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Unicorns recovered from 16 for 5 to post 131 but couldn’t stop MINY from chasing it down, even though they took it deep

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2025MI New York and San Francisco Unicorns rode a rollercoaster in Dallas with unending twists and turns, till inaugural champions MINY edged last year’s runners-up Unicorns to a two-wicket win. In a game that featured several small but crucial contributions from various players, Trent Boult stood out with his returns of 2 for 19, and even more the back-to-back sixes towards the end of the tense chase of 132, which took MINY to victory and to Qualifier 2 and eliminated Unicorns.MINY will now face Texas Super Kings to decide who takes on Washington Freedom in the MLC 2025 final.Unicorns were lagging behind in the game almost from the start, when they were reduced to 16 for 5 in the powerplay. The twist came when No. 8 Xavier Bartlett powered them to a respectable 131 with a 24-ball 44.MINY were then cruising in their chase with an opening stand of 43, before Matthew Short’s three strikes started their slide and Hassan Khan’s two double-wicket overs added to the Unicorns comeback. MINY were left needing 24 to get off 19 balls but with only two wickets in hand. The final twist came when Boult smashed two sixes off Hassan to turn the equation into a comfortable five to win from nine balls. MINY did not falter thereafter.Matthew Short’s three wickets almost derailed the MI New York chase•Sportzpics for MLCMINY made the most of their decision to bowl, with Boult and Nosthush Kenjige removing Unicorns’ top four for single-digit scores. While Boult had Tim Seifert and Jake Fraser-McGurk edging behind, Kenjige had Short and Sanjay Krishnamurthi out caught. The last wicket was thanks to a sharp running catch, with Boult running backwards from short third and finishing with a juggle.Unicorns’ problems were compounded when Hassan Khan was involved in a mix-up with Cooper Connolly, falling short to a direct hit from Nicholas Pooran while on a golden duck.Bartlett then rebuilt the innings in partnerships with Hammad Azam and Brody Couch, smashing towering sixes down the ground. He helped Unicorns race from 50 to 100 in just four overs after the halfway mark, and finally fell when he slapped a slow and short delivery from Kieron Pollard straight to midwicket in the 18th over. Rushil Ugarkar dismissed Liam Plunkett and Couch on either side of Bartlett’s wicket to finish with 3 for 19.A rain break delayed the start of the chase but didn’t reduce any overs. Monank Patel and Quinton de Kock were going steady, scoring 37 runs in the powerplay. But then came Short’s double blow: he trapped de Kock lbw from around the wicket, and four balls later struck the top of middle stump by going through Pooran’s bat and pad.Hassan Khan hurt MINY with two double-wicket overs•Sportzpics for MLCMonank led the chase, going at just over a-run-a-ball. But he soon pulled a Short delivery to deep square leg and MINY were 81 for 3. The alarm bells went off when Pollard, who had scored two fifties in the last three games, chipped an innocuous delivery to long-on. Fraser-McGurk took a diving catch, and suddenly, Pooran was looking worried in the dugout.The alarm bells rang much louder when Hassan struck on consecutive deliveries, first going through Michael Bracewell’s pull to knock his stumps over, and then drawing an outside edge from Heath Richards that stuck in Seifert’s gloves. MINY were now 98 for 6, still 34 adrift with 31 balls to go.Hassan struck two more times in the 17th over. MINY were in a lot more trouble, with the equation soon reading 19 to get from 12. Boult stepped up with consecutive sixes off Hassan and even farmed the strike to deny Kenjige much exposure.In the end, Kenjige himself went on to hit the winning runs with three balls to spare.

Tottenham Hotspur moved up to third in the Premier League table on Sunday night when they travelled to the Hill Dickinson stadium to beat Everton 3-0.

The Lilywhites were not in total control, as they needed Guglielmo Vicario to make two incredibly impressive stops, but they did end the night with a comfortable scoreline.

Micky van de Ven’s first-half performance provided Spurs with a platform to go on and win the match, as he scored two goals to take his tally for the season to five.

Why Micky van de Ven has drawn comparisons to Jan Vertonghen

It feels inevitable that a left-footed centre-back will be compared to Jan Vertonghen at Spurs, particularly when the Belgian star scored five goals from centre-back in his first Premier League season in North London in the 2012/13 campaign, per Sofascore.

Vertonghen scored 14 goals in 314 appearances for Tottenham, per Transfermarkt, so it is easy to understand why some supporters have made the comparison, particularly when van de Ven once revealed that he “learned from” the Belgium international when watching him as a kid.

It was the former Spurs titan’s defensive work that made him a standout star, though, as he earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year on two occasions, without scoring a single league goal in the second inclusion.

That is why Tottenham supporters should be looking to another player to compare to Vertonghen, as Kevin Danso’s defensive efforts against Everton were more Vertonghen-esque than van de Ven’s.

Spurs have unearthed their new Jan Vertonghen

Van de Ven may have scored two goals and impressed at the top end of the pitch, but it was Danso who was the shining light defensively for Thomas Frank against the Toffees.

The Austria international, as shown in the post above, made the most clearances in a game for the club since Vertonghen made 21 just shy of nine years ago.

It was an incredibly impressive outing from the former Southampton man against Everton, as he was consistently in the right place at the right time to make vital defensive interventions to prevent Vicario from being worked even more than he was.

Minutes

90

90

Tackles won

1/1

0/0

Clearances

18

7

Blocked shots

2

0

Ball recoveries

3

2

Ground duels won

2/2

1/2

Aerial duels won

4/4

1/4

As you can see in the table above, Danso offered far more to the team defensively than van de Ven did, with 11 more clearances, two more blocks, and a higher success rate in his duels on the ground and in the air.

These statistics show that the 27-year-old colossus, who was described as “quick” and “aggressive” by Jamie Redknapp, was the defensive cornerstone for the Lilywhites, and carried the Dutchman to a degree.

The £20m signing from Lens may not be a left-footed centre-back, or a huge goal threat, but he has shown that he has the impressive defensive instincts and qualities to be a Vertonghen-esque figure at the back for Frank.

If he can continue to put in performances like the one he showed against Everton, Cristian Romero may have a job on his hands to find a way of getting back into the starting line-up, as Danso currently looks undroppable.

Worse than Simons: Frank must drop 2/10 Spurs flop who lost 88% duels

Thomas Frank must drop this Tottenham Hotspur flop who was even worse than Xavi Simons.

ByDan Emery Oct 26, 2025

Frank appears to have unearthed his own Vertonghen in the defensive monster, who has won 100% of his ground duels in the Premier League this season, and long may it continue as Spurs look to climb up the table.

Manchester United's winning streak is over as the Red Devils were held to a 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday. It could have been worse for Ruben Amorim's side, who had Amad Diallo to thank for a stunning volley to level up the scores with less than 10 minutes to play after Forest had scored twice in quick succession to kick-off the second half.

United knew that victory could take them up to second in the table, at least temporarily, after the most successful string of results of the Amorim era thus far, but as the Portuguese head coach celebrated his one-year anniversary in charge, the Red Devils were forced to settle for a point as several of their expensive attacking signings went missing against a Forest side who remain in the bottom three.

United started brightly as Amad forced a smart save from Matz Sels while Benjamin Sesko could not control when played through beautifully by Bryan Mbeumo. But the Red Devils would take the lead just past the half-hour mark when Casemiro headed home from a Bruno Fernandes corner. Forest were incensed as they claimed the ball had not gone out of play for the corner to be given, but the goal stood and United led at half-time.

The home side turned things around in a devastating three-minute period after the break, Morgan Gibbs-White placing a header perfectly into the corner of the net before Nicolo Savona was allowed the freedom of the six-yard box to poke beyond Senne Lammens.

Casemiro could have equalised on two occasions, while Fernandes struck the post from range as United looked set to be frustrated by a resilient Forest defence. But Amad had other ideas as his sweet left-foot volley from the edge of the box flew past Sels to earn the visitors a share of the spoils. One point could have been three, too, as the Ivorian flashed the ball towards goal deep in stoppage time but saw Murillo clear the ball off the line.

GOAL rates United's players from the City Ground…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Senne Lammens (6/10):

His 100 per cent winning record in United colours is over, but the Belgian could have done little about either goal. 

Leny Yoro (5/10):

Was not strong enough against Jesus as he headed the ball down for Savona. Taken off by Amorim as the Portuguese continues his questionable tactic of switching defenders in the second half of matches.

Matthijs de Ligt (6/10):

Solid against Jesus but could have commanded the box better as both Forest goals came from crosses into the middle.

Luke Shaw (6/10):

Made a couple of strong blocks as Forest showed desire to return to winning ways under their new manager.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Amad Diallo (8/10):

Was United's brightest spark for much of the game as he cut inside to cause danger, before saving a point with a brilliant late volley. Also looked to create as he played a brilliant cross into Casemiro, who should have equalised. Did his defensive work diligently as ever.

Casemiro (6/10):

Rose highest to head home United's opening goal, taking advantage of a lapse in Forest concentration from the controversial corner. The Brazilian threatened to score again in the second period, finding good attacking areas but perhaps lacking the finishing instinct. His lack of pace on the cover remains a key concern, though.

Bruno Fernandes (6/10):

The United captain registered an assist and looked to create opportunities, though he did not quite manage to take full control over the game in the middle. Unlucky when his long-range drive struck the foot of the post.

Diogo Dalot (4/10):

Very poor for Forest's second goal as he switched off to play Savona onside, then barely attempted to put in a challenge as the Italian was afforded all the time he wanted to apply the finish. First player to be substituted as Dorgu replaced him.

Getty Images SportAttack

Bryan Mbeumo (6/10):

Always a threat when he picks up the ball in attacking areas, though he did not turn this into a goal on this occasion. Found Sesko with a brilliant early pass over the top, but the Slovenian could not control the ball.

Benjamin Sesko (5/10):

Had a couple of half-chances in the first half but almost disappeared in the second. The Slovenian must find a killer touch in front of goal, particularly if he continues not to play the biggest role in build-up play.

Matheus Cunha (5/10):

Having scored his first United goal last weekend, Cunha should have kicked on but was largely non-existent. Needs to make more of a consistent stamp on games when the team is not playing well.

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Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Patrick Dorgu (6/10):

Replaced Dalot and looked to get United forward up the left, though some of the passing into him wasn't quite on point at times.

Noussair Mazraoui (5/10):

Nearly cost the Red Devils their point as he was tackled in his own third by Hudson-Odoi in the final moments, leading to an Anderson shot that was deflected wide.

Ruben Amorim (6/10):

His team were not at their best for much of the match and struggled to react to the home side's quick turnaround. Looked short of ideas off the bench, not bringing on a single attacking player, and had a moment of brilliance from Amad to thank in the end.

Gayle said Mulder’s decision to not got after Lara’s record was an “error” and “he didn’t know what to do in that situation”

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2025

Wiaan Mulder had 38 fours and three sixes when he got to 300•Zimbabwe Cricket

Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle has criticised South Africa’s stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder for not going after Brian Lara’s record of the highest individual Test score earlier this week, when he declared on 367 not out against Zimbabwe.Gayle, a former team-mate of Lara, said Mulder “maybe panicked” and made an “error” by not chasing the “once in a lifetime opportunity.””If I could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400,” Gayle told . “That doesn’t happen often. You don’t know when you’re going to get to a triple-century again. Any time you get a chance like that, you try and make the best out of it.”Related

Mulder: Lara told me I should have gone for the record

Mulder: 'Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be'

Stats – Mulder breaks records and Zimbabwe with 367*

Mulder said he did this out of respect for Lara’s record and Gayle accepted that, to an extent: “But he was so generous and said he wanted the record to stay with Brian Lara. Maybe he panicked, he didn’t know what to do in that situation.”Come on, you’re on 367, automatically you have to take a chance at the record. If you want to be a legend… how are you going to become a legend? Records come with being a legend.Mulder, 27, was playing only his 21st Test, against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo where South Africa were put in to bat. Mulder went out at No. 3 in the 10th over of the innings and Zimbabwe were unable to dismiss him in the 334 balls he faced, of which 49 were stuck for fours and four for sixes. He was unbeaten on 264 at the end of the first day and not far from Lara’s record on 367 when the teams took lunch, but South Africa never returned to bat as they had declared.”I think it was an error from his side, not to try and go to get it,” Gayle said. “We don’t know if he would go on and get it or not. But he declared on 367 and he said what he had to say. But listen, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to get 400 runs in a Test match. Come on, youngster, you’ve blown it big time.”Gayle further said the quality of the opposition did not matter in such records.”It’s the same cricket, Test cricket,” Gayle said. “Sometimes you can’t even get one run against a team like Zimbabwe, if you want to put it that way. It doesn’t matter, the opponent, if you get a hundred against any team, that’s a Test century. If you get a double or triple, 400, that’s Test cricket. That’s the ultimate game.”Like I said, he panicked and he blundered, straight up.”Much of the cricket world has been debating the event, and a question was even put to England’s Ben Stokes at the press conference ahead of the Lord’s Test. Would he have declared on a batter so close to the record?”As captain, you’d rather do it to yourself than the captain pulling out on a groundbreaking day,” Stokes said. “I think he said something about how it should stay with Brian. He’s not going to get that opportunity again. They got the win, which obviously is the big thing that counts.”

The New York Yankees pulled ahead in their ALDS series with the Kansas City Royals via a 3-2 victory on Wednesday evening. Giancarlo Stanton played hero for the pinstripes with a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning, but Jazz Chisholm played villain. Again.

The third baseman has relished the spotlight that comes with playing for the Yankees since being acquired by the pinstripes midseason. That did not change when the postseason began, and Chisholm cranked things up a notch by taking a shot across the bow at the Royals after losing Game 2, bluntly stating he felt they were lucky to have won the game.

While Chisholm indicated they were comments of a competitor who believes his team should win every game rather than an undercutting of KC's skill, he was still greeted with a healthy chorus of boos when he trotted onto the field at Kauffman Stadium for Game 3. Chisholm leaned into it during the victory and had the perfect reaction to the jeering afterwards.

"I ain’t ever seen anybody boo a bum," Chisholm said to reporters.

A pretty strong comeback.

The Yankees will have a shot to put the Royals away and advance to the ALCS on Thursday night, with first pitch scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET.

Former Premier League goalkeeper and U.S. star Tim Howard has praised Gio Reyna ahead of November’s international friendlies, highlighting the midfielder’s unique technical qualities that set him apart from the typical American player. The 22-year-old playmaker has been included in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for matches against Paraguay and Uruguay later this month.

Getty Images SportHoward identifies Reyna as special talent

Howard emphasized that Reyna possesses qualities rarely seen in American soccer, describing him as a "generational talent" with technical skills that differentiate him from the country's traditional player profile. The former Manchester United and Everton goalkeeper noted that while the United States has historically produced physically robust players, strong defenders, reliable goalkeepers, and hardworking strikers, Reyna represents something entirely different.

“I’m a fan of Gio because I have my eyes wide open about who U.S. Soccer is. And like I said to you before, time and time again, we do not produce players like this. Whether they reach their full potential or not, we don’t produce players like this," Howard said on podcast. "We’ve had, and I mentioned on this show, we’ve had Todd Ramos, we’ve had Claudio Reyna, we’ve had you [Landon Donovan], we’ve had Clint [Dempsey], we’ve had Christian [Pulisic], right?

“That’s five, I might be missing one or two, but the people who are generational talents, we don’t have those players. We’ve got robust players, we’ve got good center backs, we’ve got good goalkeepers, and even had good strikers. We don’t produce that type of player, and he is one of those players.”

AdvertisementHoward maintains optimism for Reyna

Howard remains hopeful that Reyna can overcome his challenges and fulfill his potential with the national team. The veteran of three World Cups emphasized that he continues to believe in Reyna's ability to find his place within Pochettino's system and make a significant impact as the team builds toward the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

“I still hold out hope that he can find the form with the USMNT and that he can find the place,” Howard said. “Because you know, and I know that it’s tough to take the ball in big moments. When the lights are shining bright and you’re the underdog and the world is watching it’s tough to take the ball in tight spots and tough moments, and I think he has the ability to do that and I can’t say that about many players.”

Technical brilliance remains evident

Despite signing for Borussia Monchengladbach this summer from Borussia Dortmund in a bid to get more game time, Reyna has struggled for consistency. The 22-year-old has made only six appearances for the Bundesliga side out of their 10 league games, but has only played a combined total of 146 minutes in those appearances. Injuries have played a role in that, alongside the club’s lack of form and the fact that they have been managing his minutes, trying to get Reyna back up to full fitness.

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Getty Images SportNovember friendlies offer platform for midfielder

The upcoming matches against South American opposition represent an important opportunity for Reyna to strengthen his position in Pochettino's plans, especially with other players missing in action.

India batted 143 overs in the third innings to save the Test, with Gill, Rahul, Washington and Jadeja all contributing

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-20252:09

Manjrekar: ‘Warriors’ keep sprouting for India when needed

India captain Shubman Gill has hailed his team’s fighting effort to secure a draw heading into the final Test at The Oval with the visitors still in with a chance of sharing the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.Gill was at the forefront of India’s fight, putting together 188 for the third wicket with KL Rahul. More importantly, the duo batted for nearly 70 overs after India had lost Yashasvi Jaiswal and B Sai Sudharsan in the very first over, with India trailing by 311.”From 0 for 2, then the partnership KL and I had, I think that ignited [the spark] yes, we can achieve this task”, Gill told . “Extremely happy. To be able to get a draw from the position we were in yesterday is extremely satisfying. This innings of mine was the most pleasing to me.”Related

Stats – Gill level with Gavaskar and Bradman; Jadeja in elite list

Gill on the dramatic end: Jadeja and Washington 'deserved a century there'

India's grit outlasts England's endurance to make 2-2 a possibility

Gill brought up his fourth century of the series, drawing level with Don Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar for most centuries in a series in England. It took Gill’s series aggregate to 722, which is 52 short of Gavaskar’s all-time record for most runs in a series by an Indian.Rahul, meanwhile, took his series tall to 511 – the first time he’s passed 500 runs or more in a series – en route a typically stodgy 90, his fourth score of fifty or more so far this series.Gill was equally effusive in his praise for the calmness Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar showed, after he fell for 103 in the second session while wafting at a Jofra Archer delivery. At 222 for 4, with both set batters dismissed, India were still 91 behind with Shardul Thakur, three lower-order batters and an injured Rishabh Pant still to come.2:34

Has Washington nailed his spot in India’s Test XI?

Jadeja fought his way through to score his fifth score of fifty or more in six innings. His fifth Test century, which he raised with a six during the last hour after England were keen to shake hands for the draw, was full of pluck. Having been dropped first ball at first slip by Joe Root off Archer, Jadeja batted through without any further alarms to remain unbeaten on 107.Washington, whose previous best was 96 against England in 2021, also brought up his century, his first in Test cricket. Washington, who began the series at No. 8, earned a promotion to No. 5 in Pant’s absence. The partnership between the two was worth an unbroken 203 for the fifth wicket when both teams eventually shook hands for the draw.”When Jaddu and Washy were batting, it wasn’t easy,” Gill observed. “The ball was doing something, but the way they calmly batted and got Test centuries from there tells you how big of an achievement it is.”Explaining their thought process as they began the prospect of salvaging a draw early on day four, Gill said: “To be able to have the same mindset for 140 [143] overs is very difficult. That’s what is the difference between a good team from a great team. We showed today why we’re a great team.”

Manchester United are now back in talks to sign highly-rated Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba in 2026.

The Red Devils’ midfield needs to be a key area of focus next summer, due to Casemiro being out of contract at Old Trafford when the season ends.

The Brazilian has enjoyed a resurgence of late, scoring in United’s 2-2 draw away to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last weekend, however, he still isn’t the player he was and will soon need to be replaced by a younger model.

Baleba emerged as one of the front-runners to join the Red Devils in the summer transfer window, but in the end, he stayed put for the time being, with no defensive midfielders added to Ruben Amorim’s squad.

The 21-year-old Seagulls ace is sure to have plenty of suitors moving forward, though, with a switch to United still very much on the cards, following a new update.

Man Utd willing to pay £90m for Baleba

According to reports relayed by Caught Offside, Manchester United are once again negotiating over the signing of Baleba from Brighton, and INEOS would be willing to pay as much as £90m for his signature.

An official bid is expected to be incoming for the Cameroonian, as the Red Devils look to complete a significant piece of business next year.

Baleba may not have hit top form yet this season, with his focus arguably affected by the level of interest in him from various clubs, but he has all the tools to enjoy a fantastic career.

He is a force both in and out of possession, averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the Premier League last term, as well as scoring three goals, and Alan Shearer has hailed him as “absolutely wonderful” on Match of the Day.

As mentioned, Casemiro is not the player he once was, no longer being to cover so much ground at pace, but Baleba could bring that to United’s team, suddenly making them far harder to run through.

Man Utd in pole position to beat Man City to Jeremy Monga signing

The Red Devils could land one of England’s finest youngsters in a cheap deal due to a key reason.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 3, 2025

He has so much time to improve further as a player, and while his age means that some inconsistency may be a part of his game to begin with, he feels like a leading option for Amorim, as the Red Devils look to bring in the perfect addition to a vital area of the pitch.

Casemiro isn't the only Man Utd star who has saved his career under Amorim

The Cincinnati Reds will have a new look this year as they're adding a patch to their uniforms honoring one of the franchise's greatest players.

For the 2025 season, Cincinnati will wear a No. 14 patch on the sleeve of their jerseys to honor MLB career hits leader Pete Rose.

What does the 14 patch on Reds uniforms stand for?

The No. 14 patch honors Rose, who died on September 30, 2024. He was one of the greatest players in franchise history and is a member of the team's Hall of Fame.

A 17-time All-Star, Rose spent much of his career in Cincinnati. He played 19 seasons with the Reds across too stints. The first coming from 1963 to '78, the second from 1984 to '86. He helped lead the Reds to back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 and '76, and was named World Series MVP in '75.

Rose is the Reds' all-time leader in games played (2,722), hits (3,358), singles (2,490), doubles (601), runs scored (1,741), total bases (4,645) and walks (1,210).

Pete Rose career summary

During his 24-year career, Rose set several MLB records as well. He is the league's all-time leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), singles (3,215), most times on base (5,929), plate appearances (15,890) and most seasons with 200-plus hits (10). He was a 17-time All-Star, won three World Series and three batting titles, was named NL MVP in 1973, earned two Gold Gloves (1969, '70) and a Silver Slugger in 1981,

Despite his incredible career, Rose is not a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame after accepting a permanent ban from baseball due to a gambling scandal. The sport's hall of fame voted to exclude members on MLB's permanently ineligible list.

Eddie Howe is now 190 games into his tenure in the Newcastle United hot seat with only Marco Silva, Mikel Arteta, and Pep Guardiola being in their respective Premier League jobs for longer than the Magpies boss.

Yet, the 47-year-old – despite being such a long-standing fixture at St James’ Park – isn’t above criticism, with only three wins collected so far this season in league action troubling his once rock-solid grip on the Toon job.

Indeed, away from Nick Woltemade lighting up the Premier League already as a £69m summer recruit, with four top-flight strikes next to his name, the majority of the Magpies starting XI right now feels stale and in need of a refresh.

Even Howe could be viewed as a rusty figure, with the under-fire manager now left with plenty of time to think about what immediate changes he needs to make to ensure his Newcastle team is a force to be reckoned with again, as the international break is now in play.

The biggest selection dilemmas facing Eddie Howe at Newcastle

Not even the likes of Sandro Tonali were safe from his manager’s wrath against the Bees, with the usually lively and energetic Italian only winning one meagre duel last time out, as Newcastle collapsed to a 3-1 defeat on the road.

He does, however, have some significant credit in the bank by starring more often than not across the entire campaign to date, with Tonali even being branded as an “absolute joke” of a talent by journalist Andy Sixsmith, when picking up an assist in the Toon’s recent EFL Cup success over Tottenham Hotspur.

On the other hand, Tonali’s common midfield partner in Joelinton could find himself more at risk of the first-team chop shortly, with his poor showings extending far past his 24-minute run-out against Brentford.

Indeed, the Brazilian epitomised Newcastle’s “leggy” showing against West Ham United – as it was branded by Tyneside great Alan Shearer – when winning just two of his ground duels, as Lucas Paqueta stole the midfield show for the Hammers, instead.

With no goals and assists also next to his name in the Premier League this season, Howe could be tempted to throw in the likes of Jacob Ramsey in his place.

There could also be a great deal of change at the back. While Malick Thiaw has been serenaded as their player of the season so far, his colleagues in the backline haven’t been much of a help.

Indeed, it was Sven Botman’s ball-watching that led to Igor Thiago’s second goal on Sunday and it was Dan Burn’s red card that turned the tide for the hosts beforehand. Nick Pope also failed to cover himself in much glory for Kevin Schade’s equaliser.

Chalkboard

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

Newcastle's defensive duo must never play together again

Howe has become too comfortable selecting the same faces week in, week out, with the 47-year-old very much set in his old ways, having been at St James’ Park for so long now.

Still, with the emergence of Woltemade from Stuttgart this summer, and Thiaw, who has barely put a foot wrong in the main Newcastle XI since joining from AC Milan, the time could be right for Howe to start ditching figures he once heavily relied on.

Both Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier will be worried that they will be victims of this approach.

Minutes played

90

73

Goals scored

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches

81

61

Accurate passes

47/59 (80%)

20/32 (68%)

Accurate crosses

0/5

0/1

Possession lost

19x

18x

Tackles won

1/1

1/2

Interceptions

0

0

Clearances

2

11

Blocked shots

1

1

Ball recoveries

7

1

Total duels won

4/11

8/17

It’s strange to think that in the Champions League that both the ageing defenders combined for Newcastle’s opener against Athletic Club, as the 6-foot-7 warrior headed home a perfect free-kick delivery from the ex-Atletico Madrid full-back.

But, when watching them together back in the Premier League against Keith Andrews’ Bees, it’s clear that this is a full-back partnership that cannot continue in the bread and butter of domestic action, with both Trippier and Burn combined giving possession away a costly 37 times in West London.

Moreover, before Burn piled on the Magpies’ misery by being sent off, both Newcastle veterans also failed to register a single accurate cross, with the away side stunted down either flank as a result.

On top of that, only two tackles were won between them, as Brentford ultimately felt no fear piling forward with ease, up against the Toon’s ageing backline.

Howe will have to get rid of Burn automatically when Premier League action gets back underway, owing to his suspension, but, with Tino Livramento tipped to return to the first-team picture for the Manchester City tie up next, after injury, it wouldn’t be the greatest shock to see Trippier ditched for fresh blood down the right.

Likewise, with Lewis Hall also putting in an energetic cameo against the Bees, that makes him a prime candidate to start as Howe’s left-back against Guardiola’s men.

As bad as Botman: Howe must drop Newcastle dud who lost the ball 20x v Bees

Newcastle United had another away day to forget in the Premier League when losing 3-1 versus Brentford.

2 ByKelan Sarson Nov 10, 2025