All posts by h716a5.icu

Abject. It is, painfully, an accurate way of summing up Liverpool’s form this season. The Premier League champions will not retain their belt, not like this, not with such deep tactical cracks and incoherent players and non-existent belief in Arne Slot’s plan.

The most concerning part of the recent 3-0 defeat in Manchester against Pep Guardiola’s resurgent outfit is that Liverpool were outplayed across the park. Be it physical, mental or tactical metrics, Manchester City shone, and the Reds were blinded by their opponent’s superiority.

Jeremy Doku stood out, darting this way and that, scoring a stunning goal in the second half after breaking away from Ibrahima Konate. The Belgian winger completed seven of eight dribble attempts and created three chances, as per Sofascore.

Liverpool have got so many problems, and the recent wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid provided only the veneer of a revival as City hit the Merseside club with a sobering reality check.

Among Slot’s biggest concerns is the enduring slump of Mohamed Salah. For so many years, the Egyptian has been an unstoppable force for Liverpool, but, aged 33 and at the front of a sinking ship, he is struggling to recover more than a flicker of his former greatness.

Mohamed Salah is becoming a problem

Will we see the best of Salah in a Liverpool shirt again? There’s every chance that the right winger expended incredible amounts of mental and physical energy driving his club to the league title last season, and across all competitions, he scored 34 goals and supplied 23 assists.

Almost three months into the new campaign, Slot’s second in the dugout, Salah has recorded eight goal involvements, but his general play and the accuracy of his shooting have paled in comparison to the many years behind him. Salah is not himself.

This is a worry, to be sure. Not just because Liverpool are playing without their talisman in his groove, but because Slot has shown a hesitance toward unleashing Federico Chiesa right from the start of last season, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change any time soon.

How much longer can it go on like this? Man City reduced Liverpool’s superstar to half-chances and a role within the defensive press. How many times has Salah picked Pep apart? How often has he been the leading light against this arch-rival of modern times?

Premier League

19

9 (6)

Champions League

2

2 (1)

Community Shield

2

1 (1)

FA Cup

2

0 (0)

Carabao Cup

1

1 (0)

There is, of course, the caveat to all this that Salah would be far better placed in a system of greater fluency. This has been anything but the case for the Anfield side this season.

But Father Time is not on the Premier League legend’s side, and, having penned a new two-year extension worth £400k per week in April, Salah has around 18 months to show that FSG have received more than bang for their buck one final time.

But there’s a very real possibility that Salah is past his prime, and that Liverpool need to find a successor.

An onerous task if ever there was one. However, Liverpool actually have a Kirkby prospect who has what it takes to swipe the icon’s shirt.

The Liverpool teen who can take Salah's #11

Slot needs to find a solution to Liverpool’s current woes, but let’s all take a breather, just for a moment. Liverpool have so much talent. Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz will come good. But, more excitingly, there’s a wealth of teenage talent soon to be at Slot’s disposal, with one prospect a cut above the rest.

Rio Ngumoha knew he was headed to the upper crust of the Premier League, and a youth system that has shown itself since Jurgen Klopp came along to be a hothouse for those immensely gifted young stars.

Chelsea’s loss was Liverpool’s gain. Ngumoha was poached from Cobham in 2024 and made his professional debut against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup midway through his maiden year on Merseyside.

A left-sided winger with incredible speed and dribbling, the 17-year-old Ngumoha has the potential to become a superstar at Liverpool, with his physical, athletic and fierce playing style offering shades of that man Doku, Anfield villain last weekend.

You could say Ngumoha is preternaturally talented. After all, journalist Kieran Gill is among those to have singled him out as a “generational talent”, and he certainly illustrated his potential with an incredible strike on his Premier League debut, netting the winner against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park in August.

Since then, he has featured sporadically for the Redmen, playing seven games in all competitions but only starting in the Carabao Cup, among that youthful group who were brushed aside by Crystal Palace last month.

Ngumoha’s time will come. He is so fast, so sure of himself when on the ball. He is among the youngest goalscorers in Premier League history, and that goal is sure to be the first of many.

1

James Vaughan

16 yrs, 8 months, 27 days

2

James Milner

16 yrs, 11 months, 22 days

3

Wayne Rooney

16 yrs, 11 months, 25 days

4

Rio Ngumoha

16 yrs, 11 months, 26 days

5

Cesc Fabregas

17 yrs, 3 months, 21 days

Time must be afforded to one so young. Take Doku. Criticised often at Man City for being endowed with such ferocity and fleet-footedness, but lacking end product and elite decision-making.

Doku is only 23, and his performance against Slot’s beleaguered lot last weekend was the display of a winger reaching new levels of maturity and technical understanding.

Ngumoha will only get better and better as the years go on, and while he can contribute this season, these foundational years could see him bloom at the end of next term, when Salah supposedly leaves, and he could take his shirt, stepping up as Liverpool’s new wide talisman.

Can Nghumoha reach those heights, take that #11 from Salah himself? You’ll have to stay tuned. But Ngumoha will make it easy to do that. Watching him play football is a treat, and he has the capacity to not just emulate a stylistic peer like Doku but become one of the very best in world football.

More than Wirtz: £36m Liverpool star is becoming a "serious issue" for Slot

Liverpool were condemned to a fifth defeat in six Premier League matches at the Etihad.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 10, 2025

Braves manager Brian Snitker will be moving into an advisory role in the front office and will not manage the club moving forward, the franchise announced on Wednesday morning.

"The Atlanta Braves and Brian Snitker today announced that the long-time manager will transition into an advisory role within the organization for the 2026 season, and will be inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame prior to a game next year. …He exits his managerial post with the third-most wins by any skipper in the history of the franchise. Snitker completed his 49th season in the Braves organization in 2025, and his ninth full campaign as the Braves manager. [Snitker] joined the organization as a non-drafted free agent in 1977," the release said in part.

Snitker, who turns 70 later this month, just concluded his 10th season as manager after taking over in the middle of the 2016 season, and has gone 811-668 with two 100-plus win seasons and a 2021 World Series title to his resume.

The Braves went 76-86 this season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

On Monday, Test cricket threw Indian fans into a situation they had no idea how to live through. Who knows when, or if, we will ever experience something like this again

Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Aug-20255:30

Gill on Oval Test win: ‘Such moments make you feel that the journey is worth it’

Sometimes, Test cricket throws even its most seasoned watchers into situations they have no idea how to live through. On Monday afternoon IST, when a desperately backtracking, desperately diving Akash Deep tips Gus Atkinson’s slog off Mohammed Siraj over the boundary cushions at wide long-on, he also tips all of India’s millions of fans into unknown territory.None of us, not even the oldest among us, has lived through anything like this.England, with their last pair at the crease, need 11 to win. Two hits will do it.India have never won a Test match by a margin smaller than 13 runs. They have won once by one wicket, but they have never lost by that margin. They have been involved in a tied Test and a draw with one wicket remaining and scores level, but they batted last both times. Three last-wicket pairs have saved Tests against them, but on none of those occasions had an India defeat been possible.Related

Renew the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy for another season. Cancel the rest

India dominate the series stats; Gill, Rahul boss the control numbers

Tendulkar: Siraj 'doesn't get the credit he deserves'

Holy mackerel Batman, what did we just watch?

The agony, the ecstasy: 56 minutes of Test cricket at its most glorious

Never before, in short, have India’s players been on the field, together, in this situation: one wicket away from victory, and a hit or two away from defeat. Never have we, their fans, watched them deal with this and attempted to deal with it ourselves.What previous experience would we even compare with this? Brisbane 2021 felt like a fairytale all the way through that final day, but through its last ten minutes or so, we were almost certain we were winning. We had begun to pinch ourselves long before the winning hit trickled over the rope. It was magic, but not of this kind.The closest we have come to this could-go-either-way feeling was, perhaps, Mohali 2010. India were chasing then, and were a wicket away from defeat. Our hopes rested on a man with a crocked back, magic wrists, and a team-mate doing his running. It was glorious, but did it feel like this? Was this much at stake? As the first of two Tests rather than the fifth of five, did it feel this… gladiatorial?We have tasted agony and ecstasy many times before, then, but neither of the kind that is imminent. Which one will it be, and what will it feel like? And until it happens, what are we to do with ourselves?We have experienced, in the last half-century, the thrill of nine previous Tests ending with margins of ten runs or fewer, and ten with one-wicket margins. On 18 of those 19 occasions, that thrill was undiluted, or unenriched, by partisanship. Cricket won no matter who won, and we won too. India weren’t in the picture. We may have celebrated with Geraint Jones or fumed at Billy Bowden when Edgbaston 2005 reached its climax, but that is preference, a pseudo-partisanship sullied by rationality, and not the raw, pulsing ache of the real thing.3:04

Bangar hails ‘Herculean effort’ from Siraj

This, now, is the real thing. It matters like hell who wins. It matters so much that we even feel, to some degree, how much it must matter to those out in the middle.How much it must matter to them.To Akash Deep, whose futile attempt to catch Atkinson is the latest in a series of fielding mishaps that add a tinge of both tragedy and farce to his fate of being the non-bowling member of India’s three-man strike force on this final day, spent after sending down 20 overs, fuelled by painkilling injections.To Prasidh Krishna, taker of eight wickets in the match, four in each innings, in danger of being judged not by that fact but by his last ball: a pretty good ball in most contexts, but here, too close to the batter, with too spread-out a field, allowing Atkinson to clip away the single that keeps him on strike.To Atkinson, on strike again, aware that he will have to do it off his bat and his alone, with even the act of running reducing his partner to debilitating pain.To Chris Woakes, the non-striker, for whom a dislocated shoulder is merely a problem to be solved. This right-handed man who bowls, throws and bats right-handed has decided, having explored every option in the nets, to face up left-handed should he need to – a gloriously absurd misnomer with his left hand and arm out of commission and hidden away in his jumper.To Siraj, who put the word ‘Believe’ on his phone wallpaper this morning, upon whose intensity and venom the exertions of bowling 30 overs in an innings about to enter its 86th have had no effect.This isn’t just one contest of ball and bat in lives defined by ball and bat. This is, while they live it, life itself.It does odd things to the watcher. Involuntary drummings and entwinings of fingers unused to separation from mobile devices. Restless bladders. Constricted throats. A pressure in the cheeks. A prickling in the tear ducts.1:15

Monga: India’s series was all about Mohammed Siraj

For the India fan, all this comes with context. A series of Homeric drama that is about to be lost or drawn, a scoreline that is about to become 1-3 or 2-2, to follow a shattering, unprecedented 0-3 at home against New Zealand and a what-might-have-been 1-3 in Australia. A coach, a captain, former coaches, former captains, retirements. A great fast bowler who is playing this series but not this match, a fine fast bowler who is turning into a folk hero, accustomed to heartbreak but never losing belief, always certain of his power to bend the script to his will.He hurries through the crease now, for the 181st time in this innings, the 279th time in this Test match, and the 1122nd time in this series, wides and no-balls included.Cross-seam, 143kph, into the base of off stump. A bowler, a batter, a set of stumps. A swipe, a shattering. Cricket stripped to its element. Breathtaking, literally. Exhalations all around the ground, all over the world, all in sync. Realisation before thought.The Oval 2025. We have never experienced anything like it before, and who knows when, or if, we ever will again.

Ryan Reynolds has revealed that a Wrexham player called him up in the middle of the night over fears about the club's docuseries "upending his life". Not long after he and Rob Mac took ownership of the Welsh side, fly-on-the-wall show 'Welcome to Wrexham' hit TV screens, helping to expand their global audience. While many love the series, one "very upset" Red Dragons player pleaded with Reynolds to edit one part of it.

Welcome to Wrexham success

When Reynolds and Mac took over Wrexham in 2021, they had a vision to massively increase the club's profile. A great way to do that was with a behind-the-scenes documentary, and sure enough, 'Welcome to Wrexham' was born. The show has just finished its fourth season, with the series detailing their rise from the National League all the way up to the Championship in a few short years. As they target the holy grail that is the Premier League, a fifth season of the show, which has won eight Emmy Awards and two Critics' Choice TV Awards, is in the pipeline. But not everyone has been a fan of the documentary. In fact, one unnamed Wrexham player once rang Reynolds in the dead of night, asking the Hollywood actor to take a certain scene out of the production.  

AdvertisementGetty'He was freaking out'

The Canadian didn't reveal which player called him but did say they were "freaking out" and begged him to edit part of an episode. Reynolds, who was filming Deadpool and Wolverine at the time, thought his request wouldn't be fulfilled, but lo and behold, it was.

"I remember there was an issue on Welcome to Wrexham where a player had some kind of issue. He was freaking out because there was something in the opening credits that would upend his life in some way," the 49-year-old said while speaking at The Wall Street Journal's CMO Council Summit. "I'm not getting into it, but he called me so upset and said, 'Can you please get this thing out of the credits?' I was like, 'Man, in Poland, someone is watching this show right now. You don't just pull something off streaming, edit it and then put it back up'. He's like, 'Please, please, just try'. It was two in the morning, I was editing Deadpool and Wolverine at night and shooting a movie in the day. I'm at my wits' end, but I asked. It turns out I was dead f**king wrong. You can actually pull something down and you can edit."

A football documentary with heart

For the uninitiated, casual viewers may see a show with comedy actors Reynolds and Mac and think it will be all fun and laughs. But one thing that is very important to the duo about this series is that it does a deep dive on the town of Wrexham and the lives the football club affects. 

Previously, Reynolds has said: "If you’re just reading the headlines, you probably think, ‘Oh, this show is going to be funny'. It’s gonna be a fish-out-of-water story about two schmucky showbiz morons going in, falling on their asses, learning as they go. But the show literally does not centre us. It centres the town. That’s always the wonderful thing about doing a docuseries, is that your job is just to listen. You can either jam something into your pre-existing vision or you can listen and allow it to become what it’s meant to become. Thankfully we did the latter. Ultimately, we got very lucky because even if you’re not rooting for Rob or Ryan, it’s pretty hard not to root for this town."

Mac added: "After the first episode aired, I was grateful to hear from several people that there was a collective sigh of relief that we weren’t there to make exploitative television, we were there to celebrate them."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Wrexham?

After securing three straight promotions in as many years, Wrexham are now trying their hand at Championship football under head coach Phil Parkinson. After, somewhat, breezing through League Two and League One, the English second-tier is proving to be a tougher nut to crack for Phil Parkinson's team. They sit 15th in the division but are just four points off the play-offs. Wrexham spent big this summer to try and launch an assault on the Championship's promotion spots, but whether they achieve that goal is up in the air.

The ODI World Cup is just two years away, but for England, a significantly more imminent challenge dominates

Andrew Miller25-Oct-2025Big picture: Context or continuity?The great gathering continues apace. First it was Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell and Brydon Carse – with Zak Crawley lurking on the fringes to soak up the vibes and sort the tee-off times. Then, by degrees, other key combatants have flown in, with New Zealand performing the role of an Orwellian airstrip, anchored ominously off the East Coast of Australia.Gus Atkinson has been in New Zealand for a week; Mark Wood and Josh Tongue arrived on Thursday, also in non-playing capacities. Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jamie Smith are all in line for their first hits of the winter in this week’s ODIs, and Jofra Archer – at some stage – his first bowl. For yes, in theory, a bilateral series between England and New Zealand is about to get underway. In practice, the Ashes phoney-war-by-proxy is about to be ramped up another notch or three.The early-season conditions didn’t allow many conclusions to be drawn from 61.4 overs of T20I action, but there was purpose to the three matches just gone – coming as they do just months before the next T20 World Cup. When it comes to ODI cricket, however, it’s harder to pretend that it’s a massive priority for either team right now.Kane Williamson’s return provides the local intrigue and, as many of New Zealand’s players have been saying in recent days, the chance to play a Big Three opponent offers a degree of context in its own right. But let’s face it, if we thought Bethell’s 39 runs from 25 balls in the T20Is offered Ashes pointers, it’s nothing compared to the frenzied hot takes that Root and co. could find themselves generating this week.Of course, the spring rains may continue to dampen everyone’s enthusiasm. But England’s main focus across the past fortnight has very much been on mental preparation. There are longer-term issues that need to be addressed with the next ODI World Cup now two years away, and for the seam bowlers in particular, there’s a real opportunity to lay down a few markers. But overall, the squad’s relaxed vibe has befitted a laid-back location, and a sense that this week is a consequences-free chance to get some game-time and continue to build towards significantly more intense challenges.This was, after all, one of the rationales for McCullum taking on the white-ball coaching role back at start of the year. The unification of philosophies across squads means there are no competing agendas pulling the players one way or the other – just a collective sense of purpose at the start of a seminal winter, and a recognition that some big pictures are significantly bigger than others.Form guideNew Zealand WWWLW (last five ODIs, most recent first)
England WLLWWIn the spotlight: Ben Duckett and Kane WilliamsonIt’s not so long ago that Ben Duckett was being touted as the most complete all-formats batter in the world. But then, the very fact of his ubiquity became too much of a burden. After an exhausting Test series against India, a grim run of form in the Hundred contributed to his absence from the T20Is against South Africa in which Jos Buttler and Phil Salt laid an insurmountable claim to the openers’ roles, and by the end of the ODI leg he was visibly shot to bits. Now he’s back after some much-needed R&R – newly married and hopefully rested up. Mount Maunganui and Perth are worlds apart, of course. But England will need him to rediscover that dynamism across formats as the Ashes draw nigh.Kane Williamson will turn out for New Zealand for the first time since the Champions Trophy final in March•ICC via Getty ImagesKane Williamson is not the most demonstrative of blokes at the best of times. But he knows a career inflection point when he sees one. It’s been nearly eight months since his last match for New Zealand – their loss to India in the Champions Trophy final – and, at the age of 35, he’s conscious of the march of time, as he returns to a set-up with a new coach in Rob Walter, and with the next ODI World Cup still a full two years away. With a young family to consider, and lucrative offers such as this year’s London Spirit/Middlesex tie-in very much on the table for the autumn of his career, these three games may go some way to determining his continued hunger after 15 years as a Black Cap.Team newsKyle Jamieson has been ruled out of the series after suffering stiffness in his side, but New Zealand welcome back a core of senior players who have not featured in the ODI set-up since the Champions Trophy – the captain Santner, Tom Latham and Williamson among them.New Zealand (possible): 1 Will Young, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Latham (wk), 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Zak Foulkes, 10 Jacob Duffy, 11 Matt Henry.Smith, Duckett and Root return to action for the first time this winter, with one eye very much on the first Test at Perth in less than a month’s time. Sam Curran will get a chance to cement his allrounder role, while Luke Wood could get a run in the side with England’s 50-overs seam attack still very much a work in progress. Jofra Archer is fit but unavailable for the first match, as England look to manage his workload ahead of the Ashes. Will Jacks is still absent with a finger injury.England (possible): 1 Jamie Smith, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Joe Root, 4 Jacob Bethell, 5 Harry Brook (capt), 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jamie Overton/Sonny Baker, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Luke Wood.Pitch and conditionsThe weather warnings that wrecked the Auckland T20I have abated, although the strong winds remain a factor. The ground record is New Zealand’s hefty 371 for 7 against Sri Lanka in 2019, so if the conditions permit, runs will surely flow.Stats and trivia New Zealand have played 11 ODIs at Bay Oval since 2014, winning six – including each of their last three – and losing five. However, England won these teams’ only previous meeting at the venue, by six wickets in 2018, despite a certain Mitchell Santner producing the day’s stand-out innings, 63 not out from 52 balls. Adil Rashid, who also played in that fixture, needs three more wickets to overtake Darren Gough (234) as England’s second-most prolific ODI bowler behind James Anderson (269).

Chelsea are now considering a marquee transfer double deal to bolster Enzo Maresca’s squad ahead of 2026, according to reports.

Chelsea tipped as Premier League title contenders ahead of Arsenal

On the pitch, their Premier League title credentials are set for a stern evaluation as they prepare for a blockbuster face-off against frontrunners Arsenal this weekend.

Sunday’s heavyweight clash between the London rivals at Stamford Bridge will provide the clearest indication yet of whether Maresca’s youthful side genuinely belong in the conversation, or if they still remain a year away from challenging for football’s ultimate prize.

The debate surrounding Chelsea’s title credentials has intensified following their impressive recent run, with Maresca himself refusing to rule out the possibility, in stark contrast to last year.

Tuesday’s 3-0 dismantling of Barcelona in the Champions League demonstrated their ability to deliver against Europe’s elite even without superstar Cole Palmer, with Estevao taking all the headlines after his masterclass against the Catalans.

Luckily for Maresca, Palmer is back to full fitness and available to play Arsenal, with Maresca handed the desired conundrum of fitting both the England international and Estevao into the same team.

Chelsea’s boss has grown adept when it comes to tinkering with his side, having made more first eleven changes than any other manager in the Premier League by far this season.

However, they could hardly ask for a tougher test on paper than Arsenal, who are currently 16 games unbeaten in all competitions and fresh off a statement Champions League performance themselves.

Chelsea have already signed "the next Cristiano Ronaldo" for half of his release clause

He could be their next Estevao-esque talent.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 27, 2025

Mikel Arteta’s side have established themselves as the benchmark to beat, and their unbeaten seven-game run against Chelsea will gift the Gunners major confidence heading into their west London tie.

Off the field, BlueCo are devising yet more plans to strengthen the Chelsea squad in future windows, despite spending nearly £300 million in the summer.

Chelsea considering £120m double deal for FC Porto's Aghehowa and Froholdt

As per reports from Spain, Chelsea are considering an ambitious £120 million deal for two talented FC Porto players, with Victor Froholdt and Samu Aghehowa emerging as top targets.

Froholdt, a 19-year-old midfielder, has captured Chelsea’s attention through his exceptional composure in possession from deep positions. The west Londoners are apparently fans of the teenager’s technical ability, and believe he could slot in seamlessly alongside Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo.

Meanwhile, Aghehowa also appeals to Chelsea’s recruitment team after his stellar 2025.

The 21-year-old striker has established himself as a consistent goalscorer in Portugal, bagging 27 goals in 45 games last term, and has continued that fine form by hitting double figures this season.

Aghehowa is a familiar name to Chelsea, having once come close to signing the Spain international back in 2024.

Both players align with their transfer strategy when it comes to recruiting world football’s most exciting young talents, but the competition for Aghehowa’s signature alone means this won’t be easy by any means.

For the first time this century, the Blue Jays are officially back in the World Series.

After defeating the Yankees in the American League Division Series, the Blue Jays returned to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2016. Toronto quickly fell behind to the Mariners, dropping their first two games of the series before winning the next two games to even it out. The Mariners won Game 5, but the Blue Jays rebounded by winning Game 6. Toronto again fell in a 3–1 hole to Seattle in Game 7, but propelled themselves to the pennant off a three-run home run by George Springer in the seventh inning.

The Blue Jays are now set to face the Dodgers in the World Series, which begins on Friday. Before the World Series begins, here's a look at the Blue Jay's prior World Series history.

When was the last Blue Jays World Series win?

The Blue Jays last won the World Series in 1993, when they defeated the Phillies in six games and Paul Molitor was named the MVP of the series in his first season with the team. Molitor hit two doubles, two triples and two home runs in the World Series victory to claim MVP.

Toronto won the 1993 World Series in dramatic fashion. They entered the bottom of the ninth inning trailing Philadelphia 6–5, who were on the verge of forcing Game 7 before Joe Carter hit a three-run walk-off home run to win the title. Carter became just the second player to win the World Series with a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

When was the last Blue Jays World Series appearance? 

The Blue Jays' last World Series appearance came the same year as their most recent championship victory in 1993. Following that win, it took the Blue Jays over 20 years before they returned to the postseason again in '15, when Josh Donaldson won the American League MVP award. Toronto is in its sixth postseason appearance since 2015, and made it to the ALCS for the third time since their last World Series appearance. This time though, they advanced.

How many World Series have the Blue Jays won?

The Blue Jays have won a total of two World Series titles, winning them in back-to-back years in 1992 and '93. They became the second expansion team to win multiple World Series titles, along with the Mets. The 1977 expansion team made their first postseason appearance during their ninth season in '85, and then their first World Series in '92.

The Blue Jays are one of seven franchises to win the World Series in consecutive seasons, joining the Yankees, Athletics, Reds, Giants, Red Sox and Cubs. The Yankees and Athletics are the only teams that have won back-to-back World Series multiple times.

Toronto was unable to achieve a three-peat after their two World Series wins. They finished 55–60 in '94, but even if they did finish with a better result, they would not have been able to try for a third straight title due to a player's strike which caused the postseason to be canceled that year.

Reddy has been suspended from playing and has 14 days to respond to the charges against him

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2025USA cricketer Akhilesh Reddy has been charged by the ICC with three violations of the Anti-Corruption Code and is suspended from playing effective immediately.The charges stem from alleged misconduct during the ongoing Abu Dhabi T10 tournament, where Reddy is playing for Aspin Stallions and has featured in two matches so far.He has been booked under the following sections of the anti-corruption code:Article 2.1.1 – Attempting to fix, contrive, or improperly influence, or being party to an agreement or effort to improperly influence, the result, progress, conduct, or any other aspect of matches in the ADT10 2025.Article 2.1.4 – Soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging, or intentionally facilitating (or attempting to do so) another Participant to breach Article 2.1.1 during one or more matches in the ADT10 2025.Article 2.4.7 – Obstructing the investigation by deleting data and messages from a mobile device that may have been relevant to the inquiry.Reddy, 25, had only made his international debut earlier this year, when he played four T20Is for USA in the North America T20 Cup. He has 14 days to respond to the charges.

West Ham could now be back in for a former transfer target who they were on the verge of signing for Julen Lopetegui in 2024, according to a new report.

West Ham poised for active January transfer window

According to recent reports, the Hammers are poised for an active January transfer window amid their battle against relegation, and could sign a defender, midfielder and striker for Nuno Espírito Santo.

Reliable club insiders like ExWHUemployee have backed this up as we fast approach the turn of the year, while former West Ham scout Mick Brown has claimed that Nuno is planning a major overhaul.

West Ham have undergone a mini revival under Nuno recently, losing just one of their last six Premier League games, but it is clear they need strength in depth across the pitch.

Niclas Füllkrug is set to leave the London Stadium in January following his lacklustre stint in England, so West Ham are believed to be looking at strikers to replace him.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Liverpool

Man United 1-1 West Ham

Brighton 1-1 West Ham

In terms of the midfield area, James Ward-Prowse, Guido Rodriguez and Lucas Paqueta have all been linked with mid-season exits, so the prospect of a new name in the engine room hasn’t been ruled out either.

Meanwhile, Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell is back on the club’s radar after coming close to joining in the summer, with the Irons planning to ‘reignite’ talks for his signature (ExWHUemployee).

Sticking at centre-back, West Ham could now be back in the hunt for a familiar name — Cruzeiro centre-back Fabricio Bruno.

The 29-year-old made 51 appearances in all competitions for Cruzeiro in the recently-concluded 2025 Brazilian campaign, and his recent form has even earned him a recall to Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad.

Bruno featured in all of Brazil’s last three friendlies against Japan, Senegal and Tunisia, with the towering defender well in contention to be selected for next year’s World Cup.

Belief West Ham have rebid for Fabricio Bruno after near-2024 move

The former Flamengo stalwart was actually on the verge of joining West Ham in 2024.

Fabrizio Romano even gave his famous ‘here we go’ to the transfer and claimed he would be Lopetegui’s first defensive signing, but the transfer ended up collapsing.

Now, as per South American journalist Jorge Nicola, there is every reason to believe West Ham may have rebid for Bruno.

According to his information, a mystery English club has submitted a £13 million offer for the player, and Nicola theorises that the most likely candidate is Nuno’s side given their very advanced talks nearly two years ago.

Bruno’s move to West Ham apparently didn’t happen because of the player’s salary demands, but the Premier League door may now be back open following what has been a stellar 2025 for him.

Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender David Luiz, who was on the books with Bruno at Flamengo, once said he has the ‘quality to play for any team in the world’.

However, given Cruzeiro only signed him in early 2025, they may be reluctant to part ways.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank finally opened up on Yves Bissouma's laughing gas allegations after Spurs launched an internal investigation into the midfielder’s conduct. Bissouma is facing fresh disciplinary action from the north London club after footage emerged of the midfielder inhaling laughing gas for the second time in just over a year.

Bissouma in trouble again for inhaling laughing gas

It was reported on Sunday that Tottenham have launched an internal investigation after out-of-favour star Bissouma was filmed inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon during the early hours of November 3, with the footage reportedly recorded at a party in London. The video, which he is said to have sent to a woman invited to join him, has raised immediate disciplinary concerns given his previous suspension for the same behaviour. Similar footage appeared last year, where the midfielder was apparently inhaling gas. Upon being found guilty, the north London club handed their player a one-match suspension.

After the latest incident, Spurs have confirmed that the matter is being handled internally after the footage was published, intensifying scrutiny on the player. The incident is particularly serious because possession of nitrous oxide – a class C drug – for recreational use has been illegal in the UK since 2023, carrying potential criminal penalties, maximum up to a two-year imprisonment. Bissouma apologised for a similar offence last year and served a club suspension as a result, but this second episode has sparked renewed questions over his professionalism at a time when he has not played a single minute this campaign.

AdvertisementGettyFrank reacts to Bissouma's incident

Reacting to the fresh controversy, Spurs boss Frank told reporters: "It’s an internal matter that we are dealing with at the moment, and when we have dealt with that, then I will have a comment on it."

After his suspension last year, former Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou had shared his thoughts on Bissouma's conduct, as he said: "He has made a really poor decision. You want to understand that and try to help him through that, and as a club (see) what we can do to make sure he doesn’t make those kinds of choices and decisions in the future. He has a responsibility to his team-mates, to our supporters and to everyone associated with the club – and he failed in those duties."

Bissouma's crisis continues at Spurs

The latest controversy adds to the Mail international's crisis in the Premier League, with his future at Tottenham uncertain ever since he was dropped from the squad for persistent lateness at the start of the season. Frank has left the midfielder out of both his Premier League and Champions League squads, noting at one point that there was still a way back but emphasising standards that must be met. 

The landscape only worsened for the midfielder following an ankle injury sustained on international duty, keeping him sidelined during a period when he needed to rebuild trust. Off the pitch, Bissouma has endured further turmoil with revelations in November that he had been the victim of a major fraud, losing £800,000 from a Coutts bank account. Although the club maintain an option to extend his contract beyond June, his position is fragile, with Spurs considering triggering the clause primarily to protect his transfer value ahead of a possible January sale. The latest footage contributes to a pattern of off-field issues that could accelerate an exit, especially with earlier interest from Turkish clubs failing to materialise in the summer.

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Getty Images SportSpurs finally bounced

After going winless in four back-to-back games across all competitions where they conceded 13 goals, Frank's men bounced back this weekend as Richarlison and Xavi Simons' goals helped Spurs comfortably beat Brentford 2-0. 

With renewed confidence, the Premier League club are all set to host Slavia Praha in the Champions League on Tuesday. The game will be extra special for the club, as their iconic forward Son Heung-min is all set to return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time since leaving for LAFC in the summer. 

The club's official statement read: "Sonny will take to the pitch before the team walk-outs ahead of the 20:00 kick-off against the Czech champions. He will then have the opportunity to personally address the supporters that took him into their hearts following his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and treasured him for the next 10 years – it is sure to be an emotional occasion in N17."