All posts by h716a5.icu

And is Gus Atkinson the fastest to 50 Test wickets by time?

Steven Lynch18-Mar-2025Matt Breetzke recently scored 150 in his first ODI, and 83 in his second. Does he have the most runs after two such matches? asked Jason Seymour from South Africa
South Africa’s Matthew Breetzke hit 150 in his first one-day international, against New Zealand in Lahore in February, which was the highest by anyone on ODI debut, beating Desmond Haynes’s 148 for West Indies vs Australia in Antigua in 1978.Breetzke added 83 in his second match, against Pakistan in Karachi two days later, giving him 233 runs after two ODIs: the previous highest was again Haynes, who followed his 148 with 47.Rather surprisingly, given his turbocharged start, Breetzke was not included in South Africa’s squad for the Champions Trophy: it had been named already, but there was a provision for late changes. In his next ODI he will need to score 32 runs to stay ahead: England’s Nick Knight had 264 runs after his first three ODIs, which included hundreds on successive days against Pakistan in 1996.Gus Atkinson reached 50 Test wickets in a little over five months. Has anyone got there quicker than that? asked Mark McKenzie from England
The England seamer Gus Atkinson collected 50 Test wickets in just 158 days from his debut at Lord’s on July 10 last year. The only bowlers to reach 50 quicker than that are Australia’s Rodney Hogg, in 116 days from December 1, 1978, and Vernon Philander of South Africa, in 139 days from November 9, 2011. The previous fastest for England (and still joint fifth overall) was Maurice Tate, in 248 days from June 14, 1924.Atkinson reached 50 in his 11th Test, quite a way down a list headed by Australia’s Charles Turner: he got there in six matches, just ahead of Philander, Tom Richardson of England and Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya, who all reached 50 in their seventh Test.When New Zealand beat West Indies by one wicket in 1980, they did it with numbers ten and 11 at the crease. Usually there’s a proper batsman there to finish things off – are there any other Tests like this one? asked Chris Goddard from England
When New Zealand squeaked past West Indies to win by one wicket in Dunedin in February 1980, you’re right that the last four runs came with the final pair at the crease – No. 10, Gary Troup (who finished with 7 not out) and No. 11, Stephen Boock (2 not out). Neither was any great shakes with the bat – Troup was once dismissed five times in the space of seven balls bowled to him in Tests – but they somehow got New Zealand home. Boock remembered being “absolutely petrified” before he went in to face the West Indian fast bowlers, but somehow scampered through for the winning run: “I got a leg-bye off Joel Garner from the last ball of an over. At the time I thought I was in complete control, but when I looked at it on television later it looked as though I changed my mind ten times. If the throw had hit I would have been out by miles.”There have now been 15 one-wicket victories in Tests, and that’s still the only one where Nos. 10 and 11 were together at the end. There have been four matches where the end came with No. 9 in with No. 11: by England (Sydney Barnes and Arthur Fielder) against Australia in Melbourne in 1908, England (Alex Kennedy and George Macaulay) against South Africa in Cape Town in 1923, Australia (Doug Ring and Bill Johnston) against West Indies in Melbourne in 1952, and West Indies (Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales) against Pakistan in Kingston in 2021.Ryan ten Doeschate has the highest career average in ODIs, followed by Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli•Peter Della PennaShubman Gill is averaging 59 in ODIs. Is this a record? How about T20s? asked Milind Rao from India
You’re right that Shubman Gill currently averages 59.04 in one-day internationals, just above his India team-mate Virat Kohli (57.88). The only man ahead of them is Ryan ten Doeschate, who averaged 67.00 in 33 ODIs for Netherlands between 2006 and 2011.Only nine other men (four of them current players) have an average above 50 in ODIs, given a minimum of 20 innings: Dawid Malan (55.76), Babar Azam (55.50), Michael Bevan (53.58), AB de Villiers (53.50), Jonathan Trott (51.25), MS Dhoni (50.57), Ben Duckett (50.38), Ibrahim Zadran (50.18) and Rassie van der Dussen (50.13). Shai Hope of West Indies currently averages 49.93. At the moment there are also six women with a career average above 50 in ODIs, again given a minimum of 20 innings.The highest average in men’s T20 internationals currently belongs to Sami Sohail of Malawi, with 56.12 from 42 innings; India’s Tilak Varma comes next with 49.93. Not far behind are Kohli (48.69), Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan (47.41) and Japan’s Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (45.80).The women’s T20I list is headed by the Isle of Man teenager Lucy Barnett (67.45), ahead of the Australian pair of Tahlia McGrath (41.62) and Beth Mooney (41.21).How many Test cricketers have been born in Scotland? asked Kelvin Muir from… Scotland
So far there have been 11 Test cricketers who were born in Scotland. They make a reasonable XI too – perhaps a bit light on batting, but well served for bowlers, and there are a pair of wicketkeepers!The openers of this team (who played their Tests for England unless stated otherwise) would be Archie Jackson, who was born in Rutherglen in Lanarkshire and made 164 on his Test debut for Australia against England in Adelaide in 1929, and Middlesex’s Eric Russell (born in Dumbarton). The one-time England captain Mike Denness (Bellshill) is at No. 3. Gavin Hamilton (Broxburn) scored a lot of runs for Scotland in the 1999 World Cup, before one unsuccessful Test appearance for England, while Gregor MacGregor (Edinburgh) was a fine 19th-century wicketkeeper, and a rugby international too. Hampshire’s Alex Kennedy (Edinburgh) did the double five times (and passed 100 wickets in a season on 15 occasions), while Gordon Rowe (Glasgow) bagged a pair in his only Test for New Zealand in March 1946. Tom Campbell (Edinburgh) kept wicket for South Africa in five Tests before the First World War, while the tall Northamptonshire fast bowler David Larter (Inverness) toured Australia twice in the 1960s. The slow bowling would be in the hands of legspinner Ian Peebles (Aberdeen), who troubled Don Bradman in 1930, and the offbreaks of Peter Such (Helensburgh).There’s also one Scottish-born female Test cricketer: Jan Lumsden, who first saw the light of day in Musselburgh, played six Tests for Australia in the 1970s.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

The Philadelphia Phillies know how to have a good time.

During Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Angels, the Phillies gave their home fans at Citizens Bank Park a show with a hilarious parody of the viral kiss cam moment that happened at a Coldplay concert earlier this week.

During the standard kiss cam segment of the game, and with Coldplay's "Clocks" playing in the background, the jumbotron showed none other than Phillie Phanatic cozying up to a female mascot in the stands. Phillie Phanatic looked startled as ever to be caught on camera and dove to the ground in the same panicked manner as the Astronomer CEO, eliciting lots of laughter from the crowd.

The stadium played an audio clip of Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin during the parody: "Uh-oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy."

Just too good.

On top of that, the stadium's cameras panned to another couple right after and showed the man holding a sign that read, "This IS My Wife"—a very necessary clarification during these chaotic times.

A body language expert believes that Mohamed Salah has already 'made up his mind' over his Liverpool future following his criticism of Reds boss Arne Slot after Saturday's 3-3 draw at Leeds. Salah started on the bench for the third game running as Liverpool conceded late on to share the spoils in the six-goal thriller at Elland Road to compound a miserable season.

Getty Images SportBrighton game could be Salah's final Liverpool appearance

Ao Tanaka's late strike at Elland Road means Liverpool have now won only four of their last 15 competitive matches, with pressure now mounting on head coach Arne Slot to turn the club's fortunes around. However, the post-match headlines were dominated by Salah, who he claims has been "thrown under a bus" by the club with the Egypt forward unsure if he still has a future at Anfield.

Salah's final game before he links up with the Egypt national team comes against Brighton next weekend and he's set to miss six Liverpool matches should Egypt go the distance at the Africa Cup of Nations.

However, the welcome of the Seagulls could prove to be Salah's final game for Liverpool with a body language expert claiming the forward has already made up his mind over his future on Merseyside.

Advertisement'Salah's already made up his mind' claims body language expert

Speaking exclusively with OLBG, body language expert Darren Stanton said: "Mohamed Salah is an interesting guy to read. He’s so expressive. I believe he is being sincere and fully believes what he is saying, that he feels like he’s been thrown under the bus for Liverpool’s problems.

"His genuine sense of anger and frustration are clear to see. His bottom lip pouts which is a sign of anxiety and frustration. We do see some smiles from Salah too but they're not real smiles. They're fake smiles for masking.

"I think he’s already made up his mind. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s planning a quick exit. The way he’s talking and his expressions, I think he thinks this team and this manager and the club’s situation is a lost cause. He’s obviously become used to success at Liverpool and now he has issues with the team. Whether it’s the manager or his teammates, they’re no longer complying with what Salah wants or perhaps what he’s instructing himself.

"It’s clear Salah feels the buck stops with him as far as his own career goes so I personally think he is now looking for his way out, regardless of what happens with the management."

Getty Images SportSalah to leave Liverpool in January?

Liverpool take on Inter in the Champions League in midweek before the welcome of Brighton next weekend, and it could prove that the game against the Seagulls marks Salah's final appearance for the defending Premier League champions. The Egyptian forward has been linked with a January move to Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray, who are prepared to pay the 33-year-old £15m per season to make the switch to Istanbul.

Salah's recent comments mark a quick downturn in fortunes for the forward, who put pen to paper on a new contract earlier in the year. Salah was instrumental as Liverpool claimed the Premier League title in Slot's debut season at the Anfield helm, scoring 29 goals and providing 18 assists for the Reds.

However, the former Roma man has only scored four goals and provided two assists in Liverpool's doomed Premier League defence.

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Liverpool failed title defence

Liverpool are enduring a tough second season under Slot and Saturday's 3-3 draw at Leeds means they have won just two of their last 10 league games. After Saturday's action, the Reds sit eighth and are 10 points behind league leaders Arsenal, who crashed to a 2-1 loss at Aston Villa in the lunchtime clash.

Rivals Manchester City, meanwhile, are now just two points behind the Gunners after they beat Sunderland 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday as they claimed their third successive league victory.

An “elite” midfielder has now risen to the top of Ruben Amorim’s shortlist, with Manchester United very keen to strengthen in the engine room.

Man Utd eyeing new midfielder amid Mainoo's lack of minutes

Kobbie Mainoo has played just 171 minutes across nine Premier League matches this season, most recently being brought on in stoppage time to help Man United close out a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace.

Falling down the pecking order is far from ideal for the Englishman, who will have ambitions of going to the World Cup next summer, having played a vital role in the Three Lions reaching the final of Euro 2024.

The Devils’ Advocate co-host Joe McGrath has now claimed United should sanction a loan move this winter, saying: “We had a player worth – and is still worth – £80m or £90m. A young England international. He’s so good. We can’t let his standards drop and we need to let him go on loan.

Should that happen, the Red Devils will need to bring in a replacement, and Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson has now emerged as Amorim’s top target, with a report from TEAMtalk revealing the 23-year-old is their ‘clear favourite’.

There are a number of other options on the shortlist namely Adam Wharton, Joao Gomes, Conor Gallagher and Morten Hjulmand, with United clearly determined to bring in a midfielder.

Signing Anderson is now Amorim’s priority, however, even though it could take a huge bid to get a deal over the line, with the Tricky Trees planning to hold out for around £100m.

"Elite" Anderson would be statement signing for Man Utd

A number of top Premier League clubs are now queuing up to sign the England international, including Manchester City and Liverpool, so Man United would be making a real statement if they were able to win the race for his signature.

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It is no surprise so many teams are eager to sign the Forest star, given the impression he’s made for both club and country, with Thomas Tuchel recently lauding the central midfielder as “elite”.

The former Newcastle United man has also been in top form in the Premier League, completing a total of 736 short passes, the fifth-highest number of any player.

It is the correct decision to pinpoint Anderson as the top target, but United’s ability to compete for his signature will likely depend on whether they qualify for Europe, amid rival interest from some top clubs.

India fast bowler also spoke about how the new rule of ball change in ODIs has been “very helpful”

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2025Harshit Rana has played 16 matches for India. In nine of them, he has shared the dressing room with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The 23-year-old fast bowler, still making his way towards being a first-choice pick, praised the influence of the two senior players and highlighted India’s team environment as “very happy.””It is a big thing for me, and for the entire team too,” Rana said on the eve of the second ODI against South Africa, on Tuesday. “If such experienced players are with you in the dressing room and on the field, the environment stays great. At this time, off the field – even dressing room – it is a happy environment for the entire team. Everyone wants to be better. In their minds, they always want youngsters to get better. When I am bowling, for example, they always tell me how to bowl better. When a player gets such a great team environment, things automatically go well.”They are always motivated – whether it is good times or bad times. They back you and tell you what next steps you should take. As a youngster, this really helps you, because when you are on the field – in a pressure situation – they help you out a lot.”Related

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Harshit broke into the Indian white-ball team as a hustle-and-bustle seam bowler with excellent slower balls. Those skills mark him out as a middle-overs specialist, but he took on a different role in the first ODI on Sunday when he opened the bowling and picked up two wickets in his first over.”With the new ball, I’ve practiced a lot with Morne [Morkel, the bowling coach], and also talk a lot with Arshdeep [Singh],” Rana said. “He has a lot of experience, and he helps me in practices by telling how I should bowl better.”Fast bowlers have also been able to pose more of a threat this year with the ICC changing the rules of ODI cricket. Though all 50-over matches start with two new balls, at the start of the 35th over, the bowling team gets to decide which one they’ll keep for the rest of the innings.”You know that the bowlers don’t get as much help in today’s cricket,” Rana said. “This rule has been very helpful for us, because that one older ball, we always keep in the back of our minds. Whichever ball is older after the 34th [over], we try and focus on that. And about choosing the ball, that all of us do. Whoever feels which ball is older.”In India, bowling is different because the variations are what you have to depend on. In each phase, you have to bowl differently in different roles: sometimes attacking, sometimes defensive.”India may be considering a change in their middle order for Wednesday with Rishabh Pant and Tilak Varma getting a long hit against net bowlers with assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate watching on.

Former MLB outfielder and designated hitter Chet Lemon, a three-time All-Star for two teams from 1975 to '90, died Thursday in Apopka, Fla. He was 70.

No cause of death was immediately given. Lemon suffered from a rare blood disorder called polycythemia vera, and had at least 13 strokes following his retirement.

A native of Jackson, Miss., Lemon was a steadying presence in the outfielder of the Chicago White Sox for seven years and the Detroit Tigers for nine. He made the American League All-Star team three times—1978, 1979 and 1984—and led the AL in doubles in '79.

In '84, he slashed .287/.357/.495 for a Tigers team that won the World Series.

Several of his teammates on that '84 Detroit team—among the most beloved in civic history—paid tribute upon Lemon's death.

"I’m so thankful for the time we spent together last summer," Hall of Fame shortstop Alan Trammell said in a statement, referencing the '84 Tigers' 40-year reunion. "Today is a sad day or us. He will be dearly missed."

Pep Guardiola blasted his Manchester City players following their Champions League defeat by Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday. The Catalan has had three days to reflect on the 2-0 loss against the Bundesliga side at the Etihad Stadium, for which he made 10 changes to his starting line-up. And he has concluded that his players did not put in the required effort.

City still smarting from shock home defeat

Tuesday's defeat by Leverkusen was the first time City had lost a Champions League home game in the group stage or the League Phase of the competition since they were beaten 2-1 by Lyon in September 2018. The coach only kept Nico Gonzalez in the starting line-up from the previous match against Newcastle, benching top scorer Erling Haaland plus his most experienced players such as Phil Foden, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva. Immediately after the game he admitted that he had made too many changes. 

"I take responsibility but I saw them and I like everyone to be involved," he said at the time. "When you are a football player and don’t play for five, six, seven games it’s tough but maybe it was too much. Always I like to be too nice and involve everyone because I have the feeling after the international break there are games every three or four days and there is no human being who can sustain that. We were at home, in a good position in the Champions League and I thought 'let’s try and let’s have weapons on the bench'. It didn’t work and we have to accept it."

However, speaking on Friday ahead of City's next game against Leeds United, the coach decided to criticise his players for the way they approached the game.

AdvertisementAFPLeverkusen defeat 'a good lesson' for Guardiola

Guardiola told a press conference: "Mum and Dad made me a beautiful person. I'm so nice, no, and it's not about that. It's just that we didn't try. When you play on the pitch you have to try things and win and try. That's all. Yeah, maybe I'll have a theory to rotate. You have to rotate, without it it's impossible to sustain [fitness levels]. But I thought, have a lot of confidence, and still, right now, I place a huge value on what they are as a football players. And yeah, it was a good lesson for me. So even with quite a lot of experience as a manager, it's a good lesson for me for the future."

'Too safe'

Guardiola dismissed the suggestion that the defeat would make him question whether or not to heavily rotate his squad in the future. Instead, he questioned his team's mentality during the game, claiming they were too cautious. He explained: "I'm pretty sure that if they were surrounded by different players they will play good. I think they felt they played to not make any mistakes, not to play and think 'I'm going to do something', and that is so difficult. So in football, you have to play defensive or offensive, you have to try and [even] if you lose the actions, you did it. They played to be safe, to think 'I don't want to make a mistake and be noticed'. That's why it's so difficult."

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AFPCity must beat Leeds to keep Arsenal in check

City fell seven points behind Arsenal in the title race following the defeat at Newcastle and the Gunners' resounding victory over Tottenham and they will have to get back to winning ways at home to Leeds to prevent Mikel Arteta's side running away with the title. One year ago City went off the rails in the league and effectively bowed out of the title race and Guardiola stressed how important it was to take Leeds seriously even though they are 18th in the table.

"We just think about next week and about the next games," he said. "We are experienced enough to only talk about what is the next game. And after that, we'll see. I know the distance is already there, and Arsenal are so strong, we see it game by game in the Premier League. We are starting to see how they are getting better and better as a team. The Premier League is like this. You are able to make a good run of results, but at the end, you can make a bad, bad results and continue because the opponents are tough. Every opponent is really prepared. They have a long week to prepare. And so it's so, so demanding. So we have to be ready."

England coach hopes to unleash Ecclestone and Linsey to exploit India’s vulnerability against left-arm spin

S Sudarshanan18-Oct-20252:41

Edwards: ‘Ecclestone is bowling as well as I’ve seen’

“What collapse?” Charlotte Edwards joked.England have three wins from four outings and are yet to lose a game at the 2025 Women’s World Cup. And they will face an under-pressure India on Sunday, stinging from defeats to South Africa and Australia.It’s a good place to be, if you put aside England’s batting issues, which their head coach has been trying to. “Seriously, in a tournament like this, you have to forget about things quite quickly,” Edwards said in Indore on the eve of the match against India.England were 78 for 7 in their most recent game against Pakistan and were lucky to split points after rain put an end to proceedings in Colombo. “We’ve obviously reviewed that last game, but we are not dwelling on that,” Edwards said. “We’re focusing on India and we know from the summer how tough a challenge India are going to be in home conditions.Related

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“It’s exciting to be here tomorrow in front of a massive crowd, who I’m sure will be supporting India. There’s just this real sense of excitement around our group and not thinking too much about what’s happened.”One of England’s concerns with the bat is their vulnerability against swing bowling. Bangladesh’s Marufa Akter exploited that in Guwahati by dismissing Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont, and almost dismissed the eventual match-winner Heather Knight, too. Pakistan’s Fatima Sana and Diana Baig inflicted the early damage at the Premadasa stadium this week resulting in a bit of a trend.Fast bowlers have recorded a tournament-high strike rate of 22.7 against England at this World Cup.”I am not concerned,” Edwards said. “You have days where it doesn’t go particularly well. I’m disappointed, probably, that we didn’t adapt quick enough, but I’m certainly not concerned. You have got to move on quite quickly in tournament cricket. If you look at South Africa in the first game, they were bowled out for 70 [69] and have played brilliantly since.”Edwards: ‘Wanted Ecclestone to enjoy her cricket again’Sophie Ecclestone has been in top form•Getty ImagesEngland’s spinners have picked up 24 of the 30 wickets so far, and left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone has led the pack with nine at an average of 6.66. That haul included figures of 4 for 17 against Sri Lanka in Colombo and Edwards said England were just happy she was back playing again.During the English summer, Ecclestone had taken time away from the game to prioritise her wellbeing. She had also considered quitting cricket following some off-field drama that cropped up during the last Women’s Ashes.”We’re all incredibly proud of Sophie, she obviously had a tough winter and worked through some issues,” Edwards said. “First and foremost, we wanted Sophie to enjoy her cricket again. It’s really evident to see that she’s enjoying cricket again. She’s probably bowling as well as I’ve ever seen her and that spell against Sri Lanka was unbelievable. I know she’s looking forward to playing tomorrow. She’s over her illness [that kept her out of the Pakistan game] and really excited to get out there playing again for England.”India have lost the most wickets to left-arm spin at this World Cup. On Sunday, they will be faced with two exponents of the art in Ecclestone and Linsey Smith. Ecclestone has dismissed Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur a combined seven times in ODIs.”Left-arm spin has been quite prolific in women’s cricket over the last few years, probably more in the T20 format,” Edwards said. “With this tournament being in India, our reasons for picking two left-arm spinners was because I knew they’d be really effective. We’ve got two of the best in the world and well, certainly, the best in the world in Sophie Ecclestone. It’s just one of those bowling styles that’s been hugely effective and I’m glad we’ve got the two.”Any sort of advantage you can get over an opposition, you’ll look into. We do know there is a vulnerability there and we’ve got two left-arm spinners, which is great that we’ve got that option to play them.”

Can Rob Edwards save Wolverhampton Wanderers from relegation?

During the international break, the 42-year-old controversially left Middlesbrough, currently second in the EFL Championship, to take over the reins at Molineux, returning to the club for whom he made 111 appearances as a player, but he has a massive task on his hands.

Wolves currently have just two points on the board after 11 matches, no side in Premier League history has ever survived from this position, losing four on the spin ahead of Crystal Palace’s visit to the Black Country on Saturday afternoon.

The Old Gold’s eight-year stay in the top-flight is under serious threat, so if Edwards harbours any realistic hopes of leading Wolves to a great escape, he must surely unleash a new-look forward line in attack.

Jørgen Strand Larsen's downturn in form

Last season, his first after arriving from Celta Vigo, only nine players scored more Premier League goals than Jørgen Strand Larsen’s tally of 14, an impressive figure considering Wolves finished 16th.

This saw Newcastle make multiple bids to sign the 25-year-old, the highest of which was £55m, despite the fact he had cost the Old Gold only €30m (around £26m).

Wolves rejected all of these bids, with Strand Larsen instead signing a new five-year contract, but now they desperately need him to rediscover his best form.

So far this season, the striker has just three goals to his name, bagging a Carabao Cup double against West Ham in August, while his only goal in the Premier League thus far was a penalty during the infamous 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Burnley that ultimately cost Vítor Pereira his job.

Strand Larsen did find the target last Sunday as Norway crushed Italy 4-1 at San Siro, officially confirming his country’s place at next summer’s World Cup, so will be hoping to take confidence from that back into his club form.

Nevertheless, Wolves could be doing more to get the best out of their number nine, underlined by the fact that Strand Larsen’s shots and shot on target per 90 statistics have significantly decreased this season, so could partnering him alongside a “huge talent” be the solution?

Rob Edwards must unleash Wolves' next Jimenez

Wolves only made five senior summer signings, all of whom have had varying degrees of little impact, namely Fer López, Jhon Arias, David Møller Wolfe and Jackson Tchatchoua.

The last of the additions, arriving on deadline day, was striker Tolu Arokodare, joining from Genk for £24m, and he is possibly the most exciting of the quintet, even if the Wolves faithful have seen very little from him thus far.

The 24-year-old has taken an unusual route to the Premier League, beginning his senior career at Latvian club Valmiera, scoring 22 goals in just 34 appearances, hence why Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout described him as “simply too good” for the Virslīga, currently ranked the 36th best league in Europe.

​​​​​​​

After a brief and unsuccessful stint at Köln, scoring no goals for die Geißböcke, Arokodare​​​​​​​ rediscovered his mojo at Amiens, netting 21 times across two seasons for the Ligue 2 side, earning a move to Genk, scoring on 41 occasions for the Smurfs.

Of these goals, 21 came in last season’s Jupiler Pro League, which Global Football Rankings believes to be the sixth-strongest league in the world, and the Nigerian international’s statistics make for impressive reading.

Goals

21

1st

Goals inside the box

21

1st

Headed goals

3

3rd

Expected goals

28.53

1st

Shots

158

1st

Shots per 90

4.9

1st

Shots on target

52

2nd

Big chances missed

34

1st

Assists

5

17th

Big chances created

7

32nd

Key passes

32

52nd

Shot-creating actions

77

16th

Goal-creating actions

9

13th

Aerial duels won

156

3rd

Touches in the box

217

1st

The table makes for interesting reading, emphasising the fact that Arokodare is a penalty box presence, considering all 21 of his goals came inside the area, while also ranking first for shots, shots per 90 and touches in the opposition area.

Meantime, he is also excellent in the air, scoring three headers while also ending up third for aerial duels won, behind only Daan Heymans​​​​​​​ and Aurélien Scheidler​​​​​​​; the former joined Genk to replace Arokodare, while the latter moved to Royal Charleroi to replace the former.

The statistic though that leaps off the page most is the fact that Arokodare missed 34 Opta-defined big chances.

For comparison, the leaders in this metric across other European leagues last season were Ollie Watkins in the Premier League (27), Kylian Mbappé in La Liga (29), Serhou Guirassy in the Bundesliga (21) and Roberto Piccoli in Serie A (26), so no one came close to the Nigerian’s 34, which shows he is often in the right position, albeit is regularly an erratic finisher.

Chalkboard

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

Despite this, Arokodare is still highly rated, with journalist Graeme Bailey​​​​​​​ labelling him a “huge talent”, while the aforementioned Kulig notes that “physicality, heading and link-up play” are his primary assets.

This all sounds rather reminiscent of Wolves’ best striker of their current stint in the Premier League, Raúl Jiménez, who is the club’s all-time leading scorer in the competition with 40.

After bouncing around Club América, Atlético Madrid and Benfica, the Mexican really flourished at Molineux, very much considered to be one of the best centre-forwards in the division prior to suffering a horrific fractured skull in November 2020.

Arokodare certainly possesses all the raw attributes to be as good as Jiménez, so now is the time for him to prove this.

Well, Wolves supporters have been treated to a mere amuse-bouche of what their new striker could offer so far, scoring in EFL Cup ties against Everton and Chelsea, starting only once in the Premier League thus far, not doing so in any of Wolves’ last six.

So, pairing him with Strand Larsen would certainly give opposition defences something to think about, with the duo possessing similar but also complementary skillsets.

With Palace captain Marc Guéhi a doubt due to a foot injury, surely Wolves’ best hope of claiming a first win of the season is to deploy the two strikers together.

£55m spent & Hackney signs: Dream Wolves XI Edwards can build in January

This is the dream Wolves starting line-up that Rob Edwards could build in the January window.

ByDan Emery Nov 11, 2025

With Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic playing in big games, and others hoping to establish themselves again, it should be a captivating week

Welcome back from the international break. Did you miss club soccer? There are certainly reasons to do so – but after a genuinely excellent 10 days for the international game, you'd be forgiven for feeling a little lukewarm about what comes next.

From an American point of view, though, there’s plenty to keep an eye on. Two of the USMNT’s biggest names stayed home as the U.S. won back-to-back friendlies. One was AC Milan's Christian Pulisic, who wasn’t risked after picking up an injury in October – an unsurprising call for a player, especially with the Milan derby ahead. 

The other absence was far more surprising. Juventus' Weston McKennie missed out despite no injury, no reported fallout, and no indication of any issues within the camp. When he’s with the U.S., he's usually just fine. But apparently, that wasn’t enough this time. Either way, both stars return to big Serie A fixtures this weekend.

And then there's Gio Reyna, who suddenly channeled prime Kaka for the U.S. 10 days ago. If only that version showed up more often for his club, Gladbach.

GOAL breaks down the four main storylines to watch among Americans Abroad this weekend…

GettyMore minutes for Gio?

The international break proved one thing definitively:  Reyna can still play a bit. It's something we perhaps all knew deep down. Class doesn't just go away, and this 23-year-old remains an immense talent – no matter how much he has struggled at the club level for the last few years. And Reyna showed that there's still a player there, running the show in a 2-1 win over Paraguay, before grabbing an assist as a second-half sub in a 5-1 hammering of Uruguay. 

The question is, then: were you watching, Monchengladbach? They have struggled immensely to start the season, and a tad unfairly sacked Gerardo Seoane after going winless in their first three. Under-23s manager Eugen Polanski was named interim shortly after, and has now been handed the reins on a full-time basis, with a contract in place until the end of the 2027-28 season – which is a lot of trust to put in someone who is yet to have a senior managerial position. 

But, to his credit, the 39-year-old has steadied the ship a little. Monchengladbach are 12th and climbing. They play relegation strugglers Heidenheim, Mainz, and Wolfsburg in the next month. This would seem to be high time for Reyna to perform. Heidenheim, Saturday morning, is a fine starting point. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesChristian Pulisic, on the big stage

We are told that Pulisic is a "big game player" – whatever that means. OK, there is something to that sentiment. The American does tend to show up when the stakes are at their highest, when something is truly on the line. He is, historically, not one to go quiet when his side needs him. And, for the first time this season, he has a chance to show off his big game chops. 

The Milan derby has been a fine hunting ground for Pulisic of late, with the American scoring in two of the last three – and turning in a dominant performance in the other. This is his forum against the team that his club hates more than any other. Pulisic should come into the game well rested, too. He missed out on the most recent USMNT camp, still nursing a bit of a knock picked up in October. He's had two weeks, then, to get fit, prepare, and prime himself to turn in the kind of performance that he can hang his hat on. 

These fixtures always tend to mean something, and this iteration of the Milan derby is no different. Inter are in first. Milan are two points behind them in third. "Early title decider" this isn't, but the three points here could be crucial come May.  

Getty ImagesMcKennie fights to get Juve on track

So what’s going on with McKennie, then? Every year, we hear the same cycle: transfer-listed, written off, then suddenly indispensable again. And this season feels no different. The American hasn’t exactly lit up Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus, but he remains a key piece and played every minute against Torino before the international break.

The numbers, though, aren’t especially inspiring. And he isn’t getting much love from Mauricio Pochettino, either. So what gives? Is McKennie just the kind of player who eats up minutes, does a solid job, and goes home? If that’s the case, it feels like a waste of talent – and it certainly isn’t enough to sway the U.S. manager with a World Cup less than a year away.

Some factors are out of his control, of course. But McKennie could use a sharp reset, and that starts with Fiorentina this weekend. Juventus sit sixth and badly need a win to get their season back on track. What role McKennie plays remains to be seen, but if history is any indication, he’ll be involved – one way or another.

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Getty Images SportJosh Sargent struggles for form

A few months ago, Josh Sargent looked like he had a real shot at becoming the USMNT’s long-term No. 9. A month into the Championship season, he was top of the scoring charts. And with Folarin Balogun injured, it felt like the door had finally swung wide open for him.

Since then, though, things have unraveled. The goals have dried up. Norwich have lost four of their last five. And Sargent? He hasn’t scored since August. He’s still the focal point up front for , and his overall play has picked up a bit recently, but the results haven’t. With Norwich winless for months, he’ll be under pressure to rediscover his finishing touch against a surging Birmingham City on Saturday morning.