentence of the board’s press release – which is hardly the sort of glowing appraisal that you might expect from the England Men’s managing director on Coronation Day.And though Key did add that Brook had long been part of the team’s “succession planning” – whatever that may mean – his tone betrayed the shocking tangle that England have got themselves into in their once-formidable white-ball set-up.As recently as November 2022, that white-ball squad was still a genuinely groundbreaking outfit, with England’s victory in the T20 World Cup in Australia making them the first men’s team to hold both of the ICC’s white-ball trophies concurrently. Earlier that year in 50-over cricket, they extended their ODI record total to a massive, and still unsurpassed, 498 for 4 against the Netherlands at Amstelveen.Since then, however, the rot has been rapid and entirely foreseeable. Leaving their T20I fortunes to one side for a moment, the specific ineptitude of their recent Champions Trophy campaign reflected a generation of players – Brook included – who simply do not play enough 50-over cricket to know how to pace an innings.Prior to his England ODI debut against South Africa in January 2023, Brook hadn’t played a single 50-over match for Yorkshire since May 2019, two months before the team that he now leads had even broken their duck at the 50-over World Cup.His situation is mirrored by pretty much any player around whom England might hope to reinflate their white-ball fortunes – Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox, Gus Atkinson … the list goes on. And so, when Key says that his elevation has come sooner than would be ideal, it’s an admission of desperation, as much as an acknowledgment of how badly the Buttler-McCullum alliance failed to live up to expectations.For when it comes to “succession planning” … pull the other one. England have been on a wing and a prayer for the past two years in white-ball cricket. England’s preparations for the 2023 World Cup amounted to a séance, as the spirit of 2019 was summoned for one last dance (and duly failed to materialise), while the mere fact that Ben Stokes was seriously considered as a stop-gap is proof of how rapidly those standards are continuing to swirl around the plug-hole.Jos Buttler’s tenure disintegrated after the early high of the 2022 T20 World Cup•Sameer Ali/Getty ImagesIn terms of his career progression, it probably is too soon for Brook, but what’s a team to do? In an ideal world, he would have built up his 50-over experience over the next two and a half years until the 2027 World Cup, then taken over from Buttler with standards restored and legacies polished. In an ideal world, he would have had a few more chances to shore up his technique against high-quality spin: a genuine problem area, though clearly not an insurmountable one, even if his two-year ban from the IPL after his late withdrawal from Delhi Capitals’ campaign will deny him an obvious source of experience.In an ideal world, Brook would also be averaging more than 28.50 in his T20I career. In part this is a legacy of his anonymous role in that 2022 World Cup win (56 runs at 11.20 in six matches), which if nothing else was proof that experience cannot be bought off a peg. But more problematically, it reflects Brook’s lack of opportunity in white-ball cricket to date, given his extraordinarily central importance to England’s Test fortunes.This is where Key’s concerns about the timing really hit home. For all that Brook’s unveiling as white-ball captain will be a proud moment – and his sparky leadership against Australia last September suggests there’ll be plenty tactical nous on show when he takes the field against West Indies – there’s also little doubt where his true focus will be heading into a genuinely seismic nine months.Related

Harry Brook confirmed as England's new white-ball captain

'It's not harsh' – Moeen on Brook's potential two-year IPL ban

Why Brook captaincy call could define Key and McCullum legacies

Rob Key: England would be 'stupid' not to consider Ben Stokes as ODI captain

Harry Brook pulls out of IPL for second year running

England’s Test team, for which Brook is currently the No.2-ranked batter in the world behind Joe Root, has five home Tests against India looming in June and July, followed by the Ashes in Australia from November to January. It promises to be a legacy-defining period for the team’s elder statesmen – Stokes, Root and Mark Wood in particular – but also for the Bazball project itself, as the players are just about allowing themselves to call it these days.As Brook noted when pulling out of the IPL, “it is a really important time for England cricket … I need time to recharge.” No wonder he’s missing the opening rounds of the Championship to take a family holiday. All being well with his form and fitness, he is going to be the busiest player on the planet in the coming 12 months, because no sooner does the Ashes end than he’ll be leading the T20I side in the next World Cup in India. By which stage, the 2027 World Cup will be little more than a year away. Rinse, repeat … sleep whenever there’s a chance.It’s a rod that England made for their own back, from the moment they won the 2019 World Cup then spurned the format that had brought them glory. Every ounce of know-how has subsequently been re-invested in the Test set-up, at the expense of the white-ball game … with the honorable exception of Buttler, whose career was sent off on a branch-line while his generational peers got busy Bazballing.The irony is that Buttler should never have had to become a man apart in England’s white-ball set-up. Hindsight suggests that England could have won that 2022 tournament on autopilot, and pretty much did, such was the residual excellence in their set-up – as epitomised by Stokes’ matchwinning innings in the final, having not played T20Is in 18 months prior to the tournament.Now, under McCullum, there has at least been a belated attempt at unification, to ensure that the same values and knowledge that have reinvigorated the Test team are carried across formats before it’s too late. But this also means that Brook is the right choice as white-ball captain because he’s a guaranteed pick across formats, but also the wrong choice because he’s a guaranteed pick across formats. Go figure. It’s a mess, and there are no easy answers.

Jack Carson claims three, but late loss of wickets leave hosts with work to do

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Sep-2025

Hampshire were bowled out for 226 in just 71.3 overs after being asked to bat first on a challenging Hove pitch on the opening day of their championship match against Sussex. That left Sussex to face 22 overs and by the close they had reached 42 for three as Hampshire fought their way back into the match.Not for the first time the Hampshire innings was held together by their captain Ben Brown, once a very popular player in Sussex colours. But even Brown needed some good fortune on his way to a 129-ball 71, and he was dropped behind by opposite number John Simpson off the bowling of Sean Hunt when he had scored just 18.At the start of the day just 15 points separated the teams between fifth and ninth places. And both Hampshire, in fifth position, and Sussex, just two points behind, started the match in search of reassuring, anti-relegation points.Hampshire, who made four changes, bringing in Ali Orr, Toby Albert, Bjorn Fortuin and Keith Barker, reached a diffident 81 for three at lunch against a rejigged Sussex seam attack which welcomed back Olli Robinson, Jaydev Unadkat and Sean Hunt.Sussex, who had lost their two most recent championship games by an innings, broke through in the sixth over when Fletcha Middleton, driving at a wide delivery from Unadkat, edged behind. It was 47 for two in the 14th over when former Sussex opener Orr clipped Hunt to short leg where Oli Carter took a very sharp catch, low down. And Robinson picked up his first wicket in his livelier second spell when, bowling over the wicket to the left-handed Nick Gubbins, he straightened one to have the batsman lbw.After the break the Hampshire batsmen found the going no easier on a rather sticky surface. The pitch – being used for the first time this season for a championship match – did not encourage strokeplay. Albert pulled left-armer Hunt through midwicket to bring up the hundred in the 35th over but when he attempted a similar stroke against Robinson he gloved the ball to slip.Tom Prest also perished as he attempted to be positive, clipping Fynn Hudson-Prentice to Daniel Hughes at midwicket. Fortuin played himself in but when he jumped down the wicket to drive Jack Carson through the on-side he was through the stroke too soon and chipped it back to the bowler.Hampshire put all their eggs in Brown’s basket, and the batsman gathered his runs with sweeps and nudges, mostly on the leg-side. But when he swept Carson for a single to reach his half-century it had taken him 105 deliveries. From 119 for five Brown led his side to partial recovery, but once he was eighth out at 215, sweeping Carson to square-leg, Hampshire’s resistance was broken.Conditions were no easier when Sussex batted. Tom Haines edged Kyle Abbott waist-high to second slip and Carter was bowled by a nip-backer from Keith Barker. Shortly before the close, James Coles, driving loosely, dragged a delivery from James Fuller onto his stumps.

Callum Wilson insisted that he can force his way into Thomas Tuchel's England squad despite not playing for the Three Lions since 2023. At 33, many would assume his international career has ended. But Wilson has never been one to accept the limitations and has that same self-confidence that took him to the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, despite widespread scepticism at the time.

• A journal full of targets

  Wilson keeps a daily notebook filled with ambitions. One of them is 100 Premier League goals. It is that stubborn self-belief that saw him turn down eye-watering offers from Saudi Arabia last summer. Instead of chasing the last big contract, he joined West Ham, determined to reach the century mark in English football and extend his Premier League legacy. And his more pressing target is to catch the attention of Tuchel. 

  Wilson said: "I have 100 goals, that’s written down. Personal targets that I want to achieve in terms of what’s happened over the last few years, not playing as much as I like, games I want to be involved in and how many that is and being available. There’s a World Cup coming up. I still, in my head, will believe until the final squad that if I have a run of games, I can put my best foot forward.

  "The last time we went to the World Cup, I’d written there about that. Everyone said, ‘Oh, what are you doing in the winter break when the World Cup’s coming?' My journal says I’m going to the World Cup. Because some people think I’m deluded. That’s the problem. When you actually believe in yourself so much, people think you’re borderline delusional. But there’s people that have been with me throughout my career that have seen me say something and I’ve then done it. I achieve these things. And every time I get written off, I’ve come back from it."

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  A return to Bournemouth: The club that shaped him

  Wilson now sits on 90 Premier League goals. His first 41 came during his years at Bournemouth, and he is set to visit the Vitality Stadium this weekend for the first time since 2020. 

  He said: "I’m looking forward to that on a personal level in terms of just being in a place where that was the next step for me where I managed to build my name and help the team get great success over the years. I’ve scored many goals in both nets for Bournemouth, so obviously I’ll be able to do it against them. It’s the same arena."

  Wilson needs 10 more Premier League goals to enter the hundred club and he insists he stayed in England last summer for that exact reason.

  Wilson added: "I had a tricky few years previously with injuries and then Alex Isak getting in great form and then basically finding myself playing second fiddle to him. It wasn’t really how I seen my last few years in the Premier League going. I’m a fighter. I didn’t want to just give up and say, OK, it’s easy for me to just go and do a different country, collect a little bit of money and things like that. But that’s not my motivation.”

• Tuchel’s to-call List: A manager with a mission

  If Wilson is to revive his England career, the man he must impress is the meticulous Tuchel. Fresh from guiding England to a perfect World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign, eight wins, zero goals conceded, Tuchel has now set himself a new task of speaking personally to every England hopeful. The number hovers between 55 and 60 players. Tuchel laughed at the length of the list, but insisted the calls are essential.

  "Players that are on our long list, 55, 60 players, to reach out to them, be in touch with them, explain to them why they were not here," he said. "Explain to them what they have to do, where they can improve. Can they even do something, or is it just a choice, so this is my job in the next weeks and months.

  "Yeah, and I hate phone calls. Better on FaceTime. Then I see the expression, at least, and get a feeling for the person. Or I need to visit them, visit training grounds. We can do group visits. We can do Jude (Bellingham) and Trent (Alexander-Arnold). And visit the clubs. And some of them we will call. Let's see. Listen, we've just finished this camp and I think it's important that I reach out to everyone, even to the guys we didn't pick so regularly, to tell them where they are and give them honest feedback."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Will Wilson’s phone ring?

  That is the question Wilson smiles at. He knows his age will be used against him and his injury history will be raised. But he refuses to surrender his belief that a late surge of form, coupled with his relentless self-discipline, could force Tuchel’s hand. 

A 35-year-old who bowls in the mid 120s, and a 19-year-old hometown hero tipped for greatness. Together, they bundled out Pakistan in a day

Firdose Moonda26-Dec-2024Dane Paterson is 35, bowls in the mid-120s and has accepted that he “probably won’t be a fan favourite,” because of his age and (lack of) pace.Corbin Bosch was 19 when he was tipped for greatness. He is now 30 and bowls consistently above 145kph. He has stolen hearts as a hometown hero who is now playing at the place his late father made his name.Between them, they took nine out of ten Pakistan wickets in an attack that included the household names of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen. How did it happen? A lot of it was because of the pressure created by two fantastic spells from Rabada, where he beat the bat almost once an over, had the Pakistan batters playing shots that were not in control every three balls and still did not get a wicket. “I don’t think I have seen two better spells from an international bowler,” Bosch said. “Now I finally get to see it first-hand.”Paterson has seen it before. “Even in the Sri Lanka Test series, he had a lot of plays and misses,” he remembered, specifically at St George’s Park, where Rabada took one first innings and two second-innings wickets. “For him to still keep on coming, it’s actually good to see. He’s not getting down on himself and still keeping his head up. It can be frustrating, especially for a quality bowler like him.”Related

• Pakistan waste opportunity to score with so much more available

• KG vs KG showdown grips SuperSport Park

• Paterson, Bosch lead South Africa's Boxing Day domination

• The Bosch family live their dream as Corbin's big day arrives

But that would also do a disservice to the two in question. Paterson is a proven performer, albeit one that does not shoot the lights out. It was just a match ago, at St George’s Park, he took his first Test five-for in a display of excellent control and slight seam movement. Unlike the stereotypical big, bad quicks of the south, Paterson relies on subtle skills. Today, there was a small change in length.”They were standing outside the crease, so I just had to pull my length back,” he said. “After lunch I had a chat with (bowling coach) Piet Botha and (Test coach) Shukri Conrad and they just said I just need to hit the deck hard. All of a sudden I got that variable bounce.”His shorter lengths in the afternoon resulted in the Pakistan batters advancing on him, and both Kamran Ghulam and Salman Agha were out to aggressive shots, which is exactly what Paterson wanted to see. “It shows you that you’re a threat once they start walking at you,” he said. “Even in county cricket, guys walk at me, but I’ve been very successful with nicking them off so I really don’t mind it. As soon as I see guys coming, I think I’m in the game because it’s not good cricket shots that they’re playing.”It’s worth remembering that Paterson has taken 180 wickets in 45 matches for Nottinghamshire between 2021 and 2024 and was only considered for national selection when Conrad had to take a B team to New Zealand earlier this year. “When we had the chance in January, we knew what’s happening with going to New Zealand and I thought I could probably do two Tests and then that’s me done,” he said. “And then Shukri told me this is my plan with you, and we just had an honest and open conversation. I knew what I had to do with my part, obviously, getting in shape, training and trying to put in performances.”Corbin Bosch’s first-ball strike sparks off celebrations in the South African camp•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesNow, with South Africa one win away from the World Test Championship final, Paterson may fancy his chances of the ultimate send-off, but he’s not quite there yet. “Lord’s is a very long way. I’ll be 36 years old,” he said. “We don’t want to be sitting in a press conference and mentioning my age. But yes, that’s the goal. Everybody’s speaking about it. The team is focused.”Bosch’s ambitions were a little more specific. “One of my goals for the year was to play two formats for the country,” he said. “But someone needs to pinch me at this moment. A couple of months ago I never thought I would be sitting here.”In the space of four days, Bosch has made both his ODI and Test debut and though they’ve both come because of necessity with other players injured, they don’t mean any less to him. “I am super grateful,” he said.More so, because he got to make his Test debut at his home ground, with his mother in attendance. He paid tribute to her, and not his late father Tertius, with his shirt number. Instead of the usual 14, he opted for 37. “My dad’s birthday is the 14th of March, so that is why I have played a lot of my cricket representing him,” he explained. “My mom goes unseen and unnoticed. This is actually more a tribute to her. Her year of birth is 1973. Unfortunately, there was someone (Khaya Zondo) who was 73, so I decided to do it backwards.”Corbin Bosch exults after bagging Shan Masood with his first ball in Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesAnd if the fairy-tale needed anything else, it came when Bosch was given the ball, in the 15th over, and became the fifth South African to strike with his first delivery in Test cricket. “I was just happy it bounced. The nerves were not as bad as (my ODI debut) on Sunday, but they were still there, especially, I waited half a session,” Bosch said. “I did not bowl before drinks, so I thought, am I even going to bowl in this game at some point? Temba [Bavuma] gave me the ball and next thing you know, I had taken my first international wicket. I could not have even dreamt something. Even when I was telling myself last night, what would be one of the greatest things to achieve today? That was definitely not what I would have thought.”Bosch admitted that the delivery was one that Shan Masood, wide outside off, “maybe should not have played at,” but getting the Pakistan captain was still a big deal. Bigger than his dad’s first Test wicket, Brian Lara? “I think when I go to heaven one day, he is going to tell me Brian is a little bit better than your first ball wicket,” Bosch joked.For the rest of his time with ball in hand, Bosch was the least disciplined of the South African bowlers, but the one who Pakistan decided to take on. And he got himself into a position where he could go searching for a five-for, which he didn’t get and only leaves him wanting more. “I still feel like I can bowl better. It was not too bad,” he said. “All in all, I am very happy with the performance I put out today.”In the end, both Paterson and Bosch could feel that way. They’re not the big names, but put in the biggest performances today, and some days, that’s all that matters.

SL made one change, bringing in Liyanage for Karunaratne

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2025Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka won the toss in the dead-rubber against finalists India. They made one change with bowling allrounder Chamika Karunaratne making way for batting allrounder Janith Liyanage.India meanwhile rested Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube, with left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh and right-arm seamer Harshit Rana coming into the XI. India captain Suryakumar Yadav was happy with the toss decision, saying he would have opted to bat too.Asalanka, at the toss, said this was an important game despite a place in the final no longer up for grabs. He said he wanted to keep India down to 175.Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (capt), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan ThusharaIndia XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh

On Tuesday, Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber joined a special club by hitting his 50th home run of the 2025 season. In a 9–3 win over the Mets, Schwarber became just the second Phillies player ever to record 50 homers in a season, and the 34th MLB player all-time to do so.

Schwarber joins Ryan Howard as the only Phillies players to hit 50 home runs in a season. Howard hit 58 in 2006, meaning that Schwarber is nine away from breaking the franchise record. Schwarber currently leads the National League in home runs, and only trails Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who leads MLB with 53 home runs on the season.

"It's cool," Schwarber told reporters after the win. "Get the nice, round even number. It's cool the stat of how many people have done it before in the game. It's something that you don't take lightly. I've alwasy said all the personal accolades and everything like that will probably mean more whenever it's all said and done. I feel like we've got so much more baseball here and we've got a group of guys we feel like can make a deep run. That's what we want to do. It's a cool moment, obviously I want to enjoy it, there's a lot more baseball to be played."

While Schwarber is currently more focused on his team than individual accomplishments, his success has helped the Phillies garner a 9-game lead over the Mets in the National League East. Thanks in part to 50 "Schwar-bombs" this year, Philadelphia is 85-60 on the season so far, and they only trail the Brewers for the best record in MLB.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians recebe o Argentinos Juniors nesta terça-feira (14), às 21h30 (de Brasília), na Neo Química Arena, pela quinta rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana. O técnico António Oliveira terá novidades para a partida, que será uma disputa direta pela vaga nas oitavas de final da competição.

continua após a publicidade

Com R$100 no Lance! Betting, você fatura R$317 se o Corinthians vencer o Argentinos Juniors e a partida terminar com três gols ou mais

Os volantes Raniele e Fausto Vera, que não participaram do jogo contra o Flamengo, treinaram sem restrições e estão à disposição da comissão técnica. Além da dupla, Michel Araújo, recuperado de um procedimento cirúrgico na mão direita, também pode ser relacionado para o duelo.

Por outro lado, os meias Maycon e Ruan Olivera, os laterais Diego Palacios e Matheuzinho, e o atacante Pedro Henrique, seguem fora. Com lesões ligamentares no joelho, a dupla de meio-campistas permanece indisponível por tempo indeterminado.

continua após a publicidade

Matheuzinho e Pedro Henrique, em transição no CT Joaquim Grava, devem retornar nas próximas partidas. A grande incógnita é a situação de Palacios. O lateral-esquerdo está há mais de 100 dias sem atuar pelo Corinthians e não tem previsão para voltar aos gramados.

Para o jogo, António Olivera irá abandonar o sistema com três zagueiros. Apesar de falhar no segundo gol do Flamengo no sábado (11), Cacá deverá formar a dupla de zaga ao lado do equatoriano Félix Torres. Mesmo longe da forma física ideal, a tendência é que Yuri Alberto inicie o confronto ao lado de Wesley e Romero. Com isso, a equipe retorna à formação mais utilizada ao longo da temporada: 4-3-3.

continua após a publicidade

Portanto, a provável escalação do Corinthians para o duelo contra o Argentinos Juniors tem: Carlos Miguel, Fagner, Félix Torres, Cacá (Gustavo Henrique) e Hugo; Raniele, Bidon e Garro; Wesley, Romero e Yuri Alberto.

Na segunda colocação do grupo F com sete pontos conquistados, o Timão recebe o Argentinos Juniors nesta terça-feira (14), pela quinta rodada da fase de grupos da Sul-Americana. A bola rola a partir das 21h30 (de Brasília), na Neo Química Arena.

Tudo sobre

CorinthiansFutebol NacionalSTARPLUSSul-Americana

The Dodgers’ plan to slow play Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher, back to top form is working to perfection. Ohtani looked so good throwing six shutout innings against the Diamondbacks Tuesday night that he is a full-bore Game 1 option for manager Dave Roberts when the National League wild-card series begins Tuesday.

And when Ohtani does make his first career postseason start on the mound while taking his usual spot as the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter, he will replace Babe Ruth as the starting pitcher to hit from the highest spot in the batting order in a postseason game. Ruth hit sixth for the Red Sox in Game 4 of the 1918 World Series.

Three other postseason starting pitchers have batted in a spot other than ninth, all in the eighth spot: Zack Greinke in the 2021 World Series for the Astros and Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel twice each in the ‘16 postseason for the Cubs.

In his 14th game on the mound since a second elbow procedure, Ohtani reached season highs against Arizona in innings (six), pitches (91) and batters faced (22). Most impressively, Ohtani pitched off his fastball, which was electric, and held his stuff deep into his start. Here are the key numbers:

Inside Ohtani’s Tuesday start vs. Diamondbacks

Stat

Amount

Rank

Whiffs

16

Most since June 27, 2023

Whiffs on four-seam fastball

9

2nd most of career

Sixth inning fastball velocity

99.1

4th highest of career; highest since 2022

Max Velocity

101.2

4th pitch this month above 101 mph (career-high)

Roberts likely won’t announce his Game 1 starter until playoff matchups are set, but Ohtani has made 11 straight starts on at least six days of rest and if (and when) he starts NLWC Game 1 he will have … six days of rest.

The start Tuesday was the 100th pitching appearance for Ohtani in MLB. His 670 strikeouts through 100 games are the 11th most in history.

That’s impressive enough. But know this: that same all-time pitching talent also this year became the first player in history with 50 homers, 100 walks and 19 stolen bases in a season. Amazing.

And one more note about the incredible two-way talent of Ohtani:

The Two-Way Power of Shohei Ohtani in 2025

Stat

Amount

Rank

Balls Hit 100+ MPH

196

Most in MLB (Tied with Yandy Díaz)

Pitchers Thrown 100+ MPH

39

3rd most by starter since his return on June 16

The Dodgers’ plan to slow-play not just Ohtani but also all their top starters appears to have worked well. Los Angeles pitchers have made only 19 starts this year on four days of rest or fewer, the fewest in MLB (Houston is next at 23) and the seventh fewest in any full season. Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are all throwing well, giving Roberts good choices about how he wants to line up his postseason rotation.

Now he must fix his bullpen, and Roki Sasaki may be the answer. Sasaki, who is expected to be activated Wednesday, hasn’t pitched in MLB since May 9 because of a right shoulder impingement. After making five rehab starts in the minors, Sasaki made his past two appearances out of the bullpen for Oklahoma City. Each time he threw one shutout inning. He hit 100 mph with his fastball.

Roberts is expected to give Sasaki two relief outings this week as further trials for a high-leverage postseason role, which could include anything up to closing games.

Mikel Arteta has built a squad full to bursting with world-class talent at Arsenal.

However, when it comes to picking the club’s most important player, their talisman, it’s impossible to ignore Bukayo Saka.

The Hale End superstar is still just 24years old and has already amassed a staggering tally of 76 goals and 71 assists in 277 games for the club.

So, fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal to an up-and-coming talent who has been compared to Saka.

Arsenal target the next Saka

There is over a month to go until the transfer window actually opens, but that hasn’t stopped Arsenal from being linked with a plethora of exciting talents.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, for example, has been touted for a £120m move to the Emirates, as has Crystal Palace’s equally exciting Adam Wharton.

However, as talented as the two midfielders are, neither one can really be compared to Saka, unlike Jean-Mattéo Bahoya.

Yes, according to a report from Germany, Arsenal are one of a few teams interested in the Eintracht Frankfurt gem.

However, on top of beating the competition, the Gunners would have to stump up a fee of around €80m, which is about £71m, to get their man.

That is a lot of money to spend on a young talent, but given Bahoya’s ability and potential, it might well be worth it for Arsenal, especially as he’s been compared to Saka.

Why Arsenal should sign Bahoya

So, first and foremost, the comparison between Bahoya and Arsenal’s talismanic number seven comes from analyst Spencer Mossman, who described him as being “like a younger Bukayo Saka.”

That might sound like a bold thing to say, because it is, but it does make sense.

For example, on top of being an “excellent wide area creator” who is “on a continuous upward trajectory”, he’s more than happy to track back and “do the dirty work.”

That ability to influence proceedings at the sharp end of the pitch, while also willing to do the less glamorous things, was one of the reasons Saka quickly became an essential part of the first team.

Another reason the young Frenchman is such an exciting prospect is that, in the words of Mossman, “he’s able to get quality crosses away with both feet.”

This means that he’d not only be able to cover for the Hale Ender on the right but also play on the left, in turn pushing the likes of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli to step up their games.

Finally, despite still being just 20 years old, Mossman has highlighted the winger’s physicality as a key strength, claiming that he’s like an “Olympic-level athlete.”

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.67

Top 1%

% of Dribblers Tackled

61.8%

Top 2%

Passes Blocked

1.54

Top 2%

Tackles

2.36

Top 3%

Dribblers Tackled

1.08

Top 3%

Blocks

1.64

Top 4%

Tkl+Int

2.77

Top 6%

% of Aerials Won

54.1%

Top 6%

Goals/Shot on Target

0.50

Top 7%

Tackles (Def 3rd)

0.82

Top 8%

Successful Take-On %

52.1%

Top 8%

Aerials Won

1.03

Top 15%

Finally, on top of passing the eye test, the former Angers gem has also got some brilliant underlying numbers to his name this season.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles in the attacking third, the top 4% for blocks, the top 7% for goals per shot on target, the top 2% for successful take-on percentage and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, even though it wouldn’t be a cheap transfer to get over the line, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Bahoya, as he could be another Saka in the making.

Arsenal have the next Gabriel and he's the "best CB Hale End has produced"

The incredible youngster looks like he could go to the very top for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 21, 2025

Everton boss David Moyes admitted he was stunned by Idrissa Gueye’s bizarre red card after the midfielder slapped team-mate Michael Keane during a dramatic 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. The Toffees were forced to dig deep with 10 men but still secured a famous victory, leaving Moyes balancing frustration at the dismissal with admiration for his side’s resilience.

Gueye sent off for slapping Keane — Everton dig in for the win

Everton’s trip to Old Trafford produced one of the most surreal moments of the Premier League season when Gueye was sent off just 13 minutes into the match for slapping his own team-mate, Keane, during an explosive on-field altercation. The two players clashed after a stray Gueye pass led to a Manchester United chance, and referee Tony Harrington immediately brandished a red card after the Senegal midfielder appeared to slap Keane.

Despite the chaos, Everton regrouped impressively as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall drove forward on the counter and fired home a superb strike to give the Toffees the lead before half-time. With Old Trafford expecting a second-half siege against 10 men, the Toffees instead dug in, defended with remarkable organisation, and frustrated United’s increasingly desperate attempts to equalise.

Everton’s resolve held firm as Manchester United squandered chances through Bruno Fernandes, Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo. Jordan Pickford produced multiple key saves, and the Toffees escaped with a historic victory; Moyes’ first Premier League win at Old Trafford as an away manager after 17 unsuccessful attempts with Everton, West Ham and Sunderland.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMoyes opens up on the bizarre Gueye-Keane incident

Moyes admitted he was taken aback by the dismissal and felt the referee acted too swiftly under the circumstances. “If nothing happened, I don’t think anyone in the stadium would have been surprised. I thought the referee could have taken a bit longer to think about it. I got told that the rules of the game that if you slap your own player, you could be in trouble.”

He explained that confrontation between team-mates does not automatically trouble him as a manager. “But there's another side to it: I like my players fighting each other, if someone didn't do the right action. If you want that toughness and resilience to get a result, you want someone to act on it.”

The Everton boss also revealed that Gueye addressed the situation immediately after the match. “He’s apologised for the sending off. He’s praised the players and thanked them for it and apologised for what happened.”

Ten-man Everton dig in for famous Old Trafford win

The incident overshadowed a gritty Everton performance in a match that threatened to unravel early. Seamus Coleman had already been forced off injured just minutes into his first start in two months, and the combination of losing their captain and going down to 10 men appeared to put Everton in a vulnerable position. Yet the team responded with a collective sharpness, reorganising defensively and committing to a compact shape that United struggled to break down.

Moyes highlighted his team’s mentality in his broader post-match reflections, praising their structure and resilience. He acknowledged the significance of winning at Old Trafford, particularly under such challenging conditions, noting that Everton “showed the toughness behind the scenes” that had carried them through recent adversity. The performance embodied the “resilience and discipline” he expects from his squad, especially when facing an opponent in strong form.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

AFPWhen will Gueye return to the Everton squad?

For Everton, the focus now shifts to building momentum from a victory that could serve as a turning point in their campaign. After a mixed start to the Premier League season, the Toffees will look to maintain form when they take on Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest before two tough clashes against Chelsea and Arsenal.

Gueye is likely to be suspended for the Newcastle and Bournemouth clashes. However, if Everton decide to hand him a further punishment, his return could be pushed into the festive period.