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تمكن فريق مانشستر سيتي من تعزيز تفوقه في مباراته الجارية حاليًا ضد نظيره سندرلاند، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب “الاتحاد” مباراة مانشستر سيتي وسندرلاند في خضم منافسات الجولة الخامسة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

ونجح مانشستر سيتي في تسجيل الهدف الثالث في شباك سندرلاند، في مباراتهما الجارية في الوقت الحالي، في الدقيقة 65.

جاء الهدف عن طريق فيل فودين، بعد تمريرة مثالية من ريان شرقي، لتصل إلى الإنجليزي الذي سددها برأسه في الشباك، معلنًا عن هدف ثالث لكتيبة بيب جوارديولا.

GOAL!@PhilFoden makes it 3-0 to @ManCity!

Incredible assist from @rayan_cherki 😮‍💨#beINPL #MCISUN #MCFC pic.twitter.com/67kqnkkZYo — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) December 6, 2025

When Gian Piero Gasperini was unveiled as Roma's new coach back in June, he made a point of repeatedly stating that his first objective was getting the fans onside. The former Atalanta coach may have worked miracles in Bergamo but he's always been a bit of a divisive figure, so his appointment certainly wasn't met with universal approval among the supporters.

Truth be told, they would have preferred to see local legend Claudio Ranieri continue as coach for another year. However, Ranieri refused to reverse his retirement in order to take up a directorial role with the club and felt that the infamously gruff Gasperini was precisely the kind of character required to revive Roma.

"I didn't like him [when I was a coach]," Ranieri revealed with typical honesty, "and I told him so, but he was chosen because I am convinced that Rome needs a strong personality, a coach who is never satisfied, who is always angry, who wants to improve the team, the individual.

"I will be a friend for him, I will be on one side and if he needs something, we will try to solve problems together. He's aware of the difficulties we will encounter but if I had stayed, I would have lost a year of time for the construction; he was called to build something that can bear fruit.

"That won't be easy, of course, but that's why we offered him a year to make himself understood." Happily for everyone involved, Gasperini has needed less than six months to win over the fans by cooking up a surprise Scudetto challenge…

• The first sign of Gasperini's killer counters

  An hour into Sunday's Serie A clash with Cremonese, Roma were 1-0 up and going top of the table – not that you would have known that from Gasperini's demeanour. He'd been on edge pretty much all afternoon, irked by the decision-making of the match officials, and, in the 62nd minute, he was sent off.

  Unsurprisingly, Gasperini lost it and, rather amusingly, he argued afterwards that if he was going to be dismissed, it should have been in the first half rather than the second. Indeed, when he was issued two yellow cards in a matter of seconds just after the hour mark, an irate Gasperini insisted that, in that particular moment, he hadn't actually said anything insulting towards the referee or his assistants.

  However, Gasperini's rage quickly dissipated. While he was still reluctantly making his way to the stand, substitute Evan Ferguson scored his first goal for the club. Five minutes after that, a visibly ecstatic Gasperini was out of his seat and slapping colleagues after Wesley finished off the kind of killer counterattack with which the 67-year-old had enjoyed such remarkable success at Atalanta.

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• The wizard of Rome

  By the time the moment came to speak to the press after a 3-1 win that moved Roma two points clear at the summit of Serie A, Gasperini was all smiles – and particularly when he was shown images of a piece of street art that appeared in the Italian capital last week depicting him as a wizard concocting a title challenge with 'grit, heart and sweat'.

  "That's wonderful but disconcerting!" Gasperini joked in his post-match interview with . "The ingredients are fantastic, though, and I agree they are the things that we need. Maybe we can also add a little spice and salt." With Gasperini as coach, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Keeping a lid on the fans' expectations represents a tougher task.

  What's interesting, though, is that Gasperini isn't really trying to rain on anyone's parade. He's actually preaching positivity, looking to ride rather than quell the wave of optimism generated by Roma's best start to a season for 10 years.

  "We want to keep playing like this," Gasperini said on Sunday. "It's only right to dream in these positions, while at the same time being aware that very few dreams come true in the end. However, we're trying to keep the dream going for a while longer."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Continuing Ranieri's good work

  The good news for Roma's long-suffering supporters, some of whom weren't even alive when they last won the Scudetto (2001), is that we've already seen enough evidence to suggest that the Gasperini-led title challenge is at least sustainable.

  As Ranieri alluded to, nobody anticipated an especially smooth transition from last season to this. Gasperini is a notoriously demanding coach, he has been known to clash with unwilling workers, and it usually takes some time for his methods to take root.

  There was, therefore, a fear that his spell at Roma would go the same way as his last stint at one of Italy's biggest clubs, when he was sacked after just five games in charge of Inter all the way back in 2011.

  However, Gasperini has done a sensational job building upon the excellent platform put in place by Ranieri, who took over with the Giallorossi in total disarray last November and led the club to a fifth-place finish, after losing just once in the second half of the season.

  As a result, Roma have retained a base level of organisation and commitment that has allowed them to continue eking out wins. Indeed, across Europe's 'big five' leagues, only Real Madrid (23) have won more matches by a single-goal margin in 2025 than the Giallorossi (20).

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• A surprisingly strong defence

  Roma have also kept clean sheets in half of their 12 Serie A games so far, and conceded just six goals – fewer than anyone else in Italy's top flight thanks to the likes of veteran centre-back Gianluca Mancini, goalkeeper Mile Svilar and midfield duo Manu Kone and Bryan Cristante, who are both doing an excellent job of protecting the three-man backline.

  However, to say that the excellent defensive record is surprising would be a massive understatement, as Gasperini's Atalanta were renowned – and revered – for their offensive game, which was significantly aided by the willingness to go one-v-one at the back.

  Gasperini even brought up his adventurous approach in his first press conference as Roma boss. "I don’t think it's any secret, everyone knows what kind of football I like," he said. "My style of play reflects my own characteristics.

  "My teams have always played in a certain way, with intensity and quality, scoring a lot of goals, always focused on scoring one more rather than conceding one fewer."

  And yet 10th-placed Udinese are the only team in the top half of Serie A to have scored few goals (12) than the current league leaders (15).

Mandhana, Rawal and Deol’s fifties helped India post 281 for 7 but it wasn’t enough

Sruthi Ravindranath14-Sep-2025

Fifties from Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney and Annabel Sutherland helped Australia clinch the first ODI against India in New Chandigarh.India were left to rue several spilled chances – including one of Litchfield on zero – as they could not defend 281. After India opted to bat, they too had three players – Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol – score half-centuries, but Australia’s overall performance, specifically Litchfield’s masterclass against spin, helped them ease past the hosts by eight wickets.With India fielding four spinners and one seamer, they opened the bowling with Kranti Goud and Sneh Rana. Rana created a chance in the second over, getting Litchfield to flick a floaty delivery towards short midwicket where Jemimah Rodrigues put down the chance. Captain Alyssa Healy and Litchfield then settled in, hitting a flurry of boundaries in the third and fourth overs.Healy seemed to carry on from where she left off from the series against India A – she made scores of 91 and 137* in the one-dayers ahead of this series – as she punished width and half-volleys from Goud in the seventh over. But Goud hit back instantly, having her drag one on to her stumps with a delivery that seamed back in.Beth Mooney maintained Australia’s momentum with an unbeaten 77•Getty Images

Litchfield soon made India regret the dropped chance as she targeted all areas of the ground. She was particularly adept against spinners, bringing out the sweep, reverse sweep and switch hit. Those shots brought her five boundaries.Ellyse Perry soon joined in on the fun, punishing full tosses from Sree Charani and Radha Yadav for a boundary and a six, respectively. With the pitch offering little for spinners, the duo kept the runs flowing, scoring well over the required run rate. Litchfield brought up her half-century off 44 balls, sweeping Deepti Sharma to the backward-square-leg boundary.Soon after, India put down two more chances. Rawal dropped Perry at deep midwicket in the 17th over and Harmanpreet spilled a simple chance of Litchfield at covers. And Perry and Litchfield continued to pile on the misery.However, Perry retired hurt for 30 at the end of the 20th over, seemingly having trouble with her left calf after previously calling for assistance twice during her innings. Mooney then joined Litchfield at the crease and kept the tempo going. In the end, it was the reverse sweep that brought Litchfield’s wicket as Arundhati Reddy managed to hang on to a catch running in from short third. But by then Australia were firmly on course.Sutherland took her time to settle in but broke the shackles with a drive to the backward-point boundary. Sree Charani bowled a slew of full tosses throughout her spell, one of which was whacked over midwicket by Mooney to bring up her 19th ODI fifty. With less than 50 runs required, India dropped another catch – their fourth of the day – as Deepti spilled an easy one of Mooney at extra cover. Sutherland soon brought up a fifty of her own, off 47 balls in the 43rd over, and also scored the winning runs two overs later.Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal added 114 for the first wicket•Getty Images

Earlier, India’s openers Mandhana and Rawal got off to a solid start, with Mandhana making her intent clear from the beginning, bringing out her trademark cover drive to score boundaries and charging down to Kim Garth for a big hit.Australia put the pressure on Rawal early on, having three catchers in the cordon and just one fielder in the deep. But she managed to pick up boundaries through the gaps, one of which was an edge that went past Beth Mooney at gully.Mandhana and Rawal brought up their fifth century stand, equalling the Indian record. They also put up the highest opening stand for India against Australia, going past 103 by Sandhya Agarwal and Gargi Banerjee in 1984.The stand, however, came to an end in the 22nd over due to a mix-up. Mandhana set off for a single to extra cover with Rawal ball-watching, as Litchfield made a diving stop and nailed a direct hit at the striker’s end. A livid Mandhana walked back for a 63-ball 58.Rawal became more watchful after that as India’s run rate dropped below five. She further slowed down with the introduction of Alana King in the 27th over and even played out a maiden. She looked to break the shackles with a slog sweep off King, only to be caught by Perry at deep midwicket.Harleen Deol changed gears during her half-century•Getty Images

As Australia kept building the pressure, a boundary from Deol after 40 deliveries was met with loud cheers across the ground. Harmanpreet Kaur, too, showed intent as soon as she came on, hammering a six over deep-backward square leg. But she was trapped lbw by Annabel Sutherland in the same over. Even a review couldn’t save her.Deol gave India the much-needed impetus, putting the pressure back on the Australia spinners, hitting four boundaries and two sixes on her way to a run-a-ball fifty. But she was stumped off Megan Schutt soon after that, with Healy standing up.In a chaotic 43rd over bowled by Tahlia McGrath, Richa Ghosh was saved by a no-ball after being caught at deep-backward square leg. The free-hit – a no-ball again – was launched straight down the ground. The next free hit was lofted over long-off. McGrath, however, found some respite by the end of the over by dismissing Rodrigues for 18.Despite Schutt removing Ghosh for 25 off 20, thanks to a superb catch by Ash Gardner at deep midwicket, cameos from Deepti and Radha took India to 281. But it did not prove to be enough.

Bangladesh coasted home in just 13.1 overs, achieving their third-quickest T20I chase

Abhimanyu Bose01-Sep-2025

Bangladesh surged to a 2-0 lead in their three-match series against Netherlands with another comfortable win in the second T20I in Sylhet. Netherlands’ batting failed once again, failing to punish the hosts for some sloppy fielding, and seven of their batters were dismissed for single-digit scores as they slumped to 103 all out.Nasum Ahmed, who replaced Rishad Hossain for this game, finished with three wickets, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman continued their wicket-taking form with two apiece.Tanzid Hasan then hit an unbeaten half-century as Bangladesh romped to victory in 13.1 overs, making it their third-quickest chase in T20Is (where overs weren’t reduced).Nasum deals early double-blowEven though Max O’Dowd flicked the first ball for a boundary, it was a cagey start for Netherlands, including a missed run-out chance when Mahedi Hasan failed to collect a throw cleanly at the non-striker’s end in the first over with Vikramjit Singh short of his crease.Nasum’s introduction in the third over brought Bangladesh their first breakthrough, and then another.It was more poor execution of shots than the quality of bowling that brought about the wickets, as O’Dowd skied a half-tracker to mid-on and Teja Nidamanuru miscued a cut off another short ball to short third to give Nasum two in two.Vikramjit kept the boundaries coming, cover-driving Mahedi and sweeping Nasum fine before punching the left-arm spinner through point.But he tried to ramp a slower ball from Taskin in the sixth over, got cramped for room, and ended up spooning a catch to short third.Bangladesh sloppy in the fieldTaskin could have had his second off the next ball when Shariz Ahmad skied the ball attempting a swipe across the line but Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who had taken a good catch off the previous delivery, slipped at deep third and spilled the chance.Bangladesh’s sloppiness in the field continued next over, when they failed to capitalise on a mix-up: Towhid Hridoy first tried to run to the stumps from extra-cover, with the ball, and then sent an underarm throw off-target.But Netherlands couldn’t capitalize as Scott Edwards failed to clear mid-on in the ninth over, with Parvez Hossain Emon taking a good catch running back to give Mustafizur his first wicket.Where Bangladesh let simpler chances go, Saif Hassan produced a moment of brilliance to leave Netherlands five down in the tenth over. He dived to his right to stop a flick from Shariz, leaving non-striker Noah Croes, who had set off for a single before turning back, short of his ground with a direct hit.Taskin Ahmed was among the wickets again•BCB

Dutt resists, but bowlers have final sayFive became six next ball as a Tanzim bouncer cramped Shariz, who could only glove it behind down the leg side.Sikander Zulfiqar, brought into the XI to bolster Netherlands’ batting, made just two before Mustafizur hit the top of his off stump for his second wicket of the evening.Taskin and Nasum then added to their tallies before Aryan Dutt hauled Netherlands past 100, hitting the only six of the innings off Taskin in the process. But he bottom-edged Mahedi onto his stumps as he tried to go for another big shot, ending Netherlands’ innings on 103 with 2.3 overs left unused.Dutt top-scored with 30 and was one of only three Netherlands batters to record double-digit scores.Emon navigates tricky powerplayBangladesh openers rode their luck in the first couple of overs, with Emon top-edging a reverse-sweep over the keeper and missing out on a conventional sweep.But they enjoyed pace on the ball, with both Emon and Tanzid launching medium-pacer Kyle Klein over mid-off for boundaries.Emon was given out lbw off Paul van Meekeren, but he survived upon reviewing and responded by whipping him behind square leg for four and launching him down the ground for Bangladesh’s first six.However, Klein struck in the final over of the powerplay as Emon lost shape trying to hit a length ball down the ground and ended up edging behind.Tanzid, Litton finish the jobEmon’s wicket came during a spell of 15 balls without a boundary, and Litton broke it with a reverse-sweep behind point off Daniel Doram.When O’Dowd was introduced in the ninth over, Tanzid welcomed him with a six down the ground. In the next over, Tanzid tried to go down the ground again off Doram and was given a life with O’Dowd spilling the chance at long-on.Tanzid slogged O’Dowd over midwicket for a four and a six in his next over, the 12th of the innings, and brought up his half-century off 39 balls in the 13th. The rest of the chase was a formality, and Tanzid sealed the win with a slap down the ground.

Avishka Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeffrey Vandersay, Eshan Malinga and the injured Wanindu Hasaranga have been left out of the squad

Madushka Balasuriya28-Aug-2025Vishen Halambage, the 20-year-old batter, has earned a maiden national call-up as Sri Lanka named their T20I squad for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.Halambage is among five changes to the squad that faced Bangladesh last month and one of three new batters, with Nuwanidu Fernando and Kamil Mishara also drafted in, alongside legspin-bowling allrounder Dushan Hemantha and seamer Dushmantha Chameera. Making way are Avishka Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeffrey Vandersay, Eshan Malinga and the injured Wanindu Hasaranga.All three of Halambage, Nuwanidu and Mishara had impressed at the recent SLC T20 League, a three-team invitational tournament designed to help the selectors finalise squads ahead of the Asia Cup and this Zimbabwe tour.Related

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The three picks inform how the selectors are looking to shape the T20I team more in line with modern, intent-driven batting. Both Halambage and Mishara struck a tournament-high six sixes at the domestic T20 tournament. The others to reach that total were Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, while only Niroshan Dickwella (20) managed to better Mishara’s total boundary count of 19.Mishara’s strike rate of 172.72 was impressive too, second as it was only to Nissanka’s 190.24, with Halambage’s 140.32 not far behind. Nuwanidu struck at a more modest 124, but his 155 runs across four innings were the highest in the tournament, as was his average of 77.50 – courtesy two unbeaten knocks. With Sri Lanka’s No. 4 slot up for grabs following the exclusions of both Avishka and Chandimal, Nuwanidu has been earmarked as a potential long-term replacement, a claim aided by his stellar recent performances across formats domestically and with the Sri Lanka A team.ESPNcricinfo LtdOne player who might count himself unfortunate to have missed out is Dickwella, whose 134 runs came at a rate of 161.44 and included two fifties. But with those performances coming at the top of the order, where Nissanka and Kusal Mendis have locked down their positions, and the selectors likely looking to pick for the future, it seems a pathway for the now 32-year-old seems limited.On the bowling front, Hemantha’s inclusion as Hasaranga’s replacement ahead of the likes of Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Vandersay seems to have come down to the former having a more rounded skillset.Viyaskanth picked up five wickets in the tournament as compared to Hemantha’s four, while Vandersay was not even invited to play – signalling early that the selectors perhaps didn’t see a future for him in T20Is. While Viyaskanth was the more impressive legspinner across the tournament, Hemantha is a more accomplished fielder, while he is also capable of clearing the boundary with the bat – two facets to his game that are likely to have swayed the selectors in his favour.Eshan Malinga had an excellent IPL 2025, but hasn’t been too hot since•BCCIMalinga’s exclusion, meanwhile, can be put down to the heated competition for places in Sri Lanka’s seam-bowling department. Malinga had only just made the squad for the Bangladesh tour on the back of an impressive IPL 2025, but his exploits both domestically and with the national side since have left observers underwhelmed.In the domestic T20 tournament, he picked up four wickets – all in a single innings – but leaked 164 runs across four innings at an economy rate of 11.71, making him the most expensive bowler overall at the tournament. Chameera, by comparison, conceded 85 runs at 8.5 an over for his four wickets, while the likes of Chamika Karunaratne went for just 5.5 runs per over and topped the wicket-taking charts with eight strikes.The rest of the squad shapes up as expected, led by skipper Asalanka. Following the two ODIs over the coming weekend, the T20I series will begin in Harare on September 3.Sri Lanka squad for Zimbabwe T20I seriesCharith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Nuwanidu Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Vishen Halambage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando

The Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres kicked off a weekend series at Petco Park on Friday.

With one out in the bottom of the 5th inning, Trenton Brooks hit a ball off the wall in right field. Right fielder Adolis Garcia fielded the ball off one bounce and made a good throw to second base, but Brooks beat the tag of Corey Seager.

Then he popped up.

The Rangers challenged the play and it was confirmed that Seager had kept the tag on him as he levitated above the bag. It almost doesn't seem fair when you consider middle infielders are allowed the latitude of the "neighborhood play," an unwritten rule widely accepted to the point where MLB.com has a page defining it.

This is the second time this happened this season. In April a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers ended when Wyatt Langford stole second, but was called out because he popped off the bag.

Matt Renshaw’s golden summer continued with a magnificent 112 in front of Australia selector Tony Dodemaide at the Gabba.His innings drove Queensland to 352 for 7 at stumps on day two of the top-of-the-table Sheffield Shield clash after Victoria had declared late on the opening day.Renshaw had made scores of 128, 29, 101 and 51 in the Shield before Sunday’s knock. He also had a consistent ODI series against India which included an accomplished 56 in Sydney.Related

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Runs are runs and Renshaw has filled his cup with them. The 29-year-old doesn’t have to do anything more to convince Australia selectors that he is ready for a return to the Test arena. All he needs is an opportunity.”I’m just keeping it really simple and having a lot of fun out there and having good intent,” Renshaw told AAP. “It’s been a good start and hopefully it amounts to something at the end of March. I will keep trying to put in performances to help win games for Queensland. I’m just concentrating on what I can control and that is trying to do my job for the team.”There is doubt over who will open in the second Test of the Ashes series at the Gabba, which starts on Thursday-week.Usman Khawaja’s back spasms in the first Test have put him in some doubt while Travis Head’s blistering century as opener has also put him in the frame to stay at the top of the order alongside Perth debutant Jake Weatherald.Renshaw now has 421 Shield runs for the summer, putting him on top of the aggregate list with 19 runs more than Marnus Labuschagne.He was patient early in his innings against Victoria before finding a more aggressive tempo and his drives down the ground were exquisite. Once Renshaw reached his half-century the runs started to flow all around the ground.He brought up his century with a controlled cut for three off spinner Todd Murphy. A healthy contingent at the Vulture St end of the ground gave him a rapturous reception, realising what a vital innings it was in the context of the summer.His stay ended when he nicked a delivery that just moved away from Fergus O’Neill, who toiled manfully all day with his tight lines.Renshaw received solid support from Angus Lovell in an 88-run opening stand and Hugh Weibgen.Former Australia Under-19 captain Weibgen, playing his second Shield match, looks a promising prospect with his classy strokeplay and composure. The tall 21-year-old will play for the Prime Minister’s XI against an England XI in a two-day, pink-ball match that starts on November 29 in Canberra.He was caught in a juggling effort by Mitchell Perry trying to loft Murphy over the long-on boundary.Lachie Hearne (47) continued the momentum until he was brilliantly caught on the deep midwicket boundary by Campbell Kellaway.

Laura Wolvaardt and Deepti Sharma had World Cups to remember, breaking some records and closing in on other ones

Namooh Shah04-Nov-20253:00

Rapid Fire – moments from the World Cup

A batting boom like never before

The 2025 edition produced batting numbers at a scale never seen before in the women’s game.There were 11 275-plus totals, one better than the previous edition. The tournament also saw 15 individual hundreds, surpassing the 14 in 2017. As many as 21 batters crossed 200 runs this tournament, with 20 of them striking at above 75, a big leap in scoring tempo.The previous edition had 15 of the 19 batters with 200-plus runs going at a 75-plus strike rate. Before 2025, just 46 of 131 batters with 200-plus runs in women’s ODI World Cups had done so at that tempo.