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All the statistical highlights from the Pakistan opener’s one-man show in Johannesburg

Sampath Bandarupalli04-Apr-20210 Individual scores while chasing in ODI cricket higher than Fakhar Zaman’s 193. The unbeaten 185 by Shane Watson against Bangladesh in 2011 was the previous highest score in an ODI chase. The previous highest score in an unsuccessful ODI chase was 175 by Sachin Tendulkar against Australia in 2009.ESPNcricinfo Ltd194* The knock by Charles Coventry against Bangladesh in 2009, the only individual score higher than Fakhar’s 193 in a defeat in ODI cricket.162 Difference between the top two scores for Pakistan in the second ODI – Fakhar’s 193 and Babar Azam’s 31, the highest difference in an ODI chase. The previous highest difference was 148 by Australia, when Watson scored 185* against Bangladesh in 2011, while the second-highest score was only 37* from Ricky Ponting.ESPNcricinfo Ltd0 Players with a higher individual ODI score in South Africa than Fakhar’s 193. The previous highest was 185 by Faf du Plessis against Sri Lanka in 2017. The Pakistan opener’s 193 is also the second-highest ODI score against South Africa, behind Sachin Tendulkar’s 200* in 2010.Related

• Fakhar Zaman, and the art of turning fortunes around

• The de Kock-Fakhar affair: MCC says 'up to the umpires to decide' if act was wilful

• Fakhar Zaman: 'Don't regret not getting the double, regret losing the match'

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59.56 Percentage of Pakistan’s 324 for 9 accounted by Zaman’s 193-run knock, the highest proportion of runs in a completed ODI innings for Pakistan. Saeed Anwar’s 59.32 % was the previous highest when he scored 194 out of Pakistan’s 327 for 5 in 1997 against India.2 150-plus scores in ODI cricket for Zaman, the first Pakistan player with multiple such scores in this format. His 193 against South Africa is the third highest ODI score for Pakistan. Zaman scored 132 runs in boundaries alone, the most in an ODI innings for Pakistan, surpassing the 126 boundary runs during his 210* against Zimbabwe in 2018.ESPNcricinfo Ltd10 Sixes by Zaman in the second ODI, only the third Pakistan player to hit ten or more sixes in an ODI innings. Shahid Afridi hit 11 sixes during his 37-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 1996, while Abdul Razzaq also struck ten sixes against South Africa in 2010. Zaman hit six of his ten sixes against Tabraiz Shamsi. Only one player has hit more sixes in an ODI off a single bowler – seven sixes by Eoin Morgan off Rashid Khan during the 2019 World Cup.665 Runs scored by South Africa and Pakistan in Johannesburg on Sunday, the most runs in an ODI between them. The previous highest aggregated ODI between South Africa and Pakistan was 652 runs also at Johannesburg in 2013, during the inaugural pink ODI.

سلطت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية الضوء على رقم سلبي حققه الدولي البرازيلي رودريجو جوس، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد خلال مشاركته في المباريات الماضية.

ومنذ أواخر الموسم الماضي، يعيش رودريجو أيامًا صعبة رفقة ريال مدريد وخاصةً على صعيد المشاركة الأساسية أو المساهمات التهديفية.

كانت آخر مشاركة لـ روديجو رفقة ريال مدريد أمام جيرونا في بطولة الدوري الإسباني حيث شارك بديلًا في الربع الأخير من المباراة وأثار جدلًا بلعبته أمام الخصم بسبب عدم احتساب الحكم لركلة جزاء.

واستضاف ملعب “مونتيليفي” مباراة فريقي ريال مدريد وجيرونا، في إطار منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني 2025/2026.

اقرأ أيضًا | بعد اهتمام ليفربول وبرشلونة.. أسطورة ألمانيا ينصح لاعب بوروسيا دورتموند بعدم الرحيل

وانتهت المباراة بالتعادل الإيجابي بنتيجة 1/1 وخسر ريال مدريد صدارة الليجا إذ جاء في الوصافة برصيد 33 نقطة، فيما تصدر برشلونة جدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 34 نقطة.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، فإن رودريجو عادل ثاني أسوأ سِجل انقطاع عن التهديف في تاريخ ريال مدريد.

وأفادت أن الدولي البرازيلي قضى 30 مباراة متتالية دون تسجيل أي هدف (إستمرت السلسلة 1339 دقيقة وما زالت مستمرة).

وذكرت أن رودريجو تساوى رقمه القياسي مع ماريانو دياز، الذي قضى 30 مباراة (986 دقيقة) دون تسجيل أي هدف مع ريال مدريد.

Liverpool are in uncharted waters, with these deep fathoms threatening not only the future of Arne Slot, who won the Premier League a matter of months ago, but that of Mohamed Salah, one of the greatest players in the club’s history, too.

Where is the respite? At the moment, Liverpool can’t catch a break, fumbling a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Leeds United on Saturday after previously drawing against well-worth-their-money Sunderland at Anfield. All told, the Reds have won only two of their past ten league fixtures, losing six.

But Liverpool have sculpted this disaster themselves. They have patented a startling ability to wreak havoc on their own progress, with tactical imbalances sparking crises of confidence, sparking mutiny.

Salah’s flaming interview at Elland Road will go down in the history books, and though FSG have since underlined their faith in Slot’s stewardship, the severity of this crossroads cannot be understated.

The latest on Slot's Liverpool future

Slot is in an unenviable position, with Salah’s outburst proving the latest and most damaging in a long line of mishaps since the summer.

While FSG retain the faith in the 47-year-old, who led Liverpool to the Premier League title last year after Jurgen Klopp stepped down, there’s an acceptance that results are needed quickly if something is to be salvaged from this campaign.

The fact of the matter is that Slot’s Liverpool started wobbling well before the end of the 2024/25 campaign, and he now needs to show that he can sort out the defence and restore balance to the team. He needs to show that quickly.

27

Games

52

23

Wins

26

3

Draws

10

1

Losses

16

2.66

PPG

1.69

73

Goals scored

91

27

Goals conceded

69

Liverpool are in big bother, and though FSG have been steadfast in their backing of the Dutchman, their leniency will only stretch so far, especially when there is such an exciting successor for Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes to consider.

Liverpool could hire Slot upgrade

Last week, it was reported that FSG have been considering Julian Nagelsmann as a candidate to replace Slot, should the Reds coach be sacked, though they will face a tough task in wrestling him away from the German national team, especially with the 2026 World Cup looming large.

Nagelsmann, 38, is among the world’s finest young coaches, having managed Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in his homeland.

Would he be willing to park his international ambitions? Probably not. That’s why it’s anticipated he could be lined up ahead of the start of next season, meaning Liverpool would need to find an interim boss if Slot is dismissed before the end of the term.

What Nagelsmann would offer Liverpool

Nagelsmann has been described as the “best young coach in Europe” by journalist Josh Bunting, and though he’s the junior of practically all of the game’s standout managers, he’s hardly inexperienced, with a keen tactical mind that could be the remedy to a Liverpool team who have fallen by the wayside.

This is a fluid and interchangeable tactician. Nagelsmann employed a counter-pressing system at Leipzig before changing to a more dominant playing style at the Allianz Arena. He recognises the quirks and whims of the players at his disposal, and he crafts a system that caters to his troops.

Journalist Kai Iliev has even named him a “world-class manager” for his ability to fix a range of flaws within Germany’s national set-up. Now they are contenders. Now they believe again.

Liverpool could do with a bit of that, right? The appointment of Nagelsmann might even play into keeping Salah at the club; with the Egyptian King’s relationship under Slot having broken down, something has to give.

Liverpool, of course, will now back Salah over Slot. To do the contrary would result in anarchy. But this latest splinter in an outfit splitting wide open is not the root cause. Slot’s system is in a tailspin, and if he cannot establish form and fluency quickly, he will find that he has exhausted all the credit in the bank, and Edwards and Hughes will be forced into making a tough call.

The German coach’s principal 4-2-3-1 set-up would accommodate new signing Florian Wirtz and allow Salah to arc inwards once more and find passages into the danger area. This season, the 33-year-old has only posted five goals and three assists across all competitions.

Who could have expected this when Liverpool lifted the Premier League title? Salah was not the main man but the author of his long-term outfit’s illustrious success.

It’s not controversial to suggest that many, many Liverpool supporters would be dejected if Salah were to leave this winter, and it would be sure to put more than just a dampener on Slot’s reign at the Anfield helm.

If results do not continue over the coming weeks – with Salah off to AFCON after Liverpool host Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League this weekend – FSG will have to face the reality of theirt spiraling situation and make a change.

Could that prompt Salah to stay? Working under Nagelsmann on Merseyside, it just might, though whether the Reds are able to keep the African legend appeased and reach a decision that would see him remain at the club he has served so well over the past nine years remains to be seen.

In any case, this is a staggering, stomach-sinking situation, one that nobody could have foreseen, and Liverpool’s powers that be need to make sure an upswing is found – quickly.

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Aston Villa are now plotting a £18m bid for a “tremendous” defender, who is also being targeted by Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, with Emiliano Martinez a big fan.

Villa keen on strengthening despite resurgent form

Villa have made major improvements over the past month or so, having won six of their last seven matches in the Premier League, which has propelled them to fourth in the table, and Unai Emery has been impressed by his side’s recent performances.

After the 2-1 victory away at Leeds United last time out, the manager said: “The second half (was) better, but overall, 90 minutes, I am so happy how we competed. Even the first half, we didn’t play brilliant, but we were always trying to set our gameplan on the field, and progressively we did it.”

The Villans went 1-0 down at Elland Road, with Martinez receiving criticism for his goalkeeping in the build-up to Lukas Nmecha’s opening goal.

However, a second-half Morgan Rogers brace turned the game on its head, with the goalkeeper’s blushes being spared, and Aston Villa have now joined the race for one of the Argentinian’s international teammates.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Villa are now plotting a €20m (£18m) opening offer for River Plate defender Lautaro Rivero, having tracked the centre-back for months, and Martinez has provided positive feedback on his compatriot.

The Villans believe the 33-year-old’s personal relationship with the River Plate star could give them the edge in the race for his signature, despite rival interest from Man City and Tottenham.

Although the Argentinian has a €100m (£88m) release clause in his contract, River Plate would be willing to sanction a departure for considerably less, and there is a belief he could make an instant impact at Villa Park.

"Tremendous" Rivero has earned big Premier League move

Hailed as “tremendous” by journalist Juan Patricio Balbi, the 22-year-old may now be ready to test himself in England, having performed very well over the past year, placing in the 93rd percentile for tackles per 90, compared to other centre-backs, courtesy of averaging 2.27.

Aston Villa make Emiliano Martinez sale decision amid Unai Emery comments

There has been a key update on Martinez’s future, following the goalkeeper pushing for a move during the summer.

By
Dominic Lund

Nov 19, 2025

Villa are arguably well-stocked at centre-back, with Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa forming a reliable partnership as of late, but Tyrone Mings has been unable to put his injury problems behind him, and is potentially in the latter stages of his career at 32-years-old.

Tyrone Mings’ injury record	Games missed
12/08/23 – 30/10/24	70
Remainder of 2024/25	7
2025-26	17

As such, Emery could do with bringing in a younger centre-back, and having recently received his first cap for Argentina, Rivero could be capable of pushing for a starting spot.

Freddie Freeman cemented himself in the history books when he hit a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the Dodgers' World Series win over the New York Yankees. Game 1 of the World Series had gone to extra innings, and the Yankees took a 3–2 lead in the top of the 10th inning. The Yankees intentionally walked Mookie Betts and the bases were loaded with two outs when Freeman came up to the plate. Freeman seized the moment, hitting the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history and the Dodgers the first win of the series, which they would go on to win 4–1.

Freeman finished the World Series with four home runs and 12 RBIs, and was named the World Series MVP. Even as Freeman was named a hero for his efforts in the Dodgers' eighth World Series, all on a sprained ankle, he did not fully process the significance of that grand slam until over a month after the title victory.

As spring training begins ahead of the 2025 season, Freeman shared that it took until Christmas time when he re-watched the home run with his son, Charlie, to take in his surreal feat on baseball's biggest stage.

“I went down a rabbit hole on YouTube,’’ said Freeman, via Bob Nightengale of . “Just to see the reactions of people watching that game, and what it meant to so many people. I know Yankees fans weren't too thrilled with it, but just what sports and baseball can do in general for so many people. And to be able to be a part of that for a very long time, I'm sure this home run is going to last for a long time.

“Just being part of such an iconic franchise, and to have such a moment like that, and that's going to last forever, it's special."

Since that World Series victory, Freeman has also spent the offseason recovering from ankle surgery after playing through that sprained ankle throughout the postseason. Freeman is currently limited as spring training gets going, but is looking to be ready to play in the Dodgers' season opener in Tokyo next month.

After Thomas Tuchel’s England side defeated Wales in convincing fashion, courtesy of goals from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka, their focus now turn towards Tuesday’s trip to face Latvia.

It was another statement victory from the Three Lions, who found themselves three goals to the good by the 20th minute. Starting as they meant to go on, Rogers was perfectly placed to slam home Marc Guehi’s cutback in the third minute, before Watkins converted courtesy of Saka’s pass just eight minutes later.

The best goal was saved for last. Saka cut inside in vintage fashion before finding the upright to leave Karl Darlow with no chance. It is fair to say that Tuchel is finally beginning to make his impact as the 2026 World Cup closes in.

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ByTom Cunningham Sep 7, 2025

Now looking ahead to Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Latvia, we’ve taken at five things to expect from England.

5 Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice's midfield partnership

Ever since Kalvin Phillips dropped out of England contention, the Three Lions have had a midfield problem next to Declan Rice. For so long, it was that aforementioned duo at the heart of Gareth Southgate’s midfield. They sat deep and provided the foundation for England’s best attacking players to thrive and that’s when they had some of their best success – reaching the final of the 2020 Euros.

As England fell short at the final hurdle once again at the 2024 Euros – this time against Spain – it was clear that balance was missing from their midfield without a clear partner for Rice. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kobbie Mainoo and Jude Bellingham all tried filling that role, but all failed. And now, a new contender has emerged under Tuchel.

Minutes

630

543

Goals

0

1

Progressive Passes

63

36

Ball Recoveries

55

29

Elliott Anderson thrived in September’s international break and his partnership with Rice dominated Wales and could do the same against Latvia. If it proves as successful as last time, then the Three Lions could have an unexpected answer to their problem.

4 How will Lewis-Skelly respond to Tuchel's warning?

Tuchel certainly hasn’t been afraid to say what he thinks so far and the latest to discover that trait has been Myles Lewis-Skelly. The Arsenal man has struggled to get into Mikel Arteta’s strongest side so far this season and has been warned that it could cost him his World Cup place if things don’t change soon.

It makes the game against Latvia crucial for Lewis-Skelly. Whilst he hasn’t been given the opportunity to impress for Arsenal this season, the defender should look to take full advantage of Tino Livramento’s injury to stake his claim for a starting place under Tuchel in the coming months.

Whether it’s 22-year-old Livramento or 19-year-old Lewis-Skelly, the battle to claim that starting left-back spot only looks destined to heat up as the World Cup approaches.

3 Red-hot Kane to continue ruthless streak

There were some opinions at last year’s Euros that suggested Harry Kane was no longer the man to lead England’s frontline. The forward, carrying an injury throughout the tournament, often struggled to make his mark and watched on as Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and others stole the spotlight.

Now, at 32 years old, some may have expected the former Tottenham Hotspur forward to continue those struggles before gradually being forced out of Tuchel’s side. However, the reality is that Kane is neck and neck with Erling Haaland as the world’s best striker – even at 32.

Any suggestions that he’s no longer good enough to lead England are long gone. Instead, the question often asked about the striker these days is just how many he’ll score. In his last 10 games for Bayern Munich, he has scored an incredible 18 goals and looks destined to continue that ruthless streak for the Three Lions.

2 Nico O'Reilly provides Tuchel with unexpected dilemma

Although it’s easy to complain about the international break, it does provide some memorable moments for the likes of Nico O’Reilly, who has earned his first call-up following Reece James’ injury. The Manchester City left-back has made the role his own under Pep Guardiola, which is no easy task, and now has an unexpected chance to do the same for England.

Tuchel has already shown his willingness to not only hand fresh players their chance, but also hand them a permanent place if they impress enough. Anderson has so far benefitted from that, Loftus-Cheek could do so, and O’Reilly may well be next in line to hand the England boss a selection headache.

1 Has Rashford done enough to start?

After reclaiming his England place, Marcus Rashford will now have all eyes on a starting place. Last month, it was Noni Madueke who surprised many with his performances.

This time around, Rashford could take his Barcelona form into the England camp. No longer the shunned Manchester United star, the winger has been back to his best on the biggest stage in Spain.

England have so often missed his directness from the left-hand side, but his form simply did not warrant a starting place. Having scored three goals and assisted another five in eight games for Barcelona, though, the 27-year-old has arguably done enough to break into Tuchel’s strongest side against Wales and Latvia.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven scored a truly astonishing goal during the team's Champions League win over Copenhagen on Tuesday night, immediately reminding fans of one that club legend Son Heung-min netted against Burnley six years ago. Son's effort went on to win the coveted FIFA Puskas Award, leading supporters to already wish the same fate for Van de Ven.

• Van de Ven runs length of the pitch

  Van de Ven near enough covered the entire length of the pitch with the ball at his feet. The Dutch centre-back picked it up on the edge of his own penalty area and, aided by his well-known searing pace, proceeded to surge up the field. He initially burst through a gap between two Copenhagen players, and then sidestepped two more by the time he reached the halfway line. After that, it was a straight foot race towards goal, but no one was catching him.

  Crucially, after the lung-busting run, Van de Ven still had the composure to fire off a clinical finish past visiting goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski.

  In 2019, Son had collected the ball in the same area of the pitch. It wasn't quite the explosive start that Van de Ven managed and the finish was more measured and slightly closer to goal, but the run was extraordinarily similar and covered pretty much the same path.

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• Van de Ven helps Spurs to easy win

  Van de Ven's strike put Spurs 3-0 ahead against their Danish opponent, eventually going on to win 4-0. After the final whistle, he was immediately asked for his take on what had happened by TNT Sports: "To be honest, I saw the gap in front of me and started dribbling, and I will see if they can catch up. I saw the space more and more. At that moment, I thought, 'I'm through now, I'll go for goal now'. Then I scored."

  Interviewer Becky Ives joked that the Tottenham medical department would have been worried about the condition of Van de Ven's hamstrings watching him run in full flight like that – in seriousness, he missed 30 games for club and country last season because of hamstring and thigh injuries.

  He saw the funny side of that, but then replied: "I'm feeling good and I felt amazing in the sprint as well. I felt I could keep going and going, and I did."

  Speaking after the game, head coach Thomas Frank joked: "It felt like we had Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven, running down from his own goal and all the way to the other end to score a fantastic goal. I think he’s our top scorer in all competitions. He can keep going. He can keep, by the way, walking past me if he’s angry after a game if he delivers like this."

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• AFP
  

  Van de Ven: Puskas Award winner?

  Son won the 2020 FIFA Puskas Award for an almost carbon copy of the goal, so Van de Ven has to be in contention for a prize of his own. But patience is going to be required.

  Although the 2025 nominations have not yet been revealed ahead of FIFA's annual gala, likely to be in January 2026, the cutoff point tends to be August each yer and stretches back the previous 12 months. It means that goals scored so far in the 2025-26 season won't be considered until the time comes for the 2026 award to be handed out, which is expected to be at around 12 months or more away.

  Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Son did not get to attend a glitzy celebration to collect his Puskas Award, instead giving an acceptance speech via video in a virtual ceremony.

MatériaMais Notícias

Vasco e Palmeiras, apesar de não mudarem suas posições na tabela com os pontos conquistados, tiveram uma mudança nas chances dos seus objetivos no Brasileirão. Depois do término da 23ª rodada da competição, o Lance! atualiza as chances de cada time conquistar o título, uma vaga na Libertadores, na Sul-Americana ou até de ser rebaixado no Campeonato Brasileiro.

Entre os destaques da batalha contra a zona da degola, a reação do Vasco, em pleno clássico contra o Fluminense, chama a atenção com o aumento da chance de permanência do clube.

+ Veja a classificação e simule os resultados do Brasileirão

Enquanto isso, na briga pelo pelo título do Brasileirão, o Palmeiras venceu no ‘apagar das luzes’ e contou com o ‘tropeço’ do líder Botafogo. Com isso, o Verdão dobrou as probabilidades de levar o caneco, mas a porcentagem está em 9,9% e se mostra muito baixa frente aos 81,2% do Glorioso.

Os cálculos foram feitos por um grupo de professores do Departamento de Estatística da UFMG (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), que realiza este trabalho desde 2005. Veja a seguir as chances de cada time no Brasileirão.

Liverpool won the Premier League with relative ease last season, and so FSG’s staggering summer of spending at Anfield must have struck quite the frisson of fear through the rest of the European game.

Though Arne Slot’s side haven’t been at their best across the opening fixtures of the season, they have claimed nine points from nine in the league, winning a tough match at St. James’ Park before narrowly seeing off title rivals Arsenal after Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning free-kick.

The Reds haven’t looked at their most fluent, but new number nine Hugo Ekitike has certainly started in fine fettle, three goals and an assist from his first four games.

Undroppable, right? However, the deadline-day acquisition of Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak maybe stirs the pot a tad up top.

What Isak brings to Liverpool

Liverpool have two of the most dynamic strikers in the game in Isak and Ekitike, but both would fancy themselves at their most fluent and formidable when threatening from the centre.

Isak is the more clinical and refined man, to be sure, but he’s also nearly three years Ekitike’s senior.

Having two high-level centre-forwards isn’t the worst problem for Slot to have, but he is going to need to consider ferrying one out to the left wing or pushing Liverpool toward a tactical transformation.

However, neither have Cody Gakpo’s fluency as a left-sided forward.

And, of course, Liverpool have already sold an elite winger in Luis Diaz who could have been the perfect balancing force in the frontline.

Liverpool may regret selling Luis Diaz

Liverpool sold Diaz to Bayern Munich for £65.5m in July, with the German giants convincing the 28-year-old to join after FSG failed to agree terms on a new contract with the Reds winger.

He arrived from Porto as Jurgen Klopp’s choice of replacement for Sadio Mane, and though he didn’t quite live up to the same stratospheric heights, succeeded all the same.

Indeed, Klopp himself lauded his new arrival as a “top world level player” back in April 2022.

He leaves an integral part of an illustrious period in Liverpool’s history, having scored 17 goals and supplied eight assists across all competitions last term, filling in at centre-forward on multiple occasions.

Though some questioned Diaz’s output, he didn’t do too badly, ranking fourth among all left wingers across Europe’s top five leagues last year for goal contributions, and in what many would describe as the toughest division of the lot.

Most Goals + Assists from LW (Top 5 Leagues 24/25)
Player	Goals	Assists
Raphinha	18	11
Bradley Barcola	14	10
Vinicius Junior	11	10
Luis Diaz	13	7
Vincenzo Grifo	8	11
Data via Transfermarkt

Given that Isak arrives at Liverpool with a wealth of prolific Premier League experience under his belt, he could have formed an incredible partnership with Diaz, who always balanced his output and ranked among the top 9% of positional peers in the Premier League last season for pass completion, keeping it crisp and opening up a strong supply line with the Sweden star.

The fact that Liverpool’s player sales across the summer has left them with a smaller net spend than Arsenal perhaps underlines the suggestion that Diaz needn’t have been sold.

The emergence of 17-year-old sensation Rio Ngumoha has tempered the Colombian’s departure, but Diaz remains one of the most experienced and dynamic forwards in the business.

Equally, Florian Wirtz’s struggles across his initial foray into the English game are a reminder that Diaz was pretty crucial in Slot’s title-winning team, and he will be missed as the campaign progresses.

Now worth more than Isak: Liverpool wanted to sign "one of the best in the world"

With Alexander Isak joining Liverpool for £125m on deadline day, do the Reds rue missing out on “one of the best players in the world” worth more?

By
Ben Gray

Sep 2, 2025

Premier League chief Richard Masters dropped a huge hint over the future of the 3pm blackout. The rule has been in place for the last 60 years and the Football Association has consistently policed the blackout as it is viewed as essential to protect attendances in the Football League. However, in recent years, there have been several rumours of a push to abolish the system.

• ' 3pm Black out' rule in place for over half a century

  The '3pm blackout' is the rule that no Premier League, Football League or FA Cup matches be broadcast on live television on Saturday between 2:45pm and 5:15pm. Games may be played on that day and at that time, but they are forbidden to be televised. The rule is in place since the 1960s, when Burnley chairman Bob Lord successfully convinced fellow Football League chairmen that televised matches on Saturday afternoons would negatively impact the attendance of lower league games. While there has been a significant growth in football on TV, the Premier League continue to follow the rule.

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  Masters drops huge hint over future of 3pm blackou

  Speaking at The Summit, Premier League CEO Richard Masters said: "Our current domestic broadcast arrangement means that we are now essentially licensed to our limit. There are no more games outside of 3pm that aren't being broadcast. We are committed to it for the foreseeable future. It's not a decision that we alone make. It's done in conjunction with other football bodies, the FA and the FA. But we're committed to it for the foreseeable future."

• Can the 3pm blackout be changed

  While there have been several rumours in recent years of a push to abolish the rule, it cannot be altered without the backing of the FA, the Premier League and the English Football League.

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  PSR could be scrapped

  Masters also confirmed that the Premier League are set to vote next month on scrapping the divisive Profit and Sustainability Rules and bringing in a new system that will be more aligned with the UEFA financial regulations.