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Chelsea kept their unbeaten November form going in both the Premier League and Champions League with a straightforward 2-0 victory away at Burnley on Saturday lunchtime.

Pedro Neto picked up his sixth goal contribution of the league season when handing the travelling Blues the 1-0 lead, before Enzo Fernandez made sure of all three points late on when he gobbled up a chance on the 88th minute that was all Marc Guiu’s making from off the bench.

Away from the goalscorers mentioned, Andrey Santos also stood out in the midfield ranks, with Enzo Maresca no doubt ready to select the 21-year-old more often, off the back of such an assured showing at Turf Moor.

Santos' performance in numbers

The number 17 was thrown into the starting XI in Lancashire, with Moises Caicedo rested back in Premier League action, after lining up for Ecuador deep into the international break.

Thankfully, Caicedo’s absence wasn’t felt whatsoever, as Santos’ individual showing was described as “outstanding” at the full-time whistle by former Stamford Bridge great Joe Cole.

Indeed, the 21-year-old came into the side and looked right at home in Caicedo’s midfield anchor role, winning seven duels and two tackles to really boost the Blues centrally when Burnley attempted to work openings.

On top of that, Santos looked assured and comfortable on the ball, too, without ever really looking flashy with 34 passes accurately registered.

While Maresca will take plenty away from Santos’ polished showing, with one Chelsea content creator stating that he was “everywhere”, he did need the likes of Neto to come up trumps with a moment of quality in attack to seal the win, away from the Brazilian, allowing the visitors to tick.

While Santos has previously showcased an eye for goal and demonstrated his qualities as a box-crashing 8, he’s not the only Blues star evoking memories of Stamford Bridge royalty in Frank Lampard.

Chelsea star could be Maresca's Lampard

Come the end of his illustrious Premier League career, Lampard would bag 177 top-flight goals, with the former Blues captain having a great habit of sneaking into the box and finishing off chances expertly.

Romelu Lukaku would even hail Lampard as an “unbelievable” finisher of chances when reminiscing about his brief time in the Chelsea first team alongside the modern great.

In the here and now, the aforementioned Fernandez also has a similarly impactful knack to be able to finish off chances, with Guiu playing a late pass into a dangerous space up against Burnley, knowing that his captain could be there to kill the game off.

After all, that’s amazingly Fernandez’s fourth Premier League goal of the season already, meaning the World Cup-winning star is now Chelsea’s joint-top goalscorer in league action for the season with Neto, which is an accolade Lampard would regularly claim during his celebrated stay in West London.

Yet, there is far more to both the Argentine’s game and Lampard’s game away from scoring big goals, with pundit Micah Richards going out of his way to hail the £107 man as having “everything” in his locker now to be a “leader” at Chelsea earlier in the season.

Enzo’s league numbers (25/26)

Stat (* = 90 mins)

Fernandez

Games played

11

Goals scored

4

Assists

1

Touches*

70.7

Accurate passes*

46.5 (85%)

Shots*

2.2

Big chances missed

4

Key passes*

1.8

Big chances created

4

Ball recoveries*

3.9

Total duels won*

3.9

Stats by Sofascore

The table above very much backs up Richards’ assessment of Fernandez being a complete midfield talent worthy of wearing Chelsea’s club armband, with an energy present in his game that matches that of Santos, with 3.9 ball recoveries averaged and 3.9 duels won per game this season in league action.

However, it is his ability to fashion chances galore and score plentiful goals that really does make that comparison to Lampard even stronger, with Fernandez beating the likes of Cole Palmer to the top prize when it comes to most goal contributions tallied up for the Blues over the last year, as the 24-year-old now sits on a weighty 21 goal contributions, next to the Englishman’s 15.

Fernandez also has a taste for silverware now, too, having lifted the Club World Cup in the summer, as he strives to lift Premier League titles like those before him, with Santos also wanting to mature into a consistent first-team star next to him.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 23, 2025

India’s complaint over gestures made by Farhan and Rauf will be heard on Friday

Shashank Kishore25-Sep-2025

Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, has been told to refrain from making comments that could be construed as political following an ICC hearing conducted by match referee Richie Richardson on Thursday in Dubai. It’s not yet clear if Suryakumar faces any other sanctions.An official hearing was necessary because the Pakistan team management had filed a complaint alleging that Suryakumar made political remarks following India’s Asia Cup group-stage win over Pakistan on September 14, which the PCB’s top brass had pointed out at a press conference in Lahore last week.Related

Suryakumar found guilty of breaching code of conduct; verdict on Rauf and Farhan awaited

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BCCI lodges complaint with ICC against Farhan and Rauf

ESPNcricinfo understands Suryakumar’s use of the term “Operation Sindoor” – a term coined by the Indian government during the military skirmish between the two countries that followed the Pahalgam terror attacks in April – was one of the PCB’s points of objection.Suryakumar had used the term at the post-match press conference following that September 14 match, while dedicating the win to the victims of the terror attacks as well as India’s armed forces.That match also caused another controversy, with Pakistan lodging a “formal protest” against match referee Andy Pycroft because he had “requested the captains not to shake hands during the toss”. At the time, the PCB had demanded Pycroft to be taken off the roster for their matches, which the ICC rejected.That incident threatened to snowball into something bigger when Pakistan didn’t arrive on time for their match against UAE. They eventually relented after Pycroft apologised for the “miscommunication” over the handshake incident.Meanwhile, India’s complaint to the ICC over gestures made by Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf during their Super Fours clash will be heard on Friday since Pakistan were involved in a match on Thursday evening against Bangladesh.The gestures were made on the field during a tense game where the two sets of players exchanged words multiple times.At a press conference ahead of Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, Farhan had been asked about his machine-gun celebration after reaching his half-century against India. “That celebration was just a moment at that time,” he had said. “I do not do a lot of celebrations after scoring fifty. But, it suddenly came to my mind that let’s do a celebration today. I did that. I don’t know how people will take it. I don’t care about that.”

Lionel Messi left a loved-up couple in Barcelona stunned when casually wandering past them on his way to a secret visit at the revamped Camp Nou. Few have been granted access inside that venue, with construction work not yet completed, but special treatment is afforded to an icon of the club. Messi has been back in Catalunya after leaving the United States for international duty.

Why Messi has passed through Barcelona

World Cup winners Argentina are currently based in Alicante ahead of a friendly date with Angola on November 14. Messi forms part of their squad, alongside Inter Miami colleague Rodrigo De Paul. They made a point of passing through Barcelona before linking up with international colleagues.

Messi was granted access to Camp Nou, which will soon be throwing open its doors once more following an expensive upgrade. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner last graced the field there on May 16, 2021, against Celta Vigo – with his last goal for the Blaugrana taking him to 672 in total.

AdvertisementWatch Messi caught on camera during secret Camp Nou visit

Messi in tears: Emotional farewell bid in 2021

He returned to familiar surroundings three months later to bid an emotional farewell to Barca and their global fan base. Messi was forced to leave as a free agent after financial issues prevented a contract extension from being agreed.

Messi said at the time, as he broke down in tears: "Everything was agreed and then at the last moment, because of the issue with La Liga, it could not be done. I did all I could to stay, that's what I wanted but it could not be done. I accepted a 50% pay cut and after that nothing else was asked of me. I feel so sad to leave the club I love at a moment that I did not expect. I never lied, I was always up front.

“I would like to thank the people's affection towards me, I would have liked to say goodbye in a different way. To be able to do it out there on the field, hear my last ovation, have them close, hear the cheering…I leave the Club without having seen them for a year and a half. I have felt the recognition and the love that I also feel for the Club. Let's hope I can return at some point and help as best I can because this Club is still the best in the world.”

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Love in Barcelona: Couple catch Messi wandering past

Messi has now stepped foot inside Camp Nou once more, with the Argentine GOAT posting on social media in another hint at his career path leading back to Catalunya at some stage – with more statements being made regarding an emotional return to a spiritual home alongside wife Antonela Rocuzzo and their three sons: “Last night I returned to a place I miss with all my heart. A place where I was immensely happy, where you made me feel a thousand times over like the happiest person in the world. I hope that one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never could…”

While few were aware of Messi’s presence on November 9, a young couple knew that he was around. That is because, while filming a romantic video on the streets close to Barcelona's iconic home, they inadvertently caught Messi, De Paul and close friend Pepe Costa passing behind them. They wrote when posting the video online: “You ask your partner out on 9/11 with a small bouquet of violets and Messi appears to make it unforgettable.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s much-needed 2-0 win against Brentford yesterday could be the victory Thomas Frank needed to kickstart his career in charge in North London.

Xavi Simons and Richarlison’s first-half efforts were enough to secure all three points for the Lilywhites, subsequently securing the first league win since the end of October.

The win was just the club’s second home triumph of the campaign, with the only previous three points coming against Burnley way back on the opening day of the Premier League season.

However, it’s given the Dane the platform he needs to be a success in the role, especially after the pressure has ramped up on his shoulders over recent weeks.

Despite the win, numerous players once again struggled within Frank’s side, which could lead to the manager finally discovering his best starting eleven at the club.

Spurs’ poor performers against Brentford

Midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has fallen way below his usual high standards over the last couple of weeks, with his showing against Brentford yet another disappointing one.

The Uruguayan international featured for 65 minutes before being withdrawn after losing possession on six separate occasions – just over once every ten minutes.

He also failed to complete any dribbles and was also dribbled past on one occasion, with youngster Archie Gray managing to outperform him during the meeting.

However, he wasn’t alone in failing to deliver, with full-back Djed Spence also enduring an uncharacteristically poor performance on home soil against the Bees.

The full-back featured for the entirety of the win, but only managed to achieve a 40% success rate from the ten duels that he entered down the left-hand side.

He also failed to make any tackles, whilst not finding a teammate with any of his four crosses – subsequently highlighting his struggles at both ends of the pitch.

The Spurs player who needs to be dropped after Brentford

Since Frank’s appointment as Spurs manager, he’s often tinkered with his squad to try and stumble across his best starting eleven to lead the club up the Premier League.

Whether it be various different partnerships across the squad, or players operating in unnatural positions, the Dane has tried it all to push the side in the right direction.

Undoubtedly, the first home win since August yesterday demonstrated glimpses of a successful side, with the Lilywhites restricting the visitors to limited opportunities throughout.

However, that didn’t stop numerous players from struggling to make a positive impact, as seen with the aforementioned pairing of Bentancur and Spence.

They weren’t alone in struggling, with Randal Kolo Muani, another who was unable to produce his best performance of the season against Keith Andrews’ side.

The Frenchman was asked to operate off the left wing rather than his usual centre-forward position – something which no doubt affected his lack of impact on proceedings.

He featured for 74 minutes before being replaced, but his hard work and work rate only merely covered up his lack of tangible impact during the 2-0 victory against the Bees.

Randal Kolo Muani – stats against Brentford

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

74

Touches

40

Dribbles completed

0

Crosses completed

0

Big chances missed

1

Duels lost

88%

Duels won

12%

Fouls committed

2

Stats via FotMob

The 27-year-old only registered a total of 40 touches of the ball during his time on the pitch – with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario managing more with his total of 45.

He also failed to complete any of his five attempted dribbles, whilst none of his crosses were able to find the men in white – showcasing his lack of impact in the final third.

When he did have the chance to find the back of the net, Kolo Muani did squander his opportunity, resulting in the loanee registering a missed big chance.

Out of possession, he was just as lacklustre in North London, subsequently winning just two of the 15 duels he entered – resulting in a total of 88% of duels lost.

There’s little denying that Kolo Muani has been a decent option for Frank’s men this season, but his showing was one to forget yesterday – which could lead to him being dropped from the side.

It was certainly a positive afternoon for Frank’s men, but one that has raised another issue for him, with the manager desperately needing to utilise the Frenchman in a more central role going forward.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair 6 days ago

Liverpool are reportedly considering making a £65 million move for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo in January. It emerged over the October international break that the 25-year-old has a £65m ($85m) release clause in the five-year contract he signed this summer. Now, the Reds are deciding whether or not to move for he winger in early 2026 or risk competition next summer from their Premier League rivals.

• Bournemouth bat away Semenyo transfer question

  When Semenyo signed a new Bournemouth deal until 2030 this summer, potential suitors may have felt their hopes of signing him had shrunk a great deal. However, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Tottenham were given a boost after this release clause news emerged in October. With the January transfer window just over a month away, speculation is ramping up again that the Ghana international could be on the move in 2026. However, Cherries boss Andoni Iraola was in no mood to entertain such matters last week. 

  He told reporters: "We are in November. Antoine is our player, he will continue being our player. In January, you can ask me about the market in January, but right now I'm not worried about the next markets. It's something that especially you know that I hate to talk about in August, January, the moments when the market is open, but it is not one of those moments. It's November. I'm more worried about the situation of the players to play tomorrow, the short-term, the things that really matter and in January, we will talk about whatever happens, the players we need. But it is not something that I'm worried about today."

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  Liverpool's Semenyo dilemma

  According to The I Paper, Liverpool have made enquiries about Semenyo, they know of the clause that allows buying clubs the 'first week or so' of the January window to sign him for £65m, and they see the ex-Bristol City man as potential competition for Mohamed Salah. The Egypt international is a Reds legend, but this season he has scored five goals in 17 games, which is underwhelming by his lofty standards, with Semenyo bagging six in 11 Premier League appearances. Liverpool are understood to be the front runners to sign the wideman but City also hold a genuine interest in him. Pep Guardiola's side are likely to move for him in the summer when his clause is reduced to below £60m ($79m). That would be Bournemouth's 'preference', with the Dorset outfit desperate to retain him for as long as possible. Semenyo is said to be happy on the south coast and is not actively looking for a move but concrete interest from City and Liverpool 'would change that'. 

• Liverpool's form may dictate Semenyo move

  Liverpool romped to the Premier League title in May but this season, they are a shadow of their former selves. The Reds have slumped to 12th in the Premier League, have lost six of their seven English top-flight games and tasted defeat in nine of their last 12 matches in all competitions  – a 71-year low. Manager Arne Slot is under increasing pressure to keep his job, with talk of a short-term return for Jurgen Klopp in the offing if the Dutchman is sacked. Incidentally, Liverpool's form between now and January could dictate whether or not the Merseyside outfit move for Semenyo in January.

  "Recruitment is data-driven and scientific these days but football clubs are also emotion-led in some ways. When Semenyo’s stats were so good at the start of the season, £65m looked a snip for the best attainable attacker. It may be that if there is a slight drop-off now, they change those plans and January isn’t the right time for it," a source told The I Paper.

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  What comes next for Semenyo?

  Aside from transfer talk, Ghana star Semenyo will be focusing on securing Bournemouth all three points on Saturday when they travel to Sunderland in a battle between eighth and seventh respectively. Both sides are locked on 19 points from 12 matches, and a win could potentially see the victor rise into the top four at the end of the weekend.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav has said there has been no instruction to tone down aggression or keep emotions in check, even when they play Pakistan in the Asia Cup on September 14 in Dubai. The question was asked in the context of the prevailing geopolitical tensions between the two countries.”Temper? Aggression is always there when we take the field,” Suryakumar said. “And without aggression, I don’t think you can play this sport. I’m very excited to take the field.”Pakistan captain Salman Agha echoed the sentiment, saying there was no need for special instructions to his players either.Related

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“You don’t need to say anything to any player,” Agha said. “Everyone is different individually. If someone wants to be aggressive on the field, they are more than welcome to do that. When it comes to fast bowlers, they are always aggressive and you can’t stop them because that’s what keeps them going.”From my side, there is no instruction to anyone, as long as it stays on the field.”The other aspect of the India-Pakistan clash – their first in T20Is since last year’s World Cup fixture in New York – is that both teams have moved on from their superstars. India are without the retired Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while Pakistan have chosen to move on, for now, from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.Unlike Pakistan, coming off a steady diet of T20I cricket over the past three months, reigning champions India will be playing their first T20I since the England series in January. Despite looking strong on paper, Suryakumar brushed off suggestions that India were runaway favourites.Both teams have moved on from their superstars, with Virat Kohli now retired from T20Is and Babar Azam out of the side•AFP/Getty Images

“? (Who said?),” he asked with a laugh.When told that was the [discussion] on social media, Suryakumar responded: “I haven’t heard of it. But you have played in this format and you know how your preparations are. If your preparations are good, then you will be very confident when you take the field.”We are playing T20 as a team after a long time. But we were here three-four days back, had some good time together as a team, and we are really looking forward to this tournament.”In the lead-up to the Asia Cup, Agha led Pakistan to a tri-series win over Afghanistan and UAE just two days ago. Prior to that, they had mixed outings – beating West Indies 2-1 in the USA and losing 1-2 to Bangladesh in Bangladesh. Agha felt the format was far too fickle to have clear favourites.”In T20, I don’t think anyone is favourite,” he said. “On a particular day, you just have to play good cricket. T20 is a very fast game. In one or two overs, the game can completely change.”The tri-series was always preparation for the Asia Cup. If we won it, that’s very good, but the focus was always on this tournament. We still have to come here, play good cricket, and win the Asia Cup. That’s all that matters.”We are playing very good cricket. I think for almost four months, we have won three series out of four. So we are doing very well as a team and at the same time, we are very excited. A lot of the boys will play in the Asia Cup for the first time but they are ready for the challenge.”

He is understood to have hurt his hand during a first-division club game in Chennai last Sunday

Deivarayan Muthu15-Aug-2025Tamil Nadu captain R Sai Kishore will miss the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament with injury but is hopeful of recovering in time for the Duleep Trophy, which is set to begin in Bengaluru on August 28.It’s understood that Sai Kishore had hurt his hand while intercepting a drive from M Shahrukh Khan in his follow-through during a first-division club game at the Guru Nanak college ground in Chennai last Sunday.Related

• Prithvi Shaw set for Maharashtra debut in Buchi Babu Tournament

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Sai Kishore, 28, is part of the South Zone squad that will start its campaign on September 4 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.In the absence of Sai Kishore, Pradosh Ranjan Paul will take over as captain of the TNCA President’s XI in the Buchi Babu tournament, with C Andre Siddarth as his deputy. Paul had initially been named captain of the TNCA XI, but Shahrukh will now take charge of that side after the reshuffle.Sai Kishore’s injury has depleted Tamil Nadu’s spin stocks in the build-up to their domestic season. Fellow left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram, who was the third-highest wicket-taker in the 2023-24 Ranji season, is also injured while M Siddarth has been moved from the TNCA President’s XI to the TNCA XI due to personal commitments.Sai Kishore had tuned up for the red-ball domestic season by playing county cricket for Surrey and one match for his club team upon returning to Chennai. Last month, he took 11 wickets across two matches for Surrey, including a five-wicket haul against Durham, which helped his side take a key step towards their retention of the Rothesay County Championship.Seam-bowling allrounder RS Ambrish and fast bowler D Deepesh, who had played for India Under-19s in England, have also been named in the two Tamil Nadu Buchi Babu squads.The TNCA XI will face a Mumbai side featuring Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan and his brother Musheer from August 18 at the Gojan ground in the outskirts of Chennai.

Squads

TNCA President’s XI: Pradosh Ranjan Paul (capt), C Andre Siddarth (vice-capt), B Indrajith, Vijay Shankar, R Vimal Khumar, S Radhakrishnan, S Lokeshwar, G Ajitesh, J Hemchudeshan, RS Ambrish, CV Achyuth, H Trilok Nag, P Saravana Kumar, P Vidyuth and K Abhinav.TNCA XI: M Shahrukh Khan (capt), Boopathi Vaishna Kumar (vice-capt), B Sachin, M Siddharth, Tushar Raheja, Kiran Karthikeyan, S Mohamed Ali, S Rithik Easwaran, SR Athish, S Lakshay Jain, DT Chandrasekar, P Vignesh, R Sonu Yadav, D Deepesh, J Prem Kumar, A Esakkimuthu and TD Lokesh Raj

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