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Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has expressed his frustration after seeing his side held to a stalemate by Athletic Club at San Mames. The Spaniard claimed the French champions "deserved the victory" but were denied by an "incredible" Man of the Match performance from goalkeeper Unai Simon.

• PSG frustrated in Bilbao

  The Parisians arrived in Bilbao knowing that three points were crucial to their ambitions of securing automatic qualification for the round of 16. In the hostile cauldron of San Mames, the Ligue 1 giants produced a dominant attacking display, carving out numerous clear-cut opportunities against the Basque outfit. However, they found an impenetrable object in their path in the form of Spanish international goalkeeper Simon.

  The Athletic Club shot-stopper produced a string of world-class saves to keep the visitors at bay, frustrating the likes of Bradley Barcola and Senny Mayulu throughout a frantic 90 minutes as the French side made 18 attempts on goal though only five hit the target. The result leaves PSG still searching for the points required to cement their status in the top eight of the league phase standings, a reality that somewhat irked their manager during his post-match media duties.

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  Denied by the Man of the Match

  Speaking to the press after the whistle, Luis Enrique was quick to point out the statistical anomaly of the match. For the PSG boss, the fact that the opposing goalkeeper was named the standout performer was irrefutable proof that his tactical plan had worked, even if the scoreboard did not reflect it.

  "It happened like that because goalkeeper Unai Simon was incredible, he was designated man of the match and that means we deserved the victory, I think," Luis Enrique stated. "Without a doubt, Athletic's game was of a very high level. They could have won because they had a few chances too. But on the balance, we deserved to win it.

  "It's a shame because we have to win because Unai Simon was incredible, we need more points to finish in the top eight." 

  Despite the irritation regarding the result, Luis Enrique remained complimentary about the spectacle. The intensity of the match, driven by the ferocious pressing of Ernesto Valverde's side and the raucous Basque crowd, provided a true Champions League test.

  "No frustration, I think it was a very intense match, we did the job, they pressed a lot," Luis Enrique said. "We created a lot of chances but Unai Simon was on the pitch and the atmosphere was incredible."

  He also refused to criticise his forward line, despite their inability to find the back of the net.

  "All the forwards showed a good level, they created a lot of chances to score a goal."

• Eyes on the January window

  With the Champions League group phase reaching its climax and the domestic season intensifying, attention is also turning to the upcoming January transfer window. While the immediate focus was on the dropped points in Bilbao, Luis Enrique was asked about potential reinforcements to help convert these dominant displays into victories.

  According to reports from RMC Sport, the manager remains open to strengthening his squad, provided the right opportunities arise. While he maintained that his current squad is of a very high standard—making it difficult to find players who can genuinely improve the starting XI—he did not rule out activity if the market presents a solution to their occasional lack of ruthlessness.

  "We are always open to improving the team," he noted.

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  What comes next?

  For now, PSG must regroup. The performance in Bilbao proved they can create chances against top-tier opposition in hostile environments, but as Luis Enrique bluntly noted, as long as goalkeepers like Unai Simon are in "incredible" form, playing well is not always enough to secure the points needed for European glory. The chase for the top eight goes down to the wire.

  PSG have 13 points with two games left to play, which come against Sporting CP and Newcastle in January. They are already sure of a play-off spot, at least, but the Spanish coach will be determined to ensure his side avoid the extra two matches by picking up the required points next month.

Cole Palmer scored on his first Stamford Bridge start in almost four months as Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 to move back into the Premier League’s top four, but it was another attacking player taking all the plaudits.

Chelsea cruise past Everton 2-0

After four winless matches, Enzo Maresca could hardly have asked for a better moment for his most influential player to announce his return from the groin injury that has wrecked his season up to now, and it came in the 21st minute, the England forward sweeping his side into the lead from Malo Gusto’s clever pass.

Fresh from scoring a first-ever career goal in November, it was Gusto who then got the second from Pedro Neto’s cross before half-time.

Everton’s last win at Chelsea came in 1994 whilst David Moyes had never tasted victory on this ground. After four league wins in five and with the Blues in faltering form, it looked an opportune moment to settle both of those scores, but Maresca’s talisman ensured the day would be all about him.

This has been the most difficult year of Palmer’s career, suffering two significant injuries and making a fraction of the impact he enjoyed during his first 18 months at Chelsea His last goal from open play on this ground came in January, but when his chance came finally to correct that aberrant stat, he took it as though he had been banging them in all season.

Wesley Fofana played a short ball in midfield to Gusto, whose pass through the lines was wonderfully calibrated. Palmer’s run caught Everton cold and he breezed through the centre of their defence and smacked the ball by Jordan Pickford at his near post.

Alejandro Garnacho attempted the spectacular in search of Chelsea’s second with a wicked drive that cleared the bar by a fraction, then suffered a horror miss when he pounced on Carlos Alcaraz’s woeful pass but tapped wide of an open goal.

Chelsea’s second was delightfully simple. Neto made it, zipping around Vitalii Mykolenko on the right and crossing low for Gusto, arriving in the box at speed and knocking it past Pickford.

And it was the Portugal international who left former defender Stephen Warnock feeling relieved he is no longer playing, as he gushed about the 25 year-old during punditry duty for BBC.

Jack Grealish missed a golden chance to bring Everton back into it with a shot on the slide that sailed across goal and wide before Reece James was denied from a free-kick by a save by Pickford.

The final chance was Everton’s, Iliman Ndiaye rolling the ball against the post with Robert Sanchez beaten, but Chelsea by then had done enough.

When the MLB All-Star rosters were released, one of the biggest snubs was New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, who's made the previous four All-Star games.

Soto's initial reaction to being snubbed on the All-Star bid was criticized since he was mostly upset about missing out on a lot of extra money due to a bonus in his contract. Otherwise he doesn't sound too upset about the snub—it just gives him some motivation to make sure he doesn't get passed over again.

He seems to already be moved on, too.

"Forget about that. It's baseball, it's part of it," Soto said after the team's 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. "It's really tough to get in—whatever, next time, I'm gonna try harder and see what I can do."

Soto is taking his own advice very seriously as he's been putting up strong performances since the snub. Since the All-Star rosters were released on July 6, Soto has posted five hits, five RBIs and two home runs.

Neymar's contract renewal with boyhood club Santos is set to be delayed, according to reports, as the Brazil superstar prepares for knee surgery. The 33-year-old is set to hold off on signing his extension until after the surgery has been completed, with the procedure expected to take place before Christmas. Neymar played through pain to ensure Santos avoided relegation from Brazil's Serie A, but will complete the knee procedure to keep his World Cup hopes alive.

• Neymar's Santos contract renewal delayed due to surgery

  Neymar remains on course to pen an extension with Santos, whom he rejoined in January after nearly 12 years away from the club where he started his storied career. His current deal runs out on December 31 this year and, as things stand, he will be free to move elsewhere if an extension is not agreed.

  According to journalist , as reported by Planeta do Futebol in Brazil on X, the renewal was initially expected to be finalised this week but plans for Neymar’s surgery have slowed down this process on the advice of Neymar Sr, the player’s father and agent.

  Neymar Sr. reportedly said that ‘there is no need to rush’ and suggested waiting for the surgery, to which the club agreed as the decided plan of action. The contract renewal is still expected to be signed, and is touted to be agreed until mid-2026.

  This type of delay is said to be the ‘modus operandi’ of both Neymars, who tend to seek not to devalue the player and make it appear as though Santos are the only option. But the club are 'very confident' the contract will be signed, confirming recently that talks were underway.

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  Neymar new contract set to go ahead if surgery successful

  Santos reporter Musetti said on his : “I want to tell you that it is best to be patient about Neymar’s contract renewal. Santos hoped that it would be resolved this week but that’s not going to happen.

  “Santos will wait for Neymar’s surgery. Neymar is on vacation in the United States, he went from Miami to New York and will return next week, when he is expected to schedule the surgery. The surgery will happen before Christmas, maybe even in the next few days.

  “Santos already wanted to renew the contract but heard from Neymar’s father, there’s no need to rush, let’s wait for the surgery. Santos was content with that, particularly as it’s good to wait for the surgery to be successful. The surgery is likely to be very simple, a video arthroscopy to correct the problem, but what if it opens up and there is a bigger problem than was imagined? Which does require a month of recovery. So, how can you renew if you haven’t had the surgery?

  “So, Santos decided to wait, understands that it’s a good path, and won’t renew this week, they will certainly only renew after Neymar undergoes this meniscus surgery. The agreement is advanced renewal until the middle of the year, but we will have to be patient.

  “Also understand that this delay is ‘natural’, it is the modus operandi of especially Neymar’s father. This has happened two other times. When Neymar first came, he hadn’t signed the contract until the day of his presentation.”

• Mental health element at play amidst Neymar heroics to save Santos

  Musetti also spoke of a mental health element to the delays, as Neymar recently spoke publicly of having a psychological ‘collapse’ and needing some time off before having his surgery.

  Neymar scored five goals in four games to ensure Santos avoided relegation from Brazil’s Serie A at the first time of asking since promotion from the second tier and has since opted to go on holiday, to have some rest before the operation. This has in turn also delayed his contract renewal.

  "I came for this [to keep Santos up], to try to help in the best way I can," said Neymar. "These have been tough weeks for me. I thank those who were with me to lift me up. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have played these matches because of this knee problem."

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  Surgery and contract renewal could help Neymar secure World Cup spot

  The likelihood remains that Neymar will renew at Santos and remain with the Brazilian outfit until at least the World Cup, as he is believed to feel that finding his top form in Brazil will help his chances of being selected for Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad next summer – though public perception has been divided on the matter.

  The 33-year-old has not featured for the Selecao since 2023 and will hope to make a high-profile return in time for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The former Barcelona and Paris-Saint-Germain star was named in a provisional squad for the March international break but ultimately did not feature, and his pending surgery is viewed as the ticket to turning things around on the international stage.

Almost as soon as pitcher Jacob Misiorowski debuted, Milwaukee Brewers fans presumably began thinking ahead to the fireballer's first All-Star Game.

Turns out they didn't have to wait long. Misiorowski has been named to the National League All-Star team as a replacement for Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd, Major League Baseball announced in a Friday night shocker.

Misiorowski, 23, is the fastest player ever to make an MLB All-Star Game by number of games played. That designation was previously held by Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, who made the All-Star team after just 11 games in 2024.

In five career starts, Misiorowski is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.

He's coming off a blockbuster outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who he beat 3–1 Tuesday with 12 srikeouts across six innings of one-run ball. He is also not scheduled to pitch again before the All-Star break.

Boyd, scheduled to pitch Saturday, would've been making his first All-Star appearance at the age of 34.

In recent seasons, Manchester City’s academy has become one of the most prominent in Europe. They have produced many fantastic players, some of whom still ply their trade at the Etihad Stadium, and others who have moved on to pastures new.

One of the best academy graduates currently in the City squad would have to be Phil Foden. Their number 47 has cemented himself as one of the key players in Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.

On the flip side, the Citizens let the likes of Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers leave in the last few years, both of whom are now full England internationals.

Another City academy graduate, Nico O’Reilly, could be about to make his Three Lions debut.

Why O’Reilly is in the England squad

It has been an astronomical rise to the top for 20-year-old City starlet O’Reilly. After becoming an established player in their first-team fold last season, Thomas Tuchel has taken note of his performances and drafted him into his latest England squad.

The Manchester-born City star is a versatile player and has been something of a Swiss army knife for Guardiola. He’s played 30 first-team games for his boyhood club, which have come all over the pitch.

Most often, O’Reilly has played as a left-back, but he’s played as a centre-back, right across the midfield, and even as a centre-forward.

That versatility has been hugely beneficial for City’s Spanish boss. He can deploy O’Reilly almost anywhere and get a good performance in whichever role he plays. This season, the youngster has played nine games, with seven of those appearances coming at left-back.

He even set up Erling Haaland’s second goal away to Monaco from that position.

One person who O’Reilly has impressed this season is BBC Sport tactical analyst Umir Irfan. He said that the versatile star “has been brilliant for City and a big part of their solidity in recent weeks,” which is high praise indeed.

As well as O’Reilly has performed for City, he is arguably not even their biggest talent at full-back to come from the academy in recent years.

City’s ex-academy star who’s better than O’Reilly

O’Reilly isn’t the only top prospect City have produced at full-back in recent years. Rico Lewis has also broken into Guardiola’s squad, and, like his fellow academy graduate, can operate in midfield, as Guardiola likes his full-backs to do.

Yet, one player of a vastly different profile, who City may wish they had kept hold of, is Liverpool wing-back Jeremie Frimpong. The Dutchman was once in City’s academy himself, but was sold to Celtic for just £300k back in 2019.

In hindsight, this wasn’t the best decision City have made over the years. Now plying his trade at Anfield, Frimpong cost their Premier League rivals £29.5m, following some exceptional seasons at Bayer Leverkusen.

He’s already seven games into his Liverpool career and scored on his debut in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace.

He is also a different type of full-back to O’Reilly. Operating as a winger at times with the ball, Frimpong is rapid down the right flank and has a deadly cross in his arsenal.

That is why football scout Antonio Mango described him as a “cheat code.”

In Leverkusen’s remarkable invincible season of 2023/24, the Dutchman was one of their best players. Operating at wing-back, the 24-year-old scored 14 times and assisted 12 in 47 games.

His underlying stats were incredible, too. With less defensive responsibility, he ranked in the top 13% for key passes amongst Bundesliga full-backs in the top flight, with 1.8 per 90 minutes.

O’Reilly has certainly made an excellent start to his career. Yet, with Frimpong’s contribution to a memorable Leverkusen season in 2023/24, and his major move to Liverpool this summer, it is easy to see how he could be considered a bigger talent.

Losing a player of this quality might sting City fans now. He was an academy star who was let go for a cheap price, and would have brought something unique to their current squad.

Sane 2.0: Man City star is now "one of the best dribblers in PL history"

Pep Guardiola has hit the jackpot with this Manchester City signing.

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Angus Sinclair

Oct 4, 2025

Everton are now reportedly keeping tabs on an “unbelievable” player who has enjoyed significant recent success at international level.

Moyes upbeat despite Everton loss

The Blues were beaten 2-0 away to Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, with the visitors unable to contain the in-form Erling Haaland.

Despite the result, Everton manager David Moyes still managed to feel positive about what he saw, with defeats at the Etihad never too concerning.

“I’m pleased with how we played. We were a bit disappointed when we lost the first goal. It was only 1-0 but to give them a second goal quickly was a killer for us. But there are a lot of good things we could talk about and what we’ve done well. We’ve come here and given them a bit of a game.

“Maybe we’d like to do better, but we’re only growing at the moment and we’re still trying to get better. We missed a couple of big chances in the first half, which might have altered things the way we were playing. We needed any opportunities we got to go in or to certainly get us something more positive than we did. So, look, no real problems with the performance overall – most of it.”

Everton have made a solid start to the new season, but that’s not to say that new signings in the January transfer window wouldn’t go amiss.

Everton eyeing move for "unbelievable" defender

Speaking to Everton News, journalist Graeme Bailey talked up the idea of Everton completing the signing of Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell in January.

“Charlie Cresswell is doing very well in France, and this comes after a very good showing at the Euros. Everton are very much in the market for new defenders in 2026 and I am told that he is one they have watched. He certainly fits the profile of player David Moyes likes, and is one to keep an eye on.”

Cresswell has enjoyed an excellent year, winning the European Championships with England’s Under-21s and proving to be a key man, starting three matches.

The 23-year-old is also impressing in France with Toulouse, being hailed as “unbelievable” by presenter Joe Wainman, and he stands out as an excellent option for Everton.

While James Tarkowski remains a great player for the Blues, both in terms of quality and leadership, he is now 32 and a long-term successor needs to be found.

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By
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If Everton managed to entice Cresswell to the club, he could be Jarrad Branthwaite’s centre-back partner for years to come, also enhancing his chances of forcing his way into the senior England setup at the same time.

Over the years, Manchester United has been the home to numerous elite-level centre-forwards, with Robin van Persie one who captured the hearts of the fanbase.

The Dutchman joined in a controversial deal from Premier League rivals Arsenal for a reported £24m back in August 2012 – a deal that proved to be an absolute bargain.

He ended up making 105 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring a total of 58 goals, with his total of 26 league goals in 2012/13 helping Sir Alex Ferguson win his final top-flight title.

Van Persie also managed to notch 16 assists during such a period, taking his total goal contributions to 74, resulting in an average of 0.7 goals or assists per game over a three-year period.

Such a record has undoubtedly cemented his place in the Red Devils history, but numerous managers have been unable to rely upon similar talents at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim is the latest manager to try and unearth his own version of the talisman, subsequently spending big on a new centre-forward during the recent summer window.

The reasons behind Benjamin Sesko’s struggles at United

After taking the reins back in November last year, Amorim had to rely upon the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee to provide the goods at the top end of the pitch.

However, the duo’s tally of just seven combined goals in the Premier League last season highlighted the need for reinforcements during the summer transfer window.

The board handed the manager over £200m worth of funds to make the desired changes, which resulted in three huge names making the move to Old Trafford.

Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were just two of the additions made by the hierarchy, with Benjamin Sesko the player brought in to operate alongside the pair in the final third.

The latter of the trio cost a reported £74m from RB Leipzig during the summer, with real hope generated by the fans that he would be the man to solve their issues.

However, his start to life in Manchester has been far from plain sailing, as seen by his tally of just two goals in his first 11 league outings – even going four games without a goal.

His early struggles will no doubt present cause for concern, with his underlying numbers also highlighting his lack of impact in recent months after his big-money switch.

He’s only registered a total of 3.6 touches in the opposition box per 90, which has ranked him in the bottom 20% of all other centre forwards in England’s top-flight.

Such a figure showcases that he’s either unable to get himself into the right positions, or he’s not being provided the goods – which could explain his lowly goalscoring tally.

However, Sesko has been hugely reliant upon players around him, with his tally of 0.2 dribbles completed showcasing that he’s unlikely to create a chance on his own.

Like the aforementioned tally, it has placed him in the bottom 20% of other strikers in the league, which could also be contributing to his lack of goals at present.

The United star who could end Sesko’s Man Utd career

There’s no doubt that Sesko will need added time to flourish in England, with his big-money transfer to United in the summer presenting a huge culture change for the 22-year-old.

He’s had to move to a new country, league and surroundings, which is certainly a daunting task for a young talent – which too could be having an effect on his lack of output.

But the lack of quality in such a department has no doubt ramped up the pressure on the Slovenian international to provide the goods in front of goal at Old Trafford.

Amorim will no doubt have to manage Sesko personally to get the best out of the centre-forward, but it’s unclear how much patience the manager will present to the new addition.

The fans, too, will need to cut him some slack, but it will no doubt be tricky, especially given the form of the previous talents in such a role – including the likes of Van Persie.

However, the club may have their next talisman in the form of Chido Obi, with the young star already matching the Dutchman in making the move to Old Trafford from rivals Arsenal.

At just 17, the fans will have to be patient with the Dane, but there’s no doubt excitement has been generated by his incredible goalscoring record in the youth setup.

He scored 13 times in just 11 appearances for the U18 outfit last campaign, living up to the billing he is a “goalscoring machine” in the words of scout Jacek Kulig. Such form has seen him make the step-up to the U21 squad over the last couple of months.

Obi has now made 22 appearances at such a level, scoring nine times and registering four assists in the process – even managing to thrive at an age group four years above his own.

Given the lack of quality in the centre-forward department last season, Amorim even handed the teenager his first taste of senior football in an attempt to improve the situation.

The Dane made a total of eight first-team appearances in 2024/25, but failed to find the back of the net once – however, it didn’t stop the youngster from receiving huge praise.

Teammate Leny Yoro previously waxed lyrical about the youngster, even claiming that he could become “one of the world’s best” in the years to come should he continue on his current path.

After returning to youth level, Obi has backed up Yoro’s statement, averaging a goal every 100 minutes and registering a staggering total of 2.2 shots on target per 90 this season.

He’s even completed 68% of the dribbles he’s attempted, massively starring in such an area, something which Sesko has been unable to do over the last few months.

Obi has also dominated countless backlines lately, as seen by his tally of 4.7 duels won, with his physical presence potentially perfect for Amorim’s current side.

Whilst he’s just 17, the future is massively bright for the Dane at Old Trafford, with the club desperately needing to streamline his progress into the senior ranks.

Sesko’s inability to impress could certainly hand the manager the perfect chance to allow him to stake his claim and nail down the position as his very own for many years to come.

If he can match Van Persie’s level during his own time with the Red Devils, he will certainly be a fan-favourite and a player who can take the first-team back to their former glory.

An Mbeumo repeat: Man Utd to make £52m bid for "best winger in the country"

Manchester United look set to make another huge bid for a new attacker for Ruben Amorim.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 18, 2025

On Shakib’s 33rd birthday, we look at his excellent batting and bowling numbers

S Rajesh24-Mar-2020Shakib Al Hasan turns 33 today. He is currently serving a one-year ban for not reporting suspected match-fixing approaches, but that doesn’t take away from the fact he is one of the best allrounders to play all formats of the game, and arguably the best cricketer Bangladesh have ever produced. Here are some numbers to show why:Batting average minus bowling average
This is always a good measure to evaluate the quality of an allrounder, especially in Test cricket, where scoring rates/economy rates usually don’t matter as much. With a batting average of 39.4 and a bowling average of 31.12, Shakib is easily the best among the current crop of allrounders with a difference of 8.27; Ben Stokes is next with a difference of 3.86. Going back to the beginning of 2000, only Jacques Kallis is ahead of Shakib, among allrounders who have scored 2000 runs and taken 100 wickets.ESPNcricinfo LtdEven if you go back further for an all-time list with the same cut-offs, Shakib still finds a place among the elite. Only five allrounders have a higher difference between the batting and bowling averages. And here is a selection of those he leaves behind: Tony Greig (difference 8.23), Ian Botham (5.14), Richard Hadlee (4.86), Chris Cairns (4.13) and Kapil Dev (1.4).