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Former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell has given his reaction to the news that Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has returned to fitness this week. 

The lowdown: Back in contention

The 30-year-old returned to the matchday squad for the first time in four Premier League games for the 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in midweek but remained an unused substitute.

Following a foot injury that kept the Brazilian forward out for six games, Firmino appears likely to now be in contention to feature in the FA Cup final showdown with Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday, unlike his compatriot Fabinho who is ruled out with a hamstring strain.

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Despite the firepower now at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal, such is the continued importance of Firmino that his comeback has been heralded by at least one invested onlooker…

The latest: ‘Absolutely massive’

Speaking to Football Insider, regular talkSPORT pundit Campbell explained why news of the false nine’s availability is so crucial.

He said: “It’s a massive boost. It is absolutely massive for them. They have the FA Cup final coming up. His experience will count for a lot during this run-in.

“Liverpool are going for the quadruple, even though the league is in City’s hands. I don’t think they’ll mess up. To get one of your mainstays back at this stage of the season is really important for Jurgen Klopp.

“Even though they only have a few games left they will need to rotate. There will be some tired legs in that dressing room. Let’s not forget, Firmino, [Mohamed] Salah and [Sadio] Mane are electric together.”

The verdict: Plenty left to offer…

Albeit the arrival and subsequent impact of both Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz has seen Firmino fall down the pecking order somewhat this season, there can be no underestimating the 55-cap ace’s continued importance in the eyes of Jurgen Klopp.

So often the man to turn to in order to change the pattern of a game – coming from the bench nine times in the league alone this term – the skilful Samba star who was hailed as ‘special’ by Klopp in 2020 has still managed 11 goals and four assists this term in just 31 outings across all competitions.

Overall, Firmino has earned a 6.96 Sofascore rating in the Premier League, winning 2.9 of his total duels, making 1.2 tackles and completing 80% of his passes on average per game.

Given the lack of recent game time, it seems unlikely that Klopp will turn to his trusted forward from the outset at Wembley, however, don’t rule out an influence from the bench or indeed a starting spot in Paris against Real Madrid.

In other news, French newspaper cites Liverpool interest in ‘unstoppable’ speedster. Read more here.

NSW keen to avoid last finish, as South Australia and Victoria also need a lift amidst absence of Australia’s Test stars

Tristan Lavalette08-Feb-2023After a spectacular end to a thrilling BBL season, there is a quick turnaround in Australian domestic cricket with the resumption of the Sheffield Shield. The Shield paused in early December after six rounds, and teams have a further four matches left before the final starts on March 23. Here is a look at how the six teams stack up before the competition restarts on Thursday.Western Australia (32 points)Riding high after Perth Scorchers’ successful BBL defence, Western Australia will be hoping the momentum continues in the longer format which they dominated before the break. With four wins and 11 points clear on top, defending champions WA are almost certain to host the Shield final for the second straight season.Underling the wealth of talent in WA cricket, there are a number of selection dilemmas, as skipper Shaun Marsh is set for his first game of this Shield season, against South Australia on Thursday. Such is WA’s depth that wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe might be left out, while Scorchers captain Ashton Turner remains on the outer in four-day cricket but Marcus Stoinis is in the line to play his first first-class match since March 2020.Meanwhile, spearhead Jhye Richardson will be missing the match against South Australia as he continues to battle a hamstring injury, which had sidelined him for the second half of the BBL.WA will also be without tearaway Lance Morris, who is on Australia’s tour of India. He is the Shield’s leading wicket-taker this season with 27 wickets at 18.4. Spin-bowling allrounder Ashton Agar is also in India, but has only played one Shield match in the past two seasons.Queensland (21 points)Much like WA, Queensland have to bounce back quickly after Brisbane Heat’s emotionally-draining finals campaign. Queensland are joint second on points with Tasmania, as their campaign resumes against Victoria at the MCG on Thursday.Veteran opener Joe Burns has recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in the BBL season opener in a boost for the Bulls, who will be without Test batters Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja and Matthew Renshaw. Legspinner Mitchell Swepson is also touring with the national side, although his 12 wickets have cost 39.66 each in five Shield matches this season.Six Heat players who experienced the agony of the BBL final are set to line up against Victoria.Captain Will Sutherland needs to continue as Victoria’s ace bowler in the absence of Scott Boland•Getty ImagesTasmania (21 points)Tasmania have a great opportunity to start strongly when they play bottom-placed NSW at the SCG starting Saturday. They will hope to secure victory because what follows are back-to-back matches against WA, which could make things become more difficult for them.Tasmania looked a formidable side before the break, as 24-year-old Tim Ward was the standout of a solid batting order with 421 runs to be the third-highest run-scorer this season. Their attack is also led by veteran seamers Jackson Bird and Peter Siddle, who have combined for 44 wickets this season.Victoria (16 points)Victoria will be lacking batting firepower as they eye a lift up the ladder. Regular skipper Peter Handscomb is in India, and Glenn Maxwell remains on the path back from a broken leg sustained last November.Nic Maddinson will also be missing the rest of the domestic season having suffered a serious knee injury during the BBL, while Will Pucovski, who has made his return from personal leave only in Melbourne grade cricket, won’t be playing against Queensland.Victoria’s attack will be without seamer Scott Boland and spinner Todd Murphy who too are in India. Thus, there will be more burden on emerging allrounder Will Sutherland, who has bagged 23 wickets this season and taken over the captaincy reins from Handscomb.NSW will look on the experienced Moises Henriques and co to get them out of the doldrums•Getty ImagesSouth Australia (15 points)Redbacks face a tough test first up against WA, as they look to avoid a sixth straight bottom-placed finish. They are without Test players Travis Head and Alex Carey, with the onus on captain Henry Hunt, who is seen as a future opener for Australia.After top-scoring for Heat in the BBL final, Nathan McSweeney looms as key for Redbacks, and he had batted impressively before the break as well. Their lead quick Wes Agar will hope to continue after his strong first half of the season, where took 23 wickets.New South Wales (7 points)Blues are hoping to move on from a disastrous start to the season, where they were winless from six matches, and are staring down the barrel of finishing last for the first time in 14 years.Coach Phil Jaques was a casualty, with Sydney Sixers mastermind Greg Shipperd taking over in the interim.There is little room for error for Blues, who will rely on experienced campaigners Kurtis Patterson, Moises Henriques and Sean Abbott to get them out of the doldrums.

It’s been an unlikely rise to stardom for the 21-year old, who has “backed his strengths” to shine at the T20 World Cup

Danyal Rasool08-Nov-2022Mohammad Haris walks out of the luxury hotel Pakistan’s cricket team is staying at in Adelaide, flanked by the team manager while team security guards hover close by. The team is about to leave for Sydney, where they play the T20 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. A few dozen fans wait excitedly for his arrival while security tries to herd them back behind one of the barricades. A young girl, no older than six, clutches a little bat she wants Haris to embellish with his autograph. It will go nicely alongside a marquee signature that’s scrawled right across the middle – that of Babar Azam’s.It’s difficult to overstate what an unlikely rise to stardom this has been for 21-year-old Haris. A week ago, he wasn’t in Pakistan’s squad for this tournament at all. He came in as a replacement for the injured Fakhar Zaman. Haris had played all of one T20I and four ODIs, scoring 18 runs in all. That wasn’t complemented by a wealth of T20 franchise experience, either; he has just five PSL games under his belt.Related

Smart stats – Phillips and Suryakumar soar, Babar struggles

Welcome aboard the Pak rollercoaster: don't try to understand it, just enjoy it

Pakistan grab unexpected lifeline to make the semi-finals

That was the extent of Haris’ experience when he found himself facing Kagiso Rabada with the new ball at the SCG in a game Pakistan had to win. Mohammad Rizwan had just fallen in the first over, and Wayne Parnell had smacked Haris flush in the grill on the second ball he faced.With his grill still ringing, it might be reasonable to assume it was the shorter ball the wet-behind-the-ears Haris would look to keep out. Rabada, naturally, pitched up the first ball. He wouldn’t have watched Haris train in the nets, of course, and so couldn’t have known how insouciantly Haris treated high pace, or the threat of physical injury while facing it. Team mentor Matthew Hayden, speaking ahead of the semi-final, told a press conference he was the one player willing to face Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and almost every other fast bowler in the nets. A full delivery after a short one was elementary.So, indeed was the whip over the midwicket Haris played, instinctively on the front foot to a ball over 140kph, the first ball he had ever faced off Rabada. The second ball was dealt with similar disdain, flicked over fine leg for another six, before the third was pulled away in front of fine leg for four. Anrich Nortje wouldn’t be spared, either. Haris demonstrated he was comfortable scooping it over the keeper against extreme pace, the ball going all the way. It’s a shot that will either force sides to push fine leg back against Haris in the powerplay, freeing up all of his other shots with just one other man in the deep, or force length adjustments pacers might not want to make.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo outside his hotel on a balmy Monday morning in a T-shirt and jeans, hands in his pockets and the hint of a smile on his face, Haris comes across just as cavalier as he does at the crease. “My game is such that I take the attack to every bowler,” he shrugs. “I didn’t look at the bowler, whether it was Rabada or Nortje or whoever else. I just backed myself and my own strengths.”Mohammad Haris was up and running from the get-go against South Africa•Getty ImagesThis is the same player who fell twice against the West Indies playing shots that look ugly when they get you out, and audacious when they race to the boundary. He would pay for that extreme intent by being dropped from the side, and then going on to take part in just one of 18 T20Is Pakistan played in the lead-up to this World Cup, even though it seemed obvious this was the perfect format to deploy his precocious striking abilities in. He was left out of the main World Cup squad altogether.The message seemed to be “We don’t want that kind of shot-making round here.” Yet, with Babar and Rizwan struggling for both form and timing, it was precisely Haris’s kind of intent Pakistan required in the powerplay. Even though Haris knew full well the rap on the knuckles he had received for playing the way Pakistan needed him to in the past, he did not step back one inch. In that sense, innings of 28 off 11 and 31 off 18 can be seen as admirably unselfish performances. They also make him the only man at this World Cup with a strike rate in excess of 200 (min 25 balls faced).”Everyone has their own role in the team and they have to fulfil that,” he says. “I’ll be happy to play anywhere, really. I have confidence in my shots when I play through the air that I’ll be able to clear the rope. It’s great when you perform well and help the team out. Now it’s about taking the momentum through. We have a lot of confidence. We came in winning the tri-series and that gives us confidence, too.”Hayden, speaking ahead of the semi-final against New Zealand, said the quiet part out loud when discussing Haris’ sudden emergence. “Not even in the squad, and yet performing like he should have been there from the start. Great story, really significant story of any World Cup.””I watched him closely over the last month and he was the one individual that came into every net session and faced all of our quicks. For me, that was like McGrath, Warne, Lee, and Gillespie. If you could face those bowlers and you were playing well then you knew you had a great chance of making runs in the actual game.

“Not even in the squad, and yet performing like he should have been there from the start. Great story.”Pakistan team mentor Hayden on Haris

“It’s no surprise to see Harry come in and play so beautifully. He’s got a very good technique on our fast, bouncy wickets and he’s got a freshness. One of the things as an outsider coming into this tournament is pretty much the entire cricketing community with the amount of programme is fatigued to some degree. To have a young fresh face with nothing to lose, just to play with great freedom has been a wonderful expression for him personally but also for Team Pakistan.”Haris might be winning over fans now, but the world of Pakistan cricket fandom is fickle. The shifting sands of public opinion mean a player who was cast aside just weeks earlier has been pulled into a close embrace once more. Even though nothing, when it comes to Haris, has fundamentally changed. He’s always been a player to back himself and takes lots of risks early on in his innings. He’s always enjoyed hitting the ball through the air, or stepping away and swiping at it with a bat cross enough to make purists wince.New Zealand will puzzle over ways to stop him, and might yet succeed, but the relative paucity of data points in Haris’ nascent career gives him something of an edge. It would be a surprise if they didn’t turn to Mitchell Santner in the powerplay should Haris be at the crease; it was a ploy that worked a treat against England, dulling the explosiveness of right-handers Alex Hales and Jos Buttler, allowing them just 24 runs in 22 balls. (Against all other bowlers, they combined for 101 runs in 65 balls).Haris, his hands still in his pockets, doesn’t seem too fussed. “It’s not that I’m weak against spin. I just haven’t played against spin much, but I have shots that give me options against spin, too.”It’s now time to head off to the airport, but there’s one last thing to do. He turns to that shy, hopeful little girl, and signs her bat next to Babar’s signature. Depending on how the upcoming semi-final goes, he can expect to get that marker out for plenty more boys and girls when he touches down in Pakistan.

In what's a massive loss before the regular season even began, New York Yankees ace starting pitcher Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will miss the entire 2025 campaign.

While the news is a gut punch for Cole, the Yankees organization, and the club's fans, the 2023 Cy Young Award winner is in a strong frame of mind. Shortly after news broke of his need for season-ending surgery, Cole took to his account on Instagram and shared an inspiring message.

“I have a lot left to give, and I’m fully committed to the work ahead. I’ll attack my rehab every day and support the 2025 Yankees each step of the way,” Cole wrote. “I love this game, I love competing, and I can’t wait to be back on the mound—stronger than ever.”

Cole, 34, was shut down a year ago after experiencing right elbow discomfort, and he did not make his '24 season debut until June. But he rebounded to have a solid season, pitching to a 3.41 ERA in 95 innings in the regular season, then helping the Yankees win the franchise's first American League pennant since 2009 in the postseason, in which the veteran righthander recorded a 2.17 ERA in 29 innings.

Cole, who grew up a Yankees fan, inked a nine-year, $324 million contract with New York back in December of '19. He opted out of his contract in November of '24 but he and the Yankees agreed to continue with the deal as presently constructed, which means he's owed an additional $144 million through 2028.

In five seasons with the Yankees, Cole has pitched to a 59-28 record and a 3.12 ERA with 915 strikeouts in 759 innings.

Chelsea restored some of the pride they lost in their Champions League thumping at the hands of Barcelona last season with a creditable 1-1 draw with the Spanish giants. After a chastening 8-2 semi-final aggregate loss to Barca, the Blues had a point to prove and were on track to do that with Ellie Carpenter's piledriver. But Ewa Pajor's strike ensured the spoils were shared on Thursday.

After a bright start from the visitors, a determined Chelsea took the lead in the 16th minute when Carpenter emphatically smashed the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box. Barcelona's Pajor nearly hit back straight away when she slotted past Livia Peng, only for her effort to be ruled out for offside, but the Polish striker wouldn't be denied in the 24th minute when she fired through a crowd of bodies after the Blues failed to clear a corner. 

Barca stopper Cata Coll did well to keep out Wieke Kaptein's lofted shot following a defence-splitting pass from Erin Cuthbert and then the Netherlands international rattled the post after a neat layoff from Alyssa Thompson. Just as the hosts' grip on the contest – which was delayed for a while due to a power cut – started to loosen in the second half, substitute Catarina Macario expertly headed in a free-kick, only for her effort to be ruled out for just straying offside by the narrowest of margins.

Chelsea should have been 2-1 with 10 minutes to go when a brilliant move ended in Carpenter smacking the ball wide when it seemed easier to score from eight yards out. The result saw Barcelona go top of the tournament's league table, whereas Chelsea are sixth after four matches. While this may appear to be a good result, this was a missed opportunity for Sonia Bompastor's side.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Livia Peng (6/10):

The summer signing is in for the injured Hannah Hampton and was competent enough in between the sticks for Chelsea.

Lucy Bronze (7/10):

The veteran pulled off a number of important clearances, along with the odd powerful surge into the opposition's half.

Nathalie Bjorn (6/10):

Was solid if unspectacular in Chelsea's backline. If Millie Bright is to return to the starting XI, her place in the team may be under threat if Naomi Girma continues to excel in defence.

Naomi Girma (8/10):

Made a brilliant, last-ditch tackle to keep the scores level early on and some of her recoveries at the back were very impressive. Started ahead of Bright, and it seemed to have been the right call.

Sandy Baltimore (9/10):

Was solid and smart at the back and was a right nuisance going forward. She linked up well with Thompson down Chelsea's left and was arguably their best player.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Keira Walsh (7/10):

The former Barcelona ace plugged some gaps in Chelsea's midfield and linked up well with her team-mates.

Wieke Kaptein (7/10):

Was so close to grabbing a brace but a mixture of the Barcelona keeper and some bad luck kept her at bay.

Erin Cuthbert (8/10):

The captain led by example with a typically industrious and committed performance. She also threaded some nice through balls to her team-mates in the final third. 

AFPAttack

Ellie Carpenter (7/10):

Scored a quite brilliant goal in the first half but was guilty of being a bit sloppy in possession and some of her passing was errant. Plus, she missed a glorious opportunity late on to win it.

Aggie Beever-Jones (7/10):

Held the ball up well and brought others into play. She is working her way back to fitness but got an assist for Chelsea's goal and did herself proud.

Alyssa Thompson (8/10):

Her pace and trickery kept Barcelona's backline honest, both on the left and right wing. Sometimes she takes a touch too many when there are better options available but she is a big talent.

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Catarina Macario (8/10):

It looked like she scored with her very first touch with a sublime header but VAR ruled it out. Was very impressive off the bench.

Sonia Bompastor (7/10):

After last season's drubbing in this competition, the Frenchwoman's team gave a much better account of themselves, particularly in defence. They also created clearer-cut chances and were well organised.

Nissanka’s ton got Sri Lanka within sight of victory but the remaining batters couldn’t quite get them across the line

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Sep-20252:05

Is captaincy affecting SKY’s form?

India won the Super OverIn regular play, Pathum Nissanka’s 107 off 58 balls and Kusal Perera’s 58 off 32, cancelled out a rapid 61 from Abhishek Sharma, and a 49 not out off 34 from Tilak Varma. India hit 202 for 5. So did Sri Lanka.In the Super Over though, Sri Lanka were very clearly out of steam on all fronts. First, they didn’t send Nissanka out to bat, choosing Kusal Perera (who sliced one to deep backward point first ball), Dasun Shanaka (who struggled with Arshdeep Singh’s wide yorkers), and Kamindu Mendis (who has never been an explosive T20I batter) out instead.Between these three, they managed a total of two runs. Suryakumar Yadav would almost laughingly put the first ball of their Super Over – bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga – through cover, to claim three first ball. This meant India went through to the Asia Cup final undefeated, and were really only tested in this match, in which they rested Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube.Perhaps their aura had lost a little of its shine, but India pushing through to a victory even when Sri Lanka’s top order was batting beautifully, will be something India will take heart from ahead of the final against Pakistan.India’s innings, meanwhile, had gone smoothly. Abhishek produced another spectacular start, striking up a 59-run partnership with Suryakumar who contributed only 12 off 13 to that stand. Later, Tilak and Sanju Samson would put on 66 together.Pathum Nissanka celebrates his maiden T20I century•AFP/Getty ImagesNissanka’s 127-run partnership off 70 balls, however, was the biggest of the tournament. It got Sri Lanka within sight of victory. But the remaining batters couldn’t quite get them across the line.What happened in the Super OverSri Lanka are required to bat first in this Super Over, but Nissanka, their best batter of the tournament, is not picked to come out straight away. (We’re sure, at this stage, that he will come in if a wicket falls, though.)Perera and Shanaka are sent in instead, with Arshdeep tasked with bowling this over, in the absence of Bumrah.Perera slices the first ball, a wide yorker, to deep point, where substitute fielder Rinku Singh takes a good running catch.Kamindu Mendis, who does not have a track record of scoring quickly against high-quality opposition comes out next, even though Nissanka is just sitting there in the dugout. Predictably Kamindu struggles to get more than an edge to the next Arshdeep ball, and they scramble a single.Shanaka can’t really hit Arshdeep’s wide yorkers either, and attempts a bye off the fourth ball.Arshdeep appeals for the caught behind while wicketkeeper Sanju Samson runs Dasun Shanaka out at the striker’s end.But because Arshdeep has appealed for the catch, the umpire gives Shanaka out. (The umpire’s finger is raised only after the run out is completed, but according to the rules, the out decision effectively overturns the run out.) Shanaka awake to this loophole, immediately asks the umpire: “It’s a dead ball, right?”, just after he reviews the caught behind decision.It turns out Shanaka is correct as per the laws. Because he had been wrongly been given out caught behind, he is exonerated from the run out, even though the stumps were broken before the umpire’s finger was raised.Shanaka gets to live another ball and perhaps propel Sri Lanka to a competitive Super Over score.Shanaka top edges one to deep third very next ball, ending Sri Lanka’s Super Over.India score three first ball and win.Abhishek Sharma rocks the powerplayAlthough opening partner Shubman Gill was dismissed off the ninth ball of the innings, the tournament’s best batter still scythed his way through the powerplay. His best powerplay over came against Dushmantha Chamera. Abhishek came down the track and crashed him over long off off thifd ball, before raising the fifth ball over short fine leg’s head, then slicing the next one over short third.Abhishek Sharma brought up his third successive fifty•Getty ImagesIt only took Abhishek 22 balls to get to fifty. By the end of the powerplay, India were 71 for 1. Abhishek eventually miscued a Charith Asalanka half-tracker to deep midwicket, in the ninth over. His 61 came off 31 balls.Nissanka’s sublime inningsNissanka had scored heavily in the group stage, but had been quiet in the first two Super Four games. In this match, he exploded. He hit Hardik Pandya through point for four first ball, lifted other seamers over deep midwicket, and hooked others over backward square leg. He hit his fifty off 25 balls, and just continued to attack through the middle overs, as Perera also scored rapidly.Nissanka became Sri Lanka’s fourth T20I centurion (among men) at the end of the 17th over, when he thumped Arshdeep into the sightscreen. He got there of 52 balls. His eventual 108 off 58 is Sri Lanka’s highest individual T20I score.

They might have dropped points for the first time since late September on Saturday, but Arsenal remain atop the Premier League table heading into the international break.

Mikel Arteta’s side are four points clear of Manchester City in second place and have looked utterly sensational for much of the season, even with most of their attackers out of action.

Moreover, those who have remained fit have stepped up massively so far and currently look like some of the best players in the country, if not in Europe.

One of those stars is, of course, Declan Rice, but even the Englishman is being outperformed by another of Arsenal’s most important players, someone who could be one of their best-ever signings in the Premier League era.

Rice's development at Arsenal

When Arsenal splashed a club record £105m on Rice in the summer of 2023, most fans expected him to come in and become the club’s first choice six for the foreseeable future.

After all, while he had played in other positions for West Ham United, he was first and foremost a defensive midfielder in East London.

Unsurprisingly, this was how Arteta used the Englishman for much of the 23/24 season, with him making 31 appearances at the base of midfield, 19 in central areas and one at centre-back.

However, towards the end of that season, the manager was playing his record signing higher up the pitch, and that trend continued into the following campaign, where the 26-year-old became far more of an all-action, box-crashing left-eight.

For example, by the end of the season, he had made 37 appearances in central midfield and just 15 as a six, and as a result, his output massively improved, with him scoring nine goals and providing ten assists.

It seemed that the former Hammers’ captain would continue to play further up the pitch this season, especially with Martin Zubimendi joining the club, but once again, and for the third consecutive campaign, his role has slightly changed.

The 70-capped Englishman is still starting games in central midfield, but on top of getting forward and crashing into the opposition’s penalty area, he is once again dropping deep at times, specifically to create a double pivot with his new Spanish teammate.

Appearances

120

Starts

109

Minutes

9613′

Goals

18

Assists

25

Goal Involvements per Match

0.35

Minutes per Goal Involvement

223.55

Points per Game

2.10

This change is clearly visible during games and on his heatmaps, but he was also happy to tell the press during the last international break that the manager has “adjusted my position at Arsenal a bit this year to give me a bit more freedom to drop deeper but to also get in the box when I can.”

Add an outrageous ability with dead balls that has already seen him chalk up five assists to go with his two goals this season, and it’s easy to see why so many consider Rice to be one of the best players in the league.

However, even with how well he is playing this year, there is another Arsenal star doing even better who could be in for a shout as being one of the club’s best signings in the Premier League era.

The Arsenal star who could be one of their best-ever PL signings

The good news for Arsenal fans and Arteta is that several players in the current squad could potentially fit this description.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, when it comes to someone who has really taken yet another step up this season, it’s practically impossible to ignore Gabriel Magalhães.

The Brazilian was once seen as something of a liability at the back, so much so that he made just 32 appearances, totalling 2807 minutes, across all competitions during his first season with the club.

However, he began to steadily improve after that initial campaign, and while there were rumours of him being up for sale in the summer of 2023, he’s become utterly invaluable since.

In fact, while William Saliba is viewed as the more cultured of the two centre-backs, and was constantly touted for a move to Real Madrid before his contract renewal, it could be said that the Brazilian has been the better player across the last two years.

25/26

17

5

24/25

42

8

23/24

50

5

22/23

48

3

21/22

39

5

20/21

32

4

For example, he has almost entirely rid his game of the silly mistakes that hurt his reputation early on and has become a titan at the back.

Moreover, while he is more than capable of the cute passes his French partner likes to play, he also has that old-school approach to the game.

He makes more than his fair share of perfectly timed but nonetheless thunderous all-action challenges that get the fans on their feet.

Add to that the fact he’s 6 foot 3, a vocal leader and clearly someone who loves the art of defending, and it’s easy to see why Arsenal writer Adam Keys has described him as the Gunners’ “colossus” at the back.

Now, the 27-year-old’s defensive contributions, which played a vital role in the club’s eight clean sheets in a row, would be reason enough for him to be classed as one of their best signings in the Premier League era, but he’s more than just a defender.

Since joining the league, no defender has been involved in more goals than the Brazilian, and across all competitions, he has racked up an outrageous tally of 22 goals and eight assists.

Seeing the São Paulo-born monster’s name on the scoresheet at the end of a game has become something of an inevitability this season, and yet opposition teams remain incapable of stopping it from happening.

Ultimately, Rice is a world-class player, but over the last couple of years, especially this season, Gabriel has been operating just above him, and therefore, could be one of Arsenal’s best-ever Premier League signings.

Arteta now has Arsenal's best finisher since Van Persie & it's not Gyokeres

The international monster has been incredible for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 7, 2025

The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Jordan Walker in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft. After a decent rookie season in 2023 he was named the starting right fielder for opening day in 2024, but spent much of the season in triple-A.

His 2025 season nearly got off to a disastrous when he was forced to leave the Cardinals game against the Washington Nationals early this week. During the third inning of a game at Cacti Park on Tuesday, he successfully tracked down a fly ball in right field, but after he threw the ball in it was clear there was something wrong.

It turns out Walker had stepped on a sprinkler and jammed his knee. He left the game after the inning ended. Here's video:

On Wednesday he had inflammation in his knee and got an MRI that revealed no structural damage. The Cardinals are going to rest him for a week and reassess.

Walker is 2-for-14 with eight strikeouts during spring training.

Before he steps up to the plate, Cubs outfielder Ian Happ peers at a bull’s-eye sticker affixed to the inside of his batting helmet, just above the earpiece—a quick depth perception exercise that reminds his brain to utilize both eyes while at bat. This small habit is just one element of Happ’s vision-training routine, which he started after posting career lows in batting average (.226), on-base percentage (.323) and OPS (.757) during the 2021 season. A teammate referred him to Ryan Harrison, owner of SlowtheGameDown, a vision performance program based in Irvine, Calif. 

“We want people working on our bodies and swings, but if you can’t see the ball, you’re not going to have much success,” Happ says. “I think it’s a big part of what we do and it’s the least [thing] emphasized or trained.”

Indeed, shoulder presses and squats are workout standbys, but exercises for the eyes are often overlooked. That’s where Harrison—who works with athletes in baseball, football and hockey—concentrates his training. The eye contains six muscles that work together to move it in all directions, like the strings on a marionette. They are divided into two groups: the recti, the primary vertical movers when the eye is abducted, or looking away from the nose; and the oblique, used when the eye is adducted, or looking towards the nose. During his initial evaluation with an athlete, Harrison uses a series of tests and drills, most of which originate from another time—and another Harrison. After playing baseball at Cal, Ryan’s father Bill became an eye doctor and later began working with the Royals as a vision-training specialist in 1971. He went on to work with 15 MLB organizations and several NCAA baseball programs before his death in 2019.

“A lot of the stuff we do today is based on what they were doing in the ’70s,” says Ryan. “The technology is updated. But the brain and the eyes haven’t changed. It’s really about how we’re using those skill sets and enhancing them.”

Former Chelsea star Oscar is reportedly considering retirement after being hospitalised with a heart issue. The 34-year-old is said to have fallen ill during a bicycle test at current side São Paulo and since then, he has been diagnosed with vasovagal syncope, where the blood pressure drops too low, causing people to faint. Now, reports suggest the Brazilian is weighing up whether or not to end his career.

Oscar recovering in hospital

After spending eight years playing in China, Oscar rejoined São Paulo on a deal until 2027 at the end of last year. Following that move, he said: "I'm happy to be back in Brazil and to be able to play for São Paulo, which is the club where I started out, where I made my base and where I grew up. I thank you for the affection I have received on social media these past few days and I will do my best to achieve great things together."

Fast forward to the present, and the veteran may have kicked his last ball for the club after this health scare on Tuesday. 

The Brazilian team said on Thursday: "Midfielder Oscar remains hospitalized at Einstein Hospital Israelita, where he was admitted on Tuesday afternoon after presenting an intercurrence with cardiological changes during exams carried out at SuperCT. An extensive investigation carried out at the hospital confirmed the diagnosis of vasovagal syncope. Oscar remains clinically well and stable, hospitalized in a cardiology unit, and this Friday will undergo an electrophysiological study."

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesEnd of the road for Oscar?

Following the incident, Oscar – who started his career at São Paulo way back in 2008 – posted in an Instagram story: "Everything will be alright, God willing." 

While he is seemingly staying upbeat, Brazilian publication Globo states that Oscar – who moved to Shanghai in 2017 in a £60 million ($79m) move that reportedly pocketed him around £400,000 a week – is mulling over whether or not to retire from football. They add that it may be more likely he hangs up his boots, rather than continuing.

The report states: "According to a specialist heard by Globo, the problem is not life-threatening and can be solved with medication or simple surgical intervention, where a ganglion is cauterized to avoid getting out of control. Also, according to the expert, Oscar may be able to return to football if everything goes well and he feels comfortable to do so. For now, Oscar still has no discharge forecast. At the age of 34, he evaluates with his family whether he will announce his retirement or continue in football. The biggest tendency is for him to leave professional football."

What is Oscar's condition?

According to the NHS, vasovagal syncope is common, can affect anyone, and is often a temporary problem affecting the body's control system (autonomic nervous system). It is a common cause of fainting that occurs due to a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, leading to reduced blood flow to the brain. Certain triggers affect the nerve messages, and as a result of this issue, you can feel weak, sick, sweaty, and light-headed – and that can lead to losing consciousness. If you have this problem, people are encouraged to drink plenty of fluids, not to stand still for long periods, and to avoid overly warm environments. If you get warning symptoms, sufferers should lie down and squeezing firmly on a ball may be helpful. 

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AFPWhat comes next for Oscar?

Football fans will be eagerly awaiting to hear from Oscar, who played 203 times for Chelsea and scored 38 goals between 2012-17 before joining Shanghai Port, again and whether or not he will continue his playing career. After making more than 500 appearances in club football, playing 48 times for Brazil, and winning trophies in England, China, and his home country, he may decide that for the good of his health, it is time to move on to something different. However, the Brazilian may still have another chapter to write in his footballing journey.