Newcastle United could be boosted by the unexpected return of a sidelined star sooner than first thought, according to reports.

Howe: "individual errors" hurt Newcastle

It’s not often that Eddie Howe is publicly critical of his Newcastle side, but even he couldn’t hide his frustration after the Magpies saw their lead wiped away by Tottenham Hotspur at the death. It was yet another late goal and yet more points dropped from a winning position for those in Tyneside, who rarely do things the easy way these days.

Howe admitted that “individual errors” hurt Newcastle against Spurs just when they thought they did enough to secure all three points against Thomas Frank’s side.

Fewer passes than Ramsdale: Howe must drop 6/10 Newcastle star after Spurs

Newcastle United were denied another Premier League win by Tottenham Hotspur last night.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

The former Bournemouth boss told reporters: “I think it’s definitely a failing, you can’t sit here and go, I can’t sit here and go, everything’s okay in that respect, it’s happened too many times this season, that doesn’t mean we can’t figure it out and put it right very quickly.

“Today’s really a set piece, it’s a moment and those moments happen in football, they’ve been on the other end of it at times and individual errors usually from set plays hurt you and that’s what happened.”

Tottenham will feel as though their late winner was justified, however, after Newcastle were controversially awarded a penalty, which Anthony Gordon converted in the second-half.

Jamie Redknapp demanded “consistency” from the referees at full-time and Howe has every right to demand the same from his players. In a packed December full of fixtures, the Newcastle boss will be relieved to hear the latest update on Yoane Wissa’s long-awaited return from injury.

Craig Hope shares unexpected Yoane Wissa return date

According to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Wissa could now make a shock return for Newcastle this weekend and take a place on Howe’s bench against Burnley. The forward recently took part in a training ground game, but it remained uncertain when he would finally make his debut for the club.

The summer signing endured a disastrous start to life at St James’ Park when he was injured not long after arriving. Now, he could get the chance to finally make his mark just when Newcastle need him most.

Dubbed “remarkable” by former Brentford boss Thomas Frank last season, it will certainly be interesting to see how Wissa is used in Tyneside.

Record signing Nick Woltemade has enjoyed such an excellent start, but will undoubtedly have a fight to keep hold of his place now that his competition is nearing a return. Whether Howe sticks or twists, there’s no denying that Wissa’s return will be a major boost.

Howe must finally bin 5/10 Newcastle dud who was "very sloppy" vs Spurs

علق مؤيد الحداد، نجم منتخب الكويت السابق، على التعادل مع منتخب مصر، بهدف لكل فريق، في اللقاء الذي أقيم ضمن منافسات كأس العرب.

وتواجه منتخبا مصر والكويت، في الجولة الأولى من منافسات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس العرب، على ملعب استاد لوسيل.

ويتواجد منتخبا مصر والكويت في المجموعة الثالثة من بطولة كأس العرب، مع منتخبي الأردن والإمارات.

طالع|إسلام عيسى: مواجهة الإمارات بوابة تأهل مصر للدور التالي في كأس العرب

وقال مؤيد الحداد، نجم منتخب الكويت السابق، في تصريحات  لبرنامج البريمو على قناة تن: “منتخب الكويت كأول مباراة له في البطولة أدى اللقاء بشكل جيد، خصوصًا أنه يواجه المنتخب المصري والذي يقدم كرة قوية”.

وتابع: “أداء منتخب مصر لم يعجبني حتى بعد المباراة، تصريح حلمي طولان بأنه كان ممكن يسجل 4 أو 5 أهداف في الشوط الأول والثاني كان غير موفقا، أنت لم تقدر على تسجيل هدف لأن اللعب كان فوضويا للمنتخب المصري ولم أرى أي تنظيم”.

ويحتل منتخب مصر، المركز الأول بشكل مؤقت برصيد نقطة واحدة، ويأتي منتخب الكويت في المركز الثاني بنفس عدد النقاط.

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.

Former England spinner to take charge at Chelmsford after spells with Lancashire and Manchester Originals

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2025

Essex have appointed former England spinner Stephen Parry as their new women’s team head coach.Having retired in 2020, Parry was part of the coaching structures at both Lancashire Women and Manchester Originals. He took charge of Originals in the 2023 and 2024 seasons of the women’s Hundred before being replaced by Michael Klinger.Parry, 39, will aim to oversee an upturn in fortunes for Essex after a difficult first season in the Tier 1 women’s structure that saw Andy Tennant depart as head coach after less than 12 months in the role.”I am really excited for this next journey of my cricket career,” Parry said. “I have seen the squad and I feel like I can bring my experience here to move them forward, become more competitive and work towards winning some trophies.”The squad we have here is really exciting and there is a lot of room for growth. There are some great people here, plenty to work with and the club has a real family-orientated feel to it. I am still young, thirsty to learn and want to improve myself whilst helping everybody around me and look to build something special.”The long-term goal is to build a squad where we are competitive across all formats, the first team, Academy and pathway – enhancing Essex Women’s cricket as a whole.”Parry spent his entire 13-year playing career with Lancashire and remains the club’s leading T20 wicket-taker. He was capped five times in the format by England, playing at the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh, as well as twice in ODIs.Essex’s director of cricket, Chris Silverwood, said: “We are really excited to appoint Stephen as the new Essex Women’s head coach. Stephen brings a wealth of experience from his playing and coaching career, and we are delighted to welcome him to the club.”His recent appointments with Lancashire and the Manchester Originals have shown that he can lead teams in high-pressure environments, and develop, nurture, and bring through talent, which makes him the ideal person to guide our women’s squad.”We are confident that Stephen will have a major impact in shaping the current group of Essex Women, contributing to success both on and off the field.”

Japan are in Group A at the World Cup alongside Australia, Ireland and Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2025Kazuma Kato-Stafford will continue as Japan’s captain for the men’s Under-19 World Cup, to be played in January-February 2026 in Namibia and Zimbabwe. Nikhil Pol, a former captain, and allrounder Timothy Moore, who missed the recent Asian Cricket Council Premier Cup in Ajman in November-December, are back in the squad.At the Premier Cup, Japan had positive results against Maldives, who they beat by 366 runs after putting up 422 for 7 in their 50 overs, and Qatar, who they trumped by 183 runs, but lost to Oman to miss out on a semi-final spot.Nihar Parmar, who scored 156 in 132 ball against Maldives, and Kaisei Kobayashi-Doggett, who slammed 106 in 73 balls against Qatar, are both in the World Cup squad.Japan’s World Cup match schedule

Jan 10 – vs Tanzania (warm-up)
Jan 12 – vs West Indies (warm-up)
Jan 17 – vs Sri Lanka
Jan 20 – vs Australia
Jan 22 – vs Ireland

In the Under-19 World Cup 2026, Japan are drawn in Group A, alongside defending champions Australia, Ireland and Sri Lanka. The team will leave for southern Africa on January 5, and play warm-up matches against Tanzania and West Indies before the start of the tournament.Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, the captain of the senior men’s team, is the Under-19 team’s assistant coach, and Reo Sakurano-Thomas, also an active senior team cricketer, is the team’s head coach.Japan squad for men’s Under-19 World CupKazuma Kato-Stafford (capt), Charles Hara-Hinze, Gabriel Hara-Hinze, Montgomery Hara-Hinze, Kaisei Kobayashi-Doggett, Timothy Moore, Skyler Nakayama-Cook, Ryuki Ozeki, Nihar Parmar, Nikhil Pol, Chihaya Sekine, Hugo Tani-Kelly, Sandev Aaryan Waduge, Kai Wall, Taylor Waugh

MatériaMais Notícias

Eu não quero mais saber dessa história do Abel Ferreira e a sua suposta assinatura de um pré-contrato com o Al-Sadd.

RelacionadasPalmeirasAbel Ferreira manda recado para Chelsea após venda de Estêvão, do PalmeirasPalmeiras24/05/2024Fora de CampoFacincani corneta elenco do Palmeiras e detona medalhão: ‘Parece tiozão de churrasco’Fora de Campo24/05/2024PalmeirasPor que o Chelsea pagará mais do que a multa para contratar Estêvão, do Palmeiras?Palmeiras24/05/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

O técnico já disse que não quer falar mais nisso, grande parte da torcida está fechada com ele e vai seguir com ele mesmo se ele estiver certo ou errado ao final da história.

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Portanto, da minha parte, essa novela chatíssima já deu o que tinha que dar.

Fico mais preocupado com a falta de futebol do Palmeiras e por mais uma vez o time passar 90 e tantos minutos sem um mísero gol, desta vez diante do fraco Botafogo-SP.

A baixa produção ofensiva e a fase ruim de alguns titulares fazem o torcedor ficar descrente de um segundo semestre de glórias, como está sendo desde 2020.

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Abel Ferreira e sua comissão técnica precisam focar e trabalhar para que o Palmeiras volte a sua melhor forma e enfim desempenhe o que esse elenco já mostrou conseguir fazer em outras épocas.

Não é uma missão fácil encontrar motivação e mais gás ano após ano, mas quem aumentou o sarrafo foram eles mesmo e o próprio técnico sabe disso.

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+ Acredita que o Verdão vai ser campeão da Libertadores? Então se liga na odd a longo prazo: 5.00!

O ponto final dessa polêmica toda será o Palmeiras voltar a jogar bola, dar mais prazer pra sua torcida e justificar o altíssimo preço de ingresso praticado no Allianz Parque.

Meg Lanning made Melbourne Renegades pay dearly for a dropped catch, spearheading Stars to a massive WBBL derby win.Lanning carried her bat through Stars’ innings, scoring 73, and was player of the match as they dominated for a 45-run win on Saturday in bleak, late-spring conditions at Junction Oval.Related

• Devine upstages Capsey as Scorchers seal victory

• Rain, controversial finish rob Thunder of a win

Stars’ first win in four Melbourne derbies gave them top spot, one point ahead of Hobart Hurricanes, who were to host Perth Scorchers on Saturday night. It sets up a pivotal clash on Monday, when Hurricanes host Stars.While Stars posted their fourth-straight win, Renegades were well off the form that took them to last season’s title.Renegades’ fielding in particular let them down, most glaringly when Lanning was on 27 and cut Sarah Coyte to Deandra Dottin at backward point. Dottin grassed the straightforward chance and it proved a pivotal moment in the game.The previous ball, excellent glovework from Nicole Faltum had Amy Jones stumped off Georgia Wareham for 43 to break a dangerous stand of 62 with Lanning.Lanning hit seven fours and a six in her 58-ball knock. Captain Annabel Sutherland whacked two sixes off consecutive balls from Coyte on her way to a quickfire 27.In the same over, Alice Capsey and Naomi Stalenberg collided when chasing a ball and Lanning contributed a third six off the hapless Coyte.Stars’ Georgia Prestwidge caught Renegades’ malaise, dropping an easy chance from Dottin on the first ball of the innings. But fellow opener Courtney Webb spooned the easiest of return catches to Marizanne Kapp soon after and Renegades lost wickets steadily.Sasha Moloney took a scorching catch at backward point to claim the crucial wicket of Wareham for a first-ball duck off Maisy Gibson. Dottin and Faltum made 23 and Gibson claimed 3 for 17 from 2.3 overs.The undoubtable shining light for Renegades in the dreary conditions was Milly Illingworth, who snared 3 for 19 from four overs.Stars will now lose Kapp to South African international duties, while Sophie Molineux was a key absentee for Renegades.

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.

Barcelona forward Raphinha has publicly dismissed recent speculation linking him with a move away from the Catalan club, particularly to the Saudi Pro League, labelling the reports "nonsense". Despite the Brazilian international's consistent denials and his stated desire to retire at Barcelona, the transfer rumours persist.

Raph refutes transfer speculation

This ongoing saga surrounding Raphinha is largely driven by the club's well-documented financial constraints and the lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia, which the attacker has admitted were tempting. Reports earlier this week suggested a verbal pact existed with sporting director Deco to facilitate a move after the 2026 World Cup if a substantial offer materialised. However, Raphinha quickly took to social media to refute these claims, underscoring his commitment to the Barca project. 

AdvertisementAFPRaphinha: 'Fake news'

As reported in , speaking to a Spanish TikToker, Raphinha said: "I don't know where they get so much nonsense, really. Well, this one, where fake news always comes out, very nice."

Flying form under German boss

Under Hansi Flick, Raphinha has flourished this season, becoming a key player and even a team captain. His strong performances, which include a high volume of goals and assists, have solidified his importance to the squad and led to an agreement on a contract extension until June 2028. For now, Raphinha's focus remains on succeeding at Barcelona, with the transfer noise an unwelcome, though constant, distraction. 

Raphinha reflected on his current situation and his vocal persona in the Barca dressing room, saying: "I often feel like I'm being a bit pushy, too much. There are many times my team-mates think I talk too much, that I'm annoying, and that I demand too much from them, but that's just who I am. I demand more from people who I know can give much more. Someone has to, and I accept this responsibility, then in the dressing room we hug and celebrate the victory."

And following the recent 3-1 victory over Atletico Madrid, Los Rojiblancos boss Diego Simeone heaped praise on the Brazil star, saying: "Raphinha is an incredible player. He can play everywhere. As a winger, as a midfielder, as a striker, or even as a wing back. He can score, can create, he presses and runs. I don’t know how he didn’t win the Ballon d’Or. For me, I would choose him always."

Reflecting on finishing fifth in the Ballon d’Or race, the 28-year-old forward said: "When you give so much, work hard every day, and feel you’ve had an incredible season, you naturally expect to be among the best,' he said. 'Finishing fifth was an honour, of course, but my expectations were higher."

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Getty Images SportTitle race tipped to go to the wire

The battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid for La Liga crown has been a breathless, thrilling affair which has shifted dramatically in momentum in recent weeks. Just weeks ago, Real Madrid held a seemingly comfortable lead, but a stunning surge from Barcelona and dropped points from Los Blancos has completely flipped the script. The season has been defined by clutch performances and high-scoring drama, including a recent 5-3 Barcelona win over Real Betis and a decisive 3-0 Real Madrid victory at Bilbao. Key players like Kylian Mbappe for Madrid and Ferran Torres for Barcelona are lighting up the scoring charts. But injuries and form fluctuations are playing a significant role.

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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• AFP
  

  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.