Category Uncategorized

City Connect uniforms hit the baseball diamond beginning the 2021 season, allowing MLB teams a chance to flash some creativity and honor their homes with unique logos and differing color schemes.

In the midst of the '25 season, 28 teams have their own edition, which are mostly worn during Friday home games. Only the New York Yankees and Athletics are without a City Connect uniform. Maybe that will change for the A's when—or if?—they leave their temporary home of West Sacramento for Las Vegas. Don't bet on anyone ever messing with the Yankee pinstripes, though.

The other 28 MLB teams, however, don their own flare through a unique City Connect uniform. Some make sense upon first glance and others, well, you have to look a bit closer. This season, eight teams debuted a second City Connect design—an opportunity to take a new approach and give fans what they really want (cue the new Red Sox Green Monster-inspired jerseys).

Here's each City Connect uniform you could see on the field this season, ranked from worst to best:

28. Texas Rangers

يشهد اليوم الإثنين الموافق 8-12-2025، مجموعة من المواجهات الكروية المرتقبة على مستويات مختلفة، إذ تتجه الأنظار نحو منافسات كأس العرب 2025، إلى جانب مباريات مهمة في الدوريات الأوروبية الكبرى، وعلى رأسها الدوري الإنجليزي والإسباني والإيطالي.

وتتصدر قمة المغرب والسعودية المشهد في ختام دور المجموعات بكأس العرب، حيث يدخل المنتخبان اللقاء بمعنويات مرتفعة وطموحات كبيرة، في مواجهة تحمل الكثير من الندية نظرًا لقيمة المنتخبين الفنية ومشوارهما المميز في البطولة حتى الآن.

كما تشهد المجموعة ذاتها مواجهة لا تقل أهمية بين عُمان وجزر القمر، حيث يسعى المنتخب العماني للحفاظ على حظوظه في المنافسة، بينما يطمح جزر القمر لتحقيق أولى نقاطه رغم صعوبة المهمة بعد خسارته في الجولة الماضية.

وعلى صعيد الدوريات الأوروبية، تتجه الأنظار في الدوري الإنجليزي إلى مواجهة قوية تجمع بين وولفرهامبتون ومانشستر يونايتد، في لقاء يسعى فيه اليونايتد لتعزيز موقعه قبل فترة الأعياد، فيما سيحاول وولفرهامبتون استغلال عامل الأرض لتحقيق نتيجة إيجابية.

كما تُستكمل الإثارة بمواجهات مهمة في الدوريين الإسباني والإيطالي، أبرزها لقاء أوساسونا ضد ليفانتي في الليجا، وعدة مباريات قوية في الكالتشيو، من بينها صدام تورينو مع ميلان.

طالع أيضًا | الحكم يوضح سبب طرد ثلاثي ريال مدريد أمام سيلتا فيجو.. وتصرف غريب من كارفاخال مواعيد مباريات اليوم الإثنين 8-12-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات كأس العرب اليوم

المغرب ضد السعودية، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس المفتوحة”.

عُمان ضد جزر القمر، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 1”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإنجليزي اليوم

وولفرهامبتون ضد مانشستر يونايتد، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس 1 HD”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإسباني اليوم

أوساسونا ضد ليفانتي، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس 3 HD”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإيطالي اليوم

بيزا كالتشيو ضد بارما، الساعة 4 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر، 5 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر تطبيق “Starz Play”.

أودينيزي ضد جنوى، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر تطبيق “Starz Play”.

تورينو ضد ميلان، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر تطبيق “Starz Play”.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

MatériaMais Notícias

Segundo apurações da ‘Revista Colorada’, Oscar, jogador do Shanghai Port, da China, está cada vez mais próximo do Flamengo e equipes já avançaram negociações. O atleta tem vínculo com o bicampeão da Superliga Chinesa até novembro de 2024.

continua após a publicidade

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

 O meia de 32 anos já tinha acerto verbal desde dezembro de 2023, mas não conseguiu a liberação do time chinês. Agora próximo do final do contrato, Marcos Braz, vice-presidente de futebol do Flamengo, tentará de vez a contratação do meia. Ambos têm uma excelente relação, além de possuir o aval de Tite, técnico do rubro-negro, o que impulsiona ainda mais a negociação.

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

Além do clube carioca, Eduardo Coudet, técnico do Internacional, falou sobre o desejo de trazer o jogador, após a partida contra o São Luiz, pelo Campeonato Gaúcho, e acredita que o ex-colorado pode reforçar o clube.

continua após a publicidade

– Eu quero trazer ele. Não estou tão errado em buscar. Já falei com o empresário que quero o Oscar. É o mesmo do Thiago Maia, já não me aguenta mais. Me pedem que eu não fale, mas às vezes falo demais – afirmou Coudet.

Oscar chegou no Shanghai na temporada 2016/17 e atuou em 216 partidas, além de marcar 63 gols e dar 114 assistências.

Tudo sobre

FlamengoInternacionalOscar

Davidson-Richards continues fine form as Durham are outplayed in DLS loss

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Sep-2025 Surrey 290 for 7 (Spence 68, Davidson-Richards 65*, Jones 47, Monaghan 45) beat Durham 138 (Gregory 3-24) by 86 runs (DLS)A fine career-best 68 off 63 balls from teenager Jemima Spence in only her second senior innings of 2025 featured in a rainy Surrey win as they confirmed their Metro Bank One-Day Cup semi-final place at the expense of Durham at the Banks Homes Riverside.Surrey sealed a fourth-placed finish – a position they held at the start of the day with a three-point advantage – and prevented either Durham or fellow chasers Somerset from leapfrogging them, winning by 86 runs on DLS.Nineteen-year-old Spence, batting at No.6, shared a 112 partnership for the fifth wicket with England’s Alice Davidson-Richards, who also contributed an unbeaten 65 off 61 to Surrey’s commanding 290 for seven from 48 overs.The third rain delay came with Durham 14 for one in the third over chasing a revised 276 in 41. The target was further revised to an overall 225 in 29, and the hosts were bowled out for 138 inside 23 overs. Davidson-Richards added two wickets with her seam.Vitality Blast champions Surrey will travel to face table-toppers Hampshire in the semis on Wednesday.A Surrey win would guarantee qualification, while a defeat would have eliminated them. In the end, a No Result would have also been enough. But a sixth win did it.A Durham win would have given them a good chance, though a big Somerset success over the Bears left them needing a bonus point win at the start of their chase. They finished sixth in the table.Having been inserted, Surrey started impressively as Alice Monaghan shared in first and second-wicket partnerships of 55 and 69 with Bryony Smith and Emma Jones.Monaghan and Jones both played nicely for 45 and 47 – the latter particularly so as she latched onto anything short and hit a couple of eye-catching boundaries down the ground.At 121 for one in the 22nd over, Surrey looked set to dominate. But Durham took three cheap wickets, reducing the score to 149 for four in the 27th.Scotland off-spinner Katherine Fraser had Monaghan caught at long-on with a full toss and a pulling Jones bowled off her thigh.Rain briefly interrupted play at 180 for four in the 33rd over, with Spence and Davidson-Richards now set. And upon the resumption, they kicked on superbly, sharing their century stand in 18 overs.While Davidson-Richards was classy, Spence mixed power with invention and was first to her fifty off 56 balls. Her more experienced partner followed her there off 55.Durham were disrupted by having to change wicketkeepers because of a finger problem for Bess Heath. Mia Rogers took over. They also lost key seamer Phoebe Turner to a groin injury having only bowled three overs. She slipped in the outfield.Rain returned to cut short the Surrey innings at 1.55pm.When play resumed at 3.15pm, chasing that 276 in 41 overs, Durham would have been aware that Somerset had won with a bonus point. So they had to do the same given the counties started the day level on points.But that never looked realistic.Rogers pulled Phoebe Franklin’s seam to midwicket in the first over before rain intervened again at 14 for one in the third.Durham had approximately 20 overs in which to achieve their target for the bonus point, and they started in solid fashion when needing to be spectacular.Captain Emma Marlow and Hollie Armitage shared 53 for the second wicket.But when both fell inside three overs for 27 and 31 – bowled by Kalea Moore’s off-spin and caught behind off Alexa Stonehouse’s seam – Durham were 85 for three in the 14th over and out of contention.Stonehouse struck again as the end came quickly, with Davidson-Richards bowling Bess Heath and Trudy Johnson. Leg-spinner Dani Gregory struck three times. Injured Phoebe Turner didn’t bat.

After a decade defined by his absence, Pakistan’s future star batter may finally be here

Danyal Rasool15-Oct-2024Kamran Ghulam’s career doesn’t make sense. Not because, until today, he averaged 50 over a decade of first-class cricket without ever having played a Test at a time Pakistan have been looking for Test batters. No, there was something else, especially if you looked at his ESPNcricinfo profile.Ghulam was a ghost international cricketer. He had played one match for Pakistan, an ODI against New Zealand, without having batted or bowled. Hit the scorecard link, and it gets weirder. He doesn’t feature in Pakistan’s line-up at all.Earlier that day, Haris Sohail was hit on the head by a 150kph Lockie Ferguson bouncer, battling on until he was dismissed. He wouldn’t take the field in the second innings, and though Pakistan could just as easily have called for a replacement fielder, they made a concussion substitute. Ghulam was given his first international cap; perhaps Pakistan felt he’d bowl. He didn’t.Related

• Kamran Ghulam: I had been waiting for my chance. That's all I thought about

• PCB issues Fakhar Zaman show-cause notice after post in support of Babar Azam

• Ghulam's debut century carries Pakistan as England stay in touch

• 'We had a clear plan' – Azhar Mahmood puts his spin on Multan pitch

• What is the highest total for a team losing by an innings in a Test?

In some perverse way, that serving as the entirety of one of Pakistan’s most prolific young batters was an apt metaphor for the state of Pakistan’s domestic structure. A reminder you didn’t need to be standing on thin ice to slip through the cracks. This was a player fully integrated into Pakistan’s cricketing network, patchy as it was, but only hovered around the outskirts of the national team. He is by no means an exception. Of the dozen players who have scored more Quaid-e-Azam trophy runs than him since he made his debut, five of them have never played a Test match; another has only played one. It feels jarring to note he celebrated his 29th birthday earlier this week, so long has he been viewed as a future batting star.Like the Lochness Monster or Big Foot, Ghulam was ubiquitous, and yet nowhere to been seen. His name showed up in media releases, and he was topping Quaid-e-Azam trophy charts. He’d been selected for this or that A tour, and was in a Pakistan squad here or there. This summer, he was playing in the Huddersfield league – as you do when you’re a rising batting star. That the club he played for was called Hoylandswaine didn’t exactly help any claims of Ghulam’s verisimilitude. That phantom appearance against New Zealand was the holy grail of Ghulam sightings, but could we really be sure?Kamran Ghulam struck an early six in his innings•Getty ImagesHaving spent so long lurking in the shadowy underworld of cricketers Pakistan has disused to the point of atrophy, Ghulam suddenly has been pinned into place and had a flashlight burn into his retinas over the weekend. Pakistan dropped Babar Azam, prematurely according to some, contentiously according to all; it was a move even the Pakistan head coach did not call for. It sent Babar’s fandom into meltdown, and even those who had criticised his recent form felt the decision to leave him out after one Test was borne of panic rather than logic. Some of the stray ire was directed Ghulam’s way, as if his entire career had built up to nicking a spot off Babar at number four. A snow leopard dragged into a desert circus wouldn’t have felt more out of place.Pakistan had prepared the same pitch used for the first Test for this one, playing just one fast bowler on what they hoped would be a batting minefield, and ten overs in, that wish was being fulfilled. Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir were already into the attack, Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood already back in the hut. The ball stayed low, and spun unpredictably. If ever a debutant batter, one stepping into Babar’s shoes, was being set up to fail, it was here.Ben Stokes, who had moved a fielder into the short leg position Masood had obligingly chipped one to, spent his time setting the field. A second slip was brought in, and a performance was made out of bringing a silly mid-off to accompany short leg. But Ghulam had waited more than a decade for this moment, and patience came naturally to him. A snatched single got him off the mark, but he what followed was all steel.He was batting alongside Saim Ayub, another player under pressure. The duo understood the precarity of their position, and that wanton attack would only be a speciously positive approach: one that potentially brought some quick runs, but certainly offered England quick wickets. And so, on a strip that barely matched the quality of those he buttered his bread on in domestic cricket, Ghulam dug on.

“Like the Lochness Monster or Big Foot, Ghulam was ubiquitous, and yet nowhere to been seen. His name showed up in media releases, and he was topping Quaid-e-Azam trophy charts”

The conditions were old-school subcontinental, and so Ghulam played old-school subcontinental cricket. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-tracking records, he defended or left along 138 of his 224 deliveries. But this was no blockathon; Ghulam’s concentration levels never wavered, picking length early to sweep or reverse, each of which he did four times. When Bashir tossed one up late in the day, he hit him into the sightscreen. When Brydon Carse overpitched, it didn’t matter it was the first delivery with the second new ball, Ghulam leaned into the straight drive and picked up another four.Observers who have watched him play on the domestic setup will tell you this is simply how Ghulam plays, the runs a mere byproduct of solid technique and judicious shot selection. Ghulam might bat how the game demands it to, but appears oddly disconnected from the stage his individual innings is placed at. It was illustrated in the way he got to his century, smearing Joe Root into the onside for four; they were the only runs he scored off a slog sweep all innings, and one of just two times in 224 balls he attempted that shot. The opportunity was simply there.And, at long last, it feels that opportunity is finally here for him. After a decade defined by his absence, Ghulam is present in every sense of the word. Pakistan’s future star batter may finally be here, and Kamran Ghulam’s career may at last begin to make sense.

MatériaMais Notícias

Não são só os vascaínos que estão empolgados com a possível volta de Philippe Coutinho. Diego Souza, ex-jogador do Vasco, também é um dos personagens que está animado com o retorno do “Pequeno Mágico”. Confira no player acima.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasVascoNenê sobre retorno de Coutinho ao Vasco: ‘Sensacional’Vasco26/05/2024VascoVasco observa jogadores e estuda reforços para a janela de julho; veja um dos possíveis nomes!Vasco26/05/2024VascoBastidores do Vasco: saiba como foram os primeiros treinos com Álvaro PachecoVasco26/05/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

Até eu estou empolgado. Claro que a gente quer que o Coutinho jogue no Vasco. Todo mundo sabe da qualidade dele. Espero que ele venha. Espero que isso aconteça e ele eleve o patamar da equipe

---

afirmou Diego Souza.

– Muito legal reencontrar amigos. Tudo o que está acontecendo no Rio Grande do Sul é muito triste e a gente poder fazer o que a gente gosta: jogar futebol e poder ajudar as pessoas que precisam de verdade. Fico muito feliz de poder participar – disse o ex-atacante do Vasco após o “Futebol Solidário”.

Philippe Coutinho já está no Brasil. O meia-atacante antecipou as suas férias e aindamarcou presença no casamento do atacante Matheus Cunha. O jogador desembarcou no Rio de Janeiro na sexta-feira (24), no Aeroporto do Galeão.

continua após a publicidade

Tudo sobre

Diego SouzaFutebol NacionalPhilippe CoutinhoVasco

The World Series matchup is set.

After 2,430 total regular season games and 40 postseason games, the Dodgers and Blue Jays are the last two teams standing. The Dodgers defeated the Brewers in the championship series with a four-game sweep, while the Blue Jays outlasted the Mariners in Game 7 of the championship series. Both teams will now look to add another World Series title to their collections.

Before the World Series gets underway on Friday, here is a look at the postseason schedule.

When do the 2025 MLB playoffs start?

The 2025 MLB playoffs began on Sept. 30, just two days after the regular season ended on Sept. 28. The World Series will begin on Oct. 24, and could run to Nov. 1 if the series takes seven games.

How are the MLB playoffs structured?

A total of 12 teams make the MLB playoffs each year, with six teams each from the National League and American League. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds from both leagues get byes through the wild-card round. In the wild-card round, the No. 4 seed faces the No. 5 seed while the No. 3 seed takes on the No. 6 seed.

The wild card is a best-of-three format and the division series is best-of-five games. Both the Championship Series and World Series are best-of-seven game series. In each round, the higher seed hosts at least the first two games of the series.

Full 2025 MLB playoff schedule

Wild Card SeriesTuesday, Sep. 30

Game 1: Tigers 2, Guardians 1
Game 1: Cubs 3, Padres 1
Game 1: Red Sox 3, Yankees 1
Game 1: Dodgers 10, Reds 5

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Game 2: Guardians 6, Tigers 1
Game 2: Padres 3, Cubs 0
Game 2: Yankees 4, Red Sox 3
Game 2: Dodgers 8, Reds 4

Thursday, Oct. 2

Game 3: Tigers 6, Guardians 3
Game 3: Cubs 3, Padres 1
Game 3: Yankees 4, Red Sox 0

Division SeriesSaturday, Oct. 4

Game 1: Brewers 9, Cubs 3
Game 1: Blue Jays 10, Yankees 1
Game 1: Dodgers 5, Phillies 3
Game 1: Tigers 3, Mariners 2

Sunday, Oct. 5

Game 2: Blue Jays 13, Yankees 7
Game 2: Mariners 3, Tigers 2

Monday, Oct. 6

Game 2: Dodgers 4, Phillies 3
Game 2: Brewers 7, Cubs 3

Tuesday, Oct. 7

Game 3: Mariners 8, Tigers 4
Game 3: Yankees 9, Blue Jays 6

Wednesday, Oct. 8

Game 4: Tigers 9, Mariners 3
Game 3: Cubs 4, Brewers 3
Game 4: Yankees 5, Blue Jays 2
Game 3: Phillies 8, Dodgers 2

Thursday, Oct. 9

Game 4: Dodgers 2, Phillies 1
Game 4: Cubs 6, Brewers 0

Friday, Oct. 10

Game 5: Mariners 3, Tigers 2

Saturday, Oct. 11

Game 5: Brewers 3, Cubs 1

Championship Series

Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 were played in Toronto for the ALCS, while. Games 3, 4, and 5 were in Seattle for the ALCS. Games 1 and 2 of the NLCS were held in Milwaukee, while Los Angeles hosted the final two games of the series.

ALCS: Mariners vs. Blue Jays

Game 1: Mariners 3, Blue Jays 1
Game 2: Mariners 10, Blue Jays 3
Game 3: Blue Jays 13, Mariners 4
Game 4: Blue Jays 8, Mariners 2
Game 5: Mariners 6, Blue Jays 2
Game 6: Blue Jays 6, Mariners 2
Game 7: Blue Jays 4, Mariners 3

NLCS: Dodgers vs. Brewers

Game 1: Dodgers 2, Brewers 1
Game 2: Dodgers 5, Brewers 1
Game 3: Dodgers 3, Brewers 1
Game 4: Dodgers 5, Brewers 1

World Series: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays

Games 1, 2, 6 and 7* of the World Series will take place in Toronto, while Games 3, 4, and 5 will be held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. All games will begin at 8 p.m. ET.

Game 1: Blue Jays 11, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 1
Game 3: Dodgers 6, Blue Jays 5
Game 4: Blue Jays 6, Dodgers 2
Game 5: Blue Jays 6, Dodgers 1
Game 6: Dodgers 3, Blue Jays 1
Game 7: Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 4

Centuries from Rajat Patidar and Yash Rathod, on the back of a 53 from Danish Malewar, gave Central Zone firm control of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy final at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Patidar scored 101 off 115 balls while Rathod remained unbeaten on 137 as Central finished on 384 for 5 on the second day, leading South Zone by 235 runs.The day began with Central in arrears but by only 99 runs. The conditions were in the bowlers’ favour: it was overcast and windy, and Vasuki Koushik was on point. He sent Akshay Wadkar back with a peach of an inswinger that pitched outside off and decked back in sharply. Wadkar, who had shouldered arms, lost his off stump.With Kerala’s MD Nidheesh not as incisive, Gurjapneet Singh was brought into the attack early, and he immediately made the Central batters uncomfortable. He bowled in the mid-130kph range, and got the ball to move both ways.Gurjapneet was soon rewarded when Shubham Sharma tried to drive a fuller-length delivery outside off, and got a thick inside edge which sent his middle stump cartwheeling. Malewar reached his fifty off 113 balls, driving Gurjapneet on the up through covers, but fell soon after edging the fast bowler to first slip.Gurjapneet Singh dismissed Danish Malewar and Shubham Sharma before lunch•PTI

At 93 for 3 in the 33rd over, and with the ball moving around, South would have eyed a few more wickets. But Patidar drained all their optimism. He got off the mark by punching Koushik off the front foot past mid-off, and then clipped him through midwicket. In his next over, Patidar drove Koushik on the up past mid-off again. Rathod, at the other end, took a little more time to get going, with Gurjapneet testing him outside the off stump.Patidar, however, was untroubled as he continued to consistently fetch the boundaries. The confidence rubbed onto Rathod, who sent Nidheesh for two successive fours in the 43rd over.This was the first time Patidar and Rathod were batting together in first-class cricket. While there was some miscommunication early, once they settled in, the quick singles to mid-off and mid-on became a feature of their partnership. Patidar took Central into the lead in the last over before lunch by sweeping Ricky Bhui to the deep square leg fence, as he and Rathod went into the break unscathed.Patidar had a slice of luck in the first over after play resumed, when, on 44, he shouldered arms to a straight delivery from Ankit Sharma, and was struck on his pad. Up went the umpire’s finger, but while the replays showed the ball to be clipping off stump, Ankit had overstepped. The Central captain reached his fifty off 72 balls, gliding Ankit past point before nudging him fine again through the same region.A key feature of Patidar’s innings was the way he manouvered the field. That was on display in an over from Bhui, when he first whipped the offspinner through midwicket, then slog swept him over wide long-on, and again swept him behind square.Yash Rathod was unbeaten on 137 after day two•PTI

Patidar then went after Gurjapneet, first driving a half-volley through covers before upper-cutting him for six over deep third’s head. Patidar had raced into the 90s with Central’s lead going past 60.There are no fans allowed to watch the Duleep Trophy final, but around 20 of them found a small opening from the side of the road to witness Patidar reaching his 15th first-class century. He got there with a single to mid-off, and while there were muted celebrations, Central’s lead had swelled.Rathod also reached his fifty, clipping Gurjapneet through midwicket and then driving Ankit through covers. The 167-run fourth-wicket stand between the two finally came to an end when Patidar edged a sharp, short-of-a-length delivery from Gurjapneet down leg to depart for 101. Central lost Upendra Yadav, too, with Nideesh strangling him down leg, but Rathod kept going.It didn’t take Rathod long to reach his seventh first-class century after tea, getting there with a push to point. He roared in celebration before removing his helmet and gloves and pointing upwards. With the milestone complete, Rathod attacked Ankit, thumping him over wide mid-on and pulling him through midwicket.New batter Saransh Jain, fresh from a half-century in the semi-final, also got going, with the lead past the 200-mark. South took the new ball only in the 101st over, but with the pitch flattening out, both batters had no trouble dealing with it. They added 108 runs in the last session off 32 overs, with Central ending the day firmly on top.

Marco Silva could reportedly be sacked by Fulham as the club are considering a change due to their poor start to the season and slow contract negotiations. A dismal 2-0 defeat at Everton last weekend has deepened the gloom at Craven Cottage. Goals from Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane condemned Fulham to another frustrating loss with the manager looking bereft of answers.

• From dream to disarray at Fulham

  According to , Fulham’s hierarchy are seriously considering showing the door to Silva amid growing fears of a relegation fight and a contract standoff that shows no sign of resolution. Eleven games into the Premier League season, and Fulham’s top scorer is not one of their players but 'own goals'. Harry Wilson and Ryan Sessegnon have each chipped in with two goals but they have scored three with help from the opposition. Their away form is also grim having collected just one point on the road this season, when a late equaliser from Rodrigo Muniz against Brighton helped them eke out a draw. All three of their wins have come at Craven Cottage, and even those have relied on fortunate own goals.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Contract chaos with Silva

  Behind the scenes, tensions have been simmering for months. Silva, who has a £15 million ($20m) release clause, has so far refused to sign a new contract, leaving Fulham in a precarious position. The Portuguese coach’s current deal expires next summer, meaning he could walk away as a free agent. According to , Fulham’s board, led by vice-chairman Tony Khan, have been desperate to tie Silva down to fresh terms since July. But negotiations have stalled, with the manager reportedly frustrated by the club’s lack of ambition in the transfer market. Fulham’s only major signing last summer was Kevin, a Brazilian winger from Shakhtar Donetsk, who was brought onboard for around £34.6m ($45.5m). For a side trying to build on mid-table stability, it wasn’t simply enough.

  Speaking in August, Silva didn’t hide his disappointment. "It’s not an ideal scenario," he admitted. "Did I expect more? Of course. But the market is the market."

• A familiar fall from grace

  This is uncomfortably familiar territory for Silva. His Premier League journey, from Hull to Watford to Everton, has followed a recurring pattern. There is always a bright start followed by dips in form and eventual dismissal. At Everton in 2019, he was shown the door with the club sitting 18th and history may be repeating itself in west London. Yet to his credit, Silva’s Fulham reign began in glorious fashion. After being appointed in July 2021, he guided the club to the Championship title. During the course of that campaign, they scored an astonishing 106 goals. Fulham’s return to the Premier League was smooth and they comfortably stayed up, even flirting with European qualification. But now, the magic appears to have faded. The intensity and the pressing that once defined them have given way to fractured and disjointed play. 

  What makes the situation even more awkward is that Fulham owner Shahid Khan recently went on record to declare Silva a vital part of the club’s long-term vision.

  "He’s been great," he told . "I really like him, not only as a person, (but) as a football manager, head coach. Definitely, I think he’s in our long-term plans."

  Silva admitted was frustrated following another poor performance at the weekend: "It was a disappointing result for us, but more than the result, it was a very disappointing performance. We got what we deserved from the game, definitely. We played 20 minutes in all the game, I think. We lost the game through the physicality, we could not handle at all the physicality of Everton side."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Critical period looms for Silva and Fulham

  Fulham’s upcoming fixtures could determine Silva’s fate. After the international break, they host Sunderland, one of the Premier League’s surprise packages this season, who are now fourth in the Premier League standings. Then comes a brutal double-header against Tottenham and Manchester City.

It’s one step forward and two steps back for Newcastle United, who were defeated on the road in the Champions League against Marseille, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the double.

Eddie Howe’s side responded with vim and vigour after the international break to beat Manchester City at St. James’ Park, but this served as a sobering reminder that there is much work to be done away from Tyneside, with the Toon having won only one game away from home all season.

Harvey Barnes’ fine form continued as he swept home from close range only minutes into the affair, but United failed to channel their counter-attacking approach and were ultimately overwhelmed by the French hosts.

It was a frustrating performance, epitomised by the woes of Nick Pope between the sticks.

Why Howe must consider dropping Nick Pope

Pope joined Newcastle from Burnley for about £10m in 2022, and he has since. This season, he has started all 12 of the Magpies’ Premier League fixtures, though he has failed to keep a clean sheet across five successive matches.

There have been tenuous calls to drop the 33-year-old all year, but these are rising in volume and intensity, and the veteran’s mistake in France will only fan those flames, with United losing clarity and conviction in their performance after the gaffe.

Given that Aaron Ramsdale is patiently waiting in the wings, having been signed on loan this summer, there’s justification for dropping Pope going forward, it may be that Howe needs to drop his mainstay between the sticks and start to rewire his defence, as has already started through the likes of Malick Thiaw and full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento.

Newcastle still have three wins from five in the Champions League this season, and may yet find the form to seal a place in the automatically-qualifying top eight.

But Howe does need to continue to chop and change, and Pope isn’t the only one whose starting berth is at risk.

Newcastle star is now relegated to the bench

At the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Anthony Gordon was awarded Newcastle’s Player of the Year. But last year was a testing one for the England international, in contrast with United’s resurgence, and he has fallen further into the mire since the summer.

Against Marseille, Gordon’s woes continued as he proved utterly ineffectual in a makeshift centre-forward role.

Writer Firdie Idris remarked that the decision to field Gordon, a pacy left winger, as a central striker “never works”, and his display against Marseille only corroborated that claim.

In his central berth, Gordon only created one chance and hit the target with only one shot. He didn’t even attempt a dribble and won only one of five duels, as per Sofascore. He also completed just 14 passes as an isolated figure in Howe’s offensive line.

Penning their post-match thoughts, The Shields Gazette could only hand the Three Lions star a 4/10 match rating, criticising him for being on the back foot throughout the contest.

Truthfully, Gordon has been out of sorts all season. Prolific on the continent, he has yet to kindle any semblance of good form on the domestic front, and this was not a display to imbue within him a kind of confidence that will be needed ahead of Premier League clashes against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.

Given that Gordon is one of Newcastle’s most profitable players, there’s reasoning behind the call to cash in down the line. Certainly, given the need for further investment over the coming transfer windows, it’s something PIF might consider as Barnes continues to go from strength to strength.

In any case, Gordon needs to raise his level. He is one of the outfit’s most talented players and is horribly underperforming. Like Pope, Howe would be wise to drop him for the forthcoming fixtures and rekindle his will to win.

PIF can fund Anderson move by selling Newcastle star who's a "nightmare"

Newcastle are proving themselves to be a team in transition this season.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 25, 2025