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Pakistanis dominate overseas slots while Taskin is the only one picked from the bottom three teams

Mohammad Isam16-Feb-2023Najmul Hossain Shanto (Sylhet Strikers)
After five seasons of mediocrity, Shanto has finally broken through with a solid showing. He became the first from Bangladesh to cross 500 runs in a BPL season, through which he ended as the tournament’s top run-getter. His unbeaten 89 against Fortune Barishal was his highest score this time, although his fifty in the final, his fourth of the season, was a crucial effort. The highlight though was his consistency, something that he would like to transfer to the international stage.Rony Talukdar (Rangpur Riders)
This was Talukdar’s best BPL season, beating his 317 runs at 140.26 strike rate from 2018-19. He was all about fast starts for Rangpur Riders. He averaged 61.50 in the Powerplay, having been dismissed four times during the first six overs. His position among the top run-getters in the competition puts him in direct competition with the likes of Mohammad Naim, Munim Shahriar and Anamul Haque who are among those knocking on the T20I team’s door. Could it be Talukdar’s time when Bangladesh pick their squad for the England series next month?Towhid Hridoy (Sylhet Strikers)
If he hadn’t picked himself up for this season, Hridoy would have been a BPL footnote: the one who lost the 2022 final because he couldn’t hit the last ball for a boundary. But he restructured his T20 game and produced his first big performance at any level. He has added a number of shots to his armoury this season, including the pick-up over square-leg and the carves over point and extra cover. He even recovered from a hand injury to continue batting in the same way. The duck in the final would be a disappointment but it doesn’t diminish his effort.Related

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Shakib Al Hasan (Fortune Barishal)
He has made it to ESPNcricinfo’s BPL XI for the seventh time, the most by any cricketer in this competition. Shakib led Fortune Barishal very well, especially in the first half of the competition when they could do no wrong. But he made a bit of a misstep in their last match – the Eliminator – when he kept going down the order and didn’t even get to bat. With the ball, he remained the ace in the pack, regularly picking up wickets, and giving away very little.Iftikhar Ahmed (Fortune Barishal)
If all the rage about Iftikhar this month was about his six sixes in a Wahab Riaz over in an exhibition match, one must also look at how he fared in the BPL. He played arguably the most entertaining innings, the 45-ball unbeaten 100 against Chattogram Challengers, including a 25-run over against Shamim Hossain. He struck two other unbeaten fifties as he grew into a middle-order giant for Barishal. They surely missed him after February 7, as they bowed out from the competition in the Eliminator match.Khushdil Shah (Comilla Victorians)
Another big-hitting middle-order presence in the BPL, Khushdil not only entertained with his sixes, he also bailed Comilla Victorians out from their early struggles. It took him a little while to get used to the Dhaka pitches, but when he did, Khushdil finished his time in the BPL with a 161.48 strike-rate. He also bowled handy left-arm spin, and was more than a safe fielder.Imad Wasim (Sylhet Strikers)
Only the Strikers will know just how valuable Imad was bowling with the new ball. He has always done well in the BPL, but this time it has counted towards the Strikers’ push to the final. Imad has the lowest economy rate (5.11) among bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 150 balls in the competition. In fact, his 5.11 economy rate is also the second-lowest in a season (minimum 240 balls) among all bowlers behind Sunil Narine’s 4.57 in 2017.Azmatullah Omarzai (Rangpur Riders)
Riders dropping the fast bowler Omarzai for the Eliminator match provoked shocked reactions around the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Of course the legendary Dwayne Bravo replaced him but Omarzai was a vital cog in the Riders’ league stage. He was the most effective with the new ball, taking 13 of his 15 wickets in the Powerplay. Those numbers get better with his 11.07 average and 5.53 economy rate in the first six overs. Omarzai’s 13 wickets is also the third-best in the Powerplay in a BPL season. Something worth looking at for T20 scouts from other leagues.Taskin Ahmed (Dhaka Dominators)
Taskin is the second player after Shakib to be a repeat occupant in ESPNcricinfo’s BPL XI. He remains Bangladesh’s best all-format fast bowler, after doing well in Tests and ODIs in the last two years. He played for the struggling Dhaka Dominators, and in that backdrop, his 4 for 9 against Khulna Tigers, defending 108 runs, equalling the second-lowest total defended successfully in this competition’s history, really stood out.Tanvir Islam (Comilla Victorians)
It is hard to stand out as a left-arm spinner in Bangladesh but that’s exactly what Tanvir’ did in this season’s BPL. His accuracy and effectiveness in all phases helped the Victorians greatly. Tanvir even has an action, with which he gets a lot of dip into fastish deliveries. He has a fine celebration too, unique within the BPL. If a smart scout is looking out for a good bowler in all phases of a T20, Tanvir can be that bowler.Hasan Mahmud (Rangpur Riders)
He may have a high average and economy rate compared to the other bowlers, but fast bowler Mahmud got the Riders what they really wanted: wickets. Captain Nurul Hasan and coach Shohel Islam ensured he bowled mostly in the right moments for them. For example, Mahmud is the best death bowler in the BPL this season. It is one of his strengths, particularly the yorker. But he has showed other deliveries too, and continues to grow into a strong performer with the white ball.

The inquisitions will come, but the truth is there is not a lot India could have done in the face of flawless fast bowling

Sidharth Monga19-Dec-2020There is a reason why batsmen are treated as the favoured children in cricket, and it can be easy to forget that in an era dominated by limited-overs cricket.Test batting is a fickle occupation. It turns many of its practitioners to compulsive behaviour, which can be loosely defined as feeling compelled to do things that you know have no bearing on your pursuit but somehow make you feel they help you control the outcome. Some carry a particular-coloured kerchief, some put a specific pad on first, some make sure toilet seats in the change rooms are up when they are batting, the list is endless.That’s because there are so many loose ends in Test batting that you can’t possibly control them all with your skill, technique and preparation. Watching Test cricket on demanding pitches, it is hard to imagine a batsman who is neither a philosopher nor insane.There is just not enough space in the scorebook to say “nought, but got the first shooter of the match”, or “15 but fell to one that swung one way in the air and nipped the other way after pitching”. Or even, “135 but dropped five times”, or “75 but it was predominantly a slog”.Related

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At the end of the day, staring you in the face are cold numbers with their absolute finality. It is hard to find a trade that is less unequivocal and yet has such an unforgiving currency.And the cold numbers will forever remain 36 all out. Scores of 4, 9, 2, 0, 4, 0, 8, 4, 0, 4, 1. Terms such as “humiliated” and “embarrassed” will be used. There will be an obvious inquest into the techniques of the batsmen, into their preparation, even chauvinistically into other virtues such as courage, but perhaps there is a simpler explanation.Virat Kohli himself spoke of a lack of intent, but he is a proud participant of a Test match that was in his grasp. Not just any Test but a Test that Australia have never lost: the day-night fixture. He perhaps felt that if India had been more positive and had scored a quick 20-30 runs in the morning, that would have deflated Australia.Virat Kohli walks back, the key wicket in the middle of an India collapse•Getty ImagesHowever, the intent or the technique was not too different to how it has always been. Even in the last Adelaide Test, which India won, they capitalised on their 15-run first-innings lead with Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane batting at strike rates of 34 and 47. In terms of technique, pretty much everyone batted similarly to how they batted in the first innings for a lead of 53 runs.However, a few things happened that were not in the control of these batsmen, and proud competitors are loathe to admitting they couldn’t have done anything about it. What happened in the first session of the third day is the textbook definition of a perfect storm. The ball actually seamed less than it did in any of the sessions before this, which is what Kohli acknowledged but to say that his batsmen should have done better. Less movement meant more balls hit the edge than beat it.Usually in Test cricket, it takes a little over 10 balls of not being in control for a batsman to lose a wicket to a bowler. In this innings, India lost nine of them by not being in control only 32 times. Since the start of 2010, only once has a team’s bowlers taken nine wickets in an innings with fewer mistakes made by batsmen. That is true of all such spectacular collapses. When Australia were bowled out for 60 at Trent Bridge in 2015, they were not in control only 40 times. The number was the same in their 47 all out at Newlands in 2011-12. Fewer plays and misses, more nicks.It is also true that such spectacular collapses happen against exceptional bowling sides who have been at it for long and suddenly reap the rewards in a bunch. And this Australian attack is an exceptional one with three fast bowlers with three different skillsets and a high rate of accuracy, followed by an all-time-great spinner, but even they will be the first ones to admit they didn’t bowl much better than they did two days ago.Josh Hazlewood, who took five wickets for eight runs, was too stunned to explain what happened. He compared this to the time they bowled England out for 67. The bowlers, he said, didn’t do much differently: perhaps a touch fuller, perhaps a touch straighter. Those are his words.India bat in the dying moments of their horror innings against Australia•AFP/Getty ImagesSo the ball is moving just the right amount to take the edge, the length is just full enough to let it move without letting the batsmen drive, the bounce is steep thus keeping the batsmen stuck to the crease, and the last piece of the jigsaw is the quickening of the pitch from day one, giving you less time to adjust and also carrying the edges to hand. The proverbial “one of those sessions”, but one that has left the magnifying glass on the batsmen.Replay after replay will show you the batsmen stuck on the crease when edging in this innings, but not the countless number times when they drove for boundaries with the same technique. Or even the edges that didn’t carry as recently as two days ago. Or the plays and misses than now became nicks. This is what happens at the start of most innings. On most days you make your early errors and make the correction. On this day, your first error was your last. People will ask questions of Kohli’s drive away from the body, but on flat pitches, in this scenario, you had to capitalise on any width you got, rare as it was.Of course, if there are technical flaws, they need to be addressed. In New Zealand, when Prithvi Shaw’s lack of foot movement was exploited in the first Test, he had corrected himself by the second, getting closer to the ball when driving in his 64-ball 54. Shaw will be the first one to want to correct it again. Questions need to be asked, for example, why India repeatedly fail to get the better of overseas spinners in their conditions even keeping in mind the pressure that is created by their seamers. Coach Ravi Shastri knows he will be judged by these improvements, the growth of the players, and not just by the results produced by an amazingly talented group of players.Tim Paine and Virat Kohli catch up after the game•AFP via Getty ImagesOf course, there will also be schadenfreude around the world, which Shastri and the team will know comes with the territory if you deal in unfounded bluster and run down your own country’s legends to try to talk your current team up without acknowledging the dominance you enjoy now in terms of resources and finances. This is the day Shoaib Akhtar will not be the only one to tell them to “bear it, bear the criticism, this is gonna happen to you now.”However, this might be the day to listen to Sunil Gavaskar instead, who has been accused of firing blanks when criticising the team in the past and might have had reason to be opportunistic now. Gavaskar, though, knows batting too well to ignore what happened.”Any team that gets out for its lowest-ever total, it is never good to see,” Gavaskar told . “Having said that, most other teams, if they had been facing that kind of bowling, they would have also got into trouble. Maybe not all out for 36, maybe 72 or maybe 80-90, but the way Hazlewood, Cummins bowled, and the earlier spell of Starc, that asked a lot of questions. So it is not fair to blame the Indian batsmen for the way they got out because it was just simply superb by the Australians. Most of the teams would have struggled.”If ever there was need for bluster, to talk the players out of the misery they will no doubt be in, also keeping in mind how long they have been on the road and in biosecure bubbles, it is now.

Before the second innings in Durban, the South Africa captain had 22 fifties but only two hundreds to his name

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Nov-2024Yes, it is a bowlers’ era, and sure, this is not the strongest South Africa batting order there has ever been, but eventually people are going to look across your stats, find the column under “Hundreds”, and check.Temba Bavuma is aware of this. Painfully aware.Before the second innings at Kingsmead, he had only two trips to triple figures, compared to 22 fifties. The rock to throw at him is that this is a poor conversion rate, even if many of those fifties came in difficult match situations. Both his team-mates and his opposition, for example, have praised his first-innings 70, for having taken South Africa from a truly modest total to a halfway-respectable 191, given the conditions.Related

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Still, that column on the stats page has eyes on it. And on Friday, at Kingsmead, he raised the count to three, hitting 113 against Sri Lanka. Will people wonder how he has been doing as captain and see that he averages 54.22? Will they wonder how many of his innings have come at No. 6 and lower (51 off 103 innings, by the way), and reason that these are not positions where centuries are harder to come by? Perhaps not many will. Hundreds are kind of a big deal.”Getting to a three-figure mark is always a lot more satisfying, personally,” Bavuma said, about making centuries vs important fifties. “When you bat in positions where the team is in trouble, and you get to a 50 to 60, I guess it’s good in terms of getting the team into a competitive position. But once you’re able to go over, you really get the team into a strong position.”Hundreds are a currency as a batter as well, I guess that increases that value. There’s obviously a lot of confidence that comes from scoring a hundred, and I think in terms of the batting line-up we’re getting to a stage where we’re starting to believe that in each innings, someone is able to go and get a hundred, so it’s good to add to that confidence.”

“Getting to the three-figure mark was quite nerve-racking. I went over to him and said, ‘Stubbo, please get me on strike. I can’t wait on this end'”

Bavuma’s approach to the hundred was fraught, however. Between getting to 80 and getting to triple figures, there was an edge that dropped short of the slips, a ball that jumped up and hit him on the glove, plays and misses, and an lbw shout and a review to the shot (it came off his glove) he got to triple figures off. Bavuma had, in fact, been asking for the strike.”I think I’m not too good when I get to the 80s and 90s. I’m going to try and get there [to a century] as soon as I can. They had the second new ball as well, and there was still something on offer for the bowlers. I was always looking to score.”Then, obviously, getting to the three-figure mark, it was quite nerve-racking. Against the spinner [Prabath Jayasuriya], I got one off the first ball, and then the next two balls Tristan Stubbs blocked. I went over to him and said, ‘Stubbo, please get me on strike. I can’t wait on this end.’ He was able to do that, so I was always going to play that shot.”The shot was a paddle sweep, and he just managed to get a glove to the ball before it hit him on the pads in front of the stumps.”It was a bit high risk, but the way the spinner was bowling, I was thinking of getting to that three-figure mark and then kind of starting again.”Sri Lanka reviewed that lbw, shout, but Bavuma had known he had got enough on it. He politely waited for the big screen to show the little spike as the ball brushed his glove.Then he celebrated his third hundred.

The Atlanta Braves have designated franchise legend Craig Kimbrel for assignment, according to Jon Heyman of the

The decision to cut ties with Kimbrel comes just one day after he made his first appearance with the Braves in over a decade. Kimbrel was called up from Triple A Gwinnett and pitched a scoreless inning in Friday's loss to the San Francisco Giants, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one.

The Braves are calling up reliever Austin Cox to take Kimbrel's roster spot.

Kimbrel had been pitching in Triple A after signing a minor league contract with Atlanta in the offseason.

New South Wales seamer Sean Abbott became the first player to be subbed out of a Sheffield Shield match for an injury other than concussion under Cricket Australia’s new trial rule after he split the webbing in his right hand while fielding a ball off his own bowling on the opening day against Victoria at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.Charlie Stobo was subbed in as the first-ever injury replacement player under the new rule that is being trialed across the first five rounds of the 2025-26 Sheffield Shield competition.Abbott, who is among the contenders to be part of Australia’s extended Ashes squad if Pat Cummins is ruled out of the early part of the series, split the webbing in his right hand while stopping a firmly struck straight drive from Victoria batter Peter Handscomb in the 43rd over of the opening day.Related

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Abbott left the ground immediately, and team-mate Ryan Hadley completed the over. After being assessed in the rooms, New South Wales made an application to the match referee to have Abbott replaced by another bowler and that request was immediately granted.Stobo bowled his first over of the match immediately after tea having warmed up during the interval.Handscomb is not a fan of the new rule which CA hope will provide insights for the ICC who are considering subs for international cricket.”Not really,” he said after play on Wednesday. “I think first-class cricket and Test cricket is a game of attrition. And if you pick a team and then you can just sub a bloke out halfway through, it takes that factor away.”This is a bloody hard game for four days, and you’ve got to keep backing up and fronting up and doing everything. So I’m all aboard the concussion sub. I think that’s a really good rule. But injuries are part of the game. I think unfortunately, you just kind of have to deal with them and they haven’t.”New South Wales fast bowler Liam Hatcher didn’t mind the new rule. “I’d much rather have Stobes in than be a man down, especially when you get a flat wicket and stuff that’s out of your control like that,” he said. “Yeah, I don’t mind it.”As part of the new rule, Victoria also now have the opportunity to make a tactical substitution of one like-for-like bowler if they feel they need to but can only do so before stumps on day two of the match.”That’s an interesting one, because we’ve got one free hit basically,” Handscomb said. “A bowler gets to bowl his heart out and then we can sub them out if we want to. But we’ve obviously gone into this game under the assumption that we’re going to use just the 11 players and everyone’s ready to go. We know how we can rotate our bowlers through.”We’ve got four seamers and a spinner. Unless something really drastic happens, I’m not sure we’ll be using it and we’ll just be backing in the guys that we picked first up.”The injury to Abbott is untimely. He had missed out on Australia’s ODI squad to face India in part to give him the chance to play a rare first-class game to press his Ashes case before being part of Australia’s T20I squad.As part of the injury substitution rule, Abbott has to undergo a mandatory 12-day non-playing period from the start of day three of the match he was subbed out of, which is October 17, before being allowed to play again. It means he would still be available for Australia’s first T20I against India in Canberra on October 29 provided his hand has recovered in time. But if he was not in the T20I squad he would not have been eligible to play in New South Wales’ next Shield game against Queensland which starts at the Gabba on October 28.”He’s got a few stitches in it, but I think he’s fine,” Hatcher said.Abbott had bowled very impressively in the first session on day one at the Junction Oval in seam-friendly conditions. He picked up the wicket of Victoria opener Harry Dixon caught behind. He also ruffled Handscomb with some hostile short balls with one gloved over the keeper and another glancing off his shoulder and helmet.

A new Southampton manager update has been shared from St Mary’s regarding a full-time move for interim boss Tonda Eckert.

Eckert responds to permanent Southampton job rumours

The Saints made the perfect start to life without Will Still in the week, defeating Queens Park Rangers 2-1 at Loftus Road.

Eckert was the man in charge of Southampton following Still’s exit, with second half goals from Jay Robinson and Leo Scienza lifting them above rivals Portsmouth.

The 3-4-2-1 caretaker is once again set to be on the touchline this weekend prior to the international break as St Mary’s play host to bottom side Sheffield Wednesday. Talking ahead of the game, Eckert was asked if he fancied the Southampton job on a permanent basis, to which he said:

“Look, the answer is very easy on this one. My job is to prepare the game today in the best way possible. My job is to prepare the game on Saturday (8th November) in the best way possible. That’s what all my focus is on. It’s going to be three very important days until Saturday. Then we can all take a breath.

“I think the only thing I can do is give energy and give a structure, and prepare them in the best way possible. We’re going to do the same thing for Saturday and hopefully confirm [the improvement] and then we’ll go into a break and go again.”

Now, a new update has emerged regarding Southampton’s position over Eckert.

How Southampton feel about full-time Tonda Eckert move

According to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, Southampton now “consider Eckert a potential candidate for the full-time job” following his winning start in temporary charge.

The 32-year-old’s coaching career has mainly been as an assistant, helping some iconic names such as Patrick Vieira at Genoa and Miroslav Klose at Bayern Munich’s U17 side.

His experience in England came during 18 months as an assistant at Barnsley, with Eckert taking charge of Southampton’s U21s in the summer.

Saints gem Moses Sesay has been impressed under Eckert, saying he is an “experienced” coach who “demands a lot” in training and is “big on detail”.

“I’ve enjoyed working with him. I took some time to get a good connection with him, because he was new, but I really like him. He’s a good coach. He’s very experienced. He demands a lot from us in training, but I like that as a player. He knows what he wants, which is good.

“Comparing Calum McFarlane (former under-21s boss) with Tonda, I think Cal was maybe a little bit more technical, but there hasn’t been much of a difference.

“Tonda is big on detail. He’s a very good coach. We’ve had good results since he came in and went a few games unbeaten. It’s been good under him.”

Positive words indeed, and if Eckert makes it two from two on Saturday, his stock could continue to rise.

Their own Lampard: "Very intelligent" coach now wants the Southampton job

Christian Pulisic has voiced strong support for USMNT teammate Gio Reyna, acknowledging the challenges the young midfielder has faced while expressing confidence in his future. Speaking ahead of the November international window, the AC Milan star offered insight into their relationship and Reyna’s potential impact on the national team.

Getty Images Sport'He’s a really, really good player'

During his comments, Pulisic acknowledged that while he and Reyna don't maintain frequent communication, they have developed a positive professional relationship through their time with the national team. The Milan forward expressed empathy for Reyna's situation, noting that the 23-year-old has endured significant challenges, particularly with injuries that have disrupted his development at both club and international levels.

“Yeah, I mean, we don’t talk a bunch,” Pulisic told CBS Sports Golazo. “But we’ve had a good relationship, and I think he has had a really tough time, and kind of unfairly in a lot of ways. I feel for him, it’s not difficult what we go through. Some of the injuries he’s dealt with are really hard. And with the national now, also seeing him on the roster, I think it’s really exciting for him.

“I will say, when I have him on the field with me on the national team, I always feel a lot more relaxed. I feel like he’s a really, really good player, and I think that’s not a crazy take. I think a lot of people see that.”

Advertisement'Stay patient'

Pulisic argued that Reyna has faced a run of bad luck and unusually high expectations since his early breakthrough, saying the player’s recent troubles have not been solely of his making. He urged patience while Reyna finds form and rhythm again.

“I just tell him to stay patient,” Pulisic said. “I mean, he’s a guy that’s gone through a bit of a tough time, he’ll admit that, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t have really good things ahead. And people put pressure, and I get that too, because he had such a crazy start to his career where he was doing unbelievable things at 17 years old, and then you expect the same thing.

“Then all of a sudden, you go to the national team and people are like, ‘You need to be that guy. You need to perform for us right away.' And it’s like it’s not that easy, there are a lot of factors and things that he has to work out. And I do think it's been unfair, but I think he’s going to come around, and people are going to see that soon.”

A slow start to the season

After joining Borussia Mönchengladbach this summer, Reyna has struggled to secure consistent playing time, making just six Bundesliga appearances while continuing to battle fitness issues. 

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Getty Images SportNovember friendlies await.

Reyna has been picked as a part of the November international break for the USMNT and could earn his first cap since March 2025 when the team gets back to action this Saturday against Paraguay. 

There might have been a few shaky moments in the first half, but Arsenal’s win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the League Cup went about as well as it could have last night.

Mikel Arteta almost completely changed his entire starting lineup, but instead of collapsing like some other Premier League-chasing sides, the North Londoners came out 2-0 winners.

Moreover, while the changes in the second half helped secure the win, a number of the starters did put in a good shift.

This is especially true of a starter who outperformed Bukayo Saka and showed some shades of Mesut Özil in his game.

Arsenal's standout stars vs Brighton

When looking at some of those who put in a good showing against Brighton, it’s hard to look past Ethan Nwaneri.

Chalkboard

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

Yes, it’s certainly true that he almost tried too hard at times in the first half, but in the second 45, the Hale Ender was a serious threat.

He helped to create chances, kept the ball ticking over, and, most importantly, following a great pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly, placed the ball in the far corner for the opening goal.

His fellow Hale End graduate also had a brilliant game, as, on top of the assist, he once again showed his immense strength and even made several lung-busting runs through the middle of the pitch.

Talking about academy gems, it would be unfair not to praise debutant Andre Harriman-Annous.

The 17-year-old didn’t score a goal, but he provided the pass before the assist for Nwaneri, made several impressive runs, and it was his initial shot that allowed Saka to score his goal in the second half.

The Gunners’ talismanic number seven came on in the 71st minute, and unlike on the weekend, when he was ill, the 24-year-old was a handful and looked to make something happen whenever the ball was at his feet.

The Brighton defence simply didn’t have an answer for the dynamic winger, and if he plays like that on Saturday, it could be a very long game for Burnley’s backline.

With that said, there was another player who made even more of an impression than Saka, someone who showed shades of Ozil in his performance.

The Arsenal star who outshone Saka

While several other Arsenal players impressed against Brighton on Wednesday night, it should come as no surprise that the real talking point, and the gem who shone more than Saka and Co was Max Dowman.

The 15-year-old became the youngest player to ever start a game for the Gunners, but that lack of genuine experience at the top level did little to slow him down.

Nor did it see the Seagulls go easy on him, as time after time the visitors doubled and tripled up on him, and even then, more often than not, he made them look foolish.

The Hale End superstar in the making, whom analyst Rohan Jivan dubbed a “certified worldie of a talent”, was able to beat the Seagulls’ backline both through his incredible close control and eye for a pass.

It’s the fact that he’s already so impressive in both facets that makes it easy to argue that there are, in fact, shades of Ozil to his game, as, like the German, he can – and most certainly will – punish the opposition with his dribbling and passing.

Moreover, while the former Gunners ace was primarily a ten, he was no stranger to playing out on the right-hand side when Arsène Wenger needed him to.

Unsurprisingly, the teenage sensation more than left an impression on the watching press, with the Standard’s Simon Collings awarding him a match rating of 8/10, writing that he was ‘electric all night.’

Minutes

71′

Touches

34

Dribbles (Successful)

8 (5)

Fouls Won

4

Accurate Passes

14/16

Ball Recoveries

3

Ground Duels (Won)

14 (9)

Key Passes

1

The statistics from the night more than justify such praise, as in 71 minutes of action, the youngster completed five of eight dribbles, played a key pass, took 34 touches, won nine of 14 ground duels and completed three ball recoveries.

Ultimately, it’s still absurdly early in Dowman’s career, but he looks to be the real deal, and if he can perform like he did against Brighton again, he could be in for far more starts this season.

Not Zubimendi: Arteta has found Cazorla 2.0 in Arsenal's "little magician"

The international monster has been one of Arteta’s best signings at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 29, 2025

Hannah Hampton has been ruled out of England's clash with Brazil on Saturday, meaning Sarina Wiegman will hand out a debut to another goalkeeper in the Lionesses squad this weekend. Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse are both in contention for that opportunity, as is Sophie Baggaley, who has been called into camp in light of Hampton's injury.

Hampton injury news: Goalkeeper to miss England vs Brazil

Wiegman revealed the news in her press conference on Friday, explaining that Hampton has sustained a "small elbow injury" that doesn't – as of right now – rule her out of England's second fixture on Tuesday, against Australia, or mean she has to leave the camp, but it does leave her unavailable for the game against Brazil on Saturday at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium. "She'll be assessed and we'll see how that goes until Tuesday," Wiegman added.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesEngland debut incoming: Who will Wiegman pick to start in Hampton's place?

It will either be Keating, Moorhouse or Baggaley who gets to stand in between the sticks for the first time for the Lionesses this weekend, then. It would be a particularly sentimental moment for Keating, who plays her club football for Man City and was born and raised in the area. Her selection would perhaps be the most logistical one for the long-term, given she is only 21 years old and seen as an exciting prospect for the future.

Moorhouse, meanwhile, would be seen by some as the safer pick, particularly with Keating sometimes prone to errors amid her youth and experience. The 30-year-old plays her football in the U.S. with the Orlando Pride, who she helped do the double last year by clinching the NWSL Shield and Championship. She's got that experience of big stages in her favour, then.

Baggaley, though an important call-up and a goalkeeper with plenty of high-level games under her belt, would be more of a surprise pick, given she has not been as involved in the England set-up in recent times as Moorhouse and Keating, who were part of the squad that won the European Championships this past summer.

"I have made the decision," Wiegman said of her starting goalkeeper on Saturday. "But, as always, we have to get through this [last training] session and then, of course, I inform the team first before I inform [the media]."

More Lionesses injury news as Wubben-Moy added to list of absentees

Hampton was not the only player Wiegman revealed to be unavailable for Saturday's game either, as she also announced on Friday that Lotte Wubben-Moy has left the camp and is recovering at home after feeling unwell. It is a further blow to a defensive department which is already without captain Leah Williamson, due to injury; Millie Bright, who announced her international retirement earlier this month; and Katie Reid, the talented teenager who was called up after impressing in Williamson's absence at Arsenal, but had to withdraw from the squad due to a groin problem.

It has further reduced Wiegman's options for that right-sided centre-back role, where there is a real opportunity for at least one player, if not two, in this camp. Alex Greenwood has seemingly nailed down the left-sided position and it will likely be either Esme Morgan or Jess Carter alongside her on Saturday, with a safe prediction that one plays against Brazil and the other starts on Tuesday when England face Australia. Grace Fisk was called in to replace Reid earlier this week but she would be a surprise pick given she wasn't in the initial squad and remains uncapped. Maya Le Tissier would be another option but Wiegman has made it clear that she sees the Manchester United captain as a right-back, not a centre-back, in her team.

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Getty ImagesInjuries impact England team selection in several areas as Brazil & Australia visit

It's not just in defence, where Lucy Bronze and Niamh Charles are also only just back from injuries, that the Lionesses have concerns for this camp, either. Jess Park and Grace Clinton have both withdrawn from the squad over the course of the last week, while Lauren Hemp and Lauren James were not included due to injuries. It means there are limited options in the wide areas in particular, though England do still have dependable options such as Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead to call upon.

Still, with so many players missing, it increases the chances of seeing some experimentation from Wiegman across these two friendlies as the Lionesses begin a new tournament cycle, with qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup to start in the New Year.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor felt their performance was as slick as it has been this season despite being held to a goalless draw by Hibernian.

The Hoops played out their fourth scoreless encounter of the campaign as they dropped two points behind Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership. But McGregor was encouraged by much of the display.

Celtic hit the bar twice, through Kelechi Iheanacho and Marcelo Saracchi, and had 24 efforts at goal, six of them on target. There was an element of experimentation for Brendan Rodgers with Daizen Maeda starting on the right wing and Iheanacho through the middle, and McGregor feels there was plenty to build on ahead of Thursday’s Europa League clash with Braga at Parkhead.

“If we play like that on Thursday night then I’m pretty sure we’ll win the game,” the midfielder said.

“We’ve been looking for rhythm and searching for that rhythm. I think that was probably as good as it’s been in that football sense. We created a lot of chances.

“So like I said, if the team are then progressing through the ranks and through the pitch like that then, if we can play like that on Thursday night, I’m pretty sure we’ll have a good chance of winning.

“That was probably as slick as we’ve been, right the way through the pitch, creating massive amounts of really good chances.

“On that type of performance, then the goals will come, that will start to drip in our favour.”

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There was a subdued atmosphere for the first 12 minutes as Celtic fans carried out a silent protest against the board over its transfer dealings.

The campaign is set to be escalated on Thursday with the Celtic Fans Collective planning a 29-minute silence to mark the number of days which will have elapsed since an open letter from supporters groups called for answers from the club. But McGregor said:

Hibs continued their unbeaten start to the Premiership season and recorded their first clean sheet in the league. David Gray’s side now face a Hearts team who made it 16 points out of a possible 18 with a 3-0 win over Falkirk.

Gray said: “It’s a brilliant game to look forward to at the weekend.

“As a Hibs player certainly I felt this is always the game that you want to play in, you want to be involved in.

“It’s geared up for a really good one. We’re undefeated in the league, they’re at the top of the league, what goes with that, so they’re obviously playing well and it’s all about looking forward to these games and I think the players will certainly be ready for them.”