It was the Erling Haaland show at the Etihad, and whilst he put on an attacking masterclass, one Everton star struggled once again and received criticism from a former Toffee as a result.

Man City vs Everton: Haaland show goes on

You’ll do well to find a better striker than Haaland in world football as of right now.

The Man City star has gone from ruthless to simply inevitable under Pep Guardiola and Everton became his latest victim on a Saturday afternoon to forget.

Whilst City celebrated their towering forward, David Moyes was left to pick his side up after failing to return from the international break with what would have been a statement victory.

What will frustrate the Everton boss more than anything is the chances that Everton wasted. It was far from a vintage City display at times and the Toffees arguably should have taken the lead before Haaland showed them how it’s done.

The Norway international struck twice in the space of minutes, scoring his first in the 58th minute and his second in the 63rd. Just like that, Everton were down and out.

With Tottenham up next, those on Merseyside must hope to see improvement all round, but particularly in their frontline.

Summer signing Thierno Barry is yet to score a goal in the Premier League, whilst Beto has scored once in nine games in all competitions. That, simply put, must improve.

Pat Nevin slams Beto in Man City defeat

Although Barry won’t escape criticism, it was Beto who should have taken advantage of his start against Man City. The forward was guilty once again of missing from point-blank range and should have given Everton the lead in the first-half.

Moyes could have a bigger English talent than Grealish in Everton's "beast"

Jack Grealish isn’t the only Everton player vying for a World Cup spot this season…

ByWill Miller Oct 17, 2025

A 1-0 lead could have changed the outcome for the Toffees, but Moyes’ side were ultimately made to pay for their chances, as former winger Pat Nevin took aim at the struggling forward.

As his poor form continues, questions will continue to be asked of Beto and whether he should be keeping hold of his place.

The Friedkin Group already proved that they are willing to spend big on improvements, but will be desperate to see Barry come good before they act again.

At the Etihad, it was simply a game between two strikers in contrasting form. Had Haaland received the same chance that Beto wasted in the first-half, then the outcome would have no doubt been different.

Thursday's game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles was delayed after pitcher Hunter Bigge was hit in the head by a foul ball while watching from the dugout. Bigge received medical care and gave a thumbs-up as he left the field on a stretcher.

The scary moment happened in the top of the 7th with Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman at the plate. During a nine pitch at-bat, Rutschman fouled off three straight pitches before earning a walk. One of those foul balls was pulled hard into the Tampa Bay dugout down the third baseline and hit Bigge.

You can see the foul ball that hit Bigge here.

Bigge has not pitched since May 1 and was recently on the 15-day IL in May.

Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele has named two England legends among his favourite players of all-time.

Dembele announced as 2025 Ballon d'Or winner in Paris

PSG won their maiden Champions League crown in 2025, and Dembele was paramount to their success, picking up eight goals and six assists across 15 matches in the competition, while also amassing 29 goal contributions in Ligue 1.

As such, the Frenchman had been the favourite for the 2025 Ballon d’Or for quite some time, and he was crowned the winner at the ceremony in Paris on Monday evening, with Lamine Yamal, Vitinha, Mohamed Salah and Raphinha making up the top five.

Having failed to deliver at Barcelona, the 28-year-old’s career has undergone a major transformation since he returned to his home country, and the PSG talisman delivered an emotional speech after being confirmed as the 2025 winner.

Courtesy of scooping up the award, the winger joins a prestigious list of just ten players to have won the Ballon d’Or, Champions League and World Cup, having been part of the France squad that went all the way at Russia 2018.

Lionel Messi is one of the other players on that acclaimed list, and it will come as no surprise that Dembele once named the Argentina star as one of his favourite players of all time, but two England legends also make up the top three.

Sir Alex Ferguson named Liverpool star as the best player in England and as good as Keane

This could settle the debate once and for all…

3

By
Ben Goodwin

May 17, 2025

Gerrard named as England's "greatest ever" player by Messi

It is a bit of a surprise to see the Liverpool fan pick Beckham over Gerrard, as Messi himself once claimed the Liverpool legend is the best player England have produced, saying: “Personally, I think Steven Gerrard is England’s greatest ever player. I wish him a happy retirement.”

The 45-year-old was arguably one of the only reasons Liverpool were successful during his era, with the former captain instigating the dramatic comeback against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League, and scoring some incredible long-range goals.

Beckham was also fantastic at striking the ball from distance, having scored the most goals from direct free kicks in the history of the Premier League.

Player	Free-kick goals
David Beckham	18
James Ward-Prowse	17
Thierry Henry	12
Gianfranco Zola	12
Cristiano Ronaldo	12

Consequently, both Gerrard and Beckham make their way onto the 20 best midfielders in Premier League history, alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Roy Keane and more.

The former Liverpool and Man United stars are undoubtedly legends of the game, but Dembele has also now cemented his place in the history books, courtesy of his 2025 Ballon d’Or triumph.

Being the massive club they are, Arsenal have been blessed with truly world-class players over the years, players who have formed sensational partnerships.

One of the best examples of this has to be Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, who, to many fans, remain the greatest ever to don the Gunners’ famous red and white.

The pair played 216 competitive matches together from the 99/00 to 05/06 season in which they combined for 20 goals, averaged 2.10 points per game and, most crucially, won two Premier Leagues, three FA Cups and two Community Shields.

The dynamic duo were the faces of Arsenal’s most successful era, and it now looks like Mikel Arteta might have created the club’s best pairing since them – and no, it’s not the summer signings of Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres.

Why Eze & Gyokeres could be a brilliant duo for Arsenal

They might not be the pairing in question, nor are they even all that in sync at the moment, but there is every chance that Gyokeres and Eze could become a formidable duo for Arsenal by the season’s end.

Chalkboard

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

One reason is the Swede’s positioning and the impact he has on opposition defenders.

For example, while he is most certainly still finding his feet in the Premier League and hasn’t quite found his shooting boots, it’s becoming increasingly clear that when he’s leading the line, he drags opposition defenders towards him.

Unlike Kai Havertz’s last season, who liked to drop deep and link play, the former Sporting CP star is playing more like a traditional nine, and thanks to his runs in behind and imposing strength, is stretching defences.

This, in turn, makes space for his teammates like Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Eze, who should become more effective at exploiting that space the more comfortable he becomes playing in the right eight for the Gunners.

Another reason the two summer signings could form a brilliant partnership is down to the Englishman’s ability to move the ball up the pitch.

After all, with Gyokeres spending more time in and around the penalty area than Havertz did last season, the Gunners need to get the ball to him, and that is something a fully up-to-speed Eze should be able to do.

Shots Total

3.31

Top 1%

SCA (Shot)

0.83

Top 1%

% of Dribblers Tackled

100.0%

Top 1%

Shots on Target

1.16

Top 4%

Pass Completion %

80.9%

Top 4%

GCA (Shot)

0.17

Top 4%

Pass Completion % (Medium)

84.7%

Top 8%

Successful Take-On %

58.8%

Top 8%

Assists

0.33

Top 12%

Through Balls

0.66

Top 12%

Touches (Mid 3rd)

21.88

Top 12%

Passes Attempted (Medium)

14.09

Top 15%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.50

Top 15%

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 8% of players in the league this season for successful take-on percentage, the top 12% for assists and through balls and the top 15% for goal-creating actions, all per 90.

In other words, the former Palace star is someone who can and will get the ball to Gyokeres in dangerous areas this season, and will only get better at it as he further beds into the team.

With all that said, while the summer signings could well become a game-changing pair this season, Arteta already has a truly world-class duo in his side today.

Arsenal's world-class duo

Some impressive partnerships are beginning to form for Arsenal this season, such as Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber and Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori, but the best of the lot is undoubtedly the one between William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.

After all, while the wide players are hugely important to the Gunners, their most significant strength is, without question, their incredible solidity at the back, which stems from the centre-backs more than anyone else.

For example, as things stand, the North Londoners have not conceded a single goal in the Champions League or League Cup, and have let in just three in the Premier League, one of which is that outrageous free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai.

If the Gunners keep up their incredible efforts at the back, they stand a brilliant chance of beating Chelsea’s astonishing record of just 15 goals conceded in the 04/05 season.

Also, while the two centre-backs haven’t played all ten league games together this season, they have made eight appearances as a duo.

With that said, what is their overall record when playing together?

Well, across all competitions, the Frenchman and Brazilian have appeared in 126 games alongside one another, in which the Gunners have conceded 115 goals, combined for one goal and averaged an impressive 2.15 points per game.

And if that is not enough, before the Palace game on Sunday, the pair had made 93 league appearances together, during which they’ve conceded 0.78 goals per game, putting them as the sixth-best centre-back pairing in Premier League history.

However, given they’ve taken another massive step forward this season, it doesn’t feel unrealistic that they could eventually replace Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić at the top of that table one day, as their average of 0.71 goals conceded a game isn’t that much better.

Ferdinand & Vidic

120

0.71

Keown & Adams

97

0.73

Campbell & Toure

59

0.73

Terry & Carvalho

85

0.76

Lescott & Kompany

58

0.76

Gabriel & Saliba

93

0.78

Van Dijk & Matip

72

0.81

Ultimately, with how well they’ve already played together, how much more impressive they’ve been this season and their ages, there is every chance that by the time they leave the club, Gabriel and Saliba could be viewed as Arsenal’s greatest ever duo.

Forget Eze: Arsenal's 8/10 star is becoming Arteta's most important player

Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with a win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 27, 2025

India will be without Shreyas Iyer, while England will be lacking both Sam Billings and Eoin Morgan

Alagappan Muthu25-Mar-20217:15

Who replaces Iyer? Do England need changes to their XI?

Big pictureIt appears the narrative of this series is set. England have committed to being the marauders and India are, as they’ve always been, the pragmatists. It’s like cricket’s own version of a buddy cop show.In the absence of Eoin Morgan, who split the webbing on his right hand on Tuesday, Jos Buttler will lead the troublemakers. The ones that don’t play by the rules but by their own. A set of fearless, gung-ho entertainers who truly believe in – and as a result, enhance the threat of – the firepower at their disposal. If ever there was a team that could touch 500 in an ODI, it is this lot. And no amount of collapses or defeats will sway them off this path. Better these wounds than those of 2015.Virat Kohli’s men are a little more straight-laced. They go by the book. They dot the I’s, cross the T’s because that’s how they have learned to get the job done. But lately, even they’ve been thinking about taking part in the shenanigans. Funnily enough, they’re doing by the book too.Ishan Kishan was selected for India on the day he nearly scored a double-hundred in a one-day domestic game. Krunal Pandya captains his state side and he’s here after racking up an average of 129 and a strike-rate of 117 in this season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy. India have understood the need for evolution. They are on the lookout for players with a 360 degree game and the ability to bring it out from ball one. Their talent pool knows it too. They know what they have to do to earn their cap and they are proving themselves ready for it.Ever since the 2019 World Cup, ODI cricket has been on a significant upswing. Now with teams like England re-imagining the limits of the game and India finding a new superstar every other day, there is no telling how much fun is in store.Form guide(Last five completed matches first)India: WWLLL
England: LLWLLIn the spotlightEveryone has something to say about KL Rahul. And they are all mostly good. The team management backs him to the hilt. The experts see him as an all-format player. He himself has been expanding his game – taking on wicketkeeping duties and indulging in IPL captaincy – to make sure his cricket touches a new level. But you get the feeling he sometimes thinks too much, and that if he lets himself go for just a bit – play on instinct like the way Rohit Sharma does – he could unlock something glorious.In a game that was choking with headline-grabbing events, there was a moment of weirdness. Ben Stokes fumbled a ball coming straight at him and it went for four. He does not do that. He is more pluck the type to darn thing out of thin air while being suspended parallel to the ground. He is box office. But that’s not been as readily apparent in this series. There was that blitz in the first Test. Then he threatened to single-handedly win the fourth T20I, but a boss-mode performance from the world’s premier allrounder hasn’t quite come to pass. There’s still time though.Team newsShreyas Iyer’s shoulder injury opens up a spot in the middle order, and as replacements go, Rishabh Pant probably ain’t so bad. Kuldeep Yadav didn’t look in his usual rhythm in the first ODI and as such his place may be in jeopardy, especially with Yuzvendra Chahal waiting in the wings.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Prasidh KrishnaMorgan has been ruled out of the rest of the series with his hand injury, and Sam Billings will miss the second game at least after jarring his collarbone on Tuesday. Liam Livingstone will make his ODI debut, and Dawid Malan – newly promoted from the reserve list – is likely to come back for his second ODI appearance. England may also be thinking about adding some variation to their bowling attack and can – if they want – call upon left-arm quick Reece Topley. Matt Parkinson, who has been an ever-present bubble member, is also in line for a call-up as England seek to assess their options.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Ben Stokes, 4 Dawid Malan, 5 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Tom Curran, 10 Adil Rashid/Matt Parkinson, 11 Mark Wood/Reece TopleyPitch and conditionsTricky to start. Gets flat as the game goes on. Glorious under lights with the dew. That’s been the Pune pitch in one-day cricket. So it may be another game to win the toss and chase.Stats and trivia Since Jonny Bairstow (2654) began opening the batting for England in ODIs on 14 June 2017, only one man has scored more runs at the top of a batting order – Rohit Sharma (3831). And some of that is thanks to more innings played. Virat Kohli remains without an international century since November 2019. India have played ten ODIs since the start of 2020 across which they have picked only four wickets in the first ten overs. Their average (154) and run rate (6.16) in this period is the worst among 17 teams in this period. Quotes”I prefer the Virat who doesn’t get runs. That would be good.”
Ben Stokes on which version of the Indian captain he likes“The extra 40-45 runs that Krunal and I got in the end ended up being very crucial and ended up making the difference. When you win games like that, you as players, we as a team, realise that we have the potential to do that even if our top order doesn’t fire.”
KL Rahul says the performance from the lower-middle order in the first ODI will give more freedom to the top order

da blaze casino： The Premier League wound down for the November international break, and Unai Emery seemed content. After all, his side had just given Bournemouth a four-goal hiding, and that marked five wins from six in the top flight.

da lvbet： The Spanish tactician believes he has stopped the early-season rot that had crawled across the Villa Park surface and threatened the stability of the project. Villa have found form, and they believe they can go all the way in the Europa League.

However, there are wrinkles that need to be smoothed out as the January transfer window draws closer.

The changes Emery needs to make at Villa

Aston Villa are well-positioned for the months ahead. However, Emery has several issues to contend with. Chief of which is the future of Harvey Elliott, who is on loan from Liverpool but playing the bittiest of roles at Villa Park. It is anticipated he will return to Merseyside in January.

And what to do with Ollie Watkins? The centre-forward has been his side’s talisman for years now, and yet he’s been horribly out of sorts this season, raising questions as to whether the board need to dig into their purses this winter.

The Three Lions striker has only scored once in the Premier League this season despite starting ten of 11 fixtures. His instinctiveness has deserted him, with Sofascore revealing he has missed four big chances.

Watkins’ Premier League Career

Season

Apps

Goals (assists)

25/26

11

1 (0)

24/25

38

16 (8)

23/24

37

19 (13)

22/23

37

15 (6)

21/22

35

11 (2)

20/21

37

14 (5)

Data via Sofascore

Likewise, Evann Guessand has struggled since moving to England this summer, having started only five times in the Premier League and without registering a goal or assist.

There’s a player in there, for sure, but Leon Bailey out of the squad, Emery could package a few more stars to bring Villa’s chances of a grand-slam season to the fore.

The dream XI Emery could build in January

Aston Villa are in a good position, even having completed a quiet summer transfer window this year. Even so, some more depth could be beneficial up front.

As per FBref, the club’s 9.1 xG total this term puts them above only newly-promoted Burnley for that metric.

That’s why a move is being explored for Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo, with the £26m-rated Japan star looking to leave the La Liga side and Villa among the frontrunners, according to reports from a few weeks ago.

Kubo is as pacy as they come and ranks among the top 3% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions per 90, so in theory, he could help Villa in their bid to become a more fluent attacking outfit.

But for all that Villa aren’t creating much, Watkins is letting them down with his profligacy in the final third. That’s why fans will be attentive to the news that a number of unspecified Premier League clubs are considering moves for Ivan Toney, who left Brentford for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli in 2024.

Regarded as a “monster” of a striker by his former Bees boss Thomas Frank, Toney, 29, has enjoyed prolific returns in the Gulf region but would be open to returning to his homeland ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

To cap off a prospectively wonderful transfer window, V Sports are understood to be interested in bringing right-back Guela Doue from Strasbourg to the club, looking to hijack Chelsea’s bid for the 23-year-old.

More progressive on the ball than Cash, the Ivorian would serve as a perfect counterpoint, adding the dimension required to wade deep into the European campaign while maintaining the push for top four in the Premier League too.

Aston Villa’s Dream XI after January

Position

Player

GK

Emi Martinez

RB

Guelo Doue

CB

Ezri Konsa

CB

Pau Torres

LB

Lucas Digne

CM

Amadou Onana

CM

Boubacar Kamara

CM

John McGinn

RW

Takefusa Kubo

LW

Morgan Rogers

CF

Ivan Toney

This is not the finished article. Lucas Digne, for example, turns 33 at the end of the season, and a left-back will be coveted in the Villan offices.

But such signings would take Villa’s winter spending to the £75m ballpark, and you have to be realistic about parameters.

It’s more than a start, a flourish on a canvas already bursting with colour. Emery’s Aston Villa are many things, but they are nothing if not progressive.

Related Not Martinez or Konsa: Aston Villa star is now "among the best in the league"

Aston Villa produced a show-stopping performance to defeat Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 10, 2025

And will they continue with Shubman GIll at No. 3?

Sidharth Monga23-Dec-2023As India prepare to play their first Test match in five months, against South Africa at Centurion, they will have four areas of debate when they select their team. Here are their options, and what each of them offer.Top order
India have tried it once previously but for the first time in a year, and the first time away from home since January 2012, they line up for a Test match with neither Cheteshwar Pujara nor Ajinkya Rahane in their XI. While the transition away from those two seems to be complete, there are still some questions around certain roles, particularly No. 3.Related

• Bavuma: India's bowling attack 'nullifies the advantage' we have

• Dravid: KL Rahul 'very keen' on giving wicketkeeping a go

• Rahul's chance to master two formats at the same time

• Kohli leaves South Africa, likely to be back for first Test

• India return to sporting South Africa, still chasing history

Shubman Gill has opened in 16 of his 18 Tests so far, and alongside Rohit Sharma in 10 of them. In the West Indies earlier this year, he dropped down to No. 3 with Yashasvi Jaiswal opening wiith Rohit. Jaiswal’s first three innings in Test cricket brought him 171, 57 and 38. In the same two Tests, Gill made 6, 10 and 29*.It leaves Gill on unsure footing: he averages 32.20 after 18 Tests and his two centuries have come on flat tracks: against Bangladesh in Chattogram and Australia in Ahmedabad in a rare home draw. KL Rahul, who batted superbly on the last tour of South Africa, can be a good fit at No. 3 but that gives him little time to recover should he take the keeping gloves too. And if Rahul doesn’t keep, it leaves India half a batter light.Wicketkeeper
Virat Kohli – assuming he rejoins the team ahead of the first Test, as expected, following his departure for personal reasons – and Shreyas Iyer are locks in the middle order as is Ravindra Jadeja. That leaves a question mark over only one remaining slot: that of the wicketkeeper. India have preferred of late to pick the better batter of the choices available to them. If they continue with that philosophy, Rahul will be starting only the second first-class match of his career as the designated wicketkeeper. If he does so, it will only be fair he is not asked to bat in the top order. If India do go with KS Bharat, either Gill or Rahul might have to make way depending on who they prefer at No. 3.Bowling allrounder
The No. 8 has always been a matter of debate when India have travelled to seam-friendly countries, and they have tended to pick Shardul Thakur ahead of R Ashwin, one of the Test greats. That seems to be the likely choice more so because there is rain forecast on the first two days of the first Test, which in Centurion means more assistance for seam and little time for the pitch to deteriorate.Fast bowlers
Jasprit Bumrah, playing his first Test since July 2022, and Mohammed Siraj are certain starters barring any fitness issues. With Mohammed Shami injured, the choice for the third seamer comes down to Mukesh Kumar, who debuted in the West Indies earlier in the year, and the uncapped Prasidh Krishna.Mukesh has the Shami-like attributes of upright seam and skiddy accuracy, but not at Shami’s pace. Prasidh brings exactly what India seemed to miss on their last tour of South Africa: Ishant Sharma-like height and the ability to hit the deck.A third option for the third quick could be Thakur but that would mean going in with two spinners.

Juventus are now reportedly keeping close tabs on Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto as they attempt to solve their defensive problems under new manager Luciano Spalletti.

Heading into the November international break, those at Stamford Bridge have reason to be optimistic. They bounced back from a 2-2 draw against Qarabag in style on Saturday, putting three past a managerless Wolverhampton Wanderers side. It was the Blues at their best, with Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto and unexpected goalscorer Gusto all getting on the scoresheet.

The dominant victory sets them up for the perfect return when they visit Burnley after the international break. It’s a game that Chelsea should win to commence an all-important week which then features games against Barcelona and Arsenal. Victory in those two would suddenly spark interesting questions about the Blues’ ambitions.

Burnley vs Chelsea

Premier League

22/11/2025

Chelsea vs Barcelona

Champions League

25/11/2025

Chelsea vs Arsenal

Premier League

30/11/2025

Leeds United vs Chelsea

Premier League

03/12/2025

Bournemouth vs Chelsea

Premier League

06/12/2025

As things stand, Enzo Maresca’s side are third in the Premier League and six points behind leaders Arsenal. If the Club World Cup winners are to be serious title challengers then victory over the Gunners is a must at Stamford Bridge.

The January transfer window is also worth keeping an eye on. Those in West London are rarely shy when it comes to splashing the cash and they’ve already been linked with moves for the likes of Crystal Palace star Daniel Munoz.

The right-back is one of the best in his position in the world and would instantly hand Reece James plenty to think about and hand Gusto quite the problem. The Chelsea man has already lost his place to James this season and rumours are now arriving about his own future.

Juventus now tracking Malo Gusto

Serie A giants Juventus are now tracking Malo Gusto, according to reports in Italy relayed by TuttoJuve. The Italian club are looking to solve their right-back problem and have identified both the Chelsea star and Atletico Madrid’s Nahuel Molina as 2026 targets.

La Liga star now dreams of Chelsea move as BlueCo gain advantage

He’s enjoying an impressive campaign.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 9, 2025

Gusto has started just six of Chelsea’s 11 Premier League games so far this season, but Maresca reiterated that he is one of his “main players” after he scored his first goal for the club against Wolves.

The versatility that Maresca praised has seen Gusto play both right and left-back as well as right-midfield throughout his career, and while that added depth is value from a player on £45,000-a-week, he’s been unable to make any of those positions his own at Stamford Bridge.

As James continues to keep the Frenchman out the side, it will be interesting to see whether he makes a decision about his Chelsea career if Juventus come calling. A move to the Italian giants, even amid their current struggles, wouldn’t exactly be a major downgrade for Gusto.

Chelsea launch move to re-sign Antonio Rudiger; he's made Real Madrid decision

Cricket South Africa’s interim board has expressed concern over the men’s national team’s response to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement but maintains it will not compel the squad to act in a particular way. Instead, board chairman Judge Zak Yacoob has written to director of cricket Graeme Smith and national coach Mark Boucher noting individuals’ right to freedom of expression but stating he felt that South Africans should show “the world that all of us are together in opposing racism at every turn”.Yacoob has also made himself available for any player who felt strongly about demonstrating the message of anti-racism to contact him directly and stressed the interim board’s stance in favour of BLM.”The interim board (IB) reaffirmed the significance of the current world-wide movement against systemic racism in sport, noting that it was not a sectarian political cause but a broad social justice campaign garnering wide support from athletes all over the world, bringing together a coalition of support across national, racial, class, religious and generational lines,” an interim board statement read. “The IB feels black lives matter has a particular meaning given South Africa’s apartheid past. Therefore, the IB has confirmed CSA’s support for BLM – first expressed on 9 July in the aftermath of the letter sent to CSA by 36 former national players and senior coaches.”Related

• Jason Holder calls for more action around anti-racism in cricket

• South Africa to 'raise our fists' in support of BLM at start of Boxing Day Test

• SA's cricket elite shows united face in moving tribute

• SA's culture camp yields respect, belonging, empathy

• How issues of race have cast SA cricket into turbulence

While CSA as an organisation and individual players such as Kagiso Rabada have repeatedly thrown their weight behind the BLM movement, the national team, as a collective, has not been as strong in its stance. The team did not take a knee on its return to international cricket, against England, on November 27 – the first time they played together since March – but wore black armbands to mourn the lives lost in the coronavirus pandemic. Two days before the game the team issued a statement expressing their commitment to dismantling anti-racism by “building commitments to one another and demonstrating ways of engaging that we simply never have before as a team”.In that statement, the team harked back to the exhibition 3TeamCricket (3TC) game in July, where all 24 players and every member of support staff involved took a knee. Coach Mark Boucher said that in that act the team felt “we have done what we needed to do”. The team then U-turned slightly on that and a banner reading: “We stand in solidarity against racism and gender-based violence” was on display in the stands at Newlands when they played England in two of the three T20Is. The third match was in Paarl and the banner was not transported to Boland Park.Between July and November, CSA also set-up a Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) Committee, chaired by former independent board director Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw. The committee had a vast range of responsibilities, which included considering reparations for those players who had been discriminated against in the past. An ombudsman, advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, was unveiled in August and tasked with managing an independent complaints system. That process, along with the entire SJN, has been placed on hold while the interim board obtains a legal opinion on how to move forward.

Where the Yankees go, calamity seems to follow.

While New York is still battling to get back atop the AL East standings, they have displayed some mental mistakes over recent games that have fans shaking their heads in dismay. Manager Aaron Boone has been doing what he can to keep things together, especially regarding Anthony Volpe’s recent spat of fielding errors, but after Austin Wells’s miscue on Wednesday night, it’s going to be a tough post-game press conference.

Wells was on first base with one out in the bottom of the ninth and the Yankees tied up with the Rays, 3–3. The Yanks’ tying run had come courtesy of a Volpe homer earlier in the inning, and the team was on the verge of walking the night off in feel-good fashion and hopefully turning the page to brighter days.

At the plate, Trent Grisham laid down a bunt as well as you can do it, advancing Wells to second base with two outs, and putting the Yankees just one hit away from taking the win.

But Wells didn’t stay on second. Instead, he wandered off the base, appearing to believe that Grisham’s out at first had ended the inning. He was caught in a run-down, clearly confused, and the inning was mercifully over.

Wells’s mistake is just an indictment of the Yankees’ fundamentals. You simply always have to know how many outs there are in the inning. Further, if your team had two outs and a man on first base, THEY WOULD NOT BE BUNTING TO GET YOU OVER TO SECOND BASE!!!

Fans online expressed their disbelief at Wells’s lack of awareness.

Luckily for the Yankees, this time they escaped, pulling out the win with a walk-off in the 11th inning.

But while leaving with the W makes for a good night, it’s clear New York has to figure something out and get these small mistakes out of their system if they want to make a run in the postseason.