Newcastle United have now held internal talks over signing Atalanta midfielder Ederson, amid concerns over Joelinton, who has suffered a dip in form.

Widespread reports have suggested Joelinton’s chances of going to the World Cup with Brazil have taken a hit, given that he has struggled so far this season, most recently putting in a poor performance in the 3-1 defeat against West Ham United.

Indeed, the Magpies’ poor start to the Premier League season continued at the London Stadium, and the 29-year-old recorded a SofaScore match rating of just 6.1, having failed to record a shot on target throughout the entire match.

It is not the first time the Brazilian has struggled this season either, being described as “tough to watch” as a result of his performance in the 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion last month.

Eddie Howe clearly needs to make changes of some description to turn his side’s fortunes around, considering they are now 13th in the Premier League table, and it has now been revealed that a move for a new midfielder is being considered…

Newcastle hold internal talks over deal for Ederson

According to a report from The i, Newcastle have had doubts about Joelinton since the summer, with some key figures suggesting they need to bring in a new midfielder to replace the former Hoffenheim man, given his issues with injuries.

Atalanta midfielder Ederson is one of the players who has been discussed internally in recruitment meetings as a potential replacement for the Brazil international, having originally emerged as a transfer target nearly two years ago.

It may be a little hasty to give up on Joelinton, given that he has impressed at times this season, being singled out for a solid display in the 2-0 victory against Nottingham Forest at the beginning of October.

However, competition for places is healthy, and the Atalanta star could have what it takes to succeed at St. James’ Park, having been described as “world-class” by one former professional.

That said, there are some indications the 26-year-old would not be much of an upgrade on his compatriot, given that the Newcastle midfielder has outperformed him across some key metrics for midfielders over the past year.

Statistic

Ederson

Joelinton

Assists

0.0

0.12

Tackles

1.71

1.82

Interceptions

1.06

1.08

Aerials won

1.51

2.51

As such, Joelinton may be a more well-rounded midfielder than the Campo Grande-born maestro, and Howe is clearly an admirer, previously saying: “Joelinton is like gold dust because wherever you put him, you know he’s going to do a good job.”

That said, if the central midfielder’s performances don’t improve before January, it could be worth bringing in a new midfielder, and Ederson isn’t the only option on the shortlist…

Newcastle readying bid for Eduardo Camavinga Newcastle ready £60m+ bid to sign Camavinga with Real Madrid's position clear

The Magpies are preparing to step things up…

ByTom Cunningham Nov 4, 2025

Gloucestershire 241 (J Taylor 63, Broad 3-84) and 158 for 3 (Price 54, Hammond 38*) beat Northamptonshire 206 (Zaib 76, van Buuren 3-23, M Taylor 3-48) and 192 (Broad 49, Singh Dale 4-46, Charlesworth 3-6) by seven wicketsOllie Price scored a superb half-century under pressure to help Gloucestershire achieve a dramatic seven-wicket victory over Northamptonshire on the final day of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match at the Seat Unique Stadium.Set 158 to win in 27 overs, Gloucestershire reached their target with 18 balls to spare in a thrilling finale, Price top-scoring with 54 from 58 deliveries and Miles Hammond weighing in with 38 not out and Graeme van Buuren 20 not out as the home side won for only the second time this season.Resuming on 158 for 5, Gloucestershire added a further 83 runs during the morning session to establish a modest first-innings lead of 35, thanks in large part to knocks of 63 and 44 from Jack Taylor and van Buuren respectively. Justin Broad claimed 3-84 as the home side were dismissed for 241 in 64 overs.Ajeet Singh Dale then took 4 for 46 and Ben Charlesworth 3 for 6 as Northants were shot out for 192 inside 51 overs in their second innings, only Broad offering meaningful resistance in a patient innings of 49 that spanned nearly two-and-a-half hours.Charlesworth and Price set-up the chase, staging a progressive second-wicket alliance of 52 in 8.3 overs to keep Gloucestershire supporters on the edge of their seats. Characterised by rapid running between the wickets and bold stroke-play, their partnership was ended when veteran campaigner Ben Sanderson had Charlesworth caught behind for 33.Having already lost Luke Procter to injury, the visitors were further hindered when fellow seamer Broad pulled up, forcing Sanderson to bowl seven overs unchanged from the Bristol Pavilion end and spinners Calvin Harrison and Nirvan Ramesh to be deployed in tandem. Sweeping and pulling to good effect, Price and Hammond continued to score at six an over to keep the home side on course, albeit with the light beginning to fade.With 53 required off the final 10 overs, Gloucestershire looked to be in control, an appearance confirmed when Price went to a half-century from 54 balls with his fifth boundary. He fell to Rob Keogh’s off breaks soon afterwards, but van Buuren and Hammond helped themselves to a six apiece off the same bowler to ease the pressure and render the outcome a formality. Hammond hit the winning runs, hammering Harrison straight down the ground for an emphatic six.Gloucestershire claimed 19 points to move into third place in Division Two, while Northants collected three.The prospect of a thrilling conclusion appeared unlikely when Gloucestershire resumed their first innings on 158 for 5, especially when van Buuren skied a return catch to Broad and departed for a 55-ball 44. But quick-scoring Jack Taylor opened his shoulders to raise 63 from 64 deliveries, striking six fours and three sixes and adding 38 in five overs with his brother, Matt, to propel the home side into credit.Gloucestershire needed to make full use of the new ball if they were to sow seeds of doubt in opposition minds, and Singh Dale delivered, summoning late swing to bowl Lewis McManus for 9. Promoted to open in place of Procter, Rob Keogh was next to go, falling victim to confusion and being run out by Zaman Akhter for 6. Guiding a delivery from Matt Taylor to backward point, Keogh set off in pursuit of an ill-advised single and was unable to regain his ground before the opportunistic Akhter had brilliantly thrown down the stumps to reduce the visitors to 23 for 2 inside six overs.West Country tails were up and Singh Dale struck another blow in the final over before lunch, bowling Harrison via an inside edge for 25 in the act of driving as Northants slipped to 55 for 3, a lead of just 20. Worse followed for the Midlands county, James Sales pulling Shaw straight to Hammond at deep backward square and falling to a poor shot for 14 with the score 77 for 4. With Procter’s ability to bat in question and the lead only 42, Northants suddenly appeared vulnerable.When dogged defiance was needed most, the in-form Zaib and Broad dug in to defy Gloucestershire’s bowlers. Batting was now easier than at any time previously in the match, and the fifth-wicket pair capitalised on the poor ball sufficiently to raise a partnership of 62 in 14 overs, easing some of the pressure they had felt when first coming together.But Gloucestershire kept plugging away and Akhter claimed the key wicket of Zaib, slanting a ball across his body and persuading the left-hander to edge behind for 37. Gloucestershire’s cause was not helped when Akhter had to be removed from the attack after twice being warned for running onto the pitch.They were further hindered by Aadi Sharma, the new batter striking a six and three fours and scoring 22 at nearly a run a ball as Northants reached tea on 171 for 5, a lead of 136.With a minimum 42 overs still available in the final session, Northants were required to muster further resistance. But the advent of Charlesworth, bowling from the Ashley Down Road end, served to revive the home side’s hopes of forcing a result, the allrounder claiming three wickets in five overs to tip the scales in Gloucestershire’s favour. Sharma was pinned lbw, Procter caught at the wicket without scoring and Sanderson held at deep square leg, much to the delight of enthusiastic home supporters.When Broad’s resistance finally came to an end, Singh Dale removing him lbw for an obdurate 104-ball 49, Northants were deep in trouble. Singh Dale then rapped Ben Whitehouse on the shins to wrap up the innings and set up an exciting run chase under the floodlights.

تمكن فريق زد إف سي من تحقيق الفوز على كهرباء الإسماعيلية، في الجولة الـ14 من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز. 

وواجه فريق زد إف سي نظيره فريق كهرباء الإسماعيلية، على ملعب الإسماعيلية، ضمن مباريات الجولة الرابعة عشر من الدوري الممتاز.

طالع.. صالح جمعة يفجر مفاجأة بشأن صفقة الأهلي الجديدة.. ويوضح موقفه من اللعب في الدوري المصري

وفاز فريق زد إف سي على نظيره فريق كهرباء الإسماعيلية بهدفين مقابل هدف، حيث تقدم زد في الدقيقة 42 من الشوط الأول عن طريق عمر البانوبي، قبل أن يعادل فريق كهرباء الإسماعيلية النتيجة عن طريق علي سليمان في الدقيقة 66 من الشوط الثاني، وسجل أحمد عاطف الهدف الثاني لفريق زد في الدقيقة 94. 

وبهذه النتيجة رفع فريق زد إف سي رصيده إلى 20 نقطة في المركز السابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري الممتاز، بينما تجمد رصيد فريق كهرباء الإسماعيلية رصيده عند 8 نقاط في المركز الـ21 في جدول الدوري. أهداف مباراة زد وكهرباء الإسماعيلية اليوم في الدوري المصري

وفي مباراة أخرى في نفس التوقيت، تمكن فريق بتروجيت من الفوز على حرس الحدود بثلاثية مقابل هدف. 

وواجه فريق بتروجيت نظيره حرس الحدود في الثامنة مساء، على ملعب بتروسبورت، ضمن مباريات الجولة الـ14 من الدوري الممتاز. 

وفاز فريق بتروجيت على نظيره حرس الحدود بثلاثية مقابل هدف، حيث تقدم سيكو سونكو للبترولي في الدقيقة 16 من الشوط الأول قبل أن يعادل الحدود النتيجة في الدقيقة 60 عن طريق إبراهيم عبد الحكيم، وفي الدقيقة 90 تمكن بتروجيت من إحراز هدفين عن طريق الثنائي أدهم حامد ودياباتي.

وبهذه النتيجة رفع فريق بتروجيت رصيده إلى 18 نقطة في المركز الـ9 في جدول ترتيب الدوري الممتاز، بينما تجمد رصيد فريق حرس الحدود رصيده عند 13 نقطة في المركز الـ15.  أهداف مباراة بتروجيت وحرس الحدود 3-1

Daniel Farke, manager of Leeds United, has been questioned for his side’s performance against Nottingham Forest.

Morgan Gibbs-White produced the perfect response to his England omission by helping Forest to their first Premier League win since the opening day of the season.

Gibbs-White was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for next week’s World Cup qualifiers, but reminded the German of his talent with a decisive goal in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Leeds.

The midfielder’s second-half header helped end Forest’s nine-game winless streak in the league as they secured three points for the first time under head coach Sean Dyche.

It was far from pretty as they had to come from behind, Ibrahim Sangare cancelling out Lukas Nmecha’s opener for Leeds.

Elliot Anderson’s late penalty sealed a vital triumph for Forest, who have now taken four points from their last two games and look to be heading in the right direction.

They are just two points behind Leeds, who have lost four out of their last five matches. Following their latest defeat, manager Farke has been called into question.

Farke should have made earlier changes against Forest

Since arriving at Leeds in 2023, Farke has sometimes been questioned for his decisions surrounding substitutes. Often, the German seems to bring new bodies into the game only after the majority of minutes have been played.

Against Nottingham, Leeds made no changes until the 74th minute. This is despite having lost their one-goal advantage, finding themselves 2-1 down and offering little threat to their hosts. Such a decision was noted by commentator Jon Newsome who at the time of United’s substitutions, as per BBC Sport West Yorkshire.

England midfielder Anderson killed the game from the spot in the 90th minute after the lively Hutchinson, introduced from the bench, was fouled by Jack Harrison, a natural wide midfielder who replaced left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson.

In attack, Leeds were bereft of inspiration. They had just four shots before the 70th minute and of the 10 they had across the game, as per SofaScore, only three were on target. Beren Cross of The Athletic commented on the fact that, despite Farke saying he had been in team training for a fortnight, Italian forward Willy Gnonto, who would offer a much-needed creative spark, was not in the squad against Forest.

With an international break ahead of them, Leeds will face a number of tough fixtures as they look for what will be a needed improvement in form. With four defeats within their past five Premier League games, questions may soon be asked of Farke’s future at Elland Road if such a run continues.

Leeds must unleash their "best finisher"

Sean Dyche has now personally requested the signing of a “fantastic” Istanbul Basaksehir defender Jerome Opoku at Nottingham Forest, and his current club may be tempted to cash-in.

Reinforcements may be needed in the January transfer window, given that Forest are looking like they could be involved in a relegation battle this season, although there has been an uptick in results since Dyche arrived just under a month ago.

The 54-year-old has made a solid start in the Premier League, collecting four points from his opening three games in charge and signing off before the international break with a 3-1 win against fellow strugglers Leeds United, which could be an important result come May.

The former Everton boss has experience in relegation battles, having managed to guide the Toffees to safety in the 2022-23 campaign, while also stabilising Burnley in the Premier League, so Evangelos Marinakis should have full trust in his manager as we approach the January transfer window.

Sean Dyche requests signing of Jerome Opoku

Given Dyche’s impressive start, Marinakis may be willing to back him this winter, and the Nottingham Forest boss has now personally requested the signing of Istanbul Basaksehir defender Opoku, according to a report from Africa Foot (via Sport Witness).

The 27-year-old has attracted the attention of a number of Premier League clubs as of late, with Everton making an offer in January, while Fulham are also in the race, so the Tricky Trees may have to fend off competition from elsewhere to secure his signature.

Such is the level of interest in the centre-back, he could become ‘one of the hottest topics’ of the upcoming window, and the Turkish club may be tempted to cash-in, given that his current contract is set to expire in 2027.

The Basaksehir defender hasn’t played in England since a spell at Plymouth Argyle in the 2020-21 campaign, at which point he received plaudits from manager Ryan Lowe, who described the 6 foot 5 colossus as “fantastic”.

Since then, the Ghana international has gone on to establish himself as an important player for Basaksehir, making 14 appearances in all competitions this season and helping his side keep clean sheets in three of their last four matches.

Opoku is yet to prove himself in one of Europe’s top leagues, meaning it would be a risk for Nottingham Forest to make a move, but Dyche knows what it takes to avoid relegation from the top flight, so if the manager wants to make the Basaksehir star his first signing, Marinakis should back him.

Nottingham Forest make contact to sign midfielder Dyche called "terrific"

League Two side Newport have confirmed the appointment of Premier League winner Christian Fuchs as their new manager. The Exiles relieved David Hughes of his duties over the weekend after a 1-0 loss to Shrewsbury left the club four points from safety at the foot of England's fourth tier. The appointment marks Leicester City legend Fuchs' first managerial job since calling time on his playing career in January 2023.

• Fuchs takes up first managerial role

  The Austrian left-back was a key member of the Leicester team that claimed their 5000-1 Premier League title triumph in 2016 before he left the Foxes for Charlotte FC in 2021. Fuchs then retired in 2023 to take up a role as assistant coach for the MLS side, but has now stepped out on his own and accepted the top job at Newport.

  The Exiles are in danger of dropping out of the football league after winning only three of their opening 16 games in the 2025-26 season. The defeat to Shrewsbury means they sit bottom of League Two with just 11 points to their name, and four points off Harrogate Town in 22nd.

  "Newport County is delighted to announce the appointment of Christian Fuchs as the club’s new manager," Newport posted on their official X account on Thursday afternoon. "Welcome to Rodney Parade, Christian"

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Christian wants to manage in the Premier League'

  On the decision to appoint Fuchs as Hughes' successor, Newport chairman Huw Jenkins said: "We see Christian as the sort of man to lead our club forward. I believe he matches our ambition and goals for Newport County.

  "I do feel we can now look forward with a great deal of optimism. We'll look to improve our current situation in League Two and take things from there. Christian is ambitious and wants, one day, to manage in the Premier League. We believe he shares our strong belief in what Newport County can eventually become."

  In the wake of the choice to axe Hughes last week, Jenkins admitted that the decision was "disappointing" despite change being needed. "Everyone is disappointed that it didn't work out with David Hughes," the Exiles chairman said.

  "He's a genuine person who's interacted with the supporters, and we could see what he was trying to do on the pitch but with a small budget and a lot of injuries too. But football is a results business and we haven't won enough points – and the performance especially in the second half at Shrewsbury on Saturday was very flat.

  "Everyone was thinking we need to change something and usually the attention turns to the manager."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Fuchs' first game comes against Oldham

  Fuchs kicks off his time as Newport boss with a trip to Oldham, who sit nine points above the Exiles in League Two. The Latics have won just one of their last seven league matches following their 0-0 home draw with Crewe last weekend, though in turn have lost only once in that time.

  Micky Mellon's side are unbeaten in five at Boundary Park, but have won just the once at home in League Two this season. Following the trip to Oldham on Saturday, Fuchs then oversees his first home game as Newport boss when they welcome Barrow to Rodney Parade to see out November.

  Barrow saw a seven-game unbeaten run come to an end at high-flying Bromley last time out, and they'll seek to return to winning ways when they face Cambridge this weekend ahead of their trip to Newport.

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• Former side Leicester struggling in mid-table

  Fuchs' former side Leicester aren't faring particularly well in the Championship this season, with the Foxes currently 12th in England's second tier. Head coach Marti Cifuentes took over at the King Power Stadium over the summer following Ruud van Nistelrooy's exit, but the Midlands side's season isn't quite going as many had hoped.

  A 2-1 win at lowly Norwich ended a five-game winless run, and was just Leicester's second in their last 11 league matches. Cifuentes will hope to oversee a second successive league victory when his Foxes side host high-flying Stoke on Saturday afternoon.

  Leicester then round off November with a trip to Southampton and a home game against relegation-threatened Sheffield United. 

Despite flying high in the Premier League and Champions League, it feels like Arsenal can’t catch a break this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side have played far better football than they did last year, but have been just as unlucky, if not more so, when it comes to injuries.

For example, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres, and Noni Madueke are just some of their stars who have been forced to sit on the sidelines, or still are.

And then, if things couldn’t get any worse, the Gunners are now going to be without Gabriel Magalhães for up to two months, although Arteta might just have a surprising replacement in mind for the Brazilian.

Arsenal's record when Gabriel does not play

It’s no secret that, thanks to his impact in both penalty areas, Gabriel has become one of Arsenal’s most important players in recent years.

In fact, it’s this ability that led Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher to suggest he could “be seen as the most influential player in the Premier League” only last month.

However, how essential is the big Brazilian to Arteta’s side? While that’s a pretty tricky question to answer, a decent way of approaching it would be to look at how the team have fared when he’s not been in the side over the last two and a bit years.

Starting with the 23/24 season, then, and across all competitions that year, the former LOSC Lille star made 50 appearances, 48 of which were starts, in which he scored four goals, provided one assist and averaged 2.16 points per game.

There were only two matches in which he didn’t appear: a draw against Fulham and a win over Sheffield United, meaning the team averaged just 2 points per game without him.

However, a two-game sample size is rather paltry, unlike last season, when he was absent for 16 games, of which the club won just eight, drew five and lost three, meaning the Gunners averaged just 1.81 points per game without the Brazilian in the team.

How did they fare when he was playing? Well, across all competitions, the Sao Paulo-born titan made 42 appearances, in which he scored five goals, provided three assists and averaged 1.98 points per game.

Games

50

2

Wins

34

1

Draws

6

1

Losses

10

0

Points per Game

2.16

2

Games

42

16

Wins

24

8

Draws

11

5

Losses

7

3

Points per Game

1.98

1.81

Therefore, while there is not a massive drop in points per game for Arsenal without Gabriel in the side, there is still a noticeable one, and with games against Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Chelsea coming up, that is a worry.

However, Arteta has more than enough replacements for his monster centre-back, including one who could come as a bit of a surprise.

Arsenal's surprise Gabriel replacement

The consensus among most Arsenal fans at the moment seems to be that either Riccardo Calafiori or Cristhian Mosquera would be the ideal replacements for Gabriel this weekend.

Chalkboard

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

The former has been in fine form all season, and the latter has shown glimpses of real talent when he’s stepped in.

However, while either player would make total sense, another, more surprising option Arteta could go with is Ben White.

Yes, the former Brighton & Hove Albion man does feel like something of a forgotten man at the moment, and has spent most of his time at the club playing right-back, but the £50m signing could come in and do a job on Sunday.

After all, while he hasn’t played there consistently for some time – his last start in the middle was back in October 2024 – the Englishman was signed as a centre-back and spent the entirety of the 21/22 season playing there, and playing well.

In fact, the only reason he was moved to the right was because William Saliba was finally given a go, and Gabriel was not at all suited to playing at full-back.

Moreover, by playing the Poole-born ace there, Calafiori won’t have to vacate a position he has been incredible in all year, a young Mosquera won’t be thrown into one of the most tense games of the season, and the same could be said for Piero Hincapie.

Finally, and this is particularly pertinent for the game against Spurs, the 28-year-old is, in the words of journalist Charles Watts, a “master of the dark arts.”

In other words, he could be the perfect player to get under the skin of the Spurs players and either throw them off their game or even get them sent off.

Furthermore, he has a track record of making life particularly difficult for Guglielmo Vicario.

Ultimately, it would be a surprise and something of a risk, but even so, Arteta should look to start White at centre-back for Arsenal while Gabriel is out.

A new Zubimendi: Berta makes first move to sign "Rodri-like" CM for Arsenal

The incredibly exciting prospect could be another Zubimendi for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 20, 2025

Australia captain Alyssa Healy believes “this is going to be the tightest World Cup” she has been part of

Ashish Pant26-Sep-20253:00

Is this India’s best chance to win a World Cup?

Asia Cup 2024. Commonwealth Games 2022. T20 World Cup 2020. At all those tournaments, India Women lost in the final. But as they get ready to co-host the 2025 ODI World Cup, captain Harmanpreet Kaur is confident that “this time we will cross the line”.”No doubt we have been through these situations many times,” Harmanpreet said at the captains’ meet in Bengaluru. “We have been playing good cricket, and it’s only about going with good confidence and doing the things the way our team is expecting from us. At the same time, we have been only talking about enjoying this moment rather than thinking [about] what happened in the past. We have learned a lot from our mistakes, and hopefully, this time, we will be on the other side.”This will be Harmanpreet’s fifth ODI World Cup, but first as captain. While she described the feeling of leading India in a home World Cup as “unbelievable”, she does not want her team to take “too much pressure” as they chase their maiden title.Related

India and Sri Lanka kick off a Women's World Cup with a difference

All you need to know about Women's ODI World Cup 2025

Athapaththu's goal? A maiden semi-final for SL

Australia remain the team to beat as they look for eighth title

Whisper it, but this could be India's best chance of winning a World Cup

“Leading your country is always very special for any player, but leading your country in [an] ODI World Cup is even more special,” she said. “On top of that, it is a home World Cup, so it’s even more special. When I started playing, I never even thought I would get the opportunity to lead my country… it was only in a dream. Everything altogether is exciting.”I just want to go there and enjoy, and play my best cricket. That’s what I’ve been telling myself and my team. The ODI World Cup is happening [in India] after 12 years, and I think it is going to be very amazing for all of us. It’s all about not taking too much pressure.”India have won ten of their 14 ODIs in 2025, with Smriti Mandhana playing a key role with 928 runs – comfortably the most for any batter this year.Smriti Mandhana is the leading run-scorer in ODIs this year•Getty Images”She has been great,” Harmanpreet said of Mandhana. “The way she is batting nowadays is something really exciting to watch. When I’m batting with her, things become quite easy on the pitch. You don’t need to stress so much because she is always there to help. Having her in my team is a big strength.”India’s only away game during the group stage is against Pakistan in Colombo. At home, they play in Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Indore and Navi Mumbai. Of those grounds, only Visakhapatnam has hosted a women’s ODI previously, in 2014. But Harmanpreet isn’t too worried about the unfamiliarity with the conditions.”The wickets are going to be flat,” she said. “We will get a few practice sessions there to get used to the conditions and the pitches. It’s really about being in a good space. Even though this World Cup is in India, we are not very familiar with the stadiums we are going to play at. But we have enough data to see how the conditions and the pitch are.”Healy: ‘Getting complacent not in Australian culture’With seven titles, defending champions Australia are the most successful team in the Women’s ODI World Cup. But their captain Alyssa Healy feels “every team is on equal footing” this time.”I firmly believe that this is going to be the tightest World Cup that we have been a part of,” she said. “Defending a title is not easy. Obviously, no one has really done it for a long period of time, but it’s not really about that. Every team is here to win the World Cup. We know what we need to do. We have got to beat every single side in the world to be able to lift that trophy at the end.””I feel like I’m part of a really special group at the moment that wants to be better every single day” – Alyssa Healy•Getty ImagesThe numbers are stacked in Australia’s favour – they have lost just two of their 18 ODIs since the start of 2024, a run that includes beating India in India 2-1 earlier this month. But they are not complacent.”I don’t think it’s quite in the Australian culture to get too complacent about things at any point in time,” Healy said. “People tend to write more about us when we lose than when we actually win. It’s quite a nice thing to experience. I feel like I’m part of a really special group at the moment that wants to be better every single day. They are working to improve themselves both on and off the field, which I think is a really great place to be.”The fact that that mindset’s already in place just allows them to go out there and enjoy their cricket on the field. And that’s basically as simple as it gets. We go out there, we compete as hard as we possibly can, and hopefully the results go our way.”Healy believes it could come down to how a team handles the pressure.”I think conditions could potentially change throughout the World Cup,” she said. “It’s just [about] adapting to them as quickly as possible, and knowing that you have got that depth in your side to make that happen. But I think it’s going to be about who can hold their composure the longest in this tournament and handle the pressure for long periods of time. You are going to have to sustain pressure at different points in time, and put it back on the opposition when you get the opportunity.”

Group B is the group of death, and whoever loses on Saturday will ride a treacherous road to Super Four qualification

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Sep-20252:32

Jaffer: Bangladesh favourites over SL

Big pictureSo far in the Asia Cup, things have gone roughly as expected. India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan have all registered comfortable victories, and Pakistan have also avoided an early banana peel. But Saturday brings up a more even clash. Over the last few years, T20 matches between these teams have sometimes been explosive, but although the heat of the rivalry has died down a little, it is also clear that these are well-matched teams in this format. Over the last 10 years, Sri Lanka have won eight of their 16 encounters, and Bangladesh eight.Related

Asalanka: We are T20 Asia Cup defending champions

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Why are Sri Lanka and Bangladesh so poor at T20I batting?

Hridoy hits back at critics as Bangladesh opt for safety over speed

More recently Bangladesh have had the better run, winning 2-1 in Sri Lanka in July, having also beaten Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup last year in Dallas. In those matches, Bangladesh’s bowlers tended to strike early, and find wickets regularly. Sri Lanka hope their batting order is in a better place now. But it was less than two weeks ago that they collapsed to 80 all out against Zimbabwe.Bangladesh also have the advantage of having played a match at this venue already. Their crushing of Hong Kong on Thursday was a largely complete performance, with the seamers getting wickets and the top order unfussily taking the team home in a modest chase. There were also wickets for legspinner Rishad Hossain, who was excellent against Sri Lanka in their most recent series, going at only 5.47 an over in his 12 overs across three matches.This being the group of death – Afghanistan are the other top-10 team vying for a Super Four spot – whichever team loses here will ride a treacherous road to qualification.Wanindu Hasaranga is set to return after missing the tour of Zimbabwe with a hamstring injury•AFP/Getty Images

Form guideBangladesh: WWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: WLWLLIn the spotlight: Litton Das and Pathum NissankaBangladesh captain Litton Das needs 56 more runs to become Bangladesh’s most prolific T20I batter. He is clearly one of Bangladesh’s key T20I batters at the moment, having hit 476 runs this year at a strike rate of 137.17. He also top-scored for Bangladesh in that series in Sri Lanka. Given his experience, he is the Bangladesh batter that will worry Sri Lanka’s bowlers the most.Pathum Nissanka is having a fine T20I year himself, having made 230 runs at a strike rate of 147.43 in 2025. That Sri Lanka have been a significantly improved team in the powerplay is down partly to Nissanka’s improvements. He has opened up new parts of his game, and has become particularly severe on errors of length. In Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka lost the only match in which he didn’t get to 30.Pitch and conditionsThe Abu Dhabi pitch tends to be batting-friendly, though occasionally it will have something for the slower bowlers as well. Rain is not forecast on Saturday.2:05

Jaffer: Hasaranga’s return big boost for SL

Team news: Hasaranga set to returnBangladesh will likely keep the same XI that beat Hong Kong. That means they will likely play three frontline seamers.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Pervez Hossain Emon, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali, 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said Wanindu Hasaranga should be available to play on Saturday, after Hasaranga had missed the Zimbabwe series with a hamstring injury. He also suggested Sri Lanka could go in with three frontline seam options. If fit, Dushmantha Chameers seems a certainty, with Asalanka stating that Nuwan Thushara would also play. Binura Fernando may just have the edge over Matheesha Pathirana for the last spot.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamil Mishara, 4 Kusal Perera, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Kamindu Mendis, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Binura Fernando, 11 Nuwan Thushara.Stats and trivia Pathum Nissanka needs 50 more runs to complete a tally of 2000 in T20Is. He has played only 67 innings, which means he has eight innings in which to get those 50 runs and become the fastest Sri Lanka men’s batter to the milestone. Kusal Perera got there in his 76th innings. Litton Das has not been dismissed for less than 50 in his last four T20I innings, making 54*, 18*, 73, and 59, against Netherlands and Hong Kong. Even just in Asia Cups, these teams’ record is pretty even. Bangladesh won the first T20I Asia Cup match between them, in Mirpur in 2016. Sri Lanka won the next one, in Dubai in 2022. Quotes”It’s more of a rivalry for the fans. For us as players it’s just good challenging competition.”
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka on the rivalry between these teams

Former Manchester United star Mason Greenwood has been told he is 'becoming a complete player' after starring with a brace in Marseille's 5-1 demolition of Nice in Ligue 1 on Friday. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Timothy Weah and Igor Paixao were also on target as Robert De Zerbi's side registered a thumping victory and climbed up to the top of the table, overtaking Paris Saint-Germain.

Greenwood's purple patch continues

Greenwood has been in prolific form for Marseille since joining the club from Manchester United. After ending his maiden campaign in France with 22 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions, the former Red Devils star picked up where he left off last season. The 24-year-old has already scored 10 goals in Ligue 1 this season and 11 in all competitions. He also recently won the Ligue 1 Player of the Month award for October, marking the second time he has received the accolade since his move to the French league. 

On Friday, Greenwood hit the target twice as Marseille leapfrogged PSG in the Ligue 1 table to clinch the top position after a magnificent 5-1 win over Nice away from home. 

AdvertisementGettyDe Zerbi praises Greenwood after Marseille win

Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi was understandably elated after the brilliant result as he hailed Greenwood's performance by saying: "We played well against a tough team, Nice. For them, it's a derby. It was a very tense match; we needed to play better in the second half. Everything's fine, we scored 5 goals and we're provisionally top of Ligue 1. We need to get some injured players back (Aguerd, Medina). That shouldn't be an excuse. We have to see what we can do in these circumstances. Greenwood? He's doing a good job. He's scoring goals, providing assists. He's more involved in the game. He's becoming a complete player."

The former Brighton manager added: "I was hoping for this result. It was a tough match, a derby. Both teams wanted to do well. We can still play better. I'm not satisfied with the quality of our play. Even though we won 5-1, we can do better. I'm certain this team can and must play better because it has more quality than it showed tonight. Despite the 5-1 scoreline, I expect even more. I'm thinking about the number of people we made happy. We have strong players; the only thing that worries me is the injury list. It's a real morale booster, we're top of the league tonight. We need to put that aside, there's Newcastle on Tuesday, Toulouse this weekend. We need to remember how we can improve. We need to maintain this momentum. We can't always play at the same level with the succession of matches. It's up to me and the physical staff to manage it. Weah? We missed him against Atalanta; he's a unique player, with a different profile than Murillo. We have a lot of respect for him; he needs to play with more courage and personality."

Greenwood's goal sparked mass brawl

Greenwood doubled his team's lead just past the half-hour mark after Aubameyang opened the scoring in derby. Following his first goal, the entire Marseille team celebrated in front of Nice Ultras, which triggered an extreme action. According to , Marseille defender Emerson Palmieri was struck with a lighter that was thrown by a Nice supporter.

The violence at the stand soon entered the pitch as a melee broke out involving Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli and Nice defender Ali Al-Abdi. The two substitutes were then cautioned. 

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GettyGreenwood still dreams of playing for England

Earlier this month, the reported that Greenwood still dreams of making a comeback for the England national team despite being blacklisted by the FA and head coach Thomas Tuchel from selection. The winger's last and only appearance for the Three Lions came in 2020 in a Nations League clash against Iceland.

However, with only months left before the 2026 World Cup, Greenwood's comeback into the national team looks improbable currently, with Tuchel having said back in September he is not being considered for selection.