And among openers who have played at least 50 Tests, who has the highest average?

Steven Lynch03-Dec-2024Jacob Bethell batted at No. 3 for England on his Test debut in New Zealand. When was the last time England had a debutant No. 3 who had not scored a first-class century? asked Nick Stephens from England

The 21-year-old Warwickshire left-hander Jacob Bethell made his Test debut at No. 3 against New Zealand in Christchurch last week – and hit the winning run as England won by eight wickets.Bethell was the first specialist batter to play a Test for England before scoring a first-class hundred since Mike Gatting in Pakistan in 1977-78. But Gatting (who eventually scored 94 first-class tons) went in at No. 5 then. It’s quite rare for an England debutant to bat at No. 3: as far as I can see, England have never before selected someone without a first-class century to his name to bat at No. 3 in their first Test. The use of nightwatchers means that occasionally the person who actually went in at No. 3 did not have a three-figure score at the time – fairly recent examples of this are Ian Salisbury in 1992 and Neil Williams (who never did reach three figures) in 1990 – but no specialists.For the full list of England debutants who batted at No. 3, click here. Several of them went in as nightwatchers, so were not selected to bat there.India won the Perth Test by 295 runs. Was that their biggest win away from home? asked Ricky Dooley from Scotland

India’s win in the first Test against Australia in Perth last month was their third-biggest by runs away from home: they beat West Indies by 318 runs in Antigua in August 2019, and walloped Sri Lanka by 304 in Galle in July 2017. Their previous biggest win in Australia was by 222 runs in Melbourne in 1977-78.India have also had 12 innings victories away from home, the biggest by an innings and 239 runs over Bangladesh in Mirpur in May 2007, while they beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 171 in Pallekele in August 2017. They have also won three away Tests by ten wickets.Kraigg Brathwaite played his 86th successive Test in Antigua. I think I heard that this was a record – who did he beat? asked Misha McKenzie from Barbados

The Barbadian opener Kraigg Brathwaite has been ever-present in the West Indies team since June 2014, and the second Test against Bangladesh in Kingston was his 86th in a row (he had played a few before this run started, so now has 96 in all). The record he broke was the most consecutive Tests for West Indies without missing one, previously held by an even more distinguished Barbadian, Garry Sobers, who did not miss any of their 85 Tests between April 1955 and April 1972. Desmond Haynes played 72 successive Tests for West Indies, and Brian Lara 64.Brathwaite has a long way to go to match the overall record: Alastair Cook played 159 successive Tests for England between May 2006 and his international retirement in September 2018. Five other men have played 100 or more consecutive Tests.Herbert Sutcliffe averaged 61.10 as an opener, the highest of all openers who have played at least 50 Tests•Getty ImagesOpening is considered to be the most difficult batting position, and having an average above 50 for a Test opener is rare. Who are the top openers from a minimum of 50 Tests? asked Nikhil Dugar from India

You’re right that it’s a difficult place to bat: only 28 men who opened in at least 50 Tests have an average of 40 or more when doing so. Top of the list is the England opener of the inter-war years, Herbert Sutcliffe, who averaged 61.10 from 54 matches. He’s ahead of two other England greats, Len Hutton (56.47) and Jack Hobbs (56.37). Of those who played in the current century the leader is Australia’s Matthew Hayden (50.73). Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag of India both also averaged over 50.I thought 50 Tests was rather a lot, so tried lowering the qualification to 20. Sutcliffe stays top on that list, but the obdurate South African Bruce Mitchell (56.90) pushes Hutton and Hobbs down a place. And the leading “modern” becomes Australia’s Usman Khawaja, who averaged 52.25 from 34 matches as opener before the second Test against India.Ivory Coast were bowled out for only seven by Nigeria in their T20 international the other day. Was this the lowest completed team total in any international? asked Madhav Gokhale from New Zealand

Ivory Coast made a reasonable start to their reply to Nigeria’s 271 in their recent match in Abuja – they had four runs on the board before the first wicket went down, but the rest managed only three between them. There were six ducks (and a 0 not out) in the final total of 7, which is a new low for men’s T20Is: there had previously been two cases of 10 all out, by Mongolia against Singapore two months previously, and the Isle of Man vs Spain in February 2023. The lowest by a Test-playing nation is West Indies’ 45 against England in St Kitts in March 2019.This was not, however, the lowest score in all international cricket. In women’s T20Is, Mali were skittled for 6 by Rwanda in Kigali in June 2019, and six months later Maldives matched that with 6 all out against Bangladesh during the South Asian Games in Pokhara (Nepal). As this list shows, Maldives were bowled out two days later for 8 by Nepal, while the Philippines were skittled for 9 by Thailand in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) in May 2023.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Two decades. For a club of Arsenal’s prestigious standing, 20 years without touching the Premier League trophy is inexcusable.

Mikel Arteta has changed the narrative in north London, raising this club from the rubble and turning them into bona fide contenders. But contenders are not champions, and that is the next step.

Two decades. Too long. But Arteta has changed things, alright, and there’s a building momentum about the Gunners which is leading toward silverware.

Three times in a row, Arsenal have finished the Premier League season as runners-up, but last weekend’s slender win over Fulham has seen them shift three points clear at the top, ahead of Manchester City and stretching clear of Liverpool, with the defending champions having lost three games on the bounce.

Careful, calculated progress on the transfer front has built Arteta’s vision, and the signings struck this summer may prove decisive in finally restoring glory to the Emirates.

The jackpot has been struck multiple times, but Martin Zubimendi may well be the cream of the crop.

Martin Zubimendi's start to life in London

Arsenal have made some top signings this summer, strengthening across the park and stepping that bit closer toward the silver-laden success that the Arteta era deserves.

Zubimendi is the man who makes it all tick, and he might come to prove the signing of the summer – not just for Arsenal, but across the Premier League.

Arriving from Real Sociedad for £60m in July, the deep-lying midfielder has added quite the dimension to Arteta’s engine room. He is 26 years old and mature, and it shows.

Crisp, tempo-setting passing is his forte. FBref data records that Zubimendi ranks among the top 9% of midfielders in the Premier League this season for pass completion and the top 12% for passes attempted per 90. He’s a maestro, plain and simple.

Zubimendi’s work platforms the show-stopping success of the likes of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. There is such balance coursing through Arsenal’s team, and if they do manage to get their hands on the Premier League title this term, Zubimendi will be will be lauded as one of the biggest difference-makers.

While Zubimendi has been one of the best number sixes in the top flight, there are some who would rival him for that crown. Among them, a former Arsenal star.

You probably know who.

The former Arsenal star who's rivalling Zubimendi

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones made an interesting point after his struggling side returned to winning form against Eintracht Frankfurt. He said that an elite central midfielder makes the bedrock of a successful, title-winning outfit.

And over at Arsenal, Zubimendi is that man, but it’s interesting to note that Granit Xhaka is rivalling the Spain international for newly-promoted Sunderland.

He knows the Premier League well. After all, Xhaka arrived at Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2015 and made 225 appearances in the division before leaving for Bayer Leverkusen and then returning to English shores and taking the captaincy at the Stadium of Light.

He went through all the emotions at Arsenal, but left the club regarded as an important piece of their modern history. Combative, tenacious and never afraid to channel his power and strike on goal, Xhaka was almost unplayable on his day, and Arteta will be happy that he has found his new version of the Swiss machine in Zubimendi.

Now 33, most were uncertain he would thrive after joining Regis Le Bris’ side this season, so late into his career and surely content with winning silverware over in Germany under Xabi Alonso’s wing.

But the new Real Madrid boss has fuelled his lieutenant with a late-career fire for more, and, as the statistics will show you, he has been an integral part of Sunderland’s success this season, going punch for punch with one of the division’s finest in Zubimendi.

Having started all nine of Sunderland’s matches, Xhaka would stake a compelling case for being in the Premier League Team of the Year so far; the Wearsiders are fifth in the standings, and they have lost only two of their nine matches.

Zubimendi vs Xhaka in the Premier League (25/26)

Stats (* per game)

Zubimendi

Xhaka

Matches (starts)

8 (7)

8 (8)

Goals

2

0

Assists

0

3

Touches*

69.6

69.9

Accurate passes*

53.8 (90%)

44.1 (82%)

Key passes*

0.8

1.2

Big chances created

1

4

Dribbles*

0.1

0.3

Recoveries*

3.3

4.8

Tackles + interceptions*

2.8

3.1

Duels won*

3.5 (51%)

6.2 (62%)

Data via Sofascore

Zubimendi is not defined by statistics. He is an immense midfielder, elegant and intelligent, and has even been hailed as “one of the best Emirates era signings” by Arsenal content creator Jamie Kent.

But even so, we cannot take anything away from Xhaka’s start to the season. The man has been hailed as a “genius” signing for the Black Cats by Sky Sports’ Don Goodman, and you can see why.

Arsenal are happy to see him succeed. It’s nice to watch Xhaka return to England and do so well. There’s a man who played an important role in the ascension of this outfit in modern times. He’s firing on all cylinders, but would Arsenal replace their Spanish summer signing with the veteran? We need not answer that one.

20 years is too long to go without the Premier League title. Too long for a club like Arsenal. But they are getting there, piece by piece.

It’s too early to say with total conviction, but the Londoners stand as good a chance as they’ve ever had to claim the title this year, and with Zubimendi orchestrating in the middle of the park, they might just reach their goals.

Related Bergkamp 2.0: Arsenal's "magic" star can turn Gyokeres into the new Henry

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Posts ByBen Gray Oct 25, 2025

The American League All-Star pitching staff will look a little bit different on Tuesday night in Atlanta.

New York Yankees lefthander Max Fried has been replaced on the roster by teammate and fellow southpaw Carlos Rodon, MLB announced Friday.

Fried, who in all likelihood would have pitched an inning in the game, is scheduled to start for the Yankees on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, meaning he'd be pitching on just two days rest in the Midsummer Classic. In taking his place, Rodon, Friday's scheduled starter for the Yankees, would be pitching on three days' rest in the All-Star Game.

The two southpaws have headlined New York's Gerrit Cole-less starting rotation, helping to stabilize the club's pitching staff in the wake of Cole's season-ending surgery in March. Fried leads the MLB in wins and ranks third in the AL with a 2.27 ERA. Meanwhile, Rodon has pitched to a 3.30 ERA and has recorded the sixth-most strikeouts in baseball with 127.

Fried and Rodon are joined by fellow Yankees Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the AL roster. The All-Star Game is at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.

أعلن نادي برشلونة إصابة لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بعد مباراة تشيلسي ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا ومدة غيابه.

واستضاف ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج” مباراة الفريقين، إذ حل برشلونة الإسباني ضيفًا على تشيلسي، في الجولة الخامسة من مرحلة الدوري في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وخسر برشلونة بثلاثية نظيفة أمام تشيلسي في لقاء ظهر فيه رجال فليك بأداء باهت للغاية على عكس المتوقع، كما نال قائد الفريق رونالد أراوخو، بطاقة حمراء في آواخر الشوط الأول مما أثر تأثيرًا كبيرًا على أداء البلوجرانا.

وتوقف رصيد برشلونة عند 7 نقاط في جدول ترتيب دوري أبطال أوروبا بالمركز الـ15، فيما رفع تشيلسي رصيده لـ10 نقاط محتلًا المركز الخامس.

اقرأ أيضًا | برشلونة يتلقى أنباءً سعيدة قبل مواجهة ديبورتيفو ألافيس

وكشف برشلونة أن فيرمين لوبيز، لاعب خط وسط الفريق الأول لكرة القدم قد أصيب إصابة طفيفة في عضلة ربلة الساق اليُمنى.

وفقًا لصحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”، عانى فيرمين من آثار الضربة التي تلقاها في مباراة السبت الماضي بالدوري ضد أتلتيك بلباو، إثر تدخل سانسيت الذي أدى إلى طرده.

وبذل فيرمين جهدًا كبيرًا لمساعدة الفريق في مباراة تشيلسي إذ بدأ المباراة أساسيًا ثم استُبدل ولم يُظهر نفس التألق الذي يتميز به دائمًا.

وتصل مدة غياب فيرمين إلى أسبوعين، وسوف يغيب عن مباريات ألافيس، أتلتيكو مدريد، ريال بيتيس وآينتراخت فرانكفورت.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are currently looking for their next head coach after Vitor Pereira was removed from his post after no wins from the first ten matches of the Premier League season.

John Percy reports that Gary O’Neil, sacked by the club in the 2024/25 campaign, is now in advanced talks to take the job for a second time.

Matches

38

16

Wins

13

2

Draws

7

3

Losses

18

11

Points

46

9

Points per game

1.21

0.56

The English tactician was sacked by Wolves after losing 11 of the opening 16 games of last season, but may now be brought in to save the Old Gold from their current position.

Instead of going back to O’Neil, who had the team in relegation form before he left last term, the club should look to another manager on their shortlist.

Wolves identify former Championship manager as target

The former Bournemouth boss is not the only head coach who has been linked with a move to Molineux since Pereira was moved on from his position.

Manager Focus

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

According to The Athletic, O’Neil is one of three managers in the frame to land the permanent job, alongside Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards and Michael Carrick.

The report claims that all three of them are under consideration, as part of the club’s shortlist, but it did add that they would have to pay compensation to land Edwards.

Carrick is, therefore, the most interesting option on the list as an alternative to O’Neil, because he could be a dream option for Wolves for several reasons.

Why Wolves should appoint Carrick

The English boss, who was hailed as an “insanely talented coach” by former Boro player Lukas Engel, has stepped in to turn a poor start to a season around before.

He arrived at Boro in October 2022 after they won two of their first 11 Championship matches and led them to a fourth-place finish with 18 wins in 30 games, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he can inspire a group to turn their form around.

That suggests that he has a chance of being the source of inspiration that Wolves need to have any chance of avoiding relegation, with the team currently rock bottom of the division.

On top of that, Carrick, who was coy when asked about the Wolves vacancy on Match of the Day, is a proven Championship manager who can coach his side to play exciting football.

As much as supporters will not want to hear it at this stage of the season, it is worth thinking about how the next managerial appointment will fare if they take the team down, given the situation that they are going to inherit.

League finish

8th

10th

xPTS (Expected league finish)

73 (5th)

71 (6th)

xG

69.5

67.4

xGA

55.0

56.4

xGD

+14.5

+11.3

As you can see in the table above, Carrick’s coaching essentially delivered successive play-off level performances in the Championship, on top of actually finishing in the play-offs in his first season, but it was not rewarded by the output from his players.

The xGD numbers show that his Boro team consistently created more high-quality chances than the opposition, which tends to be a sign of a well-coached side.

Whereas, as shown in the post above from when he was linked to Norwich, O’Neil’s Bournemouth and Wolves teams, albeit at Premier League level, consistently conceded more chances than they created.

Therefore, Carrick, who is currently a free agent, would be a dream alternative to O’Neil because of the short and long-term impact that he could have.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fortaleza recebe o Nacional Potosí, da Bolívia, nesta quarta (10), pela 2ª rodada do Grupo D da Sula. A bola vai rolar a partir das 19h (de Brasília), na Arena Castelão, em Fortaleza, com transmissão da plataforma de streaming Paramount+.

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 FICHA TÉCNICA
FORTALEZA X NACIONAL POTOSÍ (2ª RODADA / GRUPO D) – (COPA SUL-AMERICANA)

Data e horário: quarta, 10 de abril de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília)

Local: Arena Castelão, Fortaleza
Onde assistir: Paramount+
Arbitragem: Augusto Aragón (EQU) (árbitro); Cristian Lescano (EQU), David Vacavela (EQU) (auxiliares); Bryan Loayza (EQU) (VAR)

PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
FORTALEZA (Técnico: JUAN PABLO VOJVODA)
João Ricardo; Tinga, Titi, Brítez, Kuscevic e Yago Pikachu; Hércules, Lucas Sasha e Pochettino (ou Zé Welison); Marinho e Lucero.

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NACIONAL POTOSÍ (Técnico: CLAUDIO BIAGGIO)
Carlos Adorno; Añez, Carrasco, Restrepo e Mancilla; Andrés Franco, Pedro Azogue, Samuel Galindo e Gustavo Cristaldo; Facundo Callejo e Martín Prost.

Desfalques: – 

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Tudo sobre

FortalezaFutebol NacionalOnde assistirSul-Americana

Jaydn Denly, Ekansh Singh star for Kent but can’t stem the tide

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Aug-2025

James Wharton was in the runs for Yorkshire• Allan McKenzie/SWPIx.com

Yorkshire 301 for 9 (Wharton 118, Imam-ul-Haq 70, Ekansh 3-42) beat Kent 225 (Jaydn Denly 77, Ekansh 71, Bess 4-43) by 76 runsYorkshire secured a home semi-final in the Metro Bank Cup after coasting to a 76-run victory over the Kent Spitfires at Canterbury.James Wharton hit a century as Yorkshire posted 301 for 9 and Dom Bess then took four for 43 as the Spitfires were dismissed for 225.Wharton hit 118 from 106 balls, while Imam-ul-Haq was the next highest scorer with 70, while Ekansh Singh took three for 42 before making 71 during the Kent reply.Jaydn Denly was the hosts’ top-scorer with 77 but they lost wickets too frequently to sustain a chase and were all out with 5.4 overs remaining.Yorkshire chose to bat and put on 71 for the opening wicket before Corey Flintoff sent Adam Lyth’s off stump flying, bowling him for 28.Mo Rizvi then bowled debutant Will Bennison for a fifth ball duck, but Wharton and Imam-ul-Haq put on 59 for the next wicket, Ekansh breaking the partnership when he had the latter lbw.Finlay Bean made a useful 39 before he was run out by Ollie Curtiss and George Hill made just seven when Klaassen had him caught by Jaydn Denly.Harry Duke hit Ekansh almost vertically and was caught by wicket-keeper Harry Finch for 3 and Ekansh struck again two overs later when he caught and bowled Bess for four.Dan Moriarty went in similar fashion to Klaassen and Wharton finally fell in the final over when Fred Klaassen had him caught behind, leaving Cliff to take the visitors past 300.The chase got off to a rough start when Ben Dawkins went for 1, chipping Ben Cliff to Lyth but Kent responded with a 97-run stand that only ended when Bess had Denly caught by Imam-ul-Haq.Chris Benjamin was then the victim of a brilliant rope-juggle catch by the sub fielder Noah Kelly, after he drove Bess and Joe Denly went for just two, miscuing Dan Moriarty straight to Fin Bean at long off. Curtiss went next ball, lbw for a golden duck on only his second appearance for the Spitfires.Ekansh also fell to Kelly when he skied Hill and Lyth got revenge on Flintoff when he bowled him for 13.Bess came back and bowled Finch for a run-a-ball for 32, then got Klaassen two balls later playing on, leaving Mattie Firbank to seal win when Rizvi pulled him to Lyth, his team mates mobbing him in celebration.

Tottenham winger Mohammed Kudus was forced to sit out their last match in the Champions League after picking up a knock, with supporters understandably hoping that he doesn’t also miss their crunch clash with Man United this weekend.

It is perhaps the worst time to face Ruben Amorim’s side right now, with the Red Devils winning three out of their last four Premier League games and starting to look fairly solid after months of topsy-turvy form.

Spurs’ face-off against United will be the first time both sides have met since the Lilywhites’ historic Europa League final triumph in May – a match which gifted Tottenham their first piece of major silverware since 2008 and granted them a pathway into Europe.

The stats heavily favour Thomas Frank, with the north Londoners standing out as United’s major bogey team of the last 24 months.

Tottenham have won five and drew two of their last seven meetings in all competitions, and if they beat them again on Saturday, it’ll be the first time any Spurs side has won three consecutive league games against United since the 1959/1960 season.

That being said, Tottenham’s home form is a real cause for concern right now. No side has lost more Premier League home games than Spurs in 2025 (9), and Frank’s team is currently ravaged by injuries.

Kudus, who’s dazzled as their key attacking star since joining from West Ham for £55 million in the summer, even drawing comparisons to Mousa Dembele, joined their extensive absentee list earlier this week after missing training prior to Tottenham’s 4-0 rout of FC Copenhagen.

Tottenham absentee list	Problem	Estimated return date
Dejan Kulusevski	Knee	22/11/2025
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
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
via Premier Injuries

Not having the winger available for their looming clash with United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be a bitter blow for Frank, but they’ve now been handed a positive update.

Tottenham given Mohammed Kudus update after four-word Man United statement

The African was left out of Spurs’ squad to face Copenhagen but was in attendance to watch his side triumph, and he was questioned about his condition in the mixed zone after full-time.

When asked if he would be fit to face United, via Standard Sport, Kudus replied:

This comes as a very encouraging update as Kudus strongly suggests that he could be ready for selection, but Frank will provide an even more definitive update in his pre-match press conference.

The Ghanaian has been a revelation under Frank, averaging more successful takes-ons per 90 than any other player in the top flight according to WhoScored, with Kudus chalking up five goal contributions to boot.

The 25-year-old is poised to play a key role for Tottenham as they chase more major silverware and Champions League qualification this season, and having him return could be vital as Frank looks to put last weekend’s dismal home performance against Chelsea behind him.

Kudus’ creativity, dribbling, close control and one-v-one ability have been a nightmare for opposing full-backs so far this term, with the former Ajax star and Joao Palhinha standing out as the club’s best buys of the summer.

Kudus already boasts one goal and an assist in three total outings against Man United, so Amorim knows all about the threat he poses.

Manchester United completed a clean sweep of Premier League honours for October as Ruben Amorim claimed the Manager of the Month award and Bryan Mbeumo was named Player of the Month. The Portuguese coach led his side to three straight victories over Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton, while Mbeumo’s three goals capped a standout month for the rejuvenated Red Devils.

Getty Images SportMbeumo named PL's Player of the Month for October

Mbeumo’s blistering form has been rewarded with the Premier League’s Player of the Month award for October after a decisive contribution to Manchester United’s perfect run. Mbeumo finished ahead of nominees including Erling Haaland, Bruno Guimaraes and Matty Cash to claim the award. The Cameroonian forward played a starring role in all three victories, opening the scoring against Liverpool at Anfield, setting up Mason Mount in the 2-0 win over Sunderland, and firing a brace against Brighton at Old Trafford.

Across the month, Mbeumo recorded three goals and one assist, playing a pivotal role in United’s turnaround after a sluggish start to the season. His all-action displays reflected both his maturity and tactical intelligence under Amorim, who has given the 26-year-old the freedom to attack from the right-hand side while drifting into central positions. 

Remarkably, this is the first time Mbeumo has won the honour, though he previously collected Manchester United’s internal Player of the Month prize in August. The accolade also marks a historic moment for Cameroon, with Mbeumo becoming only the second player from the nation to win the Premier League award, following Joel Matip’s success in February 2022.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAmorim voted as the PL's Manager of the Month

While Mbeumo’s exploits grabbed the headlines, Amorim’s tactical brilliance earned him the Premier League’s Manager of the Month award. The 40-year-old guided United to a flawless October, overseeing statement victories that reignited belief at Old Trafford and re-established the club among the top four contenders. Wins over Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton reflected not only improved performances but also a new sense of composure and identity under Amorim’s leadership.

The month began with a confident 2-0 win at Sunderland before United produced their finest performance of the campaign in a 2-1 victory away to Liverpool, sealed by a late Harry Maguire header. That result marked United’s first win at Anfield in over eight years and back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time this season. A 4-2 triumph over Brighton capped off a perfect run, as Matheus Cunha scored his first goal for the club and Mbeumo’s brace sealed Amorim’s dominance on the touchline.

Amorim credited his players for the achievement, saying: “The credit is not mine, the credit is for my players. They did really well, and our goal is to win the next one because it means we win football matches.”

The award also places Amorim in rare company as he becomes only the third Red Devils manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement to win the Premier League’s monthly prize, following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag.

Man Utd's stunning return to form in October

Mbeumo’s form has been one of the defining factors of United’s October resurgence. Since joining from Brentford for around £65 million, he has slotted seamlessly into Amorim’s attacking structure, combining with Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko to form a dynamic, unpredictable front line.

Statistically, Mbeumo’s influence is remarkable. In just ten Premier League appearances this season, he has already scored four times and assisted once, while maintaining a pass completion rate of 80 per cent and an average of 2.4 shots per match. More importantly, his big-game temperament — exemplified by his early strike at Anfield — has earned him the trust of Amorim and the admiration of supporters. It’s little surprise he’s become one of the first names on the teamsheet.

For Amorim, October represented the turning point of his tenure. After a difficult start marked by injuries and inconsistency, United’s performances have mirrored his tactical clarity and adaptability. By integrating new signings quickly and building confidence among the squad’s core, he has succeeded in blending youthful energy with experienced leadership. His commitment to a 3-4-3 structure, despite criticism, has brought both balance and unpredictability to United’s attack.

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Man Utd looking to shake of Nottingham draw in November

Despite a disappointing 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, both Amorim and Mbeumo will aim to regain their stellar form as Manchester United enter a pivotal winter stretch. The Red Devils face crucial fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur, followed by clashes with Everton and Crystal Palace after the international break, with the opportunity to solidify their place among the league’s top four.

The signs of progress are undeniable, and Amorim’s tactical acumen and Mbeumo’s star quality have not only restored optimism at Old Trafford but also signalled a cultural shift.

South Africa completed a fifth successive bilateral ODI series win over Australia, dating back to 2016, and this one, with a game to spare. Their 84-run victory in the second match followed a similar pattern to their triumph on Tuesday which was set up by a strong batting effort that was well defended under lights.Half-centuries from Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs, who also shared in an 89-run fourth wicket stand, took South Africa to a competitive total on 277, with Breetzke becoming the first player in men’s ODI history to pass 50 in his first four ODI matches. Nandre Burger and Lungi Ngidi then led the way in defence. Ngidi was player of the match with 5 for 42, his second five-for in ODIs and second against Australia.Australia have now lost their last three bilateral ODI series and will be concerned about a lack of contributions from their line-up. As was the case in match one, there was only one individual score of note, this time Josh Inglis’ 87.Related

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South Africa’s performance, while trophy-winning, was far from flawless. After a good start, they faded away with the bat and lost 5 for 44 in the last 10 overs and dropped three catches, to add to a growing tour tally. Stubbs, who scored his first fifty 16 international innings across all formats, put down two and has grassed six across the five matches in Australia so far.Still, South Africa will be pleased with their performance in the field which came with regular captain Temba Bavuma being rested for workload management and senior seamer Kagiso Rabada out of the series with an ankle injury. In Rabada’s absence, Burger and particularly Ngidi stepped up.Burger bowled with good pace to start proceedings and had early success. In the third over the chase, Travis Head tried to loft him over mid-on and was caught by a backpedalling Aiden Markram. Seven balls later, Ngidi offered Marnus Labuschagne some width, Labuschagne drove hard and edged to Ryan Rickelton. Australia were 7 for 2 in the fourth over, and things could have got a lot worse.Lungi Ngidi had Marnus Labuschagne caught behind•Getty Images

Cameron Green edged Ngidi’s next ball to Stubbs at second slip but he could not keep his hands on the ball. Three overs after that, Mitchell Marsh, on 13, drove Burger to Stubbs in the covers and he dropped another. Luckily for Stubbs only the first would prove somewhat costly. Marsh added five more runs before he pulled Wiaan Mulder to Corbin Bosch at mid-on and left Australia 39 for 3 after the first 10 overs.Markram brought himself on in the 18th over and Inglis took a liking to him. He reverse-swept the second ball over backward point, and then played one of the shots of the match when he danced down the track to lift Markram over cover for six. Markram took himself off and brought Mulder back and the move should have paid off when Inglis, on 42, chipped Mulder to cover where Tony de Zorzi spilled the chance.There was some relief for South Africa when Green was caught by Senuran Muthusamy in his follow-through to end Australia’s best partnership on 67 but Inglis continued to pose a threat. He top-edged Mulder short of deep third and then pulled and cut him for back-to-back fours and his fifty came off 46 balls. What Inglis lacked was someone to stay with him.Alex Carey flayed Burger to backward point where Dewald Brevis took a good catch. Inglis responded by taking 19 runs off Keshav Maharaj’s next two overs to enter the 18s. But it was all Ngidi from there.He deceived Aaron Hardie into popping a slower ball back to him and then took a low return catch. He also accounted for Inglis, who made room for himself on the drive but bottom-edged to Rickelton, and then had Xavier Bartlett caught at mid-on. Ngidi’s fifth came in the 38th over when Adam Zampa skied him to mid-on and Australia were bowled out with more than 12 overs remaining in their innings.Matthew Breetzke pulls behind square•AFP/Getty Images

That made South Africa’s batting effort, which Breetzke initially thought was 20 runs short, appear far above-par against a well-resourced Australian attack. Australia made use of seven bowlers, including three spinners. Between them, Zampa, Head and Labuschagne bowled 17 overs for 94 runs and took five wickets. Nathan Ellis was the standout seamer, with 2 for 46, and Xavier Bartlett did a good job upfront in the absence of Ben Dwarshuis, who was rested.Playing in his third ODI, Bartlett opened the bowling and enjoyed early success. Markram chipped him to midwicket for a fourth-ball duck before Rickelton was caught behind in his third over.Breetzke announced himself when he took on Hardie, with a four down the ground and two sixes flicked over fine leg in a signature show of his strength on the leg side. At the other end, de Zorzi also showed off his stroke-play with clean straight hits and a couple of cracking square drives.Breetzke and de Zorzi demonstrated some excellent, proactive run-scoring but also rode their luck. Breetzke charged Bartlett and top-edged a bouncer over Inglis while de Zorzi pulled a half-volley just short of midwicket. Their partnership had grown to 67 when de Zorzi gifted Zampa a simple return catch off a leading edge.Breetzke and Stubbs went five overs without scoring a boundary, during which time Breetzke brought up a 46-ball fifty, and it allowed Stubbs to settle. His confidence grew when flicked a Zampa googly over midwicket for six as South Africa targeted spin. Breetzke swept and pulled Zampa for successive fours and Stubbs reverse-swept Head.Xavier Bartlett made early inroads on his return to the side•Getty Images

Marsh brought Ellis back at the halfway stage and it worked. Breetzke, who had pulled well throughout the innings, could not control one off Ellis that found Carey at deep square leg. Breetzke remains ODI cricket’s best performing batting newcomer scoring more runs than any other player in history across four matches from debut.Stubbs brought up his fifty with a single off Labuschagne and found a good finishing partner in Mulder, albeit he could have been out for 3. Mulder pulled Labuschagne to Marsh at midwicket but the captain put it down. In the next over, Labuschagne dropped Mulder on 5.Stubbs and Mulder put on 48 together and took South Africa to 233 for 5 with 10 overs to go but neither finished the job. Mulder was the first to go when he slog swept Labuschagne to Green at long-on. Muthusamy sent a full toss to Hardie at deep midwicket. Stubbs skied Zampa to midwicket and Burger holed out to long-off where Green completed his fourth catch of the innings, equalling the most outfield catches for Australia in ODIs.But that won’t be the statistic that grabs the headlines. For the first time since 2009, Australia had lost four consecutive ODIs at home, having been bowled out in four consecutive home ODIs for just the second time in history and for the first time without passing 200 in any of them. They have also lost seven of their last eight ODIs in total.