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Sunderland returned to Premier League action after the international break with a whimper, instead of a bang.

Indeed, Regis Le Bris’ men lost 1-0 away at Fulham, which doesn’t seem like the demoralising result on first glance. But, on another day, Marco Silva’s hosts could have run away with the clash as resounding winners, having notched up a colossal 23 shots, to the Black Cats’ meagre five.

Le Bris will hope his side can return to winning ways in the top-flight when AFC Bournemouth come to Wearside next, before December kicks into gear, which sees huge contests such as the Tyne-Wear Derby arrive on the jam-packed calendar.

Before you know it, the January transfer window will also reopen to give Sunderland an apt opportunity to improve their ranks, ahead of a tough second part of the season, with some high-profile names already being linked to the Stadium of Light.

Transfer latest at Sunderland

Sunderland were very busy in the summer before jumping up to the big time in the Premier League, with a whopping £162m forked out on the likes of Granit Xhaka and Robin Roefs.

Therefore, it isn’t the wildest shout to suggest they could break the bank again if a tempting move comes their way in January, with recent reports from Spain suggesting that the Black Cats could boost their forward line with the acquisition of Real Madrid hotshot Gonzalo Garcia.

The biggest rumour of them all comes in the form of Matteo Guendouzi, the former Arsenal midfielder who worked under Le Bris at Lorient.

Keith Downie reported last week that the Mackems boss has not ruled out a move for the Frenchman as they potentially go about bringing another former ex-Gunner to the Stadium of Light.

He isn’t the only Lazio midfielder catching the eye, with concrete rumours emerging involving the Premier League newcomers being in the hunt for Lazio outcast Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

As per reports from Italy, Sunderland are named as one suitor taking a look at the ex-Sheffield Wednesday midfielder this January, with the centre of the park a clear priority position to improve.

Sunderland will hope, even if a move for Guendouzi isn’t forthcoming, that they can still clinch a deal for Dele-Bashiru to leave Serie A behind, as Le Bris potentially works his magic on another diamond in the rough, much like he did with Wilson Isidor.

How Dele-Bashiru can be Le Bris' next Isidor

Isidor hasn’t had the smoothest career up to this point, even if he is now four Premier League goals down in Sunderland red and white.

Unfortunately, the 25-year-old attacker has had to bounce back from a lot of adversity already, so early into his playing days, with the Rennes-born striker never going on to score a senior goal for AS Monaco, before many loan moves to the likes of Lokomotiv Moscow came to fruition.

Thankfully, the nomadic marksman has now found a home that suits him in Wearside, after such a well-travelled career, with Dele-Bashiru’s career path looking very similar.

Like Isidor, the “special” midfielder as he’s been labelled in Nigeria, is well-travelled, having already played in countries such as Turkey and Italy, after failing to make the grade at Manchester City at youth level.

Much like Isidor, though, he has shone in the EFL previously – which is where the 6-foot-1 striker bagged 13 goals to seal Sunderland’s promotion out of the Championship – with seven goal contributions coming his way on the books of the Owls in League One, as a rising youngster in South Yorkshire.

The nine-time Nigeria international has also shone in spurts for Lazio, even if only four appearances have come his way this season, with five goals and three assists from 33 appearances perhaps standing him in good stead to acclimatise to the Premier League effortlessly, as Isidor has managed.

Away from possessing a similar eye for a goal and assist like his Rennes-born counterpart, Dele-Bashiru would also be a useful buy when you consider his versatility across his up-and-down career to date, with his Lazio teammate in Boulaye Dia even hailing him as a talent who “can do everything”, whether that be from a central role, down the flanks, or even as an unorthodox defender.

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Valued at around the £4.7m mark, which is the amount he officially joined Lazio for, this is a deal that would be really worth exploring, with Dele-Bashiru lining up across seven different positions during his bumpy career to date.

Isidor only cost around the £5m price range, as well, and in January, another Isidor-style deal could soon be wrapped up.

Sunderland chief in contact with 14-cap midfielder who Cesc Fabregas "loves"

The Black Cats could land another transfer coup in 2026.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 21, 2025

After a year outside of Major League Baseball, first baseman and designated hitter Trey Mancini appears ready to take another crack at a return.

Mancini is signing a minor-league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to a Friday afternoon report from Jeff Passan of ESPN.

The 32-year-old has not played in the big leagues since 2023, when he slashed .234/.299/.336 with four home runs and 28 RBIs in 79 games for the Chicago Cubs.

Mancini remains best known for his association with the Baltimore Orioles, for whom he played from 2016 to '22. He slugged 35 home runs and drove in 97 runs for the Orioles in 2019, providing one of the lone bright spots on a 54-108 team.

In 2020, Mancini was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer—an illness that cost him that season. He returned in 2021 with a 21-home run campaign that won him the American League's Comeback Player of the Year award. He later won a World Series with the Houston Astros after an Aug. 2022 trade.

The Diamondbacks are scheduled to open their season on March 27 against the Cubs.

Wednesday and Thursday give us a chance to take a breather before the second half of the MLB season begins.

Now is the perfect time to take a look at the list of odds to win each award this season. One of those awards is the American League Cy Young. We still have a half season to go but it's already Tarik Skubal's award to lose. The Tigers pitcher is the odds-on favorite. Can anyone catch him?

Let's find out what the oddsmakers think.

2024 American League Cy Young Odds

Tarik Skubal -130Corbin Burnes +300Logan Gilbert +1000Seth Lugo +1800Garrett Crochet +2500Tanner Houck +2500Luis Castillo +3500Cole Ragans +3500Jack Flaherty +3500George Kirby +5500Joe Ryan +8000Grayson Rodriguez +10000Tarik Skubal Set at Odds-On Favorite

Skubal is set as the -130 favorite to win the AL Cy Young, which translates to an implied probability of 56.52%. He leads the American League in ERA at 2.41 while ranking second in WHIP in 0.88. He also leads the league in WAR amongst pitchers at 4.4.

The next pitcher on the odds list is Corbin Burnes of the Baltimore Orioles, who comes in at +300. He's second in the AL in ERA behind Skuball at 2.43 but he ranks significantly behind him in both WHIP (1.04) and WAR (2.9).

The other two golfers with a realistic shot of making a run at the Cy Young in the second half of the season is Logan Gilbert (2.79 ERA) and Seth Lugo (2.48 ERA).

Logan Gilbert is a Solid Dark Horse Option

Gilbert of the Seattle Mariners may be behind Skubal in ERA at 2.79, but he leads all starts in MLB in WHIP at 0.87, a touch above Skubal.

He's a solid bet at 10-1 odds if you want a longshot wager, but he'll likely need to rack up some more wins if he needs to do it. Despite his strong analytics, his record sits at just 6-5 compared to Skubal who has an impressive 10-3 record on a lowly Tigers squad.

Gilbert may be worth a bet at his current price tag, but it's still Skubal's award to lose.

كشف مصدر داخل نادي الزمالك، موقف أحمد فتوح الظهير الأيسر للفريق، من خوض بطولة السوبر المصري بعد إصابته أمام طلائع الجيش في الدوري الممتاز. 

وكان أحمد فتوح قد خرج مصابًا في الدقيقة 86 من مباراة الزمالك وطلائع الجيش، محمولًا على نقالة بعد ارتطام الكرة في رأسه. 

طالع.. خاص | الزمالك يكشف سبب عدم استبدال أحمد فتوح رغم إصابته أمام طلائع الجيش

وتمكن فريق الزمالك من تحقيق الفوز على فريق طلائع الجيش بثلاثية مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ13 من الدوري الممتاز. 

الفوز رفع رصيد فريق الزمالك إلى 22 نقطة في المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب الدوري الممتاز، بينما تجمد رصيد طلائع الجيش عند 10 نقاط في المركز الـ18 في جدول الترتيب. 

وقال المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات: “أحمد فتوح أجرى آشعة على الرأس وأثبتت إصابته بكدمة بسيطة”. 

وأضاف المصدر: “أحمد فتوح سيكون جاهزًا للمشاركه مع الزمالك في بطولة السوبر المصري، والذي سينطلق في الفترة من 6 إلى 9 نوفمبر الشهر الجاري”.

ومن المقرر أن يلعب الزمالك ضد بيراميدز، يوم الخميس 6 نوفمبر، في دور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، المقام في الإمارات.

Dominic Solanke was again absent from training ahead of Tottenham’s trip to Norway to face Bodo/Glimt.

Solanke last played for Spurs on August 23 against Manchester City and, even though he recently returned to training after a troublesome ankle injury disrupted his pre-season, he was conspicuous by his absence on Monday morning in Enfield.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank played down concerns over Solanke’s fitness on Friday ahead of the visit of Wolves, but with the England forward not able to feature in open training before the club fly to Bodo for Tuesday’s Champions League clash, the squad are short of attacking options.

Paris St Germain loanee Randal Kolo Muani was also absence as he deals with a dead leg, but Ben Davies did take part in the session after a minor knee issue.

Summer recruit Kota Takai also featured after a plantar fascia problem in recent months and Yves Bissouma was back.

Tottenham willing to make £50m+ offer to sign Euro 2024 Golden Boot winner

Spurs are prepared to make a big bid for a new forward.

ByDominic Lund Sep 29, 2025

Bissouma has not played for Tottenham this season after he was dropped from the Super Cup squad for being late on multiple occasions. He then suffered a knee injury in training days later.

Como Women's star Alisha Lehmann has revealed how beating former club Juventus with her new side earlier this season has given her a big boost. Lehmann moved to Como in the summer transfer window and enjoyed a swift reunion against her former team-mates earlier this month, emerging victorious in a surprise 1-0 Serie A Femminile win at the Stadio Comunale Vittorio Pozzo Lamarmora.

Como pull off shock win over Juventus

Lehmann waved goodbye to Juventus in August after winning the Serie A title and joined Como Women on a three-year contract. The Swiss star said at the time that joining an independent club was an "important factor" in her decision to make the move and that she shared the club's long-term vision. Lehmann then came up against former club Juventus with Como in just their second league match of the season and helped secure a surprise 1-0 win. Lehmann admitted at the time it had been an "emotional" experience playing against her former team and has now revealed how she benefitted from the game.

AdvertisementInstagramLehmann thrilled by victory against former club

Lehmann told 20 minutes: "Como will continue to grow in the coming years. The victory against my former club, Juve, was incredible and did me a lot of good. I will never say anything bad. I had a good year. I am now a regular starter, and playing is the main reason why we play football. Como also has a really interesting project in women's football."

The 26-year-old also feels she is now in the "perfect place" and is looking forward to an exciting future with the club. She added: "I feel good in Como. It’s the perfect place for me and, certainly, the most beautiful place I’ve ever lived. I live right on the lake, and it’s absolutely magnificent. I’ve even run into a few celebrities because we go to the same restaurants. But it’s nice here because everyone respects each other so much."

Getty ImagesWhy Lehmann left Juventus for Como

Lehmann may have tasted success with Juventus last season but she was far from a regular in the XI and her move to Como offers her the chance to establish herself as first choice once again. The Swiss star also told she was keen to stay in Italy as she sees plenty of potential for the women's game to grow. 

“I came here to play football and hope to earn my place by working hard,” she explained. “I came here to compete and to grow as an athlete. The rest will come if I stay true to that. For me, it’s simple: I want to play as much as possible, help the team, and enjoy football. What I love is that they [Como] take the game seriously, but also create space for players to be themselves.

“There’s so much potential here. Italy’s performance showed the quality and spirit in the game here, and now people are paying attention. I think the league is ready to take a big step forward. With more visibility, investment, and commitment to the players, Serie A Women can become a real force in Europe. Being part of that journey is something I’m really excited about.”

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Lehmann 'not happy' on bench for Switzerland

Lehmann also spoke about her experiences at Euro 2025 as Switzerland hosted the tournament and made it to the quarter-finals before being knocked out against Spain. The Como star says she enjoyed the tournament but is eager for more game time with the national team. She told 20 minutes: “We had a great time during the European Championship. It was a truly incredible experience. When you're a footballer, you always want to play. So I'd be lying if I said I was happy on the bench. Of course, I wasn't. But football is also about supporting your team. And during the tournament, we created a great bond. It was perfect.”

Harry Kane opened up on his relationship with Nicolas Jackson after Bayern Munich's Champions League rout of Pafos. The Bavarians unleashed a merciless storm in Cyprus, tearing apart Pafos with a crushing 5-1 continental triumph. Kane bagged a brace, Raphael Guerreiro and Michael Olise also chipped in, and Jackson grabbed his first goal since arriving from Chelsea in the summer window.

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  Bayern blitz leaves Pafos in ruins

  Bayern had the game in the bag by half-time, storming into a 4-0 lead. The demolition was historic too: the third time Bayern have rattled in four goals within the opening 35 minutes of a Champions League away clash. Roma in 2014, Viktoria Plzen in 2022, and now Pafos all know the feeling of being steamrolled by the German giants.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Kane gives credit to Jackson

  After the final whistle, Kane was quick to shine the spotlight on his new strike partner Jackson. The England captain also explained how the duo worked in tandem to wreak havoc, which could serve as a blueprint for the rest of the season.

  "Jackson played from the start today. At times, I dropped back a bit, more like a number 10; he came in, received balls," Kane explained. "I think it's important to keep surprising the defenders and not do the same thing the whole game. Nico was fantastic today: a goal, an assist, and almost another goal at the end. I'm very happy for him."

  Kane made it clear that Jackson isn’t just a stopgap loan signing, but a crucial weapon. 

  "We'll need him all season; he should stay fit and fresh," he added. "Today was a really good game from him. It might have looked easy, but that was due to how we played. With our pressing, the second balls, the way we played through the lines. We have this momentum and we're determined to maintain it."

• Jackson delighted to get off the mark

  For Jackson, the strike was more than just a number on the scoresheet; it was a release. After a rough few months, the forward admitted he’s still rebuilding his sharpness.

  “It wasn’t easy, but we played a very good game and worked hard,” Jackson said. “I’m very happy to score my first goal for the club. I’m still getting back to full fitness because I hadn’t played and trained alone for two months. I’m working hard every day.”

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• Nine wins, no slip-ups

  Bayern are looking unstoppable on all fronts so far this season. The thumping victory over Pafos extended their perfect start to nine wins from nine this season, leaving rivals across Europe on notice. Not a single point has been dropped, nor a single ounce of momentum wasted.

Erling Haaland has been backed to break Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League record after the Norwegian goal machine made a bright start for Manchester City in the 2025-26 campaign. Haaland has scored in every match for Manchester City this season, barring the Spurs clash, and has already registered nine goals to his name in seven appearances across all competitions.

• Haaland bags brace in Man City's win over Burnley

  Haaland starred with a brace and an assist on Saturday as City thrashed Burnley 5-1 at home. The Norway international has displayed stellar form for Pep Guardiola's side in the current season, after he experienced an injury-plagued 2024-25 campaign, when City's performances also plummeted. 

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  "He could break all sorts of records"

  Speaking to , former Scotland international Ally McCoist said: "The fact that we are talking about Erling Haaland potentially beating Cristiano Ronaldo’s [Champions League] record is crazy, I could never have seen Ronaldo's record being beaten, ever. But you have to say, if he stays injury free, he could beat that and all sorts of records. I'm even thinking to myself, Alan Shearer, not only does Alan Shearer want Harry Kane to stay at Bayern Munich, he wants Erling Haaland to go to Barcelona or Real Madrid. I know Al well, and he's a great lad, and he'll be looking at that record going, Jesus, somebody's coming for it. Somebody's coming for it. If he can keep himself fit. 

  "I've been really impressed with Haaland this season. Not just with his goals, but actually, his all-round play. When I say his all-round play, he's never going to be Zinedine Zidane. He's never going to take it in half turn, beat somebody, come back on, beat two players. That's not his game. But where I've really enjoyed him, surprisingly, I've enjoyed watching him defend. He's got back and he's won so many headers in his own box, proper team player, which is great to see."

  Ronaldo is the current top scorer in the history of the Champions League after netting 140 goals in the competition during his career.

• Man City "lost the fear factor a little bit"

  McCoist added: "But I'm just looking at his team Manchester City. I think they had lost the fear factor a little bit. I think they've actually recovered well, couple of defeats. I know I was at the game against Tottenham. But the one thing about City, if they do lose the fear factor, I think clubs will maybe open up and have a go at them, which will suit Haaland. 

  "His goal at Arsenal was a perfect example of that counter-attack where he wins the ball and keeps the run going. The pass was perfect and once he gets that ball out of his feet, you know he's finishing. I'm just thinking teams might get lulled in a little bit to having a go at City more than they would in recent years and I think that will suit Haaland."

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  Haaland & Ronaldo's record broken by Kane

  England captain Harry Kane became the fastest player to reach 100 goals for a club in Europe's top five leagues after he bagged a brace for Bayern Munich against Werder Bremen on Friday in the Bundesliga.

Afghanistan are also without Mujeeb Ur Rahman at the Champions Trophy, though he played the entire SA20 for Paarl Royals

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2025

AM Ghazanfar, the 18-year-old right-arm fingerspinner who has made such a bright start to his ODI career, has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 because of a “fracture in the L4 vertebra”. Left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, who was originally in the list of reserves, has now replaced Ghazanfar in the main squad.The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), which tweeted out the news on Wednesday morning, said that Ghazanfar sustained the injury during Afghanistan’s tour of Zimbabwe late last year, and “will be sidelined for a minimum of four months and will remain under treatment during this period”. That means he will also be out of the IPL that is set to be played from March 21 to May 25. Ghazanfar had bagged his maiden IPL contract recently, with Mumbai Indians.Ghazanfar, who has 21 wickets from 11 ODIs so far, played three games for MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20 league in January after the tour of Zimbabwe. He wasn’t as effective as MI Emirates would have hoped him to be, though, bowling 7.1 overs in those three games, and picking up just one wicket with an economy rate of 9.48.