After going unbeaten in their last two matches, Leeds United suffered a home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur. The Whites were beaten 2-1 by the North London outfit, and despite creating some good opportunities, they couldn’t capitalise and ended up losing at Elland Road for the first time this season.

It was the visitors who took the lead in West Yorkshire, through Frenchman Mathys Tel. The former Bayern Munich prodigy got slightly fortunate with his effort from outside of the area, after a deflection took it over Karl Darlow into the back of the net.

Daniel Farke’s side hit back soon after, with new signing Noah Okafor once again getting on the scoresheet. Quick reactions meant the Swiss attacker could get on the end of a parry from Spurs’ goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who deflected Brenden Aaronson’s effort into his path.

Just before the hour mark, Spurs scored their second through one of their summer signings, Mohammed Kudus. The Ghanaian forward pounced on a loose ball, driving inside and firing a shot goalwards. Again, it took a deflection, leaving Darlow for dead and nestling into the bottom corner.

Kudus’ goal proved to be the difference-maker in a game where a few Leeds players struggled. One of those was Gabriel Gudmundsson.

Gudmundsson’s stats vs. Spurs

It has, generally speaking, been a good start to the season for Gudmundsson. The new Leeds left-back, who is a full international with Sweden, has started every game under Farke so far this season.

Whilst he has been impressive for the most part, as he was against the Lilywhites, Gudmundsson made an error which allowed Kudus the opportunity to score.

He got in a tangle looking to clear the ball, instead letting it bounce awkwardly off his torso and into the path of Kudus.

The stats from Gudmundsson’s efforts against the North London giants don’t cover him in glory. He made one error, which led to a goal, and he only won three out of five tackles. On the ball, he had 46 touches and lost possession 12 times.

Indeed, Graham Smyth, journalist for The Yorkshire Evening Post, gave him a 6/10 for his efforts at Elland Road. He said Gudmundsson had a ‘couple of nice moments’ on and off the ball, but did criticise him for a lack of contact on the ball, which led to Spurs’ winner.

It was certainly a tough day at the office for the left-back, but there was a fellow defender who struggled even more.

The Leeds player who was worse than Gudmundsson

It was certainly not the result Leeds would have wanted at Elland Road, given the fortress they have turned it into under Farke. They had more shots and possession than the visitors on Saturday lunchtime, but a couple of moments meant they didn’t even earn a point.

One of the players who struggled was 26-year-old centre-back Pascal Struijk. The former Ajax youth defender has been crucial for Leeds this season, playing 90 minutes in every Premier League game and skippering the side twice.

Yet, his efforts against Spurs were underwhelming.

There were two “unfortunate” deflections off the Leeds number five for each of the goals, as per The Athletic’s Beren Cross, which took the ball past Darlow to see his side go behind on both occasions.

He received a 5/10 rating for his performances by Smyth. The journalist said Struijk had ‘ropey moments at the back’ and pointed out the fact that he was ‘beaten in the air’ when Spurs struck the woodwork themselves.

The stats reflect how poor the 26-year-old was against the Lilywhites. He had 74 touches and, on the ball, was generally quite good. He completed 94% of his passes. Yet, he only won 40% of his duels and didn’t attempt a tackle.

Touches

74

Pass accuracy

95%

Pass accuracy

61/64

Long balls completed

1/3

Aerial duels won

2/4

Ground duels won

0/1

With summer addition Jaka Bijol knocking on the door for a spot in the starting lineup, perhaps Farke will decide to drop Struijk.

It is certainly disappointing that he struggled, especially in the air, against Spurs, and he certainly could have done more to prevent the goals.

Bijol has been an unused substitute in the Premier League this season, but perhaps this poor performance from Struijk will be enough to convince Farke to rotate the side ahead of the clash with Burnley.

Leeds had the original Gudmundsson & they let him leave for just £1m

Leeds must regret cashing in on this star who was the original Gabriel Gudmundsson at Elland Road.

ByDan Emery Oct 2, 2025

Orange Cap table

We must start with Virat Kohli. Since, well, it’s Virat Kohli, but more importantly, he is the first of the top-five batters this season to return to action; Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) open the IPL on its resumption tonight, much like they started the tournament off back on March 22.Kohli scored 62 in 33 balls his last outing, against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), his seventh half-century of the season. That took his tally up to 505 runs and to No. 4 (though he was briefly the Cap-holder too). In fact, the top few have passed around – or grabbed from each other – that cap for the past few games.And there’s not between those top-five batters. The table-topper, Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians (MI) has 510 runs, and the fifth-placed Jos Buttler of Gujarat Titans (GT) has 500. Within those ten runs are two other GT batters, B Sai Sudharsan (509 runs) and Shubman Gill (508 runs). Then comes Kohli, who needs to score just six runs to get the Orange Cap back.He would want to get more than just those, though. Against what might be a white screen in front of him, at home at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli would back himself to get another fifty – seven in 11 innings already is some record – and the fans in the stands, who are certain to respond emotionally to his Test retirement when they see him, would want nothing less.Prabhsimran (No. 7 with 437 runs) will get his shot soon, though. PBKS go up against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the next game, on Sunday afternoon, and then the GT trio will get a go against DC, knowing where Kohli stands on the table, and how they need to go to get back to the top.Not to forget Nicholas Pooran. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter was the early leader on that table before his form tapered off. He is still at No. 8 with 410 runs, though, and if the break in the IPL has refreshed him, the men ahead of him on the Orange Cap list might start slipping from the positions quickly. He will be in action on Monday against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at home in Lucknow.Prasidh Krishna will get a chance to add to his 20 wickets on Sunday night•Associated Press

Purple Cap table

GT’s bowling spearhead Prasidh Krishna and CSK left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad are up at the top – Prasidh ahead of Noor because of his superior economy rate and average – with 20 wickets each, and two wickets behind them, with 18 apiece, are RCB’s Josh Hazlewood and MI’s Trent Boult.Hazlewood, however, hasn’t played since April 27 owing to a shoulder injury and it’s still not clear if he is rejoining the RCB ranks or not for the remainder of the IPL. That means Prasidh (whose next game is on Sunday night) and Noor (in action on Tuesday night) might just feel a bit unthreatened for a bit, since Boult is also not going to be in action till Wednesday, when MI’s season resumes.But it’s not just those two who have a shot at going past Prasidh and Noor.KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy is currently at No. 5 with 17 wickets, and will be in action against RCB tonight. As will Harshit Rana, who has 16 wickets, the same as Arshdeep Singh, who will turn out for PBKS on Sunday afternoon. A good haul for any of these bowlers, and the Purple Cap race could well become as frenetic as the Orange Cap race has been.Here’s what ESPNcricinfo MVP table looks like as the IPL resumes.And here are some other IPL 2025 tables you might want to browse through.

• Highest batting strike rates
• Best bowling economy rates
• Most sixes
• Best bowling figures in a match

Hollywood is quietly littered with a number of football and, more specifically, Premier League fans. Ryan Reynolds – Wrexham co-owner – is the best example alongside Rob McElhenney, whilst Daniel Craig has never made his adoration for Liverpool a secret in between playing 007. Now, Matthew McConaughey can be added to the list.

The A-lister, who has starred in films such as Interstellar and The Gentleman, is even the co-owner of MLS side Austin FC. It’s there that he is hoping to see his side achieve a play-off place and perhaps even eventually square off against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami side.

McConaughey has played characters who have travelled space and portrayed leading roles in Guy Ritchie films, yet even he has been blown away by Messi. He even previously jokingly invited the Argentine to come and play for Austin.

The Oscar winner is no stranger to the Premier League, either. He’s been spotted watching Chelsea in the Champions League, has family links in Liverpool and even name-dropped an unexpected side that he has no choice but to support.

McConaughey reveals shock Crystal Palace support

Having appeared holding a Chelsea shirt and admitted family links to Liverpool, McConaughey’s football journey is arguably tougher to follow than space and time film Interstellar. And now, he’s complicated things further by revealing that he’s also a “fan” of Crystal Palace. He told reporters:

The actor, who was on the red carpet for The Lost Bus, was even seen in conversation with Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner. The Austrian was likely invited by Paul Greengrass – a well-known fan of the South London club and director of The Lost Bus.

As far as unexpected crossovers go, it will be hard to beat McConaughey and the Eagles boss.

The club bounced back from five straight losses last season to make the finals

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2025Peter Moores has signed a two-year extension as Melbourne Stars head coach in the BBL following a season where the team produced a remarkable turnaround to reach the finals.Stars lost their first five matches but then went on a five-game winning surge before falling to Sydney Thunder in the Knockout final. With Hobart Hurricanes winning the title last season, Stars are now the only club not to have a title in BBL history.”I’m absolutely thrilled to sign on for another two years,” Moores said. “I’ve already experienced some incredible moments with the club and there was no better place to be last summer than the MCG when we got on a roll. It was a great reminder of what this club and our members and fans are capable of.”Stars were captained by Marcus Stoinis who Moores said “will only grow in that role again.” They currently have 10 players on their list, including allrounder Tom Curran and new signings Liam Hatcher and Mitchell Swepson, with the overseas draft to take place on June 19.”Our list is in a really good place, and we’ve got a great opportunity to strengthen a couple of key areas in the upcoming draft,” Moores said. “I’m not putting a limit on what we can all achieve together.”Stars general manager Max Abbott said: “The feedback from all parts of the organisation has been overwhelmingly positive in the way Peter led the group as coach over the last two seasons.”You don’t come back from a 0-5 start to make the finals without leadership in the dressing room and that is a testament to the way Peter was able to maintain camaraderie and belief within the playing group to turn the season around.”Moores’ new BBL contract follows the appointment of Andy Christie as Stars’ WBBL head coach on a two-year deal after the club parted ways with Jonathan Batty following just two wins in 10 games during the 2024-25 campaign.

England post 400 for 8 to win at a canter, with captain claiming a record five catches in Windies’ innings

Vithushan Ehantharajah29-May-2025

England 400 for 8 (Bethell 82, Duckett 60, Brook 58, Root 57, Seales 4-84) beat West Indies 162 (Overton 3-22, Mahmood 3-32) by 238 runsBorn in Barbados but stunning in Birmingham, Jacob Bethell’s devastatingly crisp 82 from 53 deliveries led England to 400 for 8, their second-highest score at Edgbaston, on their way to burying West Indies by 238 runs at the start of this three-match ODI series.For Harry Brook’s first assignment as full-time limited-overs captain, it was the perfect start. However one-sided this might have been, the dominance goes some way towards bolstering confidence at the start of a new era. The result alone is a godsend, ending a run of seven consecutive defeats.Bethell, 21, had only just arrived back from an IPL stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. And yet having missed the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe, he clicked through the gears, striking the majority of his eight fours and five sixes at the back end, to remind the world – and his head coach Brendon McCullum – of his unignorable claim for multi-format berths. This second half-century in the format also reinforced the scale of the talent England have pilfered from the Caribbean.Bethell’s was the lead hand in an innings littered with impressive but unfulfilled starts, including half-centuries for Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Brook. The scoreboard pressure was suffocating enough before Saqib Mahmood – Brummie-born – produced an opening burst of 3 for 32 from his opening seven overs. The last of those three to fall was Shai Hope, stunningly clutched by a back-peddling Brydon Carse about five yards in from the deep square boundary.Brydon Carse took a spectacular catch in the deep•AFP/Getty Images

It was an impressive piece of athleticism from Carse, returning to international duty after a toe injury ended his Champions Trophy campaign prematurely. He looked back to his best with the ball with the dismissal of Brandon King – a Test-match length and nip away finding the edge through to Jos Buttler behind the stumps – and his fielding effort was in keeping with a broader, altogether more energetic performance with Brook leading from the front.Stationed in the ring, Brook took five catches – having previously managed just three in 26 previous ODIs – level with the record for the most taken by a fielder in format (Jonty Rhodes against West Indies in 1993). It was Brook’s second dalliance with a record after he was one of seven batters to score 30 or more in the same innings – the first time that had been achieved in a one-dayer.A shellacking of this magnitude was far from Hope’s mind when he won the toss and chose to bowl, but the game was up at the halfway stage when his side were faced with a record target and already shorn of the explosive Evin Lewis, who damaged his groin in training on Wednesday. But for the final-wicket stand of 38 between Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales, whose 29 makes him the seventh No.11 to top-score in an ODI innings, this would have been a record defeat. In the end, they were dismissed for 162 with 23.4 overs left on the table.The travails of missing the 2023 50-over World Cup and the uncertainty that remains in the air regarding automatic qualification for 2027’s edition was reason enough to insert an experimental-looking England batting line-up on a muggy Thursday afternoon in the midlands. And West Indies, to their credit, stayed afloat for the majority of their time with the ball.Alas, they were completely blown out of the water in the death overs. Seales’ figures of 4 for 84 from nine overs showed that even the few with rewards bore scars. The fast bowler, given the nod ahead of Shamar Joseph, suffered his most grotesque punishment in his penultimate over, sent for 19 as part of a bumper 98-run stand for the sixth wicket. Bethell was the aggressor, but Will Jacks, making his first appearance for England since November 2024, played an accomplished hand, bagging 39 off 24 from his first go at No.7 in ODIs.Harry Brook marked his captaincy debut with five catches•AFP/Getty Images

The onus was immediately on a newly ordered, albeit not new-look, England batting card. The initial focus was on Jamie Smith, front and centre to face the first ball, moved to open for the first time in List A cricket.His failures at No. 3 during the ICC Champions Trophy suggested more exposure to the new ball would not go down well. But Smith made hay, strumming crisp drives with the odd shuffle down the pitch, backing up McCullum’s view that the Surrey keeper-batter has the wares to cope with the early movement. Alas, having reached 37 in quick time, his 24th delivery – the number of runs he managed in three Champions Trophy knocks – stung the palms of Brandon King at midwicket, who held the catch, putting to shame Seales who had misjudged a far easier opportunity at mid-on the ball before.Smith’s departure, at the end of the seventh over, with 64 on the board, probably should have been a hint for at least one of the others to bat through. And yet the senior trio of the top-order punched their cards without lasting the course.Duckett looked the best of them, and probably should have set the platform for others to launch after moving through to a breezy half-century from 34 deliveries. But when he was done in at the start of the 20th over – Roston Chase taking a stunning one-handed grab leaping at backward point – both Root and Brook had to tend to a half-finished foundation.The Yorkshire duo set about their task well, Root typically calm as Brook targetted Justin Greaves’ medium pace, striking him for two sixes in three deliveries – down the ground, then behind square – for his first boundaries. Then Root, after registering his 59th fifty-plus score in the format, opted for a booming drive to nick Seales through to Hope.That was Seales’ first of three, the second coming when Brook lazily carved what was ultimately a long-hop out to deep point. By then, Jos Buttler was at the crease, stepping back having stepped down, with 4 off 6 to Brook’s 27 off 19 in their brief stand of 33.The stage looked set for Buttler to return to the pack in blockbuster fashion, as he brought out the classics – charging Greaves for a straight six, then a slapped four before ramping Seales down the line. Alas, a well-disguised cutter from the latter meant a heave to leg landed neatly in the hands of midwicket.Brook also made an attacking half-century•Getty Images

It was at that point that Bethell took over, with 58 balls remaining in the innings. From 26 off 30, Bethell took it upon himself to put the game out of sight. From the 43rd over up to the 47th, Bethell hit a six in each over, before Jacks, who had played the straight man, tagged in for the 47th to blitz a six and four fours off Matthew Forde. That devastating five-over period brought 86 runs and effectively settled the match given the scale of the mountain West Indies had to climb.Granted, it could have been far greater. The dismissal of Jacks – well-bumped by Greaves – and another special catch from Chase (this time running over his shoulder from mid-off to claim a steepling catch off Overton) kept the boundaries down to ensure Bethell was off strike for the entirety of the penultimate over. Regaining strike for the final over, a thin slice on a cut through to Hope brought his time to an end.Just when it seemed West Indies were going to close out the final two overs without a boundary, and thereby deny England their 400, Seales’ well-directed yorker shot out of the footmarks, nutmegging Carse and flying away to the advertising boards to bring up the landmark from the final ball of the innings.Once the first six West Indian batters had been seen off in the opening 12 overs, Brook was able to mix up his attack. That worked particularly well for Overton, who was able to finish with career-best figures of 3 for 22 despite having to leave the field during the eighth over after damaging his right hand trying to take a return catch off his second delivery.Bethell completed Overton’s over, before Mahmood picked back up at the City End to claim two more dismissals. Overton, however, was back on the field to bowl the 16th over, bouncing out both Chase (caught Jacks at deep square leg) and Matthew Forde (caught Mahmood at fine) before fooling Gudakesh Motie with a slower delivery that was looped to point for Brook’s fifth and final catch.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após muita espera e detalhes burocráticos para resolver, o Botafogo pôde oficializar a contratação de Bastos. O angolano, que está em solo brasileiro, chega para aumentar a qualidade do elenco do Glorioso e oferecer variações.

O jogador de 31 anos chama atenção por proporcionar variações em campo. Sua chegada tenta trazer uma alternativa a mais de alto nível para Adryelson e Cuesta. Atualmente, Philipe Sampaio e Sousa também fazem parte do elenco.

+ Com retorno de Marçal, Botafogo divulga os relacionados para o confronto decisivo com o Defensa Y Justicia

Bastos é um jogador destro. Porém, demonstrou habilidade com a perna esquerda e chegou a atuar como lateral-esquerdo no decorrer de sua carreira.

O atleta chama atenção por tentar passes e, em especial, procurar lançamentos para seus colegas. Além disso, é forte defensivamente, chamando atenção por sua busca constante por se antecipar a adversários com precisão.

Seus números no antigo clube, o Al-Ahli, também foram promissores. Nos três jogos que disputou neste ano, sempre saiu de campo com um gol marcado.

O angolano, último reforço da janela do Botafogo, assinou contrato até o fim de 2024.

يستضيف فريق مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي خصمه فريق بوروسيا دورتموند الألماني، مساء يوم الأربعاء، وذلك في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26.

تأتي تلك المباراة في إطار منافسات الجولة الرابعة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مرحلة الدوري لذلك الموسم، على ملعب “الاتحاد” معقل مانشستر سيتي.

ويتساوى مانشستر سيتي مع بوروسيا دورتموند في عدد النقاط، برصيد 7، ولكن أفضلية الأهداف لصالح الفريق الألماني.

ومن المتوقع تواجد النجم المصري عمر مرموش على دكة بدلاء مانشستر سيتي في مباراة اليوم ضد بوروسيا دورتموند، حيث يفضل بيب جوارديولا الاعتماد على تشكيلته المعتادة كما هو الحال في المباريات الماضية.

تشكيل مانشستر سيتي أمام بوروسيا دورتموند في دوري أبطال أوروبا.. موقف عمر مرموش تشكيل مانشستر سيتي المتوقع أمام بوروسيا دورتموند اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: دوناروما.

خط الدفاع: ماتيوس نونيز، جون ستونز، روبن دياز، ريان آيت نوري.

خط الوسط: نيكو جونزاليس، سافينيو.

خط الوسط الهجومي: تيجاني ريندرز، فيل فودين، جيريمي دوكو.

خط الهجوم: هالاند. 

ويمكنك متابعة مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من خلال مركز المباريات من هنا.

Visitors recover from 160 for 6 thanks to maiden hundred from wicketkeeper-batter

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 22-Jun-2025

Joe Cracknell scored an unbeaten 106, his maiden first-class century, while Leus du Plooy struck 66 as Middlesex staged a spirited fightback against Northamptonshire on day one of this Rothesay County Championship match at Wantage Road.Keeper-batter Cracknell, whose previous first-class best was just 33, having largely played white-ball cricket to date, played a superbly-paced innings, facing 164 balls and striking 11 fours and a six to take the visitors to 397 for 8 at stumps. It was Cracknell’s third century of the week after tons in each innings of Middlesex’s Second XI game against Glamorgan at Radlett.Middlesex bounced back after Liam Guthrie, who took 6 for 87 with the Kookaburra ball, his first five-wicket haul for Northamptonshire, had the Seaxes reeling on 33 for 3 inside the first half an hour, removing the visitors top order.But du Plooy started to revive Middlesex’s fortunes, sharing two 60-run stands, first with Ryan Higgins and then with Ben Geddes. When they fell, Middlesex were still in a precarious position at 160 for 6 before Cracknell and Luke Hollman (51) combined to add 103 for the seventh wicket. Cracknell was then joined by Zafar Gohar and Toby Roland-Jones in stands of 81 and 53 at the end of a satisfactory first day in charge for Middlesex’s new men’s first-team coach Dane Vilas.Earlier left-armer Guthrie struck in the second over, coming round the wicket. Josh de Caires fell into the leg-side trap as he worked one off his hip straight to leg gully. Then Max Holden was trapped lbw by a Guthrie delivery that moved in and straightened. When Sam Robson became Guthrie’s third wicket, edging low to Harrison at second slip, the visitors were in real trouble.Leus du Plooy and Higgins rebuilt positively, keeping the scoreboard ticking as they put on 62. Du Plooy garnered boundaries off back-foot punches off the seamers and played Guthrie down the leg side for four to take Middlesex past 50 in the 12th over before driving him sweetly through cover.Higgins was proactive, strong on the reverse sweep against the spinners, but was adjudged lbw to a Justin Broad delivery that looked a little high as he stepped down the wicket aiming to play to leg.Du Plooy joined forces in another confident stand worth 60 with Geddes who started positively, Middlesex passing 100 in the 23rd over before powering Broad through extra cover. Du Plooy meanwhile punched Guthrie off the backfoot through cover point and then pulled legspinner Calvin Harrison for four to reach his half-century just before lunch.Runs flowed quickly against the seamers after the interval. Geddes punched Guthrie off the back foot, while du Plooy drove Luke Procter for four before coming down the wicket and pulling him dismissively through mid-on. He had a rush of blood though, attempting to repeat the shot, failing to control it and instead top-edging to long-on where Rob Keogh took an excellent diving catch running back.Liam Guthrie caused havoc with the new ball•Getty Images

Geddes drove Procter handsomely through extra cover but departed soon afterwards, edging behind off a Broad delivery which held its line.That brought together Cracknell and Hollman who started briskly, Cracknell pulling and driving Broad for consecutive boundaries. Northamptonshire fielded four spinners and both batters took a liking to them with the ball offering little turn. Hollman hit Harrison back over his head, smashed him through the covers and swept behind square. He swept Lloyd Pope to the boundary too and drove his next ball through cover point.Cracknell also tucked into the spinners, muscling Keogh down the ground before dispatching his next ball, a half-tracker, over midwicket for six to go past his previous highest score.After tea, both batters reached their fifties and brought up the 100 partnership, but were parted next over when Hollman skied an attempted hook off Guthrie, Pope taking a good catch at deep-backward square leg.Cracknell continued to locate the boundary, driving Broad through extra, pulling a Pope half-tracker through midwicket and pummelling Guthrie through extra cover. Gohar (34) offered strong support as Cracknell neared three figures, taking consecutive boundaries off Procter with the new ball before Guthrie got one to lift, Gohar fending it to Vasconcelos at slip.Cracknell smashed Guthrie through extra cover and then worked Broad into the off-side to take him to three figures and a well-deserved celebration before some Toby Roland-Jones fireworks ensured Middlesex rounded off the day positively.

They needed less than half an hour on the fourth morning to take the last four Bangladesh wickets

Madushka Balasuriya28-Jun-2025Sri Lanka needed just 28 minutes on the fourth morning to pick up the final four Bangladesh wickets, and with it wrap up a win by an innings and 78 runs. It was Sri Lanka’s ninth innings-victory over Bangladesh, which gave them the series 1-0 and also some crucial World Test Championship points.Prabath Jayasuriya did the bulk of the damage – with some handy assists from wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis, who had been off the field the previous day nursing a sore shoulder – picking up figures of 5 for 56, his 12th five-wicket haul in Tests.It took just three deliveries into his first over of the day for Jayasuriya to take Litton Das’ edge on the forward defence, with Kusal holding on to a sharp chance. Then in his next over, he had Nayeem Hasan attempting to drive one tossed up on off, only for it to dip and rip past him. Nayeem, who had slid his back foot out of the crease in the process, was unable to get back before Kusal flicked the bails off.Jayasuriya completed his five-for pouching a return catch to his right, as Taijul Islam got a leading edge looking to work one through midwicket. Tharindu Ratnayake got in on the act then, trapping Ebadot Hossain in front of middle the very next over, as Bangladesh folded 34 balls into the morning session.Related

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How captain Dhananjaya is turning Sri Lanka into an image of himself

The Taijul light shines bright on Bangladesh's day of gloom

It was Jayasuriya’s best against Bangladesh, a welcome return for Sri Lanka’s lead spinner who had gone wicketless in the first innings, and struck just once in Galle.In total, nine wickets fell in the innings to spin, with Tharindu and Dhananjaya de Silva sharing two apiece to go with Jayasuriya’s five. Bangladesh though will no doubt feel this was a game they lost control of in the first innings itself, when a sub-par batting effort – followed by some loose bowling – allowed Sri Lanka to take a commanding grip of proceedings.While the spinners wrapped things up for the hosts, it was Pathum Nissanka that was named Player of the Match for his match-winning 158 off 254 deliveries. Nissanka also clinched the Player of the Series award following his 187 in the first Test.

Despite the recent failings on the pitch for Manchester United, captain Bruno Fernandes has often been a shining light and producing numerous moments of magic.

The Portuguese international saved the Red Devils from a catastrophic campaign, ending the 2024/25 campaign with a total of 37 combined goals and assists across all competitions.

The 30-year-old has continued his excellent form into the new season, already netting two goals in the Premier League – with his latest securing a 2-1 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim’s job would certainly have been on the line had it not been for his compatriot’s contributions in the final third, with the former Sporting CP talent certainly the club’s most important player in recent years.

However, the same can’t be said for one of his teammates, with the first-team talent unable to make the desired impact, with part of his failures potentially down to his squad number.

The curse of the Man Utd #7 shirt

Over recent years, United’s number seven shirt has often been one that has brought huge pressure onto the players who have worn such an iconic shirt.

Talents such as Alexis Sanchez, Memphis Depay and Ángel Di María have all succumbed to the pressure, subsequently leaving Old Trafford after disappointing spells at the club.

Mason Mount is the latest player to try and break such a curse, but like the aforementioned trio, he’s also struggled to make the impact he would’ve wanted upon his move to the Theatre of Dreams.

The 26-year-old joined in a £60m deal back in the summer of 2023, but he’s been restricted to just 52 appearances in his two-year spell in Manchester – with injuries massively halting his progress.

He’s suffered five separate injuries during such a period, missing a total of 52 matches in all competitions – subsequently being ruled out of 50% of games since joining the Red Devils.

Even when fit, the former Chelsea star has struggled to meet expectations, only registering six combined goals and assists – a record of just one contribution in every eight matches he’s featured in.

As a result of his lack of impact and constant injury issues, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Englishman drop down Amorim’s pecking order – potentially seeing one player take the number seven shirt in the near future.

The United star who could be Amorim’s next #7

As previously mentioned, Bruno has often been the man to come up with the magic for United, but it’s safe to say his responsibility has been taken off his shoulders in 2025/26.

The hierarchy backed the manager for his quest for success, spending over £200m on new additions to improve the options within the final third.

Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko were just two of the additions made during the off-season, with the latter being the most expensive of the bunch – arriving in a deal totalling £74m including add-ons.

Fellow summer addition Bryan Mbeumo has already managed to star for the Red Devils, scoring twice in his first appearances for the club after joining from Brentford.

The 26-year-old arrived with huge expectations after netting 20 league goals for Brentford last campaign, but has already kick-started his United career with a bang.

His strike against Burnley helped secure Amorim’s side their first Premier League win of the new campaign – subsequently winning the club’s Goal of the Month award in the process.

Mbeumo, who’s been dubbed a “superstar” by one analyst, has also produced numerous impressive underlying stats which further highlight his quality start to life in Manchester.

He’s created 1.9 chances per 90 to date, along with a 60% dribble success rate – highlighting his ability to transition the ball into dangerous areas before teeing up a teammate.

The Cameroonian has also drawn 1.7 fouls per 90, whilst completing 2.1 successful crosses per 90, with such numbers further showcasing how much of an impact he’s had since his big-money transfer.

Should he continue his impressive form in Manchester, there’s no reason as to why the attacker can’t follow in Bruno’s footsteps and lead the club back to their former glory.

It looks as though he’s currently the best addition since the Portuguese international, with the pair potentially forming a deadly partnership together in the near future.

As a reflection of his immediate impact, Mbeumo should be handed the number seven shirt, with the Cameroonian talent arguably the perfect man to break the current curse at Old Trafford.

Outperforming Mainoo: Man Utd must regret losing "sensational" star for £0

Manchester United made a huge mistake in allowing one young talent to leave the club on a free.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Sep 23, 2025