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Raheem Sterling's Berkshire home was the target of an attempted break-in by masked men last weekend, which happened while the player was in the house with his young family. It is the second time in the last three years that the Chelsea winger has been targeted in a burglary, with the previous incident taking place when he lived in a different area.

• Sterling's house targeted by burglars

  Masked men are believed to have tried to gain entry into Sterling's house, situated on a development on Crown Estate land in Berkshire, to the west of London, at around 6:30pm last Saturday night. That was just before Chelsea were due to face Wolves in the Premier League, but Sterling hasn't been part of the Blues' squad this season and therefore was at home when it happened, alongside his long-term partner and their three children. He also has a fourth child from a previous relationship.

  Beyond the criminals attempting to break, other details have not been disclosed and Sterling wishes for his and his family's privacy to be respected.

  A different house located in Surrey, near to Chelsea's training ground, was previously broken into at the end of 2022, during the World Cup. That prompted the winger to urgently leave the England camp in Qatar to head home, before returning to the tournament ahead of quarter-final defeat to France. 

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  Sterling & family safe

  Reported by the , a spokesperson representing Sterling told the newspaper: "We can confirm that Raheem Sterling was the victim of a home break-in this weekend. We can also confirm that he and his children were present at home at the time. Whilst the ultimate violation of privacy and safety, we are thankful to be able to confirm that he and his loved ones are all safe. We ask that the privacy of Raheem and his loved ones be respected at this challenging time."

  Thames Valley Police have also confirmed that a "thorough investigation" is underway, appealing for possible information or witnesses of any suspicious behaviour that might be relevant.

• Footballer burglaries a common occurrence

  Sterling is far from the only Premier League footballer to be targeted by brazen thieves in recent years. When his Surrey home was broken into in late 2022, Chelsea team-mate Marc Cucurella, and then Reading defender Scott Dann were also victims of the same burglar. The man responsible had managed to steal £1.1 million worth of belongings, but was eventually jailed in 2024 for 12 years and 10 months for conspiracy to burgle, possession with intent to supply cocaine and simple possession of cannabis. On that occasion, Sterling alone was robbed of 10 Rolex watches.

  Players in England's north west based in the 'Golden Triangle' of Cheshire, a collection of affluent towns south of Manchester, have also been routinely targeted over the years. With Jack Grealish among those targeted, it was reported earlier this month that players have been turning to former MMA fighters employed as bodyguards and security to better protect their homes.

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  Sterling's football future remains uncertain

  Sterling has been non-existent on a football pitch in 2025-26. Deemed surplus to requirements by Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge, the former England winger spent last season struggling to command meaningful minutes during a loan at Arsenal and was unable to secure an exit away from Chelsea during this past summer transfer window.

  Sterling, who has a contract with the Blues until 2027 and cost the best part of £50m to sign from Manchester City, hasn't actually played for Chelsea since May 2024. He will shortly turn 31, which is far from old for a footballer these days, but it is difficult to envisage how and where his career will get back on track after such a sustained period of inactivity.

  Sterling is costing Chelsea an enormous sum to not be playing, earning a reported £325,000 per week. At the start of this season, his outstanding contract was thought to be worth around £30m. His preference is rumoured to have been staying in and around London, rather than moving any great distance away, due to his son being with Arsenal' academy and an unwillingness to disrupt his family.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has lavished praise on a few members of his squad ahead of their Carabao Cup tie at Newcastle on Wednesday.

Tottenham prepare for Newcastle tie after 3-0 win at Everton

After his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, ended the club’s 17-year wait for a trophy at the back end of 2024/2025, Frank will undoubtedly be judged on his charge for major silverware.

Spurs are currently third in the Premier League table and back to winning ways after victory against Everton on Sunday, and much like their north London rivals Arsenal, they’ve been excelling at set pieces.

The Lilywhites have scored from a dead ball situation on five different occasions this term in the league, the same number as Bournemouth, with it being no coincidence that the Cherries and Frank’s side occupy a place in the top three behind Arsenal.

While concerns have surrounded Tottenham’s lack of creativity from open play, with summer signing Xavi Simons off to a slow start after being signed as their new star playmaker, Frank has undoubtedly embraced this new ‘set piece revolution’ happening up and down the Premier League.

Spurs travel to St. James’ Park for their next clash as Frank looks to inspire a cup run, but they face a tricky test against the current Carabao champions who have won five out of their last seven matches in all competitions.

Tottenham also have nine players unavailable for the clash, including star defenders Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie, with Kevin Danso set to partner Micky van de Ven at the heart of Frank’s defence once again after impressing against Everton.

Frank has piled praise on Danso for his excellent form since coming to replace Romero, but the Austrian has been somewhat overshadowed by van de Ven.

The latter has proved magnificent since Frank took over from Postecoglou, with reports suggesting that Tottenham are prepared to double van de Ven’s salary in a bid to keep him out of Real Madrid’s clutches.

The Dutchman’s brace against Everton condemned the Merseysiders to their first ever defeat at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Frank lavishing his star centre-back in the build up to Wednesday.

Thomas Frank says Micky van de Ven is becoming a new leader at Tottenham

Van de Ven was named as part of Spurs’ leadership group earlier this season, alongside Ben Davies, Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison and Romero, with Frank explaining how he’s since repaid the faith.

Commenting further in his pre-match press conference before Newcastle, Frank also explained how he’s gone up another level behind-the-scenes.

While van de Ven is tied down until 2029, if the 24-year-old continues in this fine form, Spurs must surely be worried about the prospect of Real swooping in to tempt him amid their hunt for new centre-backs.

That being said, the defender will command a premium, so the pending availability of free agents like Ibrahima Konate, Dayot Upamecano and Marc Guehi could sway them elsewhere.

He took three of the remaining four India wickets that India had when they arrived on Friday morning on 204 for 6

Vithushan Ehantharajah01-Aug-2025

Gus Atkinson finished with a five-for•PA Photos/Getty Images

Gus Atkinson’s fourth five-wicket haul helped England make light work of what remained of India’s first innings of the fifth Test, dismissing them for 224.Atkinson’s 5 for 33 upon his return to the XI after two months out was all the more important after news this morning that Chris Woakes would play no further part in the match after a suspected dislocated shoulder sustained in the field last evening. And the Surrey quick, on his home ground, took three of the remaining four wickets that India had up their sleeve when they arrived on Friday morning on 204 for 6.It was Josh Tongue who made the first key incision, albeit with a choatic approach that would get any surgeon struck off. His first over, opening from the Vauxhall End, went for nine, but he was able to remove Karun Nair for 57 in his second. A sharp delivery that nipped into the stumps – Nair no doubt expected something short and wide either side of them – pinned the right-hander on the back leg. Plumb in front, Nair took one of India’s three reviews with him.Washington Sundar should have assumed the responsibility at that point as an elongated tail became exposed, but he fell five deliveries later, waltzing into a short ball trap, heaving Atkinson to deep square leg, where Jamie Overton sprinted in to take a smart catch.Atkinson would then skittle Mohammed Siraj before Prasidh Krishna felt for a delivery outside off, completing a collapse of four for six in 18 balls. This is now the lowest first innings total of the series. The previous lowest was India’s 358 at Manchester.Atkinson now boasts an average of 21, the fourth best for an England seamer with fifty or more dismissals, and the second best strike rate, ever, at 34.9, for those who have taken 60 wickets.

Vote for the best individual Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance by an Indian in Australia since 2000

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2024Update: This poll has ended. Virat Kohli’s Adelaide 2014 performance goes into the semi-finals. Check the other polls here.ESPNcricinfo LtdVirat Kohli was batting on another level in Perth 2018•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Virat Kohli – 123 in Perth, 2018

India lost by 146 runs, series level 1-1Virat Kohli was already one of India’s greatest batters before 2018. He stepped up to an even more rarefied level that year, scoring 1322 runs at an average of 55.08 over 24 innings, of which 22 were played in South Africa, England and Australia.Conditions in all three tours were hard on batters, but the more challenging they became, the more Kohli seemed to relish them. When he walked in to bat in Perth, everything must have looked familiar. India had lost the toss and conceded a bigger total than they should have, bowling well but not without spells of releasing pressure. Then they lost early wickets.In similar circumstances, Kohli had scored 153 at Centurion and 149 at Edgbaston. Now, from 8 for 2, he proceeded to play an even better innings. This was a proper trampoline of a pitch, and Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were routinely getting the ball to rear throat-high from just back of a length. Kohli negotiated the vertical threat expertly, though not without suffering blows to his arm and ribs, but the standout feature of his innings was how well he dealt with Australia’s attempts to sucker him with full balls after pushing him back.Almost every time there was an opportunity to drive, he did so pristinely, down the ground or through the covers with a decisive front-foot stride. A 20th century version of this list would have undoubtedly contained Sachin Tendulkar’s 114 in Perth in 1992. Kohli’s innings came at Perth Stadium and not the WACA, and just as the new ground seamlessly carried forward the old one’s legacy of pace and bounce, a new master had carried forward an old master’s legacy.Karthik KrishnaswamyWatch the highlights of these performances on the Star Sports network at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm IST, from November 2 onwards.Virat Kohli was only the second batter to score two centuries on Test captaincy debut•Getty Images

Virat Kohli – 115 & 141 in Adelaide, 2014

India lost by 48 runsIn a career full of milestones, Virat Kohli has a very special place in his heart for these two hundreds. He’s made that plain on every subsequent trip to Adelaide. The runs that he made, the way he made them, getting hit on the head by a Mitchell Johnson bouncer early and brushing off the Australians who came up to him to ask him if he was okay just so he wouldn’t have to break out of that bubble he needs to be in to score those big runs, and the path that he put his team on, saying they will not be going for the draw – all played a big role in helping him decide what kind of cricketer and captain he wanted to be.His 114 in the first innings on captaincy debut kept India in the game after conceding 517, and his 141 in the second gave India hope that as long as Kohli was batting, there was a chance of pulling off an outrageous chase of 364. That performance made Kohli the first visiting batter since 1961 to score two centuries in a Test in Australia, and no once has done it since.By Alagappan Muthu

One minute before the MLB's trade deadline on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET, insider Jon Heyman tweeted that the Tigers were still "working hard" to lock down a starting pitcher. For a moment, it seemed that maybe Detroit ran out of time.

That was until the news dropped that the Tigers landed starting pitcher Charlie Morton from the Orioles, as reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan. The 41-year-old is in his 18th MLB season and now will play for his eighth MLB team.

The Tigers are dominating the AL Central so far this season with a 64–46 record and nine-game lead over the Guardians in second place. Adding another starting or relieving pitcher was high on the Tigers' to-do list before the deadline.

In 23 games and 17 starts this season for the Orioles, Morton has posted a 5.42 ERA, which is his highest since his rookie season in 2008. He's in somewhat of a slump, but maybe a new environment will create a spark for his pitching game.

Morton has thrown 101.1 innings, throwing 101 strikeouts while giving up 110 hits, 61 earned runs and 16 home runs.

Celtic are now reportedly plotting a 2026 move to sign a Manchester City ace, who Pep Guardiola called “world-class”.

Celtic targeting Premier League goalkeeper

There’s a lot of work for Wilfried Nancy to do in the transfer window and that work may well include signing a new goalkeeper next summer. As things stand, current No.1 Kasper Schmeichel is set to leave Celtic as a free agent at the end of his contract next summer, handing the Bhoys the task of finding a replacement.

The former Leicester City man has been an excellent servant since replacing Joe Hart in 2024, but looks destined to bow out of Scotland at 39 years old.

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Celtic may also have no choice but to target attacking reinforcements in the January transfer window, amid reports that Daizen Maeda could leave the club. The Japan international has plenty of admirers in the Premier League and could yet deal the Bhoys an undeniable blow this winter.

Speaking about the January transfer window and potential additions after arriving, new manager Nancy told reporters: “Each organisation, the idea is to improve.

“I’m going to have to assess the team. I know them as a team because I’ve watched many games. Now it’s about knowing them as a person. After that we’ll see what is the best for the team. I like to take my time. I know that I don’t have a lot of time.

“It’s not a secret I want to play in a certain way. Proactivity, try to put [pressure] on the opposition, try to attack the ball as soon as possible and after that also be disgusting to play against when we defend – because we’re going to have moments when we’ve got to suffer.”

With that said, it could be a busy 2026 for those at Celtic Park and one that includes the arrival of Man City’s Stefan Ortega, according to reports.

Celtic plotting Ortega move

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Celtic are now plotting a move to sign Ortega when his current Man City contract expires next summer. The 33-year-old could come straight in for Schmeichel as the Bhoys turn to English football for yet another shot-stopper.

Whilst Ortega has dropped down the pecking order at the Etihad, Guardiola hasn’t held back from praising the experienced goalkeeper in the past – telling reporters just last year: “Ortega is a world-class goalkeeper. An exceptional, exceptional goalkeeper.”

For Celtic, the move makes perfect sense. Their move for Hart worked out for all involved, so too did their move for Schmeichel. Now, it looks like they’re ready to follow the blueprint by signing Ortega.

After reporting the news, O’Rourke told Football Insider: “Ortega would be a good fit, you would think, especially if he does become a free agent in the summer.

“He’s basically just fallen totally out of favour at Man City, with Gianluigi Donnarumma and James Trafford ahead of him, and Marcus Bettinelli has been travelling with the squad.

“If Celtic are looking a new goalkeeper come the summer when Schmeichel’s contract is up, Ortega could be a really good pick up on a free transfer.

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