Gloucestershire seamer Josh Shaw joins exodus after agreeing Somerset switch
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2025Northamptonshire have re-signed Indian legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Australian seamer Harry Conway as overseas players for next season.Conway, who took 20 wickets in four Championship appearances earlier this year, will return for the start of the 2026 campaign. The 33-year-old is expected to be available for the first block of seven games in April and May.Chahal, meanwhile, has agreed to return for a third consecutive summer at Northants, joining for the second half of the season to play in the County Championship and Metro Bank One-Day Cup. Overall, he has taken 44 first-class wickets and seven in List A for the club.”Yuzi is a magnificent asset to this squad,” Northamptonshire’s head coach, Darren Lehmann, said. “His record across his career speaks for itself and he brings so much class and experience to the group. I loved working with him this year and am excited to go again in 2026.””For young spinners in the group like Nirvan Ramesh and Stuart van der Merwe, having Yuzi around to guide them will be a huge plus for their game.”On Conway, Lehmann added: “Harry is an excellent addition for 2026. His form last year was fantastic, and I am excited to work with him for a longer period. His ability to take wickets on all surfaces and presence around the team makes him an invaluable player.”Northants have also signed batter Louis Kimber on a two-year deal from Leicestershire. Largely known as a white-ball hitter and occasional offspinner, Kimber made headlines in 2023 after scoring 243 off 127 balls in the County Championship at Hove.”Louis brings with him a huge amount of knowledge and experience around county cricket as well as boosting our batting firepower,” Lehmann said. “He will no doubt attract people to Wantage Road with his explosive batting and I can’t wait to start working with him.”Josh Shaw joins SomersetJosh Shaw spent six years at Gloucestershire•Dan Istitene/Getty ImagesGloucestershire have seen another member of their seam-bowling group depart, after Josh Shaw signed for Somerset earlier this week.Shaw, 29, had been under contract at Bristol since 2019, having previously played on loan from Yorkshire. He follows Ajeet Singh Dale (Lancashire), Zaman Akhter (Essex), Archie Bailey (Durham), Tom Price and Dom Goodman (both Sussex) in leaving over the close season.”We have seen first-hand how impactful Josh can be,” Somerset’s director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said. “He has the ability to swing and seam the ball, and he is an excellent addition to our bowling unit.”We are fully aware of Josh’s strong character traits and his willingness to be the best version of himself, which will add real value to the dressing room as well as on the pitch. These attributes will be vital for us as we continue to compete across all competitions.”
Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill said that defender Cameron Carter-Vickers will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season with a severe Achilles injury, a setback that also threatens his chances of representing the United States at next summer’s World Cup. Carter-Vickers has 19 USMNT caps and was in contention for a potential spot next summer.
Getty Images Sport
Celtic interim manager confirms injury
O'Neill delivered the disappointing news during his pre-match press conference ahead of Celtic's weekend fixture against St. Mirren, revealing that the 27-year-old center back faces a lengthy rehabilitation process following the injury sustained during Celtic's 2-1 Europa League victory over Sturm Graz last month.
"We will not see him," O'Neill said to reporters before Saturday's match at St. Mirren. "I think it might be April before he's even on grass. Funnily enough, I did ask him yesterday, did he think he would be ready for the World Cup? And he said he thought that would be very doubtful."
Advertisement
Getty Images Sport
Injury creates significant void for Celtic
The American defender had made 13 appearances across all competitions this season before his injury, bringing his total to 172 appearances since joining the club initially on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in September 2021.
How this impacts USMNT
The 27-year-old has earned only one cap for the USMNT since Mauricio Pochettino took over, but was on the roster for the team's October friendlies – showing he was in contention for a spot in the Argentine's three-man backline.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images Sport
What's next for Celtic?
Celtic will now be without its American center-back until at least April as he recovers. The club also has U.S. international Auston Trusty available, with the defender recently featuring for the national team in November. Celtic return to action on Thursday against Dutch side Feyenoord after a 1-0 win over St. Mirren on Saturday.
Pitching and hitting both seem to come so easily to Ohtani, who has won three MVPs and has finished in the top-five of the Cy Young Award voting once in his decorated eight-year career. So much so that it's hard to believe that wasn't the case at one point in his life.
Ohtani, during an appearance on on Monday, was asked if he views himself more as a pitcher or a hitter.
"I feel like I was more talented as a hitter growing up," Ohtani said through his interpreter Will Ireton. "And it was hard for me to pitch actually. So I feel like I'm more of a hitter who learned how to pitch more than a pitcher learning how to hit."
It's incredibly difficult to believe that it was once hard for Ohtani to pitch. This is a man who just three seasons ago ranked among the top-five American League pitchers in ERA (2.33) and strikeouts (219). In 2025—his return to the mound after undergoing elbow surgery in September of 2023—he has permitted just one earned run and has struck out 10 in nine innings.
If pitching didn't initially come naturally to Ohtani, it's scary to think how much better he'd be on the mound if it did. Nevertheless, it's astounding how good he's become at a skill that once didn't come as easily to him.
All this to say: imagine the havoc a young Ohtani wreaked in Little League once he learned how to pitch.
Born just outside Marseille to Algerian parents, it was always going to be hard for a footballer as silky as Samir Nasri to avoid comparisons with the great Zinedine Zidane. When he was snapped up by Arsenal in the peak of the 'Wenger-ball' years, it made complete sense. Here was this uber-talented attacking midfielder who could glide past opponents for fun, why wouldn't he be the Gunners' next marquee player?
Nasri earned a move to Manchester City in 2011 and was part of the side that won the Premier League title on the final day of that season, hilariously pictured celebrating with fellow Frenchman and QPR opponent Djibril Cisse at full-time. All this happened before the playmaker turned 25, yet this was the apex of a career that went by the wayside afterwards.
Though he fulfilled on his potential early, Nasri never quite hit those same heights during the supposed prime years of his career. Instead, that chapter will be remembered as one of infamy.
This is the story of Nasri, 'Drip Doctors' and one of the craziest online stories football has ever seen…
AFPDecline and exit
Nasri managed to stay relatively injury-free for his first three seasons at City before suffering a spate of different issues during the 2014-15 campaign. A hamstring problem then ruled him out for most of the following season, during which he required extensive treatment on what ought to have been a routine recovery.
"The original estimate by the doctors was that I'd be out for between four to six months and the surgeon told me the same, but I've already done two months and I'm targeting the international break in March to be back properly with the squad," Nasri said in January 2016. "With this injury I had to have an operation that resulted in nearly 100 stitches in my thigh. My surgeon told me this was a rare injury as the muscle had detached from the bone and the tendon was also 90 percent detached and had to be stitched back together so it was something that doesn't happen very often."
By the time he returned to full fitness at the start of 2016-17, a new age had begun. Pep Guardiola had been installed as City manager and Kevin De Bruyne was the team's creator-in-chief, leaving a depleted Nasri to seek opportunities elsewhere.
AdvertisementAFPBorn again
At the very end of the summer 2016 transfer window, Nasri joined Sevilla on a season-long loan. The Andalusian side had just appointed highly-rated Argentine Jorge Sampaoli as their new head coach, and he was intent on creating a team for the purists. Nasri was perfect for that.
The Spanish media raved over Nasri's debut, during which he covered the second-most distance in a 2-1 win over Las Palmas. The slower style of La Liga football suited Nasri, whose burst of pace had been almost totally nerfed at this point. As long as he was fit, which was more often than not, the playmaker was almost a guaranteed starter, be that as a No.10 or on the wing.
Sampaoli's Sevilla went into La Liga's Christmas break third in the table, one place above Champions League finalists Atletico Madrid. Talk of a surprise title charge didn't sound crazy, either. Los Nervionenses had substance and style, even if keeping up with the powerhouses of Real Madrid and Barcelona would prove too tough a challenge.
That winter, however, Nasri's career changed forever. And not for the better.
The Drip Doctor will see you now…
Nasri spent his mid-season break in Los Angeles, during which time he visited the 'Drip Doctors' clinic. He was supposedly looking to receive a simple injection of vitamins, later clarifying he even had a prescription for the session after falling ill. Some testimonies claim this was recommended to him by his ex-girlfriend Dr Sarabjit Anand, who was based in Maryland.
Drip Doctors were delighted to welcome a name like Nasri and wanted to shout to the world that he had visited. A tweet from December 27, 2016 from their official account read: "We provided [Nasri] a concierge Immunity IV Drip to keep him hydrated and in top health during his busy soccer season with Sevilla." A picture of Nasri with founder and CEO Jamila Sozahdah was attached.
GOAL
It all seemed pretty inconspicuous. If Nasri wanted to go and receive this sort of medical treatment in his spare time, that was his business. But then all hell broke loose.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
The internet never forgets
In a series of tweets that were deleted not too long after they were posted, Nasri – or at least the person with access to his account, later insisting he had been hacked – claimed he was "also provided a full sexual service too right after". The account called Sozahdah a "w****" that "comes and f**** the same night" and wrote in another post: "Please tell the world as well of the other concierge treatment your girl gave straight after the iv drip."
GOAL
The absurdity of these posts led people to believe Nasri wasn't actually the person writing these tweets, with some quickly pointing to the possibility of a vengeful lover. Indeed, he had supposedly been in hot water with girlfriend of four years Anara Atanes in the weeks leading up to this episode, and she was the next person to be dragged into the posts.
"Sorry guys I just had to let the world know that my girlfriend Anara who was with me at the time had booked this girl to give me an iv drip," and "On arrival Anara had left the room and this girl had asked for my number and to go out with me that night. She then continued to give me…" were the tweets that followed, though some of these entries were being destroyed almost as quickly as they went up. "Unfortunately my twitter keeps deleting tweets. But just letting you boys know if u are in the la area and feeling lonely msg @DripDoctors" recognised this.
GOAL
There then appeared to be a back-and-forth between the owner of the account and the person who had supposedly hacked into it. In an attempt to prove his innocence, Nasri tweeted: "Someone hacked my account and tried to spread rumors which is fake I am sorty for all the ppl involved in that i apologies." This was then followed by: "Everything i said was 100 percents facts. The girl in the picture jamilah. Came to my hotel room at 3 am and continued other services… That dont come on their menu."
At that point, the Drip Doctors account thought it would be best to dispel these allegations. "[Nasri's] account has been HACKED and the recent tweets about @dripdoctors are all FALSE, this will be confirmed shortly. Thanks," was their own tweet. But the person behind Nasri's profile had the final say on the matter that fateful evening.
GOAL
"Did jamilah not come to the club and then my hotel room at 3am?" was the question posed by Nasri's account in response. "Im just trying to promote the amazing service of @DripDoctors and the services that come after too… And how you f*** all ur clients on the same day as giving them an iv drip," was the final post of the saga that night.
And if you don't believe all of these tweets weren't actually posted, you can still view this article from GOAL with actual screenshots from in the moment. This really happened!
LOS ANGELES — In a star-studded World Series, attended by royalty and played by baseball royalty, with a pair of rosters that combine to cost $876 million, in which the faces of two or three nations compete nightly for camera time, it was a young man who basically lives out of his Toyota Tundra who sent the Dodgers’ season to the brink.
The Blue Jays’ Trey Yesavage baffled the Los Angeles lineup in a 6–1 victory in Game 5 of the World Series to send his team back to Toronto one win from glory. He produced seven sparkling, 12-strikeout innings; allowed one run; and broke the hearts of the 52,175 in attendance who by the end were all but silent despite the exhortations of the preposterously loud speaker system. As he trotted from the bullpen to the mound to begin the game, he thought about how he had opened his season pitching in front of 327 people against the Jupiter Hammerheads. He hoped to send this crowd home upset.
“It’s a crazy world,” Yesavage said. “Hollywood couldn’t have made it this good.”
It would be hard to cast the first return to the World Series by a defending champion since the Phillies did it in 2009 as a failure, but the level of talent on this roster—and the money spent on it—means anything short of a dynasty will be a disappointment.
Blake Snell falls short
The Dodgers felt well equipped to leave Los Angeles with a series lead. Game 5 marked a rematch of Game 1, between the Dodgers’ Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner pitching in his 10th season and second World Series, and the Blue Jays’ Trey Yesavage, a 22-year-old who began the year at Single A and has three regular-season major league appearances to his name. Yesavage took the first matchup, going only four innings but allowing only two runs; Snell, who had opened the National League Championship Series against the Brewers with eight one-hit, scoreless innings, allowed five runs in five frames and took the loss.
Recently, his agent, Scott Boras, sent him a study he’d commissioned about October at Dodger Stadium. Boras’s team found that hitters struggle to see breaking balls during the first four or so innings of the 5 p.m. postseason starts.
Perhaps Snell should have studied it more closely: His first pitch was a 97-mph fastball that Davis Schneider whacked over the left field wall.
Two pitches later, Snell threw Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a 96-mph fastball, and Guerrero did the same thing.
It marked the first back-to-back leadoff home runs in World Series history, and the first time in this one that the Blue Jays scored first.
Dodgers’ offense has disappointed in October
In April or June, two runs would not have been insurmountable for the vaunted Dodgers’ offense, the best in the National League in most metrics. But the bats have largely gone cold in October.
The Dodgers had a .768 regular-season OPS; in the first four games of the World Series, that figure was .693. Only DH Shohei Ohtani and first baseman Freddie Freeman had an OPS over .800. L.A. was 5-for-29 with runners in scoring position.
So after running out the same lineup for most of the postseason, Roberts finally made a change Wednesday. He moved shortstop Mookie Betts from second to third in the batting order and Freeman from third to fourth, slotting catcher Will Smith in second. Roberts also swapped in outfielder Alex Call for Andy Pages in the nine hole.
Betts had not batted lower than second in the Dodgers’ order since September 2021, but he entered the night hitting .147 with one extra-base hit over his last eight games. With Pages going 4-for-October, Ohtani, leading off, did not really have anyone to drive in or anyone to drive him in.
Roberts, often expansive in his scouting reports on his own players, said simply, “I feel that that’s the best way to win the game tonight.”
Mookie Betts went 0-for-4 on Wednesday night despite being moved to No. 3 in the order. / Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesYesavage gave Dodgers a new look
Roberts’s tweaks were not enough. Yesavage is a difficult matchup in part because of his inexperience; he has the highest release point in the majors, at 7.1 feet in the air (compared to the average of 5.8 feet), and his split-fingered fastball, which he throws in the low 80s, resembles basically no one else’s. So the Dodgers were confident that they could take advantage of the familiarity of a second meeting. But Yesavage lacked feel for his splitter in Game 1 and threw it only 13% of the time; it was back to its devastating best in Game 5, so he was a new pitcher after all.
In fairness, nearly everything he does is new. The Blue Jays took Yesavage with the 20th overall pick in last year’s draft out of East Carolina University, and no one expected this meteoric rise from him. Toronto manager John Schneider vaguely remembered a “Hey, nice to meet you, kid. Welcome to the organization,” interaction in spring training; L.A. manager Dave Roberts hadn’t heard of the kid until he blanked the Yankees for 5 ⅓ innings in Game 2 of the ALDS. Yesavage was called up so late in the year that it did not occur to him to try to find an apartment; instead he stores most of his belongings in his truck (“It looks like a mobile home,” he said) and packs and unpacks a suitcase to stay in a hotel each time the Blue Jays change cities.
“This playoff paycheck is going to be nice whenever it hits,” Yesavage said.
Maybe the naivete helps, or maybe he’s just really good. In any case, he set down the first seven in order, including five straight strikeouts, before allowing a solo home run to Kiké Hernández in the third. Then Yesavage quickly went back to mowing them down, with 10 strikeouts and only two hits through five innings. Even as his pitch count rose and the third time through the order loomed, Blue Jays manager John Schneider, who has learned to manage more with his eyes than with his clipboard in the postseason, just kept sending him out there. In the sixth, Schneider turned to pitching coach Pete Walker and said, “I don’t think there’s anyone better in our bullpen right now.”
The kid rewarded him with absolute dominance. Yesavage’s 12 K, in the seventh, was the most by a rookie in World Series history.
“He’s just completely composed,” said righty Chris Bassitt. “The moment’s not too big for him, which is crazy for how young he is.” He added, “Some guys mentally are just built different, and the fact that he had the utmost confidence walking into this place—he’s pitched a lot at home, but coming into this place, it’s like, ”
Yesavage simply beat the Dodgers on the mound, but the Dodgers often beat themselves in the field. Betts threw wide on a potential double-play ball in the third to cost Snell seven pitches. Teoscar Hernández cost more an inning later, when Daulton Varsho scorched a ball to right field. Hernández took a bad route, slid, came up short and watched helplessly as Varsho scampered to third. The next batter, Ernie Clement, flied to center to drive in the run. In the seventh, Addison Barger singled, took second on a wild pitch (Snell’s), took third on a second wild pitch (Snell’s again) and scored on yet another wild pitch (this one by righty Edgardo Henriquez). An inning later, the Dodgers added a fourth wild pitch, this one by lefty Anthony Banda; that one, too, advanced a runner who later scored.
“Giving up bases, it changes the lineup as far as who comes up, and it affects the game going forward,” said Roberts. “Things certainly get magnified in games like this, especially when you’re not swinging the bats.”
It was almost a relief when Teoscar Hernández struck out swinging to put the game out of its misery.
Dodgers have no more room for error
The Dodgers may carry a slight advantage into Game 6; their scheduled starter, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, is coming off two consecutive complete games, the first time someone has done that in the postseason in 25 years. On the other hand, the Blue Jays will be at home, they will need to win only one game and they will counter with Kevin Gausman, who matched Yamamoto through six last week before making two mistakes.
But Los Angeles has no margin for error. The team will fly to Canada late Wednesday, ahead of Thursday’s off-day and Friday’s game, knowing that another offensive performance like this will almost certainly end the season. Thanks in part to the kid who spent more time this season with the Dunedin Blue Jays than the Toronto Blue Jays, the Dodgers may only have two more nights in a hotel this year.
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness is convinced Jurgen Klopp will not remain in Red Bull’s boardrooms for long, arguing the former Liverpool manager is “made for the touchline” and destined to return to coaching. Klopp, now Global Head of Soccer at Red Bull, continues to dismiss immediate rumours of a comeback, but speculation grows as pressure mounts on top jobs in Europe.
Hoeness believes Klopp will make a return to management
Klopp has been Red Bull’s Global Head of Soccer for nearly a year, a role that takes him far from the touchline and closer to strategic executive duties. Yet Hoeness believes the fit is temporary. “I could never imagine him as an official travelling around the country, to New York, looking after the various teams,” he said on the OMR podcast. “And I don’t think that will be a good model in the long run. I also don’t think he’ll do that forever, I can’t imagine it.”
For Hoeness, Klopp’s identity is tied to coaching. He recalled how Bayern themselves considered appointing Klopp in 2008 after his departure from Mainz. Instead, they opted for Jurgen Klinsmann. It is a memory that still shapes Hoeness’s admiration for the coach he never signed.
Advertisement
Getty Images Sport
Klopp’s role as Red Bull's Global Soccer Head
If Hoeness sees Klopp as a coach above all else, Klopp’s current role represents a marked departure. When he stepped down from Liverpool after nearly 25 years on the touchline, his decision surprised many. Instead of seeking another dugout, he started with Red Bull in January.
The job removes him from matchdays, tactics boards and training pitches. Instead, Klopp oversees the long-term direction of a multi-club network including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, New York Red Bulls and clubs across Brazil and the United States. His responsibilities include supporting sporting directors, shaping Red Bull’s philosophy, strengthening worldwide scouting systems and mentoring coaches.
Klopp himself has been vocal about embracing the change. “After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this,” he said when the role was confirmed. “The role may have changed but my passion for soccer and the people who make the game what it is has not.”
He said his mission is to “develop football” across the entire Red Bull ecosystem. “Somebody has to take care of that. Helping football and being successful with Red Bull in the long term is super appealing to me,” Klopp added.
Klopp responds to managerial return rumours
Klopp’s name never disappears from managerial shortlists and the speculation accelerated through 2025. The loudest whispers link him back to Liverpool, where his successor Arne Slot is under increasing pressure amid poor results. Some bookmakers have already made Klopp the favourite to replace him should the club make a change.
Beyond Liverpool, Klopp has been repeatedly mentioned in connection with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Roma, Al-Ittihad and even a future return to the Bundesliga. The biggest rumour surrounds the German national team, where he reportedly has an exit clause allowing him to leave Red Bull should the DFB make an offer.
Klopp has addressed these rumours directly and with typical clarity. “I love what I do right now,” he said. “I don’t miss coaching; I don’t miss standing in the rain for three hours; I don’t miss doing 10–12 interviews a week.”
On coaching in England again, he was even more direct: “I said I will never coach another team in England. So that means if then it's Liverpool, yeah – theoretically it’s possible.”
He has repeatedly urged people to ignore claims about an imminent return. “If you come across any rumours suggesting that I will take a coaching job in the next few years, it’s bull.”
But despite his words, much of the football world remains unconvinced that Klopp’s coaching chapter is over.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images Sport
Will Klopp return to the touchline?
Hoeness’ argument is simple as he claims Klopp’s energy, presence and charisma belong in the dugout. “I have always admired Jurgen Klopp as a coach who is on the pitch, who develops a team, who moves a team forward with his personality. I see Jürgen Klopp on the pitch and nowhere else,” he said.
To him, Klopp’s current role is a pause, not a destination. And in truth, even Klopp himself has not closed the door. “I could make the decision in a few years, I don’t know… I can just see what the future brings.”
Hoeness may not speak for Klopp. Yet his prediction resonates because it is rooted in an undeniable truth, football feels different when Klopp is on the touchline. And whether it happens in one year or five, few believe his final game as a manager has already been played.
Sandro Tonali maintained an interesting stance about a move away from Newcastle United earlier this week and now Real Madrid are reportedly preparing a move worth over £40m.
It’s an all too familiar feeling for Newcastle, who were forced to bid farewell to Alexander Isak for a Premier League record in the summer as they scrambled to find his replacement. Now, they potentially face the prospect of losing more key men amid reported interest from around English football in Sven Botman and, of course, Tonali.
It’s the last thing that Eddie Howe needs in the middle of the Magpies’ current domestic form. In the Champions League, his side have been close to perfect, but that couldn’t be further from the case in the Premier League with just three wins in their opening 10 games.
The Newcastle boss admitted in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Brentford that his side must rise up the ranks in the Premier League after a disappointing run.
Missing out on Champions League qualification would only make Newcastle’s attempts to keep hold of key men even tougher, especially if Real Madrid do come calling for Tonali.
Tonali shares exit stance as Real Madrid prepare move
According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid are now preparing a move to sign Tonali from Newcastle worth €50m (£44m) in 2026. Now, whilst the Magpies are unlikely to accept such a low offer for a player that cost them £55m, Madrid’s attempts would certainly spark some interesting questions about the midfielder’s future.
Newcastle have "one of the best teen prospects" & he can surpass Woltemade
Newcastle’s youthful underbelly is as talented as it’s ever been right now.
ByAngus Sinclair Nov 8, 2025
Despite recent reports revealing that the Italian has already signed a new deal which could keep him at St James’ Park until 2029, Tonali refused to rule out an exit away from the club when questioned about his Newcastle future earlier this week.
Described as “excellent” by Howe, Tonali’s admission will undoubtedly concern those on Tyneside, who saw Isak force his way out of the club in the summer. The last thing they need is another summer-long transfer saga.
PIF's "massive overpay" is quickly becoming Howe's new Almiron
There has been considerable discussion in recent weeks that the Premier League is now Arsenal’s to lose this season.
Now, while that might be true given Liverpool’s dire form and Manchester City’s unreliability, it also overlooks the problems the Gunners have had to deal with.
After all, while he’s got a much better squad this year, Mikel Arteta has had to deal with an absurd number of injuries and has been without club captain Martin Odegaard for most of the campaign.
Fortunately, one of his other star signings is stepping up and doing some of the things the Norwegian would do, and no, it’s not Eberechi Eze or Ethan Nwaneri.
Arsenal's solutions to Odegaard's injury
While losing your captain to injury after injury is never ideal, the one positive for Arsenal this season is that there have been and are multiple ways Arteta can address the problem of Odegaard being out.
For example, in recent league games, he has taken to playing Eze on the right-hand side of the midfield three, and while he’s clearly still getting used to the system and hasn’t hit the heights of last season, he has made an impact.
After all, it was his goal against his former side that earned the Gunners all three points on the weekend.
Wednesday night saw the manager start Nwaneri in that position, and once again, while it will take him time to really get up to speed, he opened the scoring with a lovely finish midway through the second half.
A less popular solution that was trialled several times earlier this year saw Mikel Merino come in for the Norwegian.
Yet, while it did work in some games, such as away to Athletic Bilbao, it somewhat stunted the team’s central creativity.
Finally, something that has not been tried yet this season, but could be if things become desperate, is to start Leandro Trossard in midfield, as his technical ability and two-footedness could see him do a job.
With that said, while several players could replace Odegaard at the moment, there is another who has started to emulate parts of his game this season.
The Arsenal star emulating Odegaard
When thinking of Arsenal players who could be described as emulating parts of Odegaard’s game this season, most will think of the aforementioned names like Eze and Nwaneri.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
However, there is another, far more surprising candidate who is now doing certain things the captain did last season: Declan Rice.
Yes, the all-action “world-class” midfielder, as dubbed by journalist Tom Marshall-Bailey, who initially joined the club as a leading six, is now starting to do things on a pitch that the former Real Madrid wonderkid was doing in 24/25.
At least this is according to DataMB, which, through using the numbers and a radar chart, has noticed some significant overlap in a number of key metrics.
These statistics include things like key and progressive passes, forward passes and even progressive carries.
Now, this is not to say that the two players are one and the same, as there are also clear differences between them, such as the Englishman’s physicality and willingness to chase down and win back the ball.
However, this does show that the former West Ham United captain is far more offensively useful than perhaps he gets credit for, although his output over the last couple of years was already showing this.
Rice’s Arsenal record
Appearances
117
Starts
106
Minutes
9352′
Goals
17
Assists
24
Goal Involvements per Match
0.35
Minutes per Goal Involvement
228.09′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Moreover, it does also highlight that at his core, Odegaard isn’t a ten, but an out-and-out central midfielder who thrives in a system in which he can drop a little deeper at times to collect the ball.
Ultimately, losing the captain has been a setback for Arsenal.
However, Arteta can rest easier this season knowing he has options to replace him on the bench and that Rice has become far more dangerous going forward.
Arsenal's "unplayable" duo now look like Arteta's new Saka & Smith Rowe
Arteta has hit the jackpot with the two Arsenal gems.
The top-order batter knows he is in a selection race ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup
Andrew McGlashan02-Oct-2025
Tim Robinson celebrates his maiden T20I century•Getty Images
Tim Robinson admitted to mixed emotions after his maiden T20I century against Australia, both from the fact that it was in defeat and also that his opportunity to play only came because of misfortune to a team-mate.Robinson had not been due to feature in the opening match of the series until Rachin Ravindra was ruled out having suffered a nasty facial injury colliding with the boundary board during training.Shortly after walking in at No. 3, Robinson was faced with a scoreboard that read 6 for 3 in the second over. But he was able to transform that into a respectable total of 181 having turned 10 off 14 balls into a century from 65 deliveries, brought up when he scooped Ben Dwarshuis to fine leg off the penultimate ball of the innings. However, it still proved well short of challenging a power-packed Australia line-up who cantered home with 21 balls to spare.Related
Ravindra out of Australia series after 'major laceration'
Marsh outmuscles Robinson as Australia cruise past NZ in first T20I
“Bittersweet is a perfect way to describe it,” Robinson said. “It’s definitely a bit of a double-edged sword. I’m obviously personally pretty happy with how I went but probably trumped by the fact that we lost that game.”I wasn’t expecting to play,” he added. “Firstly, I’m really disappointed and upset for [Rachin], and he’s one of my close mates. It’s horrible to see him injure himself and miss out on playing for a team that he loves.”But in saying that, it’s given me an opportunity. So that’s, again, a weird feeling, because I wouldn’t be playing tonight if that didn’t happen. I’m always grateful for any opportunity I can to put on a black jersey, that’s for sure. But I’m really disappointed and gutted that my mate’s gone home. So it’s a bit of a funny one.”Robinson’s hasty call into the XI also meant some hurried conversations with his dad, David, back on the family farm in Rangitikei, lower North Island, where Tim himself had been helping just a week earlier having returned from his county stint with Northamptonshire. After doing farm work on Wednesday morning, David made the four-hour journey to Bay Oval to watch his son score a century.”We had all hands on deck last weekend for docking [sheep],” Robinson said. “We smashed through them. I got off the plane from England…and was straight into it on Saturday and Sunday. It was good. I was on the horse, so I didn’t even have to walk, so I was happy.”Robinson is now averaging 38.40 from his first 13 T20Is with a strike-rate of 137.63 after making his debut in Pakistan last year. His unbeaten 106 trumped the 75 not out he made against South Africa in Zimbabwe during July’s tri-series, where despite that innings he was only able to play two matches.Robinson knows he’s in a selection race for next year’s T20 World Cup with New Zealand having plenty of top-order options if everyone is available. Alongside Ravindra, they are missing Finn Allen and Kane Williamson against Australia from those who will compete for places in the top three.”Absolutely [this is a] trial window,” he said. “And that’s why I want to make the most of everything that comes my way. I love it. Competition for spots is fantastic. It breeds hunger and it’s sort of uplifting for everybody. I think it’s fantastic that we’ve got such good competition for spots and making [head coach] Rob [Walter’s] job really hard. My goal is [to] make him make hard decisions.”
Mark Wood says he is feeling the excitement of bowling once again, after coming through a “boring” six months of rehab following knee surgery, and is ready to be as “fresh as I can be” come the first Test of the Ashes at Optus Stadium in Perth in a fortnight’s time.Wood, England’s fastest bowler, played in four of the five Tests on England’s last Ashes tour in 2021-22, claiming 17 wickets including a career-best 6 for 37 in the final Test in Hobart.However, on that occasion, he missed out on the chance to play in Perth, traditionally the venue for the fastest pitches in Australia, because of Western Australia’s strict Covid policy. Instead, his only experience of the pace and bounce on offer came during England’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign in 2022.”It was rapid,” Wood recalled, having claimed five wickets in two wins against Australia (in a pre-tournament bilateral match) and Afghanistan. “I’m not sure my back is looking forward to it, but my bowling is definitely looking forward to it.”Related
Robinson aids Smith's Ashes prep as Stokes steps up bowling return
Ashes squad talking points: Kingmaker Green to dictate Australia's plans
Weatherald's 'pinch me' moment after long route to Test selection
England and Australia Ashes squads compared: who comes out on top?
Wood’s ability to touch speeds in the mid-to-high 90mphs (155kph) is a central plank of England’s strategy as they seek to end a run of three deeply one-sided Ashes tours, dating back to their last win in the country in 2010-11.Asked if England had a back-up plan, if their policy of all-out pace proves to be the wrong one, Wood joked: “Don’t try as hard and bowl 130[kph]? We’ll be giving everything we’ve got. The type of bowlers that we are, I’m not quite sure that it’s in us to not give 100%. Whether it’s good enough, I don’t know, but we’ll wait and see. Australia are obviously the favourites going into the series, but I think there’s a quiet confidence within our group that we can do well here.”As Wood has shown in his previous comebacks from injury, however, he’s unlikely to hit full throttle until he’s out in the middle, with England’s warm-up fixture against England Lions looming next week as his one opportunity to test his match fitness.”I wouldn’t say I’m at 100%,” he said. “I think it’s very hard to train 100% all of the time. I’ve been off my full run-up and stuff, and I’ve been trying to just up the intensity as I go along. I’m sure in the practice game coming up, I can try and up it a little bit more again and gradually get ready for that first game.”England have attracted some criticism for their lack of meaningful warm-up games – a stark contrast from the intense preparations that went into their 2010-11 win. Wood, however, said he was unconcerned, and cited the team’s unlikely first-Test win over India in Hyderabad two winters ago as proof of what they can achieve in the series opener.Wood has been rehabbing after knee surgery•Getty Images
“The schedule is the schedule, I’m happy with what we’ve done,” he said. “In India recently, we didn’t have many games there, and we went straight into that and managed to win that first game.”We’re going to have been here, what, two or three weeks as a group. That’s a good enough build-up to that first game in my eyes. I suppose everybody’s different, and some people might want more but, for myself, I want to feel fresh going in that first game, having done a little bit, but not too much. I want to be mint for that game, and as fresh as I can be. We’ve got a good depth of bowlers, and if one misses out, he’ll be prepared for the next game.”Either way, Wood said that England’s outdoor training sessions at Lilac Hill had been a significant improvement from the “damp and cold” back home, where much of his preparation was undertaken in a heated tent on the outfield in a bid to replicate the humid conditions in Australia.”It was boring to start with, bowling by myself, but to now bowl in front of the batters, it’s exciting,” Wood said. “It’s now feeling like the start of the tour, and I’m feeling that excitement building to the first game.”When I was running on the treadmill at home, I was visualising the stadium and my run-up, and using the experience of playing here before. It certainly helped the motivation, when I was running in a cool, dark garage at home. Gearing up for being here, I’m so much more aligned to it now.”It was never just a straight trajectory,” he said, recalling the ups and downs of his return to action from knee ligament surgery. “There were some bits where I wasn’t doing as well, and then I had to build it up again. So finally, it’s nice to be outside in some nice weather, and ramping it up.”England’s arrival in Perth has already generated a glut of headlines, not least in the West Australia newspaper which described their captain, Ben Stokes, as “England’s Cocky Captain Complainer”. Wood, however, said the squad had taken the pre-series excitement in their stride.”It’s been great,” Wood said. “That’s all part of it. I haven’t taken much notice of newspapers and things, but the reception we’ve had in general from Australians has been great.”Out and about in the hotel and around Perth, everyone’s been very friendly, and everyone’s excited for the series. It’s a big build-up, and there’s obviously huge amounts of press around it which makes it more exciting. There’s a lot of English coming … back home, I walked down the street and it seemed like every man from England’s coming across. So I think the Barmy Army will be in full voice and right behind us.”