Manchester City might have closed the gap on Sunday, but this season feels different for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been almost faultless over the last couple of months, so much so that a point away to the high-flying Sunderland feels like a defeat.

Moreover, while the Gunners finally conceded against the Black Cats, they remain unbeaten in 14 games across all competitions and are still top of the Premier League.

One of the reasons why Arsenal have been so successful is how quickly their summer signings have adapted. However, there are now reports that they could be interested in someone who could be an upgrade on Martin Zubimendi.

Arsenal target world-class midfielder

Since arriving in North London for around £58m, Zubimendi has been an ever-present figure in Arsenal’s midfield.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

The Spaniard has already made 14 competitive appearances for the side, in which he has scored two goals and provided one assist.

However, his place in the side might not be as secure as it seems, with the Gunners now interested in another world-class midfielder.

At least that is according to a report from Caught Offside, which claims that Arsenal are interested in Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha.

The report has revealed that, alongside Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus, the Gunners are monitoring the midfielder’s situation.

However, in addition to convincing him to leave the reigning European Champions, the North Londoners would have to stump up an enormous fee of around €130m, equivalent to approximately £114m.

With that said, if this is a deal that can be done, it’s one Arsenal should pursue, even if that’s bad news for Zubimendi.

How Vitinha compares to Zubimendi

The first thing to note is that Zubimendi is doing a brilliant job for Arsenal so far this season and could be a key reason why they finally win the Premier League.

However, just because a player is performing well for a side, it does not mean they cannot be upgraded upon, so would Vitinha be that upgrade?

Well, both midfielders are capable of playing in central and defensive areas, so neither one takes the lead when it comes to versatility.

However, when it comes to their output, it’s a different story entirely.

For example, while the Gunners’ ace has two goals and one assist to his name this year, the PSG star already has a staggering tally of two goals and eight assists in just 16 appearances, totalling 1237 minutes.

In other words, he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.6 games, or every 123.7 minutes, which goes some way to justifying respected analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he’s “the Xavi of this generation.”

Unfortunately for the former Real Sociedad star, he also comes out second best when it comes to major honours, as while he has a Copa del Rey and Euros to his name, the Portuguese star has won the Champions League, the Nations League, three Ligue 1 titles, two Portuguese League titles and a plethora of French Cups.

Vitinha vs Zubimendi

Statistics per 90

Vitinha

Zubimendi

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.24

0.13

Progressive Passes

14.7

6.25

Progressive Carries

4.02

1.06

Shots

2.29

0.86

Shots on Target

0.80

0.29

Passing Accuracy

93.6%

88.7%

Key Passes

1.84

0.87

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.84

0.87

Shot-Creating Actions

4.92

2.21

Goal-Creating Actions

0.91

0.29

Tackles Won

0.92

1.06

Shots Blocked

0.23

0.10

Clearances

0.80

1.83

Carries

103.8

42.9

All Stats via FBref for the 25/26 League Season

Finally, it is once again the former Porto star who comes out on top when comparing their underlying numbers.

For example, “the best midfielder in the world,” as dubbed by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, comes out way ahead in crucial metrics such as progressive passes and carries, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions and shots blocked, all per 90.

In fact, the only metrics in which the Spaniard does better are some of the defensive ones, and even then, it’s not by a significant amount.

Ultimately, Zubimendi has been unreal for Arsenal so far this year, but if Vitinha is attainable, the club should do everything possible to bring him in.

Related Arsenal star set to miss North London Derby and will be last to return from injury

The Gunners have a long list of unavailable attackers.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 11, 2025

أعلن الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن قائمة الأبيض التي ستسافر إلى جنوب إفريقيا لخوض مباراة كايزر تشيفز المقبلة في بطولة كأس الكونفيدرالية الإفريقية.

ويحل الزمالك ضيفًا على كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي في الجولة الثانية لدور المجموعات في الثالثة عصر السبت 29 نوفمبر الجاري باستاد بيتر موكابا بمدينة بولوكواني.

وتغادر بعثة الزمالك من القاهرة في الحادية عشرة مساء اليوم الثلاثاء متجهة إلى جنوب أفريقيا، استعدادًا لخوض مباراة كايزر تشيفز الجنوب أفريقي، في بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

طالع.. خاص | لاعب الزمالك يفسخ عقده بعد انتهاء مهلة المستحقات

ويترأس البعثة أحمد خالد حسانين عضو مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك.

جدير بالذكر أن الفلسطيني عدي الدباغ سيلحق بالبعثة غدٍ الأربعاء، في جنوب إفريقيا، بعد عودته من منتخب فلسطين بسبب مشاركته في مباراة ليبيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العرب. قائمة الزمالك لمباراة كايزر تشيفز في الكونفدرالية

حراسة المرمى: محمد عواد – محمد صبحي – محمود الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: عمر جابر – بارون أوشينج – محمود حمدي “الونش” – حسام عبد المجيد – محمد إسماعيل – أحمد فتوح – محمود بنتايج.

خط الوسط: محمد شحاتة – محمود جهاد  – سيف جعفر – ناصر ماهر – عبد الحميد معالي – أحمد شريف – آدم كايد – شيكو بانزا – خوان بيزيرا.

خط الهجوم: عدي الدباغ – سيف الجزيري – عمرو ناصر.

Mustafizur Rahman and Mahedi Hasan picked up five wickets between them in eight overs

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2025Dasun Shanaka clobbered 64 not out off 37 balls to propel Sri Lanka through the middle and death overs, after their openers had provided a rapid 44-run opening stand.In between those batters, however, Bangladesh imposed themselves, mainly through Mustafizur Rahman and Mahedi Hasan, who took five wickets between them, and were also economical. Mustafizur was especially impressive, taking 3 for 20. His last over – the 19th of the innings – cost Sri Lanka three wickets, but they could only scramble five runs off it. Mustafizur had also had Shanaka dropped off his bowling on 38 off 27, in the 17th over.Related

Tait confident Mustafizur Rahman will do better against Sri Lanka

Bereaved Dunith Wellalage rejoins SL squad in Dubai

Shanaka’s was not the only catch Bangladesh missed. Mustafizur himself had failed to attack a dying chance at fine leg (he likely could have got there), to reprieve Kusal Perera on 11. Charith Asalanka was also put down by Towhid Hridoy at deep point, on 16. Both those batters made five further runs. Asalanka was also dropped a second time by Hridoy, but was run out off that same delivery, attempting a second.Sri Lanka will feel their total competitive, on a Dubai track known to be tough for batters. Bangladesh are unlikely to be fazed by its heft either, however.

Ernie Banks, the Hall of Fame shortstop of the Chicago Cubs, loved baseball so much that playing one game wasn't enough. His popular saying of "Let's play two" is as much a part of his legacy as his 512 career home runs.

The two-time National League MVP might have changed his tune if he had to endure a marathon contest comprising nearly three games' worth of innings. The longest games in MLB history felt like they would never end.

What Makes an MLB Game Long?

Unlike the constant action of basketball, hockey and soccer, baseball is a sport that historically has been played to its own beat.

If hitters didn't step out of the batter's box to adjust their gloves, pitchers walked off the mound to grab some extra rosin to get a better grip on the ball. Managers also made nonstop pitching changes to find the best matchups to get outs. The introduction of video replay in 2008 added more stoppages.

On occasion, competition goes beyond the regulation nine innings when teams are tied, forcing "extra" innings.

The longest game in MLB history by number of innings was an early-era stalemate between two pitchers who refused to budge and let the other team score.

Longest MLB Games by Innings

On May 1, 1920, the Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves played the most innings ever in an MLB game at Braves Field in Boston. The teams were tied at 1–1 after six innings and proceeded to play 20 consecutive scoreless frames before the contest was called due to darkness.

The record 26-inning affair only took three hours and 50 minutes to play. Incredibly, both starting pitchers twirled 26-inning complete games.

Right-hander Leon Cadore surrendered one earned run, 15 hits and five walks and recorded seven strikeouts for the Robins (a predecessor of the Dodgers). Braves righty Joe Oeschger gave up one earned run, nine hits and four walks and also struck out seven.

The next day, Oeschger said, "My elbow is a little lame, but that is the usual thing."

The second-most innings played in an MLB game is 25. Two contests share the honor.

In 1974, the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets were locked in a 3–3 tie at Shea Stadium when Cardinals center fielder Bake McBride scored from first base on an errant pickoff throw by Mets reliever Hank Webb. Luckily for St. Louis, the speedy McBride ignored the stop sign from third base coach Vern Benson.

"Bake was running so fast that he couldn’t see the sign," Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst said.

The Cardinals' 4–3 victory was secured by righthander Sonny Siebert, who earned the win with 2 1/3 shutout innings. St. Louis's MVP on the mound was lefthander Claude Osteen, who preceded Siebert with 9 1/3 scoreless innings.

In 1984, the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox played MLB's second-ever 25-inning marathon. The game set the American League record for most innings, but it also made history for the amount of time it took. And one day wasn't enough to complete it.

Date	Away Team	Home Team	Result	Innings
May 1, 1920	Brooklyn Robins	Boston Braves	Robins 1, Braves 1	26
Sept. 11, 1974	St. Louis Cardinals	New York Mets	Cardinals 4, Mets 3	25
May 8, 1984	Milwaukee Brewers	Chicago White Sox	White Sox 7, Brewers 6	25
Sept. 1, 1906	Philadelphia Athletics	Boston Americans	Athletics 4, Americans 1	24
July 21, 1945	Detroit Tigers	Philadelphia Athletics	Tigers 1, Athletics 1	24
April 15, 1968	New York Mets	Houston Astros	Astros 1, Mets 0	24
June 27, 1939	Brooklyn Dodgers	Boston Bees	Dodgers 2, Bees 2	23
May 31, 1964	San Francisco Giants	New York Mets	Giants 8, Mets 6	23
Aug. 22, 1917	Pittsburgh Pirates	Brooklyn Robins	Robins 6, Pirates 5	22
May 17, 1927	Chicago Cubs	Boston Braves	Cubs 4, Braves 3	22
June 24, 1962	New York Yankees	Detroit Tigers	Yankees 9, Tigers 7	22
June 12, 1967	Chicago White Sox	Washington Senators	Senators 6, White Sox 5	22
May 12, 1972	Milwaukee Brewers	Minnesota Twins	Brewers 4, Twins 3	22
June 3, 1989	Los Angeles Dodgers	Houston Astros	Astros 5, Dodgers 4	22
Aug. 23, 1989	Los Angeles Dodgers	Montreal Expos	Dodgers 1, Expos 0	22
Aug. 31, 1993	Cleveland Indians	Minnesota Twins	Twins 5, Indians 4	22
April 17, 2008	Colorado Rockies	San Diego Padres	Rockies 2, Padres 1	22

Longest MLB Games by Time

On May 8, 1984, the Brewers and White Sox played the second game of a midweek series at Comiskey Park. They wouldn't finish it until the next day after a total of eight hours and six minutes of baseball—the longest duration of a game in MLB history.

Milwaukee broke a 1–1 tie with two runs in the top of the ninth, and Chicago responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to force extra innings. They matched scoreless frames through the 17th inning when play was suspended due to the AL's 1 a.m. curfew.

Play resumed the next day at 6:30 p.m. before the teams' scheduled contest. Ben Ogilvie's three-run home run in the 21st inning appeared to give the Brewers the victory, but the White Sox battled to make it 6-6 on Carlton Fisk's RBI single and Tom Paciorek's two-run single.

In the 25th inning, Chicago brought in its scheduled starter that night, Hall of Fame right-hander Tom Seaver, to make his first relief appearance since 1976. After Seaver threw a scoreless frame, Harold Baines had only one thing on his mind when he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the inning. “Winning the game is my only goal,” Baines told the Associated Press.

Baines blasted a Chuck Porter pitch 420 feet into the center-field bullpen to give the White Sox a 7–6 victory and finally end the longest game in MLB history. “I wish it would have went a little longer,” said Porter, the losing pitcher.

The second longest game in MLB history was also part of what was the longest doubleheader ever at the time. On May 31, 1964, before a crowd of 57,037 fans at Shea Stadium, the San Francisco Giants defeated the Mets 5–3 in the first game and then won 8–6 in a 23-inning nightcap that lasted seven hours and 23 minutes.

In extra innings, Willie Mays, one of the greatest center fielders ever, played shortstop for the Giants. Another future Hall of Famer, righthander Gaylord Perry, threw 10 innings of scoreless relief to earn one of his 314 career victories.

The longest nine-inning game in MLB history is four hours and 45 minutes. On Aug. 18, 2006, the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 14–11 in the nightcap of a day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park. Each team collected 17 hits but managed only one home run.

Date	Away Team	Home Team	Result	Time (Innings)
May 8, 1984	Milwaukee Brewers	Chicago White Sox	White Sox 7, Brewers 6	8 hrs, 6 min (25 innings)
May 31, 1964	San Francisco Giants	New York Mets	Giants 8, Mets 6	7 hrs, 23 min (23 innings)
June 3, 1989	Los Angeles Dodgers	Houston Astros	Astros 5, Dodgers 4	7 hrs, 14 min (22 innings)
Sept. 11, 1974	St. Louis Cardinals	New York Mets	Cardinals 4, Mets 3	7 hrs, 4 min (25 innings)
June 24, 1962	New York Yankees	Detroit Tigers	Yankees 9, Tigers 7	7 hours (22 innings)
June 12, 1967	Chicago White Sox	Washington Senators	Senators 6, White Sox 5	6 hrs, 38 min (22 innings)
Aug. 31, 1993	Cleveland Indians	Minnesota Twins	Twins 5, Indians 4	6 hrs, 17 min (22 innings)
April 17, 2008	Colorado Rockies	San Diego Padres	Rockies 2, Padres 1	6 hrs, 16 min (22 innings)
Aug. 23, 1989	Los Angeles Dodgers	Montreal Expos	Dodgers 1, Expos 0	6 hrs, 14 min (22 innings)
Aug. 17, 1982	Los Angeles Dodgers	Chicago Cubs	Dodgers 2, Cubs 1	6 hrs, 10 min (21 innings)
April 15, 1968	New York Mets	Houston Astros	Astros 1, Mets 0	6 hrs, 6 min (24 innings)
May 26, 1973	Cleveland Indians	Chicago White Sox	White Sox 6, Indians 3	6 hrs, 3 min (21 innings)

Rule Changes to Shorten Games

In 2021, Major League Baseball games averaged three hours and 10 minutes. To speed up the pace of play and make baseball more palatable to a younger audience, the league adopted new rules, including a pitch clock to limit dead time during at-bats.

The changes worked. In 2024, a regulation nine-inning contest averaged two hours and 36 minutes.

MLB also took steps to shorten extra-inning games.

In 2020, as part of its pandemic measures, the league introduced the "ghost runner,” an automatic runner placed at second base at the start of each team's half inning to provide an immediate scoring opportunity.

Extra-inning contests dropped from 233 in 2021 to 216 in 2022. The longest game across the two seasons lasted 16 innings.

In 2023, MLB made the extra-innings format permanent for the regular season.

The MLB season marches on today with teams across the country beginning their weekend series. For us bettors, there's no better way to start our weekend than by putting some extra money in our pocket by winning a few Friday bets.

I have three wagers locked in for Friday's slate, including a bet on the total between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. Let's dive into them.

Top MLB Picks Today

Rays -124 vs. BravesAngels +134 vs. AstrosCubs vs. Dodgers UNDER 8 (-112)Braves vs. Rays Prediction

The Braves' offense has started to turn things around, but they still enter the weekend batting just .218 on the season. I think there's still some meat on the bone in terms of fading them, especially tonight when they're playing on the road with Bryce Elder on the mound. Elder recorded a 6.52 ERA in 10 starts last season and allowed three earned runs in just 4.0 innings in his first start in 2025.

A combination of poor hitting and bad pitching by the Braves tonight puts the Rays in a favorable spot. I think -124 is more than a fair price for Tampa Bay.

Angels vs. Astros Prediction

I can't believe I'm typing this right now, but the Los Angeles Angels have been one of the best offensive teams in the Majors in the early part of the season while the Houston Astros have been one of the worst. The Angels are seventh in OPS at .767 while the Astros are 29th at .583. Additionally, Ronel Blanco is starting for the Astros, and there are signs we're going to see some significant regression from him this season. He has allowed seven earned runs in just 6.2 innings pitched across his first two starts.

If you're betting on the Astros as home favorites today, you're completely throwing out the results from the first two weeks of the season. Instead, I'm going to ride the momentum (or lack thereof) from both teams and take the Angels to win as significant underdogs in Houston.

Cubs vs. Dodgers Prediction

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has already had one solid performance against the Cubs, keeping them to three hits and one earned run across 5.0 innings in the opening series of the season in Japan, so why not bet on another strong outing against Chicago tonight? Matthew Boyd is also coming into this game hot, having pitched 11.0 scoreless innings so far in 2025.

You may be surprised to find out the Dodgers, while showcasing some power, have been batting just .230 on the season.

With all of that in mind, I'll take the UNDER in this National League duel.

The three players will start with their new state by playing in the Uttarakhand Premier League

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2025Left-arm spinner J Suchith, opener Prashant Chopra and batter Bhupen Lalwani have moved to Uttarakhand ahead of the domestic season in 2025-26. The three players will start with their new state by playing in the Uttarakhand Premier League.Suchith, who represented Karnataka before playing for Nagaland, first played domestic cricket in April 2014 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before going on to make his List A and first-class debuts in the coming seasons. He played for Nagaland only for one season, in 2024-25, where picked up 43 wickets in six first-class matches and was the highest wicket-taker in the Plate group.Chopra, meanwhile, made his debut for Himachal Pradesh as an 18-year-old in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in February 2011, and has represented them in his entire domestic career so far. Last season, he made 386 runs in seven first-class matches, which included 171 against Uttarakhand. Overall, he has played 81 first-class matches and scored 5093 runs and hit 14 hundreds. He has also notched up 4012 runs in 103 List A games at an average of 41.79, and 2035 runs in 70 T20s at a strike rate of 114.58.Lalwani has represented Mumbai and Chhattisgarh in a short domestic career so far that started in January 2020. He switched to Chhattisgarh ahead of the 2024-25 season, where he played just two first-class matches for them. Overall, he has played 16 first-class matches and three List A games.The change of teams continue a bunch of transfers ahead of the upcoming domestic season, the most notable among them being Karun Nair returning to Karnataka, Harshal Patel switching back to Gujarat from Haryana, and Jalaj Saxena moving from Kerala to Maharashtra.

While Arsenal have signed their fair share of superstars, they’ve also got a proud history of producing them.

The likes of Tony Adams, David O’Leary, Ashley Cole, and Ray Parlour got their start at Hale End before going on to have careers that most players could only dream of.

Even today, the Gunners’ most important player and talisman, Bukayo Saka, is a product of the world-class academy, and Max Dowman looks like he could be the next one up.

However, not every highly rated prospect goes on to fulfil their potential, with Jack Wilshere perhaps being the most unfortunate example of that.

Fortunately, Mikel Arteta has another Hale Ender in his side who could go on to become the player Wilshere was supposed to be.

Wilshere's Arsenal career

Before the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Dowman, Wilshere held the title of Arsenal’s youngest league debutant thanks to his appearance against Blackburn Rovers in September 2008.

The youngster would go on to make eight appearances that season and then seven in the first half of the next campaign before he was sent out on a short-term loan to Bolton Wanderers, where he scored and assisted a goal in 14 games.

With this vital experience, Arsène Wenger opted to give the teenage talent a significant role in the side the following season, which saw him make 49 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals and providing nine assists.

It was this campaign that saw him deliver his famous performance against Pep Guardiola’s legendary Barcelona side, in which he practically single-handedly outplayed the Catalans’ midfield of Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets.

It was around this time that the then-England manager compared the Hale Ender to a young Andrea Pirlo, so to say that there were sky-high expectations around him would be an understatement.

It’s easy to see why many thought the Englishman would be an absolute world-beater, though, as he had incredible close control, an eye for a pass, the ability to carry the ball through the middle of the park, and the perfect attitude.

However, not long after his iconic game against Barça, the Gunners’ great hope began to suffer injury after injury, and from the 11/12 season to 16/17, when he left North London, he missed a staggering 228 games for club and country.

Unfortunately, it was this inability to remain fit that utterly derailed Wilshere’s career, as he had all the ability someone would need to become one of the best midfielders in the world.

The only positive for Arsenal fans is that Arteta now has someone in his squad who could become the player Wilshere was supposed to be.

The Arsenal star who could fulfil Wilshere's promise

While fans might immediately think of Nwaneri or Dowman in this situation, the Hale Ender who could end up becoming the player Wilshere was supposed to be is actually Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Yes, the youngster is currently seen as a left-back in Arteta’s squad, and the second-choice one at that, but that is unlikely to be his long-term position.

After all, the Islington-born gem spent most of his time in the academy playing as a central or defensive midfielder, and when he does come into the first team, he does not overlap; he inverts in the central area.

Lewis-Skelly’s U21 record
Position	Games	G+As
Defensive Midfield	11	1
Left-Back	5	1
Central Midfield	4	1
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, his best traits, which he shares with the former Gunners star, lend themselves to becoming a world-class central player.

For example, although he’s still relatively inexperienced, he has consistently demonstrated a brilliant eye for a pass and an exquisite left foot to match.

On top of that, in a similar fashion to Saka, the 19-year-old is far stronger than he appears and consistently wins physical duels against opposition players.

Finally, like Wilshere, the young dynamo is already an excellent carrier of the ball, and is unoutbaly among the best in the squad when it comes to doing it through a congested midfield.

This was on full display against Atlético Madrid last month, when he beat half the side to provide a perfect assist for Gabriel Martinelli to make 2-0.

In addition to all this, the Hale Ender also shares a similar approach and attitude towards games.

For example, his goal and celebration against Manchester City last term more than back up Declan Rice’s description of him as “fearless”, and when you combine that with everything else, it’s easy to see why club insider Hand of Arsenal has dubbed him a “future captain.”

Ultimately, there is still a long way to go, but thanks to his impressive ability, skill set and mentality, there is a strong chance Lewis-Skelly could become the player Wilshere was supposed to be.

Arsenal star could surpass Saka & Rice to become "the best in the world"

The outrageous talent is going to surpass Rice and Saka to become Arsenal’s best player.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 11, 2025

Sri Lanka crashed to their second-lowest T20I total ever, going down for 80 inside 18 overs, as Sikandar Raza, Brad Evans, and Blessing Muzarabani shared eight wickets between them. At no point in their batting innings did Sri Lanka stage even a mild recovery. There was a 26-run partnership for sixth wicket, but even that appeared laboured, and had multiple close calls.Zimbabwe’s top partnership was also worth just 26, but they strung greater periods of batting competence together, even in the face of some penetrative bowling from Dushmantha Chameera. Tashinga Musekiwa’s assured 21 not out off 12 balls helped the hosts stroll to victory in the 15th over.

Muzarabani and Evans boss the powerplay

Muzarabani took 2 for 10 from two overs in the powerplay. Evans claimed 2 for 14 from his two. Sri Lanka were 37 for 4 by the end of it. It takes lower-middle order miracles to salvage good batting performances from there.The first wicket was off a poor ball, truth be told. Muzarabani had been expensive in the last match and bowled a wide bouncer that Kusal Mendis tried to punish, only to toe-end aerially to deep third. But then Muzarabani was back to bowling the tight, testing lines he had delivered in the ODI series. He’d have Nuwanidu Fernando caught at mid-off in the fifth over and concede only two boundaries in the powerplay.Blessing Muzarabani took two wickets in the powerplay•Zimbabwe Cricket

Evans, meanwhile, took the prize wicket of Pathum Nissanka with a shortish ball on the pads which Nissanka struck to deep square leg. Evans also sent Kamil Mishara’s stumps flying with a yorker. He later wrapped up Sri Lanka’s innings by having Maheesh Theekshana hole out to cover.Muzarabani took 2 for 14 in the end. Evans’ haul was 3 for 15.

Raza’s middle-overs rampage

The seamers delivered Sri Lanka’s middle order on a platter for Raza and he duly gobbled them up. With so many wickets having fallen, Sri Lanka’s batters were watchful, and Raza did not conceded a single boundary through his four overs.He got the dangerous Kamindu Mendis out for a fourth-ball duck. In his third over, he dismissed Charith Asalanka and Chameera in the space of three deliveries. He finished with 3 for 11 off four overs, and was player of the match for these efforts.

Chameera dents Zimbabwe’s small chase

It never seemed likely that Sri Lanka could defend this, but Chameera gave it a chance. He was too quick for Tadiwanashe Marumani and Sean Williams, who had his off stump knocked out of the ground. He then had Raza drag onto off stump. Chameera would have had a fourth wicket had Asalanka held a sharp chance offered by Musekiwa, at short midwicket.

Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign Abde Ezzalzouli, at Unai Emery’s request, and Real Betis’ asking price has been revealed.

Villa’s interest in signing a new forward comes amid doubts surrounding Harvey Elliott’s future, with widespread reports suggesting Liverpool could recall the attacking midfielder from his loan spell in the January transfer window.

Elliott has failed to establish himself as a first-team regular, featuring for just 97 minutes across four matches in the Premier League this season, and Fabrizio Romano has now provided an update on whether there is any way back for the Englishman.

The transfer expert said: “At the moment, it depends on his performances in training. The situation is still not changing and of course, Elliott is not happy.”

Should the 22-year-old exit Villa Park this winter, there may be room in the squad to bring in another attacker, and the Villans are now looking to sign a new winger…

Aston Villa join race to sign Abde Ezzalzouli at Unai Emery's request

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign Real Betis star Ezzalzouli, with the forward being monitored closely ahead of the January transfer window, although there could be competition for his signature from Crystal Palace.

The Betis board’s asking price is ‘significantly’ in excess of the Moroccan’s current value of €12m (£11m), with the Spanish club eager to retain one of their key players, and manager Manuel Pellegrini has made it clear he wants to keep hold of him.

The 23-year-old has been personally requested by Emery for January, with the manager setting out to sign a new winger in order to strengthen his side’s chances of winning the Europa League.

It is little wonder Pellegrini is keen to keep hold of the 25-time Morocco international, given that he has impressed at Real Betis for quite some time, with scout Ben Mattinson waxing lyrical about the left-winger during the 2024/25 campaign.

The former Osasuna man has also made a flying start to the season, chipping in with three goals and two assists in his opening eight games, which has helped propel his side to fifth in the La Liga table.

Emery strengthened his options at left-wing in the summer, signing Jadon Sancho, but the Manchester United loanee is yet to make an impact, failing to register a single goal or assist in his opening eight matches in all competitions.

As such, it would make sense to bring in a new winger in the January transfer window, and Ezzalzouli could be a fantastic long-term addition to the squad.

Aston Villa targeting Ansu Fati alongside Abde Ezzalzouli Aston Villa prepared to make Ansu Fati offer but face complicated roadblock

The Villans are willing to make a bid for a new forward, after Emery’s plea to the board.

ByDominic Lund Nov 4, 2025

“Why go down that route,” Aakash Chopra asks on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out show

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-20251:55

Why did Suryakumar let Siddique bat despite being out?

Suryakumar Yadav, the India captain, withdrew an appeal against Junaid Siddique on Wednesday night in Dubai despite the batter being given out by the third umpire.The incident took place in the 13th over of the UAE innings. Siddique was beaten while attempting a pull off Shivam Dube, and was found outside the crease when wicketkeeper Sanju Samson collected the ball and under-armed a direct hit to the stumps at the striker’s end. As soon as he missed the ball, Siddique seemed to point towards the towel that Dube appeared to have dropped while delivering the ball.Even as the square-leg umpire referred the decision to third umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Suryakumar walked up to the umpire at the bowler’s end to have a chat, and withdrew the appeal after he saw the replays on the big screen. The third umpire had declared Siddique out by that stage.Related

'I am always prepared' – free of IPL shackles, Dube the bowler makes an impact

UAE coach Rajput: Batters were overawed by big names

Kuldeep makes it worth the wait

Stats – The shortest T20I that India has ever played

Siddique was out one legal ball later, when he toe-ended a slog off a Dube slower delivery to Suryakumar at mid-on to leave UAE 55 for 9. It was Dube’s third wicket; UAE were eventually bowled out for 57, which India overhauled in 4.3 overs.On ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show, Aakash Chopra suggested that Suryakumar’s decision was based on the match situation at the time, which was heavily in India’s favour.”It’s event-specific in my opinion, it wouldn’t have happened if [Pakistan’s] Salman Agha was playing on 14th [of September] and the game is in the balance, and he’s just roaming around, he [Suryakumar] won’t do that,” Chopra said. “It was a good throw, presence of mind from Sanju to hit the stumps.”If he was [outside the crease], it should be out, in my opinion. But opinions may vary. The problem is the moment you bring in ethics and generosity, it opens a can of worms: ‘oh, you did this today, why are you not doing the same thing tomorrow?’ Why go down that route?”Will you do it? If that’s the case, it’s like walking. You nick it and you walk. But the day you do not walk, that’s the day that decides which side of the divide you are on and that’s when you look like a hypocrite. I’m not saying SKY is going to do it again, or not do it again. But if it is within the rules and the umpire has given it out, just stay out. That’s it.”India went on to pull off their fastest chase in men’s T20Is, in terms of overs left – eclipsing the 6.3 overs’ chase against Scotland at the T20 World Cup in Dubai in 2021.