Tottenham Hotspur fans have entered the 2025/26 campaign with huge expectations, especially after the Europa League triumph against Manchester United at the end of May.

The Lilywhites ended their 17-year wait for a trophy in Bilbao, which has no doubt cranked the pressure up on Thomas Frank after he took the reins from Ange Postecoglou during the off-season.

He completed four deals of his own during his maiden summer in North London, with his arrivals racking up over £100m spent to help improve the options at the Dane’s disposal.

The likes of Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons made the move to join the Lilywhites, with the pair helping the side sit in fifth-place in the Premier League at present.

However, Frank will no doubt want to further bolster his squad in the upcoming January transfer window to improve the club’s chances of finishing in the Champions League places once again.

Numerous players have been strongly touted with a switch to North London, but one name has been continuously been mentioned over the last couple of weeks.

The latest on Semenyo's move to Spurs in January

Over the last couple of days, Spurs have been named as one of numerous Premier League clubs in the hunt to land a deal for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo in January.

The 25-year-old has been one of the division’s biggest talents in the 2025/26 campaign, with the Ghanian already scoring six times and registering three assists in his 11 appearances.

Such a tally of nine combined goals and assists is the second-highest of any player in the division, with only Erling Haaland notching more at this stage of the season.

Over the last couple of days, it’s become apparent that the winger could be available in the upcoming transfer window, with the Cherries potentially powerless to losing their starman.

It’s been reported that Semenyo has a £65m release clause which becomes active in the winter market, with Spurs just one side currently interested in a move for his signature.

The likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool also remain keen on a deal for the attacker, but it’s unclear who is leading the race for his signature.

However, it would be yet another huge investment by Frank, especially after splashing upwards of £50m on two different additions during the recent summer window.

A deal for Semenyo would also be a joint-club record, with such a fee matching the price paid for Dominic Solanke after his own switch to North London from Bournemouth back in 2024.

If the club are to afford such a deal in the coming months, the club will likely have to offload numerous first-team players to help balance the books in the process.

How Spurs can fund the Semenyo move

Over the years, Spurs have spent big on numerous players across various areas of the pitch in an attempt to try and battle for Premier League supremacy.

The hierarchy have spent upwards of £400m in the last couple of years to back various managers, but their investment has often been wasted on numerous players who have failed to match the demands in North London.

Tanguy Ndombele is arguably the biggest example, after the hierarchy forked out a reported £63m for the Frenchman’s signature back in the summer of 2019.

He only made a total of 91 appearances for the Lilywhites over a five-year spell, before being released and returning to his homeland to join Nice back in the summer of 2024.

Frank’s current squad also does boast numerous big-money additions, with the centre-back partnership of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero costing nearly £100m combined.

However, the pair have been worth every penny in North London, with the partnership helping the Dane’s side keep the fourth-best defensive record in the division at present.

However, not all the club’s big-money investments have paid off in recent years, with Richarlison one player who has massively struggled to match expectations at the club.

The Brazilian joined the Lilywhites for a reported £60m back in the summer of 2022, with such a move raising the eyebrows of many supporters given the nature of the transfer fee.

In the three and a half years since such a move, the 28-year-old has racked up a total of 108 appearances for the first-team, only finding the back of the net on 24 occasions.

This season alone, Richarlison has massively struggled to match the levels many expect of him, with the club desperately needing to move the former Everton man on in the near future.

He’s often been ineffective in numerous matches, as seen by his average of 22.3 touches per 90 this season, with the Brazilian only notching 10 touches in 90 mins against Bodo Glimt in the Champions League.

Other figures, such as a 50% dribble success rate and just 42% aerials won in the Premier League to date, showcase his poor all-round quality at the top end of the pitch.

As a result of his disappointing displays in recent months, Gabriel Agbonlahor stated that he believes the Brazilian is “one of the worst signings in Premier League history”.

Richarlison – PL stats (2025/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

11

Goals scored

4

Pass accuracy

63%

Dribble success

50%

Aerials won

42%

Big chances missed

5

Fouls committed

1.5

Touches per 90

22

Stats via FotMob

The manager will no doubt want added quality in the final third, as seen by their move for Semenyo, but they will likely need to move Richarlison on to generate the funds needed to land the Ghanaian.

However, Richarlison has been subject to interest in recent months, with MLS outfit Orlando City FC already registering interest in a potential transfer for the striker.

Frank and the hierarchy will certainly need to jump at the rumoured interest, with this window one of the last opportunities to get some of their £60m investment back.

If the club want to land Semenyo, a sale of the Brazilian is desperately needed, with all parties needing a fresh start, which could help secure a move for the Bournemouth star in the process.

Related Spurs already have their answer to Semenyo out on loan & he's "like Son"

Spurs could save themselves from having to dip into the transfer market for Antoine Semenyo…

Posts ByRobbie Walls Nov 19, 2025

Jhye Richardson believes he could play Test cricket this summer if needed having progressed to bowling off his full run coming off shoulder surgery

Alex Malcolm09-Oct-2025Mitchell Starc believes Pat Cummins won’t need much preparation to play in the first Ashes Test in Perth, saying the skipper remains upbeat despite not yet being cleared to bowl with six weeks to go before the series starts.Doubts are growing over Cummins’ availability for the first Test of the Ashes as he continues to rehab the hot spot in his lower back having not bowled a ball since Australia’s last Test against West Indies in July.While it is understood that Cricket Australia has made no decisions on Cummins’ return to bowling and his availability for the first Test of the Ashes and beyond, the tightness of the timeline for the skipper to build-up his bowling loads adequately has become a major talking point.Related

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Starc, who will return to the BBL for the first time in 11 years in the upcoming season, believes Cummins is so unique that he could play a Test match off very limited preparation.”Playing with Pat and being close with Pat, he doesn’t need much,” Starc said. “Whether he bowls three warm-up balls and the first over the game, he’s on the money, he just knows when to switch on or how to switch on really quickly. So what it looks like for him in his prep, it’s going to be certainly different to what mine feels and looks like, and that comes with experience and age.”Having spent so much time with Josh [Hazlewood] and Pat and myself and Scotty [Boland], we all prepare slightly differently. We all feel like we need different things. I feel like at times I need to bowl more around preparation stuff, whether it be training or after layoffs.”Starc has returned to bowling ahead of the ODI series against India after a lengthy pre-season having not played since the Caribbean Test tour. Both Starc and Hazlewood are also set to play in New South Wales’ round four Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at the SCG from November 10-13 in preparation for the first Ashes Test which starts on November 21 in Perth.Starc said he had been in touch with Cummins but had seen less of him since returning to NSW training as the skipper continues to do his gym rehab.Mitchell Starc expects Steven Smith to be “the logical choice” to lead if Pat Cummins isn’t fit•BCCI”He’s in good spirits,” Starc said. “He’s ultra-positive as always, and there’s still some weeks to go before we get to Perth for the Test prep. So we’ll see where that lands. Hopefully we see a lot of him through the summer, and we’ll see where we get to in Perth.”If Cummins were to be ruled out, the question of who replaces him as captain will be raised but Starc said Steven Smith would be the logical choice given he has captained Australia in 40 Test matches including deputising for Cummins in six over the last four years.”We’ve got a group of us that have played cricket with Steve as captain anyway,” Starc said. “And then the times that he’s filled in over the last few seasons for Pat, whether it be for personal reasons, for illness or for injury, it’s an easy transition for Steve. He’s obviously a very experienced cricket brain and thinks heavily about the game, and we have a team of experienced guys that can give their two cents worth along the journey as well.”

We’ve got a fairly talented group of 19-20-year-old bowlers, and then a lot of depth from there up to us that have played a lot of domestic cricket. I think the depth is there”Mitchell Starc

Cummins’ potential absence has also raised questions about Australia’s fast-bowling depth beyond the big four of Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Boland.Starc cited Michael Neser and Sean Abbott as two experienced options and also mentioned another man who has played for Australia previously and took five wickets in an Ashes game in his most recent Test appearance.”There’s been a little bit of noise around Jhye Richardson coming back from his shoulder as well,” Starc said. “We know what skills he has. We’ve got a fairly talented group of 19-20-year-old bowlers, and then a lot of depth from there up to us that have played a lot of domestic cricket. I think the depth is there.”Richardson, speaking at another BBL event in Melbourne on Thursday, was confident he could play a Test this summer if required despite still progressing his bowling in the nets following shoulder surgery earlier this year.Jhye Richardson last played a Test match in December 2021•AFP/Getty Images”I think so,” Richardson said. “Body’s really good. At this stage of the recovery what we wanted was for everything else to be right, and the only limiting factor to be my shoulder, which is the case at the moment, which is really good. I’m bowling off a full run, just waiting for a bit of ball speed to come back, which I think is a pretty good position to be in this time of year, or what we were hoping for anyway.”There’s no specific timeline in place at the moment, but I think returning to some sort of competitive cricket, whether it’s club cricket or second XI [for Western Australia] sometime in November I think would be a good start, and then build up from there, and then see where it takes us.”Richardson revealed he was still only bowling at speeds in the low 120s but expected the speed to come with more mobility and confidence in the shoulder, having been through the process before after previous shoulder surgeries. He is hoping to play round five or six of the Sheffield Shield, with WA’s two games starting on November 22 and December 4 respectively.”You never really know how linear the process is going to be,” Richardson said. “I think at the start of the year, we were sort of speaking around that [round] five or six mark leading into the Big Bash and potentially back-end Ashes.”But I don’t want to think too far ahead.”

Graeme Smith and Vernon Philander look back to 2012, when South Africa became the No. 1 Test side, and what the team needs to do to get there again in the WTC final

Firdose Moonda06-Jun-2025South Africa have done it before: become world Test champions (though it was not called the World Test Championship then) at Lord’s. Though much has changed in the 13 years since, two of the architects of their success in 2012 believe the class of 2025 can do it again. Former captain Graeme Smith and player of the match in the Lord’s Test, Vernon Philander, spoke about their experiences of handling pressure, playing the mental game and what it meant to become No. 1.When we was fab
By the time South Africa got to England, they had been hovering near the top of the Test rankings for years, had a reputation as a formidable outfit, and won consistently away from home. Back then they were unbeaten for six years and eight series on the road and believed they had earned the right to be called the best.”It started for us in ’07, when we started to build a style of play, the right type of personnel, and a batting unit that could perform consistently as a top six,” Smith says. “We also had a really well-rounded attack that offered me enough options. We had wicket takers, we had bounce, we had solid spin options, and having allrounders like [Jacques] Kallis and [AB] de Villiers gives you options as well.”Related

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After Hashim Amla’s triple-hundred at The Oval and a weather-affected draw at Headingley, South Africa went to Lord’s 1-0 up.No one reached three figures in a first-innings total of 309, and things were kept even when they bowled England out for 315. Amla scored another century in the second innings and South Africa set England a target of 346. England were 16 for 2 heading into the final day, 120 for 4 at lunch, and 208 for 6 in the third session. It was tense until the end.”That was a great test,’ Smith says. “Once we got to our second-innings total, I thought we’d be in with a chance because of our bowlers. As a captain, it was about holding your nerve, planning for the moment and trying to keep the game together, so you can then attack again. These are skills that I think you only get when playing and winning and through tough times.”Philander’s match haul of 7 for 78, and specifically his second-innings five-for, was instrumental in South Africa’s win at Lord’s•PA PhotosUltimately, Philander’s 5 for 30 won the match and the mace. “For me, it was always about picking those big moments and wanting to be the guy that gets the team across the line,” he says. “And Lord’s is a special place – the history that goes with playing at Lord’s, the aura of playing [there], there’s so much to take in and to soak up. Once you walk through that members’ lounge, I don’t think you need much more motivation as a player. You look at the honours board and the names on the honours board and you want to have your name engraved there too.”In that game, it was not like the bat dominated or the ball dominated but for bowlers, there was always something in it because of the slope. We used that to our advantage.”Here we are, tough road or not
That 2012 South Africa side travelled to explorer Mike Horn’s home in the Swiss Alps for a few days before playing two practice matches in England. It was seen as unnecessary and outlandish but had its merits. “We got a lot of flack in terms of our preparation,” Philander says. “We went to Switzerland instead of playing an extra warm-up game, so the English media were all over us, but if you look at the team’s record up until then, we had a hell of an away record. For us, we needed to get mentally sharp before heading into that series. A lot of English media wrote us up as underprepared, but we knew what we were about, we knew our identity as a team, and that really came to the fore.”This time around, South Africa are playing a warm-up match against Zimbabwe at Arundel, which has been weather-affected, but half the squad has just come off game time at IPL and others were playing on the county circuit. There are fewer worries about match-readiness than there are about the quality of the opposition they’ve played – in the lead-up and throughout the cycle.South Africa played neither England nor Australia in the 2023-2025 WTC period, and their only visit to the subcontinent was to play Bangladesh. Some of the pre-final talk has questioned whether South Africa deserved to be there. But Smith has bullishly batted that back and urged the current team to embrace the underdogs’ tag.Bavuma has led South Africa in nine Tests since 2023, and hasn’t lost one yet•ICC via Getty Images”Everyone knew what South Africa’s run to the WTC final was [like] and it just so happened that they went and nailed it. No one complained at the beginning [of the cycle]. It’s just ultimately their teams aren’t there and that’s frustrating to them,” he says. “The mental preparation for Shuks [Shukri Conrad, South Africa head coach] and Temba [Bavuma] is gonna be so important, because it doesn’t matter what other people say, you have a chance to go and play a wonderful game. In your career, you don’t know how many times these types of opportunities are going to come around for you, and it’s about them recognising that.”Philander is certain South Africa have had a tough enough path. “You have to give a lot of credit to this team and the way they’ve gone about their work, especially the last 12 months,” he said. “It’s not easy to win in Bangladesh, let alone being a team that doesn’t have any superstar names and with a lack of experience in those kinds of conditions. They’ve had to fight and overcome a lot of battles along the way. And in every series they just became better and better. The self-belief came to the fore. They’re not dependent on a particular player. It’s a matter of the guys really backing each other and believing in themselves.”Bavuma, Conrad and Co
Smith’s captaincy was well established by 2012 – he had had 100 Tests in charge – and he was also among their best batters. Bavuma has had just two years of experience in the role, but in that time he has been South Africa’s second-highest run-scorer. Smith says Bavuma and Conrad will have to manage the environment leading up to the final.”Gary [Kirsten, South Africa’s coach in 2012] and I had a very great working relationship. He knew when I needed to step in and vice-versa,” Smith said. “When you get into that game, then Temba’s got to control it. He’s going to have to lead. In the build-up Shuks might do a little bit more. Then when you get into the Test match those roles kind of shift. Your captain’s going to have to be a key performer in the Test match.Philander sees Dane Paterson (centre) as a key part of South Africa’s bowling attack in the WTC final•Gallo Images”It’s obviously an exciting time for Temba, but it’s also a big game. It will be about playing the moments, and handling the pressure as the game goes on. The thing about tense Test matches, in every session, as a captain, you say it’s an important session, because it starts to feel like that. You can’t have a soft session. They’re [the team] gonna have to make sure that every session they’re up for it and that they don’t give away an inch.”A career-ending injury to Mark Boucher in 2012 meant South Africa had to make a last-minute tactical change to their team, which allowed them to lengthen the batting line-up. With AB de Villiers behind the stumps, they played with seven frontline batters, three seamers and a spinner. Now, they line up similarly, but the presence of three seam-bowling allrounders – Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder and Corbin Bosch – means they have an additional quick at their disposal.Heading into Lord’s, they have two main selection questions: who will bat No. 3, and who will be the third specialist seamer joining Kagiso Rabada and Jansen? All indications are that Mulder could be promoted to No. 3, with Tristan Stubbs (who was initially given the role last year) at No. 5. That leaves no room for Tony de Zorzi. One of Bosch, Lungi Ngidi or Dane Paterson will be in the pace pack.For Philander, the choice is obvious. “Patto is going to be key for me,” he says. “Lord’s has a slope, so there will be natural variation in the surface, and for a bowler of his kind of pace [around 130kph], batters always feel that they need to play them and [they] very often get dragged into playing at balls that they don’t have to.”An attack of Rabada, Jansen, Paterson and Mulder excites Philander, and though it doesn’t have the star power of Australia’s Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood, he believes they’ll match up. “There’s a beautiful mixture of skills. You’ve got Marco Jansen, he’s tall and he can swing the ball. [Paterson] will be consistent and he can move the ball both ways, and KG [Rabada] is going to do what KG does best: hit the surface hard and extract movement out of the surface. And Keshav Maharaj is such an important bowler. He’s going to hold things tight and he’s going to allow those guys to operate, and hopefully strike,” he says. “If you look at the Australian set-up, many would argue that they perhaps have the more senior of the two attacks, but it’s a wonderful opportunity for these guys to go over and just do what they’ve been doing.”Rabada has had a fractious rivalry with Australia, and now there’s fuel for more•Associated PressDoes Rabada have a target on his back?
Experience, both in number of caps and winning ICC trophies, is not the only thing about Australia that may worry South Africa. There’s also the love-to-hate history between the two sides, whose most acrimonious meetings included the 2018 Sandpapergate series. South Africa will be wary of the war of words that might be coming their way.The first spat could involve comments to or about Rabada, who has previously been engaged in battle with Australia (when he shoulder-brushed Steven Smith in 2018) and has served a month-long ban for cocaine use. Rabada has already said he is prepared for whatever Australia bring, and even looking forward to it, but Graeme Smith hopes the topic will not be too much of a fire starter.”The best way to approach these things is to just hit it on the head and be honest and say sorry. It’s not like the Aussies have had a perfect record of not making mistakes. KG has been through the process. He served his punishment so the only thing to do is just to own it, and say sorry and get on with it,” Smith says. “Playing in Australia, one of the things that really worked for us at the end of each day’s play was to chill in the changing room and talk about all the stuff that we had heard in the day because that took away the sting of it. It became humorous for us. But then you’ve got to match it with performance.”The import of the mace
Having had more than their share of heartbreak, South Africans are too scared and scarred to dare dream of what winning may mean for them, but Smith and Philander, who have experienced it, can speak to what it does. When they became No. 1, they stayed there and kept winning for much of the next three years. When they were dethroned in 2015, it precipitated a slide down the rankings, and it has taken them a decade to rebuild. Smith now sees them as being on the brink of being the finished article.Mace me: dare South Africa dream of stealing the Test Championship from Australia again?•ICC/Getty Images”They’re at that point now where they’re putting those pieces together,” he says. “For Test cricket to remain strong, you absolutely need South Africa. You need a South Africa that’s competing and strong. We’ve seen when the team does well people are still engaged in Test cricket and want to support it. In a T20, one person can come off and upset the apple cart, but in a Test match, over a number of days, it’s attrition, it’s a test of your mental ability, and your skills can be tested dramatically. They’ve got talent and ability and match-winners, especially with the ball. In a one-off Test match, they definitely stand a chance. If it was over three to five, maybe it would be a little bit tougher, but in a one-off , I absolutely think they’ve got enough fire power to compete with Australia.”And if they do get there?It will be the start of a whole new story of success in South African sport, which Philander believes will set a new high-water mark. “When you’re at the top, you almost need to be training harder, you’re more hungry and more determined to want to stay there. There’s a new set of expectations,” he says. “If this team wins the mace, there will be a new energy in South African cricket overall because it sends a clear message to the rest of the guys coming through.”And I remember in 2012, for a couple of the younger guys coming through at the time, Faf [du Plessis] and later KG – the standard at the time was set. We lost that standard a little bit, but right now I can see that it is being upheld again and there’s a real sense of pride in the way the guys go about their business, the way the guys train, the language being spoken in and around the group. I feel they’ve done a phenomenal job in building this team culture. Now it’s just, go and do it.”

India have never been swept in a bilateral ODI series against Australia as they aim to bounce back in Sydney

Tristan Lavalette24-Oct-2025

Xavier Bartlett dismissed Virat Kohli for a duck•Getty Images

Big Picture – Can India avert a clean sweep?In an anti-climax, considering the rivalry and general fanfare, the third ODI at the SCG will be a dead rubber after Australia clinched the series with a two-wicket victory in Adelaide.The final result probably flattered India, who fought to the end but were mostly up against it through the game. While valid excuses could be made for the truncated rain-affected opener in Perth, India were generally outplayed in the second ODI and could never quite recover from the early wickets of captain Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, who bagged a second consecutive duck for the first time in his legendary ODI career.India’s top-order has been completely pinned down by Josh Hazlewood, the standout quick across the two games as England watch on ahead of the Ashes. The much-hyped returns of Kohli and Rohit Sharma have not quite gone to plan, although Rohit top-scored with 73 in Adelaide, and there remains an unknown over their futures with some pushing for Yashasvi Jaiswal to freshen up the top-order.Related

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Without Hardik Pandya, India have looked unbalanced and they trotted out the same XI across the two games to no avail. There are clearly teething problems for Gill as he looks to start moulding his preferred line-up.In a notable contrast, Australia feel rejuvenated especially with fringe players Matt Short, Cooper Connolly, Mitch Owen and Matthew Renshaw making valuable contributions in their successful run chase in Adelaide.Their performances would have pleased Australia’s hierarchy as they look to bed down a batting-order after the ODI retirements of Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell.Australia have never swept India in a bilateral ODI series, providing further motivation for a group that is currently in good spirits after a patchy run in 50-over cricket.Like in the previous two games, a pro-India crowd is expected amid a sold-out SCG.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWLL
India LLWWWShubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir talk during a training session•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Matt Renshaw and Shubman GillHaving waited nine years into his international career to play ODIs, Renshaw has fitted in seamlessly after finishing the job in Perth with an unbeaten 21 off 24 followed by a run a ball 30 in Adelaide. He has publicly spoken about shutting out the external noise and exuded composure after coming to the crease in Adelaide with Australia wobbling at 54 for 2. Renshaw helped change the momentum with a brisk 55-run partnership with Matt Short, but would have been annoyed to not make a big score after being knocked over by a looping delivery from left-arm spinner Axar Patel having attempted to launch over mid-off. Renshaw is set to get another chance in Sydney as competition hots up in this transitioning batting-order. There is also the Ashes hovering, with Renshaw considered an outside chance of being in the selection mix.There has been a lot of attention on the returns of Kohli and Rohit, which has somewhat deflected the slow start to Gill’s ODI captaincy. Gill has been unable to set the tone like he spectacularly did in Test cricket. He has made just 10 and 9 although hasn’t been helped by Rohit holding up an end early in the innings, putting pressure on Gill to counterattack. He will face some heat early in his captaincy reign if India succumb to just a sixth ODI series whitewash in their proud history, underlining the importance of this game.Team news: Hazlewood/Starc may opt for restAustralia (possible): 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Matt Short, 4 Matthew Renshaw, 5 Alex Carey (wk), 6 Cooper Connolly, 7 Mitch Owen, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Mitchell Starc/Jack Edwards, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Nathan Ellis/Josh HazlewoodWith the match a dead rubber, Australia might be tempted to rest Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc with there being just one day of rest between games two and three. Nathan Ellis, who performed well in game one, might be recalled while allrounder Jack Edwards has been named in the squad on the back of strong form on Australia A’s tour of India. Left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann has also returned to the squad after an impressive effort in the first ODI but two spinners in the XI seems unlikely.Josh Inglis has joined the squad in Sydney after missing the first two but is unlikely to play as he continues to recover from a calf strain, which means the top seven will likely remain the same.Josh Hazlewood could be rested•CA/Getty Images

India (possible): 1 Shubman Gill [capt], 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Axar Patel, 6 KL Rahul (wk), 7 Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, 8 Nitish Reddy, 9 Harshit Rana/Prasidh Krishna, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed SirajIndia decided to stick with the same XI in Adelaide but it did not do the trick and changes are almost certain. There has been a lot of debate over whether left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav should be in the side with the attack lacking some bite so far in the series. India have preferred the more conservative option of allrounder Washington Sundar, who has taken three wickets in the series but failed with the bat. Seamer Prasidh Krishna could be in the frame to replace Harshit Rana, who has been expensive in the series. It is also interesting to see if they find a way to give a game to Yashasvi Jaiswal.Pitch and conditionsClear and pleasant conditions are expected in Sydney on Saturday. While turn has not been as notable at the SCG in recent times compared to previous decades, spinners have still played a vital role on flat surfaces. Australia’s batters have feasted in the conditions, piling on huge scores during their current six-game winning streak in ODIs at the ground.Stats and triviaKohli still needs 54 runs to move past Kumar Sangakkara and into second place on the ODI runs list.India have lost the toss a record 17 times in a row in ODIs dating back to the 2023 World Cup final. India have not lost three consecutive ODIs since a four-game skid to Sri Lanka and South Africa in 2021-22 Australia have a commanding 16-2 (1 no result) record over India at the SCG. India’s only victories were six-wicket wins in 2008 and 2016.Quotes”We’ve got a lot of depth in Australian cricket. With Smudge [Smith] and Maxi [Maxwell] retiring from one-day cricket earlier in the year, there’s room for some younger guys to come through.”
“It definitely hurts [to lose the series]. I personally feel the way Australian bowlers bowl on such wickets, they have a fair bit of an advantage at the start and they utilised it pretty well.”

The majority of the SCG crowd got what they wanted as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, playing what will surely be their final matches in Australia, guided India to a consolation nine-wicket victory which avoided a series whitewash.Rohit, building on the fighting 73 he made in Adelaide, went to his 33rd ODI century from 105 balls, a ninth against Australia, while Kohli responded to his twin ducks to start the series with an unbeaten 74 in front of a packed stadium of 40,587, most of whom cheered their every move.The pair, who have more than 26,000 ODI runs between them, finished with an unbroken stand of 168 from 170 balls as Rohit brought the target in view with a flurry of boundaries before Kohli finished it with a delicate glide to deep third.Related

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• 'Wanted to start fresh' – Rohit and Kohli roll back the years in Sydney

• Shreyas Iyer hurts rib cage during outstanding catch

It was a dominant performance by India after Australia slipped dramatically from 183 for 3, losing 7 for 53 to be bowled out for 236. Matt Renshaw’s maiden ODI half-century had given them a solid platform, and all the top six made at least 23, but none could convert as Harshit Rana claimed a career-best 4 for 39 while India’s trio of spinners all bowled well.Rohit and Shubman Gill gave the chase an ideal platform but, even as the openers did what the team needed, the cheers for Kohli only grew louder. Shortly after Gill had deposited Cooper Connolly for six he edged Josh Hazlewood behind and the stage was set.Kohli made his way out of the dressing room to huge cheers, but those paled compared to a few moments later when he was off the mark first ball with a flick wide of mid-on. Kohli got into the spirit of the moment with a little smile and clenched fist.Virat Kohli celebrates his first run of the series after two ducks•AFP via Getty Images

From there, it was largely the Kohli seen on so many occasions – a straight drive off Mitchell Starc was a standout – although he was a little fortunate to survive an lbw appeal against Nathan Ellis on 36 which was millimeters from being overturned on DRS.One of the highlights of Rohit’s innings was an inside-out lofted drive for six against Adam Zampa and he later added another six off the legspinner with a slog sweep. The century came in understated fashion, a gentle drive to long-off, and a gentle wave of the bat around the ground.Despite the series being wrapped up, Australia resisted resting either Hazlewood or Mitchell Starc. They ended up only bowling 11 between them – Hazlewood was again excellent – but they weren’t brought back when the result was assured, perhaps a nod to what is to come. Ellis, who had been brought in for Xavier Bartlett, endured a difficult night.Mitchell Marsh had opted to set a target when the coin fell his way, making it 18 consecutive tosses India had lost in ODIs. Marsh and Travis Head, who became the fastest Australia men’s batter to 3000 ODI runs by innings, picked up the pace during the opening ten overs with Marsh pulling Prasidh Krishna’s first ball for six in an over that cost 13.Harshit Rana took career-best figures of 4 for 39•AFP via Getty Images

Australia were beginning to motor when Head spooned a catch to backward point although the run rate at that stage of more than six over would prove deceptive. Two balls later India could have had a second wicket after a mix-up left Matt Short stranded but Gill missed the stumps.Marsh’s promising innings ended the first ball after drinks, when he gave himself room against Axar Patel and was bowled. A relatively quiet period followed as Short and Renshaw worked into their innings. Short, who made a career-best 74 in Adelaide, had given himself a base when he swept Washington Sundar to square leg where Kohli held a stinging catch to the delight of many in the crowd.Renshaw did not hit a boundary until his 33rd delivery when he pulled Sundar powerfully through the leg side but kept the scoreboard ticking over so effectively that his fifty arrived from 48 balls.Alex Carey struggled for momentum and was on 8 off 23 balls when given a life, Krishna unable to hold a tough chance running in from long-on. He and Renshaw had given Australia a good base for acceleration when the pair fell in the space of four overs.Carey was spectacularly caught by Shreyas Iyer running back from backward point, taking the ball over his shoulder and slamming into the ground which caused him significant pain. During the drinks break which followed he left the field with the physio and during India’s chase was taken to hospital for further assessment.Renshaw, who is in the contention for a place in the Test squad for the Ashes, then fell lbw to Sundar as he advanced down the pitch with the DRS confirming the ball would have taken middle and leg.In Adelaide, Connolly and Mitch Owen put together a stand that turned the game firmly in Australia’s favour but there was no repeat here. Owen, staying leg side of the ball, edged a rising delivery from Rana to slip meaning the bowlers were exposed with more than 12 overs remaining and they were bowled out with 20 deliveries unused. But what the crowd had really come to see came next.

Every team wants a world-class centre-forward to lead their line, and there is arguably a lack of top strikers in today’s game compared to previous generations.

Scoring goals on a regular basis is a priceless attribute, and all clubs want a proven finisher in their ranks, but they can come at a huge price. That being said, there are still a plethora of elite strikers at the top of their games, but who is the best number nine around today?

Ranking factors

To help rank the strikers in order, we have considered the following criteria:

Current form – how well a player has performed in the past few months Importance to their teams – how influential they are to their team’s performances Role – how unique their skillset is Reputation – what others say about them

Rank

Player

Age

Club

Nation

Erling Haaland

25

Man City

Norway

Harry Kane

32

Bayern Munich

England

Kylian Mbappe

26

Real Madrid

France

Julian Alvarez

25

Atletico Madrid

Argentina

Robert Lewandowski

37

Barcelona

Poland

Viktor Gyokeres

27

Arsenal

Sweden

Alexander Isak

26

Liverpool

Sweden

Lautaro Martinez

28

Inter Milan

Argentina

Victor Osimhen

26

Galatasaray

Nigeria

Hugo Ekitike

23

Liverpool

France

Marcus Thuram

28

Inter Milan

France

Cristiano Ronaldo

40

Al Nassr

Portugal

Omar Marmoush

26

Man City

Egypt

Nick Woltemade

23

Newcastle

Germany

Joao Pedro

24

Chelsea

Brazil

15 Joao Pedro Chelsea and Brazil

Joao Pedro quickly made an impact at Chelsea after signing for £60m from Brighton by helping the Blues win the Club World Cup in the USA.

The Brazilian, now valued at a career-high €50m, also started the 2025/26 Premier League season on fire and looks set to be Chelsea’s first choice striker for years to come.

Club World Cup

2025

14 Nick Woltemade Newcastle and Germany

Eyebrows were raised when Newcastle splashed the cash on Nick Woltemade in a club-record £69m over the summer.

However, the towering German has taken to life in England with ease, replacing Alaxender Isak and scoring goals on a regular basis. Woltemade hasn’t looked out of place in the Premier League.

13 Omar Marmoush Man City and Egypt

After starring for Eintracht Frankfurt, Omar Marmoush got his big move to Man City in January 2025, and he continued to find the back of the net for fun.

Pep Guardiola called the Egypt international “the best player in the Bundesliga” after signing Marmoush for City, and he already has a Premier League hat-trick to his name.

12 Cristiano Ronaldo Al Nassr and Portugal

Arguably one of the best players to have ever graced the game, Cristiano Ronaldo is still going strong at the age of 40 and has actually scored more goals since turning 30 than he did before.

He’s been plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League for Al Nassr since 2023 and has continued to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Ronaldo has now scored over 950 career goals for club and country and has been showing no signs of slowing down, continuing to feature regularly for Portugal.

Ballon d’Or

2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017

Best FIFA Men’s Player

2008, 2016, 2017

European Championship

2016

Premier League

2007, 2008, 2009

La Liga

2012, 2017

Serie A

2019, 2020

Champions League

2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018

FIFA Club World Cup

2009, 2015, 2017, 2018

UEFA Super Cup

2014, 2016, 2017

Nations League

2019

FA Cup

2004

League Cup

2006, 2009

Community Shield

2007

Italian Cup

2021

Copa del Rey

2011, 2014

Spanish Super Cup

2012, 2017

Italian Super Cup

2018, 2020

Portuguese Super Cup

2003

11 Marcus Thuram Inter Milan and France

Marcus Thuram made history in 2025 with the quickest goal to be scored in a Champions League semi-final following his clever flick against Barcelona.

The goal highlights Thuram’s quality, and he is now valued at €75m by Transfermarkt, a figure which has more than doubled since moving to Inter Milan from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2023.

The French forward has had the best goalscoring season of his career in 2024/25, and at 27, appears to be at the peak of his powers.

Serie A

2024

Italian Super Cup

2023

Nations League

2021

10 Hugo Ekitike Liverpool and France

Hugo Ekitike became a man in demand after impressing for Eintracht Frankfurt, with Liverpool winning the race to secure his services for an initial £69m.

The 22-year-old previously made his loan move to Frankfurt from Paris Saint-Germain permanent in 2024 and enjoyed his best ever season in front of goal.

PSG are doing just fine themselves without Ekitike, however, they will surely be kicking themselves in regards to selling the “next Mbappe”.

Ligue 1

2023, 2024

French Super Cup

2023

9 Victor Osimhen Galatasaray and Nigeria

Galatasaray struck gold by signing Victor Osimhen on loan from Napoli last summer, with the Nigeria international continuing to do what he does best – score goals.

Osimhen fell out with Napoli chiefs last summer which resulted in his move to Turkey for the 2024/25 season, and that has now become permanent. The striker has been called “one of the best centre-forwards in the world” by Alvaro Morata.

8 Lautaro Martinez Inter Milan and Argentina

Alvarez’s international teammate, Lautaro Martinez, is next on the list, with the Inter Milan star a regular source of goals for the Serie A giants since 2018.

In fact, Martinez has hit double figures for Serie A goals in all eight of his campaigns in Italy and has now surpassed 150 goals in all competitions for Inter.

Now Inter captain, Martinez appears to be in the prime of his career and even Lionel Messi backed him to win the Ballon d’Or just last year.

7 Alexander Isak Liverpool and Sweden

Alexander Isak is regarded as one of the world’s best centre-forwards after starring in the Premier League for Newcastle United, and his record £125m transfer to Liverpool was the saga of the 2025 summer window.

Jamie Carragher, at the beginning of 2025, actually called Isak the “best striker in the Premier League”, however, his start to life at Anfield hasn’t gone to plan which has seen him drop down the rankings.

League Cup

2025

DFB-Pokal

2017

Copa del Rey

2020

6 Viktor Gyokeres Arsenal and Sweden

Many wouldn’t have expected Viktor Gyokeres to be one of the best strikers in the world a few years ago when he was at Coventry City in the Championship. However, the Sweden international is now deservedly regarded among the elite after starring on the European stage with Sporting CP.

Gyokeres scored 43 times in his debut season in Portugal and has proven this year that he wasn’t a one-season wonder by finding the back of the net more than 50 times in 24/25. He has now got his return to England with a big-money move to Arsenal and has continued to find the back of the net, albeit on a less regular occurence.

Bukayo Saka is officially engaged, with the Arsenal and England star going “all out” on a romantic proposal to longtime girlfriend Tolami Benson at a top London hotel. After five years together, the 24-year-old surprised her with what insiders describe as an “absolutely enormous” ring, marking a huge personal milestone for the Gunners’ talisman as he continues to shine on the pitch.

Saka proposes to long-term girlfriend Tolami Benson

Saka has taken a major step in his personal life after proposing to his girlfriend of five years, Tolami, during a carefully planned evening at a luxury hotel in London. The Arsenal forward arranged the romantic setup privately, surprising Tolami with a proposal that insiders described to The Sun as stunning in both scale and sentiment. Saka presented her with what was called an “absolutely enormous” engagement ring, leaving her “totally blown away” by the gesture.

The couple, both 24, have been together since 2020 but have largely kept their relationship out of the public eye, choosing to avoid spotlight attention during Saka’s rise to global stardom. They first confirmed their relationship publicly when Tolami was seen supporting him at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and she has since become a regular presence at major England fixtures. From cheering him on at Euro 2024 to wearing a jacket featuring his first Arsenal squad number, 87, Tolami has been a consistent figure behind the scenes during key moments in Saka’s career.

Before the engagement, the pair had recently been photographed sharing a pitch-side kiss after England’s draw with Slovenia, signalling the strength of their long-term relationship. Tolami, originally from Hatfield and now a senior planning executive in London, has often attended Saka’s matches while balancing her own career in media and public relations.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSaka continues to shine under Arteta at Arsenal

Saka’s engagement arrives during another hugely influential season for the winger, who continues to serve as Arsenal’s most important attacking outlet under Mikel Arteta. Despite dealing with a recurring hamstring issue that caused him to miss three early-season games, he has maintained elite output across domestic and European competitions. His goals, assists and overall attacking leadership have been central to Arsenal’s continued push on multiple fronts, including a standout Champions League campaign.

Balancing personal and professional milestones has not affected his form, as he enters late November with six goals and one assist across 16 appearances in all competitions. His Premier League productivity remains high despite constant double-marking, while his Champions League contributions have been pivotal in Arsenal’s dominant run. Even with managed minutes, he continues to deliver match-defining moments, such as his role in the recent 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich.

Beyond his statistics, Saka’s position within the squad has evolved further, representing the composure and maturity expected of a senior figure despite his young age.

Saka continues to play major part in England's plans as well

Behind the scenes, Saka and Tolami’s relationship has grown in tandem with his rise from Hale End graduate to one of the world’s leading wingers. Their decision to keep their romance private for years reflects an emphasis on stability amid the increasingly hectic demands of elite football. It wasn’t until Tolami appeared at the 2022 World Cup that their relationship entered the public eye, reinforcing how carefully they have navigated personal exposure.

Saka and Tolami's engagement now marks a new stage in their partnership. The timing of the engagement aligns with a period of personal and professional stability for Saka, who has also become an increasingly central figure for England. He recently scored in World Cup qualifiers and continues to be a decisive figure in Thomas Tuchel's plans.

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Getty Images SportSaka prepares for Chelsea — wedding likely planned for the summer

Saka will quickly shift focus back to the pitch as Arsenal prepare to face Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in a key Premier League encounter. With the Gunners competing strongly on multiple fronts, his fitness management and attacking influence will remain crucial throughout the busy winter period. Off the pitch, plans for the couple’s wedding are expected to unfold in the coming months, with the likeliest dates to be set for the summer, likely after the World Cup in North America.

MatériaMais Notícias

Insatisfeitos com o início da atual gestão do Corinthians, sobretudo com as denúncias envolvendo o contrato de patrocínio máster com a VaideBet, conselheiros de oposição tentaram pautar o pedido de impeachment do presidente Augusto Melo na reunião ordinária que aconteceu na noite desta segunda-feira (28), no Parque São Jorge. A situação, no entanto, segue em processo de análise pela Comissão de Justiça do clube alvinegro.

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Presidente do Conselho Deliberativo corintiano, Romeu Tuma Júnior terá 20 dias para receber o relatório e marcar uma reunião extraordinária onde Augusto precisará esclarecer as acusações de que uma “empresa laranja” havia participado da intermediação no acordo com a empresa de apostas.

Ainda que o encontro desta semana no Parque São Jorge não estivesse com as polêmicas recentes em pauta, alguns conselheiros pediram a palavra e se manifestaram sobre, entre eles o ex-diretor de futebol Rubens Gomes. Principal aliado político de Augusto Melo na eleição presidencial, Rubão foi desligado do cargo de direção cinco meses após o início da administração, por conta de desentendimentos com o mandatário corintiano, principalmente por conta do contrato com a “Vai de Bet”.

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Mesmo que Augusto ainda tenha que passar por uma série de interrogações no Conselho, membros da oposição afirmam nos bastidores que as denúncias feitas através da imprensa, e que estão sendo investigadas internamente, já dão materialidade para que seja solicitada a destituição do presidente.

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Para que a abertura do processo de impeachment seja levada adiante, a maioria mais um dos conselheiros precisam assinar uma petição com a solicitação e estarem presentes na reunião onde a pauta será discutida. O órgão possui 200 conselheiros, onde os opositores não são maioria. Porém, pessoas eleitas através da situação atualmente mudaram de lado, parte deles articulados por Rubão. Atualmente, os membros estão divididos.

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A tendência é que um próximo encontro ocorra entre o fim de junho e início de julho, já a fim de discutir as denúncias recentes, mas com chances relativas de que o pedido de impedimento de Augusto Melo prossiga. Enquanto isso, os opositores vão seguir a pressão em cima de Romeu Tuma Júnior, para que o presidente do Conselho Deliberativo acelere os processos.

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أكد هانز فليك، مدرب نادي برشلونة، على قيمة بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا وأنها منافسة مختلفة، وذلك قبل مباراة فريقه ضد آينتراخت فرانكفورت يوم غدًا الثلاثاء.

وسوف يستضيف برشلونة فرانكفورت يوم غدًا الثلاثاء على ملعب كامب نو، ضمن الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويسعى برشلونة إلى تحقيق الفوز على فرانكفورت، من أجل إنعاش حظوظه في التأهل إلى دور الـ16 بشكل مباشر ضمن الـ8 الأوائل في مرحلة الدوري بالمسابقة الأوروبية.

وقال فليك خلال المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص باللقاء والذي نقلته صحيفة سبورت: “دوري أبطال أوروبا مختلف، كل ما حدث حتى الآن لا يحتسب، آينتراخت يمتلك فريقًا قويًا، شابًا، سريعًا، ومتماسكًا ويتأقلمون مع نظام اللعب، وعلينا أن نظهر أعلى مستوياتنا، ستكون المهمة صعبة لأنهم قادرون على إلحاق الضرر بنا كثيرًا، على الرغم من أن مبارياتهم الأخيرة لم تكن جيدة”.

واعترف فليك أن برشلونة عانى كثيرًا من الإصابات هذا الموسم، حيث أضاف: “الجميع يعلم ما حدث في الأشهر الثلاثة الماضية، إصابات كثيرة وغياب لاعبين أساسيين، لم نتمكن من توزيع الدقائق وفي الدقائق العشر الأخيرة ضد بيتيس كان اللاعبون مرهقين، ليس من السهل اللعب دائمًا بهذا المستوى”.

وأوضح: ”إنهم يقدمون أداءً رائعًا ومترابطين تحت الضغط. بالنسبة لي لقد لعبوا بمستوى مختلف عما كانوا عليه قبل شهر، وأبرزهم كوبارسي، البالغ من العمر 18 عامًا، هذا موسمه الثالث، لكنه مرر 87 تمريرة ضد بيتيس بدقة 100%، كان أول لاعب في تاريخ الدوري الإسباني يحقق ذلك”.

اقرأ أيضًا .. جيرارد مارتن يعلق على مشاركته كقلب دفاع مع برشلونة.. ويشيد بـ فليك

وعن التأهل ضمن الثمانية الأوائل إلى دور الـ16 من دوري الأبطال والمنافسة مع ريال مدريد على لقب الدوري الإسباني أردف فليك: “ننظر إلى أنفسنا ولا ننظر إلى ريال مدريد، لا نريد الحديث عنه، نحن متقدمون بأربع نقاط في ترتيب الدوري لكن الطريق طويل جدًا وعلينا أن نبذل قصارى جهدنا. أهم مباراة الآن هي غدًا ضد آينتراخت”.

وعن استعادة برشلونة لمستواه الذي كان عليه الموسم الماضي تابع: “أعتقد أننا لا ننهي ما حققناه أبدًا فالتقدم ممكن دائمًا، ليس لدينا متسع من الوقت للتدريب لكن ما أراه هو أن اللاعبين يحاولون إظهار ذلك على أرض الملعب، أنا سعيد بالجودة التي نمتلكها لكننا نسعى دائمًا للتطور، لدينا إمكانيات كبيرة للتطور”.

وعن وضع حراسة المرمى في برشلونة هذا الموسم واصل فليك حديثه: “من الواضح أن خوان جارسيا هو الحارس الأول”.

واستكمل: “كان اللعب في كامب نو مرة أخرى حلمًا للجميع، إنه مهم أيضًا لدوري أبطال أوروبا، إنها مباراة يجب أن نحصد فيها النقاط الثلاث”.

وعن لاعب برشلونة، جيرارد مارتن ، استطرد فليك: “أحيانًا لا بأس بوجود لاعبين في الفريق يحبون العمل، بفضل عقليته يسعى دائمًا لتقديم أفضل ما لديه للفريق، لقد تحقق حلمه باللعب مع برشلونة، فهو واثق بنفسه ويؤمن بقدراته، إنه لأمر رائع، ففي مركزه وقدرته على اللعب بقدمه اليسرى تتيح لنا خيارات أكثر”.

وعن خسارة ريال مدريد أمام سيلتا فيجو في الدوري الإسباني قال المدرب الألماني: “كما حدث الأسبوع الماضي، كنت نائمًا واكتشفت ذلك عبر واتساب، لا أركز على هذا، فالأمر يهدر الكثير من الطاقة وأريد التركيز على فريقي”.

وعن سيطرة برشلونة على مجريات المباريات أضاف فليك: “لا أريد الكشف عن الكثير الآن لأننا سنلعب غدًا ضد خصم مهم، عندما نفقد الكرة علينا أن نغير أسلوب لعبنا”.

وأوضح: ”علينا أن ندافع ونركض أكثر، عندما نمتلك الثقة ونؤمن بأنفسنا علينا أن نكون في وضع جيد للسيطرة على الكرة، نحن فريق متماسك للغاية وعندما يكون الفريق مترابطًا جيدًا، حتى لو خسرت الكرة يمكنك خلق الفرص”.

وعن فرانكفورت أردف فليك: “آينتراخت فريق مميز، كنت أعيش بالقرب منه، حفيدي من مشجعي آينتراخت، إنهم يقدمون أداءً جيدًا وربما يفتقرون إلى بعض الثبات في المستوى، لكنهم يتميزون بالقوة والإيقاع ويمكنهم إيذاء الخصوم”.

واختتم فليك مؤتمره بالحديث عن وضع حارس مرمى برشلونة، مارك أندريه تير شتيجن، وإمكانية مشاركة الأخير مع منتخب ألمانيا في كأس العالم العام المقبل، إذ أتم: “أتحدث دائمًا مع مارك ولكن ليس مع جوليان ناجيلسمان، فهو لم يتصل بي”.

LOS ANGELES — The Blue Jays lost a heartbreaker on Monday, an 18-inning slog that tied for the longest in postseason history in which they used every position player and reliever on their roster. Their heart and soul and one of the best October players of all time, DH George Springer, is out with an oblique injury for an unknown period of time. They arrived at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday to face the greatest player who ever lived, a man so dangerous that they intentionally walked him a postseason record four times the night before—and he was also starting the game on the mound. 

So naturally, they won Game 4, 6–2, to even the World Series at two games apiece. 

“There’s no choice,” said righty Shane Bieber, who warmed up on Monday to pitch the 19th inning and instead held the Dodgers to one run in 5 ⅓ on Tuesday. “What, are you going to feel sorry for yourself? It’s the World Series. We’re down one game. So now we find ourselves even, with a chance to take the lead, and take the lead back to Toronto after tomorrow.”

If indeed this is the David vs. Goliath matchup some have cast it as, it might be worth remembering that David won the battle.

In today’s game, there is no greater giant than Shohei Ohtani, and at first, it seemed that Game 4 would only burnish the legacy he is writing. In Game 3, he reached base a record-smashing nine times—three more than anyone else ever had in a postseason game. When most starting pitchers would be resting and studying the next day’s hitters, Ohtani was collecting two doubles and two home runs, then racking up five walks—four officially intentional, one unofficially intentional. 

In the moments after Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off homer to bring the game to a merciful end, the Dodgers gathered in the clubhouse, almost punch-drunk. Manager Dave Roberts told them he had never been more proud of them and reminded them that it would take the entire roster to win a World Series. He referenced the way Ohtani had insisted that his masterpiece in Game 4 of the NLCS—six scoreless innings, three home runs—had been a team effort. “Enjoy the s— out of it,” Roberts encouraged. As they cheered, he pointed at his wrist. “Hey!” he added. “We got a game later today!” Behind him, the most important person on that roster giggled as he raised his arms skyward and pantomimed his pitching motion. 

Then he got out of there. Immediately after the game, he had told SI’s Tom Verducci, “I need to go to bed.” It was perhaps the only relatable thing Ohtani has ever said. 

He left the ballpark at 12:10 a.m., sipping a sports drink, and he was guzzling another 16 ½ hours later as he warmed up in left field. He worked around a walk and a single in the first. 

Four and a half minutes later, he was standing on first base. Blue Jays manager John Schneider acknowledged after Game 3 that he did not see much point in pitching to Ohtani going forward, and indeed, even to lead off the game, Bieber walked him.

Finally, in the third, Bieber pitched to him—and by staying low and tight to the zone, he got Ohtani to strike out on a foul tip. 

It marked Ohtani’s first out at Dodger Stadium since Oct. 16. In the meantime, he hit three home runs and walked in NLCS Game 4; hit those two homers and two doubles and took those five walks in World Series Game 3; and walked in the first inning of Game 4. He struck out again, this time looking, in the fifth, and grounded out in the seventh. 

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays looked fresher than the Dodgers. L.A. put a runner on base in five of the first six innings but only scored once, fooled by Bieber’s ability to spin and locate the ball.

“He made pitches, man,” said Schneider. “It was fun to watch him navigate that.”

Ohtani the pitcher made his first mistake in the third when he threw a sweeper that didn’t sweep to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a man on first. Guerrero whacked it into the left-center field stands. 

“I get that it’s easy to write Ohtani versus Guerrero,” said Schneider. “To us, it’s Toronto versus Los Angeles. But that swing was huge. A sweeper is a pitch designed to generate pop-ups, in my opinion. And the swing that Vlad put on it was elite. After last night and kind of all the recognition that went into Shohei individually and he’s on the mound today, it’s a huge swing from Vlad.”

The score remained 2–1 until the seventh, when Daulton Varsho lined Ohtani’s 90th pitch into right field and Ernie Clement followed with a ringing double to center. That was the end of the night for Ohtani the pitcher, who acknowledged after the game that given the state of the bullpen after Game 3, he had put extra pressure on himself to go seven. “It was regrettable that I wasn’t able to finish that inning,” he said in Japanese through interpreter Will Ireton. Indeed, in the sixth, Ohtani told pitching coach Mark Prior he had three more innings in him. After the game, asked multiple times, Ohtani refused to say he had been tired. 

Besides, as Roberts pointed out, "Those guys went through the same thing we did."

Roberts summoned lefty Anthony Banda to face the left-handed Andrés Giménez, who worked a full count and then singled in an insurance run. Two batters later, pinch hitter Ty France managed an RBI groundout, and after the Dodgers intentionally walked Guerrero, righty Blake Treinen gave up consecutive run-scoring singles. It was a classic Blue Jays inning: four singles, a double, no strikeouts, two runs scored with two outs. 

Roberts spoke of it almost longingly. “You see these guys grinding and using the whole field and putting some hits together and, obviously, the homer by Vlad and, you know, that seventh inning, they built an inning right there,” he said. “We just didn’t have an answer.”

The Dodgers attempted a rally in the ninth when Louis Varland, pitching for the 13th time in 15 Toronto postseason games, allowed a walk, a double and an RBI groundout, but he retired the next two hitters to end it. The win guaranteed another two games—but fortunately for everyone, those will not come until Wednesday and Friday.