All posts by h716a5.icu

The last five years or so have been a roller coaster for Tottenham Hotspur.

Since Daniel Levy and Co decided to sack Mauricio Pochettino, the club haven’t been able to find another manager who’s been able to truly deliver.

For example, Ange Postecoglou delivered entertaining football but has made them incredibly easy to play against, while Antonio Conte and José Mourinho turned a club famous for their attacking philosophy into one of the country’s most boring teams to watch.

Yet, the least successful of the lot was Nuno Espírito Santo, who wasn’t even given half a season in the dugout but still managed to bring in a couple of good signings, including one now compared to a Premier League superstar.

Nuno's Spurs signings

So, before we get to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other players Nuno bought in during his time in the Spurs hot seat, starting with one that did not work out: Emerson Royal.

The Brazilian full-back joined the North Londoners from Barcelona in the summer of 2021 for a fee of around £26m – a fee that reportedly stunned the Catalan board at the time, which perhaps makes how things panned out not that surprising.

In all, the São Paulo-born flop made 101 appearances for the club, in which he scored four goals, provided two assists and was often labelled a “liability” by those in the media like Jamie O’Hara, before being sold to AC Milan for about £13m in the summer of 2024.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

An altogether more successful acquisition made under Nuno’s watch was that of Cristian Romero, who joined the club on a loan with a £46.7m option to buy in early August 2021.

Since then, he has been one of the club’s co-vice captains and made 117 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing one assist.

However, he’s not been the only success story from that summer, as another of Nuno’s limited signings is now a key member of the squad and has even been compared to one of the biggest stars in the Premier League, who is worth around £101m.

Spurs' £101m superstar in the making

Given Nuno’s limited time at Spurs, only one other signing was made under him that could be described as a success: Pape Matar Sarr.

The North Londoners paid Ligue 1 side FC Metz about £15m for the midfield “monster,” as dubbed by journalist Mitch Fretton, in the summer of 2021, and it would be fair to say he has since more than proved worth that initial investment.

For example, he’s already made 93 first-team appearances, scoring nine goals and providing six assists, which is seriously impressive for a 22-year-old central midfielder.

On top of this, he’s also been compared to Declan Rice, and while the Spurs faithful don’t like him, it’s a pretty flattering and encouraging comparison, one that stems from Fbref.

They compared players in similar positions in last season’s Premier League and concluded that the Englishman was the second most similar midfielder to the Senegalese ace in the entire competition.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.25

0.24

Shots

1.57

1.62

Shots on Target

0.57

0.56

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.00

1.09

Goal-Creating Actions

0.30

0.33

Passes Blocked

0.70

0.73

Aerial Duels Won

1.04

1.09

The best way to see how this conclusion was reached is by looking at the underlying numbers in which they ranked closely, including but not limited to non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots and shots on target, passes into the penalty area, goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

However, while being statistically similar to one of the division’s leading midfielders is great in and of itself, it’s also encouraging regarding the Lilywhites ace’s future valuation.

For example, Transfermarkt currently values the Arsenal star at a whopping €110m, which, when converted, comes out to £101m, and if Sarr is so similar to him, why couldn’t his price tag reach the same heights in the future?

Ultimately, while he’s not quite on the level of the Englishman just yet, the talent is undeniably there, and with the right coaching, the sky’s the limit.

Spurs plotting £60m summer deal for "sensational" Van de Ven upgrade

Spurs could be about to land a star who’d massively bolster the defensive department.

1 ByEthan Lamb Apr 6, 2025

Toby Albert gives Hampshire the edge until formidable chase, with Dickson and Gregory key to finale

Alan Gardner13-Sep-2025Somerset came out on top in a clash of the T20 Blast titans, pulling off the highest successful run-chase in the competition’s final to overcome Hampshire and claim a record-equalling third title under the Edgbaston lights. Will Smeed blazed 94 off 58 to get Somerset most of the way there, before Lewis Gregory obliterated the tension in the stands by hammering a four and two sixes in five balls to seal victory with an over to spare.Hampshire, whose total of 194 for 6 had been underpinned by 85 off 48 balls from young opener Toby Albert, seemed to be in control as the requirement for Somerset ticked beyond two runs per ball just past the halfway mark. But Scott Currie’s drop of Sean Dickson was to prove crucial, as a fourth-wicket partnership of 88 off 51 dragged the contest back Somerset’s way.Having been asked to bat, Albert and James Vince made up for the early of loss of Chris Lynn with a stand of 97 in 59 balls to put Hampshire in a formidable position. Albert, in particular, produced some audacious shot-making – including four reverse-hit boundaries in the space of six balls – as Somerset were asked to make the highest-ever score in the final of the competition.Their start was given the required fizz by Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who hit one enormous six over the roof of the Hollies Stand and out of the ground, and although Hampshire frequently seemed one good over from shutting the chase down, Smeed and then Dickson – the linchpin in Somerset’s 2023 Blast success – kept landing timely blows. With both teams making their 11th Finals Day appearances, it was always likely to be a tussle for the ages.Victory for Somerset ended the hoodoo for winners of the first semi-final, as they became the first team since Worcestershire in 2018 to lift the trophy after kicking their heels during the second game. It also marked a fifth consecutive triumph for the South Group – though that was confirmed earlier in the day by the exits of Lancashire and Northamptonshire.Toby Albert played some audacious reverse-ramps in his 85•Getty ImagesTKC lands first blow, Baker hits backBatting second on a surface that was being used for the third time in the day meant Somerset knew they had to get a shuffle on. Smeed picked up boundaries in each of the first two overs – Sonny Baker also contributing with five wides from his first ball – and Kohler-Cadmore then took up the cudgels, hammering his fourth ball, a pull off Chris Wood, over the heads of those in the Hollies and out towards the River Rea.Scott Currie’s first delivery also flew all the way, as Kohler-Cadmore unleashed a scything uppercut over deep third. Baker returned, switching to the Pavilion End, only to be thrashed through the covers. But the Hampshire fast bowler showed why he is on England’s radar by splattering Kohler-Cadmore’s stumps with an 88mph yorker to end the opening stand at 46.Smeed carries the fightSmeed had ticked along to 18 off 15 but responded to the loss of Kohler-Cadmore by twice cracking James Fuller through point at the start of the sixth. Tom Abell departed for a duck in the same over, Somerset finishing the powerplay on 55 for 2, but James Rew picked off early boundaries as Smeed bedded into the middle overs.Currie’s return in the 10th saw the back of Rew, chopping on to his stumps, and Hampshire looked to squeeze through the nous of South Africa spinner Bjorn Fortuin. The required rate was approaching 12 an over, but Smeed kept Somerset in touch with back-to-back fours off Fortuin and then a thump off Howell. Then came the crucial drop of Dickson, with Smeed turning the screw in the following over by taking three more boundaries off Fortuin. That meant Somerset finished the 15th over on 136 for 3 – exactly the same score as Hampshire as the same stage of their innings.Sean Dickson played a key hand for Somerset•Getty ImagesFinisher Dickson does it againWith 59 needed from 30 balls, Dickson produced his first flourish by ramping Baker over the keeper for his first boundary. Another driven four followed, and Smeed then crunched Currie into the Hollies to keep Somerset in touch. With dew becoming a factor, the 18th over was to prove decisive as Dickson – who is leaving Somerset for Glamorgan after not being offered a new contract – twice took Benny Howell for sixes, the first an outrageous reverse-swipe that sailed over deep third.Nineteen runs came off the over, leaving Somerset needing 18 from 12, and although Smeed picked out long-off to fall short of becoming the second man on the day to reach three figures, he walked off with the highest individual score in a final. The jig was up for Hampshire, and in came Gregory to ice the chase with a flurry of boundaries and spark a raucous rendition of “Somerset, la-la-la” in the stands.No Lynn-sanity this timeAfter his semi-final heroics, in which he became the first man to score a hundred on Finals Day, Lynn joked that he would be happy to keep batting, with just a 45-minute turnaround to the final: “Got the pads on, let’s go.” He got his wish, with Somerset opting to chase, and duly smoked his fourth ball back down the ground for his 12th six of the day; but he didn’t last much longer, chipping Craig Overton to cover in the third over.But where Lynn’s top-order colleagues had gone missing against Northants, here they stood up. Albert had got going with back-to-back drives for four, in the process overtaking D’Arcy Short at the Blast’s leading run-scorer for the season. After Vince chimed in with whipped sixes off Overton and Jake Ball, Albert signalled the Hampshire charge was well and truly on by taking Migael Pretorius’ only over of the night for 25 with a sequence of 4-6-6-4-4, only interrupted by a wide.Vince then launched Overton for his third six at the start of the sixth over, followed by consecutive fours – which meant eight legitimate deliveries in a row had disappeared to the rope. Even without the Lynn-sanity, Hampshire had piled up 83 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.Albert takes overWith the fielding restrictions relaxed, Hampshire opted for consolidation during the middle of the innings. Albert was the first to fifty, off 29 balls – his sixth of a breakthrough campaign – while Vince also reached the mark in the 12th over, from 32. Three balls later, the partnership was broken when Vince dragged Lewis Goldsworthy to deep midwicket, and Somerset then chipped out another when Ball’s brilliant return catch saw off James Fuller.Hampshire had only scored three boundaries between the start of the seventh over and the midway point of the 16th. Despite the slowdown, Albert decided it was time to jam the gearstick in reverse. Ben Green was twice reverse-swept off the stumps, despite bowling near-yorkers, over and past short third for back-to-back fours, and Albert then did the same to Ball when he went short, slapping another brace of boundaries to move into the 80s.Albert fell at the start of the next over, missing a swipe at Gregory’s change-up to see his off stump rattled. But Howell cleared the ropes twice in a useful cameo at No. 5, as Hampshire equalled Northamptonshire’s total of 194 for 2 (made from 18 overs) in the 2013 final. Somerset needed to set a new benchmark to claim their record-equalling third title. They duly obliged.

Alex Bregman is back on the market a year after he waited until February to sign with the Red Sox. Given how he performed in 2025, it’s unlikely he’ll be sitting around as long this offseason.

Boston inked Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract shortly before spring training in 2025. That caused a whole lot of drama for the organization, but their newly acquired All-Star did his job while staying above all that. As part of his deal, he was allowed to opt out after one season. He exercised that right on Monday.

In 114 games, Bregman slashed .273/.360/.462 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs. His .821 OPS was his best since 2019, and he produced 3.4 fWAR and a wRC+ of 125. All of those numbers might have been better had he not dealt with a midseason quad injury.

Bregman should be a hot commodity this offseason. He had a bounce-back season, and at 31 he’s still young enough to have productive years ahead of him.

Boston Red Sox

A return to Beantown makes the most sense by far. Yes, Bregman opted out of his deal, but that’s not because he didn’t have a successful partnership with the Red Sox. He’s a perfect fit there, especially with Rafael Devers gone and a great group of young players around him. He’s a veteran with two World Series rings who can help guys like Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer grow. Boston would be wise to shell out the money to bring Bregman back.

Detroit Tigers

This is another obvious fit due to his history with Tigers manager A.J. Hinch. Detroit had Colt Keith, Andy Ibáñez, and Zach McKinstry playing third base this year, so Bregman would be a significant upgrade. Gleyber Torres might be back in free agency, but if he’s not, the Tigers will need to reshuffle their infield and add to it. Bregman has had decent results at Comerica Park during his career. He has a slash line of .242/.309/.475 with six home runs and 18 RBIs in 24 games. That works out to a wRC+ of 112.

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners got very little out of their corner infielders early in 2025, which made landing two at the trade deadline vitally important. Seattle succeeded, adding Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor, both of whom are set to hit free agency. Enter Bregman, who would fit the team’s approach and be a great fit, hitting in front of or protecting Cal Raleigh. He has spent a lot of time in Seattle thanks to his years with the Astros, though he hasn’t hit well in pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park. Bregman has played 53 games there and hit .259 with five home runs and 17 RBIs, with an underwhelming wRC+ of 95.

Philadelphia Phillies

Speculation is swirling that the Phillies could try to move Alec Bohm this winter. It wouldn’t be shocking if that were the case. The 29-year-old has one year left on his contract and produced a wRC+ of 105 and 1.7 fWAR in 2025. Bregman would present a sizable upgrade both offensively and defensively. The Phillies were run out of the playoffs by the Dodgers in the NLDS and need more punch in their lineup. Bohm has a lifetime postseason OPS of .666, while Bregman has 19 career postseason home runs. It would be costly to add him, and Philadelphia is going to have to shell out a ton to bring Kyle Schwarber back. But if the Phillies are serious about challenging the Dodgers, adding Bregman would make a strong statement.

A former England international, who played Premier League football, has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape. The suspect, who is said to have represented the Three Lions in the 2010s, was detained when passing through Stansted Airport following an allegation from an ex-partner that is now being investigated by the relevant authorities.

Suspect apprehended at Stansted Airport

Police have announced that the player in question has been bailed pending further inquiries. He was apprehended by security when being stopped at Stansted. Border Forces stepped in at passport control.

reports that the former Premier League performer was wanted by police over a “non-recent allegation of attempted rape reported by a former partner”. He was stopped from boarding a flight with a budget airline on November 30.

AdvertisementGettyAllegation made by former partner

A source told The Sun, with efforts being made to avoid causing a scene in a very public place: “He was walking through passport control when he was discreetly pulled aside by Border Force. There was clearly an issue and he was led away.”

A complaint is said to have been lodged by the player’s ex-partner several weeks ago. Essex Police subsequently opened an investigation. Officers from that constabulary are said to have been alerted to possible movement, allowing them to descend on Stansted Airport and make an arrest.

Suspect held in police custody

The one-time England international will have been held behind bars after being taken to a local police station, as he waited for his solicitor to arrive. Fingerprints, a DNA sample and mugshots have been taken – as is standard procedure in a case of this type.

It is reported that the suspect was held in custody for “several hours” before being released on bail as inquiries continue. The player at the centre of the investigation is said to have “attended recent public events”, leading to confusion as to why he has only now been arrested when passing through an airport.

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GettyStatement from Essex Police

An insider for The Sun added on decisive action that was taken over the weekend: “It’s bizarre that he was arrested at the airport when he has been quite visible in public recently.”

The complainant is said to have been “interviewed by specialist sex crimes officers and offered counselling and support”. A spokesperson for Essex Police has said, with the suspect unable to be named for legal reasons: “A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape and has been bailed to a date in late February 2026 while we continue our inquiries.”

Rangers have sacked chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell, with Sky Sports reporter Luke Shanley sharing an update live from Ibrox on Monday regarding the search for their replacements.

The pair have been the target of intense supporter unrest after a disastrous start to the season in which Gers won only one of their first eight league games and suffered seven consecutive European defeats following a much-maligned summer recruitment drive.

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Thelwell’s short spell at Ibrox is largely defined by the decision to appoint Russell Martin, who proved to be Gers’ shortest-serving permanent manager in history when he was sacked in October after just 17 games in charge.

Although domestic form has improved since Danny Rohl replaced Martin as manager, the American owners have acted decisively after taking some time to assess the situation at Ibrox.

“Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell are leaving Rangers Football Club,” said chairman Andrew Cavenagh on Monday.

“Responsible change is measured and steady. Our first priority has been to improve the sporting performance, and that led to our decision to part ways with Russell Martin and bring in Danny Rohl. Danny has now started the process of improving the on-pitch performance, and that has given us the chance to focus on other parts of the club.

“Patrick and Kev are both skilled executives and have delivered a lot for the club in their time with it. We’ve now had six months since we became part of Rangers to assess the club’s needs as well as to get to know Patrick and Kev a bit more.

“Simply put, when we think about what we need in both CEO and sporting director today, it’s different than who we think Patrick and Kev are.

“We want people that align with the vision for the next chapter. I will not throw dirt on either of them. I think very highly of them both on personal and professional levels. It’s just the reality that the club needs different things today than it did six months ago.

“We’ve already started the hiring process and hope to have appointments soon, but we will prioritise quality and fit over speed.”

Fraser Thornton, the Gers’ director, will act as interim CEO, and Shanley shared a quick update on next steps live from Ibrox on Sky Sports News on Monday, revealing Cavenagh and vice-chairman Paraag Marathe will personally oversee the process.

It should be music to fans’ ears that the new men in charge at Ibrox are taking personal ownership of the hiring process. With arch-rivals Celtic’s board facing their own turmoil, the opportunity is there to snatch back the crown of Scottish football if the American duo can get their next appointments right.

West Indies, however, have plenty of problems of their own, coming off a humiliating home series defeat to Australia

Karthik Krishnaswamy01-Oct-20259:01

Chopra: At home against West Indies ‘should be a relatively easier series for India in this WTC’

Big pictureEvery home season brings the same expectations from India, but this one also brings a set of new anxieties. They’re about to play their first home Test since 0-3, their first home Test under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, and their first home Test since the retirements of R Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. An unusually green pitch in Ahmedabad adds another layer of anxiety, potentially magnifying the importance of the toss.India’s anxieties, of course, pale in comparison to those of their opponents: injuries to key fast bowlers, the loss of a T20I series to Nepal (albeit with a second-string team that has no overlap with their Test squad), the emergency review of the team’s Test-match performances that followed 27 all out in Kingston, and the existential questions around the team’s future in the World Test Championship. West Indies can’t turn anywhere without fear of getting punched in the face.But it could give them the license to throw a few punches of their own. Their captain Roston Chase put it simply on the eve of the Test match. “When you have nothing to lose, you can just go and play freely, because, I mean, everyone is expecting us to lose.”Related

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Everyone expects West Indies to lose. Everyone expects India to win. Everyone always expects India to win at home. From the start of 2013 to roughly the same point last year, India kept meeting these expectations again and again and again.Until they didn’t. Until New Zealand visited and won in a manner that showed just how much skill and effort it had taken for India to create and sustain the illusion of invincibility over such a long period. You might be the best team in the world, but you have to keep going out and proving it again and again, each time against a set of highly skilled athletes throwing a new set of challenges at you.Man to man, in personnel terms, this Test in Ahmedabad looks like a mismatch. But it will begin with the scorecard reading 0 for 0, in conditions from which no one quite knows what to expect.Form guideIndia WDLWL (last five Tests, most recent first)
West Indies LLLWLIn the spotlightThe last time India went into a home Test without Ashwin was all the way back in November 2010. As good as their spin attack is even without him, India will only really know what his absence means when they actually deal with it. In this scenario, Ravindra Jadeja becomes even more important than he usually is, with ball, bat, and as a leader, and not just because he’s vice-captain for this series.There is grass on the Ahmedabad pitch, but West Indies do not have Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph. They do, however, have one of the world’s best young fast-bowling talents in Jayden Seales, whose 88 Test wickets so far have come at the hugely impressive average of 22.32. He’s quick, skillful, and bowls a fullish natural length that could bother India’s batters considerably if there’s any help available. If he gets on a roll, Seales has the potential to make the kind of impact that Suranga Lakmal did in Kolkata in 2017 or Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke did in Bengaluru last year.2:50

‘Nothing is pre-decided’ – Gill on Bumrah’s workload

Team newsIndia, as always, kept their selection cards close to their chest on the eve of the match, but Gill suggested they are considering playing a third seamer given the greenness of this red-soil pitch in Ahmedabad. Does this mean a third frontline quick in Prasidh Krishna, or does it mean the allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy? And what does it mean for the spin attack, and for Kuldeep Yadav?India (possible): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Shubman Gill (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Nitish Kumar Reddy/Axar Patel/Devdutt Padikkal, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Prasidh Krishna, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj.Jediah Blades, who replaced Alzarri Joseph in West Indies’ squad, had not yet joined his team-mates in Ahmedabad by Wednesday. This means Seales will be partnered in their pace attack by Anderson Phillip and/or the uncapped Johann Layne, as well as the allrounder Justin Greaves. Khary Pierre could also make his debut at 34, as one of two left-arm fingerspinners alongside Jomel Warrican.West Indies (possible): 1 Tagenarine Chanderpaul, 2 Kevlon Anderson, 3 Alick Athanaze, 4 Brandon King, 5 Shai Hope (wk), 6 Roston Chase, 7 Justin Greaves, 8 Khary Pierre, 9 Jomel Warrican, 10 Anderson Phillip/Johann Layne, 11 Jayden Seales.Pitch and conditionsIndia begin this new home season on an unusually green pitch, with potentially 4-5mm of grass on it. Selections and toss decisions could come down to how much moisture it retains on the morning of the match. The teams will also keep a wary eye on the sky and the forecast, with Ahmedabad experiencing intermittent rain in the lead-up to the Test and with showers expected on day one.2:10

Chopra: ‘I hope India don’t prepare rank turners’ against West Indies

Stats and trivia Since winning by 243 runs in Mohali in December 1994, West Indies have played 10 Tests against India in India, drawing two of them and losing the other eight. Roston Chase, Shai Hope and Jomel Warrican are the only members of West Indies’ squad who were part of their previous Test series against India in India, in 2018. All three of them, as well as John Campbell, also returned to India a year later for a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Lucknow. Ravindra Jadeja is 114 runs away from becoming only the fourth player in Test history to achieve the double of 4000 runs and 300 wickets. Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Daniel Vettori are the three allrounders presently in that club. John Campbell is six runs away from the 1000 mark in Test cricket.Quotes”I’ve mostly played T20 here and I think it’s very different from playing a Test match, because obviously the wicket, over a period of five days, plays differently from a T20 match. The last Test match that we played here was on a black-soil [pitch]. We’re playing this one on red soil. So I’m also looking forward to seeing how the wicket is going to play over the next five days.”
“This is a new series, it’s a new day, so we just have to put everything behind [us] that has happened before, and just come out with the mentality that we’re looking to dominate, we’re looking to win, and just go out there and give your best, ask god for guidance, and stick together as a team. Obviously, we’re in India, we’re not going to have much support, so we have to stick together as a unit — coaching staff, players, management, we all have to support one another through the tough times and through the good times as well.”

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso was delighted with his team's performance against Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, claiming that the sensations within the dressing room are positive after breaking their three-game winless run. Alonso had come under a lot of pressure following Madrid's dramatic drop in form, but the manager assured that he is "handling it much more calmly than you might expect".

Madrid return to winning ways after Olympiacos scare

Madrid ended their run of three games without a win following a nervy 4-3 win in the Champions League over Greek champions Olympiacos at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium on Wednesday. 

The visitors were caught by surprise early on, as Chiquinho fired a brilliant volley into the bottom-left corner in the eighth minute. However, Madrid provided an exquisite response, as Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick within the space of seven minutes put Olympiacos to the sword before the game hit the half-hour mark. 

Jose Luis Mendilibar's men, however, were not in a mood to let Los Blancos have things go their way. Substitute Mehdi Taremi, who came on for the injured Chiquinho in the first half, pulled one back for the home side in the 52nd minute. Eight minutes later, though, Mbappe completed a poker by scoring his fourth of the night and ninth overall in the competition this season.

Ayoub El Kaabi breathed life back into Olympiacos once again, rising in the 81st minute to power a header into the back of the net and reignite hopes of a comeback. After the third goal, Mendilibar's side tightened the screw and played with incredible intensity, even coming close to finding the equaliser on a couple of occasions. It wouldn't matter, however, as Alonso's troops held Olympiacos at bay in the final 15 minutes (including stoppage time) to end their winless streak.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAlonso reflects on the win and says he's 'novice'

Following the win, Alonso spoke to reporters and reflected on his team's performance. He even addressed the mounting pressure him and his players. 

When asked how the team were doing in the hours leading up to the game, Alonso responded: "They've been very positive, very productive. They've helped us to keep growing, to try and break the cycle, which we've managed to do. And to learn how to cope with difficult moments. Very positive. Like the things we've talked about, the unity the players have, their commitment… and this is the only way. Besides the three points, I'm left with positive things that have happened behind the scenes."

He further added that he was more relaxed about Madrid's recent woes than one could have expected. 

"No, no, no. I was handling it much more calmly than you might expect," he assured. "I'm no novice at this, and I know the road is long. And that it's not always a bed of roses. You have to know how to navigate difficult twists and turns without losing your mind. You have to be critical, demanding of yourself, and acknowledge your mistakes; but also know that there's always another game. And that you always have to look ahead."

Vinicius' return to form a big positive for Madrid

Over the past week, rumours have swirled about growing discontent within the Real Madrid dressing room over Alonso’s methods. At the centre of the speculation is Vinicius Jr., whose relationship with the 44-year-old has come under intense scrutiny. even described their dynamic as “strained.” Additional reports have gone further, suggesting the Brazilian star has informed the club’s hierarchy that he does not intend to renew his contract due to his fragile relationship with Alonso.

However, Alonso was glowing in his praise for the 25-year-old winger. Vinicius was on song on Wednesday, delivering two fantastic assists to Mbappe and having a goal of his own disallowed. In the process, he moved to 27 assists in the Champions League, tying Madrid icon Karim Benzema as the club's second-highest assist provider in Europe, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo's 31. 

"I'm really sorry about the disallowed goal, because it's a play we talked about yesterday, and it would have given him a good feeling, because it's a very typical goal of his," Alonso said. 

"Cutting in from the outside, into the far corner. I'm really sorry it was ruled out. But then, apart from that, the combination and connection with Kylian, the two assists, the impact he's had… the thing is, overall, with the difficulties we had, because [Eduardo] Camavinga couldn't go on at halftime, [Raul] Asencio had some discomfort in his hamstring… today was a game of moments. We pulled it off, and with positive things: Kylian's goals, Vini's performance , and other players who also did well."

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GettyCan Olympiacos win spark a turnaround?

The victory on Wednesday further strengthened Madrid's pursuit of a top-eight spot in the Champions League league phase. Plus, despite dropping points away at Rayo Vallecano and Elche in their previous two games, Madrid continue to be the La Liga leaders. 

With a few more away fixtures on the way before Madrid return to the Santiago Bernabeu, Alonso was confident that his side will navigate through the tricky schedule without further setbacks. 

"We'll see. Time will tell. We had a good feeling… and we shared some things. Regarding the match, we came here to do what we wanted, in a complicated context, with injuries and what happened during the game," he stated. 

"And we'll take that away from it. This is football, and we have to think about the next one. Now we have a visit to Girona, then we go to Bilbao… the schedule, exceptionally, I don't know if we'll play five or six away games. It's something that doesn't happen very often. But we're going to face it."

Leeds United have only scored 11 goals in their 11 Premier League matches so far this season since they won promotion from the Championship last term.

The newly-promoted side have struggled to find the back of the net on a regular basis. That has not been because of a lack of creativity, though, as the Whites have created 14.7 xG in the division, per WhoScored.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

2.89

1

-1.89

Jayden Bogle

0.88

0

-0.88

Brenden Aaronson

1.79

1

-0.79

Joel Piroe

0.73

0

-0.73

Pascal Struijk

0.65

0

-0.65

Dan James

0.47

0

-0.47

Jack Harrison

0.41

0

-0.41

As you can see in the table above, too many players have been wasteful with the chances that have been created for them in the Premier League so far this season.

Summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin, in particular, has not been clinical enough as the starting number nine for the West Yorkshire outfit, underperforming his xG by roughly two goals.

With the team’s struggles in front of goal in mind, supporters may be thinking about what the club could do to solve the issue, whether that is through promoting academy talent, making signings in January, or recalling players from their loans.

One star who is currently shining out on loan away from Elland Road is centre-forward Joe Gelhardt, but he looks set to remain at Hull City until at least the end of the season.

Why Joe Gelhardt will not be returning to Leeds United in January

HullLive recently reported that the English striker is expected to remain with the Championship club until next summer, despite the Whites having the option to recall him in January.

The report claimed that Leeds do not have any plans to recall Gelhardt from his loan because they feel that he is in the best place to develop as a player at Hull, who are interested in a deal to sign him permanently next summer.

This shows that Daniel Farke and his coaching staff do not believe that the 23-year-old marksman is the answer to their current problems in the Premier League, or else they would be planning to bring him back to Thorp Arch to bolster the squad for the second half of the season.

The Leeds loanee has plundered seven goals and two assists in 13 Championship starts for the Tigers so far this season, per FotMob, which is why there may have been some supporters wondering if the club would look to recall him.

xG

4.59

Top 4%

xG on target

5.98

Top 3%

Goals

7

Top 2%

xA

2.48

Top 7%

Assists

2

Top 20%

Chances created

13

Top 24%

As you can see in the table above, Gelhardt has finished his chances at an incredibly efficient rate, outperforming his xG by just over two goals, but Leeds have reportedly decided that he is not the answer for them in the Premier League.

This means that Farke will have to look elsewhere to solve his team’s goalscoring woes, and he should forget about Gelhardt to unleash a young star from the academy.

Leeds' Gelhardt replacement

17-year-old centre-forward Harry Gray made his first-team debut for the Whites against Stoke City in the Championship last season, but he has yet to make an appearance in the Premier League in the current campaign.

Derby County, Swansea City, Charlton Athletic, and Hull City are four Championship sides reportedly chasing a deal to sign the teenage marksman on loan for the second half of the season when the January transfer window opens for business.

Leeds, though, should reject their advances and, instead, look to unleash Gray in the first-team with the hope that he can provide the goalscoring touch that has eluded their current options up front.

The England youth international, who was hailed as a “powerful” player by Como scout Ben Mattinson, has been in fantastic form for the club’s academy in the 2025/26 campaign, with his most notable moment being his hat-trick against Scunthorpe in the National League Cup in September.

On top of that hat-trick, Gray has also scored five goals in six Premier League 2 games and two goals in two EFL Trophy matches, per Transfermarkt, which means that the teenage forward has racked up ten goals in all competitions this season.

The 17-year-old talent had the chance to play against a League Two first-team, Accrington Stanley, in the EFL Trophy before the international break, and showed that he can make an impact against senior opposition.

Sofascore rating

8.6

Shots

3

Shots on target

3

Goals

2

Pass accuracy

71%

Fouls won

3

Ground duels won

4/8

Aerial duels won

2/7

As you can see in the table above, Gray did struggle with the aerial duels in the game, understandably as a 17-year-old against first-team centre-backs, but he did hold his own in physical contests on the deck and scored two goals in the game.

This suggests that he is ready to compete against experienced defenders, even if battling for aerial balls is not his strength, which is why Farke should look to reward him with a chance to impress in the Premier League this season.

The impressive teenager has done all that he can do to impress the head coach with his performances this season. He has scored goals at an exceptional rate in every competition for the U21s, showing that he can be ruthless in front of goal and find the back of the net on a regular basis.

As aforementioned, Leeds have not taken enough of their chances in the Premier League so far this season, which is why they need a lethal marksman who can make the most of the opportunities that are being created.

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With this in mind, Farke must unleash Gray in the first-team to see if he can make the step up, whilst Gelhardt is left to see out the rest of the season with Hull.

Shohei Ohtani has had another incredible season at the plate as he hit more than 50 home runs for the second straight year with the Dodgers. He is also leading the National League in on-base percentage and slugging for the third straight season.

Ohtani has worked incredibly hard to hone his craft and it shows. Los Angeles found out just how hard Ohtani works very quickly. When their prize free agent showed up two years ago he told them there was one thing in their clubhouse that was not sufficient.

The batting cage.

According Dodgers executive vice president Lon Rosen, Ohtani pointed out that one batting cage was not enough. So they built a whole new clubhouse with two.

"We also built a new clubhouse last year because when we were signing Shohei, one of the things he noticed was we only had one batting cage," said Rosen. "So we rebuilt."

After adding the second cage Ohtani had the best season of his career with Los Angeles. And apparently that's when he explained why the second cage was so important.

"In the offseason Shohei came into the office and you know he went 50 for 50 and won the MVP and Stan [Kasten] says to him And he answers ."

No wonder Ohtani has plans to construct a "small hitting and pitching facility" at his new home in Hawaii. More importantly for the Dodgers, it's no wonder he's having another MVP-caliber season.

Even amid a lean run of scores he has continued to take the positive option and it paid dividends against CSK

Vishal Dikshit21-Apr-20251:35

‘Once Rohit gets going, no one can stop him’

When Mahela Jayawardene and Kieron Pollard sauntered out to the middle in the strategic first time out of Mumbai Indians’ (MI) chase of 177 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), their team was comfortably poised on 88 for 1 after nine overs. The asking rate was within their grasp, enough wickets were in hand, and they were on their way to a third win on the bounce, which reflected in the duo’s body language and beaming smiles.But the big grins were not only for the imminent win. It was partly because Rohit Sharma was among the runs. A batter in his 18th IPL season, averaging under 14 at the halfway stage, struggling to get past 20, and often falling to soft dismissals when the batters around him had started to do what their roles asked of them.The noise around Rohit had started to get louder, and he acknowledged after the nine-wicket win that the lack of runs had made it “very easy to start doubting yourself, start getting worried, and start doing different things”. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as the cliché goes, and Rohit could have taken that route. But he didn’t.Related

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He chose to stick with his approach of trying to give his team rapid starts, and not letting their run rate suffer by taking his time to get out of the rut, whether batting first or chasing below-par totals against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and CSK. And he had the backing of his support staff because they took confidence from his approach and strike rate of over 143 before Sunday, even if he was not getting the big scores.As much as Rohit would have rued his mode of dismissal against SRH – he middled a full toss to cover – he did score 26 off 15 balls with three sixes (and no fours). He was not abandoning the high-risk approach.Against CSK, too, he started his boundary hitting with towering sixes off Jamie Overton and Khaleel Ahmed, the second of which was not as easy to middle as the first. Rohit would have known he didn’t have a great match-up against Khaleel in the IPL: 28 runs (without a six) off 43 balls before Sunday with three dismissals. He still chose to flick the left-armer’s offcutter on the stumps and send it flying behind square, before getting a half-volley and some room later in the over for two fours that took MI’s scoring rate over 10. By the time Rohit got to his half-century off 33 balls, he had smashed two more sixes, while having just those two fours to his name.”For me, it was important that I keep doing what I am doing, which is practise well, hit the ball well, which is what I’ve been trying to do,” Rohit said after being named the Player of the Match. “And when you back yourself and you’re clear in your mind, things like this can happen. I know it’s been a little while but, like I said, if you start doubting yourself, you’re only going to put pressure on yourself and actually the experience of being here for such a long time helps.”

“Once he comes off like that, you know that he’s going to change the game, the momentum, and that’s going to filter down to the rest of the boys as well. So pretty happy how he never changes [his] approach, that was there from day one even though he was failing”Mahela Jayawardene on Rohit Sharma

Jayawardene and Pollard, meanwhile, knew they didn’t need to have long conversations with Rohit or make him sweat it out in the nets. Rohit didn’t even bat in training on Saturday or the day before their SRH fixture. “You leave them be,” Jayawardene said after Sunday’s game about handling such situations with experienced players. And when you must talk, you only stick to the “positive conversations”.”[You] say that let’s do the match-ups and then see how he gets going and keep the positive intent,” Jayawardene said in the press conference after the game. “He knew what he needs to do and [it’s] just a tiny thing that he gets going and then gets through the first three-four overs… even after starts he had a couple of shots which probably just mistimed a little bit. But that’s how the game goes, so you need to be understanding, and we have played enough cricket to know that as well.”Once he comes off like that, you know that he’s going to change the game, the momentum, and that’s going to filter down to the rest of the boys as well. So pretty happy how he never changes [his] approach, that was there from day one even though he was failing. So that was good for us that he was trying to play for the team and how we wanted to do it and we just back him to do that.”He’s been playing this tempo for a while and that’s something that he understands himself, but at the same time, he will understand the game better in situational awareness as well.”Rohit Sharma struck his first fifty of IPL 2025•BCCIThat awareness, which Rohit has gathered in all the years of T20 cricket, helps him choose the moments and bowlers to target, and makes sure he doesn’t get carried away when he finally get going. For example, when CSK gave the ball to R Ashwin after three overs, Rohit, on 22 off 10 then, chose to play out the accurate deliveries for nothing more than singles, but MI still scored 62 in the powerplay without losing a wicket.”Those are experienced players making those good decisions out there,” Jayawardene said of Rohit’s approach against Ashwin. “So he’ll still play with that tempo and we’ll be encouraging him to do that. He’s a damn good player, so we wanted to take control of that and then he’s got a couple of other guys who’s going to follow him, who will bat around him as well.”Soon after joining Rohit in the seventh over, Suryakumar Yadav started taking on the spinners by manufacturing room and sweeping them away to the boundary. The packed Wankhede crowd had already seen two local boys – Ayush Mhatre and Shivam Dube – belt out six sixes between them for the opposition earlier, and the way Rohit and Suryakumar hit 11 more sixes gave the crowd their money’s worth.Rohit will agree his unbeaten 76 off 45 was hardly as attractive as one of his top T20 knocks, but with runs under his belt again and a healthy strike rate of nearly 155 this IPL, he and the MI think tank have the confidence and belief that all cylinders of their batting engine are now firing, and they will be ready to switch gears as the playoffs race heats up.