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Featuring stamps from El Salvador, Costa Rica, Mexico and more, Jess Carter’s passport looks more like one belonging to a gap-year student than an England international as of late. Throw in all the flying that comes with playing your club football in the United States, for Gotham FC, and the two-time European champion must have more air miles than she knows what to do with. “I feel like you get used to it and then all of a sudden you don't,” Carter tells GOAL of all the travelling, just days before boarding her umpteenth flight of the year to report for Lionesses duty. “Everything you've then learned about how to manage yourself kind of goes out the window when you end up being on the west coast for 12 days.”

It's one of many new things the 27-year-old has had to adapt to since making the switch from Chelsea to Gotham in the summer of 2024. Be it the emphasis in American sports of winning in the play-offs rather than coming out on top in the regular season, the incredible top-to-bottom parity the NWSL has in comparison to England’s Women’s Super League or the misalignment of the U.S. and European seasons, and how that impacts her on some of the Lionesses’ camps, there are a lot of differences between what Carter is experiencing now and what she had been exclusively exposed to before.

But as she talks through each of those factors with a huge smile on her face, it’s clear that the England defender has taken it all in her stride. “I think it’s the happiest I’ve been in football in a long time,” she admits, even if, having been part of the Lionesses’ two European Championship triumphs and their run to the Women’s World Cup final in between, she misses how big a deal the women’s game is back home, compared to in the U.S.

Getty Images'Women's football deserves to be on a higher pedestal in the U.S.'

It's a point Carter makes right towards the end of her chat with GOAL, when delving into the off-pitch experiences she’s had in her 15 months or so Stateside. Talk of enjoying the beaches on the west coast, the variety of cuisines across the country and the NFL has gone by when the England star is asked if there is anything she misses about the country she calls home. “I wouldn't say I miss home,” she responds. “I do really love it here. Of course, I miss my family and my close friends that are in the UK still.”

There is then barely a pause before Carter delves into a particular difference between the two countries that she has observed. “I do think there's still a long way for the women's game to go in the U.S,” she says. “It's not at the level that it needs to be yet, from off the pitch stuff, not even just the football. It's away from that. I could walk around here wearing a Gotham top and people still don't know who Gotham are. Women's football deserves to be on a higher pedestal than what it is here in the U.S.”

There are cultural reasons that play a part in those differences, ones Carter notes herself. After all, women’s football “has many other sports to be competing with” in the U.S, whereas in England “football is the biggest sport”. But there’s clearly still a desire from Carter to play her part in growing the game even further in a country that has incredible history in it.

Indeed, for almost 23 years, the 90,185 attendance for the 1999 Women's World Cup final at the Rose Bowl, in Los Angeles, stood as a world-record for the women's game and the U.S – a four-time world champion – has spawned some of the biggest names the sport has ever known, be it Mia Hamm, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan or any of its current crop, such as Trinity Rodman. Throw in the massive off-pitch impact those USWNT stars have had and the country is a monumental player in the sport – it just has a stature within its own borders that can still grow. 

“I do miss how big women's football is in the UK, but I definitely think the U.S. has the ability to get to that level,” Carter adds.

AdvertisementRole model

It’s part of the reason she was keen to get involved with e.l.f. Beauty, too, despite describing herself as “not really a make-up girlie”.

“Once I saw the brief and I saw what they wanted to do, I think I felt like I couldn't say no to it, because I think that it gave me an opportunity to just show who I am. It was a really authentic piece,” she explains. “The fact that they wanted to work with me, someone who doesn't really wear make-up, shows that they wanted to be authentic. Rather than it being all about image it’s about showing who you are and being a really good representation for younger people that may look like me, which I didn't have growing up.”

Partaking in different initiatives with Gotham that engage with and encourage young girls at local teams is another area where Carter is trying to do her bit for the game as a whole, with it no surprise how passionate she is to see the sport grow given what she has experienced back home in England.

As part of a Lionesses team which has become the pride of a nation, she’s seen attendances skyrocket, interest go through the roof and, as a consequence, the desire among young girls to try and emulate their heroes grow with it.

“I never really thought about being a role model,” she says. “I was just kicking a ball around and it gradually happened. The more I speak to people and I see more young girls that say that I'm their role model, I think that's a pretty incredible thing to be able to just show exactly who I am and that being okay and good enough for the little girls to see that they can be what they want to be, really.”

Imagn ImagesStraight back to work

That passion to help take the game forward in the U.S. also clearly comes from how much Carter is enjoying her time there, so much so that she flew back to Gotham, based in New York and New Jersey, straight after England’s Euro 2025 triumph, missing a chunk of the Lionesses’ celebrations. “The girls were like, 'Why are you here? Why are you not in England celebrating?'” she recalls with a laugh. “I think that's a really nice thing that they wanted me to go.

“To be honest, I didn't feel comfortable missing out on another game. I feel like we were under-performing a little bit at Gotham and I wanted to be back to try and help get those points. I love being here, I love playing for Gotham and I'm really happy here.”

Carter has more than played her part in helping the team get back on track, too, with Gotham losing just twice since the Euros ended. “I think everyone feels like we're doing better but there's still a lot of things that we need to improve on if we want to be successful in the play-offs,” she says. “We're just taking each day as it comes and trying to work hard in training to fix those things that we want to improve on.”

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Getty ImagesSerial winner

It's a response that serves as a reminder of the six years Carter spent at Chelsea before moving to Gotham, because it is exactly the sort of thing that someone obsessed with winning would say. The 27-year-old lifted no fewer than 11 trophies before calling time on that chapter of her career, including five successive league titles, and the mentality that was required to be part of that winning machine has absolutely stuck with her. It's never more evident than when GOAL asks if it has sunk in that Carter is now a two-time European champion, after helping England defend their Euro 2022 title in Switzerland in July. “No, not really,” is her honest answer.

“I feel like I've just kind of got back into football and just got on with things. I think that maybe through playing with Chelsea – I don't know if it's a good or bad thing – I just learned it's like, 'Okay, great that you won, but now it's [what's] next. You've just got to go again and go again'. I guess that is what I learned from, luckily, being a bit of a serial winner at Chelsea, that kind of mentality. But Gotham is also teaching me to enjoy those celebrations, to enjoy those moments. They're great moments to have. I'm trying to do a little bit of both.”

Carter has already had a chance to do so after Gotham clinched the CONCACAF W Champions Cup back in May, beating Tigres in the final: “You have to start to create that winning mentality but to do that, you've got to win a trophy in the first place, in order to learn what you've got to do to be successful. I think that's a really good start to see what we have achieved, but also to see what we need to continue doing and improve on in order to be more successful going forward.”

Newcastle United fell to their third Premier League defeat of the season this afternoon, with Danny Welbeck’s double securing a 2-1 win for Brighton & Hove Albion.

Eddie Howe’s side must have thought they secured a point after Nick Woltemade netted his fourth goal in just five league outings after his summer arrival from Stuttgart.

However, it wasn’t meant to be, as the aforementioned star’s effort was in vain after Welbeck’s goal secured Fabian Hurzeler’s side all three points at the AMEX.

The Magpies now sit in the bottom half of the table at present, with just two wins to their name – needing a huge reaction in the coming games to get their campaign back on track.

Such a result will likely leave the manager bitterly disappointed, but more so, the failure to impress of numerous players who were handed chances to impress from the off.

Newcastle’s disappointing performers against Brighton

Despite being under fire for his lack of impact of late, Howe decided to stick with Brazilian international Joelinton as part of his three-man midfield.

However, his showing against the Seagulls was a hugely disappointing one, with the 29-year-old subsequently being withdrawn from the contest at the break.

He failed to create any chances for his teammates despite completing 21 passes, whilst also losing 100% of the aerial battles that he entered on the South Coast.

Joelinton wasn’t alone in failing to deliver against Hurzeler’s men, with full-back Dan Burn unable to help the Magpies secure all three points against his former employers.

The 33-year-old only managed to win four of the 14 duels he entered during his 90-minute performance, subsequently being dribbled past twice by former Newcastle star Yankuba Minteh.

Despite the showings from the aforementioned duo, one other first-team member produced an afternoon to forget, with Howe desperately needing to take action.

The Newcastle star who needs to be dropped after Brighton

After the sale of Alexander Isak during the summer window, it was vital Newcastle invested well into the squad to avoid a drop off in the Premier League standings.

As previously mentioned, Woltemade has hit the ground running for the Magpies, already looking like the club’s most threatening option within the final third.

The opposite end of the pitch also received hefty investment, with Malick Thiaw joining in a £40m deal from AC Milan – subsequently cementing his place in the starting eleven in recent weeks.

However, fellow summer addition Anthony Elanga has struggled to produce the type of displays that saw the hierarchy fork out a fee in the region of £55m for his services.

The Swede has failed to score or assist in any of his ten outings across all competitions, with his showing against the Seagulls highlighting his lack of impact to date.

He was named in the starting eleven for the clash against Hurzeler’s men this afternoon, but once again failed to match the faith shown in him by his manager, Howe.

Like Joelinton, Elanga was hooked at half-time due to his lack of impact, with his underlying figures showcasing how dismal he was during the Magpies’ latest defeat.

Minutes played

45

Touches

20

Passes completed

12

Crosses completed

0

Dribbles completed

0

Duels won

50%

Dribbled past

1

Match rating

4/10

He failed to complete any of the dribbles or crosses that he attempted, with only one of his attempted passes being made into the final third of the pitch.

Elanga also came out on top in just 50% of all the duels he contested, even being unable to create any chances for his teammates during his 45-minute outing.

To further highlight his lack of impact, he only achieved a total of 20 touches, a tally lower than that of goalkeeper Nick Pope, who achieved a total of 40.

As a result of his performance, Elanga was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by Newcastle World journalist Jordan Cronin – further showcasing his lack of impact.

Given his display, Howe desperately needs to get the winger firing, which should see the 23-year-old being dropped to the substitutes’ bench in the coming matches.

His mammoth price tag has certainly increased the pressure on his shoulders, but time needs to be handed his way to allow the attacker to adapt to the demands in the North East.

Newcastle are brewing the homegrown Elanga in 18-year-old "huge talent"

Newcastle’s attack has struggled this season, but rising star could be the future spark they need

ByWill Miller Oct 17, 2025

Traffic-light outage near the ground causes issue for team bus on journey from Chelsea

Matt Roller03-Jun-20250:22

England arrive at The Oval on bikes after traffic delay

West Indies captain Shai Hope joked that his team “probably should have walked” to The Oval after heavy traffic prompted a farcical half-hour delay to their third men’s ODI against England.Traffic-light failures in the Vauxhall Area and the closure of Lambeth Bridge prompted England’s players to get off the team bus and use e-bikes to reach The Oval, but West Indies’ journey from their team hotel in Chelsea was so long that the toss was delayed by 40 minutes and the start pushed back by half an hour.”Due to a delayed arrival of one of the playing teams, who are stuck in heavy traffic north of the river, the scheduled start of play will be delayed,” an ECB statement said. “Once all members of the playing teams arrive, the match officials will coordinate updated timings and discuss any impact on the schedule of play.”Related

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The West Indies bus eventually arrived at around 12.40pm, 10 minutes after the scheduled toss, and their players immediately began to warm up. They were staying four miles away from The Oval at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel and Spa, prompting Hope to joke: “We probably should have walked.” A CWI spokesperson simply said: “There were some road closures.”Gudakesh Motie, the left-arm spinner, said after West Indies’ seven-wicket loss that the delay had significantly disrupted their preparations. “It was very tough this morning,” he said. “Two hours on the bus in the traffic is very hard… When we got to the ground, we had five or ten minutes before [the toss]. We had to speed up our routine, basically.”England had faced similar issues on their journey south from their hotel in High St Kensington, but decided to use alternative transport on their journey. “We were all playing cards on the back of the bus, and then next minute, we looked at the time and thought, ‘We’re going to have to get on some bikes.'”Shai Hope was a late arrival to the toss•Getty ImagesSome London-based players travelled in on the tube or walked, but around a dozen used Lime bikes to cycle in, riding up the Harleyford Road before parking behind the Micky Stewart Members’ Pavilion. Brook credited Jos Buttler for his quick thinking, saying: “It was his idea.”The start might have been delayed in any case due to inclement weather, with some drizzle around London on Tuesday lunchtime. West Indies’ first innings was later interrupted by rain for over 90 minutes, with England winning the reduced game comfortably.

Everton spent a bucketload this summer. With so many departures, David Moyes knew he needed to get it right, bringing in players not just to add depth and stability but to provide the Blues fanbase with a new breed of football.

And the Scotsman appears to have got it right, with Everton competitive across the early weeks of the Premier League campaign and enjoying the flair and creativity of Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye on the flanks.

But the crux of the club’s ongoing struggles for true fluency in the final third stems from their wastefulness and lack of authority in the final third, with the strikers flattering to deceive.

Why Everton's strikers are struggling

This summer, Everton waved goodbye to long-time frontman Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He left at the end of his contract and then signed for Leeds United. Letting him go was the right move.

Replacing the striker is Thierno Barry, who arrived from Villarreal for £27m. Powerful and progressive, the 23-year-old is also raw and lacks bite. As per Sofascore, he has missed two big chances in the Premier League, playing eight times and starting twice. He has not scored.

A shred of understanding can be taken from this; he’s a stranger in a strange land, after all, and must adapt to the pace and climate of the division.

However, Beto’s unconvincing performances are more concerning. The Bissau Guinean had enjoyed a rich run of form after Moyes replaced Sean Dyche in January.

The goals have since dried up and he is struggling at number nine, having converted one of his four big chances in the top flight this term and altogether struggling to produce strong showing around the goal.

It’s increasingly likely that the coffers will be opened in 2026, but the Friedkin Group may actually save millions through the promotion of an academy star who has caught the eye while out on loan.

The academy star who could replace Beto

Should Beto fail to recover his form in front of goal, Moyes will surely turn toward the transfer market. However, Martin Sherif is currently on the up, having made a promising start to life on loan with Rotherham.

Born in Liberia, Sherif is a Netherlands youth international, having been schooled with the Almere City academy before moving to Everton in 2019.

The teenager has scored twice across just three starts, averaging 4.8 successful duels and 1.5 tackles per game. This speaks of a tenacity to his play which could be perfect in Moyes’ system.

Everton need only look back at Anthony Gordon’s foundational loan spell with Preston North End in the Championship to be reminded of the value that can be found in allowing a talent like Sherif to foster his qualities.

Everton U18

53

24 (8)

Everton U21

26

10 (1)

Rotherham

6

2 (1)

But Sherif is more than just what his direct involvements will tell you. After all, producer Chris Fountain has marvelled at Rotherham’s “absolute menace” this season, clearly boasting the brawn and bite to see him take the baton from Beto.

Moyes would not want to see a fast-rising Sherif sold in the same manner as Gordon, who left for Newcastle United for £45m in January 2023, but there’s an inevitability about interest in the young goalscorer, especially if he overcomes his current injury setback and sees out a prolific campaign in League One.

It’s important not to blow caution to the wind when profiling up-and-coming talents, and while Everton have cherished a number of graduates over the years, so too have there been many false dawns.

But Sherif has the physicality and sharpness in front of goal to test the waters on the banks of the Hill Dickinson over the coming years, and, with Barry young and anticipated to improve, it might just spell the end of Beto’s Everton career.

Not Keane: Moyes can fix Branthwaite blow by unleashing Everton "revelation"

Everton’s star centre-back has suffered a complication in his injury recovery.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 21, 2025

Star-studded Lancashire derailed as George Garton claims four wickets

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay09-Jul-2025Birmingham Bears opened the Vitality Blast North Group right up with a 36-run victory over leaders Lancashire Lightning at Edgbaston.Warwickshire stacked up 203 for nine, their first 200-plus total against Lancashire in the Blast, thanks to Dan Mousley’s thunderous 32 from 12 balls, which took them to 74 in the powerplay, and Ed Barnard’s luscious 54 (34). Jack Blatherwick and Tom Hartley emerged from the onslaught with a creditable three for 29 and two for 29 respectively.Lancashire replied with 167 all out from 18.1 overs, their chase undone right at the start when George Garton (four for 28) dismissed both openers in the first over. They slumped to 111 for seven and Hartley’s violent late 35 (16) was in a lost cause as the Lightning faded to defeat beneath the beautiful, burgundy Birmingham sunset.The Bears’ win means just eight points separate the top six as the North group heads towards its denouement.After the Bears were put in it was a case of two fours and out for openers Alex Davies and Tom Latham, both back in the pavilion before the end of the second over. That paved the way for a dazzling cameo from Mousley who hit James Anderson for four fours in an over before leading-edging Luke Wood to mid off.Barnard smote his first ball for six and timed the ball exquisitely in a stand of 74 in 47 with Sam Hain (36, 27) before the latter drove Hartley to extra cover. The spinner soon added the wicket of Barnard who passed his third T20 half-century, from 30 balls, then slogged to deep mid-wicket.Rob Yates (19, 14) and Garton (16, eight) kept the momentum high, the latter falling to a wonder catch by Green who hurled himself far and low to take a skier in front of the Hollies Stand.Lancashire’s quest for 204 started horribly – after one over, from Garton they were two for two. Keaton Jennings chipped his first ball to deep mid-wicket and Jos Buttler was lbw to his third. Phil Salt then fell to another stunning catch, by Yates, again right in front of the Hollies, from a pull off Garton.Already needing more than ten per over, there was no way back for Lightning. Luke Wells chipped Craig Miles to extra cover and Ashton Turner slog-swept Danny Briggs’ fourth ball to Hain at deep mid-wicket. That was Briggs’ 303rd T20 wicket and Hain’s 85th T20 catch and sent Lancashire into the last ten overs needing 119 with five down.Hartley’s 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th T20 sixes achieved no more than taking his side to respectability. Anderson has performed many excellent feats on the cricket field but finding 37 from the last two overs here was beyond him and the Lightning’s run of four successive wins was over.

Manchester United legend David Beckham has spoken of his pride after being officially knighted by King Charles. The former England captain's long-awaited knighthood was confirmed in the King's Birthday Honours list in June for his services to sport and charity. He received the award at a ceremony on Tuesday in Berkshire, which was attended by his family, including wife Victoria, who will now be known as Lady Beckham.

Beckham knighted by King Charles

Beckham's knighthood has been years in the making since becoming arguably the best-known footballer in the world in the 1990s with Manchester United. He increased his international fame by joining Real Madrid in 2003 and later LA Galaxy before becoming a co-owner at Inter Miami. Beckham, who grew up in east London but moved to United's academy as a teenager, made his Red Devils' debut in 1992 and consolidated his place in Sir Alex Ferguson's side in 1996, later becoming one of the most important players in the team's historic treble win in 1999. 

He became England captain in 2000, two years after becoming a figure of hate for being sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. Beckham quickly redeemed himself in supporters' eyes by qualifying England for the 2002 World Cup with his last-gasp free-kick against Greece. 

Beckham ended his trophy-laden time with United to join Real Madrid in a £25m ($32m) deal in 2003, winning the La Liga title in his final season in the Spanish capital. He saw out his career with LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer and also played for AC Milan on loan before finally hanging up his boots while with Paris Saint-Germain in 2013. 

AdvertisementGetty Images EntertainmentBeckham: Royal family most important institution in world

"It's a very proud day for us as a family today," Beckham said after being knighted. "I grew up in the east end of London in a very humble family and my dream was always to become a professional footballer to play for Manchester United to play for my country. Everything else that has come with that has been incredible. But today to be honoured by one of the most important institutions in the world and one of the most respected institutions in the world, being an East End boy, it's a very proud day."

Beckham: People around world want to discuss royal family

"The monarchy has always been very important in our family, my grandparents, my parents, myself, my kids," Beckham added. "The royal family have always played a huge role. I've always had huge respect for our royal family. Especially when I get to travel around the world, people want to talk to me about our royal family and that shows how much respect people have, and to be here to receive a knighthood by his majesty the King is pretty surreal."

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AFPBeckham waited 12 hours to see Queen lying in state

Off the pitch, Beckham played a key role in London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games and has worked with humanitarian aid charity Unicef since 2005. A fiercely proud royalist, Beckham queued for 12 hours to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state following her death in 2022. He was named ambassador for the King's Foundation in 2024, supporting the monarch's education programme.

A week has now passed since Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hit his milestone 50th home run on Sept. 19. However, the saga of Ohtani's milestone home run ball appears to have just begun.

Eighteen-year-old Max Matus has sued to block the potential sale of the ball via auction, claiming that he is its rightful owner and that he had the ball forcibly wrested from his possession. The suit appeared in court records Thursday and was reported upon by cllct and ESPN.

"We are aware of the case that has been filed," a spokesperson for Goldin Auctions—a defendant in the lawsuit—said. "Having reviewed the allegations and images included in the lawsuit, and publicly available video from the game, Goldin plans to go live with the auction of the Ohtani 50-50 ball. While Goldin has been named as a party in the case, there are no allegations of wrongdoing by the company."

Goldin is scheduled to put the ball up for option Friday for no lower than $500,000.

Ohtani hit his 50th home run during a 20–4 Dodgers win over the Miami Marlins, making him the first player ever to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season. He went an astonishing 6-for-6 in the game with three home runs, driving in 10 of Los Angeles's 20 runs in one of baseball's all-time great individual performances.

In addition to Goldin, Matus's lawsuit names Chris Belanski and Kelvin Ramirez. Belanski emerged with the ball and in tandem with Ramirez has signaled plans to sell it.

Chelsea have been warned that Estevao Willian could follow the footprints of Jadon Sancho and fizzle out soon just like the England international, who has been struggling for form for the last few years after a bright start to his career. Following a loan move from Manchester United, Sancho showed sporadic flashes of brilliance at Stamford Bridge last season, scoring five goals and providing 10 assists in 41 appearances, and had a permanent clause in his contract worth up to £25 million ($33m) that Chelsea could have exercised. But disagreements over personal terms scuppered the deal, and the Blues paid a £5m penalty fee to terminate the arrangement.

Hype warning for 'Messinho'

Estevao, affectionately nicknamed 'Messinho' in Brazil, has emerged as the toast of Stamford Bridge. Since his £29m ($38m) summer move from Palmeiras, he has ticked all the right boxes, and his first goal, which was a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Liverpool, instantly made him a favourite among fans. He has also impressed in Europe, coming up with a calm and composed penalty against Ajax in the Champions League and a strike in a tense 2-2 draw away to Qarabag. Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s head coach, has trusted him with big moments, and his role has grown from an impact substitute to one of the key players in the attacking setup.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesBarnes not yet impressed by Estevao

Former England winger John Barnes has delivered a stark warning to those already labelling Estevao as the next big thing, insisting that the youngster risks following the same path as Sancho, who burned bright early before fading just as fast.

Speaking to Barnes said: "Estevao is a young player who has come into the team and is doing well at the moment. However, I remember Jadon Sancho doing the same thing and based off that I tend to leave opinions on young players alone and wait for them to grow. We can’t start putting pressure on him yet.

"In reality, he’s had 10 good games… he’s done nothing! He’s got lots of potential, but we’ve seen that at Chelsea before and there’s lots of examples where it hasn’t worked out. He’s not going to be a starter every week because they have so many players and all of a sudden, if he has a few below-par performances, we could be writing him off after another 10 games. He has good potential, lots of ability and he can be a very good player, but at this moment in time he has done nothing and achieved nothing."

Maresca's measured faith in winger

Maresca, however, couldn’t disagree more. The Italian manager, who has overseen Estevao’s integration since the summer, believes Chelsea have landed one of the most gifted prospects in world football. 

"You can see his talent," Maresca said after Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Wolves, where Estevao once again caught the eye. "We are trying to help him to adapt and give him the right minutes. "He arrived from Brazil, he needs time to adapt, but he's going to start games for us in the future. He arrived from a club where he was not training 100 percent so his physical condition was not good. Slowly, now he is better. He knows that to play with us he needs to be good on the ball and off the ball otherwise, he's not going to play. We are very happy with him."

Maresca went even further, comparing Estevao’s development trajectory to that of Chelsea star Cole Palmer. "For me, it’s very, very similar to Cole," he said. "I had Cole at the same age as Estevao at [Manchester] City Under-23 and they are very similar. Cole started playing wide because he needed a bit [more] physicality; now he’s playing inside. And Estevao, they are quite similar, now he’s playing wide but in the future I think he’s more of an inside player. 

"I feel very lucky to be his manager because it's exciting, you can enjoy. We said many times, I think the fans at the end, they paid the tickets to see players like Cole, like Estevao, this kind of player. So it's nice that we can have players like Estevao, like Cole, like them."

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Getty Images/GoalThe road ahead for Estevao

Estevao has been called up to Brazil’s senior squad for friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia. When he returns to London, the schedule gets no easier. Chelsea face Burnley on November 22, before back-to-back clashes against Barcelona in the Champions League and Arsenal in the Premier League.

Aston Villa scouts are being put through their paces ahead of the January window and may now have found a player worth pursuing in PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ismael Saibari.

The Villans struggled for goals in the early part of the campaign, and it is fair to say that their efforts to hit the target need to improve, given they are one of the lowest-scoring sides in the Premier League table.

Yet to hit double figures on that front, at the time of writing, much has been made of Ollie Watkins’ poor form at Aston Villa this season. The England international has hit the target in just one of 13 this campaign, failing to repeat the stellar form he showed in 2024/25.

Undoubtedly, January will be a time where finding potency will be prioritised. Hoffenheim striker Fisnik Asllani is on the Villans’ radar and may be pursued, with Unai Emery set on achieving even loftier goals than the accomplishments he has met during his three years in the West Midlands.

He said before the clash with Liverpool: “Still work to do, still objectives to set and work hard to achieve those objectives – collectively and myself as well, individually.

“One of them is some titles, but of course the title only is winning one, Premier League, the cups in England, and Europe, is the target we can set through to achieve some titles, and we are in this way.”

PSR may force Aston Villa’s hand as Liverpool plot a move for Ezri Konsa. Even then, there will be room to recruit more additions to offer Emery a greater sense of potency in his side’s hunt for continental qualification, something he may now find in his latest target.

Aston Villa scouts blown away by Ismael Saibari

According to TBR in conversation with Graeme Bailey, Aston Villa scouts were blown away by PSV midfielder Ismael Saibari after watching him in action against Feyenoord last weekend, where he scored a hat-trick.

Bailey said: “Saibari is attracting a lot of attention and his treble last week was special. He is one to keep an eye on for January, getting goals in January is something Premier League clubs especially are looking for and he could offer that.”

With ten goals and an assist to his name this term, the engine room operator is also wanted by Leeds United, West Ham United, Everton, Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Aston Villa eyeing Joshua Zirkzee to fill attacking void

Versatility is a key part of his game, something that could potentially signal several arrivals are imminent, given Saibari can feature as a ten, in central midfield or in a role shielding the back four.

Nevertheless, PSV hold the cards in negotiations due to having the Morocco international under contract until 2029. Aston Villa may need to shell out a premium to land his services, though could now be tempted by the prospect of a January bid.

There was no place for Yashasvi Jaiswal or Shreyas Iyer in the 15-member squad

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-20252:39

Chopra: ‘Gill selection has written Samson’s destiny’

Shubman Gill has made a comeback to India’s T20I squad for the Asia Cup, replacing Axar Patel as vice-captain.The 15-member squad, picked by the selection committee on Tuesday, will be led by Suryakumar Yadav, and includes Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as the two other opening candidates. With Gill as vice-captain, however, he is the frontrunner for one of the slots at the top of the order.”We obviously see some leadership qualities in him, and his form in England was what we were hoping for. [He] exceeded all our expectations, which is a great sign when there’s so much pressure as captain,” chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said in Mumbai.Related

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The middle and lower-order batting options are Suryakumar, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma, who could be the first-choice wicketkeeper if India decide to open with Gill and Abhishek. There are also three allrounders in Axar, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. The specialist bowling options are Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana, who provides some extra batting depth too.There was no place for Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was instead among the five reserve players, along with Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel. Shreyas Iyer, who scored 604 runs at a strike rate of 175 in IPL 2025 and led Punjab Kings to the final, also did not find a place in the 15.”With regard to Yashasvi, it’s just unfortunate again,” Agarkar said. “There’s Abhishek Sharma: what he’s done over the last year or so – plus he can bowl a little bit – he gives us that option if required. One of these guys was going to miss out. Yashasvi just has to wait for his chance.”With regard to Shreyas, who can he replace? No fault of his, nor is it ours. At the moment, you can just pick 15. So he will have to wait for his chance.”ESPNcricinfo LtdGill was vice-captain in the previous T20I series he had played – in Sri Lanka in July 2024 – but he had not been picked in any of the subsequent series as India prioritised his appearances in the Test and ODI formats. Axar was then appointed vice-captain for the home T20Is against England in January. Gill’s return to the T20I format comes on the back of his contributions to India’s Champions Trophy triumph earlier this year and his record-breaking run as batter in the five-Test series in England, where he led India to a 2-2 draw in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He also scored 650 runs for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025 at a strike rate of 155.87.”Last time when he [Gill] played T20 for India, post T20 World Cup when we went to Sri Lanka – not Zimbabwe – when I was leading, he was the vice-captain,” Suryakumar said after the selection meeting in Mumbai. “So that’s where we started a new cycle. After that, he got busy with all the Test series, and he didn’t get an opportunity to play T20s because he was busy playing Test cricket and Champions Trophy. So he’s there in the squad, and we’re happy to have him.”The Asia Cup is India’s first T20I assignment since the bilateral series against England at home in January. India are in Group A, along with Pakistan, Oman and UAE. Their first game is against UAE in Dubai on September 10, after which they play Pakistan in Dubai on September 14, and Oman in Abu Dhabi on September 19.”This is the first big tournament we are playing since the [2024] T20 World Cup,” Suryakumar said. “We have played three-four bilateral series. It’s a good tournament to test ourselves. After this, there are a lot of T20s – close to 20-22 T20s in total – before we play our first game in the [2026] World Cup, so I think the journey starts from the Asia Cup.”India’s squad for the Asia Cup1 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 2 Shubman Gill (vc), 3 Hardik Pandya, 4 Arshdeep Singh, 5 Abhishek Sharma, 6 Tilak Varma, 7 Shivam Dube , 8 Axar Patel, 9 Jitesh Sharma, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy , 12 Kuldeep Yadav, 13 Harshit Rana, 14 Rinku Singh, 15 Sanju SamsonReserve players: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal