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Aston Villa made it five wins from their last six games in the Premier League when grinding out a determined 1-0 victory away at AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.

This win – which was clinched courtesy of Villa’s new all-time top-flight scorer Ollie Watkins – guarantees at least Conference League football for Unai Emery’s Villans next campaign.

But, the main prize of Champions League football is still very much up for grabs for the in-form outfit sat in sixth spot.

It wasn’t the prettiest performance by Villa on the South Coast, but at his crunch stage of the season, any win will do, with a big team effort needed to clinch the three points, especially after Jacob Ramsey was dismissed.

Aston Villa's best performers vs Bournemouth

Villa really had to dig deep during the last ten minutes of the clash after homegrown attacker Ramsey was shown his second yellow.

Thankfully, Emery’s visitors were already hanging onto a slim lead courtesy of the aforementioned Watkins, who once again came up trumps for the Villans in their moment of need.

The potent number 11 would find himself in the right place at the right time yet again to fire home his 75th career goal in the big time, with this effort ultimately being the difference-maker to the annoyance of Andoni Iraola’s frustrated hosts.

The Cherries just couldn’t find a breakthrough, with the likes of Emiliano Martinez having to stay very alert throughout with four saves made, alongside both Matty Cash and Lucas Digne down the flanks who won a combined 11 duels on the day.

But, it was once again Morgan Rogers who stood out in attack for Emery and Co, with the electric number 11 understandably a wanted man heading into the hectic transfer window.

Morgan Rogers' transfer value continues to soar

Rogers isn’t the only face that could soon be waving Villa Park goodbye, with Watkins – who the ex-Manchester City man set up for the winner at Bournemouth – also reportedly keen on a move away amidst interest from Arsenal.

For the 22-year-old, however, according to other reports, Chelsea and Stamford Bridge might well be his next onward destination, but off the back of a seriously impressive campaign for Emery’s men, the 6 foot 2 attacking midfielder won’t be exiting the building for cheap.

Indeed, it’s now being speculated that Villa would only consider parting ways with Rogers if a bumper £90m bid was put on the table, with the exciting forward menace arguably deep in the best form of his career at this point in time.

In all competitions this campaign, Rogers has notched up a ridiculous 14 goals and 14 assists from 52 overall games, leading to Jamie Carragher even hailing the four-time England international as an “unstoppable” force, on top of Villa thanking their lucky stars now that they won the 22-year-old for a modest £15m just last year.

Emery’s side have had to exercise patience with the 22-year-old, considering he only chipped in with three goals and one assist last season after a January move, but it’s clear that he is destined for greatness now, whether that be with the Villans long-term or with Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea.

Further lauded as “magnificent” by scout Antonio Mango after his assist away at Bournemouth, his current employers will just pray that Rogers sees Villa as his home for the foreseeable.

But, with his value increasing by that whopping 500%, Emery and Co would be mad not to sell up, particularly if that £90m does fall into their bank account soon.

Same agent as Asensio: Aston Villa join race for "outrageous" 15-goal ace

He’s a Champions League finalist.

By
Tom Cunningham

May 10, 2025

Crystal Palace are now in a fight with fellow Premier League side Wolves over the signing of an £8.5 million striker, according to a recent report.

Crystal Palace's summer plans become clearer

Oliver Glasner has not only stabilised the situation at Selhurst Park and led the Eagles out of relegation trouble, but he has also led the South Londoners to the FA Cup final.

New target: Crystal Palace interested in signing "fantastic" £9m "monster"

The Eagles have set their sights on a midfielder, who is set to be available for a bargain fee this summer.

ByDominic Lund May 1, 2025

By winning that famous English trophy, Palace would seal their place in next season’s Europa League as well, and that achievement could do wonders for Palace’s summer transfer budget. Already the Eagles are being linked with several players, as Glasner plots a few changes to his squad this summer.

According to Caught Offside, Palace are in the running to sign midfielder Rayan Cherki from Lyon. The Premier League side are considered dark horses in the race, given that teams such as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested.

Meanwhile, last week it was reported that Palace could be a step closer to their first signing of the summer, as they have opened talks with Tamiou Kpebane, who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt. The 18-year-old is set to become a free agent this summer, and the Eagles are working on bringing him to South London.

Crystal Palace working to beat Wolves to signing of £8.5m striker

Glasner appears to have his eyes on strengthening all parts of his team this summer, as according to Football Insider, Crystal Palace are eyeing a move to sign Phil Harres from German side Holstein Kiel.

The report states that the Eagles have made regular checks on the centre-forward throughout this season and see him as a player who could become a star. However, they are not alone, as Wolves are also keeping a close eye on him, as well as many other teams across Europe.

The 23-year-old joined Holstein Kiel last summer and has made a solid first impression, netting eight goals in 23 league games. But the Bundesliga side are battling relegation and could be resigned to losing their striker, as they value Harres at £8.5 million heading into the summer.

Harres, who has been dubbed an “instinctive” finisher in the past, is naturally a centre-forward, but he can also play as a right-winger, which would be ideal for Glasner as he likes to have flexibility in his forward line.

Current Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park this summer, but the talk of Harres arriving isn’t likely seen as a replacement for the Frenchman but, in fact, a player who can take some of the burden away in terms of being the constant source of goals.

The one concern would be that Harres has only played football in Germany. Therefore, he would arrive with no Premier League experience and could take some time to adjust, given the Bundesliga has produced a fair few flops on English soil.

Rajasthan Royals ended up on the winning side in a game where both teams seemed to make it harder for themselves

Ashish Pant14-Apr-20243:12

Why did Royals open with Tanush Kotian?

“The games against Punjab in the last five years, I don’t know what it is. Each and every game is very close. It is a very funny feeling. It was a very funny game.”Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson was his cheerful self at the post-match presentation ceremony whipping out one-liners like he normally does. But, behind the smile, there was a sense of relief. The relief of getting over the line in a match neither team seemed to want to win.Eventually, the team that probably made fewer errors did, in the penultimate ball of the game, while chasing 148, with Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell needing to strike at 270.00 and 220.00 respectively.This is not the first time that Royals and Punjab Kings have dished out a last-over thriller in the IPL. Before Saturday, each of the five previous encounters between the two sides had gone into the final over. For the longest time, the encounter in Mullanpur didn’t look like it would but what was a slow burner for 35 overs or so, sprung to life in the final five.Having restricted Kings to 148, the second-lowest first-innings score this season, Royals would have harboured hopes of an early finish and further consolidating their position at the top of the order. They did bag the two points but not before needing to dig deep and requiring a little help from the Kings bowlers.”It was a game with a lot of errors and a lot of puzzling decisions both from a team perspective tactically, and also from an individual perspective,” Tom Moody said on ESPNcricinfo’s show. “It was a poor quality game that gave us an exciting finish, but 90% of the game was a struggle to watch because it just didn’t flow, it didn’t sort of have any compass to it. Then suddenly we got into this back-end situation which should never have happened. That was through some unusual decisions from Rajasthan with their batting order and their approach with 148 to win.”Kings’ lack of a proactive approachIn IPL 2024, Kings have the second-lowest run rate in the first ten overs – 7.75 – and have lost 17 wickets in this time, the highest of all teams. Three of the top six lowest powerplay scores this season also belong to Kings.With regular captain Shikhar Dhawan out with a shoulder injury, Kings brought in Atharva Taide to open the innings. But he could only manage 15 off 12. Jonny Bairstow (15 off 19) and Prabhsimran Singh (10 off 14) also went nowhere with their innings. After an average powerplay where Kings scored 38 for 1, could they have promoted one of Liam Livingstone or the in-form Shashank Singh at No. 4 to try and give the innings some impetus?They instead continued to have Sam Curran at No. 4, who since his 47-ball 63 in Kings’ opening game hasn’t had an innings of note in the competition. He scored 6 off 10 as the home side crawled to 53 for 4 after ten overs.The experiment to open with Tanush Kotian did not work for Rajasthan Royals•AFP/Getty ImagesWhat’s Tanush Kotian doing at the top?With Jos Buttler out with a niggle, Tanush Kotian, a bowling allrounder, found himself opening the innings for Royals on IPL debut. It’s puzzling because Kotian had never in his T20 (or List A) career batted above No. 8. He immediately looked out of depth against Kagiso Rabada and co, scoring 24 off 31 balls and striking at 77.41.Samson had his reasons behind the Kotian promotion. “Tanush is a very interesting youngster. He came in as an all-rounder. He has had a fabulous Ranji Trophy season with Mumbai and he has been performing really well,” Samson said. “He has been impressing all the coaching staff in the nets. We had a proper settled batting order after the opener, so we did not want to unsettle it and bring someone up the order just for one game. Jos is almost ready for the next game and we wanted to try him (Kotian) up the order.”But it was a move that could have easily backfired especially had Yashasvi Jaiswal’s lean season continued. Which begs the question. Could Royals have instead sent Dhruv Jurel to open the innings? He has had limited batting time in IPL 2024, and with Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell already in the playing XI, Royals could have given Jurel the license to go on the offensive up top.2:10

Moody: The 18th over from Harshal was puzzling

Harshal’s execution goes awryWith an overall economy rate of 10.54 in IPL 2024, which goes up to 15.00 in the death overs, Harshal Patel has had a horror start to his season. On Saturday, he had the chance to right his wrongs. Bowling the 18th over, he started by picking a wicket and conceding four runs off his first four balls leaving Royals needing 30 off 14. But then had an execution malfunction.Hetmyer was presented with a back-of-a-length ball on middle which he first carted to the deep midwicket fence for four before helping a length ball on his hips over short fine leg for six. Two balls right in Hetmyer’s wheelhouse and both pounded away. Royals had found a way back.”The 18th over from Harshal Patel, a couple of his deliveries, for an experienced Indian death bowler was puzzling,” Moody said. “Particularly that last ball which Hetmyer was always going to line-up and get a boundary off, and he bowled in the slot where Hetmyer if you asked him exactly where you want this ball, so you can hit for six, that’s the one.”At the end of the day, Royals will say they have two points despite Buttler, R Ashwin and Nandre Burger not available. They have five wins out of six and a comfortable lead at the top of the points table, but at the back of their minds, they will know this could have gone pear-shaped. Their haphazard catching, their death-bowling woes, their middle-overs slowdown could all have come back to haunt them. But Kings had issues of their own, and that helped Royals get out of jail.

From being unable to score 200 in three Ashes ODIs, they went toe-to-toe in a chase of 311 against Australia in the World Cup

Valkerie Baynes05-Mar-2022England took a big step towards addressing their Ashes shortcomings with a batting display that threatened to steal the show from Australia in their opening World Cup clash in Hamilton on Saturday.Nat Sciver’s frustration was palpable in her post-match press conference after she had scored an unbeaten century at better than a run-a-ball and kept England in the contest right to the last over, when they needed 16 runs to overhaul a target of 311 and upset the tournament favourites.

Jess Jonassen was entrusted with bowling the final over after she had been used sparingly, conceding 16 runs off her only two overs for the match to that point, including a six over long-off to Heather Knight and four thundered to long-on by Tammy Beaumont, the England pair putting on a 92-run stand for the second wicket.Jonassen’s 13th ball was a leg bye, while her return catch to dismiss Katherine Brunt on the next delivery was one of the best you’ll see and had the bowler herself looking completely bemused after her left hand shot out above her head, seemingly of its own accord, and grasped the ball just as instinctively. Jonassen conceded just two singles off her next three deliveries before she had Sophie Ecclestone caught off the last ball to seal victory by 12 runs.Related

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Given that Australia had bowled England out for well below 200 as they swept the ODI leg of their recent Ashes series 3-0, and that England’s middle order had struggled to gel for some time, the fact that they strung together two more fifty-plus partnerships – Sciver with Sophia Dunkley and again with Brunt – showed their commitment to move on from the loss. Beaumont scored 74 and Knight 40, while the fact that Dunkley and Brunt also contributed valuable runs added further proof that their demoralising 12-4 series defeat in Australia was behind them.Sciver had scored 108 as England defeated Bangladesh by 109 runs in a warm-up match before the tournament, but for England to take the match to the Australians was another thing entirely.”From the Ashes we’ve wanted to make a shift as batters, a shift in our mindset really, and bringing that intent a bit more which, we had done during the warm-up game,” Sciver said. “So to bring it out against Australia was really important and everyone did their job today in terms of that.”I felt like we were [winning], we were going to get it. The first ball [of the last over], I wasn’t really sure as to what lengths she [Jonassen] was going to bowl, obviously keep it tight to me, but I felt like if I got that one away, it would have happened a bit easier. Katherine had also come in and played spin really well so, I mean, that catch to get Katherine out was pretty special. That goes through her hand and goes for four, it might be different.”England had opted to play seven batters and rely on an experienced attack of four seamers and one spinner but, despite winning the toss and sending Australia in on a pitch that proved difficult to score on for the first quarter of the match, they struggled to make inroads as centurion Rachael Haynes, Meg Lanning (86) and Beth Mooney (27* off 19) showed their class.It then fell to England’s batters to put into action the plans they had discussed during an intense post-Ashes review which included, among other things, scoring 250 or more.”Us all agreeing amongst ourselves and committing to that was really important,” Sciver said. “It feels frustrating, but also really encouraging. From where we were at the end of the Ashes, I think we were in a pretty low spot, but to be able to turn that around in a couple of weeks is really important.”To be able to take that into the rest of the tournament – I think we’ve already seen a lot of high-scoring games – so it’s important for us to do.”While England failed to get across the line against Australia, their next opponents, West Indies, upset host New Zealand in another thriller at Mount Maunganui on Friday. Hayley Matthews and Sophie Devine both scored centuries on opposite sides of the result, which was secured in the final over by Deandra Dottin’s two wickets and hand in a run out as West Indies won by three runs. England will play West Indies in Dunedin on Tuesday.

MLB announced on Sunday that Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz will remain on non-disciplinary paid leave “until further notice" after they were originally placed there from a gambling investigation, ESPN's David Purdum reported.

The league would not provide any further information until the investigation is complete. Ortiz was placed on leave back on July 13, while Clase followed on July 28. Ortiz's leave ended on Sunday, but now it has been extended.

MLB is investigating gambling activity around two Ortiz pitches earlier this year—one on June 15 against the Mariners and one on June 27 against the Cardinals. The latter came in Ortiz's most recent start since he's been on leave, in which he gave up four earned runs and lost 5-0. Clase is tied to the same investigation.

Before being put on leave, Ortiz posted a 4.36 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings pitched in 2025. Clase, as a closer for Cleveland, posted a 3.23 ERA in 48 games this season with 24 saves.

India started the second day 122 runs behind in the first innings with nine wickets in hand. Less than six dramatic hours of cricket later, they were sensing a win, having reduced South Africa to effectively 63 for 7 in their second innings. Fifteen wickets fell on the day, Shubman Gill retired with a neck spasm, 39 remained the top score in the Test, and 57 the top partnership. This was the lowest top score in the first two innings of a Test in India, and the lowest in any Test since Durban 2010-11 between the same sides.Absolutely nobody predicted the pitch would turn out to be so difficult to bat on. It looked like a normal Indian track, good for batting for first two days, but the top surface began to come off in the second half of the first day. On the second day, it became near unplayable. Even the fast bowlers drew generous help to take 11 of the 26 wickets to fall.The pitch might seem at odds with India’s public utterances after the series loss to New Zealand last year that they want to play on more balanced surfaces, but commentator Dinesh Karthik said on air that it was not watered on the day before the Test, which comes across as unusual.Related

• Gill hospitalised after suffering neck spasm

• From struggle to skill, Harmer demonstrates decade-long evolution

• Shubman Gill retires hurt with neck injury

What wasn’t unusual was that the best player on this moving day was Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 27 largely trouble-free runs before his old-fashioned technique of hiding the bat behind the pad got him out lbw to Simon Harmer.Harmer himself showed all the hype was real, that he is now a vastly improved bowler to the one that showed up in India 10 years ago, taking 4 for 30 to keep South Africa in arrears of only 30 after being bowled out for 159 on the first day. Jadeja, though, showed 30 was plenty with an unerring unbroken spell of 13-3-29-4 as South Africa ended the day on 93 for 7.When the day began, and indeed even after the wicketless first hour, it looked like India were setting themselves up for a decisive first-innings lead. KL Rahul, the top-scorer in the match, and India’s new No. 3 Washington Sundar put together the joint-highest partnership of the match. Introduced only in the second hour of the day, Harmer produced immediate results, turning one past Washington’s edge and the next onto the edge.KL Rahul was the top-scorer of the match after the second day•AFP/Getty Images

At 75 for 2, India were 84 behind South Africa, still a comfortable position to be in. Gill, whose neck seemed to be in some discomfort in the morning warm-ups, then went into a spasm as soon as he swept Harmer for four.While Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Jadeja – 39, 27 and 27 – looked good in their own individual ways, the eventual wicket-taking delivery was always around the corner. Rahul made the mistake of following Keshav Maharaj’s extravagant turn, Jadeja was done in by the natural variation, and Pant fell to extra bounce for Corbin Bosch.Maharaj will be disappointed he went at over four an over, but the combination of Harmer and Marco Jansen made light of India’s batting depth, which generally is the case on such pitches. In Kagiso Rabada’s absence, Jansen’s analysis of 15-4-35-3 kept South Africa alive in the Test. India lost their last four wickets for 36.By the time India started bowling for the second time, with a little over half an hour to tea on day two, it made complete sense to open with spin. Jasprit Bumrah, who got a five-for in the first innings, did open the bowling, and from the end where bowlers had generated uneven bounce, but it wasn’t long before South Africa were facing spin from both ends with little breathing time or space.Kuldeep Yadav took the wicket of Ryan Rickelton with what turned out to be the last ball of the middle session, one that didn’t turn and also had the batter playing back when he should have been forward.Ravindra Jadeja spun a web around South Africa•AFP/Getty Images

Pant, captaining in Gill’s absence, immediately brought on Jadeja, the fingerspinner who could accurately bowl at high pace, on at this end. As it often happens on such difficult pitches, the wicket-taking deliveries don’t look that threatening but the ones around them scramble batters’ brains. And so it looked like Aiden Markram should not have checked his sweep, but he did because this ball from Jadeja stopped on him. Tony de Zorzi reverse-swept the first ball he played but the next one jumped on him, making for an easy bat-pad catch.Wiaan Mulder tested Jadeja’s patience, but Jadeja eventually produced the edge with the big-turning delivery. Tristan Stubbs was worked over with subtle changes in the angle, with Jadeja finally going wide on the crease, angling the ball in, and then turning it away past the edge to take the off stump.Kyle Verreynne copped flak for trying to slog-sweep Axar Patel, but there weren’t many scoring opportunities on that pitch with in-out fields. A similar attacking strategy came off for Jansen for a while as he scored 13 but even he get a feather on a sweep off Kuldeep.The catching of both sides remained sensational with Rahul capping the day off with a low slip catch off a deflection of the keeper Pant. Temba Bavuma defended well and threw in the occasional sweep to end the day unbeaten on 29 off 78, but it seemed he still had a lot to do with the bat to give South Africa a shot at a win.

The Australia fast bowler has endured an injury-hit career and may not play at all this season

Andrew McGlashan25-Oct-2025Fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck has admitted she is “shattered” to have been ruled out of the upcoming WBBL season for Melbourne Renegades after a slower-than-expected recovery from the shoulder injury she suffered at last year’s T20 World Cup.Vlaeminck, 26, is one of the quickest bowlers in the world but has had an injury-hit career, making just 29 international appearances since her debut in 2018. Her latest setback came when she dislocated her right shoulder diving in the outfield early in Australia’s opening game against Pakistan in the UAE.The WBBL, which starts on November 9, had been earmarked as a potential comeback for Vlaeminck but her shoulder has not responded well to an increase in bowling workload over the last month. It means that she will miss her fourth consecutive WBBL having not featured in the competition since joining Renegades in 2022.Related

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“I’m obviously a little bit shattered about missing out,” Vlaeminck told reporters in Sydney. “Unfortunately my shoulder’s just not loving bowling at the moment, so there’s not much I can do about that. I think we were hoping that my shoulder would probably respond a little bit better to bowling than it has.”We lined up Big Bash to be that sort of end point. We sat pretty nice there [at] that year mark, and just in the last four weeks trying to ramp that up it just hasn’t responded the way we sort of thought it would.”We got to a space where I pulled the pin. I probably didn’t feel confident enough to be able to actually perform if I got out for the Renegades. It’s one thing to get out on the pitch and be back playing, but you actually have to sort of back yourself in to be able to perform and do well for a team, which I didn’t feel like I was going to be able to do.”Vlaeminck’s list of injuries includes two dislocations of her left shoulder and stress fractures of the foot. Prior to her international debut she had undergone two ACL reconstructions. However, she has tried not to bemoan her bad fortune and Cricket Australia retained her on their central contracts list earlier this year.”I think you always go there initially, but I don’t think it’s overly helpful being in that space,” she said. “I just like to consider myself pretty lucky that Cricket Australia have stuck by me throughout this whole thing.”I’ve got heaps of support and hopefully over the next four to six weeks I’ll be able to continue to work on it and see how we go for the back end of the season.”Australian Women’s physiotherapist Kate Beerworth said: “Tayla’s recovery has been impacted by ongoing limitations, restricting her ability to progess her bowling and work through the end stages of her return to play plan. We’ll continue to work with Tayla, the Melbourne Renegades and Cricket Victoria to support her through this next phase.”

India prioritised recovery – both physical and mental – ahead of their Women’s World Cup final match against South Africa on Sunday

Vishal Dikshit01-Nov-20251:50

Chopra: India winning the World Cup will change women’s cricket landscape

Harmanpreet Kaur sat down for the pre-match press conference at the DY Patil Stadium, her face seemingly devoid of any emotion. There was only a simmering fire.She had cried uncontrollably after India sealed a high-octane victory over Australia in the semi-final. That was only two nights ago. Two nights to digest the high of beating serial World Cup winners. Two nights to come to terms with the fact the job isn’t quite done.”Well, the semi-final was a very high-pressure game and very intense,” Harmanpreet said on the eve of the final against South Africa. “After that, recovery was something which we all paid more attention to because the fresher we are, mentally, for the final, the better it will be.”Because we have been working hard for so many years and we have been batting day and night, whenever our batters camped or there were team camps. So, skill-wise we know we have done a lot and now it’s only about keeping ourselves fresh for tomorrow and recovery is something which we all talk about, and everybody is really taking that thing very seriously and hopefully tomorrow we will feel even fresher for the main game.India will be playing their third ODI World Cup final. South Africa, just their first.”Keeping yourself balanced and focused is something which is the key,” Harmanpreet said. “We are having those sessions where we have been talking about how we can be more focused and more balanced and at the same time keeping ourselves relaxed because this is the biggest stage and biggest opportunity for us, playing in home conditions and that also final match.2:27

WWC final – Can India come down from their high in time?

“But I think the most important thing is that we have to enjoy this because there is nothing bigger than this in our life as a cricketer and as a captain. So our focus is to enjoy this moment and keep taking small targets which we have to achieve as a team rather than thinking bigger targets because you can achieve bigger targets if you achieve the small targets.”Harmanpreet is into her fifth World Cup now, but this is her first as captain. India have arrived at the final after a topsy-turvy league stage that saw them win only three of their seven games. She was clear “there’s no bigger motivation than a World Cup final” to up their game.Related

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“We know pretty well how it feels after losing [a World Cup final],” she said. “We’re really looking forward to the feeling of winning a final. Hopefully it’s going to be a special day for us tomorrow. We’ve worked really hard, and now it’s about getting everything together tomorrow.”India’s road to the semis looked wobbly right from the start. They began with collapses against Sri Lanka and Pakistan but turned things around to win both games. They lost all the matches they played against higher-ranked teams – South Africa, Australia and England – and it was only when they arrived in Navi Mumbai, a ground where they have had lots of success, that things picked back up.”We weren’t shaken up even once in the team because of those three big losses,” Harmanpreet said. “Even after that, everyone was together and everyone was talking about how to reach the final. We had a positive mindset which really helped us that we’re here now. When you have such a positive mindset and everyone feels from within to perform for the country…”We were definitely talking about where to improve but at the same time there was a common goal, there was the awareness that it’s a long process and there would be ups and downs, wins and losses. At the end of the day, what matters is we’re here in the final. So we used to think how to move forward after those losses, how to improve, be there for each other.”2:43

WWC final: Harmanpreet and Tryon will be key players

India have looked far more convincing over their last three matches, including a washout against Bangladesh. The XI seems more balanced, with six bowling options, bigger contributions from the bat, and all of it culminating in another historic victory against forever favourites Australia. That night ended with plenty of tears, from Jemimah Rodrigues on the field and Harmanpreet in the dugout as she hugged whoever came her way, crying into their arms.”I think I’m a very emotional person, and I cry a lot,” Harmanpreet said with a smile. “So it’s not like I cry only after losing. I have cried a lot after winning too, maybe yesterday you have seen me on television. But my team-mates have seen me in the dressing room many times – on small occasions also, whenever we have done well. I am the first person to cry.”As a player, these moments are very important. To beat a team like Australia, which is a big team and has always done well on the world stage. It’s not an easy thing to perform and be mentally strong in front of them. But I think overcoming that hurdle was something very special to all of us. I always tell my team that you don’t need to control your emotions. If you feel like crying, cry. At the same time, just keep enjoying. I think there is no bigger achievement or thing for us. Tomorrow is a special day and we will go with the same mindset.”There is a sell-out crowd expected for the final on Sunday.”The entire team is charged up, we’re there for each other and praying for each other,” Harmanpreet said. “That shows how close this team is and how ready we are for this match. Now it’s only giving your best, all the strategies and plans have been taking shape for the last two years. We had been planning for a home World Cup, what kind of conditions we’d get, so know it’s only about giving your 100%.”

Chelsea have now reportedly joined the race to sign Crystal Palace star Daniel Munoz, who has already revealed where his “dream” move away lies.

Those at Stamford Bridge aren’t wasting any time before thinking about 2026 reinforcements in an attempt to improve Enzo Maresca’s young side. They were at their ruthless best against Wolverhampton Wanderers, dispatching of the managerless relegation candidates to win 3-0.

Full of praise for his side following a convincing victory, Maresca expressed his delight whilst also admitting that Chelsea could have scored even more goals at Stamford Bridge.

That said, as happy as Maresca was, improvements could still be on the way. BlueCo haven’t exactly been shy when it comes to recruitment in recent years and that looks set to continue in 2026.

After spending big last summer, the Blues are already reportedly eyeing Karl Etta Eyong who has admitted that he dreams of completing a move to Stamford Bridge to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Didier Drogba.

The Levante star has scored six goals in 12 games this season and is now one of the hottest prospects in European football. When next summer arrives, he could yet get the chance to realise his Chelsea dream, whilst another transfer target also potentially gets his move.

Chelsea join Daniel Munoz race as "dream" move shared

According to reports in Spain, Chelsea have now joined the race to sign Munoz from Crystal Palace following an excellent spell at Selhurst Park. Joining the Blues in pursuit of the right-back, however, is Barcelona. The Spanish giants are looking to spoil Chelsea’s plans and help Munoz realise what he previously admitted is a dream move when playing for Belgian side Genk.

Having now ticked off his Premier League dream, it’s difficult to imagine a world in which Munoz turns Barcelona down if they come calling. The good news for Chelsea is that, either way, they’ll be able to bid farewell to playing against such a talented star.

6 passes & 2 duels won: Maresca must drop 5/10 Chelsea star after Wolves

Chelsea breezed to victory over Wolves, although it wasn’t all plain sailing.

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 9, 2025

Praised as “amazing” by Palace boss Oliver Glasner last year, it was only back in August that Munoz was pocketing Chelsea’s Jamie Gittens in a 0-0 draw – limiting the winger to just two touches in the opposition box.

Chelsea star criticised vs Wolves after having fewer touches than Sanchez

The New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians conspired to play an unbelievable Game 3 in the American League Championship Series on Thursday. The back-and-forth affair had a bit of everything with both sides hitting a pair of incredibly clutch home runs at the precise moment they'd yield maxium drama. On a night where so many players took a turn playing hero, Cleveland's David Fry went last, blasting a walkoff two-run homer in the 10th inning to cut the Yankees' series lead in half and give Guardians fans some realistic hope.

It was one of those games where as soon as it ended—even as a neutral observer—you couldn't wait to catch the highlights. The sort of sporting event where you text a casual fan and tell them they need to check out what happened. And the type of thing that yields almost magical footage from the scene.

Playoff baseball provides such rich storytelling and it digs deep inside to reach something truly pure. There's so much to say about a magnificent game where the stakes couldn't be higher and the action couldn't be more exciting, yet the sights and sounds are often more effective.

All of this to say this video, taken a few blocks from Progressive Field as Fry launched his bomb into the night and sent a city into euphoria, is one of the coolest things on the internet right now. The building of tension until the crack of the bat is heard. The cascading of sound from there. A fireworks display to hammer home the winning moment.

Perfection.

If I were running Major League Baseball I'd make this a commercial for the sport. Heck, it already feels like a commercial created for the sport in the way that it delivers a message without words.

Stuff like this is why the "baseball is dying" narrative and vague complaints about the sport not marketing its stars becomes insufferable. There's amazing, almost-impossible-to-ignore theater playing out for anyone who can stop complaining long enough to enjoy it. Year after year the sport seems to do a great job reminding everyone come October just what it has to offer.