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Cristiano Ronaldo claims to not be overly fussed about winning the World Cup, with his GOAT status already secure, but former Premier League rival Clinton Morrison has exclusively told GOAL that the Portuguese is lying and will want to match Lionel Messi. CR7 will get another shot at savouring glory in 2026, as part of his ongoing efforts to reach 1,000 career goals.

• Will Ronaldo match Messi with World Cup win?

  As captain of his country, Ronaldo has enjoyed a European Championship triumph and two UEFA Nations League wins. He has also collected major honours at club level with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr.

  The evergreen 40-year-old has, however, failed to capture the most prestigious of trophies. Ronaldo insists that he does not need to emulate Messi on that front in order to cement his legacy – with his fellow all-time great having landed that prize with Argentina in 2022.

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  Ronaldo World Cup claim: Doesn't need win to cement legacy

  While Ronaldo is playing down his claims to World Cup immortality, ex-Crystal Palace and Birmingham City striker Morrison believes success in that competition will be weighing on the mind of a man who has achieved just about everything else.

  Ahead of Portugal’s trip to Dublin on Thursday, former Republic of Ireland international Morrison – speaking in association with , the home of new casino sites – told GOAL when asked about Ronaldo’s bold World Cup claim: “He will be fussed, Ronaldo will be fussed! Ronaldo wants to win everything. That is why he is one of the GOATs with Messi and why they are always battling each other and we have the debate about who is the best. Ronaldo wants to be the best and Messi wants to be the best. They are two players that we will probably never see again in this era that have been fantastic.

  “Everyone wants to win the World Cup. Every individual growing up, you want to win the World Cup – that’s what you dream of when watching it on the TV growing up. He will want to win the World Cup.

  “Maybe it was a tongue-in-cheek answer. Cristiano Ronaldo is a fantastic player and it would probably complete everything that he has done in the game if he did go on to win the World Cup. It will be difficult for Portugal because there are a lot of top teams, but he has a great chance because they have a lot of top players. Obviously Ronaldo wants to win that. Whether he wins it or doesn't win it, he will still go down as one of the best players ever to play the game.”

• Goal target: Ronaldo closing in on 1,000 career strikes

  Ronaldo has made 225 appearances for Portugal, finding the target on 143 occasions. He is fast closing in 1,000 total goals for club and country – with remarkable individual standards being maintained at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr – and Morrison admits we are unlikely to see such numbers again.

  The former frontman said of those mind-boggling individual figures: “We are never going to see it again, it’s ridiculous! The numbers and the amount of goals that he has scored are insane! I can’t believe it. You look at it and say ‘1,000 goals’. It’s ridiculous. It’s hard to score 50 goals, let alone 1,000 goals!

  “Huge credit must go to him for the hard work that he puts in off the pitch as well as on the pitch. He keeps himself in great condition. To still be going now at his age and keep yourself in great shape, it’s testament to him. That’s why he’s one of the GOATs and will go down as one of the best ever.

  “If you are a youngster and wanting to be a professional footballer, you have to look up to someone like Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s been there, seen it, done it. One of the best I have ever played against – I managed to play against him when he was at Man United and he was awesome. Awesome condition and was a winner. You can see that he was always going to be a born winner.”

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  Retirement date: Will Ronaldo play on beyond the age of 42?

  Ronaldo has committed to a new two-year contract with Al-Nassr that will take him through to the summer of 2027. He has conceded that retirement is not too far off, but no date has been set for when he will hang up his record-shattering boots and plenty are tipping the legendary forward to play on beyond the age of 42.

The Blue Jays may have just gotten a massive boost after reaching their first World Series in 32 years.

Shortly after beating the Mariners in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series Monday night, All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette said he plans to be active for Toronto's matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bichette hasn't played since injuring his knee sliding into home plate against the Yankees on Sept. 6. The 27-year-old has been forced to watch the entire postseason from the dugout, but finally feels like he's healthy enough to return.

During the postgame celebration after the Blue Jays beat Seattle 4–3 in Game 7, Bichette was asked if he'd be able to play in the Fall Classic. He had a confident answer.

"I'll be ready," Bichette said.

If he can come back, that is a big addition to a Toronto team that needs to find any advantage it can against the heavily-favored Dodgers. The defending World Series champions have almost no weaknesses, so the Blue Jays have to bring their best to the table. They're significantly better with their starting shortstop in the lineup.

Bichette put up big numbers in 2025

Bichette had one of his best seasons in 2025 and had he not missed time in September, it may have actually been best. If you don't count two partial seasons in 2019 and 2020, he notched career-bests in batting average (.311), on-base percentage (.357), OPS (.840), and wRC+ (134) in 2025. He also added 18 home runs, 94 RBIs, and racked up 3.8 fWAR.

He'll be a free agent as soon as the World Series is over, and now it appears he'll definitely play more games in a Blue Jays uniform before that happens.

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Cássio concedeu no sábado (18), no CT Joaquim Grava, sua última entrevista coletiva como jogador do Corinthians. O goleiro, que optou por encerrar seu vínculo com o clube paulista após 12 anos, admitiu que recebeu sondagens para deixar a equipe do Parque São Jorge no início do ano, mas que decidiu permanecer por entender que ainda poderia contribuir – dentro e fora de campo.

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

No entanto, após perder a titularidade para Carlos Miguel e revelar que vem sofrendo com problemas psicológicos, o camisa 12 repensou sua posição e, com o decorrer da temporada, entendeu que seu ciclo no clube havia terminado.

Agora, fora do Corinthians, Cássio afirmou que anunciará sua nova equipe na próxima semana. O destino do goleiro será o Cruzeiro, onde já possui acordo verbal para assinar um contrato válido por três temporadas – até 2027.

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O principal motivo que levou o atleta a trocar o Corinthians pelo Cruzeiro foi a proposta de cada instituição. A equipe mineira ofereceu três anos de contrato e um salário elevado. O Timão, por sua vez, “esticou a corda” após a primeira oferta e ofereceu uma renovação válida até 2026. Cássio, porém, admitiu que a intenção de sair não foi motivada por questões financeiras ou contratuais.

Com a saída do jogador, o Corinthians vai economizar entre salários, direitos de imagem e outros encargos, cerca de R$ 6 milhões até o fim do ano.

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No clube desde o fim de 2011, Cássio deixa o Corinthians como o segundo jogador com mais partidas disputadas, com 712, atrás apenas de Wladimir. No período, conquistou quatro vezes o Paulistão (2013, 2017, 2018 e 2019), dois Campeonatos Brasileiro (2015 e 2017), um Mundial (2012), uma Libertadores (2012) e uma Recopa (2013).

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Cássio Roberto RamosCorinthiansCruzeiroFutebol Nacional

The Milwaukee Brewers, the No. 1 team in baseball, received some unfortunate news on Sunday ahead of the final week of the regular season. Star pitcher Brandon Woodruff landed on the 15-day injured list with a right lat strain.

The IL designation goes back to Sept. 18, meaning Woodruff would first become available for the Brewers in the NLDS when that starts up on Saturday, Oct. 4. That would likely be the Brewers' expected first game in the postseason anyway as they will get a bye in the wild-card series as long as they hold onto the top spot.

It's been an injury-riddled 2025 season for the two-time All-Star. After missing the entire 2024 season while recovering from right shoulder surgery, Woodruff didn't make his 2025 debut until July 6. In May, he paused his rehab minor league assignment with an ankle injury. Then, when he was in the midst of his rehabilitation minor league return in June, he was hit on the elbow by a line drive, which in turn kept him out for another month.

Through 12 starts this season, Woodruff posted a 3.20 ERA over 64.2 innings pitched. He has 83 strikeouts and had 23 earned runs against him.

كشف عبد الناصر محمد، مدير الكرة بنادي الزمالك، تفاصيل استبعاد الحارس محمد عواد من مواجهة كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي في كأس الكونفدرالية، والتي انتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1 ضمن الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات.

وأوضح عبد الناصر، في تصريحاته للموقع الرسمي للنادي، أن المدير الفني أحمد عبد الرؤوف يُعد من المدربين الواعدين، مشيدًا بثقافته وشخصيته القوية، وقدرته على التعامل باحترام مع جميع عناصر المنظومة دون السماح لأي طرف بالتدخل في مهامه الفنية، مؤكدًا أنه يعمل بلا توقف من أجل مصلحة الفريق.

وأضاف أن أحد اللاعبين (محمد عواد) ارتكب خطأ استوجب فرض عقوبة داخلية ولن نُعلن عنها، مشيرًا إلى أن الزمالك لا يضطر للرد على كل ما يُنشر بهدف تشتيت الفريق، لكن من حق الجماهير معرفة الحقائق الأساسية، لذلك تم توضيح الموقف دون كشف تفاصيل العقوبة.

طالع أيضًا | مدرب كايزر تشيفز: هدف الزمالك غير صحيح.. محمد صبحي فاجأني ورأيت خبث كروي

وأكد عبد الناصر أن بعض الأطراف يواصلون نشر أخبار غير صحيحة عن الزمالك رغم وجود 21 ناديًا آخر في الدوري، لافتًا إلى أن ما يحدث داخل النادي أمر طبيعي وموجود في كل الفرق، خاصة مع وجود منافسة قوية بين ثلاثة من أفضل حراس المرمى في مصر، إضافة إلى حارس شاب ينتظره مستقبل كبير.

وشدد على أن التقويم والانضباط داخل المنظومة هما الأساس، وأن تكرار المخالفات يعني عدم استمرار اللاعب.

كما أشار إلى أن الكم الكبير من الأخبار السلبية المتداولة حول نادي الزمالك لا يعكس الواقع، مؤكدًا أن الهدف منها زيادة الضغط، إلا أن الفريق لا يتأثر بمثل هذه الضغوط، فكل لاعب محترف ويدرك دوره جيدًا.

وتطرق عبد الناصر للحديث عن الأزمات المالية، مؤكدًا أنها موجودة في معظم أندية الدوري، لكن التركيز دائمًا يكون على الزمالك دون غيره.

واختتم حديثه بالتأكيد على أن لاعبي الزمالك يتحملون المسؤولية ويعملون بروح واحدة، مشددًا على أن الفريق يضم عناصر مميزة وأخرى صاعدة تستمد قوتها من دعم الجماهير، وأن العمل مستمر لتحقيق النتائج التي ترضي عشّاق النادي في مختلف البطولات.

A goalkeeper’s role in football has evolved from just being a brilliant shot-stopper. Nowadays, ‘keepers have to be just as good with their feet, with plenty of managers opting to play out from the back, meaning their No 1s are their first point to build an attack.

But with coaches demanding so much more from their number ones, who takes the crown as the best goalkeeper in world football?

Ranking factors

To help rank the goalkeepers in order, we have considered the following criteria:

Current form – how well a player has performed in the past few months Importance to their teams – how influential they are to their teams’ performances Role – how unique their skillset is Reputation – what others say about them

Rank

Player

Age

Club

Nation

Gianluigi Donnarumma

26

Man City

Italy

David Raya

30

Arsenal

Spain

Thibaut Courtois

33

Real Madrid

Belgium

Alisson

33

Liverpool

Brazil

Jan Oblak

32

Atletico Madrid

Slovenia

Unai Simon

28

Athletic Club

Spain

Emiliano Martinez

33

Aston Villa

Argentina

Diogo Costa

26

FC Porto

Portugal

Gregor Kobel

27

Borussia Dortmund

Switzerland

Yann Sommer

36

Inter Milan

Switzerland

Manuel Neuer

39

Bayern Munich

Germany

Mike Maignan

30

AC Milan

France

Joan Garcia

24

Barcelona

Spain

Jordan Pickford

31

Everton

England

Mile Svilar

26

Roma

Serbia

15 Mile Svilar Roma and Serbia

Mile Svilar had a standout 2024/25 season, recording 16 clean sheets and the highest save percentage in Serie A which has seen him join the rankings for the first time.

The Serbia international, who joined Roma in 2022, is now 26 years of age and appears to be entering his prime for the Italian giants.

Liga Portugal

2019

Belgian Pro League

2017

Belgian Super Cup

2017

14 Jordan Pickford Everton and England

Everton’s No.1 Jordan Pickford has been first choice for England for almost eight years now, and he has impressed in recent weeks for the Toffees ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Pickford starred in the 1-0 win at Old Trafford and has been a consistent performer who arguably goes under the radar when it goes to being labelled as one of the best in the world.

13 Joan Garcia Barcelona and Spain

Joan Garcia was a goalkeeper in demand during the summer of 2025 following his eye-catching performances for Espanyol.

The Spaniard looked as if he was heading to Arsenal to link up with compatriots Mikel Arteta and David Raya, however, Barcelona came in and secured a deal.

It has proven to be a smart decision, with Garcia first choice when fit, and he’s under contract at the Nou Camp until 2031.

12 Mike Maignan AC Milan and France

Mike Maignan’s impressive displays in Italy with AC Milan have resulted in recent rumours of a move to the Premier League, with the France No.1 linked with Chelsea and Man Utd.

Now captain of Milan, Maignan has made more than 150 appearances for the European giants and has won the Goalkeeper of the Year award in France and Italy during his career.

At the age of 30, Maignan appears to be approaching the prime of his career, and he has been hailed by Kylian Mbappe for his penalty-saving bailout following his Nations League heroics for France.

Ligue 1

2021

Serie A

2022

Nations League

2021

Italian Super Cup

2025

11 Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich and Germany

Despite turning 39 years of age in March, Manuel Neuer is still one of the best goalkeepers on the planet. He’s won everything there is to win in the game and has made more than 550 appearances for Bayern Munich.

The German icon has suffered with some injury issues over the last 12 months, but when fit, continues to be first-choice at the Allianz Arena. He’s also still under contract until 2026, so it looks as if he’ll continue playing into his forties.

Bundesliga

2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025

World Cup

2014

Champions League

2013, 2020

FIFA Club World Cup

2014, 2021

UEFA Super Cup

2013, 2020

German Cup

2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020

German Super Cup

2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022

U21 European Championship

2009

10 Yann Sommer Inter Milan and Switzerland

Another highly experienced shot-stopper who appears to be getting better with age is Yann Sommer.

The 36-year-old moved to Inter Milan in 2023 to replace Andre Onana and has starred in Serie A, keeping clean sheets in more than half of his appearances for the club in all competitions.

Approaching 100 caps for Switzerland as well, Sommer is another example of ‘keepers hitting their prime in the latter stages of their career, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he too ends up continuing for a long while yet.

Bundesliga

2023

Serie A

2024

Swiss Super League

2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

Swiss Cup

2007, 2012

Italian Super Cup

2024

Liechtenstein Cup

2008

9 Gregor Kobel Borussia Dortmund and Switzerland

Transfermarkt has €40m Gregor Kobel as the joint-most valuable keeper in the world today, with the Swiss shot-stopper waiting patiently to take over from Sommer as his nation’s No.1.

The 27-year-old has been an ever-present figure for Borussia Dortmund since 2021, with sporting director Sebastian Kehl calling him ‘a goalkeeper of world-class calibre who has attracted the interest of many top clubs in Europe’.

Under contract until 2028, it’ll be interesting to see if Dortmund can keep Kobel at the club in the years to come.

Bundesliga Team of the Season

2023, 2024

Champions League Team of the Season

2024

8 Diogo Costa FC Porto and Portugal

Diogo Costa, a Portugal international, made a name for himself at Euro 2024, saving three penalties in a shootout over Slovenia and has continued to impress with FC Porto.

Mikel Arteta has also hailed Costa’s consistency in recent years, and right now, he is the joint-most valuable ‘keeper according to Transfermarkt.

7 Emiliano Martinez Aston Villa and Argentina

A champion with Argentina, Emiliano Martinez has continued to star years on after helping his country to World Cup glory in Qatar.

With Aston Villa, Martinez played a key role in helping them into the Champions League and has been called a “more mature” and “better goalkeeper” by Unai Emery. Named as The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper in 2024, Martinez has dipped slightly in 2025.

World Cup

2022

Copa America

2021, 2024

FA Cup

2015, 2017, 2020

Community Shield

2014, 2015, 2020

6 Unai Simon Athletic Club and Spain

Athletic Club had the best defence in La Liga for the 2024/25 season, with goalkeeper Unai Simon playing his part in a solid backing under Ernesto Valverde by recording the best save percentage in the league at more than 77%.

Despite missing the first half of the season through injury, Simon has been a regular in 2025 and has now made more than 200 appearances for his current employers.

European Championship

2024

Nations League

2023

Spanish Cup

2024

Spanish Super Cup

2020

Manchester United fans have reacted to another Emiliano Martinez mistake as the Aston Villa goalkeeper committed an error to gift Leeds the lead at Elland Road. The Argentina number one was heavily linked with a move away from Villa to Old Trafford over the summer, but United opted to instead pursue their interest in Belgian youngster Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp.

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  Martinez spills high ball that results in Leeds goal

  Lammens has slotted into this United side seamlessly since usurping Altay Bayindir as first choice at Old Trafford. Indeed, United are now unbeaten in the five games the 23-year-old has started, which includes a memorable 2-1 win at rivals and defending Premier League champions Liverpool.

  Martinez, meanwhile, has struggled to match the heights of previous years. The 2022 World Cup winner failed to deal with a high ball after Gabriel Gudmundsson had got on the end of Sean Longstaff's free-kick to the back post.

  Anton Stach pressured the Villa goalkeeper before the ball fell to the feet of Lukas Nmecha, who had an easy finish to put Leeds ahead. After a VAR review, referee Robert Jones awarded what could prove a priceless goal for Leeds in their battle to beat the drop.

  On the VAR check, the Premier League Match Centre X account also posted: "The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with Gudmundsson in an onside position in the build-up. The VAR also checked the decision of no offside offence against Nmecha – with it deemed that he did not impact Martinez after Stach played the ball. Contact on Martinez prior to the goal was also deemed to not be a foul."

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• Fans revel in latest Martinez mistake

  United fans took to social media to revel in Martinez's gaffe, and are evidently thrilled they opted for Lammens instead of the former Arsenal shot-stopper.

  "Thank God we got Lammens instead of this 'Dibu' Martinez man. More like 'Di bum.'" @MannyUTFR posted.

  "Another Martinez howler, I was convinced United fans who wanted him in the summer didn’t watch him for one second last season" @RonaldoBrown_98 added.

  "Emi Martinez should never be in the chat for best GK in the world. He’s good for a honker a game" @jonnyupt posted, while @FidgeyCent said: "We dodged a missile in not signing Martinez, he’s so bad"

  "Rare weekly error from dibu Martinez" @tinscognito__ sarcastically said. A Leeds supporter, @Maverick2405, was critical of Martinez and they way he went down, writing: "Looks like Martinez has been assaulted judging by his reactions. What a helmet"

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  Martinez may yet leave in January

  Martinez has been heavily linked with a move away from Villa once more as the club consider whether to cash in on the Argentine. The 33-year-old has looked well below the standards expected of the West Midlands side, who travelled to Leeds on Sunday on a run of five wins in their last six league games.

  Italian giants Inter have been credited with an interest in Martinez as they consider a replacement for current number one Yann Sommer. The Swiss star was key as Inter progressed to the Champions League final, only to lose to PSG in Munich in May.

  Sommer's current contract expires at the end of the season and there have been no hint of talks about extending the 36-year-old's stay in Milan.

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• Villa see out November with games against Young Boys & Wolves

  Villa will hope for a positive result at Leeds as they gear up for a huge end to November. Unai Emery's side welcome Swiss side Young Boys to Villa Park in the Europa League next week as they look to make it four wins from five in European competition.

  They then face rivals Wolves on home turf to round off November. Villa have a decent recent home record against basement boys Wolves having won their last two welcomes of Rob Edwards' side.

  Wolves will make the short trip across the West Midlands on a six-game losing run following their 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace on Saturday in Edwards' first game at the Molineux helm.

Pakistan could take a few encouraging signs from India’s match against Oman on Friday

Karthik Krishnaswamy20-Sep-20252:35

How can Afridi deal with Abhishek?

Big pictureRemember the 1986 Asia Cup? The one without India, because they did not want to travel to Sri Lanka? Or the 1990-91 Asia Cup? The one without Pakistan, because they did not want anything to do with India?This Asia Cup could have been one of those Asia Cups, but given the two sides of this particular coin, and given how much that coin is worth, we have instead an Asia Cup where India are about to play Pakistan for the second time in a week, with the possibility of a third meeting in another week’s time. But just so we know things aren’t normal, handshakes are off-limits for one team, and the other doesn’t like the match referee.If it’s somehow possible to put all that aside, Sunday’s Super Fours meeting could be quite interesting from a cricket point of view. India will be back on the field less than 48 hours after playing Oman, and if Pakistan watched that game, they may have seen a few encouraging signs:Related

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Axar hurts his head while fielding, could be in doubt for Pakistan clash

A left-arm swing bowler, Shah Faisal, bowled Shubman Gill with his third ball and kept beating Sanju Samson’s bat thereafter. Pakistan have a left-arm swing bowler with a Shah in his name. At various points, India’s batters struggled for fluency on a pitch without a lot of pace in it. India only picked up four Oman wickets.All this, of course, happened when Suryakumar Yadav didn’t bat even though his team lost eight wickets, and when India rested Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy and got five overs out of their sixth, seventh and eighth bowlers combined. India were in full-on experimental mode against Oman, and they won comfortably anyway.Pakistan know all this, and they know India start as overwhelming favourites. But this is the Super Fours, effectively a new tournament with the slate wiped clean for both teams. And while this is an India line-up of frightening strength and depth, the gap between it and less formidable line-ups shrinks in conditions that typically yield smaller totals, such as those in the UAE. There is even an argument to be made that Pakistan made things harder for themselves in last Sunday’s clash by deciding to bat first in conditions that have tended to favour chasing.Given all that, this could still be an India-Pakistan match that we’ll remember years down the line, for cricketing reasons, even if recent history has given us little reason to believe it.Form guideIndia WWWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Pakistan WLWWW2:33

Chopra: Pakistan were timid against India’s spin

In the spotlight: Jasprit Bumrah and Saim AyubThree wickets in two games at 15.66, an economy rate of 6.71. Those are excellent numbers in most contexts, but they’re a little… ordinary given that they belong to Jasprit Bumrah and that they make him India’s fourth-best performer with the ball in this Asia Cup. But those numbers don’t really mean anything given the sample sizes involved, and the fact that he has been asked to do unusual things like bowling three overs in the powerplay. And anyway, this is the start of the tournament proper. As in any other game Bumrah plays, he starts it as one of the likeliest figures on either side to win it all by himself.Zero, 0, 0. Saim Ayub has been a valuable performer with the ball during this Asia Cup, but he has literally contributed nothing with his primary skill. That said, he has been dismissed three times playing ambitious shots right at the start of his innings. That sort of intent is exactly what Pakistan have brought Ayub into their line-up for, and this sort of run of low scores is the flip side of that intent. It can happen to anyone; how he and Pakistan react could be the barometer of how fully they have embraced this new way.Team newsAxar Patel went off the field during Oman’s innings on Friday, after his head struck the ground while he stumbled in the course of a missed catch, and did not return thereafter. There has been no indication from the team management that he won’t be fit to play Sunday’s clash, but if he isn’t available, India may have to depart from the three-spinner strategy they have employed in all their Dubai games, and live with less batting depth than they are accustomed to.Will they shake hands on Sunday at the toss?•Associated Press

India (possible): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel/Harshit Rana/Arshdeep Singh, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy.After losing to India last Sunday, Pakistan made two changes against UAE, bringing in Haris Rauf and Khushdil Shah, a frontline quick and a specialist batter, for Sufiyan Muqeem and Faheem Ashraf, a wristspinner and a seam-bowling allrounder. All four bring different things to the table, and it remains to be seen which combination Pakistan go for.Pakistan (possible): 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Salman Agha (capt), 5 Hasan Nawaz, 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Mohammad Haris (wk), 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed.Pitch and conditionsSpin is king all over the UAE, but more so in Dubai than in Abu Dhabi. Expect India to go back to three spinners if Axar is fit. Chasing teams tend to get a significant advantage in Dubai – they won 15 straight Full-Member-vs-Full-Member T20Is here at one point – but recent results have been more even – the last five such contests have brought the chasing team three wins and two defeats. Dew, according to Suryakumar, has been less evident than it was during the 2021 T20 World Cup, when India were severely disadvantaged by losing tosses.Stats and trivia India have an 11-3 (10-3 plus the tie they won via bowl-out at the 2007 T20 World Cup) head-to-head record against Pakistan in T20Is. Sanju Samson needs 83 runs to become the 12th India batter to 1000 in T20Is. Hardik Pandya is four wickets short of 100 in T20Is, while Faheem Ashraf is two short of 50.Quotes”Toss hasn’t made much of a difference. The wicket doesn’t change that much. There hasn’t been that much dew either.”
“Our batting has been a little up and down. The conditions are slightly tough for batters, and a lot of the boys have been discussing how best to tackle them. Hopefully our top three can bat longer – if they do, we’ll be in a position to set a good total. And in these conditions, chasing won’t be easy.”

Last weekend Jamie Carrgher went as far as to suggest that Arsenal defender Gabriel could win the PFA Player of the Year award.

Only three defenders have done that before; John Terry, Virgil van Dijk and Paul McGrath. It’s an illustrious list and one that the Brazilian could well join.

This season he has been one of the best players in the Premier League and perhaps the best defender in Europe’s top five leagues.

While he is a warrior of a defender, it’s his record in the final third that has stuck out the most. He’s a menace from set-plays and proved as much again on Saturday when the Gunners defeated Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor.

How Arsenal beat Burnley

Gabriel may not have scored in Lancashire this weekend but it was still a mighty performance from the Brazilian who played a vital role in Mikel Arteta’s side opening the scoring.

How did the goal come about? From a set-piece, of course. Declan Rice’s inswinging delivery found Gabriel at the back post who nudged the ball across the face of the goal.

Viktor Gyokeres was ready and waiting to head the ball home from close range. It was his first league strike since early September when he scored against Nottingham Forest and his first away goal in Arsenal colours.

While the Swede was forced to sit out the second half with an injury, he enjoyed a fabulous game with Gunners reporter Charles Watts noting that it was his “best 45 minutes in an Arsenal shirt by a distance.”

Gabriel and Gyokeres were not the only ones to put in a superb performance. The aforementioned Rice was also exceptional, playing a hand in the first goal and then scoring the second, ghosting into the area to power a header into the back of the net.

Rice was simply everywhere, amassing more touches (94) than any player on the field and registered the second-highest volume of passes behind William Saliba.

A £105m signing back in 2023, he has proven to be worth every penny, as has a certain Leandro Trossard.

Arsenal's bargain signing continues to fly under the radar

Back in 2020, Arsenal signed a certain Gabriel for just £27m. What a bargain that has turned out to be. The same can be said for another £27m acquisition in the form of Trossard.

The Belgian wasn’t at the top of the club’s shortlist but their hands were rather forced when they missed out on winger Mykhailo Mudryk. Arsenal were reportedly in the race to sign the Ukrainian but he eventually moved to Chelsea instead.

The result? The Gunners looked towards Trossard who had fallen out with the top brass at Brighton.

Since heading to the Emirates Stadium, he has become a scapegoat at times. When he starts, he struggles to have much of an impact but as a substitute, he is a true game-changer.

In the 2023/24 campaign, the forward netted six goals as a substitute in all competitions. No other player in Europe’s top five leagues scored more from the bench that term. That season he bagged 17 goals with only Bukayo Saka scoring more for the club.

2024/25 was a quieter one for the Belgium international, scoring only ten times, but this season he has looked somewhere near his best and his performance against Burnley proved exactly why he’s so underrated.

Heading into 2025/26, Trossard could quite easily have been moved aside. With Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze having signed, the former Brighton attacker looks expendable. Well, amid injuries to the likes of Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli, the Belgian has become an important member of Arteta’s side once again.

He has found the net on three occasions and registered a further three assists, the latest of which came on Saturday.

Minutes played

89

Touches

56

Accurate passes

21/31 (68%)

Big chances created

1

Key passes

2

Accurate crosses

1/3

Shots (on target)

2 (2)

Duels won

3/9

Fouled

2x

Played in behind by Gyokeres, Trossard raced onto a ball on the left, bided his time and then played an inch-perfect cross into the path of Rice.

It was a typical Trossard assist, truth be told. Perfectly crafted and weighted, it oozed class. He certainly isn’t the flashiest of players but he is always available, he’s reliable and fits Arteta’s system like a glove.

For £27m, what more do you want? On his 100th appearance for the club, he gave us a reminder of what an amazing piece of business he has proven to be.

Tottenham Hotspur have not been good enough this season, and it’s clear that Thomas Frank needs to find a solution both in regard to results and the excitement factor that has been lacking.

Having lost each of their past three matches in all competitions, including the miserable home loss against Fulham on Saturday evening in the Premier League, a response is sorely needed, but Newcastle United at St. James’ Park has hardly been a happy hunting ground for the Lilywhites in recent years.

Frank’s tactics have yet to click together, but the players also need to take responsibility for their shoddy showings, with Pedro Porro among the guilty members to have flattered to deceive all term.

Pedro Porro's Spurs form this season

Porro, 26, is one of the most talented right-backs in Europe. He has played 126 matches for Tottenham, scoring 11 goals and supplying 23 assists.

The Spaniard’s gloomy, incensed demeanour at full-time on Saturday was indicative of the wider malaise at the club, but he surely must hold his hands up and acknowledge that he wasn’t good enough, with Sofascore recording that he found the mark with only three of 16 attempted crosses, losing eight of 11 duels and being caught out numerous times.

It was, frankly, a pitiful first-half performance, with Porro utterly toothless in his creative role and more than susceptible against the rampant Samuel Chukwueze and beaten far too easily in the build-up to Kenny Tete’s opening goal after just a few minutes.

He was hardly the only one to hang his head in shame, though, with his counterpart on the left serving up an equally frustrating performance.

Spurs defender is now becoming a liability

At his best, Destiny Udogie is a machine. Ferociously athletic, fleet-footed on the ball and attuned in crucial defence phases, he took the Lilywhites faithful’s breath away when he charged the left side of Postecoglou’s system during the halycon days of 2023/24, before things went wrong.

Indeed, when he burst onto the scene as a teenager under Postecoglou’s wing, journalist Hunter Godson remarked that he was “sickeningly good” and would get into “nearly every team in the world already”.

Such was his power and pace and balance down the left lane that he was considered by Clinton Morrison on BBC Sport to be “the best left-back” in the country during that first foray into English football.

But it might be fair to say that Udogie has yet to raise his game in the Premier League. Sure, he’s been unfortunate with injuries, but this is now his third season in English football and he is no longer an up-and-coming prospect but a talented member of the first team who is expected to provide an outlet while protecting his box.

Goals scored

0.08

0.00

Assists

0.11

0.17

Shot-creating actions

2.15

2.25

Touches

66.81

69.71

Pass completion (%)

85.8

85.0

Progressive passes

5.83

5.72

Progressive carries

3.12

3.47

Successful take-ons

0.90

0.52

Ball recoveries

6.36

5.72

Tackles + interceptions

3.95

2.43

Clearances

3.01

Aerials won

0.83

0.69

It may take a moment to look at the various elements of Udogie’s game, but it’s worth a closer inspection, with Udogie yet to raise his creative levels and indeed provide greater security at the back.

In fact, as per Sofascore, he has only completed 30% of his dribbles and won half of his duels in the Premier League this year.

This remains a talented full-back with the capacity to perform as one of the best in the division, but Udogie is not pulling his weight right now, and it’s clear to see that Frank’s system is being hindered by the lackadaisical performances of Udogie and Porro, two wide players who are considered among the most talented in the country, if not the continent.

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