Tag Futebol

Chelsea no longer look like a frightening Premier League title challenger.

Indeed, after beating Barcelona with ease 3-0 in the Champions League at the end of November, and then battling well with league leaders Arsenal 1-1 to close out the month, Enzo Maresca’s Blues came across as credible rivals to the Gunners.

However, fast forward just a few weeks, and the West Londoners have now lost on the road at Leeds United and were made to settle for an unsatisfactory stalemate away at AFC Bournemouth.

If Antoine Semenyo hadn’t fallen victim to a VAR check early on, too, it might well have been back-to-back defeats.

There’s nowhere to hide, either, for Maresca and Co. as the fixtures come thick and fast in December. Thankfully, the January transfer window is also just around the corner, as Chelsea begin to eye up some reinforcements…

Chelsea looking to sign another South American talent

After only scoring one meagre goal against the Whites and the Cherries, Chelsea will surely look to January to fix their striker woes.

As per reports from Germany, the goal-shy Blues are keen on a deal for Borussia Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy, with current options at Maresca’s disposal in Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, not “of the level” to steer the faltering Premier League side to a title, as per the harsh words of Sky Sports’ Gary Neville.

That said, the Blues could also look to bolster their side in defensive areas.

Indeed, according to Caught Offside, Chelsea could put their connections with RC Strasbourg, another club owned by BlueCo, to good use once more by going after Valentin Barco in January, with it being stated that the Blues are still closely monitoring the versatile 21-year-old, who can fill in at left-back, after holding interest in his services in the summer.

Yet, it’s his varied ability to be able to line up as a central midfield talent, away from his energetic defensive duties, that has also attracted the likes of Bayern Munich to his services.

Chelsea will hope they can come out on top in any battle that pops up, as the Stamford Bridge titans potentially win their next Estevao by landing another South American treasure who can instantly burst into life in the Premier League.

How Barco could be Chelsea's next Estevao

Like Barco, Estevao was on the radar of many an elite club before Chelsea swooped in, with both Real Madrid and Paris St Germain once eyeing up the exhilarating Brazilian.

Maresca and Co will be over the moon that they snapped up the teenage winger when they did, with the “utterly brilliant” forward – as pundit Pat Nevin labelled him after his outrageous solo effort versus Barcelona – already up to five goals and one assist from just 20 Chelsea appearances.

The expectation will be that Barco would arrive on English soil and be as impactful as instantly, considering the 21-year-old already has plenty of European experience under his belt with Strasbourg, away from also undergoing his early football education in South America.

Barco’s Ligue 1 numbers (25/26)

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

Barco

Games played

13

Goals scored

1

Assists

4

Touches*

69.8

Accurate passes*

42.8 (84%)

Big chances created

7

Ball recoveries*

5.3

Total duels won*

6.8

Stats by Sofascore

Noted as being one of “South America’s biggest jewels” when on the books of River Plate by scout Jacek Kulig, with Estevao, of course, also heralded as “world-class” when just 17 years of age in Brazil by the aforementioned Kulig, Barco has come into his own even more in Ligue 1 with Liam Rosenior’s men, as shown in the table above.

With one goal and four assists for the season in the French top-flight, Barco looks more than ready to leap into the Premier League shortly, with the likes of Marc Cucurella no doubt scared for his starting spot at left-back, as the much-talked-about 21-year-old has created seven big chances and won 6.8 duels per game this campaign as a full-throttle force.

On the flip side, Chelsea’s number three only has only created three big chances and won 4.1 duels par match from his collection of league appearances to date, with Barco keen to shake up the Stamford Bridge first team ranks, much like Estevao did instantly on his arrival from Palmeiras.

Capable of also offering Maresca another body centrally, this does really feel as if it has all the makings of being a top-drawer acquisition from South America, much like Estevao was.

Related 0 dribbles, 0 tackles: Maresca must now bench Mudryk-esque Chelsea star

Chelsea dropped points yet again in the Premier League after a draw against Bournemouth on the south coast.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair 5 days ago

MatériaMais Notícias

Tão logo demitiu o técnico Léo Condé, o Vitória já tem alinhado quem deseja colocar para assumir o cargo de comandante da equipe rubro-negra. Nesta tarde, o GE revelou que o clube baiano fez proposta para contratar Thiago Carpini, técnico que deixou o São Paulo há quase um mês, quando foi demitido após derrota para o Flamengo no Brasileirão.

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A boa do Lance!Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance! Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

Campeão da Série B de 2023, o Vitória subiu com grande expectativa da torcida, o título do campeonato baiano conquistado após sete anos de jejum, aumentou o sentimento. Na final, o rubro-negro derrotou o arquirival Bahia em grande estilo ao aplicar uma virada de cinema no primeiro confronto no Barradão e depois consagrou o título com um empate na Fonte Nova. No entanto, a expectativa se tornou decepção muito rapidamente.

Com 5 jogos disputados no Brasileirão, o rubro-negro somou apenas um ponto. Foram quatro derrotas sofridas e apenas um empate, resultados que colocam a equipe na zona de rebaixamento do campeonato brasileiro, na 18ª colocação.

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A má fase e o péssimo futebol apresentados pela equipe foram suficientes para derrubar o técnico Léo Condé. Agora, o Vitória quer o técnico Thiago Carpini, que apresentou grande potencial ao levar a equipe do Água Santa para a final do campeonato paulista do ano passado e fez bom trabalho no Juventude.

Quem é Thiago Carpini?Nome:Thiago Carpini BarbosaData de Nascimento: 16/07/1984Local: Valinhos-SPComo técnico:Guarani, Oeste, Inter de Limeira, Santo André, Ferroviária, Água Santa, Juventude e São Paulo.

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Torcedores do Palmeiras relembraram os “velhos tempos” com Breno Lopes, hoje jogador do Fortaleza, perdendo gol diante do Corinthians.

➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

➡️ Pra seguir a batida! Com R$100 no Lance! Betting, você leva R$203 se o Corinthians vencer o Fortaleza!

O atacante saiu cara a cara com o goleiro Carlos Miguel e chutou para fora, em partida disputada na Neo Química Arena, neste sábado (4).

Antes de vestir a camisa do Fortaleza, Breno Lopes atuava pelo Palmeiras e, em um clássico contra o Corinthians, também desperdiçou uma oportunidade clara na casa do rival. Na ocasião, ele recebeu passe de Jhon Jhon e, sem goleiro, finalizou fraco. Cássio se recuperou e defendeu, evitando a derrota do Timão.

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Nas redes sociais, torcedores do Palmeiras “agradeceram” pela saída de Breno Lopes, e o lance ocorrido em Corinthians x Fortaleza viralizou.

VEJA AS REAÇÕES AO GOL PERDIDO POR BRENO LOPES, EX-PALMEIRAS, EM CORINTHIANS X FORTALEZA

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
CORINTHIANS X FORTALEZA
BRASILEIRÃO SÉRIE A – QUINTA RODADA

🗓️ Data e horário: sábado, 4 de maio de 2024, às 21h (de Brasília)
📍 Local: Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo (SP)
📺 Onde assistir: Premiere
🟨 Árbitro: Felipe Fernandes de Lima (MG)
🚩 Assistentes: Bruno Raphael Pires (FIFA-GO) e Felipe Alan Costa de Oliveira (MG)
🖥️ VAR: Gilberto Rodrigues Castro Junior (PE)

⚽ ESCALAÇÕES

CORINTHIANS (Técnico: António Oliveira)
Carlos Miguel; Fagner, Félix Torres, Cacá e Hugo; Raniele, Breno Bidon e Garro; Gustavo Mosquito, Wesley e Romero.

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FORTALEZA (Técnico: Juan Pablo Vojvoda)
João Ricardo; Tinga, Britez, Titi e Bruno Pacheco; Tomás Pochettino, Zé Welison e Yago Pikachu; Hércules, Marinho e Lucero

Tudo sobre

Breno LopesCorinthiansFortalezaPalmeiras

Barcelona centre-back Andreas Christensen addressed his future at the club, claiming that he doesn't "have a Plan B" in case he doesn't receive a contract extension from the reigning La Liga champions. Persistent struggles with injuries have prevented the defender from becoming a vital player for Hansi Flick, with the club reportedly wanting him to leave as a free agent next summer.

• Christensen no longer important for Hansi Flick

  Christensen had won over the trust of head coach Flick towards the 2024-25 season after spending the majority of the campaign on the sidelines due to an Achilles tendon injury and muscle issues. The centre-back played only six games, all of them towards the end of last season, making two starts. His return was a big positive. 

  Ahead of the start of the ongoing season, Barcelona sold Inigo Martinez – one of the best performers last season – to Saudi Arabian heavyweights Al-Nassr, with the ex-Athletic Club defender claiming he felt he wouldn't be able to contribute at the highest level anymore.   

  Despite a spot alongside Pau Cubarsi opening up, Christensen still remains a long way from sealing his starting berth. While the Danish international has featured in 10 games across all competitions, he has managed to accumulate a paltry 342 minutes of action. He has been handed a place in the starting XI only thrice, although it may be argued that he spent two weeks out of action due to a calf injury last month.

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• AFP
  

  No renewal in sight for Christensen

  All signs point towards the reigning La Liga giants opting against offering a new deal to the 29-year-old, especially if Flick doesn't use him a lot between now and the end of the season. Numerous reports have stated that Barcelona have no intention of keeping Christensen on their books beyond next summer, despite the player's wish to continue in Catalunya.

  Last month, Barcelona sporting director Deco refrained from commenting extensively on Christensen’s future but hinted that a contract renewal remains a possibility.  

  “We’re taking Andreas step by step. He had a spectacular first year. Then injuries have affected him quite a bit,” he told last month. “We’ll see how he does this season and we’ll talk. He’s a great player. We don’t have to renew all the players in October either."

• Christensen has no 'Plan B' amid contract uncertainty

  Speaking to , Christensen admitted that Barcelona had not yet reached out to him with regards to an extension. When asked if he was bothered by it, he said: "No, not really. I don't think so. I think we're in a good situation, and there's not really anything that can change anything I do in my everyday life. Of course, you want to have it in place and know what's happening. But it's not something that changes our mood during the days, or something we talk about

  "Of course we have desires, we all do, but it's not something I think about in my everyday life. I try to do what I can do on the pitch, and hopefully that's enough for me to stay there."  

  Christensen also admitted that his agent will remain involved over future decisions. "If there is something that needs to be done, he will of course do it. Of course I would like to know what is happening, but I would rather focus on what I can do, and that is to do what I can do.

  When asked about whether he knows what Barca will do, he added: "Oh, no, I have no idea. Not yet. I'm just choosing to focus on being part of the team and playing as much as I possibly can. Hopefully that's how it ends up, but I'll have to take it as it comes, right now. 

  "Not at all. No plan B," he replied when asked he has started thinking about the potential leagues he could join should he leave as a free agent next summer.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Christensen to return to Denmark?

  The former Chelsea centre-back, in the same interview, was also asked about whether he considers a return to Brondby in Denmark to be a possibility. In reply, Christensen said: “In an ideal world, I would like to finish my career at Brondby, but it also depends on the stage of life I’m at. It also depends on what my family is doing. I feel I still have a lot to offer; I’m 29 years old, and I can still compete.

  “When you’re that age… it depends a lot on the situation, so it’s difficult to say. I repeat, in an ideal world, I would like it to happen. But if it doesn’t, I won’t be angry or sad. It depends a lot on my family’s situation and my performance as a player.”  

Abhishek Sharma’s 12-ball half-century is the joint-third-fastest in all men’s T20 cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2025

Abhishek Sharma has smashed a 12-ball half-century, playing for Punjab against Bengal in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match in Hyderabad on Sunday. It is the joint-third-fastest fifty and joint-second-fastest by an Indian in men’s T20 cricket.Opening the batting with Prabhsimran Singh, Abhishek took apart a bowling attack headlined by Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep, scoring at well over 15 runs an over against both of them as well as Saksham Choudhary and Writtick Chatterjee. Abhishek hit five fours and five sixes to get to his fifty, conceding just one dot ball in the 12 balls he had faced to get to the landmark.Though he never really threatened to run the record for the fastest century in men’s T20s close – Chauhan’s, in 27 balls – Abhishek did get to the mark in 32 balls before finishing on 148 in 52, with eight fours and 16 sixes. Abhishek, however, already has the record for the joint-second-fastest T20 century, off 28 balls, the same as Urvil Patel, who scored it for Gujarat against Tripura, also in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, last season.Punjab finished with 310 for 5 in their 20 overs, Prabhsimran smashing 70 in 35 balls, but his innings put in the shade by his partner. Punjab’s total was the second highest in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, behind Baroda’s 349 for 5 against Sikkim in Indore in December 2024. They went on to win the game by 112 runs.The fastest fifty in men’s T20s was scored by Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee, against Mongolia during the Hangzhou Asian Games in September 2023. India’s Ashutosh Sharma is at No. 2 on the list for his 11-ball fifty for Railways against Arunachal Pradesh in the 2023-24 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Abhishek is now the fifth batter to record a 12-ball fifty in the format. Yuvraj Singh was the first, with his innings at the 2007 T20 World Cup against England, which included six sixes in an over against Stuart Broad. Chris Gayle achieved it in the BBL, for Melbourne Renegades against Adelaide Strikers in January 2016. In October 2018 then, Afghaniostan’s Hazratullah Zazai matched it playing for Kabul Zwanan against Balkh Legends, featuring Gayle, in an Afghanistan Premier League game in Sharjah.The last instance was when Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan got there against Cyprus in an international match in Episkopi on his way to an unbeaten 41-ball 144.

We're officially in the final month of MLB’s regular season, with most teams having fewer than 25 games left to play. There is no division leader with a double-digit game cushion, five of the six divisions featuring a maximum of a six-game gap and three with a three-game maximum. September should bring lots of excitement down to the final weekend, so we prompted some of SI’s MLB writers to reflect on what’s transpired so far this season and what may lie ahead.

1. Which team are you most confident about penciling in for a World Series berth?

Tom Verducci: Los Angeles Dodgers. They can look almost bored at times. They have not been a good team on the road (33–33), against lefties (19–20) or the past two months (22–27). But they know how to play October baseball: swing-and-miss starting pitchers, home run hitters and a deep bullpen. Under manager Dave Roberts, they have won four of the past eight NL pennants and posted a .560 winning percentage in the playoffs. Respect the pedigree.

Stephanie Apstein: They had a terrible July and a mediocre August, but the Dodgers feel like they're about to get hot and stay hot. This is what they do: look sort of disappointing down the stretch, then get all their injured guys back and start beating the snot out of teams. With Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow back, they have six legitimate starting pitchers, and the bullpen is beginning to look dangerous again. Once Max Muncy and Tommy Edman return, they should be at close to full strength, and their full strength is better than anyone else's.

Ryan Phillips: I know it's boring to say this, but the Dodgers. They're getting healthy at the right time, Mookie Betts is starting to turn it on and Shohei Ohtani is improving on the mound. If Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow can round into form, L.A.'s bullpen will be the team's only concern. 

2. Which team currently in a playoff position is most susceptible to a September collapse?

تفاعلت جماهير فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، مع قرار المدرب آرني سلوت، بإبقاء محمد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء مرة أخرى للمباراة الثانية على التوالي.

وأعلن ليفربول تشكيل الفريق لمباراته أمام سندرلاند، بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، المقرر خوضها مساء اليوم الأربعاء.

ويتواجد محمد صلاح بديلاً للمرة الثانية على التوالي، بعدما جلس على مقاعد البدلاء في مباراة ليفربول ووست هام بالجولة الماضية بالبريميرليج.

عدد من الجماهير انتقد قرار سلوت بشدة ووصفه بـ”المجنون”، وعدد آخر يرى أن قرار المدرب صائب، خاصة مع استعداد محمد صلاح للتواجد مع منتخب مصر خلال كأس الأمم الإفريقية.

اقرأ أيضًا | ألارديس ينتقد كاراجر بسبب محمد صلاح: مثير للشفقة.. ويريد البقاء في دائرة الضوء وجاءت تعليقات جماهير ليفربول على النحو التالي: 

“هذه فرصة مثالية لرؤية كيف سيتعامل الفريق مع غياب صلاح”.

This is a perfect chance to see how the team copes without Salah. — Reese (@Madepiecee) December 3, 2025

“قرار كبير بإبقاء صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء مرة أخرى، لكن في الحقيقة، لقد تقاعس لفترة طويلة في الجانب الدفاعي دون تقديم مساهمة هجومية كافية، هذا هو القرار الصائب، خاصة إذا لعب سندرلاند بكثافة كبيرة”.

Big call to put Salah on the bench again but really, he has been slacking on defense for too long while not providing forward. It’s the right thing to do, especially if Sunderland play with big intensity — PeakRed (@ThePeakRed) December 3, 2025

“صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء مرة أخرى ما هذا؟”.

Salah benched again what is this — Alex (@AlexF1BCL) December 3, 2025

“يبدو الأمر كما لو كان ترينت على مقاعد البدلاء في نهاية الموسم الماضي لصالح برادلي حتى يتمكن من اختبار ما إذا كنا سنكون قادرين على التأقلم بدونه قبل انتقاله (أو في حالة صلاح، قبل ذهابه إلى كأس الأمم الإفريقية)”.

Feels like when Trent was benched at the back end of last season for Bradley so slot could test out whether we’d be able to cope without him before he moved (or in salah’s case, before he goes to AFCON) — Thomas Collins (@_t_col_7) December 3, 2025

“صلاح أسطورة، ولا زلنا مدينين له بالامتنان، لكن هذا الموسم يبدو أنه ركز على نفسه أكثر من الفريق، أليس كذلك؟، الشيء الوحيد الذي يثير التساؤل في تشكيلة اليوم هو ذلك اللاعب الأناني الذي يظل يلعب بسبب الضرائب الهولندية”.

Salah is a legend we still should be grateful to him but this season he just done it about himself so far, innit?

the only thing thats really questionable about todays lineup is that egoistic guy who keeps playing because of dutch tax — Pipe (@pipedauber) December 3, 2025

“في هذه المرحلة، ما الفائدة من إبقاء صلاح على الدكة بينما كودي جاكبو يلعب 90 دقيقة ويقطع للداخل ويفوت المرمى… لماذا لا يستطيع سلوت أن يجلس كودي جاكبو أيضًا؟؟”.

At this point whats the point of dropping him while cody Gakpo is playing 90 mins cutting inside and miss the post …Why can’t slot deop Cody Gakpo as well ????? — TheLiverpoolLad (@thaLiverpoolLad) December 3, 2025

“نحن نواجه صعوبة كبيرة، لذلك تم تغيير تشكيلة الفريق الأسبوع الماضي وقد نجح الأمر، لا جدوى من تغييره مرة أخرى، وأي شخص لديه عقل سليم سيدرك أنه سيلعب كامل الـ90 دقيقة هذه المباراة”.

“صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء مرة أخرى، أتمنى أن يُشعل ذلك حماسه”.

We’re struggling big time , so the team was changed at the weekend and it worked.
No point changing it again , also anyone with a brian cell would realise he will play a whole 90 at the weekend. — D_06🇮🇪 (@Lfc937) December 3, 2025

Salah on the bench again.

Hopefully that lights a fire up his arse. pic.twitter.com/dA4Uwf6jaz — Jonny Dee (@0xJonnyDee) December 3, 2025

“قرار آخر كبير من آرني سلوت بترك محمد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء للمباراة الثانية على التوالي في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز”.

Another big call by Arne Slot to leave Mohamed Salah on the bench for the second Premier League games in a row. pic.twitter.com/cFg9UR3jAp — HF World (@hfworld_) December 3, 2025

“هل أبقى صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء مرة أخرى؟ سلوت، أنت لا تدرك ما فعلته”.

He benched salah again ? 😂😂. Slot you don’t know what you’ve done. — PAUL_LFC (@paulsatvik) December 3, 2025

“قوموا بإقالته”.

Sack him — CF Comps (@CF_Compss) December 3, 2025

“هل سلوت مجنون؟، صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء مرتين متتاليتين؟”.

Is Slot mad ? Salah on the bench back to back ? — Sensei (@posko__) December 3, 2025

“هل صلاح الغاضب يسجل هاتريك وهو على مقاعد البدلاء؟”.

Angry Salah hat trick off the bench? — LFC LOYAL (@_LFCLOYAL_) December 3, 2025

“نحن نستعد للحياة بدون صلاح، لا أعتقد أنني سأكون مستعدًا عندما يرحل”.

We’re already preparing life without Salah. I don’t think I’ll be ready when he leaves. 🥲 — Ákshay 🍉 (@Akmathurx) December 3, 2025

“صلاح بديلاً مرة أخرى؟ أعتقد أنه القرار الصحيح للأسف”.

Salah dropped again!
I think it’s the right decision sadly — Baller Talk (@BallerTalk0) December 3, 2025

“أفهم سبب تواجد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء، إذا لعب وقدم أداءً غير مُقنع، فسيغيب لستة أسابيع تقريبًا، عليهم بناء الفريق واكتساب الثقة اللازمة للعب بدونه، بدلًا من الاعتماد عليه”.

I see why he’s benching Salah, if he plays and does unreal he’s going off for 6weeks or so they need to build and find the confidence to do it without him. Rather than rely on him. — Ty (@TylerThrilling1) December 3, 2025

“إبقاء صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء أمام فرق قاع الجدول (فرانكفورت ووست هام) لا يثبت شيئًا؛ هذا غير مستدام… لن أسمح بأن يصبح صلاح هو الشرير في هذه القصة… على سلوت أن يتوقف عن تغيير النظام ليناسب اللاعبين، وأن يدمج اللاعبين في النظام نفسه”.

Benching Salah against table-bottom teams (Frankfurt and West Ham) proves nothing; This is not sustainable… I will not allow him to make Salah the villain in this story… Slot needs to stop changing the system to favor the players and integrate the players into the damn system🤨 — Renee Betton O’Connor (@betton_renee) December 3, 2025

“سعيدٌ بجلوس صلاح على دكة البدلاء، هذا ليس تقليلًا من شأن الأسطورة، ولكنه يُتيح للاعبين فرصةً لإيجاد طرق هجومية أخرى وتحقيق النتيجة المرجوة، صلاح ليس لديه ما يُثبته، لقد فعل كل شيء وفاز بكل شيء”.

Glad that Salah is benched, its not a disrespect to the legend but it creates room for the players to find other ways to attack and get the desired result.

Salah doesn’t have anything to prove, he has done it all and won it all — Femi George (@thefemigeorge) December 3, 2025

If the ICC does decide that a two-tier system is best for the World Test Championship (WTC), West Indies could well be one of the teams outside the top tier – they were eighth out of nine teams in each of the three editions so far and have lost each of their three Tests in the ongoing cycle, to Australia. It’s a possibility the stakeholders in West Indies cricket are wary of – Clive Lloyd is worried about “being in that group for a hundred years” – and they are hoping to have a say in it, as Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief executive Chris Dehring put it.”All of that we have a role to play [in], we have a seat at the table at the ICC,” Dehring said at a press conference after the CWI’s emergency meeting in Trinidad on Sunday and Monday, organised in the aftermath of their 27 all out at Sabina Park against Australia. “We have to just stay abreast as close as possible to all the changes that could happen, position ourselves, hedging our bets so to speak, to make sure we are in there as West Indies cricket no matter which way the wind blows and try to take advantage of it.”The ICC last month formed a working group, led by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose, to look into, among other things, improving the WTC ahead of the 2025-2027 cycle. A two-tier system was among the most significant topics discussed at the ICC annual conference in July. Twose, New Zealand Cricket’s (NZC) representative on the ICC Board, is expected to make recommendations to the board.Related

• Williamson wants 'additional resources to support the growth' of Test cricket globally

• CWI works on roadmap with 'about a hundred things to improve'

• West Indies come face to face with deepening Test crisis

A two-tier WTC has been debated for more than 15 years, with the ICC showing its willingness to consider the idea as far back as 2009, though Full Members have been split on the issue for various reasons.Lloyd, one of the former cricketers – along with Brian Lara, Viv Richards and others – who were invited to be part of the meeting, pointed his finger at the share of the ICC pie that the member boards are given, saying that West Indies, as the top team in the 1970s and 1980s, and a force even in the 1990s, deserved consideration despite their falling standards.”We have to look at what’s happening at the ICC with the shareout of the money. India, Australia and England get 180 million and West Indies will get 80 million like Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and we are just two years out of being in that group for 100 years,” Lloyd said. “To me, it’s not right. We have to stand up. We have to go to the ICC and ask for special dispensation. Because when we were in the ascendancy, and we were playing so well, everyone wanted to play with us.”We were playing Australia very often, with England very often, and when we went to Pakistan or India, getting millions of people [to the grounds]. We need to get a better share of the pie, because we were the cash cows for a long time. And we need to get some of that. I am hoping the board follows up on that recommendation where we can be adequately given the money that is needed.”Daren Sammy’s stint as West Indies’ Test coach began with a crushing 3-0 defeat•Getty Images

Is Daren Sammy’s honeymoon period over?

Daren Sammy, the former allrounder and captain of the West Indies teams that won the World Cup in 2012 and 2016, took over as the all-format West Indies coach in April this year. All three of their Tests since then have been lost. Australia were the opponents, in the Caribbean, and were favourites, but 3-0 was a bit too one-sided, and the 27 all out in the last innings of the series was humiliating.Was it the wrong call to increase Sammy’s responsibilities?Miles Bascombe, the CWI director of cricket, pointed to the handicaps Sammy had been working with, but didn’t confirm or deny anything about the future.”We still need additional support for him. We still have to have camps. Many times, he would not be available himself, because he would be on tour. We still need to bring in other support staff, which would come at a cost. There was no financial consideration in terms of merging the roles,” Bascombe said. “The underlying reason [for choosing Sammy] was that we felt Daren had been able to articulate a clear plan, and we saw him do that in the white-ball formats, both T20 and ODI. And we pretty much wanted the same sort of approach. We saw some success once we had gotten that done. And we wanted to see that approach in Test cricket.”He is still only one series into his tenure as all-format coach, and while the 27 might be the highlight, or lowlight, of that series, we have to admit that we saw substantial improvement in terms of our bowling unit. We saw even Brandon King, who is one of those players who some persons might have pigeonholed as a white-ball player, was able to show that he was up for the challenge for Test cricket. Some light there.”As Daren goes on, and as we start to put some of the strategic initiatives in place, we expect that performances will be better.”

This has not been a good week for Chelsea Football Club.

Down to ten men against league leaders Arsenal, they did at least salvage some pride from that game. To hold one of the best sides in Europe, if not the best side in Europe this season to a 1-1 draw with fewer players is certainly reason to celebrate.

However, a week on from defeating Barcelona in the Champions League, this midweek was a great deal more frustrating for Enzo Maresca and Co.

A game against Leeds United should have been easy, right? Think again. The Blues lost 3-1 and slipped further behind the Gunners in the race for the title. That dream looks over for another year, but according to Maresca, there is one big reason to remain positive.

Maresca shares good news for Chelsea

Maresca has admitted that Cole Palmer’s return to action at Elland Road was the only positive.

The attacking midfielder has been absent for a large portion of the season but has been back among the matchday squad across the last two games.

Palmer came off the bench in the 61st minute for his first outing since late September after toes and groin problems and understandably, that was the only consolation Chelsea’s Italian gaffer could extract from such a horror night on the road.

Maresca said: “Probably it’s the only good news of the night. I’m happy for him, he’s back, now he needs to build a little bit the physical condition and he will be important for us, for sure.

“He’s getting better, but he needs to play minutes. He had more-or-less half-an-hour, hopefully we can give him more in the next game.”

Palmer has been a breathtaking signing at Stamford Bridge, notably bagging 18 goals and registering 14 assists in all competitions for his club last season.

Well, Maresca will certainly need his talisman to rediscover that form after dropping points in consecutive fixtures.

Speaking about the result, the former Leicester City manager stated: “When you play the last two games against Barcelona and Arsenal, you expect a better performance, no doubt.

“But, for many reasons, it’s not going to be possible for every game again, because we change players, because we have players that we said many times it’s not possible to play every two, three days. When you change players, also the level drops, that is the reality, because they are important players for us. Moises, Reece (James), with these kind of players, we cannot use them every game. It’s impossible, because otherwise they can get injury again and be out for months.”

Chelsea are now fourth in the table after Aston Villa defeated Brighton in midweek. While the Blues looked in something of a title race last week, they are now nine points off top spot.

For the World Champions, you would expect that their hopes now rest on the cup competitions for the rest of the ongoing season.

As bad as Tosin: Maresca's 4/10 flop must never start for Chelsea again

Chelsea’s title hopes seemingly went up in smoke away at Leeds United.

By
Robbie Walls

Dec 4, 2025

Another week, and there are another three initiates of the 100-mph club. Zach “Big Sugar” Maxwell, 24, of the Reds, made his debut at 275 pounds and with an average fastball velocity of 100.7 mph. Joel Peguero, 28, averaged 101.1 mph for the Giants, and Bubba Chandler, 22, twice hit 100 mph in his debut for the Pirates.

You might think such big-arm pitchers were can’t-miss amateurs. But the universe of 100-mph throwers has expanded so far that Maxwell was a sixth-round pick, Peguero is pitching for his fifth organization in 10 years after signing his first pro contract and Chandler was a third-round pick.

With 20% of the season left to play, already we’ve seen more pitchers hit 100 mph (76) than in any complete season in baseball history (the record was 64 in 2022 and ’23).

This is the first generation of pitchers who have grown up under Velocity Inc., a catchall to describe the growth business of leveraging technology to teach velocity throughout the amateur market (colleges, private coaches, throwing labs, etc).

Compared to the same date of previous seasons, the number of pitchers who have hit 100 mph in the major leagues is up 38% from last year and from 2019, the last full season before the velocity revolution began on the other side of the COVID-19-impacted campaign.

From 2008 to ’19, the 100-mph club held relatively steady, with gradual increases. But you can see the classic “hockey stick” growth pattern since ’21, including the huge spike this year: