'It's disgusting!' – Thomas Tuchel praised for England form by Albania manager as Three Lions close in on World Cup record

Albania manager Sylvinho heaped praise on Thomas Tuchel's England as the Three Lions near a perfect World Cup qualifying record. Having already booked their berth in the flagship competition next year, the Three Lions are now aiming to maintain their 100 per cent win record in the qualifying rounds. England will meet Albania in their last group game on Sunday in Tirana.

England's fiery form under Tuchel

Tuchel's journey as England boss has been near perfect as the Three Lions have won eight out of the nine matches they have played thus far, since March 2025. This incredible run of form includes a seven-game winning streak in the World Cup qualifiers and they are now on the verge of ending their qualifying campaign with a 100 per cent win record. They have also scored 20 goals in seven qualifiers and have kept a clean sheet in each of those games. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTuchel's England praised by Albania boss

Albania manager Sylvinho, who has featured for clubs like Arsenal and Manchester City during his playing days, was full of praise for Tuchel's team as he told reporters, "Unfortunately, I have to say they are stronger than six months ago. The numbers are amazing. It's disgusting! What can I say? But we are happy, we are going to face one of the best tomorrow and we are going to try to do our job. My players have confidence and love what they are doing on the pitch. We are going to prepare something, try to score and have a great match. I've heard in my life in 90 minutes of football, anything can happen."

He added: "They are in a completely different level [to us]. Don't make any confusion about us. We are very happy with our team, so we are for the first time going to play the playoffs in March, but it is completely different. Tomorrow is a great game, it's a difficult game as well. Great coach, love him, the way that he plays and also he has some of the best players in the world."

Kane hailed Tuchel as one of the best managers ever

Speaking about the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager, England captain Harry Kane earlier said: "He's done a really good job. Coming in to being England manager is never easy, especially after Gareth who was one of our most successful managers. He's [Tuchel] tried to stamp his own feel into training, into meetings. He comes with a lot of enthusiasm. Tactically, we are really precise going into every game. 

He's been building different ideas leading up to next summer. From now until then, there will be more he would like to add. Tactically, he has been fantastic. He brings a personality, he brings an aura that represents an England manager. Going into a major tournament that is important as well. Other teams know he is one of the best managers in the world and that brings weight as well."

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Getty Images SportTuchel wants a strong bench in England squad

Speaking on the importance of having a strong bench in the England squad, the German coach said: "We need a good bench, we play in 40 degrees and we will play after a long, long season, we are maybe the nation that suffers the most from international football, from long seasons, from two cups, from cup finals, from semi-finals. 100 per cent we need to be ready to do substitutions until hopefully the late stages of the World Cup. Once we go to a tournament, I think clarity in the role is very important. The better player can also think about it and be honest: 'Can I accept this, is it good for me, can I make the most of this for the team?'"

Casemiro 2.0: Man Utd make £79m bid for "one of the best DMs on the planet"

Manchester United’s hierarchy ensured that Ruben Amorim was well backed in the 2025 summer transfer window. Despite another season filled with inconsistencies under the Portuguese manager, the Red Devils’ owners have backed their manager, highlighted by the amount of money they spent over the summer.

Star forward Bryan Mbeumo has been the biggest success story after his £71m move from Brentford. He was one of three marquee attackers who United signed, along with Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5m, and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko for £74m.

Goalkeeper Senne Lammens rounded out a busy summer where Amorim was well and truly backed.

If recent rumours are to be believed, INEOS are willing to give Amorim even more money to spend.

United’s next marquee signing

It is certainly an exciting time to be a United fan with all the incomings. They have been linked with a few big names from within the Premier League, including Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba, in recent days.

Transfer Focus

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

Yet, the man who the Red Devils could turn to first in midfield is Real Madrid and France international Aurelien Tchouameni. According to reports in Spain, via Football365, United have ‘put forward an offer’ to sign the former AS Monaco star as soon as January.

This is certainly not a deal that will come cheap for United. The reported bid they have played for the midfielder would see him become Amorim’s most expensive signing, at £79m including add-ons.

However, the report suggests Los Blancos are not open to the move as things stand.

Man Utd's next Casemiro in the making?

At 25 years of age, the 43-cap France international is about to enter the peak years of his career. Since moving to the Bernabeu in 2022 from Monaco, he has become a key player in midfield, helping Madrid win multiple titles, including the Champions League and La Liga.

This season under Madrid’s new head coach, Xabi Alonso, Tchouameni has featured 15 times, in all competitions. Operating at the base of midfield, he’s completed 90 minutes 12 times, racking up 1224 minutes so far.

There are a couple of smaller things in Tchouameni’s game that make him such an appealing addition for Amorim. One of those is his versatility, with the Frenchman able to slot in at centre-back. The other his his knack for goal.

England fans won’t forget this strike in the 2022 World Cup, highlighting how dangerous he can be from range.

If the Red Devils were able to bring the Frenchman to Old Trafford this term, he would, in many ways, be the second coming of Casemiro. United’s number 18 has shone under Amorim this term, playing all ten Premier League games he’s been available for. Indeed, there are a couple of striking similarities between the pair.

Indeed, the fact that Casemiro was also a big money signing from Los Blancos is one of the main ways this deal feels alike. Versatility is also a similarity, with the Brazilian able to operate at centre-back too, as well as his natural role in midfield.

The former Madrid star is also prone to a goal just like Tchouameni, with three to his name already this term.

One of his best strikes in Red came last season in the Carabao Cup, when he hit this long-range screamer against Leicester City.

Tchouameni and Casemiro also share a statistical likeness, as can be seen when looking at their stats this season, as per FBref..

For example, the French star averaged 5.88 progressive passes and 3.3 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, compared to 4.41 progressive passes and 3.97 tackles and interceptions each game from the Brazil international.

Progressive passes

5.88

4.41

Tackles and interceptions

3.33

3.97

Clearances

1.96

1.76

Progressive carries

1.03

0.15

Ball recoveries

4.23

5.74

It is easy to see how this deal to sign Tchouameni could be the second coming of Casemiro at Old Trafford. They have followed a similar career path and are statistically alike. He could well be the Brazilian’s replacement down the line.

As football analyst Raj Chohan said, Tchouameni is “one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet” and he would certainly add more midfield quality to United.

Garnacho 2.0 at Man Utd: INEOS in talks with agent to sign £70m "monster"

One Garnacho-esque new signing could help add firepower to Man United’s attack.

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 19, 2025

Fastest IPL hundreds – Suryavanshi only behind Gayle

His 38-ball-101 put Rajasthan Royals in the driving seat in their chase of 210 against Gujarat Titans

Abhimanyu Bose28-Apr-20255:27

‘Otherworldly’ Suryavanshi wows Bishop, Aaron

Chris Gayle – 30 balls

175* vs Pune Warriors, Bengaluru, 2013
It was the day on which Gayle rewrote T20 record books at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. His unbeaten 175 remains the highest individual score in the format, and his 30-ball century is the fastest in IPL history even after 12 years. After a watchful first over, Gayle took 21 off Ishwar Pandey and 28 off Mitchell Marsh to bring up a 17-ball fifty. Aaron Finch’s 29-run over only added to the charge and Gayle brought up his century in the ninth over. Of his first 103 runs, 98 came in boundaries. He finished unbeaten on 175 and later returned to pick up two wickets, capping off a surreal day.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi – 35 balls
101 vs Gujarat Titans, Jaipur, 2025Walking out to open with Yashasvi Jaiswal in Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) chase of 210, Suryavanshi made history as he hammered a bowling attack comprising Rashid Khan, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna to bring up the second-fastest century in the IPL. By the time Prasidh dislodged him with a yorker, he had hit 11 sixes and seven fours and left RR needing 44 off 49 deliveries. In a phenomenal display of hitting, Suryavanshi took 26 off an Ishant over on the way to a 17-ball half-century, and then hit three sixes and three fours off Karim Janat’s first over in the IPL. He reached his century with a six off Rashid, no less.

Yusuf Pathan – 37 balls

100 vs Mumbai Indians (MI), Brabourne, 2010
Pathan teed off when Rajasthan Royals (RR) needed 143 off 57 balls to chase down MI’s 212. He hit 54 off his next 11 deliveries, including three successive sixes off Ali Murtaza and 24 in the following over from R Sathish. The carnage continued as he brought up what was then the fastest century in the IPL with a towering six. He was run out the very next ball, leaving RR with 40 to get from 17 balls – a bridge too far in the end. However, his captain, Shane Warne, described it as the best innings he had ever seen.

David Miller – 38 balls

101* vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Mohali, 2013Miller’s 38-ball century rescued Kings XI Punjab (now PBKS) from 64 for 4 and powered them in a jaw-dropping chase of 191, with 99 runs coming in the last five overs. It began with a flurry of boundaries off Vinay Kumar before he tore into RP Singh for 26 in a single over. With three runs needed and Miller on 95, he launched a length ball straight over the sightscreen to bring up his century in style. After the match, Miller shared his father’s advice: “If it’s in the V, it’s in the tree. If it’s in the arc, it’s out of the park.”

Travis Head – 39 balls

102 vs RCB, Bengaluru, 2024Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Head had already signaled their intent with a 277-run blitz earlier in the season. In Bengaluru, they went one better. Head had set the tone with a powerplay assault that saw SRH race to 76 for 0, bringing up his fifty along the way. By the time he was dismissed in the 13th over for a 41-ball 102, SRH had rocketed to 165. They eventually finished on 287 – the highest total in IPL history.

Priyansh Arya – 39 balls

103 vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mullanpur, 2025PBKS picked 24-year-old Delhi opener Arya for INR 3.8 crore after a bidding war at the auction and he’s already showing why. After a 23-ball 47 on debut, Arya delivered on his potential against CSK. He began the innings with a first-ball six and didn’t let the fall of wickets at the other end disrupt his intent. He later smacked Matheesha Pathirana for three consecutive sixes and a four to bring up a stunning maiden IPL century in just the 13th over of the innings.Watch – Highlights of Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s record-breaking hundred on JioHotstar (only in India)

Orioles Pitcher Throws Away Perfect Game, No-Hit Bid Trying to Make Tough Play

Orioles pitcher Brandon Young was four outs away from a perfect game Friday night at Daikin Park in Houston.

With two outs in the 8th inning, he did all he could to try and save his perfect game and no-hit bid on a slowly hit ground ball by Astros second baseman Ramón Urías. Young picked up the bouncing ball with his bare hand and made an off-balanced throw to first base to try and get Urías but the throw went wide and past first baseman Coby Mayo.

The play was ruled an infield single, breaking up both the perfect game and no-hitter, plus a throwing error by Young which allowed Urías to get to second.

He struck out the next batter, which ended his night as Yaramil Hiraldo came in for the ninth to close out Baltimore's 7-0 victory. Young threw eight scoreless innings on 93 pitches and 61 strikes, striking out six batters and allowing just the one costly hit.

It was a close call for what would've been the first no-hitter this season and only the 25th perfect game of all time. The last perfect game was thrown by Domingo Germán for the Yankees during the 2023 season. Before that, the previous perfect game took place more than a decade earlier when Félix Hernández accomplished the feat in '12.

Nevertheless, it was a masterful outing by Young. He made his MLB debut earlier this season and had an 0-6 record and 6.70 ERA over 10 starts heading into the night. He did throw an immaculate inning earlier in the season though, completing an inning by retiring three batters on nine straight strikes.

This certainly qualifies as a memorable first major-league win.

فيديو | منتخب العراق يهزم البحرين في افتتاح مشواره بـ كأس العرب 2025

فاز منتخب العراق، على نظيره البحرين، اليوم الأربعاء، بنتيجة 2-1، في انطلاق مشوار المنتخبين في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في قطر، خلال الأيام الجارية.

واستقبل استاد 974، مباراة العراق والبحرين، في إطار الجولة الأولى من المجموعة الرابعة بدور المجموعات لبطولة كأس العرب 2025.

ويقع منتخب العراق في المجموعة الرابعة في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 والتي تضم الجزائر والبحرين والسودان.

طالع| ترتيب مجموعة الجزائر في كأس العرب بعد التعادل مع السودان

منتخب العراق تقدم بالهدف الأول في الدقيقة العاشرة، بعد كرة عرضية، قابلها المهاجم أيمن حسين، برأسية قوية، تصدى لها إبراهيم لطف الله، حارس مرمى البحرين، ثم سجلها عن طريق الخطأ في مرمى فريقه.

وسجل مهند علي الهدف الثاني للعراق في الدقيقة 25، إذ تم إلغائه بداعي التسلل، لكن بعد العودة لتقنية الفيديو تم تأكيد الهدف.

وقلص البحرين النتيجة بهدف في الدقيقة 79 عن طريق سيد هاشم عيسى.

وارتفع رصيد منتخب العراق للنقطة الثالثة في صدارة المجموعة، مستغلًا تعادل الجزائر والسودان، فيما يبقى البحرين رابعًا دون نقاط.  أهداف مباراة العراق والبحرين في كأس العرب

ABC x Náutico: onde assistir, horário e escalações do jogo pela Série C

MatériaMais Notícias

O ABC recebe o Náutico no Frasqueirão neste sábado (27), pela segunda rodada da Série C do Campeonato Brasileiro. A bola rola a partir das 17h (de Brasília), em Natal (RN), com transmissão de DAZN e Nosso Futebol (pay-per-view).

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➡️ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre ABC e Náutico (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅FICHA TÉCNICA
ABC x Náutico
2ª rodada – Série C

Data e horário: sábado, 27 de abril de 2024, às 17h (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio Frasqueirão, em Natal (RN)
Árbitro: Hieger Tulio Cardoso (MG)
Assistentes: Ricardo Junio de Souza (MG) e Pablo Almeida da Costa (MG)

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➡️ Em evento beneficente, Zico faz campanha por Ronaldinho no Jogo das Estrelas

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

ABC (Técnico: Marcelo Cabo.)
Carlos Eduardo; Felipe Albuquerque, Wesley Santos, Richardson, Daniel e Manoel; Ruan, Erick Varão e Gabriel Santiago (Sammuel); Adryan e Wallyson.

NÁUTICO (Técnico: Luiz Fernando Iubel)
Vagner; Arnaldo, Guilherme Matos (Joecio), Rafael Vaz, Diego Matos; Sousa, Marco Antônio, Patrick Allan; Cleo Silva, Gustavo Maia (Bruno Mezenga) e Paulo Sérgio.

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Tudo sobre

ABC-RNNáuticoOnde assistirSérie C

'Cricket's just a game' – How Tanmay Agarwal's new mindset is fuelling his run spree

Freed from the burden of expectations, the Hyderabad opener is eager to continue his excellent form in the upcoming domestic season

Deivarayan Muthu31-Aug-2025No opener has scored more runs than Tanmay Agarwal’s 1699, at an average of nearly 85, across the previous two Ranji Trophy seasons. However, when Hyderabad were part of the Plate Group in 2023-24, his numbers, which included a record triple-century, were often seen with an asterisk next to them.Then, in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, he showed that he could dominate attacks in the Elite Group as well, tallying 934 runs in 12 innings. It culminated in a maiden Duleep Trophy call-up for Agarwal.”I just want to make plans and be relentless and stick to my plans for my first Duleep Trophy,” Agarwal said on the sidelines of the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. “If things go my way, good. If it doesn’t go my way, he [points skywards, suggesting God] has better plans for me.”Related

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  • Deshpande is raring to give his dream another shot

Agarwal, 30, is a diminutive left-handed batter who is strong against both spin and pace. He has established himself as one of the mainstays in Hyderabad’s batting line-up along with Tilak Varma. Agarwal attributed his recent run spree to avoiding overthinking and going easy on himself.”A bit of luck and a change in my mindset – the way I approach the game, I feel, has made a difference,” he said. “I feel the approach and the mindset played a major role in the way I see things on the field. Before, I used to be very serious, as in if I was not getting the desired result, I would be very harsh on myself.”But nowadays I have started taking it easy because cricket is a game ultimately. It is not life and death for me. I used to take it as life and death. But now it is eased out and [understand] it’s just a game. [If] I make a mistake, I try not to repeat it. I go to the next game with better planning and better understanding of what cricket is. It has helped me in the last two years, and it has worked for me.”Tanmay Agarwal came away as the top run-getter in the league phase of the Buchi Babu tournament•Deivarayan Muthu/ESPNcricinfoAgarwal was particularly dejected when he had gone unsold in the IPL 2022 auction despite scoring a chart-topping 334 runs in seven innings at an average of 55.66 and strike rate of 148.44 in the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has not made an IPL appearance yet. A conversation with VVS Laxman helped him stay motivated.”VVS Laxman helped me a lot and gave me clarity,” Agarwal recalled. “After that, I figured out what to do and what not to do. What works for me and what does not work for me. When I told him what I was going through, he said it was pretty normal.”[At the time], I was 27 and a half, I think. He gave me confidence and gave me a [road]map and even suggested [to] me a book by Tony Robbins [an author and motivational speaker]. After that, I haven’t thought about the IPL. If it has to come, it will come.”Agarwal has built a strong body of work in red-ball cricket, especially over the past two seasons, and developed the endurance to bat for long periods. Five of his last six first-class hundreds have been scores of 150 or more.”[Earlier], all my hundreds were 120s and 130s,” Agarwal said. “I had it in mind to make it into big hundreds. I worked on my fitness really hard for the last two years so that I don’t get tired after just scoring a hundred. That played a good part in the reason for me scoring big hundreds.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();

“I’ve worked on my speed and endurance. My Yo-Yo [test] score was up drastically for the last two seasons and the 2km [timings] are also better. This has helped me score big hundreds.”His recent red-ball innings against Punjab in the Buchi Babu tournament was also a big one – 163 off 127 balls – which led Hyderabad to victory. While the outcome was favourable at the time for Agarwal and his team, he doesn’t want to be defined by outcomes or numbers.”I have learnt that a hundred or a zero should not hamper my confidence – that was the change,” Agarwal said. “If you score runs, you will definitely be in [good] touch when you go right away. When you don’t score runs, you will take some time. That is one thing.”But apart from that, confidence has never been a thing like I cannot do something. I’ve had the confidence that I can do it. If not today, [I will score] tomorrow. It has never hampered my mindset. It used to, before, but now I’m trying not to let it affect my mindset.”Freed from the burden of expectations – from himself and outside – Agarwal is eager to savour another domestic season.

Man Utd also eyeing move for "brilliant" £21m Wolves star with Gomes

Manchester United are now eyeing a move for another “brilliant” Wolverhampton Wanderers star, alongside their interest in midfielder Joao Gomes.

Man Utd looking to sign two Wolves stars

It could be viewed as questionable to be targeting players from Wolves, given that they have made a torrid start to the campaign, having only collected two points thus far, but Man United have recently set their sights on Gomes.

In fact, the Brazilian maestro has reportedly already said ‘yes’ to a move to Old Trafford, with INEOS now working on a deal, which could amount to £50m, with bringing in a new central midfielder of particular importance to Ruben Amorim & co.

Several targets have already been identified in midfield ahead of the January transfer window, including Nottingham Forest and England star Elliot Anderson, with journalist Andy Mitten revealing the Red Devils “would love” to sign the 23-year-old.

However, with a fee of over £100m being touted, potentially cheaper alternatives are also being targeted, and Man United are now eyeing a move for Wolves’ Andre, who has recently joined six other players on the list of midfield targets.

That is according to reliable reporter Rob Dawson, in a report for ESPN, with it being revealed United are looking to bring in at least one top midfielder next summer, while Amorim is also keen to bring in additional options at wing-back.

With United looking to get the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho off the books, INEOS feel as though they will have the financial muscle to make the necessary improvements to the squad, and moves could be made in January, although they would prefer to wait until the summer.

"Brilliant" Andre might not fit Man Utd's criteria

After signing for Wolves for £21m back in 2024, the Brazilian has gone on to establish himself as a key player for Wolves, and former player Dave Edwards has been impressed by the midfielder’s performances at times this season, lauding him as “brilliant”.

However, with United looking to sign a proven top-level midfielder, the 24-year-old might not be exactly what they’re looking for, given that he is yet to play in Europe, and has mainly been fighting at the bottom of the Premier League table since leaving Fluminense.

While the Wolves star is now experienced in the Premier League, having made 45 appearances over the past two seasons, there are a number of more exciting options on the shortlist, including Anderson, who is arguably a more rounded midfielder.

Amorim and Wilcox agree on blockbuster Man Utd move for "elite" £80m star

The Red Devils could now make a notable signing that would be represent a statement at Old Trafford.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 24, 2025

The 23-year-old amassed eight goal contributions in the Premier League last season, during which time Andre failed to register a single goal or assist, while he is also solid from a defensive point of view, placing in the 91st percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, compared to other midfielders.

As such, Anderson should be Man United’s top target in midfield, but the £100m+ price tag could be prohibitive, and Forest are in a position to play hardball, as he remains under contract until 2029.

Gardner 104*, Sutherland 98* star as Australia lay marker for knock-outs

England thrive in powerplays but pay price for timid mid-innings batting with Alana King instrumental

Valkerie Baynes22-Oct-2025

Annabel Sutherland and Ash Gardner ripped the contest from England’s grasp•Getty Images

Australia 248 for 4 (Gardner 104*, Sutherland 98*) beat England 244 for 9 (Beaumont 78, Sutherland 3-60) by six wicketsIndomitable Australia were at it again, this time with an unbroken 180-run stand between Annabel Sutherland and Ash Gardner which dug them out of early trouble and put them back into top spot on the World Cup table with a six-wicket win against England.It almost feels misguided to use the word “trouble” when it comes to an Australian side packed with so many gifted allrounders and boasting such depth that someone, anyone, in their XI can always get the job done.On Wednesday in Indore, where Australia lurched to 24 for 3 then 68 for 4, it was Sutherland and Gardner, who proved so dominant in their pursuit of 245 that they inadvertently turned the closing stages into a battle over who would reach a century first.Gardner did it, rocking back with intent to steer a Lauren Bell delivery to the boundary through deep third. She’d romped there from 69 balls, yet three dot balls followed to give Sutherland the strike, with four runs needed for victory and five for her ton.Sutherland attempted a six off Sophie Ecclestone and miscued high over cover where Heather Knight spilled the chance. Though she got back on strike with a two, a subsequent single left her at the non-striker’s end on 98, with Gardner hitting the winning boundary as Australia cruised to victory with 57 balls to spare.Both had played their part with the ball too in restricting England to 244 for 9. Sutherland claimed three wickets and Gardner two while legspinner Alana King was instrumental in smothering England through the middle overs with a miserly eight-over spell. She yielded just 13 runs while claiming the big wicket of Nat Sciver-Brunt for just 7. King finished with 1 for 20 from 10.Tammy Beaumont found form with the bat but, without her half-century and a late charge by seventh-wicket pair Alice Capsey and Charlie Dean, England would have been worse off than defending a total that still looked sub-par against a side as strong as Australia.Australia celebrate the DRS review that sent Heather Knight on her way•Getty Images

So it proved as Australia – missing injured captain, wicketkeeper and in-form batter Alyssa Healy – consigned England to their first defeat of the tournament.After a best score of 32 from five innings at this World Cup, Beaumont stood up for England with 78, sharing a 55-run opening stand with Amy Jones. Capsey was the only member of England’s struggling middle-order to make a significant contribution with 38 off 32 balls, while Dean provided another helpful cameo from No.8, this time worth 26 from 27 as the pair put on 61 runs together.It looked briefly like their efforts might have been good enough when new-ball duo Lauren Bell and Linsey Smith sent Australia reeling.Bell’s third ball was a gem which moved away from left-hander Phoebe Litchfield, whizzed past the outside edge and took out off stump. It was the first time in 33 ODI innings that Litchfield had been dismissed in the first over.Healy pursed her lips and shook her head in the dug-out as she watched a replay of her batting replacement, Georgia Voll, bottom-edging a slog-sweep off Smith onto off stump, losing her balance and toppling onto the ground into a backward somersault to complete the indignity.Smith claimed her second with a simple return catch off Ellyse Perry’s leading edge as she backed away from a shorter delivery, while stand-in skipper Beth Mooney was left chewing her top lip after she spooned Sophie Ecclestone to midwicket, where Sciver-Brunt took a sharp catch dive-rolling to her left.Sutherland looked scratchy early in her rescue mission but she settled into a rhythm, moving into the 40s with a powerful slog-sweep off Smith and clearing the covers off Dean for four to bring up her fifty. She then skipped down the pitch to Bell and steered another boundary expertly between extra cover and mid-off.Linsey Smith struck in her second over as Georgia Voll played on•ICC/Getty Images

Gardner raised her half-century with a glorious pulled four off Sciver-Brunt but didn’t stop there, adding two more straight away, a carbon copy of the first followed by a lofted drive down the ground.From there the Australian duo made their task look easy, Gardner becoming particularly aggressive with three consecutive fours off Capsey and three more off Ecclestone’s ninth over to move ahead of Sutherland.Earlier, Kim Garth, who replaced fellow seamer Darcie Brown in the Australian side, and Megan Schutt were wayward with their lines and lengths and the England openers capitalised. England reached 55 for 0 in eight overs, which was already their highest powerplay total of the tournament.But Sutherland’s introduction to the attack delivered instant rewards with a wicket maiden as she plucked out Jones, playing inside the line of a perfect ball on the top of off stump, and when Garth closed out the powerplay with her own maiden to Beaumont, Australia’s mid-innings fightback was underway.After a wise Australia review removed Knight, lbw to Sophie Molineux, King backed up the excellent economy of her player-of-the-match performance against Bangladesh and was rewarded with the wicket of Sciver-Brunt, lured down the pitch and skewing the ball to Sutherland at mid-off.King extracted prolific turn and bounce, her initial spell coinciding with a period between the 20th and 30th overs in which England added just 26 runs. Australia, by contrast, would rack up 77 for 0 in the same spell of their reply.A cool-headed catch by Voll, playing her first World Cup match, removed Beaumont. Feeling the need to pick up England’s tempo, Beaumont took on Sutherland’s slower ball as Voll ran backwards at long-on, parried the ball back into play as she toppled over the boundary rope, and stepped calmly back inside to complete the catch.It was a back-of-the-hand slower ball from Sutherland which extended Emma Lamb’s wretched tournament when she was bowled off her pads for 7, and after struggling for rhythm in her 22 from 48 balls, Sophia Dunkley misread a Gardner delivery, advancing and heaving towards the leg side as the ball spun past the outside edge. Mooney whipped off the bails as she tried in vain to make her ground.Capsey defied her lean run at No. 7 with back-to-back fours off Sutherland, taking her past her previous best of 20 for this tournament. But when she was pinned on the pad by Molineux and Dean chipped Gardner to cover two balls later, Australia wrested back control.

Viktor Gyokeres told he 'needs to be the final piece of the puzzle' for Arsenal but is yet to face a 'real test' that will define his debut season with high-flying Gunners

Former Manchester United forward Louis Saha believes that although Viktor Gyokeres "has done well so far" since making a big-money move to Arsenal from Sporting CP over the summer, he "has had it easy in some ways." Saha has urged the Swedish international to prove his mettle "when the pressure in on", claiming that he "needs to be the final piece of the puzzle" for Mikel Arteta and co.

Arsenal firing on all cylinders, without Gyokeres…

Arsenal are flying high – both domestically and in Europe – as Mikel Arteta's project finally takes full shape, producing a side with the firepower and maturity to not only challenge for major honours but genuinely expect to lift silverware at the end of the season. 

The Gunners are on a 16-game unbeaten streak, showcasing their consistency. They firmly established themselves as the team to beat right now following a 3-1 shellacking of a seemingly unbeatable and unstoppable Bayern Munich in the Champions League this week. It was a statement win that underscored Arsenal's intent to assert their authority across the continent, handing Vincent Kompany's side their first defeat of the season after they had triumphantly won 17 of their previous 18 matches.

Arteta has done remarkably to navigate through the ongoing injury crisis, which has seen Arsenal deal with the absences of Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel, and Gyokeres.

To make up for the Swede's unavailability – he's scored six goals in 14 games since arriving at the Emirates Stadium – Arteta has shown his profound ability to adapt and reinvent, again playing Mikel Merino in the false nine role. The move has paid dividends, proving that Arsenal can do just fine without their biggest signing of the summer. 

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesGyokeres told to step up for Arsenal in 'tough moments'

Speaking to Saha dissected Gyokeres' first three months as an Arsenal player. Although he wasn't too critical of the striker, he has urged him to finish his adaptation as soon as possible.

"He's done well so far. It's a good start," Saha said. "Viktor has had it easy in some ways, because Arsenal are a team who create a lot of chances and they've been on the hunt for a No. 9 to put the ball in the net. He should be finding himself in the position to score week in, week out. But the real test will be at those tough moments, when the pressure is on.

"I think we're going to judge Gyokeres' debut season on those moments of real pressure and importance, and we haven't seen them yet. It's only November. Those moments will define his season and his time at Arsenal. He may only need to score tap-ins, but it's when those tap-ins come that matter.

"He's been in England before, for a few seasons, at Coventry and Brighton, so the style of football and the way of life can't be a shock to him. He needs to adapt quickly because this is a side that had its foundations made long ago. He just needs to be the final piece of the puzzle, to put away chances in big games, or when they're struggling."

Arteta's brutal conversation with Gyokeres

Back in October, Arteta revealed the words he told Gyokeres after he joined from Sporting CP. "I told him before the first meeting, I said, 'the nine that I want is a nine that when he doesn't score for six or eight games, he can handle that. If not, you have to go somewhere else because the expectation is going to be there'," he told reporters.

“So, if you put on a nine shirt for Arsenal, you have to be able to say, 'OK, six games, if I don't score, I'm a different player? I start to act in a different way?'. No, I want much more of the same of what he's doing."

Arteta is going to be a demanding coach as he guides the Gunners' title charge in the Premier League and tries to also justify their label as 'favourites' in the Champions League. He has done an excellent job at keeping the squad fresh and motivated, but Gyokeres' contributions could yet go a long way in influencing where Arsenal stand at the end of the season. 

The Spanish gaffer, though, remains adamant that the 27-year-old will soon get the appreciation he deserves for the sacrifices he makes for the team. "The first thing is that. That's going to give you something extra. Viktor has so many things that probably are not noticeable," he added. "But as well, he creates environment and space and solutions to a lot of the players around him. And with the talent that we have in the team, I'm sure that everybody, him included, will benefit from that."

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Getty Images SportWhen will Gyokeres return to action for Arsenal?

Gyokeres has been sidelined with a muscle injury since the start of November, his last appearance coming against Burnley on November 1. He has missed four games, but Arteta provided a fresh update on the forward ahead of Arsenal's top-of-the-table visit to Stamford Bridge on Sunday. 

"They are getting closer and closer. We are very positive with both of them, so let's see," Arteta responded when asked about Gyokeres and Kai Havertz.

Arteta also provided his thoughts on whether Gyokeres will slot right back into in the XI once he's fit. "Well, the good thing is that now we have found another option. We have three different options," he explained. "That's a really good learning for all of us, especially for me, to understand that with other players, with other connections, with other ways of doing things, we can still be very, very efficient."

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