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Two-fors from Heather Graham and Linsey Smith restricted Perth to 137, which Hurricanes chased down with eight wickets to spare

AAP13-Dec-2025

Hobart Hurricanes won their maiden WBBL title with a comprehensive win over Perth Scorchers, thanks to an unbeaten 77 off 44 balls by Lizelle Lee.Hurricanes, who topped the table at the end of the regular season, grassed half a dozen chances in the field but were still able to restrict their opposition to 137 for 5.Lee then turned on the fireworks in the chase as her side reeled off the target with eight wickets in hand and 30 balls to spare on Saturday night in front of a delighted home crowd. Hurricanes’ first trophy in the 11th edition of the WBBL came after their male counterparts broke through to win the BBL crown last season.Lee whacked three consecutive boundaries in the opening over, which included a drop that was parried across the rope. In scenes reminiscent of Mitchell Owen’s stunning hundred for Hurricanes in the January BBL decider, Lee turned up the heat and finished with 10 fours and four sixes.Lee’s knock was the highest score in a WBBL final and her best score of the season. She shared a 77-run partnership with Nat Sciver-Brunt (35 to 27) to iron out the majority of the chase.Scorchers legspinner Alana King, who was in good form heading into the contest, copped some punishment and went for 0 for 25 off two overs.Earlier, Scorchers won the bat flip and opted to bat but struggled to get their innings going, despite Hurricanes missing chances in the field. In-form opener Beth Mooney (33 from 26) was dropped three times in the powerplay before being bowled by Heather Graham in the 11th over. Graham (2-26) also picked up the big scalp of Scorchers’ skipper Sophie Devine.New Zealand international Devine, who was dropped on 27, was circumspect early but came to life with two sixes, before getting stumped in the 17th over. Hobart’s English spinner Linsey Smith bowled just two overs but finished with a valuable 2 for 8.Hurricanes had earned a direct passage to the final after ending the season atop the table, while Scorchers, who were gunning for their second title, won two finals games to qualify. On the big day, Scorchers came up short while Hurricanes cruised home.

Mohit Sharma is also being released, while T Natarajan is being retained by Delhi Capitals

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Nov-2025

Delhi Capitals (DC) are set to release their overseas opening pair of Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk, along with former India fast bowler Mohit Sharma. After a lot of deliberation, the owners has decided to retain T Natarajan, a capped India pacer and yorker specialist who was signed for INR 10.75 crore at last year’s mega auction.Signed in 2024 for his base price of INR 2 crore, du Plessis, 41, had underwhelming returns in IPL 2025, hitting 202 runs in nine games at a strike rate of 123.92. These numbers were in stark contrast to his impact for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), for whom he made 438 runs in 15 innings at 161.62 as they rose from the bottom to the playoffs the previous season.Mohit too was below par, picking two wickets in eight games while going at 10.28.Fraser Mc-Gurk, however, will be the most high-profile release, considering hat the franchise had labelled him a player for the future when they signed him in 2024. His intent-laden batting that yielded 222 runs off just 81 deliveries were the highlight for DC during the fag end of their campaign that season.He was subsequently bought back via the right-to-match card ahead of IPL 2025, where he returned five single-digit scores in six matches. His overall tally of 55 runs included a best of 38 before he was benched.Having returned home when the IPL season was paused owing to cross-border tensions with Pakistan, Fraser-McGurk opted to stay back when the season resumed, with the franchise signing Bangladesh left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman as a temporary replacement. At the time, the IPL had stated temporary replacements would not be retained, which means Mustafizur, too, will need to go to the auction.Fraser-McGurk’s recent form has been poor across formats. He had a highest of 36 in three List A games against India A, and has managed scores of 34, 27 and 4 in the three list A games for South Australia since. Post the IPL, Fraser-McGurk also had a lukewarm Major League Cricket stint with San Francisco Unicorns.

Liverpool haven’t been at their best this season, though there is an expectation and anticipation across the red Merseyside streets that Arne Slot has what it takes to turn things around.

The Dutch coach won the Premier League in his first year at the helm, after all, and he achieved this having spent very little last summer, welcoming Federico Chiesa from Juventus for a cut-price £12.5m fee and then using the Italian sparingly across the campaign.

It didn’t matter, though. Liverpool were spearheaded by Mohamed Salah’s jaw-dropping season, the Egyptian breaking any number of records as he claimed his second Premier League title. He won a gamut of individual accolades too.

But Salah is 33 years old, and it was clear to Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes that the Reds needed sweeping changes across the final third, with no guarantees that Salah would replicate such a one-of-a-kind campaign.

It was clear, indeed, that Darwin Nunez needed to be sold after three seasons on Merseyside that left plenty to be desired.

Why Liverpool sold Darwin Nunez

Liverpool signed Nunez from Benfica for an initial £64m fee in 2022. That figure would have risen to a club-record £85m mark, but for the Uruguayan’s struggles across his three years in England, that meant targets were left unhit.

Across three seasons, he only scored 25 times in the Premier League. This statistic is aggravated by Sofascore data revealing that the 25-year-old missed 53 big chances during that timeframe.

Nunez’s plight at number nine, first across two years in Jurgen Klopp’s system and then under Slot’s wing, was played out against the backdrop of a trophy-rich period at Anfield, and he did depart this summer as a Premier League champion.

Premier League

95

25 (16)

Champions League

17

5 (1)

Carabao Cup

13

2 (6)

Europa League

10

5 (1)

FA Cup

7

2 (2)

Community Shield

1

1 (0)

But Nunez, now plying his trade with Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, never failed to shake off the wasteful tag that chased him through his English career.

It was crucial that he was replaced, and replaced he was this summer.

Liverpool first wrapped up a £69m move for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, and the French forward already looks levels above Nunez at the Liverpool spearhead.

However, another Redman has been criticised for offering less than Nunez did last season, with the South American posting seven goals and seven assists across 47 matches in Slot’s system.

Liverpool forward is 'offering less than Nunez'

Liverpool ‘won’ the transfer window. So many exciting signings were welcomed down Anfield Road, but the club have found it tough across the opening months of the season, and club-record signing Alexander Isak is the perfect example of that.

Isak, 26, is one of the finest goalscorers in world football, and Liverpool ended a highly-charged transfer saga this summer by completing the British-record £125m addition of Newcastle United’s talisman.

However, Isak went on strike in the build-up to his big move, and this has left him scrambling for form across his opening matches, lacking match fitness and fluency.

More is expected at this stage, and Liverpool correspondent David Lynch has even gone as far as to suggest that the 6 foot 3 striker is “offering Liverpool less than Darwin Nunez did” at the moment, with just one goal and one assist across eight appearances this term.

Isak gave his new club a flavour of his skill when netting against Southampton in the Carabao Cup at the start of October, but it’s been a transitional period for him, to be sure.

And Lynch is right. Nunez had offered Liverpool more at this stage last season, but that does not mean that Isak will continue to struggle.

This is all to be taken with a pinch of salt, of course. Only in January did pundit Jamie Carragher hail Isak as “the best striker in the Premier League”.

Last season, the Sweden star ranked among the top 3% of Premier League forwards for goal involvements, the top 12% for goal-creating actions and the top 14% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref. He scored 27 goals across all competitions, including the decisive strike against Liverpool to lift the Carabao Cup at Wembley.

His all-encompassing attacking style has even seen comparisons drawn with former Liverpool superstar Luis Suarez, who was as prolific as they come in England and played his football was such gusto and personality.

Suarez was a one-of-a-kind centre-forward, but then so is Isak. Liverpool just haven’t been treated to his finest skills yet. However, it is on Isak to get himself up to speed and prove he is anything but Nunez-esque.

Whereas Nunez fell by the wayside after completing his big-money move from overseas, Isak has proven himself and then some on English shores since joining Newcastle from Real Sociedad for £63m in 2022. His time on Tyneside was no joke, and Liverpool would bear testament to their record-signing’s might after his string of brilliant performances against the Anfield side in the past.

Now that autumn is deepening, Liverpool must ensure that Isak is nursed toward full health, though Slot will be cautious after the £280k-per-week superstar was kept on the fringe across the recent international break by Sweden boss Graham Potter.

Ekitike has proved he is every bit the elite rival to thrive at number nine when Isak is injured or merely rested, but Liverpool will expect their British-record addition to start proving they have received bang for their buck soon, especially given the need to ease the weight of the club’s current crisis.

For a respected reporter to be observing that Isak is currently pulling less weight than Nunez was, a highly polarising former Red, that is evidence that it hasn’t been good enough, and needs to be quickly changed.

Better signing than Semenyo: Liverpool enter race for £100m "superstar"

Liverpool are weighing up a 2026 bid for one of the Premier League’s best midfielders.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 21, 2025

In the end, India got everything they could have wanted out of the opening match of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. While the result will no doubt be the most important factor – a comfortable 59-run, DLS-adjusted win – they will be pleased that every member of their batting unit was tested and that most of them were up for it. So a middle-order collapse of 4 for 4 became a footnote and questions about their intent without a meaningful contribution from Smriti Mandhana were left for another day.One area India won’t have any qualms with is their allrounders department. Deepti Sharma was the star in Guwahati as her run-a-ball 53 clawed them out of a considerable hole, before her 3 for 54 helped stifle Sri Lanka’s chase.Amanjot Kaur, who shared the new ball, struck a 56-ball 57 in a 103-run seventh-wicket partnership alongside Deepti, which revived India from 124 for 6 at the end of the 27th over.Sneh Rana, meanwhile, showcased her power hitting in a 15-ball 28, before producing the most economical spell of the day, one that was rewarded with a wicket towards the end of the game.It meant that India’s seventh and eighth wickets accounted for 145 runs, collectively more than the six wickets that preceded them. The hosts ended on a fairly imposing 269 for 8 in a rain-reduced 47-over innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

And with the ball, the same players involved in those crucial partnerships strangled Sri Lanka’s chase. Chamari Athapaththu looked to be closing in on some of her best form, but Deepti removed her with a yorker for a 47-ball 43. Vishmi Gunaratne has been a reliable run-getter for Sri Lanka, but Amanjot trapped her leg before after a pained 28-ball 11. All the while, Rana was as miserly as ever at the other end, before belatedly halting Nilakshika Silva’s threatening cameo of 35 from 29. At 140 for 6 in the 29th over, Sri Lanka’s task seemed a stretch too far.Wickets were spread around each of India’s five frontline bowling options, with Kranti Goud and Shree Charani also getting in on the action. India will be extremely pleased at having so many players who could impact the game with both bat and ball.Sri Lanka, in their revised chase of 271, kept a steady scoring rate of about five an over, though once Athapaththu fell it seemed fanciful to imagine they would be able to up the scoring to consistently above six an over, let alone the eight per over required-rate that was needed as the game went along.That Sri Lanka had to chase so much from how well-placed they had been midway through India’s innings was largely of their own making, having dropped Amanjot on four different occasions – 18, 37, 50 and 53. Even if a wet ball courtesy the intermittent rains could be cited as a mitigating factor, it was just the sort of fortune India needed after their innings had gone off the rails near the halfway point.Losing Mandhana early is never ideal, after she sliced one to deep point, but the lack of intent shown by the rest of the batting order against a disciplined, but not exactly threatening Sri Lankan seam contingent, might have been alarming. Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol put on 67 but it came off 96 deliveries.Rawal fell just as she was beginning to accelerate, Inoka Ranaweera breaking the stand with the second delivery of her opening spell. The left-arm spinner was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka, ending with figures of 4 for 46 in nine overs – though she could have had a five-for, if not for being one of the players to drop Amanjot. Ranaweera though is the oldest bowler, at 39, to pick up a four-wicket haul in a Women’s ODI World Cup. Until India’s late onslaught, her intervention had been poised to be the defining moment of the innings.Inoka Ranaweera strruck thrice in an over in the Women’s World Cup opening game•ICC/Getty Images

That intervention occurred in her third over and the 26th of the innings. Harmanpreet Kaur and Deol were in the midst of a momentum-shifting 39-run stand when Deol chipped one gently to extra cover. Ranaweera then spun the next one down the line past Jemimah Rodrigues’ forward defence to peg back the off stump before having having Harmanpreet caught behind. India had gone from 120 for 2 to 121 for 5 in the space of five deliveries. Seven deliveries later, they were 124 for 6 as Richa Ghosh slapped a veritable gimme ball, straight to cover point off Athapaththu.At that point India would have been grateful to reach 200, but such was the quality of the counterattack and Sri Lanka’s lack of quality in the fielding department, that India ended up close to what they might have been aiming for initially, having been put in to bat.Rana’s belligerence at the death will rightly take many of the plaudits. Her 15-ball cameo brought two fours and two sixes, helping India score 34 runs off the final two overs. But it was the sometimes fortune-laden partnership between Amanjot and Deepti that truly changed the complexion of the game.The pair did well to keep the scoreboard ticking at around a run-a-ball, ensuring that a defendable total was first secured before launching into a late assault that pushed the team into imposing territory. Their ability to do so was, however, aided by Sri Lanka’s poor catching, which let them down at crucial moments.Of the many chances Amanjot provided, the first was a skier dropped by Achini Kulasuriya, who never quite settled under it at deep square leg. Had that been taken, India would have been seven down for 162. The second was a slightly tougher opportunity – spilled on the run at long-off by Silva. The third, and arguably the easiest, was a return catch off a leading edge put down by Ranaweera.Only the final missed chance could be classified as genuinely difficult: Gunaratne couldn’t hold on after a desperate forward dive at deep midwicket. The irony was that Gunaratne eventually took a spectacular diving catch at square leg – sprinting to her right – to finally dismiss Amanjot for 57.It was a display in sharp contrast to the discipline Sri Lanka had shown in the first half of the innings, when India’s top order was stifled by tight bowling and sharp fielding. For India, they will be pleased with how they responded in the face of adversity, but will know they have vast space for improvement going forward.

After the dramatics of the first game of the World Series, Saturday’s contest was far more straightforward—that is, until the top of the ninth inning (more on that in a bit). Los Angeles Dodgers hitters jumped on New York Yankees starter Carlos Rodón. The lefty gave up three home runs—including back-to-back jacks to Teoscar Hernández and Freddie Freeman—and he was chased out of the game in the fourth inning. Meanwhile, Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto had one of his best outings of the year, and the final score was Los Angeles 4, New York 2. The win puts the Dodgers up 2–0 in the series.

The Yankees did not go out without a fight, though. After Giancarlo Stanton drove in Juan Soto with an RBI single that struck the third base bag, the next two hitters reached to load the bases with one out. Dodgers closer Blake Treinen struck out Anthony Volpe, then Alex Vesia came in and retired Jose Trevino on one pitch to escape the jam and secure the win.

But the Dodgers’ joy was tempered. In the bottom of the seventh, Shohei Ohtani drew a walk to get on base and attempted to steal second. He was thrown out—and was then slow to get up, finally leaving with a trainer, moving his left arm gingerly. He was seen leaving the dugout between innings; Ohtani’s spot in the lineup did not come up again. The broadcast reported that it was a shoulder injury but did not say anything regarding the severity. It leaves a tense situation for the Dodgers: There is no player on either of these rosters whose star power is so bright or whose ability to change a game is so profound. If Ohtani is indeed injured, the rest of this series might look meaningfully different, and that attempted steal may ultimately turn out to be the most important play of this game. 

Sanju Samson’s controversial omission from last season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy has had no impact on his standing within the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) or the state’s cricketing circles. On Saturday, the India and Rajasthan Royals batter reaffirmed his popularity by becoming the most expensive signing at the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) auction. He was picked up by Kochi Blue Tigers for a record INR 26.60 lakh.This will mark Samson’s first competitive appearance since the conclusion of IPL 2025, where he played nine matches for Rajasthan Royals. The team endured a disappointing campaign, finishing ninth with just four wins and ten losses. Samson missed a significant portion of the season’s middle phase due to a side strain.The KCL will also mark Samson’s first appearance under the KCA’s ambit since his omission from the Vijay Hazare squad. At the time, Samson had been left out for not attending a preparatory camp in the lead-up to the tournament. While the KCA stated they wanted to set a precedent, the India batter claimed he had written to the association seeking permission to miss the camp.Named brand ambassador of the league, Samson had missed the inaugural edition of the KCL to prioritise international commitments. He was subsequently given a break, and his name was withdrawn from the auctions. Since then, Samson has strengthened his position as a regular T20I opener for India, most notably hitting three centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa.Vishnu Vinod, the wicketkeeper-batter who was part of Mumbai Indians, was the second-costliest pick at INR 13.8 lakh, while allrounder Jalaj Saxena was picked for INR 12.6 lakh.The inaugural edition of the KCL was sharply in focus during the IPL this year after teenage left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur was signed by Mumbai Indians for INR 30 lakh after impressing in the trials. He was also taken to South Africa, where he served as a net bowler for MI Cape Town.Signed for INR 3.75 lakh during the inaugural edition, Puthur was retained by Alleppey Ripples for the second edition. This will be his first competitive outing since being injured midway through IPL 2025, where he picked up six wicket in five matches for MI.

What defines a legend? A modern-great? In Arsenal terms, it’s Thierry Henry, the club’s record goalscorer.

It’s also Dennis Bergkamp. It’s Tony Adams. All three icons are cast in bronze outside the Emirates Stadium.

It’s also Arsene Wenger. While his stint in north London ended without many trophies, he is the most successful Gunners manager in the modern era. He was the one who drove the move from Highbury to the Emirates. He was the one who achieved a double, the one who reached a Champions League final.

He is also the only manager to have a golden Premier League trophy. No club in history since the old English First Division was rebranded have achieved an unbeaten season. Few have brought as much to the game as Mr Wenger.

Current boss Mikel Arteta has a great deal to achieve before he can be recognised in the same light but a major trophy come the end of 2025/26 would undoubtedly help.

It’s safe to say Bukayo Saka is certainly also heading down the legendary route.

Where Bukayo Saka ranks among Arsenal players in the Emirates era

The date was 29th November 2018. The setting: a freezing cold stadium in Ukraine. The opposition were Vorskla Poltava. What was the significance? Well, Saka made his first-team debut for the Gunners.

Brought into the fray by Unai Emery, he appeared from the bench in a 3-0 win aged 17 years, two months and 24 hours.

Since then, it’s safe to say the winger hasn’t looked back. Initially making his first forays at senior level as a left-back, even appearing there during Arteta’s first match in charge, he is now one of the best wingers in the world.

Only a few weeks ago, he cemented himself as one of the finest players of the Emirates era by registering his 100th goal involvement in his 200th Premier League clash, finding the net from the penalty spot against West Ham last time out.

The poster boy for this Arsenal team and indeed the Arteta project, journalist Charles Watts claimed he was “the best right winger in the world” back in 2023 and while Mo Salah may have overtaken him in that regard, certainly in the Premier League, he’s still right up there.

As far as Emirates Stadium icons go, he sits very close to the top of the tree. Other candidates include current teammates William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. Declan Rice is up there too.

Yet, does he come close to eclipsing the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie? Considering the way in which the pair left, you’d have to say yes at this current moment in time.

Does he eclipse Mesut Ozil? The German is one of the finest playmakers we’ve ever seen over the last two decades but even his time in the English capital ended in tears.

Alexis Sanchez left in strange circumstances as well but Saka still has some way to go before he eclipses the Chilean’s numbers. He found the net on 80 occasions in 166 matches, most notably scoring 30 times in the 2016/17 campaign. Saka’s best season in front of goal stands at 18 so there is room for improvement there.

The club’s number 7 is no doubt already a club icon but who’s next on the conveyor belt of talent?

Arsenal star could become an all-timer like Saka

Saka is Hale End. He has served as the inspiration for a whole number of footballers trying to make the jump from academy to first-team life.

His influence has already proven to be a beacon for the likes of Max Dowman and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Lewis-Skelly earned his England debut last term and Dowman is currently the talk of the town having become the second-youngest player in Premier League history when he made his top-flight debut at the age of 15 a couple of months ago.

1. Ethan Nwaneri

15 years, 5 months

2. Max Dowman

15 years, 7 months

3. Jeremy Monga

15 years, 8 months

4. Harvey Elliott

16 years, 1 month

5. Matthew Briggs

16 years, 2 months

Dowman is the shiny new toy and so it’s easy to forget about fellow Hale Ender Ethan Nwaneri.

Now 18, Nwaneri is the only player to make his Premier League bow at a younger age than Dowman and since then, he’s gone from strength to strength.

While he is yet to find the net in 2025/26, largely now playing as an attacking midfielder, he showcased that he was a true game-changer in 2024/25.

Last campaign, the teenager predominantly played on the right flank when Saka was out injured and he made a remarkable impact. In total, the youngster bagged nine goals in 37 matches and created two assists. One of those included a stunner in the rout over Manchester City.

He earned rave reviews in the process. After starring in the Champions League, TNT Sport pundit Joe Cole stated that Nwaneri was “the most exciting footballer in England and maybe Europe.” Fine praise indeed.

Cole is certainly a huge fan of the teenager, remarking at another point in the season that he was like the great Lionel Messi.

“These touches he produces in and around the box, I don’t want to say it, but it’s like Messi,” the former Chelsea star said. “I don’t want to put any more pressure on the kid’s shoulders, I’m sure he’ll deal with it. He plays with such confidence and he’s a beautiful player.”

After such an impressive season, it’s easy to forget just how young this kid is. Dowman is getting all of the hype now but let’s shine a light on Nwaneri again.

He may have only played 145 minutes in the Premier League this term but he is already streets ahead of his peers in the same age group. Some might argue he’s also ahead of Saka at the same age.

During the England international’s first full campaign a senior player he only beat the goalkeeper on four occasions. Nwaneri had five more.

So, there are still plenty of reasons to be excited about the teenager, particularly as in the words of Arsenal content creator Leo Da Silva, he has the potential to be “an all-time like Saka.”

Forget Lewis-Skelly: Edu sold an Arsenal talent who's "England's future LB"

Arsenal may come to regret letting this Hale End star slip through their fingers.

4 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 11, 2025

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has provided a major update on Liam Delap's injury as he revealed when the striker would return to action. Delap joined the Blues from Ipswich Town in June, immediately after the 2024-25 campaign was over. He participated at the Club World Cup and played a key role in the English giants' triumph in the competition, but he picked up an injury at the beginning of the 2025-26 season.

Delap's early injury blow

Delap picked up an injury in just the third match of the 2025-26 campaign as he limped off in the first half of the Blues' 2-0 win over Fulham on August 30 in the Premier League. Following this injury, Maresca confirmed that the striker is expected to be out of action for nearly 12 weeks. Delap's injury led to Chelsea initially cancelling Nicolas Jackson's loan move to Bayern Munich after giving the green signal. However, they eventually sanctioned the move on the deadline day as they brought Marc Guiu back from his loan spell at Sunderland. Tyrique George's transfer to Fulham also fell through after initially approving the move. 

In Delap's absence, Joao Pedro served as the club's only recognised striker, who has enjoyed success in his maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge, having scored two goals and provided three assists in eight Premier League appearances thus far. 

AdvertisementAFPMaresca provides update on Delap's return

Speaking on Delap's present condition and his possible return date, Maresca told reporters on Tuesday, "Liam is very close. He is not working with us yet, he is still out but hopefully he can start in the next days to take part in the session with us."

Chelsea will miss the service of the suspended Pedro for their upcoming Champions League fixture against Ajax on Wednesday. When asked about his plans to replace the Brazilian forward, Maresca added: "We have him [Guiu], we have also Tyrique who has played games as a nine in the past. He did well. He played I think against Benfica as a nine. We have different options. We have one more session this afternoon and then we decide. We trust Marc. We trust already last year, he was always playing in the Conference [League]. We also gave him some Premier League games so we show in the past that we trust Marc. Now he is again with us and he is going to play games for sure."

Maresca denies Chelsea's discipline problem

Defender Malo Gusto became the fourth Chelsea player, after Robert Sanchez, Trevoh Chalobah and Joao Pedro, to be sent off in the club's last six matches across all competitions as he was given his marching orders in the 87th minute of the Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest last week after he pulled off a mindless challenge on Neco Williams.

Maresca, after the game, had claimed he wasn't worried about the red cards and ahead of the Ajax clash, he reiterated his statement as he added: "For sure it is something that we can do better. I think some of the red cards, we could avoid that. For example, the Malo one is completely avoidable. It is 3-0, the game is finished. But also, the other side, they don't want to concede, they want to continue to be aggressive. For sure, when you concede five or six red cards, there is something we have to improve and it is something we are for sure going to improve.

"[But] personally, I'm not that kind of manager to punish players. I don't think in my view it is the right way to do things. I prefer to help them understand and then from there to do the right things. Joao Pedro was [in the] last minutes of the game. Malo was [in the] last minutes of the game. So it depends, they are all different kinds of red cards. But if you concede four or five, it is something you have to do better. I have four kids. When they do something wrong, I don't punish them. I try to push them to do the right things and I try to treat the players in the same way: try to help them to understand and not to punish them. This is the way I see things – it can be right, wrong, I don't know – but it is the way I like to do things."

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Getty ImagesChelsea's Fernandez boost

While Delap will still take some time before he fully returns to action for the Blues, the club have received a major boost on Enzo Fernandez's fitness after the midfielder missed the Forest clash last weekend. The Argentine international has returned to training and is expected to be part of Chelsea's matchday for the European clash.

It was the end of an era last week when Tottenham Hotspur officially confirmed that Daniel Levy would be stepping down as chairman after more than 24 years at the helm.

The highlight of his tenure at the football club arguably came earlier this year when Ange Postecoglou led the club to the Europa League trophy, beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final.

Away from results, as much as supporters may not want to hear about it, Levy also made significant progress on the financial side of the club during his time as chairman.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire recently claimed that he ran the club “very efficiently” and noted that Spurs make ten times as much in revenue as they did when he arrived in March 2001.

As you can see in the post above, Tottenham were the most profitable ‘big six’ club in the Premier League over the past 24 to 25 years, and one of only three of those six teams to be profitable at all.

Whilst there may be some criticism over some of the signings made by Levy, including the likes of Tanguy Ndombele and Davinson Sanchez, the ex-Spurs supremo also made some terrific signings.

Some of Daniel Levy's best Tottenham signings

Gareth Bale is the first name that comes to mind when thinking about his best signings for Tottenham, given what he went on to achieve after joining.

Spurs reportedly paid a fee of £10m to sign the Welsh wizard from Southampton in the summer of 2007, after he registered 11 assists in the Championship for the Saints, per Transfermarkt.

Bale went on to establish himself as a superstar in North London with 30 goals and 17 assists in his last two Premier League seasons, per Transfermarkt, before his world-record £85m move to Real Madrid in 2013.

Heung-min Son, who captained the club to the Europa League trophy earlier this year, is also another one of the most impressive signings Levy made for Spurs.

Tottenham signed the South Korea international from German side Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 for a fee of £22m, after he had scored 29 goals in 87 appearances for the German side, per Transfermarkt.

As you can see in the table above, the former Spurs captain provided a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch as a goalscorer throughout his ten years in North London.

Son was a brilliant signing, therefore, because he was an incredible servant for the club for a decade, and captained the team to a major trophy this year.

Bale and Son were phenomenal signings for Spurs by Levy for slightly different reasons, as the former earned the club a huge profit and the latter delivered huge success for the team on the pitch by winning a trophy.

Levy’s best signing during his time at the club may not be Bale or Son, though, because that award may go to the deal that brought Dele Alli to North London.

Chalkboard

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

Football is an incredibly subjective sport and a lot of supporters like to have their say on who the club should target and sign to bolster the squad based on their own views.

The deal to sign Bale, who had just delivered 11 assists in the second tier for a fairly big club like Southampton, and the deal to sign Son, who had scored 29 goals in Germany already, were ones that fans could have pointed out and asked for.

Why Dele Alli was Daniel Levy's best signing for Tottenham

Dele was an even better signing than Bale and Son for Spurs because of the nature of the deal, given the price tag, where he came from, and what he went on to achieve.

Levy swooped to sign the attacking midfielder from League One side MK Dons for a fee of £5m at the start of 2015. This was a bold move by the Spurs chief because he had only played League One football up to that point.

He also became the first player MK Dons ever sold to a Premier League team for more than £1m, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he was not coming from a team, like Southampton, with a rich history of developing young talent.

The teenage talent had scored 24 goals and provided ten assists in 88 games for the League One team, fewer goals than Son managed for Leverkusen and fewer assists than Bale produced for the Saints, but made the step up to the Premier League in the 2015/16 campaign and hit the ground running.

Alli scored ten goals and provided eight assists in 33 games in the top-flight in the 2015/16 season, which was a remarkable achievement given that he came straight from the third tier.

He won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in both of his first two seasons with Spurs, becoming one of a select few to have won the award twice, and provided consistent quality on the pitch for several years.

As you can see in the table above, Alli provided goals, assists, and positional flexibility for Spurs throughout his time at the club, with 67 goals and 59 assists in total.

Alli, who was described as a “pure wonderkid” by talent scout Jacek Kulig looking back on his form for MK Dons, may not have had a picture book ending to his career at Spurs, signing for Everton on a free transfer in 2022, but there is no doubt that he was an incredible signing for the club.

The England international was Levy’s best piece of business during his time at the club because of how obscure the signing was, given the league he was playing in and MK Dons’ lacklustre history when it comes to selling young talent.

It was a risky move by the chairman and one that paid off almost immediately on the pitch, as evidenced by his PFA awards, and that is why Levy can look back on that signing as his best piece of work.

Tottenham's most expensive signings of all time

A detailed look at Spurs’ 10 most expensive signings of all time.

By
Charlie Smith

Sep 5, 2025

Fifties for Robson and Holden but Middlesex fall away from strong position to post 260

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-Apr-2025Lancashire 68 for 0 trail Middlesex 260 (Robson 70, Holden 69, Aspinwall 4-32) by 192 runsRookie seamers Tom Aspinwall and Ollie Sutton launched Lancashire’s bid for an immediate return to the top flight in positive fashion by bowling out Middlesex for 260 on the opening day at Lord’s.Relegated to Division Two of the Rothesay County Championship last season, the Red Rose began the campaign without injured ex-England veteran James Anderson and West Indies paceman Anderson Phillip, unavailable due to a visa issue. But 21-year-old Aspinwall, with figures of 4 for 32, and left-armer Sutton, who took 2 for 57 on his first-class debut, swung the game in their side’s favour after a century stand between Sam Robson and Max Holden had given Middlesex a strong platform.Having reached 215 for 3 in front of an impressive Lord’s crowd of 4257, the home side stumbled – losing their last seven wickets for 45 runs – and Lancashire’s openers shaved 68 off the deficit before the close.The visitors opted to bowl after winning the toss and gained some early swing and bounce, with Tom Bailey beating the outside edge several times before breaking through in the fifth over. Nathan Fernandes, restored to an opener’s role at Middlesex following Mark Stoneman’s departure, contributed just a single before he was tempted to nibble at a Bailey delivery that slanted across him.But, having seen off the new ball, Robson began to play with greater freedom and rattled off a spate of boundaries, steering Sutton to the midwicket fence to bring up his half-century from 60 balls.Holden played his part as Middlesex cruised along at around four-and-a-half an over, but the left-hander was given a life on 28 when he hooked Sutton to long leg, only for the ball to slip through Luke Wells’ fingers and over the rope. However, with Lancashire’s seamers toiling fruitlessly, Wells redeemed himself by coming on for an over of legbreaks just before lunch to pin Robson lbw on the back foot with his fifth ball.Holden posted his half-century in the first over after the resumption, squirting Wells to third man for three and looked a good bet to convert that 50 into three figures until he fell to a smart take by Matty Hurst. Standing up to the stumps, the young wicketkeeper – who had earlier spilled a similar chance to remove Leus du Plooy off Will Williams – snapped up Holden off the same bowler and claimed his third dismissal when Ryan Higgins nudged George Balderson behind.That triggered a middle-order collapse, with four more wickets falling in the space of just 21 deliveries – two apiece to Sutton and Aspinwall. Debutant Ben Geddes became Sutton’s maiden first-class victim when he miscued a pull to midwicket and Jack Davies was lbw shuffling across his stumps before du Plooy, having spent more than two hours over a watchful 41, was on the sharp end of a similar decision in Aspinwall’s favour.By contrast, Toby Roland-Jones’ dismissal was palpable as Aspinwall brought the ball a long way back down the slope to take his leg stump, mopping up the innings after tea with the wickets of Zafar Gohar and Henry Brookes.Lancashire skipper Keaton Jennings batted sensibly alongside new opening partner Michael Jones, capitalising on loose deliveries as they chipped away at the home side’s total. However, there were close calls for both openers before stumps, with Jennings’ inside edge off Blake Cullen rebounding off his pad but somehow avoiding the wicket and Jones almost playing on to Brookes.