Chelsea cruised to an emphatic 6-0 win over Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday. An own goal set the Blues on their way to victory before Johanna Rytting Kaneryd teed up Wieke Kaptein and added a goal of her own to put the hosts in control at the break. Substitutes Sjoeke Nusken and Maika Hamano extended Chelsea's lead in the second half before Lucy Bronze wrapped up the win in some style late on.
Roma started the game in positive fashion, but went behind in unfortunate circumstances when Sandy Baltimore fired in a cross from the left which beat Sam Kerr but not defender Valentina Bergamaschi, who thumped a header past her own goalkeeper with only 13 minutes on the clock.
Chelsea promptly took control and added a second through Kaptein. A well-worked move saw Keira Walsh ping a glorious diagonal ball through to Rytting Kaneryd to head back across goal for Kaptein to drill home for 2-0.
Rytting Kaneryd was involved again just before half-time as Chelsea put the game out of Roma’s reach. Veerle Burman got the Blues going with an incisive pass through to Niamh Charles to run onto and deliver into the box. Kerr saw her shot from close range parried only as far as Rytting Kaneryd, who fired high into the net at the far post.
With Chelsea 3-0 up at the break, manager Sonia Bompastor made three changes by sending on Lexi Potter, Nusken, and Hamano and saw the Blues win a penalty in the opening minutes of the second period. Substitute Nusken won the kick and promptly despatched the penalty to extend Chelsea's lead and make it 4-0.
Yet Chelsea remained hungry for goals and simply kept on attacking. Hamano added Chelsea's fifth after good work from fellow substitute Guro Reiten before Bronze sealed the victory with an outrageous effort in the dying minutes.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…
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Goalkeeper & Defence
Livia Peng (7/10):
Didn't have much to do in truth, but did put in a crucial challenge to deny Pandini in the first half and made a late block to preserve her clean sheet.
Lucy Bronze (8/10):
Showed her experience up against Pandini and Pilgrim, who got very little out of the right-back. Grabbed Chelsea's sixth of the night with a brilliant effort that may well have been a cross but certainly thrilled the home fans.
Millie Bright (7/10):
Solid at the back and played some dangerous balls forward.
Veerle Burman (8/10):
A really impressive showing. Very strong defensively and played a brilliant pass through to Charles to send Chelsea away for the third goal.
Niamh Charles (8/10):
Another player who enjoyed herself against Roma. Had a fine battle with former team-mate Babajide and grabbed an assist for the third.
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Midfield
Catarina Macario (6/10):
Lost a few balls early on but also produced some incisive passes and put in a great cross in for Kerr who somehow managed to miss from close range. One of three changes at half-time with Chelsea already 3-0 up.
Keira Walsh (7/10):
Set up the second goal with a wonderful diagonal ball that opened Roma up. Another player given a breather with the game won at the break.
Wieke Kaptein (8/10):
Fired home Chelsea's second of the night with fine finish and might have scored a second but put an effort just over the bar.
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Attack
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (8/10):
Teed up Chelsea's second goal in fine style with a header back across goal. Also bagged the third with an emphatic finish from close range.
Sam Kerr (7/10):
Missed a couple of good chances but was heavily involved in everything. Lovely dummy to allow Kaptein to score Chelsea's second.
Sandy Baltimore (7/10):
Great ball in from the left which Bergamaschi headed home to gift Chelsea the lead. Caused problems down the left throughout the first half before being replaced at the break.
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Subs & Manager
Lexi Potter (7/10):
A really positive showing after coming on in the second half. Could have scored but was denied a first Chelsea goal by goalkeeper Lukasova.
Sjoeke Nusken (8/10):
Came on at the start of the second half and made a real impact. Won a penalty with her first involvement and made no mistake from the spot. Might have had a second but blazed over.
Maika Hamano(7/10):
Finished off Roma with a easy finish after good work from Reiten.
Oriane Jean-François (7/10):
Had a shot blocked with her first touch and put in some good challenges.
Guro Reiten (7/10):
Replaced Kerr for the final stages and unselfishly set up Hermano for Chelsea's fifth.
Sonia Bompastor (8/10):
A fairly perfect evening for the Chelsea boss, who saw her team completely outclass Roma. Was able to rest players with her team already 3-0 up at the break and saw her substitutes impress in the second half. Will also be pleased to see Kerr get 70 minutes under the belt.
An “elite” midfielder has now risen to the top of Ruben Amorim’s shortlist, with Manchester United very keen to strengthen in the engine room.
Man Utd eyeing new midfielder amid Mainoo's lack of minutes
Kobbie Mainoo has played just 171 minutes across nine Premier League matches this season, most recently being brought on in stoppage time to help Man United close out a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace.
Falling down the pecking order is far from ideal for the Englishman, who will have ambitions of going to the World Cup next summer, having played a vital role in the Three Lions reaching the final of Euro 2024.
The Devils’ Advocate co-host Joe McGrath has now claimed United should sanction a loan move this winter, saying: “We had a player worth – and is still worth – £80m or £90m. A young England international. He’s so good. We can’t let his standards drop and we need to let him go on loan.
Should that happen, the Red Devils will need to bring in a replacement, and Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson has now emerged as Amorim’s top target, with a report from TEAMtalk revealing the 23-year-old is their ‘clear favourite’.
There are a number of other options on the shortlist namely Adam Wharton, Joao Gomes, Conor Gallagher and Morten Hjulmand, with United clearly determined to bring in a midfielder.
Signing Anderson is now Amorim’s priority, however, even though it could take a huge bid to get a deal over the line, with the Tricky Trees planning to hold out for around £100m.
"Elite" Anderson would be statement signing for Man Utd
A number of top Premier League clubs are now queuing up to sign the England international, including Manchester City and Liverpool, so Man United would be making a real statement if they were able to win the race for his signature.
Man Utd copying Chelsea model as INEOS line up double new signing
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ByBen Goodwin Dec 2, 2025
It is no surprise so many teams are eager to sign the Forest star, given the impression he’s made for both club and country, with Thomas Tuchel recently lauding the central midfielder as “elite”.
The former Newcastle United man has also been in top form in the Premier League, completing a total of 736 short passes, the fifth-highest number of any player.
It is the correct decision to pinpoint Anderson as the top target, but United’s ability to compete for his signature will likely depend on whether they qualify for Europe, amid rival interest from some top clubs.
Danubio e Atletico-PR se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (24), pela 3ª rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana. A bola rola às 19h (de Brasília), no Estádio Centenário, em Montevideo, com transmissão da ESPN e no Star+.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians perde para o Argentinos Juniors e deixa liderança do grupo na Sul-AmericanaCorinthians23/04/2024NotíciasCombinada dos brazucas! Aposte R$100 e fature R$248 para vitórias de Athletico e Bragantino na Sul-AmericanaNotícias24/04/2024Fora de CampoAdversário do Internacional na Sul-Americana anuncia venda de ingressos com funk de Bibi Fogosa e web viralizaFora de Campo23/04/2024
➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!
Com o Athletico invicto na Sul-Americana, o técnico Cuca não relacionou diversos titulares, e a expectativa é de um jogo equilibrado no Uruguai. As odds disponiveis no Lance! Betting mostram isso de forma clara, apontando 3.73 para um triunfo do Danubio, 3.28 no empate e 2.05 para uma vitória do Furacão.
➡️ Siga o Lance! São Paulo no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Tricolor
Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre Danubio e Athletico-PR pela Sul-Americana (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).
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✅FICHA TÉCNICA Danubio x Athletico-PR 3ª rodada – Fase de grupos Copa Sul-Americana
Data e horário: quarta-feira, 24 de abril de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília) Local: Estádio Centenário, em Montevideo, Uruguai Onde assistir: ESPN e Star+ Árbitro: Kevin Ortega (PER) VAR: Augusto Menendez (PER) Assistentes: Stephen Atoche (PER) e Enrique Pinto (PER)
➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários dos jogos do Brasileirão
⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
DANUBIO (Técnico: Mario Saralegui) oicoechea, Ancheta, Lucas Ferreira, Fracchia e Saravia; Santiago Romer, Kevin Lewis, Rossi e Sanseviero; Sebastián Fernández e Leyes
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ATHLETICO-PR (Técnico: Cuca) Bento; Madson, Kaique Rocha (Marcos André), Gamarra e Fernando; Felipinho, Alex Santana, Christian (Cuello) e Zapelli (Julimar); Canobbio e Mastriani
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.
Glenn Phillips has been given more time to build match fitness but Daryl Mitchell is available after injury
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2025
Kane Williamson will return to New Zealand’s Test side•Getty Images
Kane Williamson has been included in New Zealand’s squad for the first Test against West Indies in Christchurch and pace bowler Blair Tickner handed a recall for the first time since 2023 with Kyle Jamieson held back as he continues a carefully controlled return to red-ball cricketFellow seamers Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes, who took nine wickets on debut against Zimbabwe, are also part of the 14-player squad, but Jamieson wasn’t considered for the start of the series as a cautious approach is maintained in increasing his workloads after a back injury.Glenn Phillips, who played in the opening round of the Plunket Shield, also hasn’t been included as he works his way back to full match fitness after a groin injury. Daryl Mitchell has recovered from injury to take his place in the squad.Williamson, who is among the group of players to hold a casual contract, missed New Zealand’s most recent Test series in Zimbabwe earlier this year to play the Hundred. Having announced his T20I retirement, he played the first two ODIs against England before picking up a groin injury.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
“Kane’s ability on the field speaks for itself and it will be great to have his skills as well as his leadership back in the Test group,” head coach Rob Walter said. “He’s had a bit of time off to get himself ready for red-ball cricket, and I know he’s looking forward to playing for Northern Districts in the second round of the Plunket Shield in the lead-up to the first Test.”Tickner, meanwhile, played the most recent of his three Tests against Sri Lanka in early 2023. On his return to the ODI side against England he claimed eight wickets in two matches.”Both Jacob and Blair have been around a while and know what it takes to perform at the highest level,” Walter said. “They’ve impressed in their white-ball opportunities so far this summer and we back them to do so in the Test arena if called upon.”Zak couldn’t have performed much better in his first Test against Zimbabwe. That, along with his recent form across the white-ball tours, has rightfully earned him selection.”Matt Fisher (shin), Will O’Rourke (back) and Ben Sears (hamstring) were not considered for selection due to injury.The West Indies series marks New Zealand’s first matches of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycleNew Zealand squad for 1st Test vs West IndiesTom Latham (capt), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young
تحدثت صحيفة ذا إندبندنت اليوم الأحد عن تطورات وضع محمد صلاح مع ليفربول، والتصريحات النارية التي أدلى بها الدولي المصري تجاه النادي الإنجليزي.
محمد صلاح تواجد في آخر ثلاث مباريات لعبها ليفربول في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، ولم يشارك في أي دقيقة خلال لقاء الريدز مع ليدز يونايتد بالدوري أمس السبت، حيث تعادل ليفربول 3-3.
وخرج محمد صلاح عن صمته بعد نهاية المباراة، وأكد أنه محبط من وضعه الحالي في ليفربول، مشيرًا إلى أن علاقته مع المدرب آرني سلوت قد تدمرت وأنه لا يشعر بالتقدير من قبل إدارة الريدز.
وذكرت الصحيفة، أن ليفربول من المتوقع أن يكون له رد فعل تجاه ما قاله محمد صلاح، حيث لن تمر هذه التصريحات مرور الكرام على النادي الإنجليزي.
وأضافت أن محمد صلاح قد تفاجأ كثيرًا بما حدث معه حيث اهتز كبرياؤه وأدلى بتصريحات لم يكن للاعب بهذه المكانة أن يدلي بها في إنجلترا، منذ أسطورة مانشستر يونايتد وريال مدريد، كريستيانو رونالدو.
وأوضحت أن مستوى محمد صلاح هبط بشدة خصوصًا على الصعيد البدني، حيث لم يسجل هذا الموسم سوى خمسة أهداف في 19 مباراة بكافة المسابقات.
اقرأ أيضًا.. جيمس بيرس مهاجمًا محمد صلاح: ليفربول يلعب أفضل بدونه.. وتصرفه غير محترم
وأردفت أن محمد صلاح ليس هو اللاعب الوحيد في ليفربول الذي تم إجلاسه كبديل، وإنما هناك فلوريان فيرتز، على الرغم من سعره الكبير البالغ 116 مليون جنيه إسترليني، والذي ضمه الريدز قادمًا من باير ليفركوزن.
لكن فيرتز بات في آخر فترة بديلًا مع ليفربول حيث لم يقدم المستوى المطلوب، قبل أن يعود للعب أساسيًا في آخر مباراتين للريدز.
وأكدت أن محمد صلاح محق في عدم تحميله للمسئولية في كل مباراة يخسر فيها ليفربول هذا الموسم، لكن الدولي المصري بحسب الصحيفة لم يكن محقًا في التصريح عن ضمانه باللعب بشكل أساسي مع الريدز باستمرار.
وأوضحت أن المباراة التي جعلت سلوت يبقي محمد صلاح على دكة بدلاء ليفربول كانت أمام بي إس في آيندهوفن في دوري أبطال أوروبا، والتي خسرها ليفربول 4-1.
وأكملت أن آينهدوفن سجل في مباراة ليفربول من جهة محمد صلاح في الجانب الأيمن، حيث لا يقدم الدولي المصري الدعم الدفاعي كثيرًا، مما جعل سلوت يفكر في التعويل على دومينيك سوبوسلاي في مركز الجناح الأيمن بدلًا من الملك المصري.
وألقت الصحيفة باللوم على سلوت، في ظل تبريره في المقابل لسوء مستوى بعض لاعبي ليفربول، وعلى رأسهم كوناتي وجاكبو.
وواصلت الصحيفة قولها، أن إدارة ليفربول بقيادة ريتشارد هيوز، المدير الرياضي، والرئيس التنفيذي، مايكل إدواردز، قد كسروا سياسة التمهل في التجديد للاعبين كبار السن وجددوا عقد محمد صلاح العام الماضي لمدة سنتين.
وواصلت أن إدارة ليفربول رفضت بيع محمد صلاح إلى الدوري السعودي قبل عامين، حيث رغب اتجاد حدة في ضم اللاعب مقابل 150 مليون جنيه إسترليني، وهو مبلغ يصعب على الريدز الحصول عليه حاليًا إذا أراد بيع الدولي المصري.
واختتمت ذا إندبدنت قولها، أن ليفربول من الممكن أن يقوم بيع محمد صلاح، حيث اقترب عهد الفرعون المصري في آنفيلد من نهايته.
There is a ton at stake over the final four weeks of the regular season in MLB, and we’re here at SI Betting to analyze the latest playoff odds in both the American and National Leagues.
There are three division races — the AL East, AL West and NL West — where the first and second place teams are separated by three or fewer games, leaving a lot up in the air in the wild card picture to close the regular season.
In the American League, a seven-game winning streak helped propel the New York Yankees into first in the wild card and just three games back of Toronto in the AL East entering September.
Meanwhile, the National League wild card appears to be pretty settled, as the Cincinnati Reds (the first team out) have fallen four games back of the final wild card spot.
Is there any value in betting on a team to make the playoffs that isn’t currently in the postseason picture?
Let’s take a look at the latest odds and a few teams that could have some value — whether it’s to make the playoffs or steal the division — as the final month of regular season baseball gets underway.
American League Playoff OddsDivision LeadersToronto Blue Jays: N/ADetroit Tigers: N/AHouston Astros: -700
It’s interesting to see a division leader with worse odds to make the playoffs than multiple wild card teams, but that’s the case with Houston.
The Astros are just two games up on the Seattle Mariners in the AL West, and they have worse records than the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox this season. If Houston slips in the coming weeks, it could be fighting for its playoff life down the stretch.
Oddsmakers don’t feel the same about the Blue Jays, even though they’ve seen their lead dwindle in the AL East.
Wild Card RaceNew York Yankees: -10000Boston Red Sox: -1400Seattle Mariners: -575Texas Rangers: +290Kansas City Royals: +500:Cleveland Guardians: +1100Tampa Bay Rays: +2000
Texas has moved past the Kansas City Royals for the fourth spot in the wild card race, as it has won five games in a row and eight of its last 10. Not only are the Rangers just 2.5 games out of the third wild card, but they are just 4.5 games back in the AL West.
So, there are multiple paths for Texas to take to get into the postseason. At +290, the Rangers could be worth a sprinkle if you’re not sold on Houston or Seattle running away with the division in the final few weeks.
The one thing working against the Rangers is that they have the fifth-hardest remaining schedule – per Tankathon – in MLB.
National League Playoff OddsDivision LeadersPhiladelphia Phillies: N/ALos Angeles Dodgers: N/AMilwaukee Brewers: N/A
While the NL West is still up for grabs, oddsmakers believe the the Phillies, Dodgers, Brewers, Cubs and Padres will all make the postseason, as they’ve all seen their playoff odds come off the board.
The Reds – the closest chasing team in the wild card race – are seven games back of San Diego and nine games back of Chicago entering September.
Wild Card RaceSan Diego Padres: N/AChicago Cubs: N/ANew York Mets: -600Cincinnati Reds: +700San Francisco Giants: +1200Arizona Diamondbacks: +2500St. Louis Cardinals: +3000
While the NL wild card may already be set, there has been a ton of odds movement for the Mets (the No. 3 wild card) and the chasing pack:
Mets: -350 to -600Reds: +310 to +700Giants: +2000 to +1200Diamondbacks: +3000 to +2500
New York has a four-game cushion on the Reds and at least a five-game cushion on every other team in the chase. Barring an epic collapse from a team, the six NL playoff teams appear to be pretty secure entering the final month of the regular season.
Derbyshire four-down at the close with an uphill battle awaiting them
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay31-Jul-2025
Rob Keogh made a fine century in a 208-run stand for the seventh wicket•Getty Images
Derbyshire 377 (Andersson 105, Chahal 6-118) and 52 for 4 trail Northamptonshire 550 for 9 dec (Broad 171, Keogh 125*) by 121 runsAllrounder Justin Broad hit a brilliant 171, his second score in excess of 150 this month amid a Northamptonshire run-fest against Derbyshire at Wantage Road as the hosts racked up a mammoth 550 for nine declared.Returning from a wrist injury, Broad struck 18 fours and a six, following his maiden first-class ton, 157 not out at Canterbury at the beginning of July. On a day of records, his 171 was the highest score ever made by a number seven from any team against Derbyshire.With Rob Keogh also striking an excellent unbeaten 125, the pair put on 208, the highest seventh-wicket partnership for Northamptonshire against Derbyshire as the visitors’ attack wilted in the afternoon sunshine.Luis Reece was the pick of Derbyshire’s bowlers, finishing with figures of three for 114.Northamptonshire declared 173 ahead and reduced Derbyshire to 52 for four at stumps, Indian legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal picking up two wickets in two balls. It leaves the visitors with a mountain to climb on a pitch offering turn and bounce, still trailing by 121 at the end of day three of this Rothesay County Championship fixture.Earlier, resuming on 265 for five, Broad and George Bartlett extended their sixth-wicket partnership to 127, also the highest for Northamptonshire against Derbyshire. But after posting 66, his highest score this season, Bartlett was trapped lbw by a Ben Aitchison delivery which nipped back and kept low.Broad and Keogh though looked relatively untroubled by a lacklustre Derbyshire bowling display throughout the morning as they focused on building a partnership and taking a first innings lead, picking up a handful of boundaries along the way. Broad, 64 overnight, deployed the pull against Zak Chappell and on drove handsomely, while Keogh swept and reverse swept against Joe Hawkins’ spin.Broad lunched nervously on 99, but despite flashing outside off stump against Martin Andersson after the break, he took a single off Hawkins to celebrate his first century at home.With the scoring rate accelerating, Keogh drove Andersson sweetly through midwicket to reach his second successive half-century off 112 balls and crunched Andersson through extra cover to bring up the 100 partnership and put Northamptonshire ahead. Broad then punched Blair Tickner down the ground for another boundary.Derbyshire plugged away, trying several short-term experiments to try to force a breakthrough. Andersson bowled consistently wide outside off-stump to Broad, while Aitchison reverted to bowling spin. Then for Chappell, three fielders were stationed in the area between mid-on and short midwicket.But Northamptonshire’s batters continued unabated, Keogh cutting Tickner to backward point to bring up the 150-partnership before passing the previous highest seventh-wicket stand (163) by Josh Cobb and David Willey at Derby in 2015.Frequent Northamptonshire milestones continued to keep the public address announcer busy, Keogh turning Andersson away for two to bring up his century, Broad taking a single next ball off Hawkins to reach his 150.In a scrappy passage of play before tea, Derbyshire’s tired fielders shelled three catches, but picked up one vital wicket in between. First, Keogh, on 101, swept Hawkins firmly to short midwicket where Madsen put down a straightforward chance. Then after Broad smashed Reece through extra cover, Caleb Jewell dropped one at backward point off an attempted reverse sweep.Undeterred, Broad and Keogh celebrated their 200 partnership, Broad swinging Reece for six into the sightscreen as Northamptonshire accelerated further. Broad’s 273-ball knock finally ended though when he hit Reece down the ground again but was caught just inside the ropes.George Scrimshaw won an immediate reprieve when Aitchinson failed to hold a one-handed grab at first slip off Reece. But his intentions were evident as he quickly went on the offensive against Hawkins.Tickner struck after tea castling Scrimshaw with a full and straight delivery, but Keogh found good support from Liam Guthrie (22), Northamptonshire declaring when Hawkins had the Australian caught hitting down the ground.Derbyshire’s reply started ominously when Jewell flashed outside off, Ricardo Vasconcelos snatching the ball at first slip.Promoted to opener Zak Chappell made 22 before Chahal’s double strike. First Chappell reverse swept straight to backward point, then Harry Came was lbw playing back to a slider. Finally skipper Wayne Madsen edged Keogh to Broad at first slip to further compound Derbyshire’s woes.
They might not have got the win, but Sunday evening’s game against Arsenal was a success for Chelsea.
Enzo Maresca’s side utterly outplayed the Premier League leaders in the first half, and despite losing Moises Caicedo for over half the match, came away with a point.
There were sensational performances across the pitch from the hosts, with the most impressive undoubtedly being Reece James’.
The club captain has been unreal all season for Chelsea, and now it looks like Cobham could already be brewing his heir.
James' performance against Arsenal
Now, James putting in a strong performance for Chelsea is really nothing new; he is the captain after all.
However, against Arsenal, the Englishman truly stepped it up to a whole other level and did so from the middle of the park, not right-back.
In a game that was billed as a midfield showdown between Caicedo and Declan Rice, it was the full-back who came out as comfortably the best player on the whole pitch, let alone the middle of it.
That might sound hyperbolic, but his man-of-the-match award would suggest otherwise.
On top of doing all the defensive work you would expect of him, the “gargantuan” presence, as dubbed by presenter Olivia Buzaglo, was a serious attacking threat and provided the assist for his side’s opener.
Moreover, he completed three of his four crosses, played two key passes, was successful in 100% of his dribbles and generally didn’t let up for the entire encounter.
In all, it was perhaps one of James’ best performances in a Chelsea shirt and a shining example of why so many people rate him so highly.
Therefore, fans should be ecstatic about the fact that Cobham may already be producing another version of the international monster.
Chelsea's next James
When it comes to producing top-quality Premier League talent, few academies can match Chelsea’s Cobham.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
As always seems to be the case, there is another cohort of incredible youngsters coming up at the moment, like Reggie Watson and Shim Mhueka.
However, there is another, perhaps slightly lesser-known prospect fans should start taking more notice of, someone who could be the next James: Lewi Richards.
The 17-year-old has been with the Blues since the under-8s level and became a scholar at the start of the season.
However, the youngster has made such an impression this year that he put pen to paper on his first professional paper just a couple of months later, at the end of October.
With that said, what makes him like James?
Well, the first thing is that, like the club captain, he has shown an impressive level of positional versatility, playing at right-back, left-back and centre-back for the u18 and u21 sides.
Richard’s Versatility
Position
Games
G
A
Right-Back
9
3
0
Centre-Back
5
0
1
Left-Back
2
0
0
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Moreover, he even spent time playing in the middle of the park when he was playing for the lower levels of the academy.
On top of this ability to be deployed all over the pitch, the teen phenom has already shown an ability to marry technical quality with physicality.
For example, respected analyst-turned-Como scout Felix Johnston has described him as a “technically strong” prospect who is “monstrous in the tackle” as well as “fearless in the air” and blessed with “bags of pace.”
Ultimately, Richards still has plenty of development to do, but he looks to be an extraordinary academy prospect and one whose versatility, technical ability, and power mean he could be another James in a few years.
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SEATTLE – Six ground balls do not make a national crisis, unless you happen to be the recently minted franchise player of Canada’s only Major League Baseball team staring at the eighth level of Dante’s version of Hell, which is to say not quite as low as it gets but just about there. In Dante’s nine levels of Hell, the penultimate level is Fraud. In the American League Championship Series, it is a near-must win in Game 3, having lost the first two games at home.
The Toronto Blue Jays were descending fast, marked most absurdly by going 1-for-42 in the third through ninth innings of the opening two games. Almost as troubling was how their bedrock hitting star, Vlad Guerrero Jr., after terrorizing the Yankees in the ALDS, suddenly had devolved into a ground ball out machine. Guerrero was 0-for-7, including six groundouts.
“Vlad can hit anybody’s fastball,” said Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly. “Anybody’s. He’s a great hitter with power, not the other way around. But sometimes, like when the crowd is really loud and the moment gets big, you can see by his body language he wants to do so well he gets out front a little bit. That’s when the pull-side grounders happen.”
Hell apparently hath no fury like the best hitting team in baseball and its $500 million slugger getting shut down at home. The Blue Jays got back into the series with a 13–4 bombardment of the Mariners Wednesday. All Guerrero did was become just the second player in postseason history to get on base in all five plate appearances while racking up three extra-base hits and nine total bases with his team trailing in the series. The other was Babe Ruth in Game 4 of the 1926 World Series with the Yankees trailing St. Louis, two games to one.
Blue Jays make ’em fly—fast
Game 3 was seismic. Toronto walloped Seattle pitches with percussive loudness never seen in the postseason, at least in this decade of recording how hard baseballs get hit. The Jays smashed 11 hits at 100 mph or more, breaking the record of 10 by the 2018 Red Sox and 2020 Dodgers.
Guerrero accounted for four of those hits at more than 102 mph, joining Kerry Carpenter (2025 ALDS Game 5) as the only players to smash four hits so hard in a postseason game. The tally of Guerrero’s night of whistling baseballs throughout T-Mobile Park read like someone fiddling with the FM radio dial looking for a decent tune: 102.8 (single), 104.9 (double), 106.4 (home run), 108.0 (double).
It was a whiplash of a turnaround in this series. It was not, however, any surprise to David Popkins, the Toronto hitting coach who, after getting dumped by the Twins last October, helped transform the Blue Jays from 19th in batting average last year to first this year, as well as from 23rd in runs to fourth.
“I felt good about today,” Popkins said about the Game 3 matchup. “The guys have been resilient all year. Our back was against the wall and that’s when this team plays really well. I always like to compare hitting to fighting. And when guys get a little paralyzed in the ring, sometimes the only thing to do is put your head down and start throwing some haymakers.”
Toronto takes control of the zone
The inside story of how the Jays and Vlad turned it around begins with how Mariners pitchers, who take pride in throwing strikes and controlling counts, shoved with impunity against Toronto in Games 1 and 2. Seattle flooded the strike zone with 57% of their pitches, well above the MLB average of 50.7%. Popkins knew the attack rate would remain high in Game 3 with Seattle starting George Kirby, a fastball-pumping sharpshooter who broke the record for the best strikeout-to-walk rate through a pitcher’s first four seasons that had stood for .
Popkins took inventory of those first two games and came up with a plan to counterpunch. It would mean being even more aggressive on the offensive side than the Mariners had been on the pitching side.
“We talked about trying to scare them out of the zone,” Popkins said.
All 18 hits for Toronto came three or fewer pitches into an at-bat, an amazing display of dictating a game. Mission accomplished.
“Yeah,” Popkins said. “They’ve been attacking us in the zone, trying to induce weak contact. So, they want to fill it up. … The counter to that is to punish 'em when they do that. So that was the goal tonight.
“We were just ready to do damage on something. We knew they were going to fill it up. They do a good job attacking the zone and they were getting really comfortable with filling it up on the halves [of the plate] and not nibbling. We had to make sure that they are a little more careful next time and attack one of the edges and it’ll get us into better counts in the future.
“But yeah, we were just looking to put things in play early and today we were looking to do some damage on something.”
Guerrero’s secret adjustment
Guerrero needed to make his own adjustment. Guerrero has the flattest swing in the game. He comes at the baseball with an attack angle of just 1°. The major league average is 10°, right in the middle of the ideal window espoused by Ted Williams (between 5° and 15°). In ALCS Games 1 and 2 it was down to -6° for his seven outs. He was swinging down on the baseball. Baseball’s second-best hitter against fastballs in the zone (.370; only Aaron Judge was better) went 0-for-4 against 14 heaters in the zone in the first two games.
Moreover, Guerrero’s contact point on his outs was five inches deeper than his regular season average, mostly because the Mariners were getting him out on pitches away. Here are the pitch locations for his seven outs:
MLB
Before Game 3, Popkins and Guerrero had to find a way to get the ball off the ground. I asked Popkins if Guerrero made an adjustment.
“Yeah, yeah,” Popkins said. “He made an adjustment, not necessarily with his swing at all. His swing was the same, just kind of some of the stuff he was exposing to himself before the game to give him a little bit … you know, [make it] a little bit easier for him to elevate the ball. And he was able to do that.”
“So, it was a swing adjustment?” I asked him.
“No, it wasn’t,” Popkins said. “It .. you know … the swing is adjusted by that, but he wasn’t thinking about his swing there. It was more so just what he was exposed to before the game. I’ll keep that private. But yeah, it was a good adjustment that he made and it worked today.”
Guerrero’s four hits all came on pitches middle/down and in the zone (two fastballs and two curveballs).
“It feels great, obviously,” Guerrero said about his night, “but for me, it’s just about winning. I’m very happy that we won the game. I never think about myself. I think about the whole thing, and we just win the game, and I’m very happy for it.”
Seattle still searching for penultimate ALCS win
The Mariners, especially after Julio Rodriguez sent the place into a frenzy with a two-run first inning homer, missed an opportunity to get within one game of their first pennant for the first time in franchise history. They have played five ALCS games in franchise history while two wins from the World Series. They have lost them all.
Seattle still leads the series, two games to one, but the ALCS has a whole new look with Guerrero untethered from that two-game groundball festival that caused such national angst. Back in 1992, before World Series Game 2, with the Blue Jays one game down to the Braves, a Marine Corps color guard accidently displayed the Canadian flag upside down, an international symbol of distress. After much uproar and bruised national pride, the Blue Jays restored order by winning that night with a ninth-inning rally. They took the series in six games.
Guerrero’s ground balls may have been an international sign of distress in baseball protocol. But at least for one night, the crisis has passed. And Treachery, the ninth level of Hell, has been averted.