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Brave’s elder stateswoman hopes to bow out on a high, just as 18-year-old challenger comes of age

Valkerie Baynes31-Aug-2025Sophie Devine has kept very few secrets about where she’s at.A month before New Zealand launched their ultimately victorious campaign at last year’s T20 World Cup, Devine – who turns 36 on Monday – announced she would step down as their captain at the end of the tournament.In June, Devine revealed that the upcoming 50-over World Cup would comprise the last ODIs of her career.Then she goes and produces a body of allround work across this year’s Hundred that has twisted all that clarity about a player in the twilight of her career out of shape, to lead an undefeated Southern Brave directly into Sunday’s Final at Lord’s.”I wish I would’ve done it at the start of my career,” Devine says with typical dry, self-deprecating humour.Speaking on a call set up by KP Snacks, who are celebrating the achievement of installing over 100 grass root community pitches in England and Wales, Devine continued: “I’m just really enjoying my time down at the Southern Brave.”I’m just really enjoying my time and contributing. That’s the biggest thing for me, especially, I guess, at this phase of my career, it’s about passing on my knowledge and helping out whoever I can.”The fact that we’ve managed to get a fair few wins on the board is nice, but we all know that it doesn’t really mean too much unless you bring the trophy home at the end, so there’s still a lot to go.”Davina Perrin celebrates her 42-ball century•Philip Brown/Getty ImagesFortunately for New Zealand – and for cricket – Devine plans to keep playing T20Is and franchise cricket for “probably how long people can handle me and put up with me”.There’s that humour again from a player who has earned the right to call the shots on her career in her own time.With 12 wickets at 14.08 and an economy rate of 6.54, she is the third-highest wicket-taker in the Hundred women’s competition. Her 3 for 15 against Northern Superchargers was one of four Player-of-the-Match performances in the space of five games for Devine. Brave team-mate and England seamer Lauren Bell is the leading wicket-taker with 19 at 7.47 and an economy of 5.35.Devine scored an unbeaten 41 off 42 balls at No. 4 against Trent Rockets in the other game during that stretch. While that remains the best of her eight innings so far with an average of 28.40 and strike rate of 109.23, having an even bigger impact with the bat in the final would ice an outstanding tournament for her.So it was with beautiful symmetry that, in the Eliminator at the Kia Oval on Saturday, the 18-year-old Davina Perrin announced she was coming for Devine and her Brave team-mates with the second-fastest century across the history of the men’s and women’s competitions.Perrin tees off during her matchwinning innings•Philip Brown/Getty ImagesPerrin’s 42-ball ton was just one ball short of Harry Brook’s record, set in 2023, and propelled Northern Superchargers into the title decider via an emphatic 42-run win over last year’s champions, London Spirit.Her 101 runs led Superchargers to 214 for 5, the highest total in the women’s competition to date – there has been just one total higher in the men’s – and ultimately sealed a second final for her team.Superchargers lost to Southern Brave in the final of the 2023 women’s competition after Brave had been runners-up to Oval Invincibles in the first two editions.Beyond a “bloody belter of a deck” at The Oval on Saturday, Perrin credited a lap round the outfield on match eve with Lisa Keightley, the former England Women’s head coach now guiding Superchargers, and a net session with assistant Liam Simpson for the best innings of her young career. Chiefly it was their advice to “puff your chest out, take the helmet off, let it flow” that was on her mind as she struck five sixes and 15 fours in a remarkable show of power and poise.”For me, I’ve got to back that up, for the team, we’ve got to back that up tomorrow,” Perrin said. “We’ve got a big game coming up and that’s where our minds are at now.Related

Sophie Devine stars as Brave maintain perfect start

Perfect Southern Brave inflict record run defeat on Oval Invincibles

Brave scrape home to seal top-three finish

Southern Brave make history with 100% league record

Brilliant Perrin century powers Superchargers into Women's Hundred final

“Whatever’s happened today, we take the token of confidence but we also park it, we move on. New game, new ground, new conditions, different team. We’re going to take whatever’s thrown at us… I guess I have made some sort of impact but a bigger impact will be the job that we do tomorrow.”Perrin’s knock impressed all who saw it, including London Spirit wicketkeeper Georgia Redmayne, who had tried to get in the youngster’s head by drawing her attention to her looming century, before scoring an unbeaten fifty in a losing cause herself.”She didn’t get too distracted,” Redmayne said. “It was very impressive and I’m excited to see how she goes in the future. It’s going to be tough for her to back it up tomorrow but I’d love to see some more striking like that in the future… hopefully not against us!”But in terms of potentially catching the eye of England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards, Perrin was happy to let her “bat do the talking”.”I just look to go out there and have fun,” Perrin said. “I don’t think about the rest of the stuff, that’s just noise. It’s all noise and the only noise I’m listening to when I’m batting is the sound of the ball flying off the bat – when it’s a good day!” KP Snacks, the Official Team Partner of The Hundred, are celebrating the installation of over 100 new community cricket pitches across England and Wales. To find out more and search for your nearest pitch, visit: www.everyonein.co.uk/pitchfinder

Kumble, Warne and Duminy have all been pushed a peg down after the MI captain’s efforts in Lucknow

Abhimanyu Bose04-Apr-20251:39

‘Pandya clearly at the peak of his game’

Hardik Pandya – 5 for 36 vs LSG, 2025Hardik had bowled 96 times in the IPL and the best he had ever returned was 3 for 17. In Lucknow on Friday in the IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), he kept producing wickets even as his team-mates went for big runs courtesy Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram. Hardik brought himself on as the sixth bowler in the ninth over and immediately got the big wicket of the in-form Nicholas Pooran with a slower bouncer. In his next over, an offcutter saw the struggling Rishabh Pant spoon the ball towards mid-off where Corbin Bosch took a good catch. Hardik then came back to bowl at the death and removed the well-set Markram before dismissing David Miller and Akash Deep off consecutive deliveries in the final over to register his first five-for in his 290th T20 match.But his efforts, which also included an unbeaten knock of 28 off 16 deliveries, went in vain as LSG defended their total of 203, restricting MI to 191 for 5.Anil Kumble – 4 for 16 vs Deccan Chargers, 2009Opening the bowling for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2009 final in Johannesburg, Anil Kumble set the tone by knocking over Adam Gilchrist in the first over. He went on to dismiss Andrew Symonds, Rohit Sharma and Venugopal Rao to restrict Deccan Chargers to 143. RCB fell short by six runs in the chase as Chargers won the title, but Kumble held the record for best figures for a captain in the IPL until it was broken by Hardik.Anil Kumble – 4 for 16 vs Deccan Chargers, 2010No, this isn’t a copy-pasting error. A year on from the 2009 final, RCB and Chargers met in the third-place playoff match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Kumble opened the bowling again, and dismissed Gilchrist in the first over again. This time RCB bowled their opponents out for 82, with Kumble returning 4 for 16 from 3.3 overs. Rahul Dravid and Kevin Pietersen ensured a successful chase.ESPNcricinfo LtdJP Duminy – 4 for 17 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2015JP Duminy came close to breaking Kumble’s record in IPL 2015 as he ran through the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) top order to help Delhi Capitals (DC, then Delhi Daredevils) secure a four-run win while defending 168. Duminy broke a 50-run opening stand and dismissed both openers David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan in the space of three balls. He then dismissed a well-set Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan, two wickets in three balls again, to round off an all-round performance, having also hit a half-century in DC’s innings.Shane Warne – 4 for 21 vs Deccan Chargers, 2010After Rajasthan Royals (RR) were bowled out for 159 in Nagpur, Chargers looked favourites in the chase. Enter Shane Warne, who sparked a middle-order collapse and inspired a two-run win, with Rohit’s 44-ball 73 not enough for Chargers. Warne bagged the wickets of Anirudh Singh, Dwayne Smith, Azhar Bilakhia and Ryan Harris, none of whom could get to double-figures.

Overall, the tournament recorded a reach of 446 million on digital in India, greater than the combined total of the last three editions

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2025The 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup final in Navi Mumbai, where hosts India beat South Africa to lift their maiden title, attracted a record 185 million users on JioHotstar, the official streaming platform in India. It equalled the viewership of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup final and exceeded the average daily reach of the 2025 IPL.Apart from that, 92 million tuned in on Connected TV (CTV), equalling the CTV viewership of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final and the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 final, which also involved India as one of the teams. Overall, the World Cup recorded a reach of 446 million on digital in India, the highest ever for a women’s tournament, greater than the combined total of the last three editions.Earlier, the India-Pakistan group-stage match on October 5 had set a record for the most viewers tuning in for a women’s international match: 28.4 million. That pales in comparison to the number of viewers the final drew.The DY Patil Stadium, the venue for the final, was also packed to capacity, with 39,555 watching India make history.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has now made a major decision on Pedri’s fitness ahead of the Champions League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this Tuesday.

The Blues will be looking to return to winning ways in the Champions League on Tuesday, having been unable to overcome Qarabag last time out, drawing 2-2 away at the Azerbaijani side, but they should be heading into the game with renewed confidence.

Enzo Maresca’s side have put together a good run in the Premier League, winning their last three matches without conceding, most recently securing a 2-0 win at Burnley courtesy of goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.

Maresca was particularly happy with his side’s defensive showing, saying after the game: “The way we competed I am very happy.

“To come here and not concede is very difficult. It’s normal to concede something. But overall they only had one real chance. During the game they didn’t have any big chances and during the game we had loads of chances.”

However, the manager will be well-aware that Tuesday’s opposition will be much tougher, and the west Londoners have now been handed a boost heading into the Champions League encounter…

Hansi Flick set to leave Pedri out against Chelsea

According to reports from Spain (via Sport Witness), Pedri is now unlikely to travel to London ahead of Tuesday’s game, as Flick and his coaching staff believe it is not worth risking the midfielder, who suffered a hamstring injury near the end of October.

The 22-year-old is now a serious doubt for the trip to Stamford Bridge, having missed training on Sunday, which will be welcome news for Maresca & co, who need every advantage they can get heading into the game against the reigning La Liga champions.

Lauded as “amazing” by journalist Muhammad Butt, the Barcelona star has been absolutely integral for Barcelona over the past year, regularly displaying his ability to dictate games, set-up chances for his teammates, and drive the ball forward.

Pedri’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Assists

0.17 (80th percentile)

Passes attempted

91.85 (98th percentile)

Progressive carries

3.42 (99th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.40 (97th percentile)

That said, the La Liga side are likely to be just as fearful of Chelsea’s midfield, with Fernandez scoring his fifth goal of the season against Burnley at the weekend, while Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has waxed lyrical about Moises Caicedo this season.

As such, Chelsea should no doubt fancy their chances heading into Tuesday’s game, taking on Barca in a competitive game for the first time since a 3-0 defeat at Camp Nou back in 2018.

Moises Caicedo and Pedri have been named among the best midfielders in the world The Best 15 Midfielders in World Football Ranked (2025)

Some of the best players in the world do their stuff in the middle of the park, but who’s number one?

5 ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

Rishabh Pant could return to action in the second round of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, starting October 25, and set in motion the process to come back to Test cricket during the two-match series against South Africa from November 14. Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector, had hinted at Pant being in the fray for the South Africa Tests when he spoke late last month in Dubai at the time of announcing the squad for the ongoing Test series against West Indies.Pant, who had fractured his right foot in the Old Trafford Test in late July, is understood to be in his final stretch of rehab and is due to undergo a fitness assessment at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru later this week.His foot was taken out of the cast more than three weeks ago, and he is understood to be moving without any discomfort now. He has been working on strengthening the foot through mobility exercises and weight training drills, and has also resumed batting.Related

• Tireless Bawne will 'put the body on the line' again to try and win the Ranji Trophy

• The bravery and the outrageousness of Rishabh Pant

If cleared, Pant is expected to link up with the Delhi squad, which plays in the opening round of the Ranji Trophy from October 15 away against Hyderabad, for which Pant remains “slightly doubtful” according to the DDCA. The second game is at home at the Feroz Shah Kotla against Himachal Pradesh.Pant has been out of action since reverse-sweeping Chris Woakes on to his foot in the fourth England-India Test. He was forced to retire hurt, with scans confirming a fracture. While Pant returned to bat the next day, he couldn’t keep wicket. He finished the series with 479 runs in four Tests, which included two centuries and three half-centuries.In Pant’s absence, India have picked Dhruv Jurel and N Jagadeesan as the wicketkeepers for the ongoing Test series against West Indies. Pant is also missing the white-ball tour of Australia from October 19 as he hadn’t received a “return to play” certificate from the CoE.It’s likely Pant will lead Delhi for the duration of his availability. For the moment, the squad will be led by Ayush Badoni, Pant’s IPL team-mate at Lucknow Super Giants.

It remains difficult to piece together just where the blame lies for Celtic’s current slump – is it the board, is it Brendan Rodgers, or is it a period of dismal recruitment?

Of course, it is likely a mixture of all of those factors, with the latter point particularly key. Indeed, of those signed amid Rodgers’ return in the summer of 2023, only Paulo Bernardo and Yang Hyun-jun remain part of the current first-team squad.

Far too many deals have backfired over the past two years, although that’s not to say that the departed coach is himself free of criticism, having not exactly got the best out of those at his disposal.

You only have to look at the case of Callum Osmand, a player largely ignored by the Northern Irishman, to see where Rodgers was misguided. While now cruelly struck down by injury, the Wales youth international was the hero at Hampden, before winning a penalty during his lively, albeit brief cameo at FC Midtjylland.

Although Rodgers’ return did see two further Premiership titles secured, prior to him walking away for the second time, the magic of his first spell in charge didn’t appear to be there.

The Hoops, hopefully, will be targeting a figure who can replicate that first version of the former Liverpool boss at Parkhead.

Celtic's ongoing manager search

A clear frontrunner has yet to truly emerge with regard to Celtic’s managerial vacancy, with a romantic return for Ange Postecoglou having been deemed ‘very unlikely’, despite the Greek-Aussie now out of work following his dismissal from Nottingham Forest.

Interim boss Martin O’Neill does remain an option to see out the season, alongside Shaun Maloney, although such a decision would likely be a last resort considering the 73-year-old last took on a top job back in 2019, following his own brief stint at the City Ground.

The nature and timing of Rodgers’ shock resignation has no doubt complicated matters, although with the international break now to come, it presents the perfect time to finally nail down a preferred pick.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

According to Football Insider, one of the current frontrunners is Ipswich Town boss, Kieran McKenna, with the 39-year-old deemed to be the “number-one target”, albeit with a potential obstacle likely to be his “big compensation package”.

As the report notes, it is believed that it would take a fee of around £5m to prise McKenna from Portman Road, with it yet to be seen whether the Glasgow side would be willing to fork out such a figure to get their man.

McKenna, for what it’s worth, did not wholly shut down talk of the move when quizzed on the speculation in recent weeks, having described Celtic as a “really big club”, amid suggestions that he is a rumoured Hoops supporter.

Why Celtic could be targeting the next Brendan Rodgers

An exciting young Northern Irish coach with a potential affinity to the Scottish champions – that certainly sounds familiar?

Yes, there are certainly real similarities between McKenna and his compatriot Rodgers, with Celtic no doubt hoping that the in-demand Ipswich coach can replicate the success that the latter man enjoyed following his first move to Parkhead in 2016.

While the ex-Swansea City, Liverpool, Watford and Reading boss had garnered far more experience at the time of his move north of the border, he had made the first major stride of his coaching career in the youth ranks at Chelsea, having been given the backing of Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

McKenna – who initially worked in the youth ranks at Tottenham Hotspur – was also something of a favourite of Mourinho at Manchester United, having eventually become an assistant to the Portuguese coach in 2018.

Like Rodgers, the rising star had seen his own playing career cut short by injury, with the pair seemingly following in Mourinho’s footsteps by trying to make up for that on-field disappointment by shining in the dugout – as McKenna himself has admitted:

While Rodgers first truly made a name for himself by steering Swansea into the Premier League, the 4-2-3-1 coach has enjoyed similar success in the EFL with his current club, having claimed back-to-back promotions in what is his first managerial role.

Days in charge

1419

Games

187

Wins

87

Draws

50

Losses

50

Points per game

1.66

Players used

81

Promotions

2

Relegations

1

Although the Tractor Boys’ stay in the top-flight was short-lived, that hasn’t stopped interest mounting in this “incredible” coach – as hailed by Ipswich’s Wes Burns – with former club Man United believed to have been considering him in the summer of 2024.

That would’ve been like Rodgers’ own Anfield switch, although perhaps McKenna can skip a step and head straight to Celtic instead, with the Glasgow outfit no doubt in need of an exciting, young and fresh voice to try and reinvigorate the current first-team crop.

For all the frustration over his decision to twice leave his post at Celtic Park, it’s worth remembering the glittering success that Rodgers has achieved when at the helm, namely overseeing that invincible domestic season in 2016/17.

With a raft of promising young talents, and with an attractive, front-foot style of play, the now 52-year-old was just what was needed to breathe new life into the club, amid the mixed stint of Ronny Deila.

Now, again, Celtic need to be revitalised. Can the next bright young manager, McKenna, be the man to do just that?

O'Neill upgrade: Mjallby tells Celtic which manager is "the perfect fit"

Former Celtic star Johan Mjällby has told the club which manager would be the perfect fit for the club.

ByDan Emery Nov 8, 2025

Chelsea have held talks with one of Europe’s brightest young attacking talents and made their plan for him crystal clear, with the Blues getting a response to their serious interest.

Chelsea's plan to sign 'more Estevaos' as Blues target rising stars

BlueCo’s recruitment strategy remains firmly focused on acquiring world football’s brightest prospects before they reach superstar status, with several teenage sensations already lined up to follow in Estevao’s footsteps at Stamford Bridge.

The Brazilian wonderkid’s dazzling performances this season highlight the success of Chelsea’s approach to signing elite young talent with modest salaries.

Estevao chose Chelsea over rumoured interest from Real Madrid, PSG and Barcelona after the club spent three years of scouting, ultimately going for him ahead of Endrick, who’s since endured a torrid time at the Bernabeu by contrast.

The 18-year-old was convinced by Chelsea’s project and the playing opportunities available in London (Sky Sports), with more players like him due in West London very soon.

Chelsea favourites to sign £53m Liverpool target after 'generational' Man United claim

He’s admired up and down the Premier League.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 2, 2025

Sporting Lisbon winger Geovany Quenda, who’s been called ‘the next Cristiano Ronaldo’ by Portuguese media sources, arrives next summer following a March agreement worth up to £40 million, with the young forward viewed as another potential game-changer.

Joining Quenda will be two 17-year-olds — Kairat Almaty forward Dastan Satpaev and Corinthians left back Denner — with Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha also coming to Cobham next year.

Looking even further ahead, 16-year-old Ecuadorian centre-back Deinner Ordonez is scheduled to arrive from Independiente del Valle in January 2028, so Chelsea are very much planning for the future.

As the Blues plot to secure ‘more Estevaos’, in the words of Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol that is, TEAMtalk now bring news of yet another rising star attracting Chelsea’s attention.

Chelsea hold talks with Austrian starlet Johannes Moser

That man is 17-year-old attacking midfielder Johannes Moser.

The teenager was one of the standout stars at the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar recently, taking home the Golden Boot after a remarkable tournament which saw him bag eight goals during Austria’s route to the final against Portugal.

Moser was also named Runner-Up in the Player of the Tournament Award, taking home the Silver Ball, and he’s already clocked 13 senior appearances for FC Liefering in the Austrian second division.

All signs point towards him being a real one to watch in the coming years, and TT state that he has ’emerged as one of the finest teenage attacking players in mainland Europe’.

According to their information, Chelsea have also held talks with Moser and his representatives in a bid to convince the versatile forward to join them, alongside Man City.

Enzo Maresca’s side went as far as presenting their plan for Moser to develop as a player under the BlueCo umbrella, but TT also report some bad news on that front.

Indeed, at least for now, the Austrian is apparently set to snub both Chelsea and City’s interest in favour of remaining at Liefering, specifically the Red Bull Group, to further his development.

Liefering, who are Red Bull Salzburg’s reserve team, have managed to hold on to Moser thanks to Red Bull making it clear that his pathway into the Salzburg first team is ‘already in place’.

While a move to the Premier League is off the cards for now, the wunderkind’s sky-high potential means we shouldn’t rule out another English swoop in future.

The defending champions had looked like taking a strong lead, but ended up in trouble themselves later in the day

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2025Peter Handscomb reminded Test selectors of his talents, scoring another Sheffield Shield century against South Australia.After the Victoria captain top scored with 103 on Monday at Adelaide Oval and declared seven runs behind the home side, a crucial sixth-wicket stand rescued the day for SA.Related

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Daniel Drew (42 not out) and Harry Nielsen (41 not out) took SA from a precarious 82 for 5 to 169 for 5 at stumps, a lead of 176 going into the last day.Resuming on 38 with the score 167 for 3, Handscomb anchored the Victorian innings on day three. In reply to SA’s 350, they were in trouble at 199 for 6 before Handscomb combined with Fergus O’Neill for a seventh-wicket stand of 125.Spinner Lloyd Pope had O’Neill caught-and-bowled for 64 and Pope dismissed Handscomb, caught by Jordan Buckingham in the deep for the eighth wicket.Handscomb, whose most recent Test was in March 2023, faced 180 balls and hit seven fours and two sixes. Half of his 18 Shield tons have been against SA.SA steadily lost early wickets in their second innings. After a duck on the opening day, No.3 and Test hopeful Nathan McSweeney was dismissed for 6 when he edged a pull against David Moody.Opener Henry Hunt and Jake Lehmann starred with centuries in SA’s first innings. But when impressive Victorian left-arm spinner Doug Warren dismissed them in successive overs – Hunt top-edging a sweep and Lehmann bowled through the gate on the drive – the home side was five down for not nearly enough.That brought together Drew and Nielsen, who grew in confidence as they batted through to stumps.

Newcastle United’s wait for a first away win of the season is now over.

On Saturday night, the Magpies demolished Everton 4-1 on Merseyside, enjoying their first-ever visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Malick Thiaw broke the deadlock inside 60 seconds, with Lewis Miley lashing home a second and then Nick Woltemade making it three in first half stoppage time, before Thiaw bagged his second shortly after the interval, rubber stamping victory.

Before this, Eddie Howe’s side had failed to win any of their six Premier League away games this season, losing each of their last three on the road, their most recent away league victory coming at a hopeless Leicester in April.

Now, ahead of back-to-back home games this week against Tottenham and Burnley, which Newcastle player put in an excellent performance at Bramley-Moore Dock, suggesting he may be the club’s best young talent?

Can Lewis Miley break into Newcastle's midfield?

For so long, the backbone of Newcastle’s rise, twice qualifying for the Champions League and winning last season’s EFL Cup, has been their midfield trio of Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton.

However, attempting to balance both domestic and continental commitments, Howe has started to rotate his team a bit more, ahead of a jam-packed December featuring eight fixtures, so could Lewis Miley force his way into the starting lineup on a more regular basis?

Still a teenager, Miley started in the Premier League for just the second time this season on Saturday evening, scoring his first goal since netting during a 4-3 victory over Nottingham Forest in February.

Dominic Scurr of the Shields Gazette awarded him a 9/10 for his performance against Everton, stating that it was ‘so good to see him shining’ having been handed a rare start, getting the nod over Tonali.

For a long time now, Miley has been viewed as the brightest young talent in this Newcastle squad, becoming the second-youngest player in the club’s Premier League history to both score and record an assist in a single match, behind only Charles N’Zogbia.

Meantime, almost two years ago, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout asserted that he is a “special talent”, labelling him “technical, elegant, composed, and hardworking” who is an “absolute unicorn in midfield”, emphasising that he’s been in the spotlight for quite a while.

However, did another player come to the fore at Hill Dickinson Stadium and underline that he is Newcastle’s brightest young thing?

Newcastle's bigger talent than Lewis Miley

Given their side’s inconsistent form, the Geordie faithful have been calling for Howe to tinker with his lineup, and they may be getting their wish.

Aaron Ramsdale displaced Nick Pope this weekend, while full-back is the other positions supporters have wanted to see a change, with Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall both starting too, and the latter certainly caught the eye.

The 21-year-old has now started back-to-back Premier League games, having been included in the lineup only twice this season in any competition beforehand, and underlined why supporters have been eager to see more of him, as the table documents.

Assists

1

1st

Successful dribbles

3

1st

Passing accuracy

91%

7th

Key passes

2

1st

Accurate crosses

2

2nd

Big chances created

2

1st

Ground duels won

5

1st

Tackle win %

100%

1st

Touches

87

3rd

Match rating

7.8

4th

As the table notes, Hall ranked first in a wide variety of statistics on Merseyside on Saturday evening.

He registered an assist, created two big chances and completed 91% of his 55 passes, while also winning five ground duels and 100% of his tackles.

For the majority of this season, Dan Burn has been the first-choice left-back, but the 6 ft 7 in hometown hero has been massively exposed in recent weeks.

This was particularly the case when he met Dango Ouattara of Brentford earlier this month, conceding a penalty and being sent off for fouling the Burkinabé winger during a 3-1 defeat in West London.

Thus, against both Man City and now Everton, Hall has proved he has to be Howe’s first-choice going forward, while the same may not yet be the case for his namesake in midfield.

Joelinton upgrade: PIF pursuing £44m Newcastle move for "one-man army"

Newcastle are planning to sign a centre-midfielder in 2026.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 28, 2025

Germany's new star forward Nick Woltemade finally broke his silence on the 'idiots' Newcastle claim made by Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge after the Bundesliga champions lost the transfer race to sign the striker from Stuttgart for £65m. After selling Alexander Isak to Liverpool on deadline day, the Magpies brought Woltemade as the Swede's replacement.

Rummenigge called Newcastle 'idiots' after losing Woltemade race

After missing out on one of their key transfer target for the summer, Bayern board member Rummenigge branded the Magpies 'idiots' for spending a massive transfer fee and even sarcastically congratulated Stuttgart for cashing in. The Bundesliga champions made several attempts to bring the German striker to the club over the summer, with their final bid reportedly touching €60m (£52m/$70m). Stuttgart, however, refused to let the player leave below their asking price of €75m (£65m/$87m).Ultimately, a desperate Newcastle made a club-record £69m bid and got the deal done.

Speaking to , Rummenigge said: "I can only congratulate them in Stuttgart for finding, so to speak, an idiot who would pay that much money, because we certainly wouldn't have done that. I said: We're coming in on a scale that I no longer find acceptable. We shouldn't meet all of their demands. 

"The players and their agents must also be careful not to trap themselves. The money has to come from somewhere, and that comes from expanding competitions or creating new ones."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWoltemade reacts to Rummenigge's comments

The Magpies star has now finally reacted to Rummenigge's comments as he told : "My team-mates commented on it, I didn't. I think that was the right thing to do. A lot was made of my name, Bayern, and transfer fee during the summer; that was the story of the summer. To answer your question: the headlines everywhere said 'idiots.' But I read Mr Rummenigge's entire statement – it was certainly somewhat unfortunate, but not quite so dramatic.

"When I arrived at the national team, everyone congratulated me. Bayern players also congratulated me. When they see a player taking a step forward, you get congratulations. That was the case for me too. There were no negative comments, especially since my circumstances were special."

Ex-Newcastle star hit back at Rummenigge

Reacting to the Bayern chief's harsh comments, former Newcastle winger Chris Waddle told : "They probably thought they had him at a lower price. Newcastle have obviously looked for a centre-forward after the saga with Isak. They've looked around and thought who's available? They've looked at Woltemade because he's a good player. He's a tall guy. He's quite mobile. Technically he's all right. 

"Bayern Munich thought, 'he’s a player we can snap up who could replace Harry Kane in a couple of years.' They probably thought they had a deal done. But Newcastle came in and I think it's a little bit of sour grapes. I think Newcastle's offered a better contract, better wages, better everything. Bayern Munich would probably think they would get him at the price that they think he's worth. They think Newcastle's paid over the top. Time will tell on that."

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Getty Images SportHow is it going for Woltemade?

Woltemade has made an instant impact since moving to the Premier League from the Bundesliga in the summer. He has appeared in 14 matches for the Magpies thus far across all competitions and scored seven goals, including four in eight league appearances. 

He has also performed consistently for his national team and he recently starred with a brace in Germany's close win over Luxembourg, which kept their hopes alive of securing a direct berth at the World Cup next year. The 23-year-old will be back in action for Germany on Monday as the four-time world champions face Slovakia.