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Chelsea have now made contact to ask for information about a “world-class” player, ahead of a potential summer transfer swoop, according to a report.

Blues pushing for Champions League

Despite the drab 0-0 draw against Brentford at the weekend, the Blues remain in a strong position to end their two-year hiatus from the Champions League, sitting fourth in the Premier League table with just seven games left to play.

Should Enzo Maresca achieve his aim of Champions League qualification, the campaign will probably go down as a success, but there are still issues the manager will need to address in the summer transfer window.

One problem position has been goalkeeper, with Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen being used interchangeably, and there have been suggestions Maresca could bring Djordje Petrovic back into the fold next season.

New target: Chelsea eye move for £50m star who's "similar to Bellingham"

The Blues have set their sights on an “incredible” midfielder, who has been compared to Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham.

ByDominic Lund Apr 7, 2025

Petrovic has impressed on loan at Strasbourg, meaning he could also be given another chance at Stamford Bridge. Nonetheless, the option of bringing in a new goalkeeper from elsewhere remains on the table.

According to a report from Italy (via Chelsea Chronicle), Chelsea have now asked for information about AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, ahead of a potential summer transfer swoop.

Aston Villa and Manchester United have also been named as potential suitors for Maignan, whose future at the San Siro remains up in the air, given that he is yet to sign a new deal to extend his stay with the Italian club.

Reports have valued the goalkeeper at £67m, but there is a feeling he could be available for half that price, should he refuse to put pen to paper on a new deal, with his contract currently set to expire in 2026.

"World-class" Maignan could be real upgrade on Sanchez

Sanchez has been extremely error-prone for the Blues this season, making five mistakes which have directly led to goals in the Premier League, the joint-highest number of any player in the top flight.

As such, it is little wonder Chelsea are thinking about signing a replacement in the summer window, and there are indications Maignan could be a real upgrade on the Spaniard, considering he has been lauded as “world-class” by members of the Italian media.

Not only that, but the Frenchman could be well-suited to Maresca’s passing style of play, given that he has expressed a willingness to get on the ball over the past year, ranking in the 80th percentile for touches, when compared to his positional peers.

It is clear that Sanchez will need to be replaced this summer, and Maignan has proven he could be a solid replacement, although it may make more financial sense to give the nod to Petrovic, who has put in some very impressive displays in Ligue 1 this season.

Brook scored a triple-century while Root went past 250 as England declared for 823 in Multan. Here are some key numbers from their innings

Sampath Bandarupalli10-Oct-20240:57

England rewrite the record books in Multan

1 England became the first team to post 800-plus runs in an innings against Pakistan in Tests. The previous highest against Pakistan was 790 for 3 by West Indies in 1958 in Kingston.It is also the highest total by any team in Pakistan, with the previous highest being 765 for 6 by Pakistan against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2009.454 The partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook is now the highest for England in Test cricket, bettering the 411-run stand between Peter May and Colin Cowdrey against West Indies in 1957, also for the fourth wicket.Related

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It is also the highest partnership in Tests against Pakistan, going past the 446-run stand by Conrad Hunte and Gary Sobers for the second wicket in 1958 in Kingston.3 Number of partnerships in Test cricket, higher than Root and Brook’s 454 in Multan. It is now the highest stand by a visiting pair, surpassing the partnership of 451 runs by Don Bradman and Bill Ponsford against England for the second wicket at The Oval in 1934.1 Root and Brook also put on the highest stand for the fourth or a lower wicket in Tests as the previous highest was 449 between Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh against West Indies in 2015 in Hobart.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 Instances of two batters scoring 250-plus runs in the same Test innings, including Root and Brook in Multan. Hunte and Sobers for West Indies against Pakistan in 1958 were the first to do so, while Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara replicated the feat against South Africa in 2006.Root and Brook are only the second England pair with double hundreds in the same innings, after Graeme Fowler and Mike Gatting against India in 1985 in Chennai.1 Root and Brook are the first pair from England to share multiple partnerships of 300-plus runs in Test cricket. They put on 302 against New Zealand in Wellington last year, also for the fourth wicket. Only eight pairs before Root and Brook have shared two or more 300-plus run stands in Test cricket.310 Balls needed for Brook to complete his triple-century. It is the second-fastest in Test cricket, behind Virender Sehwag, who took only 278 balls for his triple against South Africa in 2008. The previous fastest for England was by Wally Hammond, off 355 balls, against New Zealand in 1933.Harry Brook became the first England batter in 34 years to score a triple-century•Getty Images823 for 7 England’s total against Pakistan in Multan is the fourth highest by any team in Test cricket. England has accounted for three of the four 800-plus totals, while Sri Lanka’s 952 for 6 against India in 1997 is the highest.6 Number of Pakistan bowlers to have conceded 100-plus runs in England’s first-innings in Multan. Only once before did six bowlers concede 100-plus runs in a Test innings – Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo in 2004.1 Maiden over in England’s innings – by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the fifth over of the innings. England’s innings of 150 overs (900 balls) is the longest, with as few as one maiden in a Test innings. The previous longest was 709 balls by South Africa against England in 1939, where none of the 88.5 eight-ball overs was a maiden.12664 Test runs by Root. He is now the leading run-scorer for England in Test cricket, surpassing Alastair Cook’s tally of 12472. Root is now fifth in the list of highest run-getters in Test cricket.317 Brook’s score against Pakistan in Multan is the fifth-highest for England in Test cricket. Brook is also the first England batter to score a triple hundred since Graham Gooch against India in 1990 at the Lord’s.4 Centuries by Brook in all four Test matches he played in Pakistan. He is the first batter to hundreds in four consecutive Tests on Pakistan soil. Brook is only the fifth batter with hundreds in four consecutive Tests against Pakistan, after Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, David Warner and Kane Williamson.3 Double hundreds in Asia for Root, the most by a visiting batter in Tests. Root’s previous two double tons in Asia have come in Sri Lanka and India in 2021. He is only the third batter with double tons in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, after Sehwag and Jayawardene.

He is slotted ahead of Latham and isn’t fussed about the low returns so far

Deivarayan Muthu23-Jan-2023Daryl Mitchell prides himself on being an adaptable player. Ahead of the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, head coach Gary Stead had so much faith in his adaptability that he bumped him up to the opening slot along with Martin Guptill after Mitchell had originally been picked in the side as a finisher. In the World Cup semi-final against England in Abu Dhabi, Mitchell was particularly slow off the blocks in the powerplay, but he ramped up the pace to seal a famous victory for New Zealand.Now, ahead of this year’s ODI World Cup, Mitchell has been given a new role – a promotion to No. 4 ahead of Tom Latham. Mitchell has batted at the spot six times – five of which have come in Pakistan and India – managing only 93 runs at an average of 15.50 and strike rate of 72.09. But he isn’t fussed about the low returns and backs himself to slot into the new role.”I’m just proud to be representing New Zealand in whatever position I bat in,” Mitchell said on the eve of the third ODI in Indore. “If you’ve followed my career, you can see that I’ve batted in many positions across all three formats. So, I’m just doing my job; [there are] some good days and bad days. That’s the nature of the game we play and yeah really looking forward to tomorrow, as a group, to come out and put in a good performance and walk away with a win in the ODI series.”Watch LIVE in the UK and USA

You can watch the third ODI between India and New Zealand LIVE on ESPN Player in the UK and on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi in the USA.

Having also batted at different positions for his domestic teams – Northern Districts and Canterbury – Mitchell is ready do any job for New Zealand in ODI World Cup in India later this year. He is also pushing his case as a seam-bowling allrounder in the absence of Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme who have become free agents. In the first ODI in Hyderabad, Mitchell was New Zealand’s most successful bowler with figures of 2 for 30 in his five overs when India amassed 349.”For me, it’s something that I guess as a skillset is to adapt to different numbers in the line-up as well as different situations and I’m a competitor at heart,” he said. “That’s why I play the game and I love competing to try and win those moments. That’s what drives me whether I open the batting or batting at No. 3, 4, 5 or 6. For me, that doesn’t worry me and it’s about getting stuck in and being really proud to represent the country, which is something I dreamt of doing since I was a little kid. And I’m very fortunate to be in this position. I do it with a smile on my face, and puff my chest out, and try and take them on.”Mitchell’s current role at No. 4 has often left him starting against spin. Though he has been dismissed by spinners four times in his last five ODI innings in the subcontinent, Mitchell is still one of the better players of spin in the New Zealand line-up. He uses his long reach to meet the pitch of the ball and is particularly strong at hitting down the ground.”I’m 31 years of age now and [I] know how my game works and how I want to go about the middle phases of one-day cricket [against spin],” Mitchell said. “Always in Test cricket, you do face a lot of spin, so yeah I’m comfortable with how I go about my game and again, it’s about trying to win little moments for the team and hopefully that means we can win games of cricket.”The absence of the seniors – Kane Williamson, Trent Boult and Tim Southee – for the ongoing series in India as well as the five ODIs in April-May in Pakistan, which will clash with IPL 2023 – will give New Zealand an opportunity to test out different combinations ahead of the ODI World Cup. Williamson (Gujarat Titans), Boult (Rajasthan Royals) and Southee (Kolkata Knight Riders) are set to be handed NOCs to feature in the entire IPL 2023.”I think everyone in this room knows that games of cricket like the other day [in Raipur] happen,” Mitchell said. “It’s the nature of the game. Yeah, you lose the toss and get put in on a slightly challenging surface and you’re five down for not many. Us as a group, we’re pretty level and it’s something we pride ourselves on. The group is really excited about tomorrow and about not having Tim and Kane here, I think it’s a great opportunity for our group to test out some new formations and different balances, and give different guys experience over here in India that a lot of us haven’t had.”

Pakistan’s most effective batsmen have not been their prettiest – think Javed Miandad, Saleem Malik and Saeed Anwar. But these five combined runs with elegance

Shamya Dasgupta10-Aug-2020Majid Khan
Majid’s last Test had a fun batting order: Mohsin Khan (pretty), Mudassar Nazar (not pretty), Majid Khan (pretty), Javed Miandad (not pretty), Zaheer Abbas (pretty) and Saleem Malik (not pretty). Unfortunately, Majid fell for a 13-ball duck in that game. But he had made a name as a batsman most pleasing to the eye over the course of a near-20-year-long Test career. Right-handed Majid was elegant in the way left-hand batsmen usually are, with flowing drives and pulls, his bat coming down in a graceful arc. What gave him an air of sophistication was the somewhat laidback appearance at the crease, which led to more than one critic suggesting that it didn’t matter to him enough. It certainly did. A long and quite successful career at first-class and Test level proves that.Zaheer Abbas
One of Pakistan’s absolute greats, Abbas was, at his best, almost the perfect batsman, beautiful to watch and someone his team could count on to lead the charge – not always a given with batsmen so pleasing to the eye. Abbas finished with a Test average of 44.79. In Australia, it was 40.62, and in England, where he also found a happy, long-term home with Gloucestershire, it was 56.06. He wasn’t quite so successful in India, strangely, or New Zealand and the West Indies. But wherever he played, Abbas wowed onlookers like few could at the time, certainly among right-handers. In many ways, he was the anti-Viv Richards. Both Richards and he scored a lot of runs and dominated attacks, and were equally stylish in their different ways, but Richards was more hammer ’em while Abbas was knife through butter. He was especially alluring because he hit so many boundaries and looked, at times, like he was worried about hurting the ball when banishing it.Is there a prettier off-drive in the game than Babar Azam’s?•Getty ImagesMohsin Khan
Mohsin Khan walked away from the game at the age of 31 to become an actor in India. He left with some pretty impressive performances and numbers to his name, but they don’t tell of how, in late 1983, he seemed like he could make himself taller than he was at the crease and get on top of the bounce from Dennis Lillee, Geoff Lawson, Rodney Hogg and Carl Rackemann to score 390 runs at 43.33 in a five-Test series in Australia. At the time, pace and bounce were the weaknesses of many an opening bat from the subcontinent, but Mohsin – tall and loose-limbed, with in-vogue long hair – was cut from a different cloth (and even in the regulation whites of the time, he looked more stylish than his team-mates). He could have played on, surely, and had he done so it would have only made Pakistan that much more appealing a side.Mohammad Yousuf
From the mid-1980s, we jump straight to the late-1990s and 2000s, and to the man who started out as Yousuf Youhana but really came into his own after changing his name to Mohammad Yousuf. Like Abbas before him, the best part about Yousuf was how well he balanced a hunger for runs with grace and grandeur. With 7530 runs in 90 Tests, at an average of 52.29, and 9720 in 288 ODIs at 41.71, he is among Pakistan’s top five run-getters in both formats. Like the other three, Yousuf was supple, graceful, and – what’s the best word? – calm. Calm himself, of course, and so unhurried, so in control, so peaceful that he created a sense of serenity while he was out in the middle. Was it the exaggerated backlift? Was it the time he seemed to create between bowler releasing ball and batsman doing something about it? Or was it, maybe, Younis Khan and Inzamam-ul-Haq on either side of him in the batting order? Yousuf stood out. An unusual run-machine who rarely ever looked clumsy.Babar Azam
Some say he should be included in the current Fab Four – lose one of Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli and Joe Root. That, or just make it the Fab Five because there can’t be a list of great current-day batsmen without this young man. It’s tough to say exactly why he sets the pulse racing because Azam is not quite as obviously magnificent as the other four stylists on this list. He isn’t even built like them; not as languid nor as nimble. The thing about him is that he never looks ugly, or gauche, not for a moment. His statements on style aren’t as conspicuous as, say, Williamson’s, but you’ll find them – enough to be bowled over – if you are attentive. Think soft-shouldered suits and a dollop of the blasé. That’s Azam.

The Boston Red Sox are surging in the month of July.

Boston has won 10 straight games, sweeping the Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays prior to the start of the All-Star break. The recent surge has the Red Sox sitting just three games out of first place in the American League East. Officially, the Sox are 53-45 and in third place in the East behind the New York Yankees and the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.

Former New York Yankees star and current Fox baseball analyst Alex Rodriguez sits on a panel with the network alongside his former teammate Derek Jeter and Red Sox great David Ortiz.

And on Tuesday night, when it came time to talk about the Red Sox, Rodriguez was clear about what the franchise's surge means in the broader context of the sport. And it made him absolutely sick to say out loud.

"Bottom line, boys, if we zoom out, it's great for baseball when the Boston…I can't believe I'm saying this…when the Boston Red Sox are good," Rodriguez said on Tuesday night.

Rodriguez added that the trade of Rafael Devers could end up being a good thing for the Red Sox in the long run, as he referenced two specific examples from his own playing days.

"Sometimes when you clear a clubhouse of whatever perceived energy…I remember when [Ken] Griffey Jr. left us in Seattle, we got better. And then when I left the next year, we got even better. And sometimes you need the big brother to get out so all the other big brothers can excel and thrive and they're doing that in a beautiful way."

The Red Sox open the second half of the season with a series in Chicago against NL Central's first place Chicago Cubs. The Red Sox will then take on the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies before hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers later this month.

Three brutally tough series out of the break will tell the tale of whether or not the Red Sox are for real.

GOAL looks at the biggest storylines among Americans Abroad, including a big match for Chris Richards' Crystal Palace against Manchester United.

Another weekend, another batch of storylines to latch onto. Life for Americans playing abroad remains a chaotic, ever-shifting universe – but right now, the stars are shining.

This slate could bring more of the same. Chris Richards is the headliner as Crystal Palace take on Manchester United, while Christian Pulisic’s status looms over everything, with the American star potentially set to miss more time through injury. And then there are the others. Ricardo Pepi continues his hunt for minutes at PSV, and a cluster of No. 9s across Europe will look to make their case at a moment when Folarin Balogun has hit a rough patch in front of goal.

GOAL US previews the main storylines among Americans abroad this weekend… 

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Chris Richards to have his moment

  First, the big one. Playing Manchester United isn’t what it used to be. Ruben Amorim’s side has improved of late, but they remain toothless in attack. They struggle to score, and while Crystal Palace aren’t elite, there are few reasons to fear this United team. Even so, it’s a significant matchup for Richards.

  It has been a curious few weeks for the USMNT center back. A month ago, he was earning deserved plaudits for his national team form and consistent performances for Palace. Since then, things have become a bit muddled. Oliver Glasner has taken a few public swipes at Mauricio Pochettino for calling Richards into the October camp despite a calf knock. The defender missed time as a result and went down late in Palace’s last Premier League game.

  Still, he has been back in training and is expected to be ready for United. A win would push Palace into the top four – potentially as high as third if results fall their way. It’s a big opportunity.

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• Getty Images
  

  Pulisic looks to build on a massive derby day

  Pulisic’s status is suddenly uncertain again, with talk of a fresh knock casting doubt over his availability for Milan’s clash with Lazio. Max Allegri admitted Thursday that the American is questionable, and with the schedule tightening, it’s unclear whether Milan will risk him. It’s an all-too-familiar storyline for a player whose biggest obstacle has always been staying on the field.

  And the timing couldn’t be more frustrating. Pulisic is coming off one of his best performances of the season – and arguably his most important – after bossing the Milan derby last week. He scored the only goal in the 1-0 win and controlled large stretches as a drifting second striker, a reminder of just how influential he can be when fully fit. With seven goal contributions already in Serie A, he has a legitimate claim as one of the league’s form players.

  But that’s the challenge. For all the quality Pulisic brings, his ability to maintain that level has consistently been shaped by injuries arriving at exactly the wrong moments. This latest concern threatens to interrupt a run of form that had him looking like one of Serie A’s best.

• AFP
  

  Ricardo Pepi back to scoring goals

  The USMNT suddenly have a few real questions at striker. Folarin Balogun has generally delivered in a national team shirt – even if his club form is uneven – and Haji Wright has pushed for minutes despite his recent dip in goals. But then there’s Pepi, who was Pochettino’s preferred No. 9 early on and was scoring freely for PSV just a year ago.

  In truth, the former FC Dallas standout is still working his way back from a serious knee injury, even if he’s technically available every week. The sharpness isn’t fully there; he’s still a half-beat slow, still thinking before he shoots. Yet Wednesday’s Champions League cameo against Liverpool served as a reminder of why he remains such a valuable option. Pepi was disruptive off the bench, unsettled Virgil van Dijk, and gave PSV a presence up top – even without a goal.

  Guus Til, naturally a No. 10, has been getting the starts in recent weeks, leaving Pepi to make his case in limited minutes. A weekend matchup with lowly Volendam should offer a clearer opportunity. For Pepi, who badly needs a confidence-restoring performance, it feels like an important chance to find his scoring touch again.

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• AFP
  

  Things get trickier for Weston McKennie

  Weston McKennie remains one of the trickiest USMNT players to evaluate. On one hand, he’s starting every week for Juventus and looks firmly back in the “indispensable” category after appearing close to a summer exit. On the other, new manager Luciano Spalletti- a recent Serie A title winner with Napoli – hasn’t exactly unlocked some bold new tactical identity. What he done is trust McKennie, who repaid that faith with a Champions League goal on Tuesday night.

  The takeaway is simple: McKennie has a role, and a significant one. He has played nearly every minute under Spalletti and, even if he hasn’t been spectacular, has done enough to keep his place. The next step is finding a bit more end product. A weekend matchup with struggling Cagliari should give him the platform to show it.

Manchester City are now reportedly ready to hijack Manchester United’s move to sign a Premier League star worth as much as £100m in 2026.

Man City make Semenyo a top target

It’s not just their local rivals that Man City are looking to frustrate. The Citizens are also reportedly interested in signing Antoine Semenyo and have made the Bournemouth star a top target. In what would deal Liverpool an untimely blow, City could land one of the most in-form wingers that the Premier League has to offer.

It’s clear that Semenyo likes the idea of linking up with Erling Haaland, too, after saying: “Haaland is number one. You see it on TV, scoring all these goals and thinking, surely he’s not like this in person… That man is tall, my goodness. Tall, strong, fast, can finish.

“He’s got everything you need as a striker. I remember Man City just bopping, and I’m thinking, okay this is normal that they bop it. Ruben Dias wraps the ball to him, the ball’s like this high, I’m thinking ‘how’s he going to deal with this?’ just takes it on his chest like this – I am thinking: Haaland, the man.”

It’s also easy to see why City have set their sights on another direct winger. Aside from the improved Jeremy Doku, Pep Guardiola’s wide men have struggled to leave their mark, with Savinho receiving his fair share of criticism from those at the Etihad in recent weeks.

The Brazilian was part of a much-changed Man City side against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, but to say that he failed to make his opportunity count would be an understatement.

Alas, it’s not just wide men that Guardiola wants. The Spaniard and Man City have now reportedly turned their focus towards midfield star Elliot Anderson, who is represented by the same agency as Omar Marmoush.

Man City ready to hijack Man Utd's Anderson move

As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Man City are now ready to hijack Man Utd’s move for Anderson. The Citizens have made the Nottingham Forest star a top target and could splash out as much as £100m to secure his signature in 2026.

Man City now considering move for £65m forward who Pep called "extraordinary"

City have identified a forward as a priority target ahead of the January transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

The England star is quickly becoming one of the most wanted players in the Premier League and that should come as no surprise.

England boss Thomas Tuchel has quickly made the Forest star one of his main men and has showered him with praise a number of times, telling reporters: “He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent. He is fulfilling his role in the best way possible so we are very happy with him.”

Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan

They have rested Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2025

Toss India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bat against Oman in the last league fixture of the Asia Cup, in Abu Dhabi. With this being a dead rubber – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have qualified for the Super Four – India experimented with their combination, resting their bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy. They handed Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh their first games of the tournament.With Abu Dhabi less conducive to spin than Dubai in recent times, India fielded just two specialist spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel though Abhishek Sharma can also pitch in with left-arm spin, if needed. Arshdeep, who returned to the XI, is on the brink of a milestone: he is just one strike away from 100 T20I wickets. He is set to become the first Indian to the landmark.Suryakumar explained that India chose to bat to test their depth. “We’ve not batted [first] in this competition and we want to know our depth. having game-time is important going into Super Fours,” he said.Oman also made two changes, with Zikira Islam and Mohammad Nadeem coming in for Wasim Ali and Hassnain Shah.Oman captain Jatinder said his team lacked experience and exposure at this level and were keen to compete against India. This is the first international game between Oman and India.India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Sanju Samson (wk), 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Kuldeep Yadav.Oman: 1 Aamir Kaleem, 2 Jatinder Singh (capt), 3 Hammad Mirza, 4 Vinayak Shukla (wk), 5 Shah Faisal, 6 Zikria Islam, 7 Aryan Bisht, 8 Mohammad Nadeem, 9 Shakeel Ahmed, 10 Samay Shrivastava, 11 Jiten Ramanandi.

Leicestershire eliminated after reaching 321 for 9 in spirited chase at New Road

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 24-Aug-2025

Brett D’Oliveira’s 107 gave Worcestershire Rapids the platform for a 16-run victory over Leicestershire Foxes, clinching a top-three finish while eliminating the home side, who finished 312 for nine in reply to the Rapids’ 328.D’Oliveira’s second hundred of this year’s 50-over competition came off 105 balls and contained 15 fours and two sixes. He had shared a stand of 119 for the first wicket with 19-year-old Daniel Lategan (34 off 59). Rob Jones (67 off 59) made the next biggest impression on the Foxes attack.After Leicestershire had sunk to 23 for four in reply, Shan Masood (88 off 87) hit 14 fours and Ben Cox (76 off 80) a dozen as the pair put on 163 for the fifth wicket in a determined fightback.Ben Mike, batting with a runner after sustaining a hamstring injury while bowling, defied the pain to hit five sixes in a brave unbeaten 72 off 45 balls but it proved in vain, with seamer Ben Allison taking three for 87 to keep the Rapids in with a chance of topping Group A with one match to come.Occasional spinner Rishi Patel’s five for 65 for the Foxes was his maiden five-wicket haul in senior cricket.Rapids won the toss, after which D’Oliveira and Lategan dominated the first 80 minutes of the contest.Patel eventually had Lategan lbw sweeping, the breakthrough in the 20th over quickly followed by Kashif Ali and Libby falling cheaply. The former was beaten by a Patel leg break and stumped, Libby tamely caught and bowled by Trevaskis.D’Oliveira, who had swatted both his sixes in one over off the expensive Mike before the all-rounder limped off the field, was 100 from 99 balls out of 176 for three in the 29th.He was caught at mid-off soon afterwards, after which Ethan Brookes was leg before to Trevaskis reverse sweeping. But Jones holed out to long-on as Worcestershire lost wickets in each of the last four overs.Holland bowled Cullen (32 from 27) off a bottom edge, Patel saw Allison caught at long-on and bowled Ben Gibbon to complete his five. Matthew Waite hit Tom Scriven straight to cover.Nonetheless, the Rapids had thrown down a challenge which looked enormous as the Foxes found themselves four down for 23 inside six overs, despite the visitors resting two senior bowlers.Gibbon, who missed the 2024 competition through injury, struck with his third delivery as Patel dragged on, the Foxes opener brought down to earth with a duck.Lewis Hill was caught at point as Gibbon struck again, while Allison removed Sol Budinger, caught at cover, and skipper Peter Handscomb, who edged to second slip.Yet Worcestershire’s new-ball pair then surrendered runs rather easily, Masood and Cox reeling off six consecutive fours – three apiece of each of the bowlers – and putting on 50 in just 26 balls in a confident counter-attack.Waite and Brookes slowed their progress yet, as the silky Masood (50 from 41) and the busy Cox (50 from 53) stretched their partnership into three figures, a difficult caught-and-bowled chance offered to Brookes by Cox on 48 had been their only moment of jeopardy.But when Brookes returned for a new spell, Cox tickled one on the leg side to be caught behind with Cullen standing up. Four balls later Cullen, now standing back to Allison, dived to his left to snare Masood off a thickish edge, leaving 141 needed, four wickets left, and less than 18 overs remaining.Holland, top-edging to fine leg, and Trevaskis, slicing to third man, gave 19-year-old Jack Home two wickets. Mike was in obvious discomfort but after Scriven had picked out the fielder at deep midwicket he kept clearing the rope to keep the home crowd interested but 29 off the final Allison over was too many.

Celtic suffered another damaging defeat in the Scottish Premiership against Heart of Midlothian and Chris Sutton didn’t hold back when assessing their performance at Tynecastle.

Celtic fall eight points behind in Scottish Premiership title race

Continuing a run of poor domestic performances, Celtic endured a second-half collapse in Sunday’s pivotal top-two clash to slip eight points behind Heart of Midlothian in the title race.

After falling behind courtesy of a Dane Murray own goal, Callum McGregor’s equaliser proved to be of scant consolation to a travelling support who were left frustrated as Alexandros Kyziridis and Lawrence Shankland put the seal on a deserved three points for the hosts.

Brendan Rodgers found himself under pressure before kick-off in the capital, and his side succumbed to a second-half collapse that will do little to appease the masses as the Bhoys continued an uncharacteristic start to the campaign, where they have looked out of sorts.

Cameron Carter-Vickers led a lengthy list of Celtic injuries that didn’t help their case at Tynecastle. However, his replacement, Murray, didn’t have a day to remember and may well now be a candidate to come out of the team before Wednesday’s clash with Falkirk at Parkhead.

Ultimately, Hearts sought control in the second 45 minutes and left the reigning champions with no answers, confirming back-to-back league defeats for the first time in almost two years.

Consistency levels at Celtic are usually sky high. Nevertheless, this term has been one of stark contrast, and fan fury at the hierarchy following a dismal summer transfer window will continue to make headlines.

Celtic’s next five fixtures under Brendan Rodgers

Falkirk (H)

Scottish Premiership

Rangers (N)

Premier Sports Cup

Midtjylland (A)

Europa League

Kilmarnock (H)

Scottish Premiership

St Mirren (A)

Scottish Premiership

Collectively, the Bhoys are falling way below expectation at the moment, and Sutton has now pointed out some of the key duties he believes they are simply failing to carry out.

Chris Sutton reacts to Celtic loss at Hearts

Taking to social media platform X after the final whistle, Sutton made clear that Hearts were far more streetwise, organised, and were far more productive in the forward areas, something he believes has been symptomatic of the clubs’ respective seasons.

The former Hoops striker believes that the team need to improve in those three aspects if they want to turn their season around to beat Hearts to the league title.

Making reference to the Irishman’s comments last week after Celtic fell to the hands of Dundee, all is not well at the Scottish champions and being eight points behind at this stage would’ve been unthinkable months ago, though Hearts have taken full advantage of their plight.

Undoubtedly, Derek McInnes and his side were all things that the Bhoys failed to produce at Tynecastle and have continued to generate momentum in an unbeaten start to the league season.

Rodgers could unearth his new Daizen Maeda in Celtic's rarely-seen "animal"

With Daizen Maeda and Kelechi Ịheanachọ injured for Sunday’s top of the table clash with Hearts, Brendan Rodgers should unleash Celtic’s “animal”.

ByBen Gray Oct 25, 2025

Celtic need to react swiftly against Falkirk and start to chalk up results on a regular basis. If they don’t, scrutiny on the manager and the boardroom will reach new heights.