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They also need to make getting rid of the opposition’s lower-order batters a priority

Ian Chappell28-Jul-2024It’s not surprising that under the adventurous captaincy of Ben Stokes, England is heeding the vital lesson that you must pick a team with one eye on Australia.
While selectors have to pick a team to beat the current opposition, they must also consider players who could help defeat the better sides. Australia is currently one of those.England is making positive choices with the inclusion of Gus Atkinson to complement the fiery pace of Mark Wood. They’ve also opted for a wicket-taking offspinner in Shoaib Bashir over the more defensive-minded Jack Leach.It wasn’t ideal that on a flat pitch and a warm day the England bowlers took a pasting at Trent Bridge. They need to learn from that setback and trust England will continue to make selections that are important on the 2025-26 tour of Australia. In the past they’ve often overlooked the fact that very good pace bowling has helped England achieve some famous victories in Australia.Related

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• England unveil succession plan as Atkinson emerges from the shadows

• Stokes: England must build a team that can win in Australia

• Woakes not 'ruling out' 2025-26 Ashes as England's new senior seamer

Those victories include Harold Larwood in the Bodyline series of 1932-33 and Frank “Typhoon” Tyson in 1954-55. Both of those bowlers were renowned speedsters, while John Snow was quick and accurate and played a vital role in the 1970-71 victory. In the 2010-11 win over Australia, England utilised a battery of pace bowlers.In looking ahead, skipper Stokes has expressed a desire to “not just compete with Australia, but beat them”.In that regard England has progressed against a battling West Indies. Significantly they’ve achieved success while using both pace bowlers Atkinson and Wood but also the crafty offspin of Bashir.A strong England side to tour Australia would include a fit Atkinson, Wood, and hopefully Jofra Archer, to ensure the seam bowlers are complemented by fast men.The Australian batting is vulnerable, especially without the aggressive opening talents of David Warner.Australia is an extremely tough tour because in addition to selecting a strong pace attack, England has to hold its chances while making sufficient runs. The latter skill is difficult because Australia currently boasts a very strong attack.

The batters who could cause Australia concern are Joe Root for his sheer ability, and Zak Crawley and Harry Brook because of their aggression and capacity to score quickly

England has an attacking batting line-up, which they’ve bolstered with the inclusion of a solid wicketkeeper-batter in Jamie Smith. The players who could cause Australia concern are Joe Root for his sheer ability, and Zak Crawley and Harry Brook because of their aggression and capacity to score quickly. If Stokes recaptures his batting form he would fall into that category, especially as he’s bowling again and taking important wickets.Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope are talented players who can score quickly. However, the Australian bowlers will be encouraged by their flirtatious tendencies and will hope they can be exposed. Pope in particular is a skittish No. 3 and is yet to prove he can succeed in Australia.How important is catching in Australia, especially off genuine pace bowlers?In the late 1970s the media inadvisably decided to choose between Don Bradman’s Invincibles of 1948 and the successful Australian team of the era. Former great Australian fast bowler Ray Lindwall admitted to me: “We [1948 team] would have won but I would’ve liked your guys catching for me.”In addition to catching well, the England team has to learn to dismiss the lower order cheaply. Despite having an excellent attacking captain – the right leader for an Australia tour – England’s record against lower-order batters is often abysmal.If Stokes is fortunate enough to have a full contingent of fit fast bowlers in Australia, this will be a confidence booster. However, he needs to make dismissing lower-order opponents via good bowling a priority rather than relying on incessant overuse of a bouncer barrage.It’s one thing to know England is more accomplished than the inexperienced West Indies and that sooner or later they’ll wilt. However it’s totally different in Australia, where a feisty home team rarely concedes easy victories.Choosing the right type of player to succeed in Australia is imperative. However, the only way England can win a tough series is if their fast bowlers perform and they hold their chances.

Martin Andersson nips out three as home side lose six wickets for seven runs

Matt Roller20-May-2021Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s managing director, said this week that there was “no vaccination” that could cure his side’s early-season struggles in the Championship, but his seamers provided a shot in the arm in a frenetic 42 minutes before the tea interval on the first day at The Oval: Surrey’s openers had put on 135, but a collapse of six wickets for seven runs left their batting line-up feeling sore.It had not been easy going for Rory Burns and Mark Stoneman in the morning session. Burns survived three lbw shouts early on against Tim Murtagh – including two off the first two balls of the day, and one in the ninth over that Hawk-Eye confirmed should have been given out – and Stoneman played several false shots against Blake Cullen, but as both passed 50 early in the afternoon, Peter Handscomb’s decision to bowl first looked increasingly ill-judged.Related

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Middlesex’s season has been brutal, with five defeats in six leaving them lingering near the bottom of Group Two and with any realistic hope of playing Division One cricket in September long gone. Their luck has been out, losing the toss in each of those defeats, but they have been repeatedly undone by poor sessions and need a win imminently to lift morale.Their first-innings batting performance on Friday will determine whether or not it arrives this weekend, but their efforts with the old ball in mid-afternoon were a good starting point. Surrey’s openers fell in successive overs, though neither looked happy about their dismissals: Stoneman was caught behind off Cullen – though replays showed it had hit his pad, not his bat – and Ethan Bamber trapped Burns lbw an over later, with ball-tracking suggesting it would only just have trimmed the off bail. When Sky bring the bells and whistles along with their cameras, there is nowhere for umpires to hide.Burns’ innings was his ninth of the season, and his seventh score between 36 and 80. The first two months of the English summer tend to bring feast or famine for openers meaning Burns’ record is unusual. He is averaging a round 50.00 in spite of some bizarre dismissals and decisions that have gone against him, and yet the lack of a nerve-settling hundred and the presence of James Bracey as a spare batter means he goes into next month’s Test series under scrutiny, ahead of a potentially career-defining year. “The big score will come for him: you can’t get hundreds without getting to fifty first,” Stoneman wisely noted.Hashim Amla and Ollie Pope had barely begun to think about rebuilding the innings when Martin Andersson came back into the attack after two scattergun overs in the morning session, from which point Surrey lost four wickets in 14 balls. Pope’s dismissal for an 11-ball duck meant that his average in first-class games at The Oval dipped below 100, but New Zealand’s bowlers may well have watched with interest while quarantining at the Ageas Bowl.Pope has been taking an off-stump guard this season, and explained the logic simply enough after his hundred against Hampshire three weeks ago: “I was trying to help myself leave those fifth-stump balls and if they wanted to go straight and bowl at the stumps, that’s one of my strengths.” It seems like a sensible plan, but the drawback is that it leaves him vulnerable to the nip-backer early on in his innings, as Andersson demonstrated by nibbling one in off the seam to trap him on the knee roll.Ben Foakes, two weeks out from his first Test on home soil, fell four balls later without scoring, flirting at a ball that held its line in the off-stump channel, while Jamie Smith offered a low catch to Robbie White at slip off Tom Helm and Andersson pinned Jordan Clark lbw for his third in eight balls. Rain swept across south London during the tea interval, and standing water on the covers meant the day was abandoned at 5.30pm – though most of the 3500-strong crowd had gone home long before. Amla, not out overnight, was Surrey’s last remaining hope.Andersson – once dubbed the “Swedish Flintoff” thanks to his Scandinavian heritage – managed 154 runs and eight wickets in his first six appearances of the season but has been backed to the hilt by Stuart Law, the club’s head coach, and nipped the ball at decent pace in his second spell. Their four wicket-takers were all academy products, which will give supporters some reassurance that the prolonged period of transition since their title win in 2016 has been worthwhile.Fraser, a Liverpool supporter, spoke candidly in an in-house interview this week and paraphrased Jürgen Klopp’s verdict on the club’s mid-season wobble in the Premier League: “Confidence is a delicate flower that can easily be trodden on – it’s something that can disappear very quickly and takes some time to build up.” Middlesex’s fightback with the ball meant there was hope of a late blossom.

Hale End continues to be an invaluable talent factor for Arsenal.

Right now, Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and the returning Eberechi Eze are all key figures in Mikel Arteta’s first team, while Saturday’s trip to Fulham was a reminder of departed Hale End graduates, given that Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe were in action for the hosts at Craven Cottage.

Given the sheer volume of academy graduates now plying their trade far and wide, there will be one or two Arsenal may regret allowing to leave, one in particular is starting to showcase his talent this season, having once been compared to the Hale End poster boy, Saka.

Bukayo Saka's performance in numbers vs Fulham

As Arsenal beat Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage on Saturday, Saka was, yet again, named Premier League man of the match.

It was his corner, flicked on by Gabriel and turned home by Leandro Trossard, that proved to be the difference, pinching all three points on the banks of the River Thames.

Overall though, Saka was the Gunners’ most dangerous player throughout the evening.

He was in staggering form, completing seven key passes, six dribbles and being fouled five times. In fact, despite missing three matches due to injury, Saka remains the Gunners’ main man in attack.

As the table outlines, despite limited minutes, Saka continues to be central to Arsenal as an attacking force, ranked first for a whole host of metrics, including goals, big chances created and dribbles.

Appearing for Thomas Tuchel for only the second time, the 24-year-old certainly showcased his talent at Wembley during the international break, scoring that sublime strike as England steamrollered Wales.

Saka joined Arsenal at the age of seven, making 271 appearances for the first team to date, and counting, very much the gold standard Hale End graduate, but is there another, once compared to him, currently impressing elsewhere?

What happened to Arsenal's "Saka regen"

There are plenty of Hale End academy graduates plying their trade away from Arsenal.

The aforementioned Smith Rowe and Iwobi, as well as Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry, Folarin Balogun, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Joe Willock, Héctor Bellerín, Ayden Heaven, Omari Hutchinson and Mika Biereth are among some of the most prominent.

However, few were as highly rated as Amario Cozier-Duberry.

After spending six years at Chettle Court Rangers, he joined Arsenal as a 14-year-old, making 31 appearances for the U18s as well as 48 for the U21s, most notably scoring a brace against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Youth League, as well as netting against Northampton and Stevenage in the EFL Trophy.

During this period, analyst Ben Mattinson labelled him a “Saka regen”, while Art de Roché of the Athletic noted that his “super-strength is his ball-carrying and ability”, adding that he’s an “exciting” talent.

However, just when he was seemingly on the cusp of a first-team breakthrough, Cozier-Duberry turned down a new contract, instead making the move to Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2024 as Edu and Co were forced to let him go on a free transfer.

He is yet to be seen representing the Seagulls at senior level, immediately loaned out to Blackburn Rovers last season, albeit he scored just one goal in 24 outings for the Riversiders, this coming against Luton at Ewood Park in December.

However, a mere 13 miles south across Lancashire, he is loving life rather more at Bolton Wanderers.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Already this season, Cozier-Duberry has scored four goals and registered five assists for the Trotters, on target against Sheffield Wednesday, AFC Wimbledon and Leyton Orient, subsequently actually outperforming Saka who has three goals.

Then, on Thursday night, Bolton pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks you’re ever likely to see, scoring in the 93rd and then 95th minutes to beat Huddersfield Town 2-1, with the youngster’s winner sparking wild celebrations from those in the away end at Kirklees.

Of course, the obvious caveat is that Cozier-Duberry is currently impressing at EFL League One level, which Global Football Rankings believes to be the 41st strongest division in the world.

So, while he would not be a first-team contributor right now, at 20 years old, he still has room to develop and improve, so may end up playing in Brighton’s first team in years to come.

Also, from a more cynical point of view, Arsenal need to get better at selling, and Cozier-Duberry’s performances this season are only going to increase his transfer value, potentially earning Brighton a decent fee, while the Gunners let him leave for nothing during Edu’s mixed time as sporting director, which must sting.

Arsenal star is "biggest talent in England" & he could take Saka's #7 shirt

The incredible Arsenal gem could become Mikel Arteta’s future Bukayo Saka replacement.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 16, 2025

A number of Premier League sides face the daunting prospect of having to squeeze an enormous amount of games into the next four months, placing huge pressure on their squads and pushing players' bodies to the limit in the pursuit of silverware on multiple fronts. The staggering number of matches has now been revealed which will cause worry for Champions League clubs and fans alike.

• Match pile-up towards business end of season

  Fixture congestion is a significant challenge for top English clubs, and this season is no exception. The issue is amplified by their involvement in multiple competitions – the Premier League, Champions League/European competitions, FA Cup, and League Cup, potentially leading to player burnout and increased injury risks. The Premier League has even warned fans that games may be rescheduled at short notice for clubs progressing in European knockouts. 

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  Champions League hopes prioritised by elite

  Chelsea, Newcastle United, Man City, and Arsenal are all aiming for a crucial top-eight finish in the new Champions League league phase format. Securing this position means automatic qualification for the last 16 and, more importantly, avoiding potentially gruelling fixture congestion that could see them play an unbelievable 32 games between this weekend and the March international break, according to . 

  Managing their schedules is a primary concern, as all four teams are also involved in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. If they advance in the domestic cup but miss out on the top eight in Europe, they could face a relentless schedule with just one available midweek break before the end of March due to the Champions League playoff round.

  Recent European results have seen some movement in their prospects; Chelsea boosted their chances of automatic qualification with a victory over Barcelona, while the fates of Newcastle and City remain in the balance after both teams suffered defeats. As the table stands, Chelsea and City each have 10 points from five games, with Newcastle a point further back. Arsenal are in a strong position, having taken a maximum 15 points from their five matches.

• Guardiola: 'We want it'

  Many managers have had their say on how they want the pile-up to be managed, but not all agree on what the next steps should be. City boss Guardiola said recently: "We are used to it – we've won quadruples and trebles playing that way. We want it. The trebles and quadruples came (from) playing on Saturday and Tuesday, then Tuesday and Friday and Friday and Sunday. It’s not a problem." 

  But Arsenal boss Arteta wants better protection for players and fans, saying: "Every decision that we make in terms of a fixture has to be guided on two main things: players' welfare and then supporters. That's it. And the rest has to come very, very far away from that. And we should never forget that principle. That's the only thing I would say."

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  Changes coming next season

  The Premier League have announced they will delay the start of the 2026-27 season until August 22 to prioritise player welfare amid a congested global football calendar. The decision provides 89 clear days from the end of the previous season and 33 days after the 2026 World Cup final for player recovery and preparation. 

  A league statement said: "With an increasingly congested global football calendar, player welfare remains a priority for the Premier League. As a result, the Premier League will start one week later next season. This will allow for 89 clear days from the end of the current season, and 33 days from the FIFA World Cup 26 Final. The season will conclude one week prior to the UEFA Champions League Final, which will be played on Saturday 5 June 2027.

  "The 2026/27 Season will consist of 33 weekends and five midweek match rounds. "The Premier League schedule will be designed to avoid domestic competition clashes with UEFA club competition dates, wherever possible. 

  "Over the Christmas and New Year period, no two match rounds will take place within 60 hours. This is in keeping with commitments made to clubs to address the congested Christmas and New Year schedule within the expanded international calendar."

It’s the least Indian of all Indian grounds at least at a conditions level, as the pitch is fast and bouncy

Karthik Krishnaswamy05-Mar-20247:09

Ashwin picks the best batters he’s bowled to

Just over three weeks ago, the HPCA Stadium hosted a Ranji Trophy match between Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, where seamers took all 36 wickets that fell over its four days.This was far from unusual. In four Ranji games at the venue this season, fast bowlers have bowled a combined 814 overs and taken 122 wickets at an average of 23.17. Spinners have sent down 122.2 overs, and taken seven wickets at 58.42.The fast bowlers, in short, have taken as many wickets as spinners have bowled overs.Welcome to Dharamsala. It’s cold here, it’s high up in the Himalayas, and it has what may well be the most spectacular backdrop of any sporting venue in the world. It’s only natural to come here to watch cricket and go back having spent more time gazing upon the snow-veined Dhauladhars and pondering your own insignificance in the grand scheme of geological space and time.Related

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It’s also the least Indian of Indian grounds at a conditions level: the pitch here is fast and bouncy, and during the winter months when cricket is played in India, it doesn’t bake under the sun and deteriorate in the way Indian pitches tend to. Fast bowlers like it here.Spinners? Well, it’s complicated.It’s clearly not a ground for spinners during India’s domestic season. Over the 49 first-class games that have been played here, they have averaged 41.02 to the fast bowlers’ 27.90.But there’s only so much extrapolation you can do when a Test match rolls into town.Dharamshala has hosted one previous Test, back in March 2017, and while it’s fondly remembered by India fans for Umesh Yadav’s third-innings spell of new-ball venom, it was also a match where spinners took 18 of the 30 wickets that fell to bowlers. Kuldeep Yadav made his debut and took a first-innings four-for; Nathan Lyon picked up five in India’s first innings; R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja shared six in Australia’s second.Before that Test match, the pitch had worn a tinge of green, and the curator had said it would offer something to all four disciplines: pace, spin and batting, of course, but fielding too, with good carry to the slips cordon.Axar Patel, Shubman Gill, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar in training•AFP/Getty ImagesThe pitch delivered on that promise, and it helped that the match was played in the end of March, by which time warmer weather had arrived in Dharamsala. The sun helped turn the surface into something like day four in Australian conditions- fast and bouncy but with plenty of cracks for the spinners to work with.It’s a little different now, as Dharamsala gears up for its second Test match. It’s still the first week of March, and there has been rain in the weeks leading up to the game. Rain is forecast for Thursday, day one of the Test match, and maximum temperatures on all five days are likely to hover in the early to mid-teens (Celsius). It’s not the kind of weather for cracks to open up.Against that, though, is the look of the pitch itself, two days out from the match. It seemed to be a pale brown rather than green – the pitch that hosted the third Test in Rajkot had looked significantly greener in the lead-up – and Jonny Bairstow called it a “used pitch” in his press conference on Tuesday. He was not wrong, since it’s the same pitch that was used in that HP-Delhi game, but that was three weeks ago – how much time must elapse between matches for a used pitch to cease being one?James Anderson bowls with the Himalayas in the background•Getty ImagesEven so, it seemed fairly evident that the powers that be have made an effort to get this pitch to play in as Indian a way as possible, and minimise the advantages it bestows upon fast bowlers through its soil and location.It could still be fast and bouncy, then, and there could be swing if it’s overcast – as is likely to be a case for at least parts of the Test match – but it’s not a green seamer. The fast bowlers could still have a big influence, but the spinners could enjoy the bounce too. The lack of grass on the surface could help it wear a little quicker, though how quickly, in these conditions, remains to be seen.The outfield – a distinctly different and darker green to the square – is lush. Reverse-swing, if it happens, may take some time to happen.From England’s perspective, any help for the fast bowlers is welcome, potentially even-ing the battle between the two attacks. There is every chance they will play three quicks.It’s a little trickier for India to play an extra seamer, though. Any Indian pitch that’s not an outright greentop – and this one isn’t – is one where Ashwin. Jadeja and Kuldeep can find a way to take wickets. They’ll certainly enjoy the bounce, particularly if England keep sweeping and bring the top edge into play. And cooler weather allows fast bowlers to extend their spells; Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, used judiciously, could still deliver enough overs to ensure India don’t waste windows of fast-bowling opportunity.The question for India is whether a third seamer – likely Akash Deep – could get them more wickets, and get them quicker and cheaper, than a third spinner. It’s a question they’re likely to spend a lot of time mulling over, over the next day-and-a-half. It’s the kind of question they rarely have to ask themselves when they’re playing at home, but this is Dharamsala. Everything is different here.

Allrounder left out of Championship clash with Hampshire after losing non-overseas status

Matt Roller22-Apr-2021Graeme van Buuren, the South African-born allrounder, has been ruled out of Gloucestershire’s County Championship fixture against Hampshire after the complications of Brexit lost him his status as a non-overseas player.Van Buuren, 30, was born in Pretoria and played for Northerns and Titans in South Africa early in his career. He has been playing for Gloucestershire as a local player since 2016 through his wife’s British passport, and has become a first-team regular in all formats.However, the UK’s departure from the European Union led to a change in the ECB’s eligibility and registration regulations on December 31, 2020. In September, Alan Fordham, the operations manager for first-class cricket, wrote to the counties outlining the changes, including the removal of “the rights of so-called ‘Kolpak’ players to be registered as a ‘qualified cricketer'” and the cancellation of the registrations of players qualifying as locals through EU passports or family or ancestral visas, unless they had evidence of having settled or pre-settled status under the government’s settlement scheme.In van Buuren’s case, he had applied for indefinite leave to remain in the UK as a pathway to British citizenship, but delays in processing his paperwork have left him in a state of limbo. As a result, he has only been able to play as an overseas player, and with Daniel Worrall and Kraigg Brathwaite filling Gloucestershire’s two permitted spots in their fixture against Hampshire this week, van Buuren has been left out of the side, two weeks after hitting a match-winning 110 not out off 98 balls against Surrey.It is understood that van Buuren would have been able to apply for indefinite leave to remain through a fast-tracked service, but the logistical complications caused by Covid-19 have taken that option away from him.Related

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Gloucestershire do not know how long the delay will take, but do not anticipate it being a long-term issue. Van Buuren is still registered as a player – clubs are able to register three overseas players for the two spots in their side – and may be rotated into the side in later rounds of fixtures, given Gloucestershire have not fielded a frontline spinner in his absence.”Graeme van Buuren, having been a Gloucestershire player and Bristol resident for the last five years, has to date been playing cricket in the UK as a non-overseas player,” a club statement said. “He has built a life in the UK, is married to a British citizen, and is settled in Bristol with two young children born in the city during his time at the club.”Earlier in the year, having completed the requisite five years in the UK, Graeme started the process of applying for his “indefinite leave to remain” as a pathway to British Citizenship. This was anticipated to allow him to play, under recently changed regulations, as an England-qualified player from the early part of this season. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in delays in the UK government processing his paperwork and the impact of Brexit means that the rights previously afforded to him are no longer available in the UK.”Graeme has played a huge part in the two victories of the 2021 season so far and is an integral member of the Gloucestershire cricket family. The club, along with the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA), continue to support his application and the speedy resolution of what is a very difficult period for Graeme and his family.”

Liverpool have been ‘found out’. At least, that’s what some of the discourse around the Premier League champions’ wobbly start to the season would tell you.

Curiously, for all the noise around Liverpool’s struggles, they sit just one point behind first-place Arsenal after losing back-to-back matches in the division. Their bitter defeat at Galatasaray in the Champions League need not be more than an outlier.

But there’s no question that Arne Slot and FSG have work to do. The Reds lack fluency and verve, and after a record-breaking summer of spending, concerns are justified.

But, conversely, teething problems are not abnormal and nor are they an indicator of the players’ chances of long-term success at Anfield.

But improvements, nonetheless, are needed going forward.

Liverpool's new-look frontline

Liverpool were beaten at Stamford Bridge before the October international break. Cody Gakpo cancelled out Moises Caicedo’s thumping first-half strike, but Slot’s side lacked coherence and confidence in the closing stages and were caught out at the flickering embers by young Estevao Willian.

Tactically, the problems run through the squad, but the frontline still haven’t performed to their usual, expected standard, and the toils of Mohamed Salah serve as the bleak representation of that.

Thus far, £69m striker Hugo Ekitike is the only one who can hold his head high, with Florian Wirtz in particular coming under scrutiny for his struggles since completing a record £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen, since trumped by new teammate Alexander Isak.

With so much upheaval having taken place, there’s a sense of ruefulness across the fanbase concerning the deal to sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich before the penultimate year of his contract.

The reality is not so simple, but it’s frustrating to watch the 28-year-old do so well in Germany nonetheless.

Liverpool may regret selling Luis Diaz

Replacing Sadio Mane down the left flank at Liverpool was always going to be a tall order, but Diaz gave it a good go across his three-and-a-half years on Merseyside.

Arriving from Porto in January 2022, the Colombian international. He won the Premier League, two Carabao Cups and the FA Cup during his time in England.

Last season, having posted 17 goals and eight assists across the 2024/25 campaign, Diaz was instrumental for Slot, filling in at centre-forward as well as his natural left-sided attacking role.

Now plying his craft for Bayern in the Bundesliga, Diaz has started off this new chapter in fine fashion, scoring six goals and assisting four more across all competitions so far. Terrific on the ball and scarily dynamic in attack, former Barcelona boss Xavi has hailed him as a “world-class footballer” with “blistering speed”.

Ten goal involvements far eclipse that of Slot’s Liverpool crop, and while the Premier League typically proves more difficult than other divisions to unleash prolific performances on opponents with such consistency, it’s still evidence that Liverpool perhaps jumped the gun with his sale.

Liverpool’s vision is a bold one, and sporting director Richard Hughes has certainly recruited first-team stars this summer with the potential to see the club dominate for many years to come.

But Diaz was an immense performer last season, ebbing and flowing in front of goal but always playing with focus and tenacity. He won the Premier League.

Given the early-season issues Slot has faced, you wonder whether he might miss the Colombian’s electric presence, zipping around the final third.

Big Salah upgrade: Liverpool prepare £86m bid for "one of the world's best"

Liverpool’s legendary goalscorer is showing signs of a decline this season.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 11, 2025

England are missing a lot of key names for their final international camp of 2025. Captain Leah Williamson remains sidelined, making the absences of both Alex Greenwood and Jess Carter all the more notable in a depleted centre-back unit, while Lauren James remains out of the squad having only just returned from injury at Chelsea. Perhaps the most significant bit of team news, though, concerns Hannah Hampton, who could miss the rest of the year with a quad issue.

Arguably England's best performer in their 2025 European Championship triumph, Hampton is not just important to the Lionesses because of her world-class quality. She was also, until just last month, the only capped goalkeeper in the squad. That changed when she was absent from the defeat to Brazil, allowing Khiara Keating to earn a debut and take the number of total caps in the rest of England's goalkeeping unit up to a grand total of one.

That Sophie Baggaley, who Wiegman called up last month to cover for Hampton's knock and has recalled this time around due to her latest injury, is also uncapped says a lot about the situation England are in when it comes to the player pool in the goalkeeping position right now. So, while Hampton's absence this week is certainly unwanted and far from ideal, it does actually act as a blessing as well, giving Wiegman no choice but to take steps towards improving circumstances in this position ahead of the 2027 Women's World Cup.

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  Deja vu

  It's only two years ago that England were in a similar situation to this. At that time, Mary Earps was the Lionesses No.1 and, because of the fortunes of her fellow goalkeepers, she was more important to her national team than ever before.

  Hampton had just joined Chelsea and wasn't playing, Ellie Roebuck found herself completely out of favour at Manchester City, and Sandy MacIver had switched allegiances to Scotland. Emily Ramsey, too, was rotating in and out of the Everton line-up, meaning Earps was the only one of the five goalkeepers Wiegman had called up in the previous 12 months who was actually first-choice at club level. On top of that, Roebuck had 11 caps to Earps' 43, with Hampton on two and Keating yet to debut.

  Things are slightly different this time around, mainly because Anna Moorhouse, who went to Euro 2025, is playing week-in week-out for the Orlando Pride, one of the best teams in the United States. But Keating, who earned her first call-up two years ago after usurping Roebuck to be City's No.1, hasn't played a league game since mid-September while Baggaley is operating as the cup goalkeeper at Brighton behind Nigeria star Chiamaka Nnadozie. Of those three, only Keating has a cap, having debuted last month.

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  Important decisions

  Things would improve after Wiegman called the goalkeeper situation "a little bit complicated" in October 2023, because Hampton began to make her charge for the starting role at Chelsea and, at the same time, Wiegman began to give her opportunities at international level. She had to give someone the experience, anyway, because England were 18 months out from a major tournament with a massive discrepancy in caps between their shot-stoppers, especially given Roebuck would soon be out of action entirely having suffered a type of stroke.

  Hampton played a friendly in February 2024, then she played a Euros qualifier in Ireland in April, making her the first goalkeeper other than Earps to start a competitive game for England since Roebuck played against Luxembourg in September 2022. These would prove to be important decisions by Wiegman, because when Earps picked up an injury mere seconds into a Euro 2025 qualifier against France in May, her back-up now had some exposure to the big stage. 

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  Opportunities needed

  Again, the situation is slightly different this time around because even at the time of that game against Ireland in April, Wiegman said that Hampton was "growing into competition with Mary". Right now, it's very clear that Hampton is England's undisputed No.1. However, the fact remains that if something was to happen to the Chelsea star in a big moment, like it did to Earps in that qualifier against France, her understudy wouldn't be particularly well-prepared.

  Keating has played one international friendly and, as a 21-year-old who has split starting duties at City in the last two seasons, is still lacking in experience at club level. Moorhouse and Baggaley, meanwhile, both have plenty of reps with clubs but have yet to be capped for their country. As a group, they lack experience of the big stages England play on and also of playing behind most of the Lionesses' defensive personnel.

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  Opportunity knocks

  That's why Hampton's absence this week is something of a blessing in disguise. Of course, that doesn't make it ideal, especially because England are missing so many of their experienced centre-backs. To then have to throw in an inexperienced goalkeeper only adds to the lack of solidity in the spine of this team. That could give the Lionesses a shaky platform to build on in games where they will have particular learning aims.

  However, Wiegman likely would've rested Hampton in at least one of these friendlies and now she will be forced to operate without her in both, meaning there could be the chance to give out multiple opportunities to this inexperienced goalkeeping unit. As the events of 2024 prove, doing so is important for the long-term.

England’s miserable World Cup defence is finally over. Alan Gardner sat down with Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to pick through the pieces

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2023England’s reign as World Cup-holders is finally over, although they spared themselves the ignominy of missing out on Champions Trophy involvement by winning their final two group games. With the dust beginning to settle – and squads already announced for a tour of the Caribbean – Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to look at what went wrong and where the one-day side goes from here. Topics up for discussion included Jos Buttler’s form, departing greats and the next men in, and whether multi-year contracts are actually such a good thing after all.