Neither side able to force a result on final day of season at Emirates Old Trafford

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Sep-2025Middlesex 211 (De Caires 52, Geddes 52, Aspinwall 4-62, Bailey 4-68) and 99 for 4 (Bailey 3-47) drew with Lancashire 375 for 5 dec (Bohannon 87, Hurst 67, Wells 62, Jennings 61)Josh Bohannon made a superb 87 and both Seb Morgan and Arav Shetty took their maiden first-class wickets on an eventful last day of the first-class season at Emirates Old Trafford but the Rothesay County Championship match between Lancashire and Middlesex ended in a draw.Replying to Middlesex’s 211, Lancashire’s batters went on the attack in the first half of the day, scoring 270 runs in 44 overs before declaring on 375 for 5 an hour after lunch. However, their imaginative attempt to conjure a victory was thwarted, not without the odd alarm, by Middlesex’s top-order and the game ended with the visitors on 99 for 4.The result ensures that Glamorgan will finish second in Division Two, although whether that means they will be promoted to Division One or one of the proposed conferences has yet to be decided.The morning had begun on a positive note for Middlesex when Luke Wells was lbw to Toby Roland-Jones for 62 in the third over of the day. But the session was dominated by the batting of Bohannon whose 69-ball 87 included 14 fours and two sixes, the latter off Henry Brookes and Zafar Gohar. Lancashire’s No. 3 scored 74 of the first hundred runs in his 113-run stand with Jennings and looked set for a very quick hundred before he was bowled by Roland-Jones when hitting across the line.Jennings had been completely overshadowed by his batting partner but he was dismissed for 61 two balls after Bohannon when he played all around a ball from Morgan and lost his leg stump. That gave 18-year-old Morgan his maiden first-class wicket on the ground where his 61 runs had been instrumental in Middlesex’s memorable one-wicket Metro Bank Cup victory back in August.Lancashire came into lunch on 239 for 3, giving them a lead of 28, but they lost George Bell in the third over of the afternoon session when he was leg before wicket to Higgins for 17. By then, though, Matty Hurst had hit the first of his four sixes, two of the maximums coming off Gohar, and Lancashire’s rapid progress was not slowed by the dismissal of Michael Jones, caught at deep point off Morgan, for 33. When the declaration was made, Hurst was 67 not out off 68 balls and Lancashire had scored 270 runs off 44 overs in the day’s play.Lancashire’s hopes of achieving an unlikely victory were given an immediate fillip when Josh De Caires was leg before wicket to Tom Bailey in the ninth over of the innings. That gave Bailey his 500th wicket in all formats for Lancashire and Middlesex came into tea on 26 for 1.On the resumption, Sam Robson and Luke Hollman coped reasonably easily with Lancashire’s seam attack but after the light had worsened and stand-in captain Bohannon was compelled to bowl his slow bowlers if the game was to continue, Robson fell to Bailey’s first offspinner when he was caught at short leg by Bell for 21. Shetty then took his maiden first-class wicket on debut when he bowled Leus du Plooy for 5 and Middlesex’s anxieties were increased three overs into the last hour when Bailey bowled Luke Hollman for 33.To their evident relief, though, the visitors lost no more wickets and were 99 for 4 with Higgins on 14 not out and Ben Geddes unbeaten on 1 when the players shook hands. Bailey finished with 3 for 47 from 17.5 overs.

يستعد فريق ليفربول لمواجهة نوتينجهام فورست غداً على ملعب أنفيلد، حيث يستأنف مبارياته بعد انتهاء فترة التوقف الدولي في الدوري الانجليزي الممتاز.

ويحتل ليفربول المركز الثامن في جدول ترتيب البريميرليج بـ18 نقطة، بينما يحتل نوتينجهام فورست المركز التاسع عشر برصيد 9 نقاط.

وتشكل هذه المباراة رقما قياسيا جديدا للنجم المصري محمد صلاح، بعد أن شارك مع منتخب مصر ضد أوزبكستان ودياً استعداداً لكأس العالم.

ونشر موقع ليفربول الرسمي نقلاً عن شبكات إحصائية أن محمد صلاح سيخوض مباراته رقم 300 في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز مع ليفربول.

اقرأ أيضاً.. رئيس ليفربول: كنا قريبين من ترك محمد صلاح وفان دايك مجانًا

وسيصبح النجم المصري خامس لاعب يصل إلى هذا الرقم بعد جيمي كاراجر صاحب الـ508 مباريات، وستيفن جيرارد الذي خاض 504 مباريات وجوردان هندرسون الذي خاض 306 مباريات وسامي هيبيا الذي خاض 318 مباراة.

ويعد محمد صلاح الذي ساهم في 276 هدفًا حيث سجل 188 هدفًا وصنع 88 تمريرة حاسمة هو الأكثر مشاركة لناد واحد في الدوري الإنجليزي بالتساوي مع واين روني مع مانشستر يونايتد.

ومن جانب آخر سيخوض الهولندي ريان جرافنبيرخ في حال مشاركته غداً المباراة رقم 100 مع ليفربول في كل المسابقات، بينما سيقود سلوت الريدز في المباراة الـ50 في الدوري الإنجليزي حيث فاز في 31 وتعادل في 9 وخسر في 9 مباريات.

Manchester United are now leading Barcelona and Liverpool in the race to sign Nico Schlotterbeck, with it being revealed why the Borussia Dortmund defender could be ideal for Ruben Amorim.

With Amorim making it abundantly clear he is unwilling to compromise on his principles and change the three-at-the-back system, Luke Shaw has predominantly featured as a left-sided centre-back this season, although the 30-year-old has struggled at times.

Man United suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat at the hands of rivals Manchester City back in September, and it would be fair to say Roy Keane wasn’t too impressed with Shaw’s play in the build-up to Phil Foden’s goal, saying: “Shaw’s an England international player. He’s got hundreds of games under his belt, he doesn’t even get his body position right. It’s like he has thrown the towel in.”

The Englishman was also one of the worst performers in the disappointing 4-2 defeat against Brentford, receiving a SofaScore match rating of just 5.9, the second-lowest of any player.

Consequently, it would perhaps be a wise move to bring in a new defender more accustomed to playing in the left centre-back role, and there has been a development in the Red Devils’ pursuit of a Bundesliga star…

Man Utd now leading race for Nico Schlotterbeck

According to a report from Spain, Man United have now moved into pole position in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund star Schlotterbeck, having overtaken Liverpool and Barcelona, given their good relations with the German club.

The German has now been identified as a priority target for United, as there is a feeling he could be ideal for Amorim, given that the 25-year-old is left-footed, physical, and has real quality in possession of the ball.

With the centre-back’s contract due to expire in 2027, Dortmund are willing to sanction a departure, should they receive a significant offer, placing the Red Devils in a strong position to secure his signature.

Scout Jacek Kulig has been a strong admirer of the Bundesliga star for quite some time, waxing lyrical about his performances across the 2021-22 campaign on X.

Since then, the 22-time Germany international has remained a key player for Dortmund, chipping in with six goals and 17 assists in 134 appearances for the Bundesliga side, which is an impressive return for a defender.

Schlotterbeck’s all-round attributes mean he could be the perfect addition for Man United, and the fact he is left-footed is an added bonus, given that Shaw hasn’t exactly been setting the world alight.

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BySean Markus Clifford Nov 10, 2025

A taint on Liverpool’s season has become turmoil. One loss became two became three. Now, Arne Slot’s champions are in dire straits, having lost five of their past six games in the Premier League.

This is a crisis, of course, with the Reds such a far cry from last season’s quality that not even an echo of that thrilling form can be found in this current crop. But then the season is still young, and there is a good chance that Slot, hailed as a “genius” and a “football scientist” by journalist Marcel van der Kraan last year, will find a solution.

But that solution needs to come quickly, with the expensive new signings all flattering to deceive, bar Hugo Ekitike and perhaps goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, solid if unspectacular in recent weeks as Alisson recovers from injury.

There was always going to be a period of integration, but this has gone beyond that. And, sadly, it feels like the Anfield side are missing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Why Liverpool miss Alexander-Arnold

Not for a long time have Liverpool seen a star depart in such bitter circumstances. Alexander-Arnold was the hometown poster boy, instrumental in so much success under Jurgen Klopp’s wing.

But the whispers of his departure had started long before he left for Real Madrid at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, his contract about to expire and Real Madrid paying an £8m premium to free him early and add him to the Club World Cup squad over the pond.

Booed by segments at Anfield after the confirmation of his switch to Spain, Alexander-Arnold is no longer considered Merseyside’s Gerrard-esque superstar, even if he leaves a glittering legacy at his boyhood club.

But away from the emotion, Liverpool have missed their one-of-a-kind defender’s creativity. Jamie Carragher once said Trent’s range of passing was like “having Kevin De Bruyne playing at right-back”, with vision and accuracy on the ball that most could only dream of.

Indeed, no defender in the Premier League has racked up more assists than the 26-year-old, and with him having played fewer matches than all just below him.

All-time Most PL Assists by a Defender
Rank	Player	Assists
1	Trent Alexander-Arnold	64
2	Andy Robertson	60
3	Leighton Baines	53
4	Graeme Le Saux	44
5	Kieran Trippier	38
Stats via Premier League

As the English top flight undergoes something of a cultural and tactical shift, with long throws and low blocks and direct play all the rage once more, Slot’s Liverpool have toiled away and fallen by the wayside.

Trent’s passing would be quite the tonic right now. As per FBref, the Three Lions man ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 5% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for assists made per 90.

But there’s no use crying over spilt milk – or sold starboys, for that matter. Slot needs to find a solution, and he might just have one in another city-born talent.

Liverpool's new version of Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool have signed a new creative superstar in Florian Wirtz. The German hasn’t clicked yet, but his generational quality suggests there is a propitious future awaiting the attacking midfielder.

However, Wirtz isn’t the player in question here. Instead, Curtis Jones is quietly producing progressive playmaking performances under Slot’s management and must now be utilised in a more important role to help turn the tide that has swept the club’s title ambitions away over the past few months.

Jones is Liverpool’s leading academy graduate now that Alexander-Arnold has up and left. The versatile centre-midfielder has racked up 193 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 19 goals and providing 23 assists.

He never quite nailed down a role of significance in Klopp’s team, and while he played his part for Slot last year, Jones has been somewhat on the backbench since the summer, certainly in the Premier League.

In any case, Jones spoke at the start of the Dutch coach’s tenure of his admiration and excitement, feeling his ball-playing skill lends itself to success in Slot’s system.

With Liverpool struggling for control and focused creativity, might Jones be the answer? From limited match action this term, he has proven himself an interesting solution and must be handed a string of starts, especially with Alexis Mac Allister having drifted so far from his usual level.

There’s no question that Jones has become more progressive with his passing since Slot replaced Klopp. In fact, DataMB revealed earlier this week that the England international’s 17.82 progressive passes per game this season trumps every other Premier League midfielder, and that having recorded the highest pass completion rate (91.01%) besides.

He’s only started two league matches this season, featuring nine times in total, but the 24-year-old has also won 65% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

It’s no wonder that one Premier League analyst hailed him as “one of the most underrated players in England”, not necessarily the flashiest, but an industrious and dynamic player who is now adding layers.

This has always been Jones’ skillset, but now, he is starting to evolve into a forward-thinking player, shaking off that ‘conservative’ tag. Sideways passes and a play-it-safe attitude have been, unfairly, regular criticisms of his game.

Liverpool need to see positive change over the coming weeks. Eighth in the Premier League and struggling for any semblance of fluency and confidence, Jones could provide a shrewd answer, combining with those around him, shoring up the defence and rethreading the attacking patterns that have frayed and split this year.

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1

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 15, 2025

Como boss Cesc Fabregas highlighted the extreme intensity of Antonio Conte’s training sessions, saying they often left him close to fainting. The former Barcelona and Arsenal midfielder played under Conte at Chelsea during the Italian’s spell at Stamford Bridge between 2016 and 2018. Despite the demanding workload, Fabregas described Conte as a great coach.

• When Conte managed Fabregas at Chelsea

  Fabregas joined Chelsea in 2014 when Jose Mourinho brought him back to the Premier League. Two years later, Conte arrived as head coach and began with a 4-2-3-1 system. But after a run of poor results, including the 3-0 loss to Arsenal at the Emirates, Conte switched to a 3-4-3 formation that completely changed Chelsea’s season. In this setup, Fabregas often found himself behind the preferred midfield pairing of Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante, regularly coming on as an impact substitute.

  Even without being a consistent starter, he remained hugely influential, using his exceptional passing and creativity to break down defences at crucial moments. Under Conte, Fabregas made 86 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and delivering 23 assists. His contributions were key in Chelsea’s success, including the 2016–17 Premier League title and an FA Cup win, marking a strong and memorable phase in his Stamford Bridge career.

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  Conte's intense training sessions

  Conte’s training sessions were famously brutal, to the point that Chelsea’s then captain John Terry once approached him to reduce their intensity. Although the Italian coach eventually agreed, he later revealed that his former teammates Alessandro Del Piero and Zinedine Zidane had trained much harder than the Chelsea side that won the 2016–17 Premier League title.

  In an interview to , Fabregas praised Conte as a great coach but recalled just how demanding his methods were, saying: “He's great. I really like him. But his training sessions at Chelsea are exhausting.”

  The intensity of those sessions even left Fabregas close to fainting, as he explained: “At the end of the session, I had to lean on a teammate because I was fainting from exhaustion.”

• Fabregas and Conte's career trajectory

  After departing Chelsea, Fabregas continued his playing career with spells at Monaco and later Como, where he eventually transitioned into management in 2023. Despite being a young coach, he quickly impressed with his clarity of ideas and strong tactical organisation. In his first full season in charge, Fabregas guided Como to a solid 10th-place finish in the 2024-25 Serie A campaign, laying the foundations for a more ambitious project. This season, Como have taken a significant step forward, earning eye-catching results such as a 2-0 victory over Juventus and a hard-fought 0-0 draw against defending champions Napoli. These performances have pushed them to seventh in the table, only four points behind fourth-placed Napoli, keeping their hopes of European qualification very much alive.

  Conte, on the other hand, has carved out a distinct managerial journey since leaving Chelsea. He took charge of Inter in 2019, guiding them to a Europa League final in his first season and winning the Scudetto in 2020-21, ending Juventus’ long domestic dominance. In 2024, Conte accepted the challenge at Napoli and immediately delivered their fourth Serie A title, the club’s second in three years. However, this season has been far more complicated. Napoli have struggled for attacking fluency, suffering two defeats in their last five league games and failing to score in three straight matches across all competitions. These issues have placed scrutiny on Conte, who has acknowledged the need for serious discussions with club officials to address the team’s trajectory and avoid repeating the dramatic collapse of the 2023-24 season, when Napoli finished 10th just a year after winning the Scudetto.

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  Can Conte turn around napoli's fortunes ?

  With Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis publicly backing Conte and dismissing rumours about his resignation, Conte’s future at the club appears secure. During the international break, Conte would have taken time to assess the situation at Napoli, especially as he faces the difficult task of turning their season around without Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne.

  Meanwhile, Como and Fabregas will use the international break to work on new strategies to maximise the output of key players like Nico Paz, whose praises Fabregas sang this week. With the right adjustments, Como will hope to push for a top four finish.

Tottenham Hotspur have identified an alternative attacking signing to Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers after missing out on the England international, according to a new report.

Rogers was reliably reported to be an ambitious target for Spurs last summer following his imperious 2024/2025 season — which saw the forward bag 14 goals and 16 assists in 54 total appearances.

Fabrizio Romano even stated that Thomas Frank’s side, along with Chelsea, were prepared to pay “crazy money” for Rogers.

Following on from that statement, Villa have since confirmed Rogers has signed a new contract until 2031 — gifting Unai Emery a massive boost while dampening all hope of Spurs securing any deal for the foreseeable future.

Tottenham are still reportedly in the market for a new winger and could sign one as early as January, with Frank dealt multiple injury blows since taking over from Ange Postecoglou in the summer.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

Cristian Romero

Other

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke, Randal Kolo Muani and Mohammed Kudus are all on the treatment table right now. Only the latter appears fairly likely to feature against Arsenal in the North London derby on November 23, considering he was ‘touch and go’ to face Man United, but Kudus interestingly hasn’t been selected for Ghana’s upcoming friendlies against Japan and South Korea.

Tottenham make approach to sign Everton star Iliman Ndiaye

With Rogers off the table as an attacking target, it is believed that Everton’s in-form star Iliman Ndiaye is now attracting their attention instead.

According to reports from Spain, Spurs view the Toffees sensation as an ideal alternative to Rogers, but they could have to fork out close to £70 million for his signature.

The Senegalese has been one of Everton’s players of the season and worth every penny of the £15 million used to bring him in from Marseille in 2024, bagging 15 goals in 50 appearances since joining the club and consistently standing out as a top performer.

Ndiaye has started all 11 of Everton’s league games so far and is one of the undroppables on David Moyes’ team sheet week in, week out.

However, while it may be difficult to convince the Merseysiders to sell, this hasn’t stopped Tottenham making an initial approach for Ndiaye ahead of 2026, according to one Spanish media source.

It is also believed that Spurs are “determined to move quickly” for the versatile 25-year-old who can play out wide, through the middle and even as a striker when required — potentially suggesting that an audacious January move could be on the cards.

Liverpool are reportedly eyeing the signing of AZ Alkmaar youngster Kees Smit, with the Dutchman expected to have a huge future in the game.

The Reds’ midfield is full of quality and depth, so from the outside looking in, there isn’t a great need to bring in new signings in the middle of the park for the time being.

That said, Alexis Mac Allister’s form has been a concern for Liverpool so far this season, and while the Argentine is still only 26 years of age, years of relentless football at club and international level may be taking its toll.

Not only that, but Mac Allister has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, and the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai could also be the subject of interest from other clubs, so the Premier League champions need to keep an eye out on potential additions.

Signing young players with a huge amount of promise is an avenue that Liverpool could go down at the end of this season, which is where Smit comes into play.

Liverpool eyeing signing of Kees Smit

According to Soccer News [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are interested in signing Smit from Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, with the 19-year-old midfielder considered a massive young talent.

The Reds and Arne Slot are “seriously considering” tabling a bid for him, with Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United, Barcelona and Real Madrid all mentioned as potential suitors, too. It is added that Slot is a fan of the teenager and that he was ‘charmed by him’ when he was a youngster at AZ Alkmaar.

Smit is a player with so much to admire about him, with scout Jacek Kulig hailing him as “fantastic” and Ronald Koeman comparing him to Barca star Pedri, which is high praise.

“I almost regret mentioning his name again (Pedri), but he’s a guy who plays in the same position. The way he turns away from his opponent, the way he scans the area, his two-footedness—I saw that in Pedri too. If he gets half his career, we’ll be very happy in the Netherlands.”

At 19, he could be eased in at Liverpool, arriving as a squad player who can mature at his own pace, before eventually becoming more of a fixture in Slot’s starting lineup.

Kees Smit’s international stats

Caps

Goals

Netherlands Under-21s

3

0

Netherlands Under-19s

16

4

Netherlands Under-18s

3

0

Netherlands Under-17s

7

0

Netherlands Under-16s

6

0

The teenager is already delivering impressive numbers, despite his tender years, with four goals and six assists coming his way in 50 appearances for Alkmaar.

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He has also represented the Netherlands at five different youth levels, including the Under-21s, and it feels like a matter of time until he received a senior call-up, with the 2026 World Cup around the corner.

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At age 33, Aaron Judge is elevating himself above the highest standard of hitting in the game today: himself. He is better than ever. He is redefining his legacy. So good has Judge been this month that we must begin talking about him not just as an all-time-great slugger but as an all-time-great pure hitter.

The New York Yankees right fielder is slashing .406/.500/.717. He has reached base 63 times in 28 games. Only Mookie Betts (72 in 2024), Cody Bellinger (67 in 2019), Albert Pujols (67 in 2008) and Barry Bonds (64 in 2004) reached base more times in March/April.

He is just the 20th player in his team’s first 28 games to reach base 63 times and drive in 27 runs, only the second in the past 23 years (Bryce Harper in 2017).

Judge is well known as the single season American League home run record holder and the fastest player to 300 home runs. But more and more, the best ways to define Judge as a hitter go beyond home runs. His chase rate, his strikeout rate and his two-strike batting average are all at career-best levels. 

Judge is not having a “hot” month. He is continuing an amazing evolution that has been going on for years that is catapulting him from slugger into the best pure hitter in baseball. This snapshot tells his story better than his March/April slash line:

Judge by Age

Age	G	Avg.	OBP	SLG	KRate	Contact Rate
20s	572	.276	.386	.554	28.7%	65.7%
30s	449	.311	.437	.677	25.3%	68.3%

Such growth charts may have been common in the Steroid Era, but they are much more unusual in the Testing Era. So why is this happening? Judge always has had the foundation of very good plate discipline. At 6' 7" and 282 pounds, he is a physical outlier with no real historical comps. Like taller, long-levered pitchers, he has needed time to hone his swing and approach, starting with famously overhauling his swing after hitting .179 in his first year in the big leagues.

Judge was once vulnerable to spin (.226 through 2020) but closed that hole (.261 since). When teams watched him rip fastballs into the short porch of Yankee Stadium, they began to pound him in with power sinkers. He responded by pulling the ball more.

What we’re witnessing now is the result of years of craftsmanship combined with the wisdom learned from knowing how pitchers attack him—while losing nothing from his extraordinary physical tools. Judge is the oldest of the only three players in MLB who have top-10 bat speed while also having one of the 10 longest swings. The others are Shohei Ohtani, 30, and Junior Caminero, 21.

This season Judge has closed the last obvious hole in his hitting game, small though it may be. It’s that tiny imaginary rectangle that is down and away, one-ninth of the strike zone. For someone of Judge’s height, that rectangle measures 5.66 inches by 6.98 inches. It is a bit smaller than one of those tablets in the dugout.

Until this year, if pitchers could slip a pitch into that small box, they would A) force Judge to make a swing decision and B) turn him into a .206 career hitter with almost no power. But now look how Judge has closed that hole: Pitchers are going to that spot more than ever and Judge is beating them there more than ever.

Judge vs. Down and Away Strikes

Year	Pct.	Avg.	SLG
2016–24	8.1%	.206	.329
2025	10.7%*	.381*	.524*
			*Career high

Judge’s evolution into closing the last hole in his offensive game deserves a closer look. Below you see four down and away fastballs to Judge, one from each year between 2022 and 2025. The first three are all swings and misses. The one this year is a single. All are at the moment of ball release.

The main difference is where he hovers that front foot as he reads the ball out of the pitcher’s hand. I’ve added a line from his toes to the ground to highlight the gradual adjustment. His foot has moved from well inside the inner chalk of the batter’s box to over the line (closer to the plate). You can see how as he loads on his back hip the front hip stays more closed.

Now let’s look at the moment the barrel meets the ball (2025) or misses it (2022–23). Pay attention to his spine angle. You can see how it becomes less severe over the years. Why? Look at his front foot. The open position years ago causes him to reach with his hands for the ball away, a weakened position. By maintaining a neutral stride, he is more upright and more balanced, eliminating the need to reach with his hands.

Judge has long been among the two or three best hitters against elevated pitches. That has prompted pitchers to keep the ball down against him. Almost half the pitches Judge sees are no higher than 27 inches off the ground—the bottom six inches of his strike zone and below.

Until this year, Judge hit .181 on all pitches that low. This year he has improved to .250. You still want to pitch Judge down in order to reduce his power. He does not have an extra-base hit this year on such low pitches. He has not hit a home run off a low fastball since September 2023. But Judge is better equipped than ever to get his hits when pitchers stay low against him.

Judge vs. Low Pitches (2.25 inches and below)

Year	Pct.	Avg.	SLG
2016–24	49.8%	.181	.293
2025	48.0%	.250	.250

Judge saw a career high 47.9% pitches in the strike zone last year, when Juan Soto seemed to be on base all the time in front of him. Judge took 350 plate appearances with a runner on, a career high by 30. His rate of turns at bat with traffic has gone down this season, but incredibly, Judge is seeing even more pitches in the zone (50.2%). It makes you wonder when managers will start being more careful with Judge.

It’s only April. Judge is not going to hit .400 this year, so there is an inevitable correction over the grind of a season. His OPS+ is 246, a place where only the hitting gods live. Only three players ever posted an OPS+ of 225 or better over at least 502 plate appearances: Ted Williams (twice), Barry Bonds (four times; all the bigger, enhanced version of Bonds) and Babe Ruth (five times). The record for any right-handed hitter already belongs to Judge (222 last year) and Rogers Hornsby (222 in 1924).

Factor in his age and steroid testing, and Judge may be heading toward more history. Only Ruth, Willliams and Honus Wagner have exceeded 200 OPS+ at age 33 or older without a connection to steroids. Those are long-dead relics of the ancient past. This kind of head-and-shoulders above one’s peers is not supposed to happen in modern times with the depth of talent and wide access to training.

But here is Judge, continuing to get better, and making it possible, hitting .400 when the major league average is .240. He looks so polished and pure at the plate it’s time to regard him in a new light.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without star Mookie Betts during the two-game Tokyo Series vs. the Chicago Cubs, starting on Tuesday, because of an illness that he's had for the past week, manager Dave Roberts told the media.

Betts's illness, which is unknown, has caused him to lose 15 pounds. He's been trying to rehydrate and gain strength back, Roberts said. It's possible that Betts could fly back to the United States earlier than the Dodgers so he can rest before the home opener on March 27.

"He's not going to play in these two games," Roberts said, via ESPN. "When you're dehydrated, that's what opens a person up to soft tissue injuries. We're very mindful of that."

Betts participated in some of the Dodgers's workouts while in Tokyo, but he started feeling worse over the weekend, specifically on Sunday, as Dodgers insider David Vassegh reported that Betts started feeling light headed and weaker.

Roberts noted last week that Betts started feeling sick the day before the team flew to Japan. Both Roberts and Betts didn't think the illness would linger this long, which is why the eight-time All-Star made the trip in the first place.

Miguel Rojas will take Betts's place at shortstop, which he's transitioning to this season, during the Tokyo Series.

Wolverhampton Wanderers star Joao Gomes is now close to sealing a move to a rival Premier League club in January, despite Rob Edwards wanting to keep him.

With just under a third of the Premier League season gone, Wolves find themselves in a worse position than they possibly would’ve imagined, having collected just two points from their opening 11 games, leaving them nine points adrift of safety.

It has been nothing short of a disastrous start to the campaign for the Old Gold, who are arguably already staring down the barrel of relegation, having now lost their last five league games on the spin, failing to score in four of those matches.

As such, it is little wonder that Fosun & co have started to identify new targets ahead of the January transfer window, with it recently being revealed that Independiente’s Patrik Mercado is in line to become Edwards’ first signing since arriving at Molineux, following talks.

However, Mercado may end up simply being brought in as a replacement for one of the Wanderers’ current key players, with a new update emerging on the future of a central midfielder…

Joao Gomes close to sealing January move to Man Utd

According to a report from Trivela (via Sport Witness), Gomes is now close to sealing a January move to Manchester United, with talks advancing over the course of the past week, despite the fact Edwards wants to keep hold of the midfielder.

A move to United could now be on the cards in January, with a €50m (£44m) fee being mentioned, which would undoubtedly be a major blow for Edwards in his bid to steer the struggling side clear of the bottom three.

The Brazilian has been a key player over the past few seasons, recently surpassing 100 matches in a Wolves shirt, and it would be fair to say supporters were impressed by his performances in the 2024-25 campaign.

The 24-year-old, who rakes in £105k-a-week, is particularly impressive from a defensive point of view, placing in the 97th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, when compared to other midfielders, having averaged 3.39.

With Gomes contracted until 2030, Wolves should be able to command a good fee for his services, but the fact they are currently bottom of the Premier League table weakens their negotiating position, as relegation would surely make a summer departure an inevitability.

That said, if Fosun were to cash-in this winter, it would significantly weaken Edwards’ side’s already low chances of avoiding the drop, and they should keep hold of the 10-time Brazil international until the end of the season.

Fosun in contact to sign £30m Premier League ace Fosun in contact to sign £30m Premier League ace who Wolves feel is perfect

The Old Gold haven’t got the reply they’d have wanted.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 21, 2025