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For seven innings of Thursday's game, the New York Yankees couldn't touch Seattle Mariners pitching. Mariners starter Bryan Woo tossed seven no-hit innings, then exited the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with a 5-1 lead after surrendering a sacrifice fly, entrusting the four-run margin to the Mariners' reliable bullpen. Only, this time, Mariners reliever Matt Brash, who has an ERA under 1.00, yielded a two-run home run to Giancarlo Stanton.

Then, something even stranger occurred. Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz, an All-Star for the second time this year, surrendered two earned runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to blow the save. And in stark contrast to how they fared against Woo, the Yankees were all over Muñoz.

There was a good reason for that.

After the game, Mariners All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh admitted that Muñoz was tipping his pitches.

"He was tipping it every time at second base," Raleigh said, via . “Obviously, they weren’t making it very discreet, I guess is the word. It’s part of the game. It’s our job. We should have known about that going into the series. That made it really hard there at the end."

Mariners manager Dan Wilson disagreed, telling reporters he didn't "think" Muñoz was tipping his pitches. That could simply be Wilson putting on a public front in an attempt to dismiss what the Yankees had done, as broadcast replays clearly show that New York seemed to pick something up from the Mariners reliever. In particular, every time Muñoz threw a slider, Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham, who was standing on second base, would wave an arm in the air to alert New York's batter.

Muñoz had tossed 8 1/3 scoreless innings entering Thursday's appearance. The Yankees went on to win on a walk-off sacrifice fly by reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge in the bottom of the 10th inning, completing a rare comeback that hadn't been seen in MLB in nearly 50 years.

As for the tipping pitches? Raleigh acknowledged it's something the Mariners are going to need to "figure out."

"Yeah, you try to do as much as you can without trying to distract him from what’s happening at the plate," Raleigh continued. "That’s something that we will have to figure out in the next couple of days for sure."

Seattle will next take on the Detroit Tigers in a three-game series before the All-Star break.

Real Madrid's crisis escalated on Sunday as Endrick was sent off from the bench during the defeat to Celta Vigo, sparking a furious reaction from his father. With the Brazilian forward starving for minutes under manager Xabi Alonso, his parent turned to the bible to find encouraging words for the teenager, intensifying rumours of a January loan exit just months before the World Cup.

• Bernabéu boiling point: Red card from the sidelines

  The atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu was already toxic as Celta Vigo raced into a 2-0 lead, but the frustration on the Real Madrid bench spilled over in spectacular fashion. Endrick, who had been left out of the starting XI yet again by Xabi Alonso, did not even need to step onto the pitch to make headlines. In the dying moments of the match, the Brazilian teenager was shown a straight red card by the referee for dissent, reportedly launching a verbal tirade at the fourth official as tempers flared.

  It was the third dismissal of the night for Los Blancos, following red cards for Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras, but the striker's expulsion is symbolic of a deeper malaise. Having played fewer than 20 minutes of La Liga football under Alonso, the 19-year-old’s discipline snapped. The suspension will likely rule him out of the upcoming clashes, further alienating a player who was supposed to be the future of the club but currently finds himself as a spectator to their implosion.

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  Endrick's father vents his fury

  The fallout from the match was immediate, with the player's father, Douglas Ramos, taking to social media to defend his son and fire a not-so-subtle dig at the Madrid hierarchy. He posted a picture of his son sitting on the Madrid bench and cited a bible verse as encouragement for the 19-year-old. He wrote: "Matthew Chapter 23:12. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."

  This "poisoned dart" appears squarely aimed at the management. It is not the first time the Brazilian's camp has hinted at dissatisfaction. Previously, he had accused Madrid of trying to "dim" the striker's spark. He wrote on social media: "I know, my son, how hard you work and how much you dedicate every minute of your day. I know everything you're capable of. You're a winner and you're showing everyone that you're a true warrior. Your star will continue to shine, even though some try to dim your light. I believe your future lies right there."

• Frozen out by the manager

  The relationship between the forward and his manager appears to be non-existent. Since taking over the reins, Alonso has largely ignored the Palmeiras academy graduate, preferring to utilise Kylian Mbappe centrally or even turning to academy product Gonzalo García as a backup option. The data is damning: the teenager has not started a single league game under the coach and has often been left warming the bench even when the team is chasing a game.

  Tactically, the manager seems unconvinced by the youngster's discipline and positional play, favouring more versatile forwards who can drop deep. However, with the attack looking blunt against Celta, the decision to leave a prolific goalscorer unused – and then watch him get sent off for frustration – has raised serious questions about Alonso’s man-management. The "dimming of the light" quote suggests that the player believes this exclusion is personal rather than tactical, a dangerous narrative for a coach already under pressure.

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  What comes next?

  With the situation becoming untenable, a January departure now looks inevitable. The red card may have been the final straw for both parties. Reports in France and Italy indicate that Lyon, Juventus, and even Manchester United are monitoring the situation closely, ready to offer a six-month loan deal.

  For the player, a move is essential. With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, he cannot afford to spend a season in the shadows. Real Madrid may be reluctant to weaken their squad depth given their injury crisis, but keeping an unhappy, suspended, and vocal teenager in a fracturing dressing room might be a luxury they can no longer afford.

A number of Premier League sides face the daunting prospect of having to squeeze an enormous amount of games into the next four months, placing huge pressure on their squads and pushing players' bodies to the limit in the pursuit of silverware on multiple fronts. The staggering number of matches has now been revealed which will cause worry for Champions League clubs and fans alike.

Match pile-up towards business end of season

Fixture congestion is a significant challenge for top English clubs, and this season is no exception. The issue is amplified by their involvement in multiple competitions – the Premier League, Champions League/European competitions, FA Cup, and League Cup, potentially leading to player burnout and increased injury risks. The Premier League has even warned fans that games may be rescheduled at short notice for clubs progressing in European knockouts. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportChampions League hopes prioritised by elite

Chelsea, Newcastle United, Man City, and Arsenal are all aiming for a crucial top-eight finish in the new Champions League league phase format. Securing this position means automatic qualification for the last 16 and, more importantly, avoiding potentially gruelling fixture congestion that could see them play an unbelievable 32 games between this weekend and the March international break, according to . 

Managing their schedules is a primary concern, as all four teams are also involved in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. If they advance in the domestic cup but miss out on the top eight in Europe, they could face a relentless schedule with just one available midweek break before the end of March due to the Champions League playoff round.

Recent European results have seen some movement in their prospects; Chelsea boosted their chances of automatic qualification with a victory over Barcelona, while the fates of Newcastle and City remain in the balance after both teams suffered defeats. As the table stands, Chelsea and City each have 10 points from five games, with Newcastle a point further back. Arsenal are in a strong position, having taken a maximum 15 points from their five matches.

Guardiola: 'We want it'

Many managers have had their say on how they want the pile-up to be managed, but not all agree on what the next steps should be. City boss Guardiola said recently: "We are used to it – we've won quadruples and trebles playing that way. We want it. The trebles and quadruples came (from) playing on Saturday and Tuesday, then Tuesday and Friday and Friday and Sunday. It’s not a problem." 

But Arsenal boss Arteta wants better protection for players and fans, saying: "Every decision that we make in terms of a fixture has to be guided on two main things: players' welfare and then supporters. That's it. And the rest has to come very, very far away from that. And we should never forget that principle. That's the only thing I would say."

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Getty Images SportChanges coming next season

The Premier League have announced they will delay the start of the 2026-27 season until August 22 to prioritise player welfare amid a congested global football calendar. The decision provides 89 clear days from the end of the previous season and 33 days after the 2026 World Cup final for player recovery and preparation. 

A league statement said: "With an increasingly congested global football calendar, player welfare remains a priority for the Premier League. As a result, the Premier League will start one week later next season. This will allow for 89 clear days from the end of the current season, and 33 days from the FIFA World Cup 26 Final. The season will conclude one week prior to the UEFA Champions League Final, which will be played on Saturday 5 June 2027.

"The 2026/27 Season will consist of 33 weekends and five midweek match rounds. "The Premier League schedule will be designed to avoid domestic competition clashes with UEFA club competition dates, wherever possible. 

"Over the Christmas and New Year period, no two match rounds will take place within 60 hours. This is in keeping with commitments made to clubs to address the congested Christmas and New Year schedule within the expanded international calendar."

MatériaMais Notícias

A Comissão de Arbitragem da Confederação Brasiliera de Futebol (CBF) quer dar mais transparência para as decisões dos árbitros durante as partidas. Na final da Supercopa do Brasil entre Palmeiras e São Paulo, Bráulio da Silva Machado vai explicar ao público as revisões do VAR. A informação foi publicada primeiramente pelo jornalista André Hernan

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Os anúncios das decisões serão feitos pelo microfone que o árbitro já usa. A Comissão de Arbitragem da CBF recebeu a aprovação da Fifa para o uso.

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Palmeiras e São Paulo se enfrentam neste domingo (4), às 16h, no Mineirão. O Palmeiras defende o título e entra em campo pelo bicampeonato, enquanto o São Paulo busca a conquista inédita.

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Rockets still in with an outside chance of a top three finish after convincing victory over Welsh Fire

ECB Media24-Aug-2025Trent Rockets 145 for 6 (Sciver-Brunt 39, Davies 3-26) beat Welsh Fire 122 for 9 (Dunkley 26, King 3-17) by 23 runs Trent Rockets produced a clinical all-round performance to overcome Welsh Fire by 23 runs at Sophia Gardens and keep themselves in the mix for progression to the Eliminator.Aussie all-rounder Ash Gardner starred with bat and ball, hitting 36 from 26 and taking 2 for 28 with her off-breaks, as the Rockets claimed a victory which leaves them four points behind third-placed Manchester Originals with one game still to play. They will need to win their final group match against Birmingham Phoenix on Wednesday and hope other results go their way to secure a top-three finish.Bryony Smith (38 from 27) laid the foundations for the Rockets’ 145 for 6, the opener hitting Freya Davies for three boundaries in the second set and then finding the ropes from three consecutive Jess Jonassen deliveries in the fifth.Hayley Matthews was next in Smith’s sights, the Bajan off-spinner dispatched over mid-off for four and then swatted for six, but Davies (3-26) ended her entertaining knock when a top edge flew to Georgia Elwiss at short third.A third-wicket stand of 67 from 45 balls between Nat Sciver-Brunt (38 from 26) and Gardner built on Smith’s good work, the England skipper stroking five fours while Gardner showed off her powerful strokeplay with three maximums.Jonassen broke the partnership when she trapped Sciver-Brunt lbw and Gardner fell six balls later, nicking off to a surprise bouncer from Matthews, but a bright cameo from Heather Graham, who hit two boundaries in her unbeaten 13, took the visitors to a competitive total.In reply, Tammy Beaumont’s lean trot continued when she was bowled by Alexa Stonehouse for 5 before Sophia Dunkley (26 from 23) and Matthews (18 from 12) moved the Fire on to 57 for 1. But when Gardner took the key wicket of Matthews, bowled by a nicely flighted delivery, the hosts lost their momentum.Aussie leg-spinner Alana King turned the screw, returning figures of 3 for 17, while Gardner made another telling intervention when she had the dangerous Dunkley caught and bowled.The Fire eventually subsided to 122 for 9 from their 100 deliveries, their sixth defeat of a disappointing season.Gardner, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “I think that was probably our first well-rounded performance. I think we did all three disciplines really well. Obviously we need to keep winning and for others results to go our way but we’re just trying to control what we can, and that’s winning games of cricket.”I was happy with parts of my innings. There were a few dot balls in there where I was trying to hit it too hard but the wicket was quite tricky at times when the bowlers took pace off the ball, and when the quicks bashed a length it was tough to find the boundary. But if I had a ball in my zone, I tried to clear the fence.”

Javier Hernández has appeared in just four of Chivas’ 16 Apertura 2025 matches, and it’s increasingly likely the club won’t extend his contract when it expires in December. The veteran striker and Mexico legend may not see much action on the pitch, but manager Gabriel Milito says his value goes far beyond goals, pointing to Hernández’s experience and leadership within the squad.

Getty Images Sport'He’s still our captain'

Chivas earned a crucial 1-0 win over Pachuca on Sunday, moving closer to a Liguilla spot. Under Milito, the Guadalajara side has won six of its last seven matches – their best run since the Argentine’s arrival. The progress hasn’t come without challenges or criticism, but Milito’s team now looks poised to contend for the title, buoyed by the presence of an experienced figure like Hernández.

“Javier hasn’t played much for different reasons, but he’s still our captain,” Milito said. “He’s an impeccable professional and a very important person within the squad. Having someone like him as a role model is invaluable. Even when he’s not playing, his attitude, leadership, and commitment make a big difference.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGonzález: The breakout star of the tournament

The coach also highlighted the growth of Armando “Hormiga” González, who scored his 11th goal of the tournament against Pachuca and has been one of the breakout stars of the season. Milito credited Chicharito’s mentorship as a key factor behind González’s rise.

“I’m happy for Hormiga,” Milito said. “He’s in a great moment – not just because he’s scoring, but because he keeps creating chances. He has a strong mentality and understands that opportunities will come. That confidence is crucial, and I think Javier’s example has helped him a lot.”

Armando González is aiming to become the seventh player in Chivas’ history to win the league’s Golden Boot. The last Rojiblancos' star to accomplish the feat was Alan Pulido in 2019 with 12 goals.

Getty Images SportMilito’s project now taking shape

Reflecting on his time in charge, Milito revealed that before taking over at Chivas, he closely studied the roster and believed the group had potential – it just needed structure and belief.

“Chivas have a talented squad,” he said. “It was about building confidence, defining our style, and shaping how we attack and defend. Early results weren’t great, but this process takes time. Now we’re seeing the rewards of that work – and winning is the best confirmation that we’re on the right track.”

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Getty Images SportMust-win match ahead?

Chivas will close out the Apertura 2025 at home in a crucial match against Monterrey. Although they can no longer climb higher than sixth place with 26 points, earning a result would secure their direct qualification to the Liguilla – a boost of confidence heading into the postseason.

Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma has reportedly lost more than £800,000 in a fraud case that saw funds "unknowingly" sent out of his bank account. Said losses are said to have occurred between September 2022 and June 2024, with the Spurs star initially unaware of what was going on. A suspect in the case was arrested over a ago and faces a possible prison sentence.

Suspect in Bissouma fraud case faces threat of prison sentence

has revealed that Bissouma suffered significant financial losses at the hands of Maurice Gomes. The 31-year-old was taken into custody during 2024 following a report to authorities from Bissouma.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed in October 2025 that Gomes had been charged with "two counts of fraud by false representation". If found guilty, then the maximum sentence for each offence is 10 years behind bars.

Money is said to have been moved out of the VIP bank account that Bissouma holds with Coutts – a brand used by many celebrities, including billionaire business owners and members of the royal family.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBissouma may be required to give evidence

has obtained court records that report on how Gomes is alleged to have "dishonestly transferred Bissouma’s cash to himself without the Premier League star’s knowledge or consent".

According to prosecutors, Gomes was behind illicit transfers that total £834,334.40. He stands accused of acting "to make a personal gain", with Bissouma being left in the dark. The Spurs star is said to be on a £50,000-a-week pay packet in north London.

It is unclear how Gomes was able to access the account in question, with any possible links to his victim yet to be revealed. Bissouma – who lives in a £1.4million, six-bedroom house in Enfield, north London – is due to appear at Highbury Corner magistrates’ court on November 7 and is expected to give evidence if the case goes to trial.

A source told : "This has been deeply hurtful for Yves. It’s been a tough year for him on and off the pitch, and this hanging over his head will have contributed to that."

Spurs star had watch stolen during trip to Cannes

Bissouma had a watch worth £255,000 stolen in June 2024 during a visit to Cannes. He was stood outside a luxury hotel in France with his partner when the incident in question took place at around 4am.

The 29-year-old has also endured a tough time in his professional life of late, with no appearances for Tottenham being made in the 2025-26 campaign. His last outing for the Premier League giants came on May 25 against former employers Brighton.

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Getty Images SportJanuary sale of free agency: What next for Bissouma?

He has made exactly 100 appearances for Spurs since joining them from the Seagulls for £30m ($39m) in 2022, but faces an uncertain future at club level. His contract is running down, with free agency set to be hit in the summer of 2026.

Bissouma is currently sidelined with an ankle injury. He picked up that knock a matter of seconds after stepping off the bench for Mali in a World Cup qualifying clash with Madagascar on October 12.

Said ailment has required surgery, with Bissouma having posted on social media from his hospital bed: "Everything went well. I thank God for everything that happens to me. Everything happens for a reason I’m simply following my destiny. Grateful to God for His protection." Spurs boss Thomas Frank said: "Biss unfortunately had a situation with the national team, I think everyone saw that unfortunately, so he got a ligament injury to his ankle, they'll keep him out for weeks."

Bissouma missed the start of the 2025-26 season while nursing a separate fitness problem, which scuppered any plans of a transfer to Turkish side Fenerbahce being lined up.

While he is set to become available for noting at the end of the current campaign, there remains a chance that a sale will be sanctioned by Spurs in January – allowing them to generate a fee for a player that no longer forms part of long-term plans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

There was no major shuffle on Purple Cap table, which is led by Noor Ahmad

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-20252:02

‘A riled-up Kohli is bad news for the opposition’

Orange Cap tableRCB’s Virat Kohli and Mitchell Marsh of LSG got back into the top five and also crossed the 600-run mark in Lucknow. Asked to bat first, Marsh smashed a 37-ball 67 and was involved in a 152-run stand with his captain Rishabh Pant to help LSG post 227 for 3. It wasn’t enough though, as RCB chased it down with eight balls to spare and six wickets in hand. One of the key contributors for RCB was Kohli, who hit 54 off 30 balls to lay the foundation for Jitesh Sharma to take off.Marsh now sits at No.4 and he signed off the season with 627 runs while Kohli, who will be in action in the playoffs, is behind him at No. 5 with 602 runs.There was no change at the top with Gujarat Titans’ B Sai Sudharsan leading the table, followed by Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians.Purple Cap tableWith Josh Hazlewood yet to play this IPL after recovering from his shoulder injury, there was no major shuffle on the Purple Cap table which is led by Noor Ahmad of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with 24 wickets. Behind him is GT’s Prasidh Krishna, with 23, and MI’s Trent Boult occupies the third with 19 wickets.Hazlewood remains fourth with 18 wickets and has a chance to move up when he plays in the playoffs.Here’s what ESPNcricinfo’s MVP table looks like.And here are some other IPL 2025 tables that show the season’s best performers in different aspects of the T20 game. Highest batting strike rates Best bowling economy rates Most sixes Best bowling figures in a match

Former England allrounder tells Disney+ documentary of the sport’s role in his recovery from life-changing crash

Valkerie Baynes24-Apr-20251:45

‘Flintoff’ on Disney+: An exclusive look at Freddie’s story

There’s a point in , the Disney+ documentary released on Friday about the life of England allrounder Andrew Flintoff, that stands out from a cricket perspective.Amid harrowing, never-seen-before images of the devastating injuries he suffered in a car crash just over two years ago, interspersed with footage from the highs and lows of a storied career, Flintoff’s wife, Rachael, says it first: cricket saved him.In the most confronting examples imaginable of cricket’s influence on his life, and the accident itself, Flintoff describes his instincts during the crash while filming the TV series in December 2022 as being like the split-second decision a batter makes on how to deal with a delivery hurtling towards him.As the open-topped three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 he was driving around Surrey’s Dunsfold Aerodrome overturned on that fateful day, he believed that if he turned his head a certain way, he would likely break his neck or die. So he made the decision to fall face first.He was left with broken ribs and serious facial injuries, which required extensive reconstructive surgery and left him with noticeable scarring.Related

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Andrew Flintoff 'remembers everything' about near-fatal crash in Disney+ documentary

“You get 0.4 seconds to make your mind up where the ball’s going, what shot are you going to play, how are you going to move your feet,” Flintoff says. “As it started going over, I looked at the ground and I knew if I get hit on the side, I’m going to break my neck. If I get hit on the temple, I’m dead. My best chance is go face down. I thought my face had come off. I was frightened to death.”And perhaps it is his cricket background that has contributed to the difficulty he has experienced healing the psychological scars of the accident.As a player, he says, he was able to not just visualise performing a particular skill, but to feel like he was living it. In the documentary, he likens that experience to the intensity of the nightmares and flashbacks he has of the crash, remembering everything in vivid detail. It left him battling anxiety which kept him housebound for months except for medical appointments early on in his recovery.”After the accident, I didn’t think I had it in me to get through,” Flintoff says. “This sounds awful, part of me thinks I should have been killed. Part of me thinks I wish I had died. I didn’t want to kill myself. I wouldn’t mistake the two things. I wasn’t wishing, I was thinking: that would have been so much easier. Now I try to take the attitude, the sun will come up tomorrow and my kids will still give me a hug. I feel in a better place now.”Andrew Flintoff says cricket has played a pivotal role in his recovery•ECB via Getty Images

Again, cricket has played a pivotal role in Flintoff reaching this point, finding comfort and purpose in his role as head coach of England Lions.”The common theme through my life is obviously my family – parents, brother, grandparents, Rachael, the kids – but then it seems almost everything comes back to cricket,” he tells friend and former England rugby player now presenter Martin Bayfield in a Q&A session after the film’s premiere in London.”That’s been the one constant thread through my life. It’s probably the one thing, like Rachel again said, probably saved me. I’ve been welcomed back into that fold and I’m loving it. I’ve got the opportunity now to coach. Who would have thought a 31-year-old me would be put in charge of kids, the next-best England players? And I absolutely love it.”So for everything that’s happened, I think sport has been the one thing that’s given me the coping mechanisms to get through pretty much anything, because some of the lows in cricket were so low, and you have to come back. It was resilience, it was passion, surrounded by people you love and people you trust. It was probably one of the most important things in my life after my family and my friends.”One of the friends most instrumental in Flintoff’s return to cricket is Rob Key, a former team-mate who is now director of England men’s cricket.In a moving scene in the documentary, Key sheds rare tears talking about how cricket has helped to look after his mate of nearly 30 years. The film reveals how, after the accident, Key would invite Flintoff to attend England Test matches in virtual secrecy, watching from a secluded area and visited by a select few mutual friends as he began to venture out of the house after so long.Key is now also effectively Flintoff’s boss, overseeing the Lions coaching role he has held since last October. And Flintoff was eager to bat away a question from Bayfield about progressing to the England head coach role, held by another friend, Brendon McCullum.”As a player, you’re always looking for the end of the game,” Flintoff says. “It’s about making decisions now, make a good decision now, and make a move, and then put yourself in a position to win a cricket match. I was guilty of that with a lot of things. You do a TV job, and it’s, ‘what’s the next job?’ It’s always chasing something.”We have got an exceptional England coach who is incredible. I’m so happy with where I’m at now. I’m not looking for the next job, I’m coaching the Lions, and I think for me, that is the perfect place for me to sit.”I can work with these young lads. You’re not just coaching them as cricketers, you’re trying to help them navigate through a career, through life, to be better people. I don’t see it as a stepping stone, I see it as the perfect job for me at this moment in time. I hope I am the perfect choice for them.”Flintoff says he will also continue to work in television from time to time.The crash interrupted filming a second series of Flintoff’s programme, where he teaches a group of young men from his hometown of Preston about cricket as a positive influence on their lives and which he has since finished and seen go to air. He also filmed a special edition of the gameshow with plans for more to come.But cricket is very much back as an integral part of his life again. Perhaps it never left.‘Flintoff’ is available exclusively on Disney+

It would be fair to say that Chelsea have not had the best of starts to the season.

Enzo Maresca’s side picked up seven of nine points in the Premier League prior to the international break, but dropped two against Brentford on Saturday.

Now, it was a heavily rotated side, but there was enough talent in the starting lineup to collect three.

One of the worst performers was summer signing Jamie Gittens, and while it might sound harsh, he should be dropped ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

Gittens' disappointing display

Now, to be clear, there were several Chelsea players who really let themselves down on Saturday, but when it comes to the most disappointing display, it’s hard to look past Gittens.

Chalkboard

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

The club paid Borussia Dortmund around £48m for him in the summer in the hope he’d be able to come into the team and make the left-hand side more direct and more dangerous.

Unfortunately, he flattered to deceive in his appearances before the international break and, against Brentford, he looked somewhat out of his depth.

It might sound overly harsh, but we aren’t the only ones who were left unimpressed, as the Express’ Charlie Malam awarded him just 4/10 on the day, writing that he ‘faded out’ after the first 20 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, while it may sound harsh, such an appraisal of the 20-year-old is more than justified by his statistics.

In 56 minutes of underwhelming action, the Reading-born ace amassed a combined expected goals plus assists figure of just 0.04, took just 17 touches, played a single key pass, had one shot, didn’t attempt a single dribble and was offside twice.

In all, it was a terrible showing from Gittens, and considering how much of a step-up in quality Bayern will be, Maresca has to drop him for another of Chelsea’s young wingers tomorrow night.

The Chelsea ace who should start in place of Gittens

While some might view it as being too soon, Maresca should look to start £40m man Alejandro Garnacho against Bayern.

Now it’s undoubtedly the case that the young Argentine should have tracked Fabio Carvalho for the equaliser on Saturday, but when it came to the offensive side of the game, he offered so much more than Gittens in such a short amount of time.

For example, while he didn’t get the assist, it was his driving run and ball into the penalty area that directly led to Moises Caicedo’s thunderous strike in the second half.

Moreover, while there are certainly questions over this temperament that may well be answered this season, the 21-year-old’s footballing ability is undeniable.

For example, despite being just 20 years old at the start of last season and playing for a historically terrible Manchester United side, the Madrid-born gem was able to score 11 goals and provide ten assists in 58 appearances, totalling 3568 minutes.

Appearances

58

Minutes

3568′

Goals

11

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

Minutes per Goal Involvements

169.90′

That means the “superstar” in the making, as dubbed by journalist Liam Canning, maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or 169.90 minutes.

Moreover, with a goal in the 2024 FA Cup final, against Manchester City, the dynamic attacker has proven he can handle the biggest of stages.

Ultimately, Gittens may well come good for Chelsea, but he has flattered to deceive thus far, and with Garnacho making an impact in just 11 minutes of action, he should get the start against Bayern tomorrow night.

Offer made: Chelsea submit proposal to sign "exceptional" Tottenham player

The Blues have come forward to sign a player from one of their major rivals.

ByDominic Lund Sep 15, 2025