Chris Jordan left the field apparently concussed after a heavy fall attempting a catch

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay20-Jun-2025Will Jacks’ scintillating 97 led Surrey to a fifth win in a row as they thrashed London neighbours Middlesex by 75 runs at the Kia Oval.The England allrounder, not required for Test duty against India, nevertheless reminded the selectors of his batting prowess, pummelling five sixes and 10 fours in a 56-ball masterclass. Noah Cornwell and Ryan Higgins were the pick of the Middlesex attack with two wickets apiece.Middlesex were never in it in reply, subsiding to 119 all out, New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner taking 3-25.It was a sobering watch for new Seaxes head coach Dane Vilas, who will officially take charge ahead of the County Championship clash with Northamptonshire on Sunday.The one concern for the hosts was the loss of Chris Jordan, who left the field apparently concussed after a heavy fall attempting a catch.Jacks sent the opening ball of the match to the fence before the first of his five sixes came from a clip over long leg.That was the prelude to 22 off the last over of the powerplay bowled by youngster Naavya Sharma which took Jacks to 50 in only 24 balls.There was a brief pause for breath before an audacious golf-swing shot into the crowd at long-off and after being given a life when dropped by Cornwell at deep fine leg, another vicious pull over square leg off Tom Helm took him into the 90s.There would be no hundred as he holed out going for the century in the grand manner, one of three wickets in four balls for Helm but this was scintillating stuff.To Middlesex’s credit others came and went as the hosts didn’t make the most of being 66 without loss after the powerplay and 95 for 2 at halfway.Dom Sibley, dropped on 8 by Shah, reached 27 and Sam Curran 26 before both being caught and bowled by Cornwell, as the visitors chipped away, Ryan Higgins hitting the stumps twice in the final over.Kane Williamson, fresh from his 50 against Essex 24 hours earlier, ramped, paddled drove and cut Reece Topley for four boundaries in his second over to launch the chase, but the former New Zealand Test skipper fell in the next over, slapping Tom Curran straight to Jason Roy at cover.Max Holden picked up the baton with fours to long leg and third, but perished attempting to sweep Mitchell Santner over the long boundary, while Ben Geddes, returning to face his former county, survived two vehement appeals for catches behind later in the same over, but left without scoring in the next trying to go over extra cover.Stephen Eskinazi’s torturous innings of less than a run a ball ended when he was bowled by Santner and Joe Cracknell in his first game in the tournament this season quickly came and went.With the rate required now 14 an over Santner then bowled the dangerous Luke Hollman to claim his third wicket as Middlesex folded.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is tight-lipped about his batting position even as curiosity is growing around their opening combination for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. Shanto opened in the two-day practice match in Dhaka prior to their departure for the two-match Test series, fueling speculation that he could do the same in the Galle Test from June 17. Shanto said that they will reveal their combination at the match, which will also kick off the World Test Championship’s fourth cycle.In the previous WTC cycle, however, Bangladesh’s openers struggled to put up runs. They have largely rotated between Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan and Mahmudul Hasan Joy, but the trio averaged second-lowest among teams in the WTC’s 2023-25 cycle. Shadman recovered somewhat with a century against Zimbabwe in April. He also added a century stand with Anamul Haque, their first in two years in the opening partnership. Joy and Zakir have now been dropped from the Bangladesh side.Shanto has opened in six innings for Bangladesh, falling for a duck in his last outing in the position against Ireland two years ago. He has just one half-century, while averaging 18.83 as an opener. Given his own drought of runs – Shanto has scored just two fifties in his last 20 innings – it is a big call for the captain to resurrect the top order.Related

• Shanto eyes 'lots of runs in first two or three days' in Galle

• Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh: New beginnings for both teams as WTC restarts in Galle

• Mehidy Hasan Miraz appointed Bangladesh's ODI captain for next 12 months

• Ebadot Hossain back in Bangladesh squad for SL Tests

• Anatomy of a fall: How the BCB presidency changed hands

“I am happy with the Test squad,” Shanto said. “I got the players that I wanted. Regarding the lack of opening options, you will get an idea what we are thinking once we get into the first Test. You will understand the combination. We also have four fast bowlers and four spinners, so we have tried to balance the bowling attack too. We can go with different combinations. I am prepared to bat in any position. We have other top-order batters so we have options.”Shanto said that the lack of runs from the openers cost Bangladesh dearly in the 2023-25 WTC cycle, but Bangladesh’s middle order did not contribute regularly either. Mehidy Hasan Miraz was their top run-getter, but he mostly bats at No 7. Their bowling unit, though, offers variety. Taijul Islam and Mehidy are his main spin-bowling choices, although Nayeem Hasan has been a capable understudy, while uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad comes with a good first-class record.”The first Test is in Galle where the ball spins,” Shanto said. “They can also have a good batting track there, so we are preparing ourselves accordingly. We saw that the ball spun a bit in their Tests against Australia (earlier this year). Murad is a performer in first-class cricket in the last few seasons. I think Murad is prepared to step up to the role if we need a second left-arm spinner in the XI. We will decide on it looking at the conditions. He is mentally ready for the opportunity.”Ebadot last played a Test in June 2023•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh have also welcomed back fast bowler Ebadot Hossain who hasn’t played international cricket for two years due to an ACL tear. He returned to domestic cricket in the 2024-25 season and looked in good form in this week’s two-day practice match too, bowling Mushfiqur Rahim among his wickets.”I think we have missed Ebadot for a long time. I think he got injured at the peak of his form at the time,” Shanto said. “We fell into a hard time despite having other bowlers around. I am happy to see him coming back into the squad. It is an additional strength for the team. He bowled well in the practice match. He looks fit, so he has to stay fit to contribute to the team.”Shanto also said Bangladesh want to improve from their seventh place finish in the 2023-25 cycle, in which they won four Tests out of 12. He said they will have the confidence of doing well overseas as they registered three of those four wins in Pakistan and the West Indies last year.”I think if we can raise our winning percentage to 55 or 60%, I will be happy as a captain. We are a more confident unit after winning four Tests in the last WTC cycle. We need that extra confidence against Sri Lanka who are a strong team. If we can play up to our capability, we can start well in this cycle,” he said. “We didn’t do well against Zimbabwe. We should have won that series. We have to do very well in this new cycle. We will be playing against strong sides in the 12 Tests in the 2025-27 cycle. We have to go through a lot of challenges. I think if we work hard together, we can get a better result.”Shanto also felt that being given the Test captaincy for another year will help him plan better. He was appointed captain of all three formats in May 2024 but quit the T20I captaincy in January this year. Shanto wanted to give more time to his batting which led him to the decision, but he was happy to lead in the other formats.”I informed the BCB that I didn’t want to continue the captaincy in T20Is. I wanted to give my batting a bit more time. We have a lot of T20s, so it was becoming hard to give my batting some time,” he said. “A longer term is always helpful for the captain. I got it previously and now I got the captaincy for another year. Planning becomes easy if a captain is appointed with a World Cup or a WTC cycle in mind. I am happy with my conversation with the cricket board. They are also on the same page about giving a captain a longer rope.Bangladesh will be off to Sri Lanka on Friday, four days before the start of the first Test. The second Test is in Colombo from June 25, followed by three ODIs and as many T20Is, with the tour concluding on July 16 in Colombo.

Manchester City star Josko Gvardiol has made a stunning revelation about how his professional sports career could have taken a very different direction after temporarily falling out of love with the game. The Croatia international is a regular for City boss Pep Guardiola and has also revealed the tentative approach being taken by the club after a slow start to the season.

• Meteoric rise to football elite

  Gvardiol’s career ascent has been rapid, establishing him as one of the world's most promising defenders. He started at Dinamo Zagreb, where he won back-to-back Croatian league titles before landing a record move to RB Leipzig in 2021, where he won two German Cup crowns, impressing with his composure, passing, and tactical versatility. His stellar performances led to a £77 million ($102.5m) transfer to Man City in 2023, making him one of the most expensive defenders in history, and he landed a Premier League title and FIFA Club World Cup in his first season. Gvardiol is also a key figure for the Croatia national team, helping them to a third-place finish at the World Cup in 2022.

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  Guardiola's go-to defender

  Gvardiol's campaign was delayed due to a knee injury carried over from last season, but he has since regained full fitness, and the versatile defender has featured for Man City in both the Premier League and in Europe, contributing assists in both. The 23-year-old’s strong technical skills have seen him operate in both central defence and at left-back, where his passing ability has been a massive asset to the squad. But he has revealed his career in sport came very close to taking a wholly different direction.

• How Gvardiol almost quit football

  Gvardiol told the BBC: "I was thinking about quitting because I like basketball as well. I wasn't sure in football any more because when you get to the training ground, you don't feel happy any more, you know? I was just trying to find other solutions and to feel happier than I felt before because all of my friends were playing basketball. My dream obviously was to become a professional football player, but I didn't know that I was going to go that far. If you go five years back and ask me, do you see yourself at Manchester City in 2023, '24, '25? I would say no chance, like really impossible."

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• AFP
  

  Man City taking stock after slow start

  Gvardiol has also revealed he is most happy at taking his place back on the left side of centre-back. He said: "I'm happy to be back to my position. Just play simple, protect the goal, defend the goal. Obviously, we have new goals this season and we want to aim high. But I like to say that it's quite early to talk about our goals, the season is long so let's go game by game.
  He added: "In my head last season I was like, 'no matter what, how I feel, no matter if I am fit or not, I just want to play. I just want to compete to help the team’. I could feel it on my body, especially in the summer. I had a [knee] injury, but now it's finally good after six months." 

  After a slow start to the season, where they lost two of their opening three games, they have gone on an unbeaten run and surged up the Premier League table. In the coming weeks, they have a Premier League trip to Aston Villa followed by a League Cup away game against Swansea. In November, they host Bournemouth and face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

June was kind to the New York Mets, who have surged back to just one game under .500 on the season heading into Monday’s meeting with the Washington Nationals.

Washington has been better this season than in years past, but it is five games under .500 and in fourth place – behind New York – in the NL East. 

MacKenzie Gore will get the ball for the Nats in this game, and while he’s arguably been the team's best pitcher, he didn’t fare well against the Mets the last time these teams faced off. 

Here’s a look at the latest odds, probable pitchers and my best bet to place for this divisional matchup. 

Mets vs. Nationals Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line

Mets -1.5 (+145)Nationals +1.5 (-135)

Moneyline

Mets: -115Nationals: -105

Total

8 (Over -115/Under -105)

Mets vs. Nationals Probable PitchersNew York: David Peterson (3-0, 3.67 ERA)Washington MacKenzie Gore (6-7, 3.60 ERA)Mets vs. Nationals How to WatchDate: Monday, July 1Time: 6:45 p.m. ESTVenue: Nationals ParkHow to watch (TV): SNY, MASNMets record: 40-41Nationals record: 39-44Mets vs. Nationals Key Players to WatchNew York Mets

Francisco Alvarez: Francisco Alvarez has gotten hot over the last month, raising his batting average from .224 to .301 in the month of June. He hit .375 with three homers and 12 runs batted in across 16 games, a sign of hopefully more to come for this rebuilding Mets squad. 

Washington Nationals

MacKenzie Gore: After a really strong first two months of the season, Gore took a bit of a step back in June, posting a 5.13 ERA in five starts. The biggest issue for Gore comes in the walks department (he had 11 in June), something he’ll need to clean up going forward. Gore was rocked by the Mets in June, allowing seven hits and six runs in his last outing against them. 

Mets vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

I do think Gore is the better pitcher in this matchup, but I’m not sold on Washington winning this game.

David Peterson has a nice ERA (and record) on the surface, he could be due for some regression with a 5.01 FIP and a 6.12 expected ERA – which is in the third percentile in MLB.

Still, there is a massive offensive gap between these two teams that I think gives the Mets the edge.

Washington is just 24th in MLB in OPS while the Mets clock in at No. 7, and the Nationals have struggled in Gore’s starts despite him pitching well, going 7-9 straight up. 

Even with Peterson not pitching great, the Mets are 4-1 in his outings, and they’ve been a better team on the road (19-16) than at home (21-25) this season.

The Nationals are an under .500 team at home, and Gore couldn’t do much against this Mets lineup early last month. 

I’m going to ride the hotter team in New York to get the win on Monday. 

Manchester City are now circling to sign a £70m Premier League forward, who has made a fantastic start to the new season.

Haaland setting the pace in the goal-scoring charts

Erling Haaland will have his sights set on winning the Premier League Golden Boot for the third time, after finishing top of the goal-scoring charts in each of his first two seasons, and the Man City star is setting the pace in the early stages of the campaign.

Remarkably, the Norway international is averaging 1.42 goals per 90, having found the back of the net eight times in his opening six games, which places the centre-forward way out in front as the leading goalscorer.

Pep Guardiola has a number of top-quality attacking options to choose from, with Phil Foden proving he may be getting back to his best by picking up two goals and two assists in all competitions this season, while Jeremy Doku also has four goal contributions to his name.

However, according to a report from The Boot Room, Pep could now look to enhance his forward options even further, with Man City circling to sign AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, after the winger’s fantastic start to the campaign.

Previously, Semenyo has been valued at £70m by the Cherries, and the forward’s stock is only likely to have risen after amassing six goal contributions in his opening six Premier League games this season.

In light of his performances, the Ghana international has now attracted the attention of a number of English clubs, namely Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, with Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Atlético Madrid also keen.

The 25-year-old has admitted that his dream is to play for a Champions League club, which means a move to the Etihad Stadium should appeal, although Bournemouth are reluctant to sanction a winter departure.

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Sean Markus Clifford

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"Unbelievable" Semenyo could excel at the Etihad

Lauded as “unbelievable” by reporter Lewis Cox, the Bournemouth star has established himself as one of the best forwards in the Premier League over the past three seasons, having shown consistent signs of improvement.

Perhaps the former Bristol City man’s most impressive individual performance this term came against Liverpool, scoring a brace to claw his side back into the game, although they did eventually go on to lose the game 4-2.

The Ghanaian is clearly a talented player, given his exploits across the past three seasons, but there are doubts whether he would be a necessary signing for Man City, with Savinho in line for a new contract.

Pep already has plenty of options in wide areas, with Doku and Omar Marmoush also on the books, so it may not be wise to shell out around £70m on Semenyo.

Aston Villa fans will be glad the football is back doing the main talking again when it comes to their beloved side.

After a turbulent summer saw PSR-related issues trouble their transfer activity, a slow start out of the blocks in the Premier League further piled on the misery.

Thankfully, after a winless six-game stretch of form in both August and early September, Unai Emery’s men have now bounced back with four straight victories collected in all competitions.

Still, after this season is over and done with, Villa will likely have to come to terms with some disastrous casualties, alongside also getting rid of some personnel that won’t irk fans that much at Villa Park.

How Aston Villa can solve their PSR headache

While they haven’t been at their terrifying best so far this season, it goes without saying that keeping both Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers at the West Midlands giants this summer was a big relief to the Villans.

After all, even if they have only accumulated three goal contributions between them this campaign so far, losing both star assets would have been disastrous, with a crazy 42 goal contributions picked up in league action between them across the 2024/25 campaign.

Villa will surely have their resolve tested again in the summer when it comes to their standout duo, with Chelsea once touted to be considering a colossal £100m bid for the services of Rogers, a move that would no doubt ease any existing PSR worries.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have also consistently been tipped to make a statement move for the 29-year-old striker, but in the back end of his prime is unlikely to fetch a similar sum.

Not every potential sale will be seen as a demoralising development, however, with Emiliano Buendia perhaps finally getting the move away he desires.

Recent reports suggest that the rejuvenated South American – who recently scored in the Europa League for Emery’s men against Feyenoord – might well be offloaded still to smooth out PSR-related difficulties.

While the ex-Norwich City attacker has managed to turn his up-and-down Villans career around in recent times, there is one figure in Emery’s camp who is seriously on borrowed time as his contract begins to wind down.

Not just Buendia: Emery signing is on borrowed time at Aston Villa

Buendia has miraculously fought back from some very serious injury issues to return to the Spaniard’s first team picture, having been sidelined for a mammoth 56 games courtesy of a cruciate ligament tear.

Ross Barkley might well have been looking at the Argentine midfielder for some inspiration, having had various injury issues of his own to contend with, but he doesn’t look as if he’s capable of a similar resurrection story to the rejuvenated 28-year-old, as he continues to stare his Villa Park exit in the face.

It’s been a sad decline for the former Everton playmaker, with Barkley actually once cutting a refreshed figure pulling on a Villa strip.

He initially joined on loan five years ago and tallied up three league strikes across his debut season in the West Midlands, which included a fierce effort which helped Villa pick up all three points against Leicester City in 2020.

He eventually return for good in the summer of 2024, with an alleged £5m forked out to obtain his services from Luton Town.

At the Hatters, Barkley rediscovered the swagger and vigour that made him such an exciting commodity back in the day at Everton.

Teammate at the time, Andros Townsend, said he was “outstanding”, while Paul Merson claimed that “Barkley is not far off player of the season” when lighting up Kenilworth Road for one season.

Five goals and seven assists came his way but he has struggled to pin down a starting spot since his return to the claret and blue half of Birmingham, as his exit now looks to be on the horizon.

Worryingly, only six minutes of Premier League action has been handed to the ex-England international in 2025/26, with the decision to leave him out of Villa’s Europa League squad entirely only further reinforcing his precarious status in the camp.

Games played

54

Goals scored

7

Assists

2

Games missed through injury

33

Wage per week

£60k-per-week

Contract expiry date

June 2026

With his contract also expiring next June, and his wage coming in at a high £60k-per-week despite being a reserve presence, it does feel as if it’s a foregone conclusion that Barkley will depart Villa very soon, with his promising first spell at the club now feeling like a lifetime ago.

Blow for Emery as £130,000-a-week Aston Villa star's injury worse than first claimed

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ByBen Goodwin Oct 13, 2025

Roy Keane has accused Jamie Carragher of playing “games” with Arsenal after billing the Gunners as Premier League title favourites. Mikel Arteta’s side are trying to wrestle that crown away from Carragher’s former employers at Liverpool. Manchester United legend Keane expects the north London outfit to go well, but is wary of making too many bold predictions so early in the 2025-26 campaign.

Arsenal chasing down Premier League & Champions League titles

Carragher has never been shy when it comes to offering an opinion and has stated that he considers Arsenal to be front of the queue when it comes to a title coronation. Arteta’s troops have moved to the top of the table, opening up a three-point lead on the chasing pack and pulling four clear of defending champions Liverpool.

The Gunners have also been faring admirably in Europe, picking up maximum points from three Champions League fixtures. Carragher is tipping them to be serious contenders in that competition as well, with major honours being chased down on domestic and continental fronts.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKeane responds to Carragher & prediction from Lionesses' legend

Ex-Lionesses star Jill Scott told the podcast after hearing Carragher talk up Arsenal again while appearing on CBS Sports’ coverage of elite European competition: “Jamie said last night that Arsenal are favourites for the Champions League, well he put them as favourites.”

Keane chipped back with: “Jamie plays games like that, doesn't he? He puts them favourites to put the pressure off Liverpool, a little bit, there's a little bit of that. But we all sit here and say, who's going to win the league and we're all going to say Arsenal now and that's putting pressure on them.”

Scott responded by saying: “I'm still sticking with Chelsea.” That statement drew a puzzled response from Keane, who said: “Jill I'm serious now, do you drink alcohol in the morning? How do you think Chelsea can win the league, they gave up about 10 chances against Nottingham Forest by playing out from the back. You think they're better than Arsenal?” Scott retorted with: “You change your mind all the time.”

Keane was not having that and reminded his fellow panelists of his pre-season prediction: “When did I change my mind, who did I say at the start of the season for the title? I said Arsenal.”

Scary depth: Arsenal backed by Neville to pull clear

Paul Scholes said when offering his assessment of Arsenal so far: “I don't think we've seen one great team this year. Arsenal are very good team but I've not seen one performance where I've thought, they're going to win the league this year, other than maybe Newcastle away.”

Another United great with multiple Premier League titles to his name, Gary Neville, added when suggesting that Arsenal should be expecting to pull clear at the summit: “They've played United away, Man City, Liverpool away. They've played nearly everybody already and they're where they are. It is wrong to say this because it is ridiculous and we've all been in title races. If they don't win it from here… we've all predicted Arsenal to win the league right, we know it can go wrong.

“If they don't win it from where the other teams are and the confident position they're in now… a lot can change but they're in a good place. It feels like the Newcastle game turned the corner.

“It's not a putting pressure on them statement, they just must be thinking, ‘this is us, this year, we've got to win it’. When you can bring in [Myles] Lewis-Skelly for [Riccardo] Calafiori and Ben White, [Cristhian] Mosquera coming in with no drop off, it's looking scary.”

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Getty ImagesArsenal fixtures: Next up for high-flying Gunners

Keane ended the debate by saying: “We've got to be careful. We've got a responsibility saying stuff, two or three weeks ago, we see what happened to Liverpool. If Arsenal got a few injuries, things could change very quickly.”

Arsenal are on a six-match winning run across all competitions, with their only defeat this season coming away at Liverpool in August. They will be back in action on Sunday when taking in a testing derby date with London neighbours Crystal Palace.

Still pushing to find their next manager, Rangers have now reportedly held talks with another candidate who Pep Guardiola once praised as “incredible”.

Latest on Rangers' manager search

It’s been a search full of twists and turns, but one that is ultimately still going. Rangers remain without a manager and will return to action against Dundee United with former defender Steven Smith in the dugout on a temporary basis.

Between now and then, those at Ibrox will be desperate to fill their vacancy and get their project back on track, but they’ve already been rejected by lead candidate Steven Gerrard and watched on as Danny Rohl pulled out of the race to take them back to the drawing board.

Now, it seems as though Kevin Muscat has emerged to become the new favourite for the job. The 49ers are reportedly advancing talks to hire the Shanghai Port manager, despite rumours that he may only arrive once the Chinese Super League season comes to an end on November 22.

Already 11 points behind unexpected leaders Hearts in the Scottish Premiership, some will be questioning whether Rangers can afford to play the waiting game for Muscat or whether they should be looking elsewhere.

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The former Ibrox player has won everywhere he’s been as a manager and has been on the Gers’ radar in the past before they hired Philippe Clement, but the current circumstances are far from ideal.

There could also be further twists to the tale if Rangers fail to hire Muscat, and that’s where a former Premier League manager could come in.

Rangers hold talks with Solskjaer

According to Sky Sports, the 49ers and Rangers have now held talks with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer about the vacant position at Ibrox. Having already made initial contact with the former Manchester United manager, the Gers have now taken one step further to open talks ahead of potentially welcoming him to Scotland.

Amid the chaos of their managerial search, Solskjaer stands out as one of the strongest candidates. He’s managed at the highest level of European football with his 4-2-3-1 system and was only recently in the dugout at Besiktas. Whilst some will be quick to remember how his time at Old Trafford ended, it’s worth noting that he initially transformed the Red Devils.

His start to life at United sparked Rio Ferdinand’s infamous call that for Solskjaer to be handed an instant contract from his caretaker position and it also drew praise from Guardiola.

A free agent who has experience at the very top, Solskjaer is certainly someone for Rangers to seriously consider.

Sunderland have often been viewed as a yo-yo club, seesawing between the Championship and the Premier League.

The numbers don’t lie in this regard, either, considering the Black Cats – since the Premier League’s rebrand in 1992 – have been relegated down to the EFL’s elite division from the big time a mammoth four times.

Regis Le Bris will be aiming to go against the grain here, and he has certainly made a positive start to life in a top-flight dug-out with the Wearside outfit after clinching promotion.

Indeed, the Mackems have only suffered one defeat from their opening six league encounters, meaning Sunderland are sitting in a pretty fifth spot currently.

Wilson Isidor has already planted himself deeper into Sunderland hearts with his whirlwind start to the campaign, as the Frenchman aims to become another revered striker the Black Cats look at fondly when recollecting about the very best they had at their disposal in the tough division.

Isidor's electric start to the season

Isidor does have some catching up to do if he is to hit the heights of the likes of Darren Bent before him, with the well-travelled Englishman putting away 106 top-flight goals in total, as 32 of those fell at the Stadium of Light.

The electric Frenchman is already up to 16 strikes for Le Bris and Co in all fairness, with three of those efforts coming about just this season to ensure Sunderland has made the tricky transition back to top-flight life look rather seamless.

Already, this blistering purple patch of form has reportedly alerted Aston Villa to his services, but the former Zenit St. Petersburg attacker will no doubt be eager to keep the goals flowing on Wearside, instead of following Bent’s career path.

Sunderland have been regularly cursed by their cream of the crop in attack deserting the club for more luxurious pastures, unfortunately, with Kevin Phillips leaving Wearside behind all the way back in 2003 for Southampton when Mick McCarthy’s Black Cats slipped down to the EFL.

It’s also far too premature to suggest losing Isidor would impact Sunderland as much as Phillips’ exit did 22 years ago, with the well-travelled journeyman going down as a Premier League icon for his goal-laden spell at the Black Cats and beyond, away from the 25-year-old just beginning his own top-flight journey.

What cemented Phillips' legendary status at Sunderland

When lined up next to some of his fellow goalscoring compatriots such as Michael Owen and Alan Shearer, it might be forgotten how red-hot Phillips truly was in front of goal during his peak years.

Indeed, across an extensive career that saw him largely jump between the second tier and the Premier League, the now-retired 52-year-old would first make a name for himself as a “brilliant” top-flight goalscorer with Sunderland, as he was once labelled by the aforementioned Shearer, who would go on to lead the line with Phillips for England.

A breakout first season in the notoriously difficult division would catapult Phillips to instant stardom, with his 1999/2000 offering seeing him fire home a ridiculous 30 strikes from just 39 games.

The Golden Boot would fall into the eight-time England international’s lap subsequently, with a further 31 goals also coming his way in the challenging division for Sunderland, before moving on to Southampton, Villa, Birmingham, and Crystal Palace to further expand his Premier League horizons.

Games played

124

Clubs played for

4

Goals scored

30

Assists

7

He would go on to amass another 30 goals in the bright lights of the top division for those clubs listed, but it’s safe to say that when he looks back now on his distinguished playing days at the very summit of the English game, Sunderland is the team he has the fondest memories attached to.

Le Bris will hope he has another Black Cats icon in the making in one of their new signings who has already fallen deeply in love with the Wearside environment, much like Phillips before him.

Le Bris' very own Phillips

Away from scoring goals for fun, Phillips’ crucial strikes would also routinely get Sunderland out of relegation bother.

Amazingly, both the 99/00 season and the 2000/01 season saw Sunderland punch well above their weight and finish in a high seventh final spot, partly because of Phillips putting away a sizeable 44 goals.

In the here and now, Granit Xhaka is also helping Sunderland dream of similarly high finishes.

At this point, partly due to Isidor’s own goalscoring exploits as well, Le Bris’ men find themselves daring to dream of a top-half finish, sitting all the way up in fifth in the early league standings.

But, Xhaka has also more than played his part as one of the very few individuals in Le Bris’ camp who know what it takes to be a success story in the Premier League.

Unlike Phillips, who transformed himself into a Premier League icon on Wearside, the Switzerland international is only further boosting his reputation as a top-flight worthy warrior with Sunderland, having been previously dubbed a “monster” at this level by Arsenal writer Connor Humm when still lining up for the Gunners.

Games played

6

Goals scored

0

Assists

3

Touches*

70.3

Accurate passes*

45.0 (83%)

Key passes*

1.3

Ball recoveries*

4.7

Clearances*

4.3

Total duels won*

6.8

Therefore, it shouldn’t be the greatest shock to the system to see how instant the 33-year-old has picked up from where he once left off at the Emirates, considering the Swiss had 17 goals and 24 assists for Arsenal – who are usually challenging near the top of the league away from any relegation worries – before his impressive return to English soil with Le Bris’ underdogs.

From his six league contests to date, Xhaka has demonstrated that he is one of the finest players in recent memory to grace the Stadium of Light.

He already has three assists next to his name as a game-changing presence similar to Phillips, with an added bite in his game, also ensuring his new employers have only leaked four strikes so far this season.

Sky Sports’ Keith Downie has even gone as far as to state that the Le Bris’ team is “built around” the glue of Xhaka, with Sunderland teams of the past also breaking down as a unit if Phillips wasn’t leading the line, gobbling up chances.

Already a well-loved Premier League servant at Arsenal, it’s clear that yet another English club has fallen in love with the full-blooded nature of the 33-year-old, with his status as a modern icon in the unforgiving division only being strengthened by his ongoing Wearside tale.

Sunderland's 8/10 star is fast becoming as important as Xhaka & Roefs

Sunderland kept up their incredible start to the Premier League season away at Nottingham Forest as this first-team star shone again.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 28, 2025

Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac is considering resting star striker Serhou Guirassy for the DFB-Pokal clash with Eintracht Frankfurt amid a month-long Bundesliga goal drought. While hinting at a "creative break," Kovac offered his full support to his "attack leader" and provided a positive injury update on other stars like Emre Can and Julien Duranville.

• Kovac considers resting misfiring striker for cup clash

  Kovac has confirmed he is considering giving Guirassy a "creative break" after the Guinean international's Bundesliga goal drought extended to over a month.

  Speaking ahead of Dortmund's DFB-Pokal second-round clash against Eintracht Frankfurt, Kovac addressed the forward's recent struggles in front of goal but offered his full backing, highlighting the 29-year-old's importance as the team's "attack leader." Guirassy's last league goal came on 13 September, and his dip in form is a growing concern for the club.

  With Dortmund set to visit Frankfurt on Tuesday evening, Kovac was asked directly about his plans for his number nine. The manager admitted that a rest is a genuine possibility as he weighs up the best way to help his striker rediscover his prolific early-season form.

  "It's possible, of course, that Serhou will get a little creative break," Kovac stated during his pre-match press conference. "But I still have a bit of time to think about tomorrow's game and the next games."

  The consideration comes after another frustrating outing for Guirassy in Dortmund's late 1-0 victory over Koln at the weekend, where Maximilian Beier scored the decisive goal.

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  Guirassy's goal drought analysed

  After a blistering start to his Borussia Dortmund career following his €18 million (£15m/$21m) summer transfer from Stuttgart, Guirassy has hit a difficult patch. His last goal in the Bundesliga came in a 2-0 win over Heidenheim on 13 September.

  Since then, he has failed to find the net in four consecutive matches across all competitions. His season tally remains respectable, with four goals and one assist in seven Bundesliga appearances, and one goal in three Champions League fixtures. In total, he has scored six goals in 11 appearances for the club. However, the recent lack of production has become a prominent talking point, particularly as Dortmund look to compete on multiple fronts.

• 'He's our attack leader' – Kovac offers full support

  Despite acknowledging the slump, Kovac was unequivocal in his support for Guirassy, praising the striker's work ethic and overall contribution to the team's attacking play. The manager stressed that a goal drought is a normal part of any forward's career and that the player's role remains central to his plans.

  "Of course, I also see that he's not scoring any goals at the moment. But I still see how hard-working he is, that he's giving his all," Kovac explained. "It happens in the life of a striker that you don't convert balls that you would normally score. He's our attack leader—he's the one who initiates everything there. That's why I'm supporting him."

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• Can and Duranville recovery progressing

  Aside from the striker situation, Kovac provided a positive update on two long-term absentees, captain Can and winger Duranville. Both players are making good progress on their respective roads to recovery, but neither will be available for selection until after the upcoming international break in mid-November.

  Kovac insisted the club will not rush their returns, prioritising their long-term fitness. "But no pressure: We really want to have 100 percent healthy and fit players," the manager emphasised.