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The Australia captain was especially emotive with the ball in hand as his team responded strongly to their Perth drubbing

Andrew McGlashan08-Dec-2024As Pat Cummins went through India’s lower order early on the third day in Adelaide, it felt like a statement from the Australia captain who had been particularly expressive with ball in hand throughout the contest.Mitchell Starc had already removed the main threat, Rishabh Pant, in the first over. Now a rapid bouncer from Cummins did for R Ashwin as he tried to hook, another rising delivery was fending into the gully by Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy ramped into the hands of deep third to give Cummins his third wicket. He could have finished with six when Mohammed Siraj, who was booed to the crease in rather pantomime-esque scenes after his run-in with Travis Head the previous day, fended at his first delivery but Alex Carey couldn’t gather the edge.Never mind. In the blink of an eye, Australia needed 19 to level the series. It was all done before the first interval, perhaps leaving some of the 33,000 in the ground a little torn between delight at the victory and a lack of cricket for the rest of a beautiful Sunday.For Australia, though, there was only one concern: winning. And they did so in a style every bit as emphatic as India’s victory in Perth.On the opening day Cummins had looked especially emotive – borderline angry – when he bounced out Pant. Late on the second night he produced a peach of a delivery to take Rohit Sharma’s off stump, which drew a few comparisons to the famous ball to Joe Root at Old Trafford in the 2019 Ashes.”This week we were back to our best, the team I remember and how we want to play our cricket so really satisfying,” Cummins said. “I was pretty pumped up. Probably felt like some big wickets in the context of the match. Especially the pink ball, feels like the margins have been quite small so maybe just pretty excited – more so than normal.”1:42

Cummins on Australia’s comeback win: ‘We were back to our best’

It was the fourth-shortest Test in Australia and 81 fewer deliveries than last season’s thrashing of West Indies, although this contest was witnessed by 135,012 across the three days – a record for an India Test in Adelaide despite its brevity.From the very first ball of the match, when Starc removed Yashasvi Jaiswal, it was an excellent two-and-a-bit days for Cummins and his team. That’s all it took to dismantle India twice across a collective 80 overs while Travis Head, not for the first time, produced the defining innings when there was a still a way back into the contest for the visitors.”When Trav walked out to the crease that was the turning point,” Cummins said. “Feels like every time he walks out the game’s in the balance…and within the space of a session or so he really took the game out of their hands. He’s done it time and time again for us in many different formats. So lucky he’s on our side because as a captain I wouldn’t know how to bowl to him, how to set fields to him.”But he also singled out the night session on the opening day, where Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne, took Australia to the close just one down, as a key period in setting up the game.”That was really gutsy what those guys did on that first night,” Cummins said. “You look back to Perth, it’s those small moments that if you win them and suddenly you wake up the next day and it’s a different day. Think that was a really good lesson and it was really gutsy to get through that period and meant some of the other guys later on could cash in.”Cummins again spoke of being reasonably happy with how he bowled in first Test in Perth – where he had a match return of 3 for 153 – and that not much changed for him here, but he looked better for the run from the moment he nibbled the new ball around in the first innings.He heaped praise on his pace-bowling colleagues, Starc and Scott Boland, who finished with eight and five wickets in the game respectively. Nathan Lyon sent down the grand total of one over – “He will jump in the ice bath, he has had a big week,” Cummins joked at the presentation – while Mitchell Marsh’s unconvincing four overs in the first innings faded from significance.”Some of the talk this week was around do we have enough bowling,” Cummins said. “Particularly that day one, thought it was a herculean effort from Starcy and Scotty. It was hot, close to 40 degrees, humid and basically just kept rotating the bowlers all day. Huge effort from those guys, showed their class, I feel very lucky as a captain to have those guys and then having someone like Lyno who we didn’t even need to call on. Feels like I’ve got a lot of tools at my disposal.”And so for the third time in a row a series between these two teams in Australia is level at 1-1 after the first two matches. Onto the Gabba.

Two days, two walk-off wins for the Minnesota Twins.

One day after Harrison Bader walked it off in a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday with a 378-foot homer in the bottom of the ninth, Brooks Lee did the same Saturday. Only his heroic knock traveled about 300 feet less.

With Byron Buxton representing the game-winning run on third base and nobody out in the ninth inning, Lee squared up to bunt on the first pitch he saw from Tampa Bay reliever Garrett Cleavinger.

The Rays weren't expecting it. By the time first baseman Yandy Diaz could field the ball, Buxton was already home. Diaz's only chance to save the game was to let it roll foul—but Lee's bunt stayed about six inches into fair territory all the way to first base.

That's a walk-off bunt for the win.

"I was surprised too," Lee said of the call to bunt in that situation to Twins.TV reporter Audra Martin. "Any way we can get it done. I've been bunting my whole life—West Coast baseball. That's [Cal Poly baseball coach] Larry Lee right there. And it paid off."

That bold call to bunt secured the 500th career win for Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. The 43-year-old skipper is the fourth manager in Twins history to notch at least 500 wins, joining Tom Kelly (1,140 wins), Ron Gardenhire (1,068 wins) and Sam Mele (524 wins).

"It's awesome. I'm sure he doesn't want to talk about it, but we're gonna," Lee said with a smile about Baldelli's milestone.

The Twins climbed to 43-46 with the win over Tampa Bay. They are 12 games back of the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central and 3.5 games out of a playoff spot.

Premier League leaders Arsenal will travel to Championship side Portsmouth in round three of the FA Cup, while holders Crystal Palace head to non-league outfit Macclesfield. English giants Manchester City and Liverpool host League One teams Exeter and Barnsley respectively and Manchester United take on Brighton in an all-Premier League affair.

• FA Cup third round ball numbers

  Before the draw was made on Monday evening, FA Cup holders Crystal Palace were given the number 13 ball, while Premier League leaders Arsenal were 2 and 2024 winners Manchester United were 23. National League South side Weston-super-Mare (49) are into the third round for the first time in their entire 138-year history, while Macclesfield (45) and Boreham Wood (51) are the other two non-league teams to reach the third round of the competition. Finally, Brackley Town (58) can join them as they host Burton Albion in the final second round tie on Monday night.

  1. AFC Bournemouth

  2. Arsenal

  3. Aston Villa

  4. Birmingham City

  5. Blackburn Rovers

  6. Brentford

  7. Brighton & Hove Albion

  8. Bristol City

  9. Burnley

  10. Charlton Athletic

  11. Chelsea

  12. Coventry City

  13. Crystal Palace

  14. Derby County

  15. Everton

  16. Fulham

  17. Hull City

  18. Ipswich Town

  19. Leeds United

  20. Leicester City

  21. Liverpool

  22. Manchester City

  23. Manchester United

  24. Middlesbrough

  25. Millwall

  26. Newcastle United

  27. Norwich City

  28. Nottingham Forest

  29. Oxford United

  30. Portsmouth

  31. Preston North End

  32. Queens Park Rangers

  33. Sheffield United

  34. Sheffield Wednesday

  35. Southampton

  36. Stoke City

  37. Sunderland

  38. Swansea City

  39. Tottenham Hotspur

  40. Watford

  41. West Bromwich Albion

  42. West Ham United

  43. Wolverhampton Wanderers

  44. Wrexham

  45. Macclesfield

  46. Grimsby Town

  47. Shrewsbury Town

  48. Swindon Town

  49. Weston Super Mare

  50. Barnsley

  51. Boreham Wood

  52. Milton Keynes Dons

  53. Wigan Athletic

  54. Fleetwood Town

  55. Salford City

  56. Mansfield Town

  57. Cambridge United

  58. Brackley Town or Burton Albion

  59. Blackpool

  60. Walsall

  61. Exeter City

  62. Cheltenham Town

  63. Doncaster Rovers

  64. Port Vale

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  FA Cup third round draw in full

  In the draw, there are four all Premier League ties, with Tottenham hosting Aston Villa, Everton entertaining Sunderland, Bournemouth travelling to Newcastle United and Brighton making the trip to Old Trafford. As mentioned above, former Premier League stalwart Portsmouth get to host Arsenal, a side they played many times earlier this century. Elsewhere, there could be a non-league battle if Brackley beat League One Burton, with the winner facing National League outfit Boreham Wood. 

  The draw is as follows, with the Premier League teams in bold.

  Wolverhampton Wanderers v Shrewsbury Town

  Doncaster Rovers v Southampton

  Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa

  Port Vale v Fleetwood Town

  Preston North End v Wigan Athletic

  Ipswich Town v Blackpool

  Wrexham v Nottingham Forest

  Charlton Athletic v Chelsea

  Manchester City v Exeter City

  West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers

  Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford

  Fulham v Middlesbrough

  Everton v Sunderland

  Liverpool v Barnsley

  Burnley v Millwall

  Norwich City v Walsall

  Portsmouth v Arsenal

  Derby County v Leeds United

  Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion

  Salford City v Swindon Town

  Boreham Wood v Brackley Town or Burton Albion

  Grimsby Town v Weston-super-Mare

  Hull City v Blackburn Rovers

  Newcastle United v Bournemouth

  MK Dons v Oxford United

  Cheltenham Town v Leicester City

  Cambridge United v Birmingham City

  Bristol City v Watford

  Stoke City v Coventry City

  Macclesfield v Crystal Palace

  Manchester United v Brighton

  Sheffield United v Mansfield Town

• Pundits react to FA Cup draw

  Former England team-mates Joe Cole and Peter Crouch did the honours at the third round draw, and now both have given their take on what lies ahead.

  The former winger Cole said on TNT Sports: "Charlton v Chelsea is a good draw. For clubs like Chelsea and all the top clubs, you want a home draw, you don't want to be travelling too far in January. It's a derby, it's great for Charlton, a good London derby."

  And ex-striker Crouch added: "Newcastle v Bournemouth will be a good one. Liverpool as well, I played in one against Barnsley and I think they knocked us out. We played Havant & Waterlooville and then we lost to Barnsley at Anfield."

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  When will the third round FA Cup ties take place?

  The third round fixtures are scheduled to be held between January 9-12, 2026, adding to English teams' busy schedules over the festive period and the new year. 

  Incidentally, Ally McCoist added: "Tottenham against Aston Villa is a brilliant tie, that is the one that stands out more than anything. Charlton v Chelsea a London derby, but there are some great ties. Everton v Sunderland's a big one, Sunderland going well and so are Everton."

Tottenham Hotspur secured a needed 2-0 victory over Brentford this afternoon to help ease the pressure on the shoulders of current manager Thomas Frank.

The win over Bees was the Lilywhites’ first in the Premier League since the win at Everton at the end of October – a run that lasted a total of five matches.

Goals from Xavi Simons and Richarlison secured all three points for the hosts, with such a result taking the side up to eighth place in England’s top-flight after 15 games.

Frank will no doubt be hoping such a result will kickstart his tenure in North London, especially after a stop-start period which has led to discontent being directed his way from the fans.

One player could well prove to be crucial over the next couple of months, especially if his showing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon is anything to go by.

The stats behind Xavi Simons’ display against Brentford

After spending £52m on Simons’ signature during the summer window, many Spurs fans will no doubt have expected the attacking midfielder to make an immediate impact to life in England.

However, prior to the clash with Brentford today, he had failed to find the back of the net for his new side, but his 43rd-minute effort has finally broken such a spell at the 19th attempt.

The Dutch international also registered the assist for Richarlison’s strike in the 25th minute, with the youngster having a hand in both of the side’s efforts in North London.

Simons’ underlying stats from the triumph were just as impressive, with the midfielder completing 86% of the passes he attempted, with five of which going into the final third.

He also won three fouls, whilst also creating two chances for his teammates – in what was undoubtedly his best showing since his big-money transfer to the Premier League.

The fanbase will no doubt be hoping that the Dutchman can continue such form, but it didn’t stop another player from reaching similar levels this afternoon.

The Spurs player who looked like Bale against Brentford

Gareth Bale was a player who often managed to get the Spurs fans off their seats as a result of his performances on the pitch during his spell in North London.

The Welshman used to torment defenders with his relentless running and his ability to go either inside or outside when travelling with the ball on the right-flank.

However, since his big-money transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013, the club have greatly lacked that presence and talent off such a wing in the final third.

Brennan Johnson was often filled the void in the last couple of years, even scoring 18 times last season, but he’s ultimately struggled to nail down the position as his own.

He’s since dropped further down the pecking order in the last few months since Frank’s arrival, especially after the Dane forked out a reported £55m for the signature of Mohammed Kudus.

The Ghanaian international has started all but one league game since his arrival, with the manager once again selecting him during the victory earlier this afternoon.

He once again took centre stage in the clash with the Bees and demonstrated why the manager has faith in him to provide the goods – arguably being just like Bale with such a display.

Kudus managed to complete five dribbles during the win – the most of any player on the pitch – taking his tally to 45 this season, the highest tally of any player in the division at present.

He also managed to complete two crosses, created two chances and completed 92% of his passes – reminiscent of the numbers Bale produced during his own spell at the club.

The winger’s excellent display was further reflected in his tally of nine duels and 100% aerials won, with the forward managing to star even when not in possession of the ball.

As a result of his showing, the forward was handed an impressive 7/10 match rating by Football London, further showcasing his impressive display against Frank’s former side.

There’s no doubt the winger has made himself one of the first players on the teamsheet, with him and Simons potentially playing a key role at the club for many years to come.

Should he continue on his current path, there’s no reason why he can’t become as pivotal as Bale was at the club – potentially taking the club to new heights in the process.

Forget Simons: Spurs "liability" is now becoming the new Ndombele

This Tottenham star is flattering to deceive in spite of his immense talent.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 6, 2025

It was like déjà vu all over again at American Family Field on Wednesday afternoon, as for a second consecutive game, the Boston Red Sox lost to the Milwaukee Brewers on a walk-off in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Even after losing on a grand slam by Christian Yelich on Tuesday, Wednesday's defeat may have been even worse. Tied 4-4 heading into extra innings, Boston scored on a David Hamilton fielder's choice to take a one-run lead in the 10th. The bottom of the frame, however, turned into a horrid one for the Sox.

To kick things off, they gifted Milwaukee the tying run before an out was even recorded thanks to a brutal throw home by second baseman Kristian Campbell. Then, with runners on second and third, third baseman Caleb Durbin hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field, scoring Sam Frelick and sealing the deal on a very quick come-from-behind victory.

The win for Milwaukee brings them to 29-28 while the Red Sox—after finally climbing out to an above .500 record this week—have now lost five straight games, sit at 27-31, and have fallen to fourth place in the AL East.

Dealing with a slew of injuries and in turn calling up top prospect Marcelo Mayer this weekend, Boston's road ahead doesn't get much easier. They're off to Atlanta for a three-game series against the Braves before returning home to take on the Los Angeles Angels.

Juventus have reportedly joined the race for Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, as the young Red Devils star continues to attract interest from Serie A amidst the stagnation of his Old Trafford career. The 20-year-old has frequently been linked with Napoli and Juve are now said to be 'monitoring' Mainoo, whom they see as the next Paul Pogba if they can convince Mainoo to swap Manchester for Turin.

• Mainoo could become new Pogba at Juventus

  Reports by in Italy dub Mainoo the ‘talent which conquers half of Europe’ and say that the 20-year-old could become ‘Paul Pogba 2.0’ if he joins Juventus, whom ‘the player likes’.

  Reports state that while Mainoo’s potential ‘does not go unnoticed’ at United, Napoli could make him a ‘priority target’ amidst a lack of similar options in the midfield, with a permanent move touted. The door is open for Juventus to make a swoop in January, though, and recreate a famous scenario where Pogba joined the Italian giants from United as a 19-year-old and went on to become one of the world’s best midfielders before returning to Old Trafford for £89 million ($117m) in 2016.

  Whether Mainoo’s career could take a similar trajectory remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that comparisons can be drawn between the Carrington academy graduate not being given the first-team opportunities he perhaps deserves, in the same manner Pogba had to deal with before his first exit from the club.

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  'The club comes first' – Mainoo and Zirkzee told exit reality

  Mainoo has previously been reported to have demanded an Old Trafford exit in search of more game-time, but Ruben Amorim recently stated in a press conference that January exits will only occur if it is in the best interests of the club. He appeared to be referring to want-away stars Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee.

  "The first thing is that the club comes first, so we have to think about the club and the team, and then everything can happen," said Amorim. 

  "I was a football player, I understand everything, and I want to help my players in every situation, so I don't know what is going to happen.

  "I want my players happy. I understand the frustration of some players, seeing that the World Cup is there, and I know what it means for the World Cup, but Manchester United comes first, so if I can help the club and the players, I will be happy, if not I have to think about the team."

• Midfielder maintains minor Old Trafford role

  Having played just 170 minutes in the Premier League so far this season, Mainoo’s role within Amorim’s side does not appear to be growing in the near future. While the Portuguese continues to proclaim his trust in the 10-cap England international publicly, his continued selection decisions tell an entirely different story.

  Mainoo has even recently been told to join league leaders Arsenal, by former Gunners star Stefan Schwarz: "Arsenal have the best conditions for young players. And they have a manager in Mikel Arteta that is not afraid to give responsibility to them and give them opportunities when he feels they are ready. It's just about preparing them in the best way and that's what Arsenal have done very well the last couple of years."

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  Mainoo exit situation as Serie A interest intensifies

  Speculation linking Mainoo with an Old Trafford exit will undoubtedly only increase in volume as the January transfer window approaches.

  Monday’s home defeat to Everton ended a five-game unbeaten run for the Red Devils and consigned Amorim’s side to a first home defeat since August, having won all four of their Premier League home fixtures since opening-day defeat to Arsenal.

  Whether the disappointing result will impact Mainoo’s chances of further minutes in the coming weeks remains to be seen, with his 32 minutes on the field against the Toffees representing his longest cameo since August 30 against Burnley.

  United have European ambitions this season and with the Champions League race looking wide open at present, Amorim has previously expressed how difficult it is to give minutes to his entire squad with only one game per week. This could, ultimately, lead to Mainoo demanding a departure once again, particularly if interest from the likes of Juventus becomes more concrete.

Richard Hughes was rightly lauded after overseeing a staggering summer transfer window for Premier League champions Liverpool, but any positivity has been scourged away by the dreadful form that has fractured Arne Slot’s reign.

Nine losses across 12 fixtures is bad enough, but the limp and toothless manner of many of the defeats – especially recent losses at Anfield against Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League – underscores the severity of the crisis Slot is dealing with.

He needs to find answers, or else FSG will be forced into making a rare managerial dismissal. It’s inevitable that discussion is increasing about the security of Slot’s position.

That would be an outcome few of a Red persuasion would want, not least because of a shortage of options.

Jurgen Klopp’s name has been bandied about, but this is not realistic.

Who Liverpool could replace Slot with

Klopp draped the curtain on his Liverpool dynasty at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. He was tired. It had been a tough, gruelling, heavy metal career on Merseyside, where he had devoted nine years to restoring Anfield as a global superpower.

There has been some discussion online as to whether FSG should push for a comeback, but this romanticised notion would fall flat.

Klopp is not the answer. His quasi-retirement has seen him assume the post of Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH, and it’s important to remember that the German tactician’s tactical shrewdness waned toward the end of his tenure. He was tired, after all.

But, if Slot is fired, Liverpool would need to find a replacement, and Spanish sources suggest Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is on the shortlist.

Iraola, 43, is one of the most exciting young managers in Europe, having shaped the Cherries into a front-footed and sharp attacking outfit.

Compensation pay would be required to pull him away from the Vitality Stadium, but given Iraola’s vision aligns with the club’s long-term project, he might be the one to go for.

Why Iraola could be perfect for Liverpool

It was a bold move for Bournemouth to ditch Gary O’Neil after the pragmatic manager steered the club to safety after promotion to the Premier League in 2022/23. A bold move, but one carried out with diligence, for Iraola was earmarked as a progressive option.

And Bill Foley must be delighted. In 2023/24, Bournemouth recorded a record points total (56) in the Premier League, leading​ journalist James Horncastle to hail him as “the best coach in the Premier League” for his sharp-witted and positive approach.

Iraola likes aggressive and high-octane football. He is not as turbo-charged in his approach as Klopp, but the Spaniard would infuse Liverpool with more risk-taking and directness than Slot prefers, albeit still maintaining an emphasis on retaining possession.

This could play to the strengths of Florian Wirtz, who has had a tough time since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m in the summer.

A silky and inventive attacking midfielder, the German has yet to register a goal involvement in the Premier League and has lacked the clarity and poise that was expected after the thrill of his official announcement.

There remains a world-class talent in there, and Wirtz’s woes come with the caveat that he has entered a dysfunctional tactical system.

Iraola’s focus on a 4-2-3-1 formation suggests that the 22-year-old could find a natural place at number ten. As per FBref, he does rank among the top 11% of positional peers in the English top flight this term for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90.

This suggests that Wirtz has the potential to be a superstar in England, and Iraola can provide the stability and fluency of tactics to help realise that.

He might not be Klopp, but Iraola has labelled his tactics as being akin to “rock and roll”. Klopp’s famous branding of his vision as being ‘heavy metal football’ suggests that Liverpool might hit the jackpot by making this switch.

No one wants to see Slot be sacked, but this pitiful form and level of performance cannot be allowed to continue, and Iraola has the acumen to revive Wirtz and bring the champions back into the ascendancy.

Better than Isak: Liverpool join race for "one of the best RWs in the world"

Arne Slot’s Liverpool tenure is crumbling before him, and FSG are considering changes.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 28, 2025

Major League Baseball has concluded its spring training experiment with the automated ball-strike system and the numbers stats from it are promising.

The league released its report on Wednesday and it appears the system worked as it was designed to.

The system was used in 288 spring training games, with an average of 4.1 challenges per game, compared to 3.9 per game in Triple-A during the 2024 campaign. Through spring training, 2.6% of all pitches were challenged, with 52.2% of challenged pitches getting overturned, both figures on par with the system’s use in Triple-A ball in 2024.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, each challenge lasted an average of 13.8 seconds, compared to 16.6 seconds in Triple-A in 2024.

It would seem the system is working as desinged—ensuring more calls were correct while keeping stoppages to a minimum. For those who watched games with the system, challenges just seemed to be a seamless part of things, with fans getting to see the tracked pitch cross the plate and anticipate the result.

Given the success of this run with ABS, it feels like the challenge system could make the jump to the majors sooner rather than later.

Perfection and the England men's national team never were natural bedfellows, but Thomas Tuchel has changed the narrative around the Three Lions by propelling them to a literally flawless World Cup qualifying campaign. England completed their perfect run of results by rounding off their journey to North America in 2026 with a 2-0 victory away in Albania, an eighth successive win without conceding a goal.

England have known for more than a month that they would be going to the World Cup, and to tell the truth they probably knew that as soon as they saw the qualifying draw. Having seen his side destroy Serbia and Latvia 5-0 each on his last two trips abroad, there were just two factors on Tuchel's mind when his squad got to Tirana: Chasing that perfect run of results and chiselling out his starting line up for the World Cup.

The German made sweeping changes to his XI from Thursday's game against Serbia, only handing repeat starts to Harry Kane, Declan Rice, John Stones and Nico O'Reilly. But this was not just about testing out his second string, but trying to nail down his best team.

Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford managed to prove their worth from the bench, coming on to provide the crosses for Kane to score both of England's goals. Jude Bellingham, meanwhile, reiterated his importance to the team with a dominant display even though he looked furious when he was taken off. And one player made a late claim as an usurper in Dean Henderson, who made his first start since the dismal defeat to Senegal in June but fired out a warning to Jordan Pickford with a terrific performance in goal, proving utterly crucial to pulling off that all-important clean sheet.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Air Albania Stadium…

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  WINNER: Thomas Tuchel

  Tuchel might be a gun for hire from an England perspective, and yet he has hit the target with every single one of his shots. The German has only been in the job for 11 months, working with the players for eight of those, but he has sure left his mark on the team. Tuchel is the first England coach to oversee a perfect World Cup qualifying campaign while his team are the first side from any continent to have played at least six games and won them all without conceding a goal.

  The coach decided to experiment by making seven changes to the team that had beaten Serbia, but he was still deadly serious about winning the game and called on his most trusted marksmen from the bench to complete the job. 

  The big question about whether England can beat the best sides in the world will remain unanswered until the World Cup kicks-off, quite possibly until the quarter-finals, and cynics will point to the fact that Fabio Capello had a tremendous record in qualifying for the 2010 tournament, only to disappoint when it mattered.

  But England's hunger to win Sunday's game in the closing stages is proof that Tuchel has stamped his ultra-demanding personality on the team, and it is hard to not be excited about the culture he has built in his short time in charge.

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  LOSER: Eberechi Eze

  Eberechi Eze had earned his place in the starting line-up with his tremendous strike against Serbia after coming off the bench, but his performance against Albania underlined the sense that he is much more effective as a substitute than as a starter. Eze struggled to create much danger in the first half, and when England's best chance of the game fell to him shortly into the second period after a brilliant ball from Bellingham, he completely blew it as couldn't get the ball out of his feet and scuffed it straight at goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.

  Eze was taken off for his Arsenal team-mate Saka shortly after the hour-mark, making it the third consecutive England start in which he has failed to score or provide an assist. Contrast that with him scoring in his last three matches for his country as a substitute, against Serbia and in both games against Latvia.

  Being seen as an effective finisher is no bad thing and it would be no surprise to see Eze have a big impact at the World Cup from the bench. Still, no player likes to be known solely as a super-sub, and Eze passed up a good opportunity here to try and change that reputation.

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  WINNER: Harry Kane

  Kane has a remarkable ability to sail through a match without doing very much at all and then go on to decide it with his killer instinct. This was a textbook example of his knack to have the final say without warning. Before he scored the opening goal, Kane had not had any shots on goal or created any chances for his team-mates. Any other player would have been ripe for substitution.

  But Tuchel knows Kane's ability to find the net as well as anyone and his decision to leave the striker on was vindicated when he knocked in Saka's corner and then glanced in Rashford's wonderful delivery. Kane's brace took him on to nine goals in nine matches under Tuchel, having scored in six of the eight qualifiers.

  Kane's status as England captain and main man was called into question after his hugely disappointing displays at Euro 2024, but Tuchel chose to make the striker the fulcrum of his team and is being handsomely rewarded for doing so. "The work ethic, the attitude is just outstanding," Tuchel said of Kane. "I almost have no words – he is invested in everything we do. He is a leader and it speaks for itself."

  When it comes to scoring in qualifying for World Cups and European Championships, no one can compete with Kane, who has scored 40 goals since 2019. The second-highest scorer in that period is Cristiano Ronaldo on 32.

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  WINNER: Dean Henderson

  While Tuchel has tried to show that no player is undroppable, Declan Rice, Kane and Jordan Pickford are practically assured of their place in the starting line-up when England kick off their World Cup campaign next June. Henderson, then, has the misfortune to be vying for one of those spots, competing with a player who has been England's No.1 since the 2018 World Cup and has proven to be a formidable force in penalty shootouts. 

  But the Crystal Palace goalkeeper did make the most of a rare starting opportunity, delivering a flawless display between the sticks. Henderson made a top-draw save to thwart Albania's main dangerman Arber Hoxha before making a bold yet correct move to charge out of his area and swipe the ball from the feet of Qazim Laci. He would almost certainly have been sent off had he got there a second late, but his timing was spot on and he made sure England kept that coveted eighth consecutive clean sheet in qualifying.

  "I didn't want to be the one that stepped in and conceded," he said. "Jordan has been excellent. He has had the shirt for a long time now, he has been putting in good performances, which makes it hard to break through." That might be true, but at least Henderson has demonstrated to Tuchel that he is his man should he start to ever question Pickford.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been blessed over recent years to witness some incredible talents wearing their shirt – none more so than attacking midfielder Dele.

The Englishman joined in a deal worth a reported £5m from MK Dons back in 2015, arriving in North London as a baby-faced 19-year-old, with many supporters expecting him to link up with the youth setup.

However, he was catapulted into the senior ranks, becoming a key member of their Premier League squad, racking up a total of 146 appearances in his first three years at White Hart Lane.

Dele ended up spending seven years with the Lilywhites, scoring 67 times and registering 55 assists – even winning the PFA’s Young Player of the Year award back to back.

Whilst he’s faced struggles off the field since his departure three years ago, the Spurs hierarchy have also struggled to replace him – leading to Thomas Frank completing a big-money deal for one star this summer.

How Xavi Simons compares to other PL CAMs in 2025/26

During the summer transfer window, Spurs were desperate for a new attacking midfielder, especially after James Maddison suffered an ACL injury against Newcastle United in pre-season.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze were just two of the options identified by Frank, but the former signed a new deal at Nottingham Forest, whilst the latter joined North London rivals, Arsenal.

As a result, the hierarchy completed a £52m transfer for Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, but such a deal has been a disaster for everyone involved just a couple of months on.

The Dutch international has featured 14 times across all competitions to date, but has failed to score a single goal, whilst also only laying on two assists for his teammates.

His underlying stats also highlight his lack of positive impact in England’s top-flight, with Simons only creating an average of 1.01 chances per 90 – a dismal tally for an attacking midfielder.

As a result, such a tally ranks him in the bottom 25% of all other midfielders in the league, with right-back Pedro Porro creating more chances in the same time period.

At just 22, he has plenty of time to transform his career under Frank, but he will certainly need to do so quickly – especially considering the form of one other player in recent months.

The Spurs star who could become the next Dele

The number ten position at Spurs has been one that no player has truly nailed down since Dele’s departure, with Simons having a long way to go until he gets anywhere near the levels produced by the Englishman.

However, some slack will certainly need to be cut for the Dutchman, with the youngster needing time to adapt to a whole new country, culture and style of football in North London.

His tally of 19 combined goals and assists in the Bundesliga showcases that there’s a talented player in there, but ultimately, it’s going to take time before he reaches his full potential.

The Lilywhites hierarchy may have been better off waiting for another youth talent to emerge from their ranks and staking a claim for a regular starting role in the first-team setup.

Luca Williams-Barnett is no doubt a player who is on the lips of all the supporters, with the 17-year-old already registering 12 combined goals and assists in just eight games for the U21 side.

However, the club might already have their next Dele in the form of attacking midfielder Tyrese Hall, with the 20-year-old star already making huge waves in the professional game.

Like Williams-Barnett, he hugely impressed at U21 level last campaign, subsequently securing a season-long loan to join League Two side Notts County for the 2025/26 campaign.

Such a spell is his first taste of senior football, but Hall is taking to it like a duck to water, as seen by his phenomenal tally of six goals in his first 16 appearances for the Magpies.

His latest effort against Cheltenham Town proved to be the winner for Martin Paterson’s men, leading to coach Harry Brooks claiming he has the “exact profile Spurs lack” under Frank.

Hall has already caught the eye at Meadow Lane for his superb dribbling ability, which has seen him complete 53% of his take-on attempts, subsequently leading to 1.9 chances created per 90.

The comparison to Dele may be a huge one, but it’s certainly one that could come to fruition if Hall does manage to stay on his current trajectory on loan with the Magpies.

Dele made his name for his time at MK Dons in the EFL, with the Spurs youngster also doing the exact same thing a decade later – so don’t be surprised if Hall is a player taking North London by storm in the near future.

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