A thrilling MLB regular season, which featured much of the playoff picture coming down to the final day, has come to an end. The postseason field is set and October baseball is around the corner. 

While offensive production, specifically home run-hitting, will be critical to team success, pitching—as it has for some time—will ultimately determine which club eventually hoists the Commissioner’s Trophy. In today’s age of high-octane bullpens, elite relief pitching has shortened the game and matters as much as, if not more than, starting pitching. But navigating those first several innings with a starter remains a crucial part of a team’s game plan. 

So, which teams are best positioned to keep their opponents at bay until the battles of the bullpens commence?

PHILLIPS: The Most Significant Moments From MLB’s Wild Regular Season Finale

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Stats (rank among playoff teams): ERA: 3.61 (4th) | WHIP: 1.19 (5th) | K%: 25.2% (1st)

1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto
2. Blake Snell
3. Shohei Ohtani
4. Tyler Glasnow

Earlier in the season, it would have been blasphemous to rank the Dodgers’ injury-riddled rotation this high. But the staff has been the best in baseball in terms of ERA in the final month. If not for Paul Skenes, ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto may be the National League Cy Young Award winner. After a shoulder injury wrecked the first four months of his Dodgers tenure, Blake Snell has quickly rounded into form since his August return Oh, and Shohei Ohtani’s arm is, at long last, fully stretched out after he hurled a season-high six innings in his last outing. No. 4 option Tyler Glasnow is better than most teams’ second starter. Los Angeles is so stacked, Clayton Kershaw is being kept off the wild-card roster and is unlikely to start a game in his final playoff rodeo. 

2. Philadelphia Phillies

Stats: ERA: 3.53 (1st) | WHIP: 1.18 (4th) | K%: 25.3% (2nd)

1. Cristopher Sánchez
2. Ranger Suarez
3. Jesús Luzardo
4. Aaron Nola

The Phillies rotation took a major blow in August when ace Zack Wheeler was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, which required season-ending surgery. However, this remains a formidable bunch. All-Star snub Cristopher Sánchez was the best lefthander in the NL all year long, Ranger Suárez wasn’t too far behind him and Jesús Luzardo’s swing-and-miss upside figures to play well in October. Aaron Nola has struggled this season, but he, like Philadelphia’s rotation as a whole, is playoff battle-tested. 

3. Seattle Mariners

Stats: ERA: 3.97 (10th) | WHIP: 1.18 (3rd) | K%: 23.7% (7th)

1. Logan Gilbert
2. Luis Castillo
3. Bryan Woo
4. George Kirby

Admittedly, this lofty ranking depends largely on the status of Seattle’s ace Bryan Woo, who is nursing mild inflammation in his left pectoral muscle. But the Mariners’ decision not to place Woo on the 15-day IL inspires confidence in his status. For much of the regular season, Seattle had a good-but-not-great pitching rotation. In the season’s final month, the red-hot Mariners lived up to their potential to form one of the best staffs in baseball. Between Woo, Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo and George Kirby, Seattle boasts a rotation that excels at both strike-throwing and inducing swings-and-misses, the perfect October recipe. 

4. New York Yankees

Stats: ERA: 3.61 (3rd) | WHIP: 1.20 (6th) | K%: 23.1 (4th)

1. Max Fried
2. Carlos Rodón
3. Cam Schlittler
4. Luis Gil

The Yankees’ 1–2 punch of Max Fried and Carlos Rodón is as good as any in baseball, and much of New York’s potential success will depend upon how well they pitch in the postseason. Fried and Rodón both have mixed bags in terms of prior history in the playoffs—the former was dominant in Atlanta’s 2021 World Series clincher, but has allowed 12 runs over just 9 1/3 innings in his three playoff starts since then—so there is a degree of uncertainty with New York’s rotation. It’s also unclear who would take the ball in a potential Game 3; 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, who somehow has a 3.29 ERA despite recording nearly as many walks as strikeouts, or flamethrowing yet inexperienced rookie Cam Schlittler?

5. Cincinnati Reds

Stats: ERA: 3.85 (6th) | WHIP: 1.17 (2nd) | K%: 23.2% (9th)

1. Hunter Greene
2. Nick Lodolo
3. Andrew Abbott
4. Brady Singer

This might seem too generous of a ranking for the Reds, but what’s not to like? The club’s rotation limits traffic on the basepaths, misses bats and possesses a true ace in Hunter Greene, who, since returning from a groin strain in August, ranks 15th in ERA, fourth in strikeout rate, third in opponent batting average and second in swinging strike rate. He’s built to go toe-to-toe with anyone in October. Behind Greene, the Reds have one of the most underrated southpaws in the game in Nick Lodolo, who left his final regular season start in a precautionary move, as well as All-Star Andrew Abbott and veteran Brady Singer, who lost Sunday’s regular season finale but otherwise had a great second half.

6. Detroit Tigers

Stats: ERA: 3.91 (8th) | WHIP: 1.21 (7th) | K%: 24.9% (10th)

1. Tarik Skubal
2. Jack Flaherty
3. Casey Mize

The Tigers have the best pitcher in the American League in Tarik Skubal, a hard-throwing, strikeout-inducing bulldog who largely proved he can handle October in 2024. Detroit has the biggest trump card in any series they’ll play because of Skubal. What’s behind him is why this rotation isn’t ranked higher. Jack Flaherty misses bats at a high rate and has been pitching better as of late, but struggled during the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series run. Casey Mize is a solid No. 3 starter, though he hasn’t yet pitched in October. 

7. Cleveland Guardians 

Stats: ERA: 3.86 (7th) | WHIP: 1.28 (11th) | K%: 21.7% (8th)

1. Tanner Bibee
2. Gavin Williams
3. Logan Allen
4. Joey Cantillo

If you’re wondering how the Guardians made the postseason, look no further than the club’s starting corps. There are no All-Stars here, but the sum is greater than its parts. The club’s rotation has the fourth-lowest ERA since the All-Star break and matched the second longest streak in MLB history with 19 consecutive games allowing two runs or fewer during its September surge. The combination of Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Logan Allen, Slade Cecconi, Parker Messick and Joey Cantillo doesn’t have a ton of swing-and-miss, but Cleveland’s impressive depth and run prevention prowess can’t be ignored. 

8. Milwaukee Brewers

Stats: ERA: 3.56 (2nd) | WHIP: 1.22 (8th) | K%: 24.0% (5th)

1. Freddy Peralta
2. Jose Quintana
3. Quinn Priester
4. Chad Patrick

Earlier in September, the Brewers’ rotation would have earned a higher ranking. Freddy Peralta is a trusted veteran with elite swing-and-miss stuff, while groundball artist Quinn Priester represents a solid option behind him. Unfortunately, a wrench was thrown into Milwaukee’s postseason pitching plans when both Brandon Woodruff (3.20 ERA) and Jose Quintana (3.96 ERA) were placed on the IL in September. Quintana seems more likely to return for the division series than Woodruff—and Milwaukee might need him with rookie Jacob Misiorowski struggling since garnering his improbable All-Star nod. 

9. San Diego Padres 

Stats: ERA: 4.07 (11th) | WHIP: 1.25 (9th) | K%: 22.4% (3rd)

1. Nick Pivetta
2. Dylan Cease
3. Yu Darvish
4. Michael King

The Padres possess the best bullpen in MLB but its rotation is a bit Jekyll and Hyde. Nick Pivetta (2.87 ERA) is a dependable No. 1 starter, but can get hit hard. The same can be said for Dylan Cease, who possesses nasty stuff but also allows some loud contact. Rounding out the rotation is some combination of Michael King, Yu Darvish and Randy Vásquez. Question marks aside, San Diego likely only needs five innings from its starters before turning to the bullpen. Should this group accomplish more than that, the Padres will be hard to beat. 

10. Boston Red Sox

Stats: ERA: 3.92 (9th) | WHIP: 1.31 (12th) | K%: 21.9% (11th)

1. Garrett Crochet
2. Brayan Bello
3. Lucas Giolito

If not for Skubal, Garrett Crochet would be the runaway favorite for the American League Cy Young award. With the use of his filthy cutter-sweeper-sinker mix, Crochet misses bats better than almost anyone—and if he doesn’t, batters hit the ball right into the dirt for a groundball out. The problem is, the rotation isn’t the sturdiest behind him. Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito each pitched to sub-3.50 ERAs this season, but neither have much swing-and-miss in their profiles. Perhaps the club’s sixth-ranked prospect, Connelly Early (2.33 ERA), can provide a postseason jolt?

11. Toronto Blue Jays

Stats: ERA: 4.34 (12th) | WHIP: 1.27 (10th) | K%: 22.2% (6th)

1. Kevin Gausman
2. Shane Bieber
3. Trey Yesavage
4. Max Scherzer

Toronto’s rotation took a depth hit when José Berríos was placed on the injured list, though the struggling starter hadn’t won since Aug. 12. Ace righthander Kevin Gausman brings an element of swing-and-miss, but has had mixed results in three career postseason starts. Trade deadline acquisition Shane Bieber has pitched well since arriving in Toronto, and future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, though he has struggled, adds valuable experience. This low ranking won’t age well should 21-year-old rookie Trey Yesavage, who has pitched admirably in his first three career starts, keep it up in October. 

12. Chicago Cubs

Stats: ERA: 3.83 (5th) | WHIP: 1.14 (1st) | K%: 20.5% (12th)

1. Shota Imanaga
2. Matthew Boyd
3. Jameson Taillon
4. Colin Rea

The Cubs’ staff sustained a huge blow when NL Rookie of the Year favorite Cade Horton was placed on the IL due to a fractured right rib, removing him from at least the wild-card round. Unfortunately for Chicago, its current projected playoff rotation is littered with question marks. Struggling de facto ace Shota Imanaga has served up 12 home runs in his last six starts. Matthew Boyd posted a 5.31 ERA in the season’s final month. The club’s steadiest option at the moment might be Jameson Taillon, who heavily relies on his defense and has made just one career postseason start. 

MatériaMais Notícias

Gabigol está liberado para atuar pelo Flamengo, foi relacionado e tem presença confirmada junto à delegação rubro-negra para enfrentar o Amazonas nesta quarta-feira (1). O jogo vale pela terceira fase da Copa do Brasil.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Flamengo

➡️ Vai ter gol do Gabigol? Aposte R$ 100 e fature R$ 263 se Flamengo e Amazonas balançarem as redes na Copa do Brasil!

Contudo, a presença do camisa 10 entre os titulares é improvável. Isso se deve ao período de “inatividade” do atacante no decorrer dos dias de afastamento, em razão da suspensão por tentativa de fraude em exame antidoping.

Durante o tempo ausente, Gabigol sequer estava liberado para treinar nas dependências do Flamengo. A suspensão determinava que ele não poderia praticar nenhuma atividade relacionada ao clube.

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Mesmo assim, o jogador manteve uma rotina de treinos por conta própria. O Lance! soube que Gabigol está bem fisicamente, mas para ficar no ritmo dos companheiros de Flamengo ainda é preciso tempo de readaptação e mais treinamentos. Desde quando o efeito suspensivo foi conquistado, o atacante estava à disposição, e o clube optou por relacioná-lo.

Uma possível escalação do time treinado por Tite para jogar a Copa do Brasil conta com os seguintes nomes: Rossi, Varela, Fabrício Bruno, Léo Pereira e Viña; Allan, Gerson e De la Cruz; Lorran, Bruno Henrique e Pedro.

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Com Gabigol entre os relacionados, o Flamengo recebe o Amazonas às 21h30, no Maracanã.

Tudo sobre

FlamengoGabigolTite

Things are looking up for Chelsea.

Despite a couple of poor results earlier in the season, Enzo Maresca’s side are second in the Premier League, with a chance to cut Arsenal’s lead to just three points on Sunday.

Then on Tuesday night, they showed the continent just how dangerous they are by beating Spanish champions Barcelona 3-0.

One of the stars of that game, and of Chelsea’s season, was Estevao, and so fans should be excited about reports linking them to someone who could be seen as the original version of the wonderkid.

Chelsea target the original Estevao

The transfer window is still over a month away from opening, but that has not stopped Chelsea from being linked with a host of potentially game-changing signings.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, Nottingham Forest’s man-mountain Murillo has been touted for a £79m move to Stamford Bridge, as has Athletic Bilbao’s £62m Nico Williams.

However, as talented as those two are, neither one can accurately be described as the original Estevao, unlike Vinícius Júnior.

Yes, according to a recent report from Football Insider, Chelsea are one of a couple of teams interested in signing the Real Madrid superstar.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that should the Brazilian be up for sale in the summer, the Blues will be one of the frontrunners for his signature, alongside Manchester City.

However, the report has confirmed that, even though he’d have just a year left on his deal, Los Blancos would demand a fee of around £80m.

Even so, Vini Jr is a genuinely world-class player and someone Chelsea should be happy to break the bank on, especially as he’s the original Estevao.

Why Vini Jr is the original Estevao

Now, when it comes to the similarities between Vini Jr and Estevao, there are a few that are quite obvious and somewhat surface-level.

For example, they’re both exciting wide players, they’re both Brazilian, and now they’ve both played for the national team.

However, what makes the Madrid star the original version of the Chelsea star is how they were both spoken about prior to their big-money moves to Europe.

The Blues ace, for example, was labelled a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by respected analyst Ben Mattinson a few months before his deal was agreed.

Likewise, when the 25-year-old arrived in Spain over seven years ago, president Florentino Perez said: “He’s a player who is already considered one of the great hopes of Brazilian and world football.

In short, the West Londoners’ new prospect looks to be following in the footsteps of the former Flamengo ace, and they’ll certainly hope he continues.

After all, despite having a slow start to life in the Spanish capital, the São Gonçalo-born monster has now amassed 340 appearances for the biggest club in the world, during which he has scored 111 goals and provided 89 assists.

Appearances

340

Starts

267

Minutes

24,291′

Goals

111

Assists

92

Points per Game

2.15

Moreover, he’s helped the club win everything there is to win in the game, including two Champions Leagues, three La Ligas and one Copa del Rey.

Finally, he also has some sensational underlying numbers to his name, with FBref ranking him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries, the top 3% for successful take-ons, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, with all that in mind, it’s hard to disagree with Ronaldo’s assertion that Vini Jr is “the best player in the world,” and therefore, Chelsea should be doing all they can to sign him next year, especially as he could help Estevao’s development.

Chelsea have already signed another exciting star who's "just like Estevao"

Chelsea have already signed another youngster who could become another Estevao for Enzo Maresca.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 26, 2025

They used one of their three trump cards and had almost everything with their four experienced batters go right for them

Sidharth Monga24-Jun-20254:09

Gambhir: We had opportunities on all five days

India’s big guns have all fired. Rishabh Pant has scored two creative centuries, the openers have each hit a classy one in each innings, the captain has notched up a regal one, their gun bowler has exhausted one of the three Tests he is going to play and has delivered a five-for. And yet they are down 1-0. They have lost the unlosable Test.Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Their last four aggregated nine runs in both innings put together, becoming parts of collapses of 7 for 41 and 6 for 31 in pretty flat conditions. They dropped more catches than any team in a Test in England in the last 20 years. Their third and fourth fast bowlers provided them neither control nor penetration. They could have batted England out on the second day; they didn’t. They could have secured a huge lead had they held their catches; they didn’t. They could have batted England out again on the fourth day; they didn’t.It was a proper baptism by fire for captain Shubman Gill, having to lead a transitioning bowling unit on one of the more idiosyncratic grounds of the world against a side that might not have the quality of some of India’s recent opponents but are intimidating frontrunners. A new slips cordon had to come to terms with fielding about a foot or two below the pitch level, bowlers needed to quickly adjust to running in up and down the slope, and their mistakes with the bat forced them to defend more than they could attack on a notoriously difficult-to-defend ground with pitches running all the way to the boundary. He also has to deal with his lead bowler playing only three Tests.Related

• How creeping Crawley has become Bazball's straight man

• Ben Duckett on the road to joining the best

• Gambhir calls for patience as Bumrah's blunting leaves attack exposed

• Duckett lays the foundation as England hunt down 371

• Gill rues missed chances: 'We were looking at a target of around 435'

However, Gill will need to lay down the law here. It wasn’t long ago that the India tail used to dig in and fight for whatever runs they could claw out. On their last trip to England, India got the lead because of the runs the lower order scored. It’s not that Nos. 8 to 11 aggregated only nine runs in two innings. Dismissals can happen. Even to specialist batters. It was more the nature of the dismissals. They batted like millionaires without getting a feel for the conditions despite having a proper batter at the other end. They played Shardul Thakur precisely to provide them batting depth, but he was out playing expansive drives eighth ball and 12th balls.Gill just needs to imagine what would have happened if the tail had displayed such a casual attitude when Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma was captain. Once, leave alone twice, in the same match. Gill will soon learn it is nice to have a great atmosphere and respect in the dressing room, but there needs to be some fear of the leaders as well.The lower-order flop is not the only reason why India lost the unlosable Test but it was a symptom of general drops in intensity that a captain needs to watch out against. Test cricket is more about playing good cricket for longer periods of time than flashes of brilliance. This is why an attack of four good fast bowlers is better than one world-beater, one good bowler and two bowling ordinarily. You need fitness, intensity, and ruthlessness to be up six hours a day, each day for five days, or however long it takes.3:26

Harmison: Not sure India believed they could get Duckett out

On the final day, when finally none of the big guns fired, India didn’t seem to have a plan on how to put together a consistent set of overs. Jasprit Bumrah should be allowed to have a day on which he is not bowling an unplayable delivery every over. The bowling choices need to be made based not just on numbers that day. Mohammed Siraj, the best bowler on display on the final day, wasn’t bowled from overs 42 to 80, a period of not just 39 overs but also two rain breaks. Ravindra Jadeja took a little too long to shift his line wider, into the rough, to challenge Ben Duckett’s reverse-sweeps. At one point Ben Duckett punched Jadeja towards mid-off, and he looked up to see there wasn’t one. Not short, not wide, not deep. Just no mid-off at all.In a Test that you make only one or two such mistakes, they can have only a trivial impact on the eventual outcome, but all these things add up.This was also collectively India’s worst fielding performance in a long time. Thakur misfielded because he slipped, but took forever to get back up and retrieve the ball. As Rishabh Pant could be heard saying on the stumps mic, “It is okay to misfield, but you need to recover.” It should have come from Gill. If you zoomed-out a little and looked at the whole field as events unfolded during the final day, it was hard to tell if Gill was in charge. At various times, Pant and KL Rahul set the fields and talked to the bowlers.1:59

Why were Indian seamers ineffective on day 5?

The most important job for Gill and Gautam Gambhir will be to lift the team after they have lost a Test in which they used one of the three trump cards given to them and had almost everything with their four experienced batters go right for them. As has been said in this space before, Gill’s real test will be if he plays Thakur as the bowling allrounder and it doesn’t work out. The ideal response will be to double down on the need to take 20 wickets and bring in a proper bowler – possibly Kuldeep Yadav – but their collapses have given them every reason to be conservative.A captaincy debut which started like a dream for Gill has ended up being a nightmare. This was only his sixth first-class match as captain. He needs to be cut some slack, but this is a job that comes with a lot of prestige and also responsibility. He has no option but to learn quickly on the job. There is no magic potion that can maintain the love and care but still instil fear and accountability.This is not to say the players are not hurting for this loss. They are hurting more than anyone on the outside can. They will all have to dust themselves off and do the good things again but also make sure their intensity doesn’t drop. The England bowling attack can be taken down. They just need their bowlers to be in the good areas more often than at Headingley, and then be switched on in the field.If there is any consolation, it has been done before. Kohli’s first Test as captain is remembered for his brilliant twin hundreds, but even that game featured ordinary selections and lower-order disasters. In his first series as the full-time captain, Kohli lost what seemed like the unlosable Test in Galle to start off with. You can quibble with other things, but it is hard to remember drops in intensity in the side after that.

Christian Pulisic broke the deadlock in the 54th minute of the Derby della Madonnina, finishing from close range after Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer could only parry Alexis Saelemaekers’ long-range effort. The chance came from a swift counterattack, with Milan recycling the break before Pulisic reacted quickest in the box to slot home the opener.

Getty Images SportSecuring Milan advantage

Pulisic delivered the decisive moment in the Derby della Madonnina, scoring in the 54th minute to send AC Milan to a 1–0 win over Inter Milan. The goal capped a blistering counterattack orchestrated by Massimiliano Allegri’s side, beginning with a crucial midfield interception from Youssouf Fofana. The Frenchman released Alexis Saelemaekers on the right, and the Belgian’s powerful strike forced Yann Sommer into a save he couldn’t push clear, allowing the alert Pulisic to finish from close range.

The goal marks Pulisic’s seventh in all competitions this season and his fifth in Serie A, continuing his excellent form since returning from injury.

AdvertisementWatch the goalAFPAllegri's tactical approach pays dividends

Allegri's decision to deploy a 3-5-2 formation with Pulisic and Leão as a front two has proven effective thus far despite Internazionale dominating the opening minutes of the second half. The home side for the derby, the Rossoneri were under the cosh prior to Pulisic’s goal. The match itself leaned in favour of the Nerazzurri, with Inter hitting the woodwork twice in the first half through Francesco Acerbi and Lautaro Martínez, the latter denied by an exceptional save from Mike Maignan.

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AFPMilan rivals set for season-long battle

Sunday’s result could have significant implications for the Serie A title race. The victory lifts AC Milan to 25 points, putting them just two behind league leaders Napoli and level with Roma. Inter, meanwhile, remain on 24 points and drop to fourth place – only their third league defeat of the season.

With the table so tight, the derby result could prove pivotal in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive title races in recent years.

Thomas Frank’s time in charge of Tottenham Hotspur may not be going exactly to plan at this moment in time, as his side have been in concerning form of late.

The Lilywhites have conceded 11 goals in their last three games in all competitions, losing 5-3 to PSG and 4-1 to Arsenal in their last two outings since returning from the international break.

Tottenham have won one of their last six games in all competitions, keeping one clean sheet in that time, and this shows that Frank and his staff have plenty of work to do to improve the team’s defensive record.

Spurs let in 65 goals in 38 Premier League games in the 2024/25 season under Ange Postecoglou, which shows that this is not a new issue, and it may take time for the problem to be solved.

Whilst there is plenty of attention on the defensive side of their game, and rightly so given recent results, there should also be attention given to where they need to improve at the other end of the pitch.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with one assist, was one of the standout performers for PSG, as he moved to eight goal contributions for the season, but Spurs do not have similar quality in their wide areas.

Ranking Tottenham's wingers this season

The Lilywhites spent £55m to sign Mohammed Kudus from Premier League rivals West Ham to bolster their ranks out wide in the summer transfer window, and he has been arguably the best winger at the club this season.

In the 2025/26 campaign, the Ghana international has more assists (five) than any other player in the squad for Spurs, with one assist on top of all of that creativity, per Transfermarkt.

However, even then, there is plenty of room for him to improve because of a return of one goal in 17 appearances in all competitions is far from an exceptional return for a £55m signing.

On the flip side, Brennan Johnson has scored four goals in 18 matches in all competitions, per Sofascore, yet he has failed to provide a single assist for his teammates, which shows that he needs to improve on the creative side of the game.

Ranking Tottenham’s wingers this season

Rank

Player

1

Mohammed Kudus

2

Brennan Johnson

3

Wilson Odobert

4

Xavi Simons

5

Mathys Tel

As you can see in the table above, Wilson Odobert ranks just below the two of them, because he has one goal and two assists in just 751 minutes of football as a young player who is still learning and improving.

Xavi Simons, signed for £52m from Leipzig, and Mathys Tel, who have both played centrally and wide, have each registered just two goal contributions in all competitions, which is why they must rank fourth and fifth.

All of this shows that Frank does not have many amazing options in the wide areas, but that could change for the second half of the season if things go to plan.

Spurs told that £50m bid will be accepted for Premier League forward

According to former Aberdeen, Everton, and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness, Tottenham Hotspur could sign Savinho from Manchester City in the January transfer window.

The ex-Premier League chief has told Spurs that a bid of £50m could be enough for them to tempt the Cityzens into cashing on the Brazil international, after the Lilywhites failed with a £60m approach for the forward in the summer.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Speaking to Football Insider, Wyness said: “There are a lot of City fans complaining about him, et cetera, et cetera. But I do think he’s a quality player.

“I think a change of scenery would obviously do him the world of good. And I think it’ll give Spurs a chance to get a better deal with City. And I do expect something like this to happen in January. So I do expect probably a bit of not so much cut-price, but certainly lower than expected, maybe around a 50 million mark even with bonuses for a player of that quality.”

Savinho has only started four matches in the Premier League for Manchester City so far this season, with the likes of Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku ahead of him, and Wyness seemingly believes that his lack of game time could open the door for Spurs.

It is now down to Fabio Paratici and Frank, though, to do a deal with City and to convince the Brazilian star to make the move to North London, because he could be their own Kvaratskhelia.

Why Spurs should sign Savinho

Like Kudus, Savinho is not a winger who is likely to come in and score 20 or more goals a season like Mo Salah or Vinicius Jr, because he has only scored four goals in all competitions since the start of last season, per Sofascore.

However, the 21-year-old talent is an exceptional dribbler and creator who could provide an exciting presence for supporters to watch out wide in the second half of the season and beyond.

Kvaratskhelia, who is valued at £79m, is one of the best wingers in the world, having won Ligue 1 and the Champions League, scoring in the final, last season, so it would be unrealistic to expect Tottenham to sign a winger who is exactly like him in every area of the game.

However, as you can see in the chart above, Savinho is very much like the Georgian star when it comes to creating chances and dribbling past opposition players on the wing, based on their respective statistics over the last 365 days.

In fact, the Brazilian Spurs target was one of the most creative players in his position in all of the top five major European leagues in the 2024/25 campaign, as shown in the table below.

Most LW assists in Top 5 Leagues (24/25)

Player

Assists

Raphinha

12

Bradley Barcola

11

Vincenzo Grifo

11

Vinicius Jr

10

Rafa Leao

10

Moses Simon

10

Alex Baena

10

Heung-min Son

10

Savinho

10

Zuriko Davitashvili

8

Stats via Transfermarkt

Whilst he may not be in the best moment at Manchester City, with one goal and two assists in 15 appearances, his form last term shows that he is capable of being an elite creator and dribbler in the Premier League.

Savinho, who Paul Merson claimed could be a “superstar”, ranked in the top 6% of his positional peers for xAG (0.27) in the Champions League and the top 4% in the Premier League with 0.35 xAG, per FBref.

These statistics and his statistics in comparison to Kvaratskhelia suggest that Spurs would be signing an exceptional young creator on the wing if they snap him up in January.

That is why Paratici should hope that Wyness is right and that a deal could be done for £50m, because the Brazilian could arrive in North London as their own version of the PSG superstar because of his creative and dribbling skills.

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Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 28, 2025

INEOS have not been afraid to splash the cash since taking the reins of Manchester United.

The 13-time Premier League champions are in dire straits, with manager Ruben Amorim yet to string a convincing run of games together, having won just 12 Premier League games in as many months in charge.

However, that is not for lack of backing in the transfer market. Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought four expensive players, including a new look attack consisting of Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha.

Goalkeeper Senne Lammens also joined the club to help shelve issues between the posts.

However, it does not seem like United’s heavy spending will be done there, with the club reportedly targeting another star attacker.

United’s latest attacking target

The Red Devils have certainly been linked with some superstars in recent days.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

One of those is Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, although they face stiff competition from Liverpool and Arsenal for the £123m-rated attacker.

Aside from the Frenchman, it seems like United are in the race to sign Real Madrid and Brazil attacker Vinicius Junior.

According to Football Insider, Amorim’s side are one of the clubs ‘interested’ in signing the Los Blancos star, who has reportedly fallen out with manager Xabi Alonso.

This has led to claims that the 25-year-old has refused to sign a new deal at the Bernabeu, and, with his contract up in 2027, he could be available at a cut-price fee.

Indeed, that is still as high as £80m, but given his quality and the state of the market, that seems a good price. United would have to rival Liverpool for his signature.

Why Vinicius would be a perfect Cunha upgrade

There are few players in the world as deadly in attack as Madrid’s number seven, Vinicius. Although this season under Alonso has been tougher than previous campaigns in the Spanish capital, his quality speaks for itself.

Yet, even then, his 2025/26 season so far has been impressive. The former Flamengo star has managed five goals and four assists in 13 La Liga games, and 901 minutes.

That leaves him with a goal involvement every 100 minutes.

Surprisingly, he’s yet to score or assist in the Champions League this season, but that is a competition where he’s had plenty of prior success.

The 2021/22 campaign, where Los Blancos lifted the trophy, saw him register 11 goal involvements. Two years later, they won it again, with Vincius scoring six times and assisting five in just ten games, including a goal in the final.

If Vinicius were to move to Old Trafford, he could be considered an upgrade on Brazil teammate Cunha.

Of course, the new Red Devils number ten only moved to Old Trafford this summer, joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £62.5m.

In terms of his sheer goals and assists output, the 19-cap Brazil star has only chipped in with one Premier League goal, an excellent finish against Brighton and Hove Albion.

He has seemingly impressed Amorim, who said he is a “maverick” footballer.

Yet, there is little doubt that Vinicius, described by Statman Dave as “the best player on the planet” back in the Champions League-winning season of 2023/24, would be an upgrade on his countryman.

Aside from his output, his pace and skill in one-vs-one situations are deadly.

Indeed, the stats from the current season back that up. For example, the Los Blancos number seven averages 3 successful take-ons and 8.9 progressive carries per 90 minutes, compared to 1.97 completed take-ons and 2.63 progressive carries for Cunha.

Vinicius & Cunha – 25/26 compared
Stat (per 90)	Vinicius	Cunha
Goals and assists	0.9	0.13
Key passes	2.9	1.32
Goal-creating actions	0.8	0.13
Progressive carries	8.9	2.63
Take-ons completed	3	1.97
Stats from FBref

Whilst Cunha has enjoyed a good start to life at Old Trafford, Vinicius could take Amorim’s side to a whole new level. His deadly dribbling ability and eye for goal make him a complete attacker, one of the world’s best.

£80m isn’t the most outlandish fee for the quality of player. Perhaps the Brazilian could be the man who can finally make things click for Amorim at United.

Mbeumo upgrade: INEOS want to sign "best player in the world" for Man Utd

Manchester United could be about to target another elite-level talent for Ruben Amorim in the months ahead.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 25, 2025

The Australian model goes significantly further than the version implemented by the BCCI since the ICC allowed domestic competitions to trial injury subs

Alex Malcolm29-Sep-2025Cricket Australia will trial an injury replacement rule in the first five rounds of this season’s Sheffield Shield competition, and allow the opposition to make a corresponding substitution, with a view to passing on the findings to the ICC as discussions continue about the introduction of injury substitutes in Test cricket.CA has communicated with the six state teams in recent weeks, outlining the details of the rule which will be implemented across the first half of the season, which starts on Saturday. It will differ significantly from the “serious injury replacement substitute” rule the BCCI has brought into India’s domestic first-class competition recently.The Australian version has been designed with the aim of covering all injuries, preventing fit fast bowlers from being overloaded for the remainder of the match if they lose a fast-bowling mate early in the game, and to maintain competitive balance within matches while trying to avoid any manipulation.Related

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Currently, teams can make unlimited concussion substitutions across all four days of a Shield game – and that will remain unchanged – but under the trial there will be an additional like-for-like injury replacement available to both teams up until stumps on day two.Teams will be allowed to replace any player with another player of the same skill set (for example, a fast bowler for a fast bowler, a batter for a batter, a spinner for a spinner) as a result of any injury or illness that has occurred from any point after the toss. Teams will need to make a request to the match referee, who will determine the legitimacy of the injury and approve the replacement.This differs from the BCCI rule, which dictates the injury has to have happened during the game and needs to be external (like taking a blow resulting in a deep cut or fracture) rather than internal (like a hamstring strain).The issue was in the spotlight during the recent England-India Test series where both sides had players suffer significant external injuries: Rishabh Pant with a fractured foot at Old Trafford and Chris Woakes with a dislocated shoulder at The Oval.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

An interesting element to what CA is introducing is the ability for the opposition to match a substitution. If a team uses the injury replacement rule, the opposition will be allowed to bring in a “tactical substitute” in response by the close of day two. But that substitute must be the same type of player as was injured in the opposition.For example, in the round one clash this week between Western Australia and New South Wales at the WACA ground, if a WA fast bowler was injured and was replaced by another WA fast bowler, NSW could make a tactical substitution but could only swap out a fast bowler for a fast bowler. They could not make a tactical substitution like swapping a batter for a batter because of form in the first innings.The match referee can also put restrictions on the involvement of both replacement players. A batter may be instructed that they cannot bowl if they are replacing a batter who does not regularly bowl. The replacement players also automatically inherit any warnings that have been imposed on the replaced player, such as for running on the pitch.Another key element is that in the case of the player who is ruled out through injury or illness, they will undergo a mandatory 12-day non-playing period that starts from the second day of the match that they were subbed out of.This means that if a player were to be replaced for injury in the first two days of round one, their non-playing period would start from October 5, meaning they would not be eligible to play in the One-Day Cup matches on October 9 or the second Shield round, which begins on October 15.There is a slight wrinkle for the states to manage in that teams will only initially be permitted to travel with 12 players, as has been the norm in Australian domestic cricket for many years, with the exception being Western Australia or teams travelling to Western Australia due to the length of that flight and the difficulty in getting other reserve players there on short notice. WA, when they travel interstate, and teams who travel to WA, are permitted to have a squad of 13.Teams who are playing away from home on the east coast will be able to fly an injury replacement in at short notice if needed on the first two days of a game if the 12th man is not a like for like. The states have been encouraged to carry a spare fast bowler as the 12th player on most occasions as the majority of replacements will be to fast bowlers based off the injury data CA has used to help form this new rule. CA wanted to avoid teams carrying large squads unnecessarily.The ICC has agreed that all matches during the trial period will retain first-class status. During the first five rounds, CA will be sourcing feedback from the states on the success of the trial and it is leaving open the possibility of continuing it further into round six and or round seven. CA will also look at potential alterations to the trial from round seven onwards or cancelling it altogether.

Having declared overnight, India completed their demolition of WI after lunch on day three

Alagappan Muthu04-Oct-20255:02

Chopra: Gulf between India, West Indies there for everyone to see

Ravindra Jadeja has been building a case to be one of the best allrounders in the game. A four-for to follow a hundred against West Indies to start the new home season was just the latest evidence he offered in favour of that argument. On the back of his 104 not out and 4 for 54, India completed an innings win with two-and-a-half days to spare.A proud record stood tall between February 22, 2013 and October 25, 2024. It buckled 24 hours later. India lost a Test series on home soil for the first time in nearly 12 years. Many of the players who had contributed to that run are now retired, including Virat Kohli, R Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara. But Jadeja remains.He was there when India began that run against Australia in Chennai. He was there when New Zealand broke them last year in Pune. And he was there once again, lifting them back up against West Indies now. At 36 years old, it is unclear how much cricket is left in him but it was poetic that in the first of 66 Tests that India had to play at home without R Ashwin, his old pal came up with a hundred and a four-for.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Alick Athanaze carried the West Indies flag, showing why he is rated as a good player of spin. He picked up length well. He was decisive going forward or back. And he remembered to put pressure back, two rock-solid reverse sweeps for four and one sumptuous cover drive for three highlighted his process. All of those scoring shots were against half-volleys that were well wide of the stumps. This is the judgment and the competence that convinced the coach Daren Sammy and the management to bring him back into the Test side.India, though, kept placing new threats in front of Athanaze. Jasprit Bumrah hit him on the helmet. Washington Sundar tested him with the ball turning away. They were waiting for Athanaze to be just slightly off with his process and eventually, after 73 balls, he was, closing the face of the bat, baited by an offbreak that pitched on middle. Washington took a simple catch, which then led to a symbolic representation of West Indies’ batting in this Test.Jomel Warrican tried to impose himself on Mohammed Siraj, swinging as hard as he could, only for his bat to fly out of his grip and land at square leg. The ball meanwhile settled in mid-off’s hands.Alick Athanaze offered some resilience for West Indies•Getty Images

West Indies are a side still building its best batters. Ahead of this tour, they were shorn of two of their best bowlers. This informed the challenge they could pose. They are struggling to find a better opener than John Campbell, 32, who is the third-most experienced player in this XI. He has 23 caps and in all that time, he has no centuries. Even in first-class cricket, after 101 matches, he has only nine centuries. In Ahmedabad, he fell for 8 and 14. The only slightly younger Tagenarine Chanderpaul finished with 0 and 8. Top-order returns like that just won’t do.Jadeja is sometimes accused of being that left-arm spinner who just fires the ball in and lets the pitch do its work. But he knows how to work batters out too. He saw Brandon King lunging forward to try and smother the turn and that helped him once. He hit a crisp cover drive for four. It also led to his downfall as Jadeja recalibrated his flight. It was still full so it triggered King’s instinct to get on the front foot. But he had no way of getting to the pitch of this one. Having committed to the shot, he ended up vulnerable to the turn and presented a straightforward catch to slip. All this happened in the space of two overs. In that small period of time, Jadeja turned what the batter thought was a strength into a weakness.Siraj was the other bowler among the wickets, taking five or more over the course of a home Test for the first time.West Indies lost 10 wickets in two sessions on the first day. They did it again on the third day. Only two players got into the 30s. Only two faced 50 or more balls. They have five days to address these problems before the start of the second game in Delhi. The wait to win a Test match against India in India, which is into its 31st year, continues.

Newcastle United have now reportedly been offered the opportunity to finally sign James Trafford in a deal that would see Tino Livramento head in the opposite direction to Manchester City.

The Magpies certainly have a lot to think about ahead of 2026. With new sporting director Ross Wilson in place, they’ll be hoping to avoid the chaos of missing out on top targets to hand Eddie Howe some much-needed reinforcements.

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Howe’s side enter this weekend’s clash against Man City in desperate need of three points, having entered the international break off the back of a shock 3-1 defeat at the hands of Brentford. Currently sat as low as 14th in the Premier League, the Newcastle boss reiterated that he’s looking for a response from his players on Saturday night.

There would be no better way to get back on track than a victory against a side with Man City’s quality, but then it’s about consistency for the Magpies. On the pitch, they must turn things around in preparation for what could be a busy January transfer window.

Already, reports are claiming that they’re still interested in signing Trafford and could be handed an interesting opportunity to do so in 2026.

Newcastle offered chance to sign James Trafford

As reported by TeamTalk, Newcastle have now been offered the chance to sign Trafford by Man City, who are looking to strike a swap deal involving Livramento. The Citizens were interested in the versatile right-back in the summer, but were priced out of a move thanks to the Magpies’ eye-watering £80m price-tag.

Now, just months later, it looks as though City are once again interested in a move for the England international and are already willing to cut ties with Trafford to make a move happen.

The shot-stopper returned to the club with the hope of finally becoming their number one, only for Gianluigi Donnarumma’s arrival to bring an end to those plans. Left to watch on from the bench ever since, he could certainly do with another call from those in Tyneside.

That said, whilst Newcastle’s admiration for Trafford is clear, it remains to be seen whether he’s valued higher than Livramento in Tyneside. The goalkeeper has been described as “incredible” by Pep Guardiola, but even that may not be enough to convince Newcastle to sacrifice their star defender.

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