Ronaldo Alimohamed was also penalised for a separate offence in the West Indies Championship match

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2025Guyana Harpy Eagles players Veerasammy Permaul and Kevlon Anderson have been charged with “changing the condition of the ball” and handed large fines during the seventh and final round of the West Indies Championship match against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force.The charge was laid by on-field umpires Christopher Taylor and Leslie Reifer Jnr at Queen’s Park Oval. Permaul was fined 75% of his match fee for a Level 2 breach of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) code of conduct on day one of the match. A CWI statement stated that Permaul had admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction from match referee Michael Ragoonath.Anderson was fined 90% of his match fee for a similar offence on the third day, during the second Trinidad & Tobago innings. Anderson also accepted the sanction proposed.The CWI added that in each instance, the ball was changed, with the batting team given the option to choose the ball.Additionally, Guyana’s Ronaldo Alimohamed was fined 65% of his match fee for breaching the Article 2.1-2.5 of the code of conduct – “Throw the ball (or any other item of cricket equipment such as a water bottle) at or near player or official in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner.”He had initially denied the charge, which carried a fine of 60%, but following a hearing with match referee Ragoonath at the end of the opening day, was found guilty and subsequently received a 65% fine.Permaul is the only international among the three, having represented West Indies in 17 matches across formats.

“He’s a lot more confident in himself now than he was, and that comes with experience,” says Ricky Ponting of Shreyas Iyer

Deivarayan Muthu01-May-20252:04

Jaffer: Shreyas is currently India’s best six-hitter

Punjab Kings (PBKS) coach Ricky Ponting is impressed with Shreyas Iyer’s evolution as a captain, saying that he is responding to pressure better after having led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the IPL title last season.Ponting has seen that evolution from close quarters, having also worked with Iyer during his stint at Delhi Capitals (DC). Iyer and Ponting had led DC to the playoffs from 2019 to 2021, and even the final in 2020. Their reunion as captain and coach at PBKS has turned out to be sweet so far, with the team well-placed for a playoffs spot at the moment.”He’s a lot more confident in himself now than he was, and that comes with experience,” Ponting said in his post-match press conference after PBKS defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk. “I mean, he won the IPL last year as a captain, so when you’ve done that and you’ve got that experience behind you and you believe and trust in your own instincts, I think that’s the biggest thing with captaincy, especially in a T20 game when everything around you is happening so fast.Related

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Stats – Chahal's second IPL hat-trick extends CSK's woes at home

“You know, fours and sixes are flying everywhere. His ability to stay calm on the field, although he might not have been that calm tonight when we were a couple of overs late getting through the overs, but just his maturity, I think, and that experience.”That maturity shone through when he matched his premier spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, up with MS Dhoni – who continues to struggle against this variety of bowling – despite the presence of spin-hitter Shivam Dube at the other end. After having Dhoni hole out for 11 off four balls, Chahal went onto bag a hat-trick in that 19th over of CSK’s innings to spin the game PBKS’ way.Iyer then helmed PBKS’ chase with 72 off 41 balls, hitting five fours and four sixes. He was on 28 off 23 balls at one point but turned up the tempo to bring up his fifty off just 32 balls.”He’s a more mature player now, I think he understands the game and game situations probably better than ever before, and I think that was showcased there tonight, to be able to play the way that he did,” Ponting said of Iyer. “You know, he’ll be disappointed with himself that he didn’t hit the winning runs, he didn’t get his team across the line, because I know how much he prides himself on being the man that’s there at the end to win games. But look, I love working with him, he talks with all the players, all the players love working with him.”The way he communicates with them, whether it’s during the game or at practice or back at the team hotel… we’ve managed to create a really good environment that everybody seems to be really happy in and the boys are playing some good cricket in. So, all in all, it was another good performance from us tonight.”2:33

Breaking down PBKS’ choice of bowlers against CSK

Not too long ago, Iyer was vulnerable to fast bowlers targeting him with short balls. In this IPL, he’s found a way to put those bowlers away, thanks to a technical tweak. In all, Iyer has scored 86 runs off 44 short or short-of-a-good-length deliveries while being dismissed three times this season.”I’ve had nothing to do with that,” Ponting said. “You guys will see how his stance has evolved. He’s opened his stance up a little bit. He’s getting his right eye around more to the release point of the ball. And with his shoulders being open, he’s being able to create some more access to the ball when the ball is back in towards his body. So that’s stuff that he’s all worked out himself.”We’re still working on it pretty much every day. There’re little things that he needs to do because it is such a drastic move that he’s done. He’s got to make sure that everything is in the right position and all his movements are syncing up really well.”But, I mean, some of the innings he’s played this tournament so far have been as good as anyone else’s. I mean, there’s been a lot of hundreds made, but Shreyas’ first game when he made 97, that’s as good an innings as I’ve seen in the tournament.”Former India coach Ravi Shastri also recently spoke of the technical adjustment Iyer had made to handle the short ball better.”He was very side on, was back and back, very much leg side. The fact that he’s prepared to go back and across now and with a very upright stance and the pick up,” Shastri noted on . “While he’s moving back, the bat’s being picked up as well when he’s going back and across.”That allows him to play both sides of the wicket. If they [fast bowlers] bang it in short, he can pull and hook. And if there’s any room outside the off stump, he can cut as well. So that opens up the game for him rather than being too leg side where the rib cage was being targeted and then there was no escape.”2:05

Jaffer – Prabhsimran not throwing it away post-powerplay was good to watch

PBKS next head to Dharamsala, their second home, where they will play three of their remaining four league-stage fixtures. The team has lost the last four games they have played at the venue across two seasons, but Ponting backed them to remedy that home record in this IPL.”I mean, it’s still our home ground, right? It’s our home ground,” Ponting said. “We should know the conditions better than anybody else. We should be able to play the conditions better than anybody else.”We’ve got a very long travel day tomorrow, and then we’ve got two training days before our next game. So, we’ll have a chance to look at the conditions and work them out. I think the one thing in our favour is we had a four- or five-day camp up in Dharamshala before this season started. Everyone went there except for a couple of the overseas guys. So our Indian guys will have a good understanding of what the conditions will be like up there.”I know it’s a slightly different time of year now, but I think we’ve got a pretty good idea of what the conditions will be like.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians venceu o Vasco por 3 a 1 na Neo Química Arena, em partida válida pela 17ª rodada do Brasileirão. Maycon abriu o placar e Yuri Alberto ampliou a vantagem no segundo tempo. O Cruzmaltino esboçou uma reação com Gabriel Pec, mas Róger Guedes, de pênalti, sacramentou a vitória corintiana em Itaquera. Após o resultado, o técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo concede entrevista coletiva. Acompanhe!.

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PRÓXIMOS JOGOS DO CORINTHIANS

> Corinthians x Newell’s Old Boys – 01/08, às 21h30 (de Brasília) – Neo Química Arena – Oitavas de final Copa Sul-Americana – Ida

> Internacional x Corinthians – 05/08, às 18h30 (de Brasília) – Argentina – Campeonato Brasileiro

> Newell’s Old Boys x Corinthians – 08/08, às 21h30 (de Brasília) – Neo Química Arena – Oitavas de final Copa Sul-Americana – Volta

> Corinthians x Coritiba – 13/08, às 16h (de Brasília) – Neo Química Arena – Campeonato Brasileiro

> São Paulo x Corinthians – 16/08, às 19h30 (de Brasília) – Morumbi – Semifinal Copa do Brasil – Volta

Former England spin-bowling all-rounder Dom Bess posted his maiden century in the Rothesay County Championship before lunch on day three against Worcestershire at Headingley before Yorkshire’s bowlers wrapped up a record-breaking 504-run victory in double-quick time.Bess came in as nightwatchman late on day two and reached 10 overnight. He reached three figures off 115 balls shortly before being bowled for 107 on the stroke of lunch.Yorkshire batted on for just less than half an hour after lunch, declaring their second innings on 315 for four and setting up an almost impossible target of 610 for a side who batted out 200 overs for a draw against Somerset at Taunton last week.Bess then took a screamer of a diving catch at cover just before tea. Afterwards, he added another catch at first slip as Worcestershire crumbled to 105 all out, giving Yorkshire the record for the largest victory by a runs margin in Championship history.Unfortunately for the Pears, there was no sign of the Taunton resistance as Yorkshire claimed a 24-point haul to three. This was just a task too tall as George Hill finished with four for 23 from 7.1 overs of seam.Jack White and Jordan Thompson struck twice each and Ben Coad and Adam Lyth once.Worcestershire lost their last eight wickets for 33 either side of tea, falling from 72 for two.Bess, having come in at the fall of the first wicket late on day two, shared in partnerships of 77 for the second wicket with James Wharton and 100 for the third with Dawid Malan, the latter who made 76 not out off 64 balls.During the morning, Lyth was caught and bowled one-handed by Ben Allison for 35 and Wharton caught at deep midwicket off Matthew Waite for 26.For large parts, Worcestershire had every outfielder posted on the boundary rope.That made run-scoring like child’s play for players such as Bess, Malan and, after lunch, Jonny Bairstow, who blasted 44 not out of 26 balls before declaring to leave Worcestershire needing to bat out a minimum of 163 overs for a second successive unlikely draw.Bess, playing his 102nd first-class match this weekend, had only scored one previous century in first-class cricket – 107 for the MCC in a champion county friendly against Essex at the start of 2018.Yorkshire’s seamers blew Worcestershire away for 162 in the first innings, taking eight wickets during the second afternoon.And while they were made to work much harder during the Pears’ second innings, they chipped away at the wickets to leave themselves almost certain winners.With the score on 28 in the 12th over, Hill trapped Jake Libby lbw before Thompson forced the other opener, Gareth Roderick, to drive to Bess at cover in the 15th.Bess clung on to a beauty of a catch – 42 for two.Worcestershire suffered a significant blow in the over before tea when Ethan Brookes was bowled leg-stump through the gate by the part-time off-spin of Lyth, and at 72 for three the task of survival was looking a forlorn one for the visitors.That theory was strengthened with three more wickets in the opening seven overs of the evening as the score fell to 90 for six, including the departure of Waite – the hero of Taunton last weekend.Adam Hose tried to leave new ball seamer White alone and lost his off-stump. Kashif Ali, on 22, also tried to leave alone against the same bowler and was trapped lbw.Sandwiched in between, Ben Coad had Waite caught behind down leg.That was the beginning of the end, with Yorkshire winning only their ninth Championship match at Headingley since the end of 2016.Hill struck again to remove injured Brett D’Oliveira and Allison, and Thompson got Tom Taylor. D’Oliveira and Taylor were caught at first slip and Allison bowled.Hill then wrapped things up by getting Jacob Duffy caught behind.

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has been rewarded for his impressive form with an improved contract. It has been reported that the Spanish international's new deal represents an increase in remuneration from his reported £100,000-per-week wages. He has not agreed to extend his time at the north London club, with the new agreement expiring in 2028.

• What we know about Raya's new contract

  reports the new deal was struck earlier this summer, but has not been officially announced by the club. Arsenal reportedly conducted a similar arrangement with winger Leandro Trossard, whose contract was improved but not extended. The Belgian winger's deal expires in 2027. 

  Raya's previous contract was signed in the summer of 2024, after he completed a permanent switch from Brentford for a reported fee of £27m. The Spanish shot stopper had spent the previous season at the Emirates in a loan deal which cost the Gunners £3m.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Arsenal look to lockdown stars

  also reports that Arsenal have opened talks with Jurrien Timber over a new long-term deal, and are hopeful that Bukayo Saka will put pen to paper soon, with discussions between the player's representatives and the club at an advanced stage. 

  Raya's new terms further solidifies the team's defensive spine. France defender William Saliba recently signed a new five-year deal, heading off suggestions of an end-of-contract swoop by Real Madrid. His partner at the back Gabriel Magalhaes also committed his future to the club this summer, signing a deal that runs until 2029 in June. 

  In a column earlier this season, pundit Jamie Carragher claimed if Arsenal are to win the title this year, it will "be built on the consistent excellence of William Saliba, Gabriel Margalhaes and David Raya."

• Raya well worth the money for Arsenal

  Since joining the club, Raya has established himself as one of world football's top shot stoppers. He won the Premier League's Golden Glove award in 2023-24 and retained his crown last year, splitting the accolade with Nottingham Forest keeper Matz Sels. Raya is already on course to keep his title once again. In their nine competitive games this term, the Gunners have conceded just three goals. Only Manchester City's Erling Haaland has beaten Raya in open play. 

  He has kept 33 clean sheets since making his debut for Arsenal in September 2023, six more than any other keeper. His save percentage of 71% in the same time frame, has only been bettered by Alisson Becker, Nick Pope and Jordan Pickford. 

  Alisson and Pickford are among the best paid shot stoppers in the league, with the Liverpool keeper topping the charts alongside Emi Martinez on a reported £150,000-per-week in the 2024-25 season. While the details of Raya's deal have been kept under raps, a pay rise in line with Martinez and Alisson's earnings would not be out of the question, nor would it be undeserved. 

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  Raya and Arsenal building towards silverware in 2025-26

  The decision to improve Raya's deal without extending his time at the club is a reflection of his importance to the club. At 30 years old, this contract will encompass the latter years of the Spaniard's prime. Rather than let him go underpaid, Arsenal have rewarded his importance to the team with a new deal, while also keeping their options open in the future. 

  If the club are able to extend Timber, Saka, and other key members of their side, it could be a bountiful few years in north London for Raya and the rest of Mikel Arteta's side. Their staunch defence, and increased depth all over the park compared to last season, has the Gunners in pole position in the Premier League after seven games. 

  In the immediate future, Raya will report for international duty with Spain as they prepare to face Georgia and Bulgaria in their World Cup qualification campaign. Upon his return, the keeper will be the first name on the team sheet as Arsenal look to build on their title winning credentials with an away trip to Fulham, before continuing their Champions League campaign when they host Atletico Madrid.

It would be fair to say that Arsenal were not at their best last night.

Mikel Arteta’s side had the challenging task of playing away at Athletic Bilbao for the opening game of their Champions League campaign, and unlike on Saturday, didn’t exactly blow anyone away.

Granted, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard did their images a world of good with two goals, but other than that, it was an underwhelming performance.

In particular, there was one player who was as inconsequential to proceedings as Mikel Merino was.

Merino's underwhelming performance

With Martin Odegaard out injured, Arteta opted to go with the same midfield three that started against Liverpool ahead of the international break.

However, while that decision made a little more sense at Anfield, where the Gunners were expected to be on the back foot, it was a little more puzzling last night, when they were undoubtedly favourites.

Unfortunately, instead of getting the Merino who scored a hat-trick for Spain and looked like a serious threat, the manager got the one who failed to add a whole lot to the team.

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

For example, in his 96 minutes of action, the 29-year-old took just a single shot on target, amassed a paltry combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.09, completed just 21 passes and lost the ball 12 times.

It was by no means a horror showing from the Spaniard, but he was most certainly ineffective for large parts of the game.

We aren’t the only ones to think this either, as the Standard’s Sam Tabuteau awarded the former Real Sociedad star just a 6/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘looked stretched’ at points.

However, while Merino did disappoint somewhat, he wasn’t the only one to do so.

The Arsenal star as disappointing as Merino

While they did win the game and were the better side, there were a number of other players who could fit the bill, but we are talking about Eberechi Eze.

Yes, while there is absolutely no doubting the Englishman’s incredible ability and desire, he was rather underwhelming in his first Champions League appearance.

Instead of being a constant threat and source of creative flair like we know he can be, there were parts of the game in which he struggled, notably when it came to understanding what Arteta likes of his left winger. The video clip below encapsulates that perfectly.

In his 71 minutes of action, the former Crystal Palace star took 16 touches fewer than David Raya, registered an expected assists figure of 0.11, completed just 19 passes, played a single key pass, lost the ball ten times and only made one cross.

Eze’s game vs Bilbao
Minutes	71′
Expected Goals	0.00
Goals	0
Expected Assists	0.11
Assists	0
Shots	0
Touches	40
Accurate Passes	19/25 (76%)
Key Passes	1
Aerial Duels (Won)	1 (0)
Lost Possession	10
Fouls	2
Crosses	1
All Stats via Sofascore

Unsurprisingly then, others were just as disappointed by his showing, with Tabuteau giving him a 5/10 match rating, writing that he ‘struggled to get into the game.’

Likewise, one content creator claimed the winger was “totally off it today”, which is a more than fair assessment.

However, while the Greenwich-born ace has to take some responsibility for his lack of threat, last night’s game was perhaps the best example of why the manager has to play him more centrally going forward, as he’s just not a touchline sort of player.

Ultimately, Arsenal achieved what they set out to do last night, but the likes of Merino and Eze will be looking to put in stronger performances in the coming games.

They lost the ball 25x: Arteta must never start Arsenal duo together again

Arsenal sealed a 2-0 win over Athletic Club in their opening Champions League clash of the season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 16, 2025

The remainder of the Pakistan Super League will continue to be played without the Decision Review System (DRS). The Hawk-Eye team that supplies the technology did not travel back to Pakistan after the resumption of the league, which was suspended earlier this month amid border tensions between Pakistan and India.DRS was available at the PSL – as it has been since 2017 – until the league was suspended on May 7. The first five games since the resumption have been played without incident or controversy. The PSL or the PCB is yet to make any public comment about its absence. ESPNcricinfo has reached out to the PCB and PSL.The fluid nature of scheduling following the rising tensions between India and Pakistan presented the PSL with huge logistical challenges. The production crew were required to extend their presence for a further week, while a game in Multan was relocated to Lahore to reduce travel, and moving camera equipment around. The series between Pakistan and Bangladesh was originally slated to begin on 25 May, the day the final of the PSL will now be held. Its start has been delayed by three days, while the number of games have been slashed from five to three.Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars take each other on in the Eliminator at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday. On Wednesday, Quetta Gladiators booked their place in the final for the first time since 2019 when they beat last year’s champions Islamabad United by 30 runs. United will now take on the winner of Thursday’s game for a berth in the final alongside Gladiators on Friday.

Essex effort led by captain’s innings but total of 230 for 9 made to look light

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay06-May-2025

Tammy Beaumont made her second hundred of the competition•Getty Images

A second century in three days from England’s Tammy Beaumont led The Blaze to a fourth straight win as they continue to set the pace in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition.Essex captain Grace Scrivens impressed with a fine unbeaten 120 but 231 for 9 from 50 overs always looked a difficult total to defend against their top-of-the-table opponents.The England A batter had support from Jodi Grewcock (28) and Amara Carr (34) but from too few partners overall as Ireland allrounder Orla Prendergast and England legspinner Sarah Glenn took three wickets each.Beaumont followed her unbeaten 112 against Hampshire at Trent Bridge on Sunday with 116 not out here, with backing from Scotland skipper Kathryn Bryce (47) and England’s Amy Jones (41) as The Blaze won by five wickets with 55 balls to spare. Esmae MacGregor took 3 for 42 as the pick of the Essex bowlers.Put in, Essex were 37 for 2 after 10 overs, left-arm seamer Grace Ballinger having dismissed Alice Macleod, bowled, and Cordelia Griffith, leg before.Having been 17 for 2, Scrivens and 20-year-old Grewcock built a decent recovery, adding 59 before the introduction of Ireland international Prendergast brought about a mini-collapse.Prendergast bowled Grewcock, on the back foot, and dealt Essex two more blows from balls banged in short, Florence Miller gloving behind and Sophia Smale chopping on, as 76 for 2 became 95 for 5.Scrivens found more support from Carr in adding 80 for the sixth-wicket, passing 50 from 79 balls with her fourth boundary, putting Essex in a decent position at 175 for 5 going into the last 10 overs.But Glenn, after a wicketless first spell, returned to dismiss Carr, who skied to mid-off, and Eve Gray leg before with consecutive balls before MacGregor also fell leg before in her next over. Ballinger could not complete her allocation after an injury in the field.Scrivens survived a difficult chance to long-on on 92 off Josie Groves, going on to reach 100 with her ninth boundary from 120 balls, picking up another couple and a six, off Kathryn Bryce, as she and Kate Coppack added 35 for the ninth wicket.The Essex attack struggled to contain Jones and Beaumont as the England duo propelled their side to 54 without loss in the opening powerplay. Jones eventually mistimed MacGregor to be caught at mid-on for 41 out of 92, Beaumont completing a second consecutive half-century from 54 balls with six fours and a six to the short straight boundary off Grewcock’s legspin.Jones gave way to Kathryn Bryce, with no let-up for Essex, the second-wicket pair putting on 104 in a 20-over partnership, Beaumont hitting her second six over the sightscreen at the athletics track end of the Haslegrave Ground, before Bryce feathered one behind.Sarah Bryce and Georgie Boyce both holed out chasing – in vain – a bonus point on offer for winning inside 40 overs, and Prendergast was bowled swinging, before Beaumont, whose hundred came from 110 balls, restored order by hitting Gray square of the wicket for the winning boundary, her 13th to go with two sixes.

Glasgow Rangers will be going in search of their first win of the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season when they welcome Hearts to Ibrox on Saturday.

The Light Blues have drawn all four of their games in the division so far, the latest being the 0-0 draw with Celtic last time out, and need to get three points on the board this weekend.

Russell Martin has confirmed, though, that Nicolas Raskin will not play any part of the clash with the Jam Tarts, after he was also left out of the squad to face Celtic before the international break.

The manager explained: “Every player has a duty to earn the trust of his team-mates and coaching staff to help us win football matches. We have to be on the pitch with trust and feeling and clarity and that’s it. I think the most important thing is Nico knows why, the players know why and we all move forward.

“He’s part of the squad in training and he needs to help that and put himself back in the squad to help us win matches. It is resolved he is still here, he is training with the group now, so it’s fine.”

Supporters will surely be hoping that the Belgian talent is back on the pitch for Rangers sooner rather than later, because he has the quality to be an influential figure for the team.

Why Rangers need Nicolas Raskin back on the pitch

The Light Blues need Raskin on the pitch because he is a central midfielder who provides qualities in and out of possession as a box-to-box star.

His attributes on and off the ball mean that he can influence games at both ends of the pitch, by breaking up opposition attacks and by making an impact in the final third.

Defensively, Raskin has shown that he can provide a combative presence in the middle of the park by making tackles, interceptions, and ball recoveries on a regular basis, domestically and in Europe.

Appearances

33

12

Tackles per game

2.8

3.7

Interceptions per game

0.6

1.3

Ball recoveries per game

5.6

7.4

Ground duel success rate

57%

50%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

55%

As you can see in the table above, the Belgium international won the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air in the 2024/25 campaign, whilst making plenty of defensive interventions each game.

These statistics show that he can break up play ahead of the back four to protect the defence and Jack Butland, which is something that is needed right now after 17 goals conceded so far this season.

Raskin’s form in the 2024/25 campaign also shows that he has the quality to provide a big threat in possession as both a scorer and a creator of goals, to go along with his defensive efforts.

The Belgian star delivered five goals and 11 assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, and could provide the creativity that Rangers lacked against Celtic, as they failed to create any ‘big chances’.

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Whilst these statistics explain why Rangers need Raskin back in the first-team squad for matches, there is another Light Blues outcast who should be moved on by sporting director Kevin Thelwell.

Rabbi Matondo did not complete a move away from Ibrox before the end of the Scottish summer transfer window, but Thelwell must find a way to finally move on from the winger, whether that is now or in the January transfer window at the start of next year.

Why Rangers need to move on from Rabbi Matondo

Raskin and Matondo both reportedly earn £15k-per-week at Rangers, but the club have not been getting equal value out of them on the pitch in recent seasons.

In fact, the Wales international spent the 2024/25 campaign out on loan at Hannover in the 2. Bundesliga because Philippe Clement decided that he was not going to make his first-team squad.

Rangers, who signed the forward from Schalke for a fee of £2.5m in the summer of the 2022, need to finally part ways with the attacker because he has not done enough on the pitch since his move to Ibrox.

Matondo has had his moments for the Gers, including the goal against Celtic in the clip above, but he has only scored eight goals in all competitions for the first-team in the last three years.

As well as struggling for consistency on the pitch, the former Manchester City youngster has also struggled to stay fit throughout his time at Ibrox, and on loan in Germany last term.

25/26

1

3

24/25

1

23

23/24

2

19

22/23

1

20

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old winger has not been reliable enough with his availability in recent seasons, already missing three games at the start of the current campaign.

Matondo, who Kris Boyd claimed has “blistering pace”, cannot be relied upon by Martin because of these consistent injury issues, which is why the manager should not look to reintegrate him into the team.

The Welsh international should, instead, be moved on by Thelwell, whether that is to a club whose window remains open now or to a team in January, because of his performance and injury issues.

Matondo has only scored seven goals in 44 matches in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers in his career, per Transfermarkt, and this shows that he has not been an elite talent for the team even when he has been fit.

The wide player’s underwhelming contributions in the final third and his injury problems suggest that the Gers have not got as much out of their £15k-per-week than they have for Raskin, who won the club’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards for the 2024/25 campaign.

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It is now down to the club, Martin, and Thelwell to find a solution for Matondo in the coming weeks or months, because, to this point, he has been a flop at Ibrox.

Tottenham Hotspur have made some incredible additions over the last few years, with such talents undoubtedly helping the side beat Leeds United over the weekend.

Thomas Frank’s side secured a 2-1 win over the newly-promoted outfit, helping claim the side’s fourth Premier League win of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Dane has already impressed since taking the reins, with the Lilywhites only suffering one defeat in ten outings across all competitions after his appointment during the summer.

Numerous players have impressed in North London, whether that be players already on the books or ones brought in to make an impact after the manager’s arrival.

One of the players has made an immediate impact in North London over recent weeks, with his showing against Daniel Farke’s side one of his best for his new club.

Mohammed Kudus’ start to life at Spurs

During the summer transfer window, the Spurs hierarchy decided to fork out a whopping £55m for the signature of Mohammed Kudus to help bolster the options within the final third.

The Ghanaian caused a fair amount of controversy with his move, subsequently leaving rivals West Ham United to join the Lilywhites – even stating it was always going to be Spurs after leaving the Hammers.

On the pitch, the 25-year-old has already made an immediate impact, registering one goal and four assists within his first ten outings across all competitions.

His latest contributions came in Saturday’s triumph, scoring his first goal for the club, whilst also teeing up Mathys Tel for his first strike of the new campaign.

Kudus is now sitting at the top of the club’s list for combined goals and assists in the Premier League, with his tally of five now higher than Richarlison, who sits one behind in second.

However, despite the immediate impact he’s made in attacking areas, one other talent is rapidly becoming one of the club’s best additions over the last handful of years.

The Spurs star who is becoming their best signing

Micky van de Ven has been a crucial cog in Spurs’ defensive department over the last couple of years, with his £40m transfer in the summer of 2023 now looking like a bargain.

The Dutch international has racked up 61 appearances across all competitions, scoring six times – three of which have already come in the 2025/26 campaign.

His most recent effort came against Bodo Glimt in the Champions League, helping Frank’s side secure a 2-2 draw and maintain their unbeaten record in Europe.

The 24-year-old also registered the fastest sprint of any player in England’s top-flight last year, arguably being the perfect all-round option in the modern game.

However, summer addition Joao Palhinha may have been an addition many frowned upon at the time, but the midfielder is rapidly becoming one of the side’s most important players.

The Portuguese international joined on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich, with the deal including an option to buy, subsequently offering a needed ball-winning option at the heart of the side.

He’s started all but one game in the Premier League to date, once again getting the nod in the recent triumph against Leeds at Elland Road this weekend.

His stats from the encounter highlight how impressive he’s been of late, with his arrival massively solving the issue that has been plaguing the side in recent years.

Palhinha, who’s been dubbed “incredible” by one analyst, won 100% of the tackles he entered – now being the first player to win 25 tackles in the Premier League this campaign.

Minutes played

90

Touches

56

Passes completed

27

Tackles won

100%

Clearances

3

Interceptions

1

Duels won

7

Passes into final third

4

He also made three clearances, along with one interception and seven duels – further showcasing his sensational ability to regain possession without the ball at his feet.

However, in possession, he was just as impressive, making four passes into the final third, helping him complete 27 passes and dictate the play during the triumph.

Given his recent form, it would be a surprise to no one if the club decide to trigger the option to buy at the end of the current campaign and sign Palhinha on a permanent basis.

Such a deal would be an excellent one, allowing the former Fulham star to continue on his impressive start to life in North London, potentially helping the club win further silverware in the years ahead.

100% dribbles, 10 duels won: 9/10 Spurs sensation looked like prime Bale

Tottenham Hotspur ground their way to an important win away at Leeds United on Saturday afternoon

ByRobbie Walls Oct 4, 2025