Celtic have closed the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership table on a potentially pivotal Sunday.

The Hoops demolished Kilmarnock 4-0 at Parkhead, with Johnny Kenny breaking the deadlock, Kieran Tierney adding a second shortly after half time, before Daizen Maeda and then Arne Engels from the penalty spot added a little gloss to the scoreline late on.

With Hearts held to a 1-1 draw by Dundee United over at Tynecastle, the Hoops go into the international break now just seven points adrift of the leaders, also with a game in hand.

For Martin O’Neill, since returning to the Parkhead dugout after two decades away, he has enjoyed back-to-back 4-0 Premiership wins, as well as dumping Rangers out of the League Cup semi-finals at Hampden; the less said about Thursday’s Europa League clash with Midtjylland the better!

In this victory, for however long the 73-year-old remains in caretaker charge, he learned that one Celtic player in particular can be counted on.

Will O'Neill still be at Celtic after the break?

After Sunday’s comfortable victory, O’Neill confirmed “I genuinely don’t know” if he will still be in charge for their next fixture, adding that if the board do appoint a permanent manager during the international break that it’ll “be absolutely fine by me”.

When Celtic do return to action later this month, they’ll travel to St Mirren before facing Feyenoord in Rotterdam in a repeat of the 1970 European Cup Final, but who will be in charge of those matches?

Well, could it be Wilfried Nancy?

He is currently the favourite to land the job, reportedly one of the club’s top targets alongside Kieran McKenna, and a move to Glasgow may have edged a little bit closer this weekend, after Nancy’s Columbus Crew were dumped out the MLS play-offs by rivals FC Cincinnati on Saturday, meaning their season is now over, which could expedite any appointment, if he is indeed who they want.

Irrespective of who is sat in the away dugout in Paisley in a fortnight, they surely can’t help but be impressed by the performance of one Celtic player in particular this weekend.

Celtic star enjoys his finest day of the season vs Kilmarnock

The Celtic medical staff may need to paraphrase Police Chief Brody from Jaws: we’re going to need a bigger treatment room!

The Hoops are already without Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston, Jota and Kelechi Ịheanachọ, before Hampden hero Callum Osmand​​​​​​​ suffered a long-term injury in Herning on Thursday, while Marcelo Saracchi was then stretchered off in the first half against Kilmarnock.

This obviously is not ideal, but does of course present opportunities for others and, in the absence of Carter-Vickers, his compatriot Auston Trusty has really impressed.

The American centre-back put in an excellent display against Rangers in last weekend’s semi-final victory, but was possibly even more eye-catching this Sunday, with the statistics supporting this assertion.

Accurate passes

98

1st

Passing accuracy %

96%

3rd

Accurate long balls

9

2nd

Dribbles success %

100%

1st

Defensive actions

9

5th

Clearances

7

3rd

Interceptions

1

6th

Duels won

9

1st

Aerial duels won

6

1st

Touches

117

1st

SofaScore rating

8.4

3rd

As the table documents, the centre-half put in a colossal defensive display on Sunday, ranked first for duels as well as accurate passes and touches.

Meantime, when only Celtic players are considered, nobody accumulated more defensive actions, clearances or interceptions.

Glasgow World documented that he ‘continued his rich vein of form’, while noting that the 27-year-old appears to be the perfect man to fill a rather large Carter-Vickers-shaped void at the back.

The defender, who was named man of the match, was also labelled “composed, dominant and aggressive”, having been “immense​​​​​​​” since Carter-Vickers suffered a long-term achilles injury against Sturm Graz.

As recognition of his form, Trusty has been recalled to the United States squad for their friendlies against Paraguay in Pennsylvania and then Uruguay in Florida next week.

Trusty has not played a single minute for the USMNT since November last year, but could well change that as Mauricio Pochettino continues to experiment ahead of the World Cup.

Back at club level, Celtic will need Trusty to remain fit, available and in form because, frankly, they don’t have any other options and, if a new manager is appointed in the next fortnight, he has really staked a claim to remain a key figure. This was undoubtedly his finest day of the campaign to date.

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The National Museum of Australia has acquired the cap, one of just 11 worn by Bradman known to exist

AAP29-Aug-2025

A cap worn by Sir Donald Bradman during the 1946-47 Ashes series has been bought by the National Museum of Australia for AU$438,500 (approx US$286,700).The baggy green was acquired by the Canberra museum with the federal government contributing half the cost.Bradman wore the cap when he captained Australia in the 1946-47 series, which was the first to be played against England after World War II.Australia won the five-Test series 3-0 lighting a fuse for the 1948 ‘Invincibles’ tour, where the Aussies went unbeaten in England.Arts Minister Tony Burke said purchasing the cap safeguards an important piece of national history for future generations.”You’d be hard-pressed to meet an Australian that hasn’t heard of the great Donald Bradman, arguably the greatest cricketer of all time,” he said.”Now to have one of his iconic baggy greens in the National Museum of Australia means visitors will have the opportunity to get up close and connect with our sporting and cultural history.”The cap is just one of 11 of Bradman’s baggy greens known to exist. A second features in the Australian Sports Museum, while the location of the other nine remains private.National Museum director Katherine McMahon welcomed the iconic cap into the museum collection’s fold.”Sir Donald’s baggy green marks the life of Australia’s most celebrated batsman and reflects a time when sporting heroes gave Australians hope, following the heartbreak and hardship of the Second World War,” she said.”We are delighted this national treasure has found a home here at the National Museum of Australia for all Australians to enjoy.”The cap sits alongside other Bradman memorabilia in the museum’s most recently opened Landmarks gallery, which features pieces from defining moments in our nation’s history.

علق طلعت يوسف، مدرب الاتحاد السكندري الأسبق، على بعض الأمور في الكرة المصرية، مثل رحيل يانيك فيريرا مدرب الزمالك السابق، واستمرار أحمد عبد الرؤوف في منصبه.

وقال طلعت يوسف، في تصريحات لقناة “أون سبورت 2”: “رحيل يانيك فيريرا كان منطقيًا بسبب حالة الغضب والضغط الجماهيري التي أثّرت على تركيزه وتركيز اللاعبين، وليس بسبب الجانب الفني فقط، الأجواء أصبحت صعبة لدرجة تجعل الاستمرار غير مفيد للطرفين”.

طالع|خاص | يانيك فيريرا يفجر أزمة في الزمالك بعد الرحيل.. والنادي يتحرك

وتابع: “أما عبد الرؤوف، فانتقاده بسبب خسارة السوبر قد يكون مبالغًا فيه، لأنه لا يملك الأدوات الكافية لمنافسة فريق مستقر وقوي مثل الأهلي، رغم أنه تخطى بيراميدز بشكل دراماتيكي، لديه بعض الأخطاء الفنية، لكنها ليست سبب خسارة النهائي”.

وأضاف: “في الوضع الحالي، استمرار عبد الرؤوف هو القرار الأكثر منطقية، خاصة مع صعوبة التعاقد مع مدرب أجنبي مناسب، وعدم وجود فارق كبير إذا جاء مدرب مصري آخر”.

واختتم: “ومع بعض الدعم الإداري في المباريات المقبلة، يمكن أن يتحسن الوضع، خصوصًا أن الزمالك أصلًا ليس في وضع يسمح بالمنافسة على لقب الدوري، وإنما التركيز الواقعي يجب أن يكون على محاولة الوصول لدوري الأبطال”.

Chelsea are thought to be leading the race to sign FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, and a January transfer is now a possibility.

The Blues bounced back from the home defeat to Sunderland with an impressive victory on the road on Saturday, defeating London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the Premier League, with Joao Pedro scoring what proved to be the winning goal in the first half.

Enzo Maresca will no doubt be happy with the result, while the manager will also be pleased that Pedro managed to break his duck, having failed to score since the 2-0 victory against Fulham at the end of August.

BlueCo invested heavily in the frontline in the summer, with Liam Delap also arriving from Ipswich Town, but the Englishman struggled with injuries at the start of the campaign, and Maresca wasn’t impressed with his red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Maresca said: “We had a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary and was absolutely deserved,

“After the first yellow card I told him [Delap] four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player who, when he’s on the pitch, is probably playing the game for himself and struggles to realise and listen to those around him.”

Chelsea in pole position to sign Aghehowa

It has now emerged that Chelsea are looking to sign a new striker, having moved into pole position in the race for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, alongside London rivals Spurs.

That is according to a report from Correio de Manha (via Sport Witness), which states the Blues are in the lead in the race for Aghehowa, with Porto now willing to sanction a departure as early as January.

Club president André Villas-Boas is prepared to cash-in for a fee of €80m (£70m), so the west Londoners will need to spend big in order to get a deal over the line.

That said, there are signs the Spaniard could be worth splashing the cash on, having maintained a fantastic record in front of goal across his opening two seasons in Portugal.

Season

Appearances (all competitions)

Goals

2024-25

45

27

2025-26

11

9

At 21-years-old, the youngster could be capable of leading the line at a top club for over a decade, with scout Ben Mattinson of the belief he is too good to be playing in Portugal.

There are question marks over whether Aghehowa would be a necessary signing, given that Maresca already has Delap and Pedro at his disposal, but he would undoubtedly be an exciting addition to the squad.

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It’s not whether South Africa have the skills and mental fortitude to come out on top in close games that concerns their coach Shukri Conrad. It is whether they have the confidence to show that they possess those qualities.In the aftermath of their last-over defeat in the T20I series decider against Australia in Cairns, which came after a last-over defeat in a tri-series final against New Zealand last month, Conrad asked his players to strut their stuff a little more if they want to become a champion side.”Sometimes we can be too humble. We don’t show off to the world enough what we’re capable of doing,” Conrad said, as he almost used Australia as an example of what self-belief could look like.Related

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“This has got nothing to do with the way Australia plays, but they have got a blueprint as to how they want to play. There are times when it looks absolutely brilliant and it’s box-office stuff. And there are times when you can have them in trouble, like we had them in the first couple of games. But they stay true to it. What does it mean for us? It’s easier on the batting front, guys like [[Tristan Stubbs] and Ricks [Ryan Rickelton] and Aiden [Markram] himself… there’s so much that they can do. But feel that they have maybe boxed themselves in a little bit too much.”Of the three Conrad mentioned, only Rickelton made a score of significance in the series – 71 off 55 balls in the first game – but even after that knock, he acknowledged that he started too slowly for South Africa to successfully chase 179. There was another name on Conrad’s lips when he spoke about how he wants to see his players approach matches: Dewald Brevis.Dewald Brevis finished the series with a strike rate of 204.54•AFP/Getty Images

The 22-year-old was the leading run-scorer in the series, became the holder of South Africa’s highest individual T20I score of 125 not out in the second match and had the highest strike rate among all batters of 204.54. He played in a way that is best described by the Afrikaans word , which is a mixture of confidence and cockiness and is maybe best explained by one of his shots in this series.In the second T20I in Darwin, Brevis was on 22 when he lofted Sean Abbott for six over long-on and didn’t even need to look at where the ball went. Watch the replays and you’ll see Brevis keep his head down until well after the ball has gone into the stands in a manner that seems to suggest, “I’ve hit that so well, I don’t even need to look at where it’s gone.” Off the field, Brevis is as modest as they come, and attributes his talent to God alone. Whatever ego he has is confined to what happens on the field but it’s enough to allow him to play with freedom, and Conrad hopes it will rub off on other players.Chief among them is Markram, who has gone 31 innings without a T20I half-century, and who was dismissed driving waftily in all three matches in the series. One reason for Markram’s under-performance in Australia is that he is still getting used to his new role as an opener; another could be that he has been too tentative in his shot selection. Whatever it is, Conrad knows Markram has it in him a little because he saw him do it just two months ago, when it mattered most. “I know it’s a different format, but in the World Test Championship final not so long ago, Aiden showed exactly what he is about,” Conrad said. “And I’m sure he is a couple of games away from unlocking that state of genius.”Even when he does, Conrad cautioned that South Africa could not expect to come out on top every time because that’s just the nature of sport but at least, they would be giving themselves a good chance. “It’s not always going to result in winning. But I just want us to show off a bit more.”Whether that’s Conrad talking up or having a little dig at his hometown is to be figured out at another time. For now, his work is to continue preparations for the next T20 World Cup in six months time. So far, under his watch, South Africa have lost two deciders – one chasing, one defending. Against New Zealand, they needed seven runs off the last over and Conrad believes they “should have won going into the last over” but “in and amongst all of that, I’m really happy with the growth”.That was a series played without several regulars, this is one that is only without David Miller, which has left the batting line-up unbalanced. Conrad conceded that South Africa were a “batter light” but explained that if the players they have were willing to play with a little more chutzpah, it could work in their favour. “If we want to be brave, we have got to select attacks to beat a team like Australia and if I can nudge a batting unit into playing a certain way where we are a batter light and I concede we were a batter light, imagine what they can do when we have got a properly balanced side,” he said. “It’s all part of the slightly longer-term plan.”He also rejected the idea that he has put his store in allrounders, albeit that both his left-arm spinners, George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy, were also picked on batting strength, and that his selections are conventional. “Your top six will be your best batters, and Nos. 7, 8 possibly allrounders, so there’s nothing untoward,” he said. “I’m not obsessed with allrounders in T20 cricket, I can guarantee you that.”And he said it with the kind of conviction he expects his players to have.

Arne Slot gambled on Wednesday when he decided to exclude from his matchday squad the majority of his first-team Liverpool stars.

But the Dutch tactician didn’t gamble with his side’s chances of advancing against Crystal Palace to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup. The result, plainly, always felt the probable outcome from the build-up, and Liverpool are now condemned to six losses from seven games.

Liverpool did not have the firepower to overwhelm Oliver Glasner’s side, and so he has rested his heavyweights in the hope that the Reds will see an upswing in form across the crucial coming period of football. Up next: Aston Villa and Manchester City in the Premier League, with the visit of Real Madrid in the Champions League in between.

With that in mind, the decision to field a second-string team was understandable, but there was a dearth of experience, and with the outcome almost pre-determined, unleashing the already under-fire Milos Kerkez has backfired.

Milos Kerkez struggles again

Since September 27th, Liverpool have lost more games than any other side across Europe’s top five leagues. Defensively, it’s been a bit lackadaisical and erratic.

In this regard, summer recruit Kerkez has really struggled. The Hungarian arrived from Bournemouth for £45m in July but is unrecognisable to the Premier League Team of the Year inclusion who inspired such awe on the south coast last year.

Slot and Kerkez will take solace in the 21-year-old having created two chances, finding his man with both attempted crosses and connecting well with the lively Rio Ngumoha. However, he also lost the ball 19 times and won only three of his nine contested duels (data via Sofascore).

It was a display that, once again, left plenty to be desired, and Liverpool still wait to see the left-back form into a worthy part of Slot’s project.

There is, however, time on his side. But the same cannot be said for another part of the Liverpool backline, a player who has been at the heart of a series of transfer sagas in recent years and may now be heading for the axe.

Slot must ditch Liverpool stalwart

Liverpool have undergone plenty of change this year, and there’s a sense that some of the veterans need to stick around. This isn’t true in every case, though.

For so long, Joe Gomez has been a part of the club, instrumental in the rise of Jurgen Klopp and the longest-serving active first-team player – and that even before Trent Alexander-Arnold packed and left.

The 28-year-old was part of a three-man backline in the cup, but Slot’s attempts to negate the Palace threat came undone when Gomez found himself at the epicentre of the deadlock-breaker. It was his loose touch that gifted Ismaila Sarr the first goal of his brace, ever the bane in Liverpool’s side.

Perhaps Gomez’s miscontrol was more unfortunate than clumsy, but there was still a flash of a chance to clear the danger and keep that elusive clean sheet.

Moreover, Gomez’s errant pass led to the Eagles’ conclusive third strike, and Liverpool World saw it fit thereafter to hand the England international a 5/10 match rating.

After attracting interest from Newcastle United and, curiously, Palace over the past two summer transfer windows, Liverpool may come to regret not cashing in, especially if that had led to the likes of Marc Guehi, who remains under Glasner’s wing but could have been fielded for the hosts on Wednesday.

After such sweeping changes this summer, Liverpool were always going to need time to develop and reshape as a unit. But this feels messy.

We are not seeing a coherent squad ratcheting up the pace, but instead a sour situation that now threatens to spill over if form is not found before Aston Villa’s trip to Anfield on Saturday evening.

If Slot has learned anything new, it’s that Gomez cannot be placed into the starting line-up against Unai Emery’s well-oiled team.

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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.

When the New York Yankees open the 2025 MLB season, they won't have the services of one of the biggest bats in their lineup.

Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton will start '25 on the injured list, according to a Saturday afternoon report from Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

Stanton, 35, has not reported to spring training while "attending to a personal matter," Hoch wrote. He also noted that Stanton's injuries are to his elbows, and that the five-time All-Star has received platelet-rich plasma injections to treat them.

New York is scheduled to open its season on March 27 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

In 114 games for the Yankees last season, Stanton slashed .233/.298/.475 with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs. As usual, he caught fire in the postseason, crushing seven home runs against the Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Despite his gaudy numbers, Stanton hasn't played more than 139 games in a full season since 2018.

There has been a twist regarding Martin O’Neill’s stay as Celtic interim manager involving his relationship with Dermot Desmond.

O'Neill guides Celtic into League Cup final with win over Rangers

The Hoops have enjoyed a resurgence following O’Neill’s return to Glasgow on a short term basis following Brendan Rodgers’ Parkhead departure.

Celtic won 4-0 in O’Neill’s first game back against Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership and then, days later, got the better of rivals Rangers in the Scottish League Cup.

Goals from Johnny Kenny, Callum McGregor and Callum Osmand saw the Hoops win 3-1 in extra time at Hampden Park, booking their spot in the final against St Mirren.

O’Neill’s attention now turns to a Europa League trip to take on FC Midtjylland before a home fixture against Kilmarnock prior to the international break.

Speaking to talkSPORT reporter Jim White, O’Neill admitted he had to return to London to retrieve his passport ahead of the trip to Denmark. The Hoops caretaker was also asked if shareholder Desmond had more of a ‘persuasive tone’ when they spoke about a longer stay in Glasgow, to which O’Neill said:

O'Neill now willing to stay on as Celtic manager

It has now been reported by 67 Hail Hail that O’Neill is in fact ‘willing to stay on as Celtic manager until the end of the season’.

Despite saying on multiple occasions that his role would be short term, the Irishman is open to remaining at Parkhead until 2026, and that is seen as a ‘genuine possibility’.

67 Hail Hail add that O’Neill’s relationship with Desmond ‘is believed to be a crucial part of this idea, with Celtic willing to take their time to find the long-term replacement’.

As long as results remain positive under O’Neill, then the Hoops will surely be open to the idea of taking their time to find a long-term replacement.

The 73-year-old has steadied the ship at Parkhead, and his next task is to take Celtic higher up the Europa League table. Another three points in the Scottish Premiership will keep the pressure on Hearts, and by the looks of it, there is a real chance we may see the 4-2-3-1 manager in the Celtic dugout until 2026.

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Nov 4, 2025

A new Celtic manager update has emerged from Parkhead following Martin O’Neill’s first defeat as interim boss.

O’Neill’s comments after suffering first loss back at Celtic

The Hoops, after back-to-back wins over Falkirk and Rangers, suffered their first loss under O’Neill on Thursday evening. Celtic’s hopes of prolonging their Europa League campaign into the knockout stages suffered a major blow after they lost 3-1 to FC Midtjylland.

Reo Hatate’s late penalty was only a consolation for O’Neill’s side, and the interim boss said his side were handed a reality check following the defeat.

“It was a tough evening, there’s no question about it. We conceded two goals within a minute or 90 seconds of each other and the game goes away from you very, very quickly.

“They score a third and it’s a long way back. The goals that we conceded weren’t good. But in terms of European football, they’re a very fine side, there’s no question about it.”

The Hoops only have four points after four games in Europe, but O’Neill added: “I suppose I probably always thought that 10 points would probably get you (through), so we’re not out of it.

“That’s a big lesson for us tonight, to know what it takes to be a really decent European team.”

There have been claims that O’Neill’s relationship with Dermot Desmond has been viewed as crucial to his return, which could be extended longer, something which the Irishman is willing to do.

Now a new update has now emerged regarding O’Neill and Celtic.

O’Neill in "driving seat" for Celtic job

According to Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke, O’Neill is in pole position to keep the Celtic job on a full-time basis that could even stretch beyond the end of the season, should he wish.

O’Neill has never shied away from his love for Celtic following his successful period in charge between 2000-2005 and was recently called “amazing” by Ian Wright.

English League Cup

1997, 2000

Scottish Premiership

2001, 2002, 2004

Scottish Cup

2001, 2004, 2005

Scottish League Cup

2000

UI Cup

2008

Now, he could be in line for a longer stint than he and many were expecting at Parkhead. There are other options for Celtic, though.

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