At first glance, it was rather head-scratching to see Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts leave his starter, Jack Flaherty, in Game 5 of the NLCS as the New York Mets uncorked run after run in the first three innings of the game.

Flaherty, through three innings of work, gave up eight earned runs on eight hits and four walks. Why would Roberts not turn to his bullpen when the Mets were rallying, up 3–1, to try to keep the game within reach?

Well, what's ahead might be on his mind. beat writer Jack Harris pointed out that a Game 6 on Sunday would be a likely bullpen game. Roberts wants to keep those arms fresh. Of course, Los Angeles has three games in the series and winning tonight would wrap it up, so it's valid to quarrel over if this was the right strategy or not for Game 5.

Importantly, the Dodgers have scored 30 runs across the first four games of this series. It's also not totally out there for Roberts to believe in the explosiveness of his offense with so much game left to play. It's certainly a more nuanced decision than it appears on the surface.

The truth is, as much as the Dodgers would love to close it out on Friday, with a 3-1 series lead they do not have as much reason as New York to be urgent. But dropping a game always runs the risk of handing momentum over to your opponent at the wrong moment.

From Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane to Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, MLS has featured some high-octane duos

Major League Soccer is built on star power, but not always on individuals. Sometimes the stars align, quite literally in this case, to create something even better. Throughout the league's history, dynasties have been formed by high-profile pairings, tandems that have helped lead some of the best teams in league history.

From the early days in MLS, some of the league's all-time teams have been led by two dynamic attacking players. And we might just be seeing another league-altering duo emerge. Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga are running right through MLS, and not just the regular season. Austin FC were recently put to the sword by LAFC's new duo, who combined for two goals and three assists in a 4-1 MLS playoff win on Sunday.

Like all great duos, Son and Bouanga have a natural chemistry. They're also individually dangerous. Son, of course, has long been one of the best wingers in the world. Bouanga, meanwhile, has blossomed into one of the most fearsome goalscorers in the league, one that was striking fear in defenses long before his South Korean running mate arrived.

GOAL takes a look at the all-time great MLS duos.

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  LA Galaxy: Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane

  Yes, there was the David Beckham era for the LA Galaxy. But there was another following the English icon's departure: the Donovan-Keane era.

  Landon Donovan remains the true face of the LA Galaxy, the star that accomplished it all during his extended run as the guy in MLS. There's a reason the MLS MVP award is named after him. He didn't do it alone, though, as, starting in 2011, he was joined by Irish star Robbie Keane to form a duo that turned winning MLS Cups into something of a habit.

  During their four seasons together, they lifted the big trophy three times. Each time, Donovan and Keane were a huge part of it.

  "It’s been an honor to play with him," Keane said of Donovan at the time. "The understanding that we’ve both had on the field, the amount of goals both of us have scored and assists we have provided over the last four years has been fantastic. It is definitely up there with the best partnerships I’ve had in the game."

  During their run together, they accounted for 174 combined goals and assists, nearly half of the Galaxy's numbers in total in that stretch. It's why, for many, Keane and Donovan remain the gold standard for partnerships in MLS.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Seattle Sounders: Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins

  They were here for a good time, not a long time, and those in Seattle would say it was a very, very good time. In the spring and summer of 2013, the Sounders took two big swings to bring Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey on board from Europe. It was, particularly at the time, a massive statement from the club. In truth, the ball didn't get rolling right away but, once it did, there was no stopping it.

  In 2014, the Oba-Deuce duo exploded, leading the Sounders to the Supporters' Shield and the U.S. Open Cup. Martins finished with 17 goals, a club record, as well as 13 assists. Dempsey had 15 goals. What made those so special, though, was the manner in which they were scored. 

  Throughout their run together, Dempsey and Martins often made it look like they were playing in a recreational league, not in MLS' biggest matches. There was a certain ease and flair to every goal they scored.

  "I love playing with Oba," Dempsey said in 2015. "He’s one of the players I’ve enjoyed the most playing with in my career because it reminds me of being a kid playing pickup style, just thinking alike and knowing that if you make the right run, he’s going to find you."

  Unfortunately, neither Dempsey nor Martins were around for the Sounders' crowning achievement two years later. Martins had, at that point, headed to China for a massive payday. Dempsey, meanwhile, was sidelined with a heart condition that prevented him from helping the Sounders lift the MLS Cup that winter.

  For those who remember that era, though, the Dempsey-Martins combo was just as iconic as the MLS Cup trophy – and they paved the way.

• Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
  

  Toronto FC: Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco

  During the mid-to-late-2010s, MLS was often defined by Seattle and Toronto, who met in the league final three times in a four-year span. Toronto was led by an attacking duo of their own. One big, one small, but Toronto FC's two attackers – Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco – ultimately ended up being a perfect pairing.

  “For me, it’s a pleasure to play with Jozy," Giovinco said. "He’s more physical, I’m more technical, so we complete each other.”

  After swinging and missing with Jermain Defoe, Toronto FC handed the attacking keys to Altidore and Giovinco, who arrived in January 2015. What followed was nothing short of magic. Giovinco, the diminutive Italian, became the first player to lead MLS in goals and assists in the same season. He was also the first player to record consecutive seasons of 30-plus goals and assists.

  Altidore, meanwhile, was right there with him, hitting double figures for goals in each of their first three seasons together. With Altidore and Giovinco leading the line, and Michael Bradley anchoring the midfield, Toronto FC made it to three MLS Cups, winning in 2017. They also won a Supporters' Shield and three Canadian Championships, with Altidore and Giovinco playing definitive roles.

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  D.C. United: Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno

  One for the OGs here. Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno were the league's original duo and, to this day, their achievements match up with virtually any other. The two Bolivian stars were the iconic faces of MLS' early years, with Etcheverry so often the creator and Moreno so often the one finishing.

  Together, they won three MLS Cups to establish D.C. United's dominance in the league's first years. To take it one step further, they also lifted a CONCACAF Champions Cup, too, to prove that D.C. – and MLS – could compete with the very best in the region.

  “I’ve known Marco since my first cap with the national team in the 1991 Copa America," Moreno said in 2013. "Since then, we have always had an amazing friendship. We then met at D.C. and my arrival to the club was so quick, I don’t think he was even expecting it. Marco means titles, and with him, we had the best years in D.C.

  "Today, soccer is different and is not as exquisite as it was before. Marco used to put that exquisite touch to the game and to D.C.”

  For many, they will be the best on this list, and there's plenty to back that up. Both were named to MLS All-Time Best XI in 2005 and, while MLS has evolved since they ran things in the late '90s, they remain part of the league's foundation.

18 games, over 50 goals and plenty to take note of: Gameweek three of the Champions League provided us all with another spectacle. Once again, it was the usual suspects who dominated as Paris Saint-Germain handed Bayer Leverkusen an evening to forget and Liverpool got back to winning ways in style against Eintracht Frankfurt.

That’s not to say there were no shocks entirely, however. Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur side stuttered again, this time against AS Monaco, whilst Antonio Conte will certainly be having words with his Napoli side following their humiliating 6-2 defeat at the hands of PSV Eindhoven.

But in a week centred around goals galore, who stands out as the biggest winners and losers on matchday three of the Champions League campaign?

Winners: Wirtz ends wait and PSG thrash Leverkusen

Winner: Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)

After four straight defeats in all competitions, Liverpool’s trip to face Frankfurt suddenly became of the upmost importance. Defeat would have seen Arne Slot become the first Liverpool manager in the Premier League era to lose five games on the bounce and such a stat would have sparked the most serious concerns of his Anfield tenure.

When Rasmus Kristensen found the bottom corner of Giorgi Mamardashvili’s goal in the 26th minute, it looked as though the Reds were in for another miserable evening. It was the type of goal that they’ve become all too familiar with as of late.

A quick-fire triple from Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate soon signalled a sigh of relief around the Liverpool dugout, however, before Florian Wirtz made his mark in the second-half.

Assisting goals for Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, the German ended his 10-game wait for a goal contribution and could now finally be on his way to stardom in a Liverpool shirt.

Winner: PSG

They may have stuttered in Ligue 1 in recent weeks, sitting second behind Marseille, but when the world is watching PSG remain in ruthless form. This time, it was Bayer Leverkusen who suffered. The once-invincible Germans looked anything but against the European champions, who found themselves 4-1 up before Leverkusen could even take shelter at half-time.

The onslaught only continued in the second period. Following goals from Willian Pacho, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha all got in the act to secure a stunning 7-2 victory.

In full flow, PSG once again look unstoppable and that may well leave them on course to retain their European crown this season.

Winner: Fermin Lopez (Barcelona)

When heaping praise on a La Masia graduate, it’s usually Lamine Yamal who finds himself in the headlines. Alas, in recent weeks, Fermin Lopez has finally received his flowers.

The Spaniard, who attracted transfer interest from the Premier League in the summer, has proved his worth at Barcelona and enjoyed one of his best games yet against Olympiakos.

Netting a hat-trick as Barcelona thumped the Greek side 6-1, Lopez is staking a serious claim that he should be starting for Hansi Flick’s side every week.

Losers: Salah woes continue and Simeone loses at his own game Loser: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Liverpool desperately needed a win in Frankfurt and Mohamed Salah desperately needed a goal. After 90 minutes in Germany, however, only one of those things happened and the Egyptian was left to rue yet another missed chance.

Having been dropped for Hugo Ekitike in Slot’s frontline, Salah needed to prove a point when he emerged from the bench. But after failing to square the ball to Wirtz in an attempt to end his own drought from open-play, his current confidence problem was laid bare for the onwatching Reds.

Some have been quick to criticise the winger and he has since taken Liverpool out of his Twitter header in what could be a worrying sign for those at Anfield. Liverpool may be back to winning ways, but they’ve still got a major Salah problem to solve.

Loser: Bayer Leverkusen

Life without Xabi Alonso, Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and others was never going to be easy for Leverkusen. But their 7-2 humiliation at the hands of PSG in front of their own fans remains unacceptable. They tried and failed their Erik ten Hag experiment earlier this season. Now, it’s the turn of Kasper Hjulmand to turn things around.

So far, however, his side have been incredibly vulnerable defensively and serious steps need to be taken before they can compete among Europe’s best once again.

What makes the PSG thrashing all the more frustrating is the fact that Leverkusen entered the game without a defeat in eight games in all competitions. Those games featured plenty of goals, but there was at least an expectation that the Germans would hand the French champions a competitive outing. That proved to be anything but the case, though.

Loser: Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)

In one of the most highly-anticipated games in this season’s Champions League calendar, Arsenal played host to Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid side in a clash between two sides who perfect the defensive side of their game before launching forward.

It was the experienced defensive mastermind vs the new kid on the block in many ways, but it was the latter who came out on top. Simeone could do nothing but watch on as he was beaten at his own game and then some.

Arsenal ran riot, becoming the first-ever side to score four goals in 13 minutes against Simeone’s Atletico Madrid side, as they wrapped things up in a ruthless second-half performance.

It was a statement display from the Gunners and an evening to forget for Simeone, whose powers are beginning to fade on Europe’s biggest stage.

The season begins on November 9 but the MCG could still host the WBBL final as it will be a Saturday night game on December 13

Alex Malcolm11-Jul-2025

There will be no WBBL matches scheduled at the MCG or the SCG in the upcoming home and away season but the possibility of another MCG final remains open after Cricket Australia committed to a Saturday night final that will be held the day before the start of the BBL season.CA released the schedule for the upcoming WBBL season on Friday. The tournament is going to be completed in a tight 35-day window between November 9 and December 13, squeezed between the Women’s ODI World Cup in India and the men’s BBL which begins on December 14.The WBBL season will get underway with a grand final rematch between Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Renegades at the Allan Border Field in the first game of a double-header with Sydney Thunder and Hobart Hurricanes also facing off at the ground in a twilight match.Related

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There are 10 double-headers in all, but just one at a major international venue with the Adelaide Oval hosting two matches on November 28. The WBBL made a bold move last season to host matches at major venues as part of a ‘Stadium Series’, with three matches hosted at the Adelaide Oval, two at the SCG, one at the Gabba and three at the MCG including the final.But Big Bash League general manager Alistair Dobson said it was a difficult year to promote stadium games due to the tightness of the schedule.”Each season when we look at the schedule, we are always looking for the balance of the right venues and the right opportunity to promote those games,” Dobson said. “We’ve enjoyed playing in bigger stadiums for the past couple of seasons, and are really looking forward to being back at Adelaide Oval this year.”The other games, largely due to scheduling reasons and needing to optimise those games in those big stadiums, we haven’t found the right slot for them this year.”That’s not to say we won’t be back there in the future, because [playing] the world’s best cricket league in the world’s best stadiums is still a part of our thinking going forward, but not for this season.”WBBL schedule 2025-26•Cricket Australia

There is a possibility though that the MCG could hold the final if one of the Melbourne teams earns the right to host it given the CitiPower Centre (Junction Oval) will not have lights erected in time for the WBBL season, with the final scheduled to be a Saturday night game after last year’s final was played during the day.The North Sydney Oval, the Allan Border Field and the WACA all have lights which means the SCG, the Gabba and the Perth Stadium would unlikely be used for the final if required. The Adelaide Oval will also be unavailable on December 13 due to the third men’s Ashes Test being hosted on December 17 but the Karen Rolton Oval has lights for Adelaide Strikers to host there.There has been some raised eyebrows among clubs regarding parts of the schedule with each team having to host a game at a neutral venue. Melbourne Stars and Perth Scorchers will play in Adelaide just two days before Strikers and Scorchers play against each other in Melbourne. But the request of the broadcasters Channel Seven and Foxtel to minimise the amount of movement of broadcast equipment across the tightly condensed season has forced some compromises in the schedule.

Don't look now, but the New York Mets are just two wins away from the NLCS. Yes, the same Mets that started the year 0-5. The same Mets that were, at one point, 17.5 games back. On Saturday, New York took the first game of the NLDS from the Philadelphia Phillies, going from a low of 21.8 percent win probability (per ESPN) to a 6-2 victory thanks in large part to a five-run eighth inning.

The Mets had to do plenty to make it into the postseason. They had to win one of their final two games (in doubleheader format) on the final day of the season to make it in, but that was crawling out of that massive deficit. Along the way, they were the good vibes ship captains with McDonald's mascot Grimace becoming a key icon and a latin pop hit from one of its players, Jose Iglesias, becoming their anthem.

But, with how hard they had to claw to get here, shouldn't they slow soon? The magic is entertaining, but it has to wear off sometime, right?

Brandon Nimmo doesn't think so. The Mets outfielder was asked on MLB Network if the team is tiring:

"I don't think you can be tired in the playoffs and with this atmosphere. We've been on the road for two weeks now, we've had some amazing games. I think I've played two or three of the best games of my career and they've been within a week span."

Nimmo continued, insisting this is what it's all about:

"This is what we play for. This is what we do that 162-[game] grind for. When you're standing on the line before a game and there's 50,000 people waving their towels and you've got the Red October, it's just like you dream when you're a kid. And you've got all that emotion and adrenaline going, I just don't think you can be tired."

It's perhaps fear-inducing, considering the Phillies have created one of the best home field advantages in baseball the last several years, to hear that the raucous, loud Philly crowd is essentially what's giving the visiting Mets extra life.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have won the 2024 World Series over the New York Yankees, and they did so in historical fashion.

At the start of Game 5 on Wednesday night, it looked promising that the Yankees would push for a Game 6 as they took an early 5–0 lead through the first three innings. They scored three of those runs in the first inning alone thanks to back-to-back home runs from Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr.

But, this early lead didn't deter the Dodgers from believing they could still clinch the series. They scored five runs in the fifth inning to tie the game because of various Yankees errors. The Yankees took the lead again in the sixth inning, but then the Dodgers brought in two more runs in the eighth because of two sacrifice flies. They ended up winning 7–6.

The Dodgers' comeback from trailing 5–0 marks the only time an MLB team has clinched the World Series after trailing by at least five runs, per OptaSTATS. This means the Dodgers' comeback on Wednesday night is the biggest in World Series history.

This was the Dodgers' eighth World Series title in franchise history. They last won in 2020.

Rangers have not re-approached Steven Gerrard despite rumours of new rounds of talks taking place in recent days.

It emerged on Saturday night that the former Gers boss had removed himself from the race to become successor to Russell Martin, who was sacked after just 17 games in charge of the Govan club.

However, several bookmakers on Wednesday showed that Gerrard, who won the title with Rangers in 2021, was back among the favourites for the post.

No new talks between Gerrard and Rangers

PA news agency understands that there has been no new talks between the two parties.

Former Rangers defender Kevin Muscat and ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl are two of the front runners for the job.

Muscat, who has reportedly had had talks with the Govan club, has guided Shanghai Port to top spot in the Chinese Super League, two points clear with four games left. Their domestic season ends on November 22.

Speculation abounds that the Govan club are lining up Neil McCann for an interim period in charge until his former Gers team-mate is free to come to Glasgow.

The 52-year-old won a domestic treble with Rangers in 2003 in his only season at Ibrox and as a manager he has won titles in Australia, Japan and China with Melbourne Victory, Yokohama F Marinos and Shanghai Port.

Rohl, 36, reportedly impressed the Rangers hierarchy during talks last week, but rightly or wrongly, may well be considered by scarred and sceptical Gers supporters to be another version of Martin.

Previously an assistant manager at RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and the Germany national team, Rohl had steered Wednesday out of relegation trouble in the Sky Bet Championship in 2023/24.

The German led The Owls to a 12th-place league finish in his only full season as a manager before leaving the troubled Yorkshire club in July.

Other names on the bookmakers’ lists include former Manchester United player and boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Hearts boss Derek McInnes, ex-Chelsea and West Ham boss Graham Potter and former Wolves manager Gary O’Neil.

Rangers return from the international break with a home game against Dundee United on Saturday. The Light Blues are eighth in the table after seven fixtures, 11 points behind leaders Hearts and nine behind Celtic.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has expressed his desire to work with Erling Haaland again, with the Manchester United legend planning a return to management. He previously coached prolific frontman Haaland at Molde and is hoping to see their paths cross for a second time – potentially in the international arena as Norway close in on qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

Superstar status: Haaland forms part of the global elite

Haaland has helped to fire his nation towards a first major tournament since 2000, and their first World Cup since 1998. He bagged a brace in Norway’s 4-1 victory over Estonia last time out, with that win leaving them on the brink of booking tickets to FIFA’s flagship event.

He has reached 30 goals for the season across outings for club and country, with remarkable individual standards also being maintained at Manchester City. Superstardom has been achieved, with Solskjaer helping to nudge Haaland down that path.

AdvertisementGettyWhere next for Solskjaer? International post appeals

The ex-Norway international is currently out of work after severing ties with Besiktas in August, but the 52-year-old is eager to get back to the wheel somewhere. Solskjaer has told the podcast: “I’m looking. I’m open. It’s not like I’m desperate to be back in. But yes, in England, I love living here as well. Is it Norway, is it Sweden, is it wherever, it’s about working with people. I love just trying to make the most of them, or make them be the best version of themselves, and help the club.”

Having spent time with Molde, United and Besiktas, Solskjaer is open to working with a national team next – with his homeland being the most logical choice. He will, however, not look to step on the toes of current head coach Stale Solbakken.

Solskjaer added: “We’ve got a good coach still; we’re on the way to the World Cup. But if he [Solbakken] one day doesn’t sign a new deal? Of course, who wouldn’t want to work with Erling Haaland again?”

Man Utd mistake: Haaland transfer advice ignored

Haaland has previously credited Solskjaer with helping to improve his game, telling : “The first thing I think he said to me was ‘You have no idea how to head the ball. We have to work on that’.

“This is what we did for two years [practice heading], the whole period I was in Molde. And it was a good thing, because I couldn’t hit the ball, and now I’m scoring goals with my head – thanks to them."

Solskjaer wanted to be reunited with Haaland when heading back to Old Trafford, but saw his transfer pleas fall on deaf ears. He previously told : “I had him [Haaland] in Molde, for two seasons. The summer before I got here [Manchester United], I rang the club and said, ‘You’ve got to sign this boy – he’ll be top class’. That was June/July 2018, and they said no – they had enough reports on players.

“Then I became the caretaker manager [of United], and we’d sold Haaland to RB Salzburg. I tell the club straight away to buy him while he has a release clause. We knew that then, and no one else would’ve paid the money – €20 million, it would’ve been a bargain. Even though with his links with Alfie [Haaland], and Manchester City and Leeds.

“It was the club’s decision to not go for it then. We never made bids or went in for him, until after he started scoring for Salzburg. By then, Borussia Dortmund were there, Juventus were there, everyone was there. His release clause then was still good – €60 million.”

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GettyHaaland goal record: Incredible numbers for Man City

Haaland ended up moving to Manchester with City in the summer of 2022. He helped to fire them to a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble during his debut campaign at the Etihad Stadium.

With United being left to mull over what could have been, fearsome No.9 Haaland – who appears destined to grace the World Cup finals next summer and compete for future Ballon d’Or prizes – has registered 143 goals through 161 appearances for City.

Tasmania allrounder set for a middle-order role in ODIs after being called into Australia’s squad to face South Africa following his successful debut T20I series

Alex Malcolm04-Aug-2025

Mitchell Owen says he will not change anything about his batting approach as he prepares to make his ODI debut for Australia later this month following a stunning debut T20I series in the Caribbean.Owen, 23, was an eye-catching inclusion in Australia’s new-look ODI squad for the three home ODIs against South Africa to be played in the northern Queensland towns of Cairns and Mackay starting on August 19. The ODI series follows a three-match T20I series against the same opponents in Darwin and Cairns starting next week, with Owen remaining in the squad following a successful debut series against West Indies where he made scores of 50, 36 not out, 2 and 37, striking at a phenomenal 192.30 batting at No. 6 across the series.Despite his BBL success opening the batting, Owen’s power and poise in the middle and death overs in the Caribbean, as well as his ability to chip in with some medium pace, saw him added to the ODI squad as Australia begins their build towards the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa in the aftermath of the retirements of Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis following the Champions Trophy.Related

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Nerves with the ball, calm with the bat, Owen happy with dream debut

Owen revealed he had not been given any indication of where he will bat in the ODI team if he gets a chance, but he said his approach won’t differ from what he showcased in the Caribbean.”If I am opening the batting or if I’m batting down the order, not much will change,” Owen said in Hobart on Monday. “Not much really changes in any form of my cricket. I just try and hit the ball and I feel like if I sort of think ‘defend’, I go into my shell a little bit and it just doesn’t work. So yeah, I’ll be keeping that same mindset.”Owen has only played 17 List A matches for Tasmania. He batted at No. 7 in his first 10 with a highest score of just 16. Tasmania, with the same coaching staff as Hobart Hurricanes, shifted him to open in the Dean Jones Trophy (Australia’s domestic one-day cup) last summer, partly in preparation for him making the same move in the BBL.It was post his BBL success where he really found another gear in 50-over cricket, smashing 48 off 19 and 149 off 69 to set up two winning chases against eventual finalists Victoria and South Australia respectively to end the season.However, as was the case with his T20I debut, Owen is highly likely to get his ODI opportunity in the middle order despite his domestic success at the top. The loss of Maxwell in particular robs Australia of finishing power given Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey are set to retain their middle-order roles. Australia will need to re-jig their top four with ODI acting captain Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green returning after missing the Champions Trophy through injury. Matthew Short also returns to the squad after missing the semi-final against India through injury having made a vital 63 off 66 while opening alongside Travis Head in Australia’s record chase against England in Lahore. Cooper Connolly opened the batting in the semi-final but has not been retained in either the T20I or ODI squads for the South Africa series.There will be a squeeze on for spots in Australia’s T20I side with Head and Short returning after missing the Caribbean series. Australia will likely start to bed their best available top seven against South Africa ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup. It means Maxwell, who opened in four of the five T20Is in the Caribbean will return to the middle order as he forecast, with Head likely to partner Marsh at the top while Josh Inglis looks set to remain locked at No. 3 unless Short is trialed there which would change the balance of the middle order.Mitchell Owen has a strike rate of 145.53 in his 17 List A matches•AFP via Getty Images

Green was the Player of the Series at No. 4 while Tim David made a century at No. 5 in St Kitts and Owen looked a ready-made T20I No. 6. With Maxwell being added into the mix, Australia look primed to have a power-packed middle order but who bats where in their first-choice combination remains to be seen. Stoinis is not in the squad for the South Africa T20Is just as he wasn’t in the Caribbean, in part due to his Hundred commitments, but he too is understood to still be in consideration heading towards the T20 World Cup with Australia set to play two more T20I series in October against New Zealand and India where some Test batters like Head and Green might be rested at different stages.Owen will join the squad in Darwin on Wednesday after a rare few days in his own bed. Since the start of April, Owen has played 26 T20s in five different countries across the PSL, IPL, MLC and his international debut.He said he has learned a lot about his own game after experiencing the T20 franchise merry-go-round for the first time in his career.”What I learned was that I have to find my own process and my own training methods to get ready for each game, because you don’t have those chunks of training time to upskill your game, or try new things,” Owen said. “You’ve got to be ready to play every couple of days. So for me, I learned a lot about that and a lot about what I need to get ready. And then obviously, on the different wickets, sometimes you don’t know what you’re going to get, but I think going to the subcontinent for Pakistan and India that held me in good stead for some of the wickets in the MLC and some of the wickets in the West Indies. It’s all just experience and knowledge that I’ve been able to sort of bank.”

Football fans far and wide, heading into the 2025/26 Premier League season, must have been expecting that Liverpool would continue their domestic dominance.

It started well for Arne Slot’s Reds, too, as they went about defending their status as reigning champions, with five straight wins picked up in league action in the early stages of the campaign.

However, since they got the better of Everton in the Merseyside Derby in mid-September, it has all gone rather pear-shaped for the Reds, with an alarming six defeats now collected in all competitions, pushing them down to a dire seventh position in the Premier League standings.

Things have to change, and quickly, with many of the players Slot and Co. purchased in the summer failing to live up to their grand expectations.

Liverpool's most underwhelming signings

Liverpool really didn’t hold back this summer when breaking the bank.

Indeed, a jaw-dropping £415m in total was spent on revamping the Reds, with the triumphant top-flight champions waving goodbye to the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer for mega money.

Unfortunately, despite sitting at the top of this above list with their spending power, a lot of their high-profile signings have flopped so far at Anfield, with Florian Wirtz – who cost a whopping £116m just on his own – still yet to pick up a single goal or assist in league action, culminating in the German being labelled as “pretty average” by ex-Liverpool midfielder, and compatriot, Dietmar Hamann.

Milos Kerkez has also been subject to some scathing criticism, with the £40m recruit looking like a shadow of his expansive AFC Bournemouth best, particularly against Crystal Palace last time out in the EFL Cup, as Ismaila Sarr confidently collected two goals down his left flank.

Another former Liverpool favourite in Jason McAteer, has even suggested that the move to the Reds was “too big for him”, amid concerns he looks “lost” donning the number six jersey.

Thankfully, Hugo Ekitike has shone in spurts as another flashy new signing, but there is one dud that is extremely concerning now, as Slot potentially has to contend with his own Naby Keita-style blunder.

The £280k-per-week star who is Slot's own Keita

Glancing over Liverpool’s most expensive signings of all time is an intriguing read.

Of course, they struck gold when landing Virgil Van Dijk for £75m as he remains the club’s top leader to this day. But, when you

scroll down more, you’re then greeted by Keita’s name, who is still Liverpool’s eighth most expensive recruit at the £48m mark.

Keita did, of course, have a stunning goal up his sleeve at Liverpool – as evidenced in this glittering highlight package – but he didn’t consistently shine bright enough to justify his once club-record fee, with injuries galore often stopping him in his tracks.

Fast forward to the present, and an eerily similar tale could now be unfolding with Alexander Isak, with the ex-Newcastle United striker – who is prone to an injury niggle himself – yet to get up and running at Anfield, after breaking the Reds’ transfer record when joining in the summer for a ludicrous £125m.

Games played

8

Goals scored

1

Assists

1

Games missed through injury

5

After all, Liverpool must have thought they’d sealed the signing of the window when landing the £280k-per-week hotshot, considering he was once branded as a “world-class” talent at Newcastle United by ex-boss Eddie Howe when burying a lethal 62 strikes from 109 games.

But, caution should have been exercised here in trying to temper expectations, considering Jurgen Klopp also hailed Keita as the “best player in the league” in the Bundesliga when sealing his services, only for everything to fall apart.

Indeed, as is the case looking at the table above, Isak has only one paltry goal next to his name so far in his uncomfortable new surroundings, with the extortionate number nine already falling foul of sitting out five games for club and country this season through injury issues.

The hope will be that it doesn’t get as bad as Keita’s injury situation got, with his penultimate season in England seeing him miss a staggering 40 games with recurring trips to the treatment room.

He looks set to miss Liverpool’s must-win clash with Aston Villa on the weekend, to add insult to injury.

Isak, additionally, has the pressure of being known as a lethal goalscorer weighing him down, as the burden of being Liverpool’s most expensive signing proves, yet again, to be a debilitating hindrance, rather than a badge of honour.

The Reds waited a year for Keita to arrive, after initially signing him in advance in 2017, only for the move to end in disappointment.

Having waded through a whole summer saga before landing Isak, it looks as if the Swede could be heading for similar frustration at Anfield.

"We never speak about this in here" – Slot stunned at Liverpool press conference

It took the Dutchman by surprise.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 31, 2025