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Ten points was the margin between Arsenal and Liverpool in 2024/25. With the arrivals of Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez, the Reds are looking to make that gap even bigger next term.

That’s certainly a real expectation too, particularly as the Gunners are yet to sign their elusive striker.

Viktor Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko. Take your pick as far as Mikel Arteta is concerned. Either would significantly strengthen the squad at the Emirates Stadium, take them closer to Liverpool who will be gunning for glory again.

Who Arsenal pick will likely come down to price, but they are two different players we’re talking about here.

Gyokeres is the readymade goal machine. The Swede was the most in-form striker in Europe last season, scoring 54 goals in 52 games. Sesko, on the other hand, boasts immense potential but did only find the net on 21 occasions for RB Leipzig last term.

So, as Andrea Berta goes about improving Arteta’s forward line, he’s also moved to strengthen the middle of the park with Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard set to arrive.

Why Arsenal are signing Zubimendi and Norgaard

Principally, these deals are happening because the Gunners are set to lose both Jorginho and Thomas Partey.

The former has already departed the club and is now at Flamengo, who are currently at the Club World Cup in America.

Partey’s future has been a little less certain. He wants to stay. Arsenal want him to stay. Still, the latest reports have suggested that an agreement hasn’t been found and he now looks likely to depart at the end of the month.

Thus, the arrivals of Zubimendi and Norgaard are key. The Spaniard is undoubtedly the more exciting addition here.

Set to join for just over £50m, the midfielder will be coming in from Real Sociedad with a fine reputation for being one of the finest tempo setters in the game.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has hailed the 26-year-old as “one of the best midfielders in the world” while European football expert, Sid Lowe, has noted that he “is just about as good a deep-lying midfielder there is in Europe, apart from maybe Rodri.”

Norgaard doesn’t possess the same sort of calibre but as far as Jorginho replacements go, he’ll be a steady pair of hands.

Set to arrive in a £10m deal, Arsenal will be bringing in a Premier League captain who won’t play very many minutes for a bargain fee. Even if he doesn’t make a huge impact on the field, his experience off it will undoubtedly be key.

Goals

0.16

0.13

Assists

0.13

0.22

Goal-creating actions

0.42

0.32

Pass success rate

82%

83%

Progressive passes

4.92

6.11

Passes into final 3rd

4.38

4.36

Tackles

2.52

1.69

Succesful take-ons

0.22

0.42

Confirming the arrival of new signings is always an exciting time for fans, but has a more important deal now been announced?

Another exciting deal for Arsenal has been announced

While this summer is very much about strengthening the squad, whether it be through Zubimendi or the arrivals of a Sesko or Gyokeres, the Gunners also need to keep their best players at the club.

In 2027, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba’s deals are all set to expire, and while the threat of Saka leaving is minuscule, there is a real threat that Saliba could depart.

Real Madrid have been courting him and we know how that story usually ends. Thus, getting new deals sorted for those three players will be a key part of Berta’s strategy.

He’s already tied down Gabriel to a new deal and the next announcement has seen Myles Lewis-Skelly put pen to paper.

The club’s official channels revealed on Thursday lunchtime that he’d signed a new long-term deal in N5 and the youngster was absolutely delighted.

Why is this more important than Zubimendi? Well, several reasons, the most prominent of which is that Lewis-Skelly is one of the best young players in world football.

Just 18, the full-back/midfielder has burst onto the scene in a remarkable way. A year ago, he was yet to make his senior debut for the club. Now, he ended the campaign as an England international, notably scoring on his debut, and as a PFA Young Player of the Year nominee.

It was a hell of a campaign for the teenager who, despite a few issues with discipline at the start, became a major force on the left-hand side of Arsenal’s defence.

He had the cojones to mimic Erling Haaland’s celebration after scoring against Manchester City and sparkled during the club’s run to the Champions League semi-finals.

“I’m sorry, is Lewis-Skelly really 18?”, commented Rio Ferdinand during Arsenal’s quarter-final victory over Real Madrid. “His date of birth is right, isn’t it? He looks so calm and so cool in and out of possession. Before the game he was on a call, just talking and chilling. He is special.”

He also earned acclaim from Gary Neville, who stated: “He’s gone in there and has made it look like he’s always been there. That’s the biggest compliment you can give a young player.” Fine praise indeed.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

What makes Lewis-Skelly stand out so much is his temperament. As Neville says, he looks like he’s been playing at the senior level for years.

Not just boasting an elite mentality, his technical attributes aren’t bad either. His composure is remarkable and his ability to evade the press and draw fouls is first-class.

In 2024/25, no Arsenal player won more duels (6) per 90 minutes than the teen. No Arsenal player ended the campaign with a better success rate in duels than his 69.7%.

He’s a special talent and even finished the season as the most fouled player in this Arsenal side. Not many players can get near him.

1. Myles Lewis-Skelly

47

2. Leandro Trossard

46

3. Bukayo Saka

39

4. Thomas Partey

31

5. Jurrien Timber

29

6. Kai Havertz

23

What makes his rise even more incredible is that he’s a midfielder by trade. Coming up through the youth ranks, the English talent played in the centre of the pitch but he’s been crafted into an inverted full-back.

From that position, he’s not just become one of the best young players in England, but one of the best young players in Europe’s top five leagues.

Considering Madrid have also been sniffing around him, getting a new deal is absolutely vital. His future is immense; probably even brighter than Zubimendi’s.

A better move than Zubimendi: £68m star "will sign" for Arsenal this summer

The game-changing international could be sensational for Arsenal.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 26, 2025

It’s now a widely held opinion that the first point of call for Arsenal in the transfer window this summer should be a new striker.

In fact, it seems to be an opinion held by the club as well, with what feels like an endless steam of reports linking them to every prolific forward going.

However, the name that appears to be popping up more than any other at the moment is Viktor Gyokeres, who has been on fire for Sporting CP over the last two seasons, racking up 95 goals and 28 assists in just 100 appearances.

The Swedish marksman would undoubtedly improve the Gunners’ first team, but based on recent reports, the club may also be looking to smash their transfer record on another attacker, someone even more exciting than Gyokeres.

Arsenal's hunt for a new forward

Before getting to the star in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other exciting attackers linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, like Daizen Maeda and Rayan Cherki.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former is said to be available for around £25m in the summer, and while he might not be the most exciting name around, his unreal output of 33 goals and 12 assists in 49 games this season more than makes up for that.

If the club would prefer to shop in a top-five league, then £30m for Cherki wouldn’t be the worst idea, as in just 43 games for Lyon this year, the Frenchman has scored 12 goals and provided 19 assists.

However, for a player to truly be more exciting than Gyokeres, they need to have been performing at a top level for quite some time, like Rafael Leao.

According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal are one of several teams interested in the AC Milan star.

The report has revealed that the Portuguese international has made it onto the North Londoners’ shortlist ahead of the summer and that new Sporting Director Andera Berta is a big fan of his.

However, on top of some stiff competition from the likes of Chelsea and Barcelona, there is a chance the Gunners would have to pay the player’s £150m release clause, which would blow their previous transfer record of £105m on Declan Rice out of the water.

With that said, if Arsenal can find a way to sign Leao this summer, they should do it, as he’d be an incredible asset to the team and an even more exciting acquisition than Gyokeres.

Why Leao is more exciting than Gyokeres

Okay, so the first thing to say here is that, in an ideal world, Arsenal would sign both of these players, and given the incredible number of goals Gyokeres is scoring, there is a strong argument that he is what they need more.

However, we are not here to argue about the most necessary transfer; we’re just considering who would be more exciting at the Emirates, and for our money, that would be Leao.

After all, what is it that really gets fans off their feet during a game of football? It’s moments of magic, technical brilliance and inventiveness, which the AC Milan star has in spades.

Fans want to see their star players take defenders on and win, which is exactly what they’d get from the former LOSC Lille star, as The Athletic’s Alex Barke’s claim that he’s “one of the best dribblers in the world” is more than backed up by the data.

According to FBref, the “world-class” winger, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, sits in the top 5% of all attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 6% for carries into the penalty area and the top 7% for attempted take-ons, all per 90.

If that’s not enough to convince you that the 25-year-old would have the Emirates crowd in the palm of his hands, then perhaps the description of him being like an “early Thierry Henry” from former Milan coach Stefano Pioli will.

Finally, while we are focussing on what the Almada-born entertainer is capable of doing in the build-up to goals, he’s no slouch when it comes to output either.

Leao’s Milan record
Appearances	259
Minutes	17698′
Goals	70
Assists	62
Goal Involvements per Match	0.50
Minutes per Goal Involvement	134.07′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In 259 appearances for Milan, totalling 17698 minutes, the 39-capped superstar has scored 70 goals and provided 62 assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.96 games, or every 134.07 minutes, which is unreal across a six-season period.

Ultimately, Arsenal should be looking to sign Gyokeres and Leao this summer, but when it comes down to pure entertainment value and their ability to excite the fans, we reckon Leao has an edge.

A sensational Havertz upgrade: Arsenal join race to sign £100m PL star

The talented goalscorer would add another string to Arsenal’s bow.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 15, 2025

Chelsea have now held internal talks over a move for a “world-class” star after a surprise recent development, according to a report.

Blues' Champions League pursuit back on track

The Blues’ form has been shaky since the turn of the year, but they are now back on track in their pursuit of qualification for next season’s Champions League after defeating Liverpool 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.

Cole Palmer was back among the goals, netting a stoppage-time penalty to seal his side’s victory, which solidifies them in fifth place with just three games left to play.

As such, the west Londoners should be in a strong position to attract some top players this summer, and they are once again looking at bolstering their forward options, with signing a new winger on the agenda.

Chelsea hold talks with Ajax chief as BlueCo step up move to sign £42m star

It could be another busy summer for the Blues.

ByTom Cunningham May 3, 2025

Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens are among the main targets in wide areas, and there is also a feeling that Enzo Maresca could look at strengthening through the middle, despite having Palmer at his disposal.

That is according to a report from The Boot Room, which states Chelsea are now holding internal talks over a move for Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, who is set to exit the Etihad Stadium on a free transfer this summer.

De Bruyne is very much the one that got away for the Blues, but he could now be in line for a return to Stamford Bridge. There is some surprise in Manchester that the Belgian is now open to remaining in the Premier League or Europe, as City had expected him to depart for Saudi Arabia or the USA.

The likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa could provide competition for his signature, while there also remains a possibility he makes the move to the MLS, with Chicago Fire now said to be in advanced talks.

Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Newcastle United (a)

May 11th

Manchester United (h)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (a)

May 25th

"World-class" De Bruyne still impressing at City

In many ways, it is a surprise that Man City are willing to let the 33-year-old leave on a free transfer this summer, given that he is still impressing, despite his age, most recently bagging a crucial goal in his side’s 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

During his time with Chelsea, the £400k-per-week maestro never really managed to stand out, but he has been a revelation at the Etihad Stadium, amassing a stunning 72 goals and 121 assists in 285 Premier League appearances for the Blues.

Former footballer Paul McVeigh has also lavished the Belgium international with praise recently, describing him as “world-class” and “one of the greatest midfielders ever to play the game.”

As such, while there will be some concern about De Bruyne’s age, there are plenty of signs he could still have a lot left to give at Premier League level, and City’s loss could be Chelsea’s gain.

Despite beating Real Madrid 3-0 on Tuesday night, it was another game that highlighted why Arsenal need a striker in the summer.

Mikel Arteta’s men were sensational on the night, but prior to Declan Rice’s first free-kick, there were multiple opportunities that a seasoned poacher would have likely put away.

The clearest was when Bukayo Saka played an inch-perfect ball across the Spaniards’ penalty area, and nobody was there to poke it in the back of the net.

The club clearly think the same, as there has been a near-constant stream of stories touting some of the continent’s most exciting centre-forwards for a move to the Emirates this summer, with Viktor Gyokeres perhaps the most consistent in recent weeks, although if he does join the Gunners, he’ll have to hit the ground running to see his valuation surpass one of his competitors for game time.

The latest on Gyokeres to Arsenal

Arsenal’s interest in the Sporting CP star has been relatively long held at this point, with reports coming out about it last summer and then again in the winter window, but it certainly seems to have stepped up a gear in recent weeks.

For example, it was late last month when a story claimed that the Gunners were planning to hold talks with the Swedish poacher and that he could be allowed to leave Sporting for up to £58m.

Then, earlier this week, more reports emerged revealing that the North Londoners were now the frontrunners for the 26-year-old and prepared to offer him a five-year contract worth about £192k-per-week.

Now, this is certainly a lot of money to spend on a player from the Portuguese league, but based on his performances over the last couple of seasons, it could prove to be worth it and then some.

For example, since moving to Lisbon, the Stockholm-born monster has scored 87 goals and provided 26 assists in 94 appearances, which comes out to an average of 1.2 goal involvements per appearance.

Gyokeres’ Sporting record

Appearances

94

Starts

83

Minutes

7689′

Goals

87

Asssists

26

Points per Game

2.23

Goal Involvements per Match

1.2

Minutes per Goal Involvement

68.04′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, even if the Gunners get their man, they already have a forward, signed by Arteta, in the side worth considerably more than him.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Gyokeres

So, when we say Arsenal already have a forward signed by Arteta in the squad who is worth millions more than Gyokeres, that might not be an entirely accurate way of describing the situation, as Kai Havertz was initially signed as a midfielder.

Yes, the player in question is the ace who divides opinion perhaps more than anyone else in the Gunners’ squad, but he is still worth an enormous sum of money.

For example, the CIES Football Observatory prices the German international at €130.1m, which converts to about £112m or £54m more than Gyokeres could cost this summer.

Now, there will undoubtedly be many scoffing at such a valuation, and while it is on the high side, it reflects the fact that the former Chelsea star is an important part of Arteta’s squad.

For example, while his overall record of 29 goals and 12 assists in 85 appearances for the North Londoners is reasonably impressive, it becomes much more so when we look at just the games he’s played up top.

Havertz’ Arsenal record

Position

All

CF

Appearances

85

47

Goals

29

19

Assists

12

12

Goal Involvements per Match

0.48

0.65

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In those 47 games, totalling 3974 minutes, the “sensational” talent, as dubbed by Mikel Arteta, has scored 19 goals and provided 12 assists.

That means the 25-year-old has averaged a goal involvement every 1.51 games, or every 128.19 minutes when leading the line, which for a Premier League forward are not numbers to be sniffed at.

Ultimately, while Gyokeres would undoubtedly replace Havertz as Arsenal’s number nine were he to sign in the summer, the German would surely remain an important player in the squad, regardless of how some perceive him.

Related Better than Nico Williams: Arsenal plotting to sign "unstoppable" £86m star

The sensational player would make Arsenal far more dangerous.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 10, 2025

In his first interview since his exit, Arthur discusses his final days in charge, and his worries about Pakistan cricket’s future

Danyal Rasool01-Feb-2024It was a smoggy Wednesday afternoon in November, and Mickey Arthur was puzzled. He stood on a balcony at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, the headquarters of the Pakistan Cricket Board. He’d been speaking to the PCB’s Cricket Operations Director Usman Wahla, discussing logistics ahead of Pakistan’s Test tour of Australia in December. He’d been asked to wait after a meeting with the chairman had broken for a recess, and he couldn’t understand what was taking so long.Most of the cricketing world’s focus, even in Pakistan, wasn’t on Lahore. It was World Cup semifinal day, and New Zealand were giving India a bit of a scare in a tall chase, with Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson’s entertaining partnership ensuring the game in Mumbai would be a contest rather than preparation for a coronation. In Pakistan cricket, however, a storm was brewing, and attention would soon shift from Mumbai to Lahore.Related

• Mohammad Hafeez's stint as Pakistan team in-charge 'cut short'

• Zaka Ashraf steps down as PCB chairman

• Arthur and Puttick resign from their roles with PCB

• Hafeez to serve as head coach for tours of Australia and NZ

• Babar resigns as Pakistan captain in all formats

Arthur was at the Gaddafi for a performance review called for by the PCB management committee head Zaka Ashraf following Pakistan’s relatively underwhelming World Cup campaign; they were knocked out at the group stage with four wins and five defeats. Arthur, Pakistan’s team director, was already looking ahead, focusing on a high-profile three-Test tour of Australia, a country where Pakistan had lost every Test they had played since 1995.”At the end of the World Cup we went back to Lahore,” Arthur tells ESPNcricinfo in his first interview since his exit. “We had planned the whole Australian tour, so much so that we had thought about teams and combinations. We arrived in Pakistan and there was silence initially.”And then Zaka wanted a review meeting of the World Cup. We went to that, I did a presentation, Rehan [ul Haq, the team manager] did a presentation. Grant [Bradburn, the head coach] spoke, the whole management team was in this meeting.”There was a recess and we were starting a camp two days later. I was still on the balcony organising with Usman Wahla what our logistics were going to be. And I wondered why there was such a break in this review. And then I got a little whisper in my ear that Zaka wanted to see me in a separate office in the museum at the HPC [High Performance Centre]. I went in, he asked me a whole lot of questions and then he said, ‘look, we’re going to remove the whole support staff and captain, basically, and that was it.'”That moment set off bedlam in Pakistan cricket. It would emerge that none of Arthur, Bradburn or Rehan would go to Australia or the subsequent series in New Zealand. Former Pakistan allrounder Mohammad Hafeez, who did not have any coaching or management experience, was appointed team director as well as head coach, concentrating the responsibilities of both Arthur and Bradburn into a man who had the experience of neither.Mohammad Hafeez was appointed as both team director and head coach for the tours of Australia and New Zealand•PCBAshraf views it differently. “Hafeez is patriot,” Ashraf tells ESPNcricinfo. “He has a lot of cricketing experience. He had a lot of coaches under him who could handle and organise. Mickey was also not personally handling coaching himself.”Hafeez was the team director like Mickey and had to manage things, which he did in a professional way. At critical situations during international tours, Mickey had to fly and he had refused to join Pakistan because of his contract with Derbyshire county. He was basically coaching online. I have all my respect for him, but how can you do coaching on Zoom?”Arthur, who is currently two years into a four-year contract with Derbyshire, was pursued by Ashraf’s predecessor Najam Sethi, who wanted him in as head coach. “It was a stable job,” Arthur says pointedly. “I had a really good contract. I couldn’t just drop this and do Pakistan. That goes against my grain. And I told Najam that.”The PCB and Arthur eventually worked out a deal where Arthur continued with his job at Derbyshire while appointing a team to work with him as team director. It meant he wasn’t around for a significant chunk of his time with Pakistan cricket, especially during the English county season.”I used to wake up early,” he says. “I used to be up at 5.30 in the morning. I would do all my correspondence until 7.30, then get into Derbyshire, do our day, while being available on the phone through the day. And then when I got home I would sit with Grant over Zoom, and we’d plan out what the next block of days looked like for the Pakistan team. So I was spending a lot of time daily with Pakistan when I wasn’t there too.”Either way, Arthur joined the team part-way through the Asia Cup, and was with Pakistan for the entirety of their World Cup campaign. There was no clash with the England domestic season during Pakistan’s tours of Australia and New Zealand, and he was slated to be with the team throughout those tours when the decision was made.There was something even more immediate, though. Babar Azam, Pakistan’s captain in all three formats, was also at the performance review. He was told he was being removed, and opted to issue a statement of reluctant resignation. The PCB’s official version suggested he was only told he would be removed from ODI and T20I captaincy, although this is a version that has been disputed.It all happened at a time when Ashraf was only acting as PCB chairman in a caretaker capacity since he was never formally elected to the position. As such, he was barred by a court in Pakistan from making decisions that extended beyond nominal day-to-day operational calls. In practice, however, that distinction was never truly enforced, and turnover during Ashraf’s time was high.”The whole review was just a charade,” Arthur says. “I would have had a bit more respect for Zaka if he’d said it straight out. The way I realised the whole thing was a charade was Mohammad Hafeez was already sitting at the PCB offices and that’s why Zaka got into trouble because our meeting went on and on and on.”The PCB has not yet conducted elections since Zaka Ashraf’s resignation as caretaker chairman•PCBUnlike Babar, though, Arthur and the coaching staff did not resign. “I was savvy enough in my contract negotiation to put in a clause that there was a three-month termination settlement, not a one-month settlement. We weren’t going to resign because the minute you resign, you walk out and that’s it. For all the efforts we put in, the coaches and I deserved the three-month settlement.”The PCB said we would be reassigned, but that was impossible. You can’t reassign people who have signed contracts. You can’t just reassign the team director, head coach and batting coach of the national team. That was a charade to get rid of us.”In the end, a new management team was ushered in, with Adam Holliake and Umar Gul coming in as batting and bowling coaches under Hafeez. Pakistan endured a disappointing tour, with Australia running away with the Test series 3-0, while New Zealand swept them aside 4-1 in the T20Is.Before that series ended, Ashraf was also out of the PCB, resigning two weeks before the extension awarded to him lapsed. PCB elections still haven’t been held, with the board presently chaired by Khawar Shah, the PCB election commissioner.While Arthur does not rule out a return to Pakistan, he admits his enthusiasm for it has dimmed.”I still followed Pakistan cricket and I’ll always follow it,” he says. “But the vigour and thirst and passion I have for Pakistan cricket waned a little bit after that. To be brutally honest, I think Pakistan cricket is in a very disappointing place. There’s a massive amount of talent there, There are some world-class players, not just talented players. They’re not given the support structure that they need to flourish.”The one thing we had in 2019 and from the time we won the [2017] Champions Trophy to the end of it was an environment where the players were pushed. There was a lot demanded of them, but I backed every one of those boys 100%. So then they went out and played for the team instead of playing for them themselves.”When there’s security within the environment, Pakistan is very good. When there’s that insecurity, players start playing for themselves instead of the team because they’re thinking of the next tour, and the next contract. That’s a dangerous place to be in, and that’s kind of where Pakistan cricket is now. And that’s something that’s very disappointing and sad for me.”

All the key stats from the second Test between South Africa and Bangladesh in Gqeberha

Sampath Bandarupalli11-Apr-20222 Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer became only the second pair to take all ten wickets while bowling unchanged on two occasions as South Africa beat Bangladesh in Gqeberha. They had achieved this feat for the first time during the first Test in Durban. Australia’s Charlie Turner and JJ Ferris are the only other pair to do so on two different instances.3 Seven-plus wicket hauls for Maharaj in Test cricket, the second-most by a South Africa bowler, behind Hugh Tayfield (4). Maharaj is also the second bowler to pick up a seven-for in successive Tests for South Africa after Tayfield (vs England in 1957).150 Number of Test wickets for Maharaj, the second South Africa spinner to achieve the milestone. Tayfield was the first, finishing with 170 wickets in 37 Tests.ESPNcricinfo Ltd27 Number of wickets between the South Africa and Bangladesh spinners in the second Test. These are the most wickets picked up by spinners in a Test in South Africa. The previous highest was 23 during the 1936 Durban Test between South Africa and Australia.141 Balls needed for the South Africa spinners to pick up all ten wickets in Bangladesh’s second innings. Only once did the spinners bowl fewer balls in a Test innings for all ten wickets – 114 balls by Maharaj and Harmer against Bangladesh in the previous Test in Durban.15 Wickets between Maharaj and Harmer in Gqeberha, the joint-most by South Africa spinners in a home Test. Their spinners had shared 15 wickets on two occasions previously – against England in Gqeberha in 1949 and against Australia in Durban in 1950. Overall, the most their spinners took in any Test was 16 against Australia in Melbourne in 1952.2 Instances of a half-century and a five-for in the same Test for Maharaj; both came at the St George’s Park in Gqeberha. Shaun Pollock (3) and Jacques Kallis (2) are the only other South Africa players to achieve this double more than once.

The Padres beat the Giants, 5-1, at home on Tuesday night and one young fan will never forget his experience at Petco Park, but for all the wrong reasons.

We're used to seeing fans run on the field at games and getting laid out by security guards before being hauled off to a jail cell, but what happened late in the Padres' win was something we've never seen before.

This has to be the youngest fan to ever storm a field at a professional sporting event. And check out how many security guards it took to take him down:

Not the best decision there, young fella. It feels like he might be grounded for a little while after that move.

South Africa won their first toss in India in eight attempts but Bumrah put it out of the equation with a five-for

Sidharth Monga14-Nov-20253:22

How is Bumrah still unplayable on a dry surface?

It was pitches in 2015-16, it was the tosses in 2019-20, but India took the pitch and the toss out of the equation in dismissing South Africa for 159 on the first day of the 2025-26 series. The visitors won the toss on a decent batting surface at Eden Gardens, raced away to 57 for 0 in 10 overs, but then became victims of Jasprit Bumrah’s 16th five-wicket haul and excellent support work from Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj. India, with a new No. 3 in Washington Sundar, were 37 for 1 in 20 overs possible before stumps.Guilty of playing too little bowling in the past, India went in with six of them as Washington moved to No. 3, making room for Axar Patel in the XI. For a while, as Siraj struggled for rhythm and Axar was taken down, it seemed India would need all the bowling they could muster.However, Bumrah had been excellent at the other end. Out of those 57, he had conceded only nine runs in five overs. He pushed himself for two more overs in that first spell, and produced two near unplayable deliveries. He went round the wicket to swing one in to Ryan Rickelton and then nip it away a touch to take the off stump. In his next over, he got Aiden Markram with one that kicked off a length. Bumrah ended his spell with figures of 7-4-9-2 out of a score of 62 for 2.Related

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Rib injury sidelines Rabada from first Test

India enter bold new era with four-spinner strategy

It might not have been an unplayable pitch, but it had enough to keep bowlers interested. Kuldeep found that with some quick turn in his first spell. Accordingly, he and Shubman Gill went for a backward short leg as opposed to one in front of square. In no time he had Temba Bavuma edging one there for a sharp catch for Dhruv Jurel, who handed over the big gloves to the returning Rishabh Pant but retained his spot in the XI on the back of a century against West Indies and two against South Africa A.Tony de Zorzi and Wiaan Mulder somehow saw South Africa through to lunch, but immediately after they had to face the double trouble of Bumrah and Kuldeep. In just six overs, both had been sent back for an addition of just 15. Mulder, who got off the mark with a reverse-sweep off Kuldeep, fell lbw on the same shot for 24. De Zorzi got a similar delivery to the one that Rickelton did, but this one nipped in and beat him on the inside edge.The ball had just started to reverse for Bumrah, and Siraj took over to continue the nightmare for South Africa. Kyle Verrreynne’s big back lift was always an invitation for Siraj, who eventually hit him pad first right in front. In the same over, he hit the top of off of Marco Jansen.Axar Patel, 3-0-20-0 in his first spell, now returned to find some turn. With his long arms and low release creating an extreme angle, Axar becomes dangerous once he gets one to turn. He now had Corbin Bosch playing for the non-existent turn and had him lbw with what proved to be the last ball before tea.Jasprit Bumrah is congratulated by his team-mates after completing his five-for•Getty Images

Tristan Stubbs, the specialist batter, didn’t farm strike and left the two spinners Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj at the mercy of Bumrah, who had them both in one over to go level with BS Chandrasekhar on five-fors and into India’s top five. It consigned South Africa to their second-lowest score against India in the first innings of a match.Batting wasn’t quite straightforward for India either, which is where South Africa dearly missed Kagiso Rabada, who was out with a rib injury. In fading east Indian light, Jansen was on the money but couldn’t quite find the length with which he could threaten the stumps. He still got the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal on the cut.KL Rahul and Washington had to be watchful with little to gain really. In the brief period of spin possible, Maharaj came close to bowling Rahul, and Harmer showed he was a much-improved bowler from the one that toured India in 2015-16. That Bumrah five-for began to look even more important with a few puffs of dust towards the end of the day.