Williams scored more than half of Zimbabwe’s first-innings total but the visitors still took a 167-run lead and ended day two 216 ahead

Himanshu Agrawal29-Jun-2025

Sean Williams hit his sixth Test hundred•Zimbabwe Cricket

Since 2020, Zimbabwe have had ten individual hundreds in Tests. Sean Williams alone has scored five of those. One of those centuries came against South Africa in Bulawayo on Sunday, and formed the centerpiece of Zimbabwe’s innings.South Africa declared their first innings on their overnight score of 418 for 9, and in reply, Zimbabwe were struggling at 23 for 2. Williams walked in at No. 4, and Zimbabwe’s woes were further compounded when Brian Bennett walked back due to a delayed concussion. Bennett was struck on the helmet by a Kwena Maphaka short-of-a-length delivery and while he faced three more balls, he decided he couldn’t continue any further and walked off.Related

Bennett walks off with concussion, Masvaure named replacement

From thereon, it was almost all about Williams. He found a little help from captain Craig Ervine, with the duo adding 91 runs. They got together with Zimbabwe 390 runs behind, and with Maphaka and debutant Codi Yusuf in good rhythm. Yusuf had Takudzwanashe Kaitano caught at backward short leg off his fifth ball in Tests, and Nick Welch edging behind to the wicketkeeper in his third over.Both of South Africa’s new-ball bowlers were extracting plenty of bounce and carry. South Africa may have opted to bowl on the second morning in anticipation of exactly that after they saw Zimbabwe’s quicks getting a lot of help from the surface in the first session on Saturday.Despite the early wickets and assistance for the seamers, Williams counterattacked. He got two early boundaries off Maphaka: one an outside edge flying past gully, and another a short-arm pull to deep-backward square leg. While Maphaka was taken for runs, Yusuf was much tighter: his in-between lengths drew the batters forward, and his line around the off stump checked the flow of runs.Zimbabwe however, ended the morning session without any further damage. Wiaan Mulder and Corbin Bosch replaced the new-ball bowlers, and continued to test the batters with accurate lines and lengths. Ervine was especially cautious, managing just nine runs off his first 44 balls. But he dispatched his second boundary when he cut hard at a short and wide delivery from Bosch in the 19th over, and that seemed to have injected some momentum into Zimbabwe’s innings.Sean Williams and Craig Ervine steadied Zimbabwe with a 91-run stand•Zimbabwe Cricket

Both Ervine and Williams found success by punching or slashing the ball behind – and in front of – square on the off side. Zimbabwe were chipping away with that partnership before Keshav Maharaj made things happen. He beat Williams after tossing one up at him in the 24th over, and could have had him stumped on 40 had Kyle Verreynne not fumbled on the first attempt.After lunch, with the ball turning into him, Williams decided to use the sweep against Maharaj. One of those attempts saw the ball pop up off his forearm, and just behind the slip fielder. Finally, it was Maharaj who broke through. Ervine skipped down the pitch to Maharaj, who floated one full and wide of off. Ervine, on 36, missed, and this time Verreynne flicked the bails off in time.Thereafter, it was all about the remaining batters playing a supporting role for Williams. Wessly Madhevere confidently swung Maharaj for six over long-on early in his innings, with the South Africa captain being attacked by Williams as well. Williams faced 52 balls from the left-arm spinner and scored 43 runs – a strike rate of 82.69 – including five boundaries.Twice Williams advanced down the pitch to convert potential length deliveries into full tosses, and heaved them away to the deep-midwicket boundary. Mulder trapped Madhevere for 15 in the 43rd over, but Williams remained firm. Four overs later, Williams got to his sixth Test hundred – the joint second-highest by a Zimbabwe batter – but next ball, saw Prince Masvaure, the concussion substitute for Bennett, edge Mulder behind.Wiaan Mulder finished with figures of 4 for 50•Zimbabwe Cricket

Mulder got his third when he had Tafadzwa Tsiga balloon a leading edge to point in the 49th over. Yusuf bagged his third wicket soon after when Wellington Masakadza got a faint tickle behind to Verreynne. At that stage, Zimbabwe were 217 for 7, still two runs short of avoiding the follow-on. But Williams comfortably got them past that mark in the company of Vincent Masekesa, who blocked and dabbed much to South Africa’s frustration.Williams’ stay ended at 137 when Maharaj had him stumped for Verreynne’s fifth dismissal of the innings. Masekesa, Blessing Muzarabani and Tanaka Chivanga added only two more runs from that point, as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 251, leaving South Africa 167 runs ahead in the first innings.Despite falling behind by a huge margin, Zimbabwe hit back early. Chivanga had Matthew Breetzke edging to gully for 1 in the second over, but Tony de Zorzi and Mulder kept South Africa on track. They survived the evening despite some help for the Zimbabwe seamers, and took the score to 49 and the lead to 216 without any further damage.

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad has expressed his “disappointment” over the international retirement of Heinrich Klaasen but played down suggestions of a rift between them. Klaasen, who announced his retirement from international cricket yesterday, stepped down from Tests in January 2024 – 11 months into Conrad’s tenure as red-ball coach and after being dropped from the South Africa side following a poor series against West Indies.Conrad does not think Klaasen’s decision was prompted by his pronouncement that South Africa’s best players need to be more available for bilateral series than leagues, but confirmed he has yet to have a conversation with Klaasen about his reasons.”Obviously, if you lose a player of the calibre of Heinrich Klaasen, you’d be disappointed,” Conrad told the media at South Africa’s warm-up match against Zimbabwe at Arundel. “But if that’s the narrative that you want to espouse, that I’m the common factor, then be my guest. I haven’t even had a conversation with Heinrich. He turned down the contract long before I was even a thought in the white-ball space. It’s really unfortunate that we lose a player of his calibre. He’s one of the best in the world, if not the best, among the white ball middle-order batters.”Related

• How much of a loss are Pooran's and Klaasen's retirements to international cricket?

• Heinrich Klaasen retires from international cricket

• Conrad confident SA players will prioritise national duty over T20 leagues

• Klaasen not in SA central contracts list

Conrad was confirmed as South Africa’s all-format coach in May, a month after Klaasen was not included on CSA’s central contract list, even as a white-ball-only player.At the time, CSA said discussions with Klaasen were ongoing. Klaasen is signed to play in both MLC and the Hundred, which take place in July and August, at the same time as South Africa are due to play a T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe and a white-ball series in Australia. Klaasen is understood to be wedded to those deals and would have opted out of South Africa’s tours, which Conrad is leaving little room for, as he expects players to put national duty first.Shukri Conrad has asked for his players to prioritise bilaterals over T20 leagues•Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

“I’d be disappointed if it [Klaasen retiring to favour leagues] was, because we didn’t have a conversation,” Conrad said. “I think if guys pre-signed deals prior to me coming on board, I certainly wasn’t going to come in there and say, ‘Well, you have got to withdraw from whatever you pre-signed.’ So without us ever having a conversation, I’d be disappointed if that was why he retired. From the little bit I know, I know Heinrich from way back when he was at the academy, kept in the academy sides when I was the coach. I’d be very surprised if he was as short-sighted as that. I think he’s obviously got really good reasons for why he’s retired, and we’ve got to respect that.”An example of Conrad’s flexibility will be seen later in the year when David Miller, who is on a white-ball-only contract, will miss the Zimbabwe or Australia tours. “He has signed at the Hundred and but he’s going to come and tour England with us,” Conrad said.He also indicated some players will be given conditioning breaks during the year, which could impact both their league and international availability. “Some guys are going to have a break during MLC and not get selected because of the break that we feel they need,” Conrad said. “People maybe got it slightly wrong in that they probably felt that I’m imposing these things on the players. It’s far from it. The only thing I said, and I’ll keep saying it, is when South Africa plays, we want our best players available. And I’m not changing my stance on that, I think the players respect that. Conversations will be had, we’ll work it out for players, plan their year, and then everybody will be good to go and happy with the arrangements.”All that does not mean the door is closed on Klaasen, who was expected to be a key player for South Africa’s T20 World Cup campaign next year and possibly even the home ODI World Cup in 2027. Conrad left matters open to discussion in future.”Once the dust has settled and I manage to have a conversation and sit down with Klaasie, then we’ll try and see,” Conrad said. “I don’t know what his future plans are. For now, we have got to respect his decision, and I’m sure he’s done it for good reasons.”

KSCA president Raghuram Bhat accepted their resignations in an emergency meeting

Shashank Kishore07-Jun-2025Two senior officials of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam, have resigned from their positions citing “moral responsibility” for Wednesday’s stampede at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s IPL 2025 victory celebration. KSCA president Raghuram Bhat accepted their resignation in an emergency meeting of the managing committee.*Bhatt declined to respond if the KSCA was responsible for the stampede, saying he would address the media at an appropriate time once the court hearings and the findings of the one-person panel appointed by the Karnataka government were concluded.During the event, planned to celebrate RCB’s first IPL title win in 18 attempts, 11 people died, and several others were injured.Related

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In the communication to the KSCA on Friday night, Shankar and Jairam wrote: “Due to the unforeseen and unfortunate events that have unfolded in the last two days, and though our role was very limited, but owing moral responsibility, we wish to state that last night we have tendered our resignation to our respective posts as secretary and treasurer of the KSCA.”The Bengaluru Police filed a first information report (FIR) against the RCB franchise on Thursday. In the FIR, which has been seen by ESPNcricinfo, the police have said that they had denied RCB permission to conduct the event at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, around which the stampede occurred. RCB were listed as the first accused in the FIR, along with DNA Entertainment, the franchise’s event partners, and the KSCA, which is in charge of the stadium.On Friday, the police confirmed the arrest of Nikhil Sosale, the marketing and revenue head of RCB, acting on the directive of newly-appointed police commissioner SK Singh, who took over after his predecessor was removed from the post by Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah in the wake of the incident.1:15

Gambhir: We should never have roadshows

Later in the day, the KSCA filed a writ petition, in which they argued that the FIR against them was a “knee-jerk” reaction by the police, done under pressure from the state government.The KSCA further stated that the incident was an accident caused by an unexpected rush and crowd surge, and that no intent or motive could be attributed to the petitioners. It emphasised that gate and crowd management were not the KSCA’s responsibility, but that of RCB’s, the event organisers, and the police.The counsel defending KSCA had also raised concerns over the arrest of Sosale, claiming it indicated a targeted approach. Sosale has challenged his arrest, and approached the Karnataka High Court, according to Bar and Bench, an Indian legal news platform.RCB has yet to issue an official statement following the arrest. On Thursday, however, the franchise announced a compensation of INR 10 lakh for each of the deceased, and pledged to cover the medical expenses of those injured in the incident.* 1400 GMT, June 7, 2025 Updated after the meeting

At first, it didn't make much sense at all why the Washington Nationals optioned All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday. The Triple-A season ends Sunday, and the Nationals—already eliminated from playoff contention—only have eight games remaining.

But one former MLB executive dug up the apparent reason behind Washington's confusing move.

Jim Bowden, a former general manager of the Nationals, stated Saturday that Abrams was out until 8 a.m. at a Bally Casino before a 1 p.m. CT game Friday against the Chicago Cubs. Abrams went 0-for-3 with a walk in that game, which the Nationals lost 3–1.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo addressed that report before Saturday's game.

"We’re all aware of the report but beyond that it’s an internal issue that we will keep in the family," Rizzo said [via ].

Abrams, once considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, was named an All-Star for the first time in 2024 after batting .268/.343/.489 with 15 homers and 48 RBIs in his first 89 games. But the 23-year-old has cooled off significantly in the second half of the season, logging a .203/.260/.326 slash line with just five homers in 49 games.

Of course, it appears Abrams's struggles since the All-Star break aren't the main reason for his demotion. Abrams went 10-for-21 (.476 batting average) with three doubles and a homer over his last six games before being sent to Triple-A.

The Nationals, who will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight year since winning the 2019 World Series, will wrap up their season with two more games against the Cubs and a pair of three-game series against the Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies.

As they continue their search for a new manager, Rangers have reportedly set their sights on bringing the next boss’ first new face to Ibrox when the transfer window swings open.

Latest on Rangers' manager search

The main focus for Rangers right now is finding their next manager and if recent reports are anything to go by, that’s likely to be a returning Steven Gerrard. The Liverpool legend has reportedly held “positive” initial talks with those at Ibrox and will be discussing further details about a potential return for the first time since leaving for Aston Villa in 2021.

The 49ers have turned towards the last manager to win the Scottish Premiership with the Gers following the failure of their Russell Martin appointment. The summer appointment lasted just 123 days after winning just once in seven league games.

To say that it’s not the start that the new owners would have hoped for is an understatement, but they’ve now got the chance to start afresh if Gerrard makes his return.

That’s not to say talks will be simple, though. Recent reports have indicated that Gerrard wants more control over transfers and a budget to operate with when the January transfer window arrives if he is to join Rangers again.

The 49ers already welcomed more than 10 fresh faces in the summer, with many yet to make their mark, but may need to spend once again in January to let Gerrard mark his stamp on the side. What that could also see is a return for summer targets that Kevin Thelwell missed out on, including one Championship star.

Rangers targeting Pierce Charles

As reported by Ibrox News, Rangers chiefs are now targeting a move to sign Pierce Charles from Sheffield Wednesday in 2026 after missing out on the shot-stopper’s signature in the summer. The Gers reportedly saw a £1m offer turned down by Sheffield Wednesday, despite the fact that money would have been enough for owner Dejphon Chansiri to pay players and staff on time.

Now, having maintained an interest in the goalkeeper, Thelwell could reignite Rangers’ interest in 2026. Gerrard could yet play an unexpected role in any deal too, after initial reports suggested that Charles was not keen to join the Gers if ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl was handed the vacant managerial role.

Ryan Jack thrilled as Fabrizio Romano shares Rangers manager talks from Ibrox

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Oct 9, 2025

With Gerrard the likeliest to arrive at this stage and Charles’ former goalkeeper coach Sal Bibbo keen to secure a reunion at Ibrox, the 20-year-old is still one to keep an eye on.

Described as an “amazing” prospect by Newcastle United star Anthony Elanga, Charles could bring Jack Butland’s tenure as Rangers’ No.1 to an end and provide the Gers’ next manager with an instant boost next year. Whether it’s Gerrard or another option who benefits from that boost is the big question.

Mic'd Up: Shreeves discussed soccer in America, Premier League favorites, and who might win the Champions League

Geoff Shreeves, technically, got his start in America. His first proper job was in the early '90s, for CNN. He cut his teeth in an American place. And it only makes sense, then, that nearly 35 years later, he's back – albeit in a different capacity. Shreeves – the voice many recognize for his role in the EAFC video game series – is now an analyst for Morning Footy on CBS Sports Golazo Network.

And much has changed over the years. These days, he says, fans know the game.

"American soccer fans are so knowledgeable that actually, as an analyst or a pundit, you have to work doubly as hard because they know their stuff so well," he tells GOAL. 

Shreeves will be talking Premier League, Champions League, even lower league stuff. It's a good season to do so, too. The Premier League title race, for one, could be a classic, Shreeves says. 

"Look at the Premier League table right now," he said. "Look at Bournemouth, look at Sunderland. It's fantastic. I think we're in for a vintage Premier League this season. Last season, you have to admire what Arne Slot did at Liverpool. But they won it pretty much at a canter, and the bottom three were gone quite early. I said at the start of the season, I think we're seeing much greater competition at the top spot."

And that's just the Prem. Lower down, things could get even more interesting. Wrexham, after cruising to promotion last year, are going to have a far tougher go of things in the Championship.

"They wouldn't say it publicly, but the owners of Birmingham and Wrexham, if you offered them mid-table this season, at the start of season, they'd snatch your hand off," he said. "It's a massive leap."

Shreeves talked the changing role of soccer in America, Premier League title favorites, and who might win the Champions League in the latest edition of Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL taps into the perspective of analysts, announcers and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad. 

(C)Getty imagesON THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

GOAL: You'll be covering the Champions League quite a lot this year. Who do you like to win it?

SHREEVES: Having been in Munich and seeing what PSG did last year, it was just astonishing. I don't think I've ever seen such a one-sided final. This is against a smart team, a wise team. They absolutely destroyed them. They decimated them, and ground them into the dirt. They haven't necessarily had the same flying start, but I don't think you can discount the holders, even if it is very difficult to retain the Champions League. You've also got to look at the top two teams in Spain.

And then if you look at the English clubs, I like Arsenal. You've got genuine competition for places, real competition for places. I mean, it's embarrassing that I think it was, 5,000 Arsenal fans started a petition that they didn't want Noni Madueke. That was just nonsense. And the start he made when they were missing Saka? The other one is Masquera. I thought he had a cigar and carpet slippers. It was ridiculous, the way he was so composed.

They've got competition all over the pitch, and that's before you start looking at the likes of the generational talent that is Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri. It's just staggering. You know, there's so much there. I think they can compete on all fronts. So I think they're well equipped to have a right good go.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportON ARSENAL'S TITLE HOPES

GOAL: Does that make them title favorites?

SHREEVES: Remember when Liverpool flew out the traps and they signed Wirtz? And there was the talk of getting Isak? And the amount of people who said "Let's not bother. Just give them the trophy." Arsenal started to falter a little bit, so it's all over. So no, I wouldn't say Arsenal win it. They've got a great chance. Would I say it's definitely going to happen? Not in a million years, because that's the beauty of the Premier League. Look at the Premier League table right now. Look at Bournemouth, look at Sunderland. It's fantastic.

I think we're in for a vintage Premier League this season. Last season, you have to admire what Arne Slot did at Liverpool. But they won it pretty much at a canter, and the bottom three were gone quite early. I said at the start of the season, I think we're seeing much greater competition at the top spot, and I think we'll we'll have far more teams involved in the relegation scrap. At the moment that's looking fairly prescient. It's a rare example of me actually being right.

Getty Images SportON LIVERPOOL'S RECENT STRUGGLES

GOAL: So what's going on with Liverpool then? They're doing a fair bit of losing at the moment.

SHREEVES: Well, Isak didn't have a proper preseason, did he? He's not come in in the condition that you would hope or expect. He's a racehorse, he's a thoroughbred, he's a fantastic footballer. Wirtz, where he's playing – has he played in that specific position before? Then you've got the Salah conundrum, Kerkez looks like he's struggling. So the balance of the team has changed. There's no question that things have changed there. I'll never forget Arsene Wenger said to me once – I was badgering about whether he's going to sign a player – and he said "Geoff, never forget, it's possible to subtract by adding."

And he's spot on. Now, I'm not saying Liverpool have gotten it wrong. They bought fantastic footballers, but you know, this is not like just putting players in and saying "There you go, get on with it." They have to find their feet. They have to find their way. So it's teething problems. But this, this Liverpool squad, is equally capable of going on a run and really challenging whoever sits at the top. People are saying "Yeah, it's Arsenal's." I would just remind people, they're saying the same thing about Liverpool less than six weeks ago.

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Getty Images SportON WREXHAM'S REALITY CHECK

GOAL: The fascination in the U.S. with Wrexham really can't be understated. But it seems like – not that the magic's over – but they're outsiders to get promoted. This seems like a mid-table season. Is the magic maybe a little bit over because of that?

SHREEVES: I said exactly that at the start of the season. They wouldn't say it publicly, but the owners of Birmingham and Wrexham, if you offered them mid-table this season, at the start of season, they'd snatch your hand off. It's a massive leap. You've brought players up from League One. That's a huge jump to the Championship, a huge jump. And then it's like anything that goes up a division. It's difficult for coaches. 

You've got a team, you've also got a successful unit, which is cohesive, is happy, and functions as a group of people. But the players that bring you up aren't necessarily the players to get you to the next stage, or indeed, to keep you in your newly promoted position. So it's almost like you've got to completely reassess everything, all over again. You've got to go again. Of course, it's possible.

I never thought that either of them would romp it. Absolutely no chance. I'll try to recall from the start of the season. I think I said Wrexham, maybe, if they have the season of their lives – bear in mind what they've done – maybe a squeak off the playoff place. But that's about it. 

علق سعد سمير لاعب فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا على الفوز أمام بيراميدز بنتيجة 2-1، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس السوبر المصري.

والتقى بيراميدز مع سيراميكا كليوباترا على استاد آل نهيان في مباراة تحديد المركزين الثالث والرابع في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري 2025.

طالع.. فيديو | سيراميكا كليوباترا يحصد برونزية السوبر المصري بثنائية أمام بيراميدز

وقال سعد سمير في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “قدمنا مباراة جيدة أمام الأهلي في نصف نهائي السوبر، ونتصدر الدوري بتعب ومجهود اللاعبين والمدير الفني، وأهنئهم جميعًا”.

وأكمل: “مباراة اليوم تتويج لمجهودنا في الفترة الماضية، أمام فريق كبير بطل إفريقيا، (وضاحكًا) وبطل نص أو ثلاث أرباع العالم مثلما يسموها”.

وواصل: “أمامنا منافسين كبار في الدوري الأهلي، وبيراميدز، والزمالك يسير بشكل جيد، ومنافسة قوية مع المصري، هدفنا أن نتواجد في المربع الذهبي والتفكير في الفوز بكل مباراة”.

وبسؤاله عن توقعاتك للقمة؟، أجاب: “مباراة القمة ليس لها مقاييس، حالة اللاعبين بتفرق وخاصة الفريق الذي عنده الرغبة والدافع الأقوى، ومن سيبدأ بقوة ويضغط هو من سيحسم اللقاء”.

وأتم: “تريزيجيه بدأ يدخل في الأجواء ويستعيد مستواه في الفترة الأخيرة”.

To say that Arsenal are unrecognisable as a club today from the one Mikel Arteta took charge of over five years ago would be an understatement.

The Spaniard has helped to completely overhaul the club from top to bottom and has signed some incredible players in the process.

One of his very best additions to the squad has undoubtedly been Declan Rice, who was once again incredible in the Champions League this week.

And now, it looks like another of Arteta’s signings is transforming into a Rice-type player this season.

Rice's best European nights for Arsenal

Since joining the club for £105m in the summer of 2023, Rice has made 26 appearances for Arsenal in the Champions League, in which he has scored four goals, provided four assists and averaged 2.12 points per game.

Chalkboard

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

It would be fair to say that across those 26 games, he has been pretty incredible for the North Londoners, but when it comes to picking out his best European nights in red and white, there are three that stick out, the first of which is the home game against Paris Saint-Germain in the league phase last season.

It was a game the Gunners comfortably won 2-0, and one in which the former West Ham United captain totally bossed the Parisians’ smaller and, at the time, out-of-form midfield.

The Englishman didn’t pick up a goal or assist in that game, but he did do that in his second-best Champions League display for the club, which came on Wednesday this week.

Arteta started his record signing in the left eight against Atlético Madrid, and as fans have now come to expect, he was cool, calm and composed on the ball and a physical monster off of it.

Moreover, he provided the assist for Gabriel Magalhães’ opener, and then it was his corner that eventually led to Viktor Gyokeres’ second goal, and the team’s fourth.

However, while the 26-year-old was great against Atleti, he was out of this world against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals last season.

The midfield machine put in an extraordinary shift at the Bernabéu, but it was the home leg where he was utterly sublime, stopping everything in the middle of the park and then scoring those two world-class free-kicks.

In short, while he cost a lot of money, Rice has been worth every penny for Arsenal, and now another of Arteta’s signings is starting to embody some of his best traits.

Arsenal's new Rice-type star

Due to Arteta’s brilliant signings and Hale End’s production of talent, there is no shortage of incredible players in Arsenal’s squad, but the player who is becoming something of a Rice-type star is Riccardo Calafiori.

Now, it’s worth noting that this doesn’t mean they are the same type of player, as that would be a silly thing to suggest.

However, there are some increasingly obvious similarities between the pair, with the first being their mentality.

Like the Englishman, since coming back from his string of injuries that kept him out for most of last season, the former Bologna star has played like a man possessed.

Not only is he someone who can and does bound forward with the ball at his feet, but he’s also more than happy to get into a physical duel with an opponent to try and keep the ball or win it. As The Telegraph’s Sam Dean aptly put it, he plays like a “wild horse on the loose.”

On top of that, he is also a sensational striker of the ball, and while he isn’t delivering set-pieces, it has been on show in the goals he has scored over the last year, and even those that have been disallowed, like that unreal volley against Fulham last weekend.

Moreover, like the former West Ham man, the Italian international seems to have limitless energy, and this season has been allowed the freedom to roam here, there and everywhere on the pitch.

This “positionless” approach in games, as one analyst puts it, makes him a nightmare for opponents to defend against and could help him snuff out counters before they have a chance to get out of their half at times.

Finally, the Rome-born titan is also one of the best in his position in the league, as according to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of full-backs for expected goals, shots, goal-creating actions, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for tackles in the attacking third and more, all per 90.

xG: Expected Goals

0.28

Top 2%

npxG: Non-Penalty xG

0.28

Top 2%

Shots Total

2.35

Top 2%

SCA (Fouls Drawn)

0.29

Top 2%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.73

Top 2%

GCA (Defensive Action)

0.15

Top 2%

SCA (Shot)

0.44

Top 6%

GCA (Shot)

0.15

Top 6%

Touches (Att Pen)

3.96

Top 6%

Goals + Assists

0.44

Top 10%

SCA (Defensive Action)

0.15

Top 10%

GCA (Live-ball Pass)

0.44

Top 10%

Goals

0.15

Top 13%

Assists

0.29

Top 13%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.15

Top 13%

npxG/Shot

0.12

Top 13%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.44

Top 17%

Ultimately, Calafiori has been unreal for Arsenal this season, and as he has got better, he has become more and more of a Rice-type player.

Gyokeres can help Arsenal's "unbelievable" star reach Mesut Ozil's level

Gyokeres could play a key role in helping the incredible Arsenal star reach the levels of Ozil this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 23, 2025

Newcastle United’s depth in attack is certainly different to what it was at the end of last season. It’s been all change in the last few months, losing Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson, and replacing them with Nick Woltemade, who has really hit the ground running, and Yoane Wissa, who has been out injured.

They also added Anthony Elanga to their depth out wide. He’s been providing competition for Jacob Murphy on the right wing, with Anthony Gordon still the first choice on the opposite flank.

The England international has been on fire in the Champions League in particular.

Another man who has shone in that competition is Harvey Barnes.

How Barnes’ Champions League numbers compare to Gordon

It has been a fast start to Barnes’ European campaign in 2025/26. He hasn’t been a regular starter under Eddie Howe this term across all competitions, but has made a great impact off the bench.

In particular, his impact on the European stage has been a real standout. Barnes has three goals in as many games, having played just 106 minutes across that trio of appearances. He’s averaging one goal every 35 minutes this season.

Those numbers stack up well against his Magpies teammate Gordon. Their number 10 does have two more goal involvements in the Champions League this season, with five to his name. However, they have come in 265 minutes, and on average, he contributes to a goal every 53 minutes, which is more than Barnes.

The former Leicester City man had a strong impact on the game against Benfica on Tuesday night. Newcastle’s number 11 struck twice off the bench to secure all three points for his side.

His second goal was teed up by Gordon and included some lovely, sharp passing before an incisive finish from Barnes.

The winger has been excellent off the bench this season, although Newcastle have a player coming through who could soon displace him.

The Newcastle sensation who can displace Barnes

Over the last few seasons, there have certainly been some exciting talents come through the academy at St James’ Park. Elliot Anderson is someone who springs to mind, and Lewis Miley is thriving in their first team today.

However, even more exciting than the homegrown pair could be South Korean under-20 international Seung-soo Park. The 18-year-old attacker has already played first-team football for Suwon Samsung Bluewings, and is now on the fringes of the Magpies’ first team after a summer move.

The youngster drummed up a lot of interest when he first moved to St James’ Park. Newcastle’s Academy Director Steve Harper said he is an “exciting” young forward, and Seoul-based writer Seung-mo Lee once explained he is “similar to [Kylian] Mbappe,” which is high praise indeed.

Well, it has been a productive start to the season for the man compared to France’s captain. He’s actually yet to get a goal or assist in eight games for the academy, but has shown plenty of promise.

The 18-year-old has been pulling off passes like this against Mansfield in the EFL Trophy, which highlights his talent.

Some of the numbers he’s been putting up have been excellent, too.

In the game against Mansfield, he completed three out of three dribbles, and in a 45-minute cameo against Union Saint Gilloise in the UEFA Youth League, he created three chances.

Touches

49

33

Pass accuracy

82%

75%

Ground duels won

7/12

5/7

Dribbles completed

3/3

4/6

Chances created

2

3

Howe seems to rate the 18-year-old, having already put him on the bench in the Premier League.

Park was an unused substitute in the season opener against Aston Villa. He also got minutes in preseason with the first team.

The South Korean talent seems to be someone whom the Magpies can get excited about. He certainly has a lot about him, with the ability to beat defenders one-vs-one and create chances in the final third.

With the likes of Barnes, Newcastle have great depth out wide, but Park will be one to keep an eye on for the future.

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ByJoe Nuttall Oct 22, 2025

West Ham are making serious plans to reinforce their squad in the January transfer window, as now confirmed by reliable media sources.

West Ham target defender, midfielder and forward in January

According to Sky Sports this week, the Hammers have promised Nuno Espírito Santo that funds will be available to reinforce his squad at the turn of the year, coming as some much-needed good news.

It is also believed that the east Londoners could make as many as three major signings across the squad.

One of the main priorities for West Ham is strengthening their defence. The team has shown major vulnerability at the back, conceding more goals than any other side in the Premier League so far this season, so bringing in a reliable defender could be essential.

Midfield is another area West Ham are keen to upgrade. Their current options have struggled to get a foot-hold in games or provide that creative spark needed through the middle, with Nuno raising many eyebrows after his bizarre team selection to play Brentford.

Tomas Soucek and Andy Irving were overrun by a dominant Bees side who had 17 shots in total, and if West Ham are to avoid the drop, they need to plug those gaps in the engine room.

West Ham are also after a forward, which is arguably their most glaring need of all.

Niclas Füllkrug’s injury woes have carried on into this campaign, while youngster Callum Marshall is inexperienced and Callum Wilson boasts a torrid fitness record of his own.

The Irons are already being linked with a host of intriguing striker names, with Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney, Man United’s Josh Zirkzee and Real Madrid starlet Endrick all mentioned as potential targets.

West Ham are rumoured to have done some work on a loan deal for Toney in January, but if that fails to pay dividends, Endrick is emerging as a more and more likely option.

The Brazilian has struggled for game time under Xabi Alonso, partly due to injury, and it was a similar story during Carlo Ancelotti’s final year in charge.

Endrick did play a key role in Real’s run to the Copa del Rey final last term, scoring five goals in the competition, but could do nothing as El Clásico rivals Barcelona eventually beat them to the trophy in April.

Fabrizio Romano and other media sources are adamant that the 19-year-old could leave the Bernabeu on loan this winter — opening the door for a potential West Ham deal amid their long-standing interest.

Now, journalist Graeme Bailey has shared a very interesting update, and Endrick isn’t the only Real player on West Ham’s radar.

West Ham in talks with Real Madrid over signing Endrick and Gonzalo Garcia

Bailey, in a piece for TBR Football, claims that West Ham are “already in talks” over a “double deal” involving Endrick and Gonzalo Garcia.

The former would come in on loan, while Nuno’s side have also asked about Garcia as their manager “pleads with his bosses” for more attacking reinforcements.

Endrick rejected a move to West Ham last January, so it is unclear what his stance would be on a move this time around with many clubs likely to be interested, but Garcia is apparently keen on a move to England.

The 21-year-old Spaniard, who won the Golden Boot award at last summer’s Club World Cup, has been limited to brief substitute appearances under Alonso this season but bagged an assist against Kairat Almaty in the Champions League last month.

Despite his limited chances in 2025/2026, Alonso holds Garcia in very high esteem, even comparing the young striker to Los Blancos legend Raul over the summer.

With West Ham speaking to Real about signing both Endrick and Garcia, there is reason to believe the young, hungry striking duo could inject some much-needed energy and attacking flair into Nuno’s ranks.