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It was a career game for Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet on Saturday vs. the Tampa Bay Rays.

Crochet finished the first complete shutout game of his career. This is a huge accomplishment for MLB pitchers, and it's somewhat rare to have a complete shutout game. There's no official historic list of pitchers who have achieved this feat, but Crochet has been hypothetically added to that now.

Crochet's final stat line was nine strikes and three hits over nine innings. He threw 100 pitches with 72 being strikes. He now has a 2.23 ERA.

Crochet leads MLB with 160 strikeouts this season, and he has the fourth-best ERA right now. He has 10 wins and four losses in the Red Sox's 52-45 season.

Crochet has the second-best odds to win the AL Cy Young award this season at +650, according to ESPN. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal leads the charge now with -260 odds. Crochet put up a pretty good convincing argument on Saturday with his performance.

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy has quickly had his eyes opened to just how difficult the job can be after losing his first two matches in charge of the club.

The French tactician lost 2-1 to Hearts on Sunday and 3-0 to Roma on Thursday, both at Parkhead, and now has a League Cup final clash with St Mirren to prepare for on Sunday.

Whilst Nancy’s tactics or system can be criticised and blamed for the two results, fingers should also be pointed at the summer recruitment, as several signings have failed to deliver.

Ranking Celtic's worst summer signings

Celtic swooped to bring ten players in during the summer transfer window, as well as signing Kelechi Iheanacho the day after the window closed, in an attempt to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ side.

A few too many of those recruits, unfortunately, have not stepped up to deliver consistent quality on the pitch for the Hoops, or they have not been deemed good enough to be given many chances to impress.

Hayato Inamura and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, for example, have both made one appearance in the Scottish Premiership this season, per WhoScored, since their respective moves to Parkhead.

As you can see in the table above, Sebastian Tounekti also ranks among the club’s worst summer signings, because he has only delivered two goals in 19 appearances, per Sofascore, since his £5.2m move from Hammarby.

We have ranked Michel-Ange Balikwisha, though, as the club’s worst signing, as he currently looks like Celtic’s worst piece of business since they signed Vasilios Barkas.

Why Balikwisha is Celtic's worst signing since Barkas

Celtic reportedly paid £4.5m to sign Barkas from AEK Athens in 2020, and he only made 24 appearances in three years before being released on a free transfer in the summer of 2023.

The Greek international was never able to establish himself as the number one, with just 15 league appearances in his first season, despite being the most expensive goalkeeper signing in the club’s history, per Transfermarkt.

Since Celtic paid £4.5m to sign Barkas in the summer of 2020, the Hoops have spent more than £5m on six players. Per Transfermarkt, Tounekti, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Adam Idah, Jota, and Arne Engels have all been signed for £5m or more since that summer.

Carter-Vickers and Jota are key players when fit. Trusty, Tounekti, and Engels have started both games under Nancy, and Idah scored 20 goals in all competitions last season before his move to Swansea.

Balikwisha, however, was signed for £5m from Royal Antwerp, costing slightly less than those six but more than Barkas, and has been a huge flop at Parkhead.

As you can see in the table above, the DR Congo international has been an unused substitute in six of the club’s last ten matches in all competitions.

This season, per Transfermarkt, Balikwisha has made 13 appearances and been an unused substitute on seven occasions for the Scottish giants, which shows that he has failed to even make the pitch on a regular basis.

In those 13 outings, the Belgium-born flop has not scored any goals and provided one assist for the team, which also shows that he has not offered enough at the top end of the pitch to suggest that he deserves more minutes.

Back in September, pundit Hugh Keevins claimed that Balikwisha is “contributing nothing” and that he looks “intimidated” in a Celtic shirt. Unfortunately, three months later, that still appears to be the case.

For £5m, given the aforementioned success of players signed for similar fees in recent years, the Hoops should be getting more out of the former Pro League star on the pitch this season, as he is simply not offering enough.

Like Barkas, Balikwisha has ended up on the sidelines, watching others perform in his place, and it would not be surprising, on current evidence, to see him end up like the Greek international by leaving the club for far less than £5m further down the line.

Celtic star was "set to" leave, now he could be the new Tierney under Nancy

This Celtic star who was set to leave the club in the summer could emerge as Wilfried Nancy’s own Kieran Tierney.

By
Dan Emery

6 days ago

That is why he currently looks like the club’s worst signing since Barkas because he has not contributed as much as the other players brought in for big money, or established himself as a regular starter. However, there is still time left for him to change this opinion and make a career for himself at Parkhead.

Over the years, Manchester United have become known for their impressive young talents, with many of whom cementing their place within the first-team squad.

From players breaking through the academy to big-money additions, the Red Devils faithful have been truly blessed and have had the chance to experience numerous elite-level talents.

At present, Ruben Amorim has massively utilised Leny Yoro, after the Frenchman joined the club in a mammoth £52m deal last summer despite being just 18.

However, his importance to the manager simply cannot be overstated, with the 20-year-old featuring in every single Premier League game of the 2025/26 campaign.

The same can’t be said for every youngster currently in the first-team at Old Trafford, especially with one talent who is seemingly out of favour at present.

The future of Kobbie Mainoo at Man Utd

Just a couple of years ago, Kobbie Mainoo was one of, if not the most important player within the Manchester United first-team squad, but he’s endured a huge decline in recent seasons.

He made his breakthrough in the 2023/24 campaign, scoring vital goals against Manchester City in the FA Cup final and even netting a worldie against bitter rivals Liverpool.

Such form enabled him to secure a place at Euro 2024 with the England squad, subsequently featuring in all but two matches during the competition.

However, Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford last November has seen a huge drop in his first-team minutes, with the manager evidently not a fan of the 20-year-old.

In 2025/26 alone, Mainoo has failed to make a single league start, subsequently being restricted to just eight appearances – totalling just 170 minutes to date.

As a result, a permanent exit has been mooted for the academy graduate, with Italian side Napoli just one of the clubs reportedly interested in a deal ahead of January.

Amorim spoke in the summer, stating that he didn’t want the player to depart Old Trafford, but given the lack of change in his first-team action, it could lead to a move this window.

The United player who has shades of Pogba & could end Mainoo’s stay

Paul Pogba is another youngster who managed to make the jump into the United first-team ranks, with the midfielder joining from Le Havre at the tender age of 17.

However, his career at Old Trafford wasn’t straightforward, with the Frenchman even leaving on a free transfer before re-joining in a club-record deal back in the summer of 2016.

He managed to rack up a total of 233 appearances during his two separate spells at the Theatre of Dreams, often catching the eye with his ball-striking ability from distance.

However, his spell was marred with attitude and fitness issues, which ultimately led to yet another free transfer departure – subsequently moving back to Juventus in 2022.

Regardless of the issues behind the scenes, he gave the supporters countless moments to remember, with the Frenchman being one of the most technically gifted players to wear the shirt.

In the present day, Amorim may have landed his own version of Pogba, with a deal for teenager Cristian Orozco completed ahead of the January window.

It’s been reported in the last couple of days, that the Red Devils have paid a fee in the region of $1m (£750k) for the 17-year-old from boyhood side Fortaleza.

He may be seen as a player for the future, but there’s no reason why he can’t be catapulted into the first team in the near future, which could end Mainoo’s stay at Old Trafford.

Orozco’s stats in the early stages of his career reflect his talents, with the Colombian’s move handing the fanbase another reason to be excited about a new addition.

The youngster, who’s been dubbed “generational” by one Colombian analyst, starred at the U17 World Cup over the last couple of months, which has no doubt led to his transfer to join United.

He won the Man of the Match award against El Salvador, subsequently registering two shots on target despite operating as a holding midfielder in front of the back four.

Orozco also completed 67 passes at an accuracy rate of 75%, whilst also completing two dribbles within his total of 107 touches during the 0-0 stalemate.

His tally of nine duels won, nine recoveries and two tackles made further highlights his all-round quality, with the midfielder undoubtedly having a huge future at Old Trafford.

He will replicate Pogba in moving to the club as a 17-year-old, with many fans hoping he can match the levels produced by the Frenchman during his own spell at the club.

However, should Orozco continue on his current development path, there’s no reason why he can’t become a key member of Amorim’s squad – potentially ending Mainoo’s stay with his boyhood club.

Best January deal since Bruno: INEOS make PL "warrior" Man Utd's top target

Manchester United have a new top target ahead of the January transfer window.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 29, 2025

Seamers do the needful against Warwickshire, as Surrey collapse opens door to points victory

ECB Reporters Network24-Sep-2025Warwickshire 258 (Mousley 74, Barnard 48, Young 48, Hutton 4-46, Abbas 3-33) vs Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire are within 300 runs of securing the Rothesay County Championship crown after bowling out Warwickshire for 258 on day one at Trent Bridge.Needing to secure a maximum of 10 points from the final round of matches to lift the title for the first time since 2010 after their victory over holders Surrey last week, Nottinghamshire fulfilled their first requirement by taking all three bowling bonus points, led by Brett Hutton’s four for 46 and Mohammad Abbas’s three for 33.And Surrey’s failure to take any of the five batting bonus points potentially up for grabs in their match against Hampshire at Southampton, means they require just two more in this match to be certain of becoming champions.Put simply, if they can muster anything above 300 with the bat within 110 overs in their first innings, the title will be theirs even were they to lose this match and Surrey win theirs.They might have been on the field in pursuit of those runs already if Dan Mousley had not defied difficult batting conditions by scoring 74 after driving Warwickshire recovery from 127 for five.Mousley shared a 117-run sixth-wicket partnership with Ed Barnard, who exactly matched Will Young earlier in making 48 from 104 deliveries. Warwickshire, who began the day in fourth place, are keen at least to overtake Somerset and finish third.After choosing not to bat first, Nottinghamshire presumably would have hoped to send Warwickshire to lunch in a more precarious position than 70 for one. As it was, in an opening session limited to 25 overs after a wholly unforecast stoppage for rain, the visitors lost only Alex Davies, who was leg before to the 10th ball of the match as Hutton found some early movement through the air.Not that it was for want of trying by the Nottinghamshire attack. Abbas, returning from a minor back issue, bowled seven overs that on another day might have generated two or three wickets. Young and Rob Yates played and missed several times and edged other deliveries past the slips. Both executed some good shots, to be fair to them.More rain delayed the afternoon session by 50 minutes. It began with another early wicket, Yates well held at second slip by Freddie McCann in Abbas’s second over.Abbas has taken the place vacated by Josh Tongue, ordered to rest up by England after his match-winning performance against Surrey last week, which illustrates the depth of Nottinghamshire’s bowling resources. Their other centrally-contracted fast bowler, Olly Stone, though he missed the first tranche of matches through injury, will complete the season having not appeared in the Championship side.Though the sky cleared, batting remained a challenge, although patience and some nifty footwork appeared to be paying off for Young. Having saved himself on 35, managing to kick the ball away a delivery from Dillon Pennington squirmed under his bat towards the stumps, he was nearing a half-century against his former county.But then he unexpectedly wafted at a ball from Hutton outside off stump and paid the price. With Surrey already dismissed by Hampshire for just 147, a first bowling point for Nottinghamshire was enthusiastically applauded by the home crowd, fully aware that the requirement to take the title was already down to just four more points.Two more wickets before tea reduced Warwickshire to 127 for five. Sam Hain, pushing forward, and Zen Malik were caught behind in consecutive overs, the latter off a ball from Lyndon James that moved late to find the edge of his defensive bat.The middle session thus belonged to Nottinghamshire, yet Mousley and Barnard resisted and then fought back in the final session, Mousley becoming more confident and aggressive as the partnership grew, accelerating to a half-century from 62 balls, which he celebrated by going down the pitch to hit James back over his head for six.In the final half-hour, though, the pendulum swung back to Nottinghamshire, left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White claiming the second bowling point with a caught-and-bowled to remove Barnard before Abbas, bowling fast and straight with second new ball in hand, dismissed Michael Booth and Ethan Bamber in consecutive deliveries.Hutton wrapped things up by bowling Tazeem Ali before Mousley holed out to long off, leaving Nottinghamshire within touching distance of the prize.

أعرب قائد فريق ليفربول، فيرجيل فان دايك، عن أسفه لما يحدث في صفوف حامل لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، في ظل النتائج الكارثية لكتيبة آرني سلوت في الوقت الحالي.

وتعرض ليفربول لهزيمة مؤسفة على ملعب “الأنفيلد” أمام نوتيتجهام فورست، مساء أمس، بثلاثة أهداف دون رد في الجولة الثانية عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي.

وقال فان دايك، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “espn” العالمية: “نحن بالتأكيد نخذله (سلوت)، ولكننا نخذل أنفسنا كذلك، علينا أن ننظر إلى أنفسنا أولاً، ثم نساعد بعضنا على الخروج من هذه الفوضى، لأنها في الوقت الحالي فوضى، هذه حقيقة واقعة”.

وأضاف: “بصفتنا أبطالًا لا يمكننا أن نكون في الوضع الذي نحن فيه الآن، ماذا سنفعل حيال ذلك  سنحاول تغيير الأمور، وهذه هي العقلية التي يجب أن يتحلى بها الجميع”.

وواصل: “من السهل توجيه الاتهامات، لكن علينا أن نفعل ذلك معًا، ما أريده هو أن يتحمل الجميع المسؤولية في الملعب، علينا أن نفعل ذلك لندفع بعضنا البعض، ولنجعل بعضنا البعض أفضل”.

واعترف: “ربما من السهل التفكير في وضعك الشخصي بدلًا من التفكير في الجانب الجماعي عندما لا تسير الأمور على ما يرام، لقد مررنا بهذه التجربة سويًا وفزنا بلقب الدوري، وكان الجميع جزءًا من ذلك وسعداء، وعندما تمر بوقت عصيب، عليك أن تتكاتف ولا تتبادل الاتهامات”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. جارديان: صوته كان صاخبًا.. لاعب ليفربول ارتجف غضبًا بعد السقوط أمام نوتينجهام

واسترسل: “عليك أن تكون رجلًا وتواجه الصعاب وتحاول مرارًا وتكرارًا، لأن الاستسلام ليس صائبًا، لقد مر هذا النادي بالكثير من الصعوبات على مر السنين، ودائمًا ما كنا نخرج منها”.

واستكمل: “لكن هذا لا يعني أن الأمر سهل بل مرهق، ولكن لا يوجد حل آخر، لدينا مباراة يوم الأربعاء ضد آيندهوفن، فماذا سأفعل؟ أعود إلى المنزل وأبكي؟ لا، سأعود إلى المنزل وأفكر في كيفية تغيير الوضع، وآمل أن يكون هذا ما يفعله الجميع أيضًا”.

لم يمضِ سوى شهر على دعوة فان دايك لاجتماع اللاعبين لتصفية الأمور بعد الهزيمة أمام مانشستر يونايتد، ولم يستبعد الهولندي عقد اجتماع آخر في محاولة لإعادة الأمور إلى نصابها.

وعن ذلك، قال: “لا أخطط لهذه الأشياء الآن ولكن دعونا نرى كيف سأكون عندما أفكر في الأمر، آمل أن يفكر بقية اللاعبين أيضًا في كيفية تغيير هذا الوضع لأننا في لحظة صعبة للغاية”.

Tottenham Hotspur are now leading the race to sign FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, with the Portuguese club willing to cash-in for a huge fee this winter.

Tottenham have struggled in front of goal at times this season, failing to score in three of their last four matches in all competitions, and the most recent result against Chelsea is likely to be particularly concerning for Thomas Frank.

Spurs fell to a 1-0 defeat at home against their London rivals on Saturday, failing to create a single big chance across the 90 minutes, which meant Randal Kolo Muani was limited to just 16 touches of the ball before being substituted in the second half.

Kolo Muani is yet to get off the mark in front of goal, while Mathys Tel has also struggled, scoring just one Premier League goal this season, and the Frenchman clearly hasn’t impressed Frank, having lost his place in the starting XI in recent weeks.

With that in mind, it would make sense to bring in a new striker in the January transfer window, and the door could be open to sign a Liga Portugal star…

Tottenham leading race for Aghehowa

According to a report from Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are now in the lead in the race for Porto striker Aghehowa, alongside Chelsea, with the London rivals potentially set to do battle for his signature.

The Portuguese club are now willing to sanction the 21-year-old’s departure for a fee of €80m (£70m) in January, despite the youngster having a €100m (£88m) release clause included in his contract.

A £70m offer is deemed ‘irresistible’, so a deal could be on the cards if Spurs are willing to eclipse the £65m fee they shelled out on Dominic Solanke and break their transfer record.

Journalist Zach Lowy believes the Spaniard, who has the same agent as Mohammed Kudus, could be destined for the very top, singling him out for very high praise on X back in June.

The Melilla-born marksman had a fantastic debut campaign in Portugal, scoring 19 goals in 30 league games, and he has since gone on to make an impressive start to the new season, finding the back of the net nine times in 11 matches in all competitions.

Aghehowa’s goal record at such a young age indicates he could have what it takes to become one of the best strikers in the world, and with Tel and Kolo Muani struggling, it would make sense for Tottenham to pursue a move this winter.

Tottenham now main contenders to sign Jonathan David Tottenham 'main contenders' to sign £188k-p/w Juventus star and it's not Vlahovic

Thomas Frank’s side have been tipped to replace Richarlison.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 31, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a derrota por 4 a 2 para o Bahia no Couto Pereira, o Coritiba anunciou nesta sexta-feira (15) a saída do preparador de goleiros Fernando Corrêa. O treinador sai do clube após uma partida muito criticada de Luan Polli, que falhou nos quatro gols do clube baiano.

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O jogo que tinha muita esperança para o torcedor do Coxa por conta das estreias de Slimani e Samaris no time titular e Jesé Rodríguez no banco de reservas, se transformou em um jogo com protestos. Muitos torcedores começaram a aplaudir ironicamente os jogadores após o quarto gol e muitos saíram do estádio.

O anúncio do Coritiba foi motivo de celebração para a torcida, que ainda sonha em se manter na Série A para o ano que vem, mas também com reclamações pela demora da demissão. Confira:

vai com Deus. Obrigado por falar o nome, pois é um cara que jamais irá me preparar, mesmo jogando na várzea.
Que nunca mais volte.

— juliano ???????? (@ujliano) September 15, 2023

COMEMORA NAÇÃO pic.twitter.com/xeCwRxuhq0

— CoxaHumor (@CoxaHumor) September 15, 2023

esperou o cara acabar com a carreira de 4 goleiros pra demitir

— Ramon (@RamonCavassin) September 15, 2023

A torcida já tinha feito esse diagnóstico que a preparação era um problema há pelo menos 5 meses. Os "profissionais" da SAF esperaram uma tragédia igual ontem pra fazer a mudança.

Parabéns.

— Marcelo Augusto Perin (@maperin12) September 15, 2023

O Coritiba retorna aos gramados em duelo importantíssimo contra o Vasco na quinta-feira (21), em São Januário

The last week or so has been a good one for Arsenal.

First, Liverpool dropped points to Crystal Palace in the Premier League and then, thanks to a last-minute goal of their own, Mikel Arteta’s side capitalised by beating Newcastle United.

On top of that, the Gunners picked up another three points and a clean sheet in the Champions League, and while he didn’t score, it was another game in which Viktor Gyokeres looked more like the top-level striker so many hoped he’d be.

Finally, another important Arsenal player appears to have found some real form of late as well, someone who could potentially help the Swedish striker reach Erling Haaland-esque numbers by season’s end.

How Gyokeres compared to Haaland last season

The first thing to note is that this article isn’t suggesting Gyokeres will ever be on the same level as Haaland; that would be rather absurd.

However, there is no reason to think the Swede couldn’t find himself in a hot streak at some point this season and match his numbers-wise during that period.

After all, while he was playing in a far weaker league last season, the Stockholm-born star was a goalscoring monster for Sporting CP.

For example, in 52 appearances for the Portuguese outfit, totalling 4248 minutes, he was able to score a staggering 54 goals and provide 13 assists.

That comes out to a mind-blowing average of 1.28 goal involvements per game, or one every 63.40 minutes, and if that isn’t a world-class rate of return, nothing is.

Appearances

52

48

Minutes

4248′

4042′

Goals

54

34

Assists

13

5

Goal Involvements per Match

1.28

0.81

Minutes per Goal Involvements

63.40′

103.64′

For his efforts, the Manchester City striker’s racked up a tally of 34 goals and five assists in 48 appearances, totalling 4042 minutes.

That comes out to a still outrageously impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.23 games, or one every 103.64 minutes.

Now, the level of opposition is a clear caveat with these numbers, but given his improvement over the last few games, his physicality, and incredible shot power, there is no reason why Gyokeres couldn’t rival Haaland with the right service.

Fortunately, someone who could be the chief provider of said service looks to be back in form.

The Arsenal star who could help Gyokeres reach Haaland numbers

The brilliant news for Arteta this season is that with Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke in the team, there is no shortage of players who could supply Gyokeres with chances.

Chalkboard

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

However, in this instance, the player who could be the most crucial in helping the Swede rival his fellow Scandinavian this season is Martin Odegaard.

Now, it’s undoubtedly true that the Gunners’ captain had a poor campaign last year, but it’s easy to forget that he was named the club’s Player of the Year for the two seasons prior.

Moreover, the Norwegian international was battling with an ankle injury that was clearly impacting his ability to play late into the season.

Regardless, the “world-class” midfielder, as dubbed by ex-Arsenal star Paul Merson, seems to be getting back to his mercurial best at the moment.

For example, his cameo off the bench against Newcastle United last week was incredibly impactful, with his persistent passes in behind leading to Declan Rice’s cross, which ultimately resulted in Mikel Merino’s equaliser.

Then, against Olympiacos, he was in from the start and put in what might’ve been his best performance for the club in quite some time.

The “sensational” international, as dubbed by content creator Connor Humm, was all over the pitch and supplied the attackers, specifically Gyokeres, with a constant stream of balls over the top and passes through the back line for them to latch onto.

In fact, during his 95 minutes of action, the 26-year-old produced an incredible expected assists figure of 0.93 and was finally rewarded when Bukayo Saka drilled a wonderful ball between the goalkeepers’ legs late on.

Minutes

95′

Expected Goals

0.72

Expected Assists

0.93

Assists

1

Key Passes

4

Touches

86

Long Balls (Accurate)

10 (7)

Shots on Target

1

Dribbles (Successful)

1 (1)

Clearances

1

Tackles

1

Ultimately, Gyokeres might not be quite as good a striker as Haaland, but with the players in this Arsenal team and Odegaard playing as well as he is at the moment, he might just be able to match his output for a period.

Arsenal planning new deal for "one of the best in the world" after Saliba and Saka

Contract extensions are a key priority for Andrea Berta.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 3, 2025

Leeds United head back into Premier League action after the international break, eager to pick up their first win in the challenging division since the opening weekend.

Since that 1-0 success over Everton at Elland Road, Daniel Farke’s Whites have depressingly lost 5-0 away at Arsenal, drawn 0-0 with Newcastle United back on home turf, and have even been dumped out of the EFL Cup by a youthful Sheffield Wednesday.

Standing in their way of a first away win of the season will likely be Harry Wilson, with the deadline day target for the Whites no doubt ready to inflict more pain on Farke and Co. by terrorising the Leeds defence at Craven Cottage later today.

Why Leeds will need to contain Wilson

Despite having a deal in the works on deadline day, a last-gasp change of heart from Fulham would see a late move for the Welshman to swap London for Yorkshire fall through.

Having started Fulham’s last contest against Brighton and Hove Albion before this messy situation unfolded, Wilson might well get the nod to start against Farke’s men, too, with a desire to show Leeds what they heartbreakingly missed out on.

After all, despite all the talk about his future and Wilson’s inability to pick up a goal or assist so far this season, he does have a moment of magic like this flicked finish against Brentford up his sleeve.

In total, for the Cottagers, the ex-Liverpool man has a hefty tally of 25 goals and 38 assists next to his name, with his own personal record against Leeds also making him a worthy candidate to start later today.

From six career clashes against Farke’s men to date, Wilson has two goals and one assist to shout about, with one of those goals even coming about the last time the two teams tussled with each other in Premier League action.

The German will be hopeful that his own set of attackers can rain on the Craven Cottage parade, however, as faces such as Daniel James try to get one over on their former employers.

Leeds are even brewing their own homegrown version of Wilson in the U21 ranks currently, and while the starlet in question won’t be featuring this weekend, he is certainly one to keep an eye on for the future.

Leeds' "very talented" homegrown Wilson

After all, the Premier League newcomers are well-known for their conveyor belt of standout youngsters initially learning the ropes at Thorp Arch, before then exploding into life on the senior scene.

Harry Gray is definitely one who could make waves in the first team picture soon, having just been nominated for Premier League 2 Player of the Month after bagging a blistering four strikes from just three league encounters this season.

Alongside Gray, his fellow attacking teammate for the U21s, Josh McDonald is another name that could soon break into Farke’s first-team plans, having already been branded as “very talented” by Hamilton Academical academy director George Cairns when the teenager was still on the books of the Scottish side.

He has lived up to that high praise in West Yorkshire already, with a whirlwind return of seven goals and six assists for the U18s during his debut season in the youth ranks, bumping him up to the U21 fold.

In time, McDonald might well become Leeds’ very own Wilson to soften the blow of the Welshman staying put at Fulham, with his versatility to play down either wing – as seen in the table above – drawing immediate parallels to the adaptable former Liverpool youth product.

Moreover, with eight goals and eight assists next to his name for Leeds, it’s clear he possesses a similar eye for a goal and an assist to the Cottagers’ number eight, away from being dubbed a “lovely” talent to watch when bursting forward with pace by Whites-based content creator Conor McGilligan.

Leeds will just have to wait and see if their raw Scotsman does go on to have a celebrated career like Wilson, but the early signs are very promising.

Leeds brewing biggest homegrown talent since Gray in "exciting" 18-year-old

Leeds could look to bring their next Archie Gray into the first team this season

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 12, 2025

Chandrakant Pandit clarified that the franchise is currently not in control of preparing pitches at Eden Gardens

Vishal Dikshit30-Mar-2025Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Chandrakant Pandit has batted for favourable home conditions in the IPL, while also clarifying that currently, the franchise is not in control of preparing the pitches at their home ground Eden Gardens.Even though KKR have played only two games so far in IPL 2025, they started with an opening loss at home, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), before winning the away fixture against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati.Within the first ten days of the tournament, there have been a few captains and support-staff members who have spoken about the home conditions the franchises get – whether favourable or not – as only five out of the ten games have been won by the home teams so far.Related

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“Who will not be happy about that? I mean, this is a simple answer,” Pandit replied when asked if all IPL teams should be allowed to have a say in conditions for the seven home matches out of a total of 14 they play before the playoffs.KKR now play Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday, before back-to-back home fixtures against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants at Eden. When asked specifically about who decides the nature of pitches in Kolkata, Pandit said: “See, as a coach, as a team management, whatever the surface has been provided to us, we play. The control, of course, that will be under [the] curator. And at this moment, the focus is definitely going to be on the next game tomorrow which we are playing [against MI].”Pandit was pressed again at the press conference about who calls the shots when it comes to deciding pitches in Kolkata. Was the KKR franchise in charge of everything at the ground?”No. In charge of everything at the ground… I don’t know. That doesn’t mean that they [the franchises] have a control of preparing wickets. I mean, ultimately, I don’t know what is the system in different states or different grounds, whether the control is with the franchise. But, at the moment, what I understand is the surface which is given to us, as a team management, as a coach, as a captain, probably we expect something [helpful] to be provided. So, that’s all.”2:12

Fleming: We haven’t been able to read the Chepauk pitches

The talk around the lack of helpful home conditions stirred up after KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane had said after their loss to RCB that they “would love to see the pitch helping our spin bowlers”. KKR bank heavily on their spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, who picked only a wicket each while trying to defend 174, as RCB won with 22 balls and seven wickets to spare. In reply to this, the Eden Gardens chief curator Sujan Mukherjee had said that as per the BCCI guidelines, franchises and players do not have “any say” in the preparation of pitches.”As per the BCCI guidelines, it is clearly mentioned that the pitch and ground preparation for all IPL regular season matches is the responsibility of the chief curator of the host association under the guidance from the BCCI-appointed venue curator, and they will be the sole decision-maker regarding the nomination of practice and match pitches, as is the case for first-class matches in India,” Mukherjee told RevSportz. “It is also instructed that the franchises and players shall not have any say in the preparation of the wicket. The BCCI chief curator is available to give any advice that is required, and will also be able to intervene if any issues arise.”Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming was a lot more scathing in a feisty press conference after their biggest home loss in the IPL, against RCB by 50 runs. Fleming said they had “no home advantage at Chepauk” anymore.

“Mumbai have been preparing themselves by playing on a red [soil] surface. It was a deliberate effort from our side [to prepare that pitch]. We wanted to play on black soil. It’s stopping a bit, and it’s slightly stickier to start with”GT assistant coach Parthiv Patel on the pitch on which they hosted Mumbai Indians

CSK have been known to stack their squad with spinners at the auction to make the most of the traditionally slow and turning tracks in Chennai. But their second home game of this IPL was more helpful for pace bowlers, proven by the RCB quicks Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar returning combined figures of 10-0-59-6.”Well, as we’ve been telling you for a number of years, there was no home advantage at Chepauk,” Fleming said. “We’ve won away from home a couple of times. And we haven’t been able to read… we’ve been really honest with you. We haven’t been able to read the wickets here in the last couple of years. So it’s not new. We are trying to come to grips each day with what we get, and we don’t know. We’re having to work really hard to try and understand what the nature of each pitch is, and it’s quite different.”Gujarat Titans’ home victory against Mumbai Indians on Saturday was a rare occasion in this IPL so far when someone from the team management said publicly that they had asked for a particular kind of pitch to make things difficult for the visiting team.”Mumbai have been preparing themselves by playing on a red [soil] surface. It was a deliberate effort from our side [to prepare that pitch],” GT assistant coach Parthiv Patel had said during an in-game interview with the commentators during the match. “We wanted to play on black soil. It’s stopping a bit, and it’s slightly stickier to start with.”The GT fast bowlers made the most of the conditions by taking the pace off the bowling especially while bowling to the MI middle and lower orders in a chase of 197, and got them a 36-run win.