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Oct 23, 2025, 11:13 PM ET

NEW YORK — Mired in a six-game losing streak to start another rebuilding season, the San Jose Sharks had two young franchise cornerstones deliver exactly the kind of performances the team is hoping to get from them for the next decade or more.

Macklin Celebrini had a hat trick and set up Will Smith’s overtime goal to give the 2024 No. 1 pick his second five-point game early in his second NHL season, and the Sharks are no longer the only team in the league without a victory. Oh, and it came at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers, who were looking to win at home for the first time this fall.

“It’s good to see the young guys firing like that,” said enforcer Ryan Reaves, whose early fight against Matt Rempe on Thursday night fired up the Sharks. “We need those guys to step up in big games, and they both did.”

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Reaves threw his helmet onto the ice to celebrate Celebrini’s third goal of the night late in the second period.

“I was just making sure there was something on the ice for him,” Reaves said. “I didn’t know how far up the Sharkie fans were, if they had good arms or not, so I was just making sure there was one on there for him.”

There were a few others to clean up, though many more when Taylor Raddysh of the Rangers got his third for dueling hat tricks at the Garden. But Celebrini stole the show by assisting on Smith’s goal in the third period and then again in OT.

“It speaks for itself, to be honest, to do that at MSG on a huge stage,” said Smith, who had four points in his own right. “In a game where we needed him, he showed up.”

Counting a point from 2025 No. 2 pick Michael Misa, the Sharks got 10 from players age 20 or younger for the second time since April. The last team to do that before them was Toronto on Jan. 8, 1986.

“When you draft them that high, you expect them to perform like that and they’ve proven time and time again why they were drafted that high and why all that was going to be put on their shoulders,” Reaves said. “It’s great to see.”

San Jose’s Will Smith, left, celebrates his winning goal with Macklin Celebrini in the Sharks’ overtime win over the New York Rangers on Thursday. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

It came against the backdrop of San Jose starting 0-4-2 – the fourth consecutive season the team has lost at least four in a row at the beginning. After his team’s morning skate, second-year coach Ryan Warsofsky offered an optimistic message.

“We’re not going to quit,” Warsofsky said. “There’s still a lot of hockey to be played. We’re going to keep going. We’re going to keep pushing and challenging and we’re going to get out of this together.”

It was fitting that the most important building blocks led the way. The Sharks have not made the playoffs for the past six years and are not expected to again this season, but they do hope to take a step forward in the process of growing into a contender again.

In an effort to do that, they added veterans like Reaves and Stanley Cup champion defenseman Dmitry Orlov to the mix.

“We have a great group,” said Barclay Goodrow, who won the Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020 and ’21 and landed with the Sharks when they claimed him off waivers from the Rangers in the summer of ’24. “Lots of youth that keeps us old guys younger. It’s fun coming to the rink every day.”

Celebrini and Smith had some fun out on the town in New York City during this swing, which also included a team outing to see “Book of Mormon” on Broadway. A song from the show played in the victorious visiting locker room after the 6-5 win.

“Felt like it brought the boys together a little bit,” Reaves said. “It might be the new one.”

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LONDON — While Arsenal are still searching for a statement win to announce their Premier League title credentials, the wait for a UEFA Champions League equivalent is over.

For almost an hour Tuesday night, Atlético Madrid’s visit to Emirates Stadium was the combative, gritty contest many anticipated beforehand. And then, an explosion happened: The house that Atlético coach Diego Simeone has stoically built over almost 14 years was shattered by four goals in 14 minutes, and the Gunners won 4-0. The expanded, bloated format of this group stage dilutes the importance of early results on paper, but the effect this could have on Arsenal’s young group aiming to finally add trophies to years of progress might be profound.

Simeone’s side was beaten 4-0 at Benfica last season but is rarely handed a second-half drubbing like this. “We competed very well until the first Arsenal goal,” he said afterward. “After that we could have defended better. They did very well and they got their goals. And of course set pieces are so important in football, and it can be key in this competition, because it comes down to fine margins in terms of taking the game in your control or not.

“And it is not down to bad luck, but mistakes, so they made the most of our mistakes, took their chances and all their big chances turned into goals.”

With four goals in 14 minutes, Arsenal dismantled Diego Simeone’s best-laid defensive plans. David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Arsenal’s set-piece prowess is common knowledge. While the Premier League has been unable to find an answer — Arsenal’s 37 goals from corners since the start of the 2023-24 season is 16 more than anyone else — surely Simeone, the game’s finest defensive coach, could do so.

It appeared for a while that would be the case. And the answer was simple, if extremely difficult to execute: Don’t give them an opportunity. Arsenal had just one corner in the opening 45 minutes. Declan Rice‘s 57th-minute free kick that Gabriel Magalhães headed in was, as defined by Opta, Arsenal’s first chance from a set piece all night.

The goal opened the floodgates. Gabriel Martinelli curled in a sublime second seven minutes later before a brace from Viktor Gyökeres, who ended a 601-minute goal drought at club level, landed Arsenal the sort of scoreline that will make Europe sit up and take notice. Those four goals were more of a cold shower than anything Atlético experienced a day earlier when the hot water was briefly unavailable after their training session at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal’s summer spending spree led many to believe they now possess one of the best squads in Europe. But in grinding their way to the top of the table in England, they had not produced the performances to justify that hype. This will serve as a reference point for the future, a night when a couple of those new signings felt more at home. Martín Zubimendi patrolled the midfield with authority. Gyökeres got the goals his manager, Mikel Arteta, believed his display warranted, even if the first owed everything to a large deflection off Dávid Hancko and the second was an unmissable close-range finish off his thigh.

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“He deserved it because everything that we were seeing in terms of what he was bringing to the team and how much he was helping the team in many areas, apart from scoring goals in the last few weeks, there was no debate about that,” Arteta said. “It was about keeping that belief in himself, that emotional state that he can enjoy and play freely.

“I think we’ve become much more unpredictable. He’s so physical, open, his face is for everybody. The way he presses the ball, holds the ball, that’s phenomenal. And then there’s the icing on the cake and the biggest thing that we’re going to debate about him is goals. He’s scored two very different ones today, and hopefully he starts to get some momentum and a good run of goals.”

Bukayo Saka spoke last season of a desire to one day win the Ballon d’Or and be considered one of the world’s greatest wingers. His all-around performance merited that here; he was a constant menace down the right, but of equal importance to Arteta was Saka’s work off the ball. Martinelli was equally dynamic in this regard: His eight ball recoveries was three more than any player on either side.

Nothing is decided in October, but the baton may be passing from Simeone to Arteta as the most defensively resolute coach in Europe. Arsenal have conceded just one shot on target in their past three games. Moreover, they have conceded three goals in all competitions, putting them on track to break multiple records. That tally is the fewest Arsenal have conceded in their first 12 matches in their 138-year history.

Of course, they have broken various club records before under Arteta, only to end up empty-handed. All that matters this time is that they get over the line. Nights like this suggest they may be better placed than ever to do so.

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When Jeffrey Kang was in college at the University of Southern California, he’d sometimes earn some extra cash by helping head coach Chris Zambri with his junior golf clinics. For Zambri, it was simple: He’d point at Kang, one of the most decorated recruits in program history, and say to the kids, “This is what it takes.â€

If only Kang knew then just how much it would take.

Kang’s long and winding road to the PGA Tour culminated last Sunday in French Lick, Indiana, where the 34-year-old prodigy turned journeyman ended the Korn Ferry Tour Championship ranked 14th in points and grabbed one of 20 available cards for 2026.

“It took a lot of patience, a lot of self-talk, just believing in myself and trusting that it was all going to work out in the end. It’s been tough, but this is why we do it,†said Kang, who in the aftermath of the card ceremony was, like most everybody else, not only soaking up the moment but also in champagne and Michelob Ultra.

“I’m just really happy I stuck it out.â€

What has proven an arduous journey began in Fullerton, California, just outside of Los Angeles, where it all once came easy and where Kang developed into a standout not only at Sunny Hills High but nationally. Student-athletes of Kang’s ilk – talented, smart and from the West Coast – usually matriculated to Stanford. But when Kang verbally committed to the Trojans, Zambri was so content with his Class of 2010 haul, which also included another AJGA All-American in Ramsey Sahyoun, that he didn’t care that it meant a kid by the name of Patrick Cantlay heading to crosstown-rival UCLA. Cantlay would win the Haskins Award, given to the best player in the nation, as a freshman. But Kang had done alright, too, an all-Pac-10 selection his first year and All-American honorable mention the following season, which included a playoff victory over Jordan Spieth in Hawaii. Midway through college, however, Kang’s prospects veered quickly.

“It was the lowest I’ve still ever been,†Kang said of the driver yips that debilitated him for large swaths of his final two years in school and beyond.

There were two misses: a ball that started 7 degrees right and ended up off the planet, and then the massive overcorrection. It didn’t really matter the club, either.

“And over time, it made his swing hub very unstable,†said instructor Dana Dahlquist, who worked about seven years with Kang after graduation. “I described it as a motorcycle not able to go through the turns.â€

Earning a PGA Tour card is a tremendously difficult task. But keeping it is no cake walk, either. Harder still? Winning back your card after losing it. Three PGA Tour veterans proved that the hard way on Sunday at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, where they just missed out on reclaiming their Tour privileges.

After changes to qualification rules in recent years, only the top 20 finishers at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship earned PGA Tour cards for the 2026 season. You can read all about the fortunate few who punched their Tour tickets on Sunday here.

But in this space we’re concerned with the other side of the equation, the players who have lived the life of a PGA Tour pro, fought all year on the Korn Ferry Tour to get back and came up painfully short on Sunday.

The silver lining for these three pros? They all finished high enough in the Korn Ferry standings to earn full status there in 2026, where they’ll mount new campaigns to reclaim their cards.

PGA Tour pros who missed cards at KFT Championship

Justin Suh

Justin Suh, a 28-year-old former PGA Tour pro from San Jose, has played in 90 PGA Tour events in his pro golf career, earning two top-5 and five top-10 finishes.

These 20 Korn Ferry Tour players just earned their 2026 PGA Tour cards

By:

Josh Schrock

Suh played full season of 29 Tour events in 2024. But he only made 12 cuts and failed to record any top 10s. As a result, he finished 162nd in the FedEx Cup standings to lose his playing privileges and drop back to the Korn Ferry Tour.

On the Korn Ferry Tour this season, he won the Argentina Open in March and collected two other top 10s. But it wasn’t enough to move back to the big leagues.

Entering the Korn Ferry Tour Championship at 24th in the standings, just outside the top 20 who earns cards, Suh finished T31 to remain tantalizingly close but, ultimately, short of getting his card back.

Russell Knox

A 40-year-old Scottish pro, Russell Knox played successfully on the PGA Tour for several years, earning two victories at the 2015 WGC-HSBC Championship and the 2016 Travelers Championship.

But his last full season was 2022-23, when he made 23 of 37 cuts to finish 144th in the Fedex Cup standings and lose his Tour card.

He played in 10 Tour events in 2024 and then received three sponsor invites in 2025, missing two cuts and finishing 68th at the Corales Puntacana Championship.

Knox made 21 Korn Ferry Tour starts in 2025, earning a runner-up early in the season at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic along with three other top 10s.

But a disappointing T55 finish at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship Sunday dropped Knox from 34th to 36th place in the final KFT standings, leaving him 16 spots short of reclaiming his PGA Tour card.

Dylan Wu

Twenty-nine-year-old Oregon native Dylan Wu should be familiar to many golf fans. He played 33 PGA Tour events in 2022-23, finishing 86th in the standings to maintain his card.

But in 28 starts in 2024, Wu only managed one top 10 and dropped to 119th in the FedEx Cup standings, losing his Tour card in the process. Though he got into 13 Tour events this past season and recorded some good finishes, he only got enough points to finish 170th in the standings.

He only played eight events on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025, so a T31-finish on Sunday could only improve his position from 71st to 69th, well short of the Tour card cutoff.

By Jared Clinton, Features writer

There aren’t many who will extol the virtues of the National Enquirer. That is, of course, because one would be hard pressed to associate the tabloid with virtuousness in the first place. But there is something to be said for the Enquirerâ€s cockroach-esque ability to maintain its place as a fixture of grocery-store checkouts. Trust, too, that its longevity has little to do with any reputation as a great bastion of journalistic integrity. Rather, it has survived by trading on one of humanityâ€s great truths: we all love a little bit of gossip.

Bristle at the suggestion if you wish. Deny it if you must. But the cold reality is no one is immune to a bit of idle talk, and most certainly not those within the hockeysphere. Rumors have become part of the daily news cycle. There are whole accounts all across social media dedicated to aggregating and disseminating the latest tidbits.

And our collective love of digging up the newest dirt even bleeds into television broadcasts, where entire intermission segments center around dissecting the latest chatter regarding this playerâ€s trade availability or that playerâ€s contract negotiations.

But much like understanding that the yarns spun in the Enquirer arenâ€t worth the paper on which they are printed, an essential part of living in the age of off-ice gossip is learning to distinguish fact from fiction. For John Q. Public, thatâ€s not always an easy thing. Doing so requires a smidgen of media literacy and a working cow-excrement detector. For the media types, itâ€s about leaning on well-placed sources. When youâ€re an NHL GM, though? You set out to hear these things straight from the horseâ€s mouth. And that is what brings us to Utah Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong.

Not unlike most rumor hounds, Armstrong couldnâ€t help but raise an eyebrow when word trickled out that JJ Peterka was on the market. In three big-league seasons in Buffalo, Peterka had established himself as a legitimate top-six talent. He finished the 2024-25 campaign tied for second in scoring for the Sabres, and with Buffalo desperate to right the ship, Peterka seemed a no-brainer to remain a fixture of the teamâ€s lineup for years to come.

One can understand, then, why Armstrong was skeptical of the trade talk.

“Itâ€s one of those things you ask those GMs when youâ€re talking to them,†Armstrong told reporters. “ ‘Is this true? Is there any life to this story?†Most times, thereâ€s none. But this particular one had some legs.â€

Thatâ€s not to say mapping out a swap for Peterka was as simple as a single phone call. As Armstrong put it, acquiring the 23-year-old right winger “took some time to mature and get across the finish line.†When all was said and done, the Mammoth sent 23-year-old right winger Josh Doan and 25-year-old defenseman Michael Kesselring the Sabres†way in exchange for Peterka. The cherry on top? Peterkaâ€s almost-immediate commitment to the project in Utah.

It just shows how committed I am to Utah, how excited I am and how much I believe in that group- JJ Peterka on signing a five-year deal.

–

An RFA at the time he was traded, Peterka signed a five-year, $38.5-million contract in the aftermath of his move to Utah. His $7.7-million cap hit makes him the franchiseâ€s highest-paid forward.

“Sometimes, you talk to guys when theyâ€re traded to you and theyâ€re in shock,†Armstrong said. “(JJ) was expecting it and excited about coming to Utah.â€

For Peterka, putting pen to paper was an easy choice, and that wasnâ€t only because of the dollars-and-cents of it all. When the Mammoth (nee Hockey Club) touched down in Utah last summer, a move made on the back of the Arizona Coyotes†protracted relocation saga, Peterka took note of the reception they received. He was also blown away by the atmosphere when he visited with Buffalo last season. And this is to say nothing of the talent in the lineup. That the mountains of Salt Lake City had a way of making the Munich native feel at home didnâ€t hurt either. Put it all together, and a long-term deal was a no-brainer.

“It just shows how committed I am to Utah, how excited I am and how much I believe in that group – what theyâ€ve got going and what theyâ€re building there,†Peterka said.

What the Mammoth are constructing – and have been dating back to their final days as the Coyotes – is a roster brimming with budding young stars. The squad appears poised to contend not just in the cutthroat Central Division but for a consistent spot in the Western Conference playoff picture.

But, as is evident by the fact Utah spent the 2024-25 season flitting in and out of wild-card contention before ultimately finishing on the outside looking in, the up-and-coming outfit is not without its flaws.

“You always have to be aware of where you are in the build and where youâ€re going,†Armstrong said. “Where weâ€re going is we needed somebody in the top two lines that could put the puck in the net and could have that ability to have impact.â€

That need was painfully apparent at times last season. At all strengths, Utahâ€s ability to generate shots and scoring chances added up to the NHLâ€s 10th-most expected goals (258.2). Even with Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther in the lineup, though, Utah struggled to turn opportunities into actual offensive output. By seasonâ€s end, the clubâ€s 240 goals tied for 20th in the NHL. And thatâ€s where Peterka comes in.

Though he has flown somewhat under the radar, Peterka has proven to be one of the leagueâ€s most-lethal shooters over the past two seasons. Look no further than the rate at which he has outperformed his expected offensive numbers. Among the 500-plus skaters to play at least 1,500 minutes at all strengths since the start of 2023-24, Peterka ranks an impressive – though not necessarily awe-inspiring – 113th in the NHL, producing 41.5 expected goals. Heâ€s exceeded expectations, however, by netting 55 goals over that span.

And itâ€s by that measure, the difference between expected and actual results, that Peterka has proven himself to be an exceptionally gifted finisher. Among that cohort of 500-plus skaters, only 27 have outstripped their expected total by as much or more than Peterkaâ€s 13.5 goals above expected.

The same ability to deliver is apparent when measuring per hour of ice time, too.

Though heâ€s not in the same stratosphere as compatriot Leon Draisaitl or former Sabres teammate Tage Thompson – who rank first and second with .60-plus goals more than expected per 60 minutes over the past two campaigns – Peterka has exceeded his expected per-hour goal production by .29 at all strengths.

That tied him for 25th in the NHL over the past two campaigns. To put that into context, Peterka ranks ahead of Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Eichel and Filip Forsberg. It also puts Peterka level with or clear of the top players available this summer, which included Mitch Marner, Nikolaj Ehlers and Brock Boeser.

That alone would make Peterka a fit on any team in the league, of course. But what gives the Mammoth even greater confidence that Peterka will be especially suited to the organization is that his style fits the way coach Andre Tourigny wants his team to play: north-south and up-tempo.

“The one thing Iâ€ve learned about him from watching him over the years is heâ€s got a unique ability to create a ton of speed down the wings,†Armstrong said.

Thatâ€s an asset Peterka has honed over the years. In fact, it dates back to the days when playing in the NHL was nothing but a distant dream. Peterka grew up a multi-sport athlete, and he sounds like heâ€s rattling off a list of Olympic events when naming his hobbies. His interest in multiple sporting disciplines led him to spend his winters balancing hockey with short-track speed skating. And while he eventually ditched the spandex bodysuit, the technique he learned on the oval remains to this day.

“I was always one of the fastest guys, probably because of that,†Peterka said. “Translating that to hockey wasnâ€t too hard. Obviously, not as many turns, but for straight-line skating and that stuff, it really helps.â€

Itâ€s one of those things you ask those GMs about. ‘Is there any life to this story?†This particular one had some legs- Utah GM Bill Armstrong on rumors of Peterka’s availability.

–

Despite Peterkaâ€s skill set and promising on-ice results, no one is expecting him to arrive and act as an immediate panacea for Utahâ€s scoring woes, nor is he being heralded as the missing piece who will singlehandedly push the club into Stanley Cup contention. Thatâ€s not the kind of pressure Armstrong wants to put on the youngster, either. This is all new for Peterka, who said getting traded was a “weird feeling.†Heâ€ll have to put down new roots in a new city and without the benefit of any familiar faces – his lone personal connections are to Utah prospects and fellow German national-team players Maksymilian Szuber and Julian Lutz.

Once that bedding-in period is complete, though, and Peterka has become familiar with his new Mammoth teammates, the hope is he will be one of the driving forces who help Utah turn promise and potential into post-season hockey and perhaps even a championship run.

That could happen in short order. It could be in due time. But Peterka is confident that, sooner or later, on-ice success is in the cards for the club.

“When you look at the roster and how many young players are there and already so good,†Peterka said, “I think just timeline-wise, for me, itâ€s going to be a perfect fit.â€

This article appeared in our 2025 Meet the New Guys issue. The cover story for this issue features the newest Vegas Golden Knight, Mitch Marner, as he looks to shine in the desert. We also include features on new Jets forward Jonathan Toews, Canadiens D-man Noah Dobson and more. In addition, we take a look at the top ‘new guys’ from each NHL division.

You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.

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For Marc Guéhi, the flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had starred for England at Euro 2024, a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status was intact at the end of Lee Carsleyâ€s caretaker spell in the first half of last season.

Enter Thomas Tuchel and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhiâ€s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.

Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palaceâ€s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.

“Iâ€d say itâ€s natural for every player to almost question that,†Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the teamâ€s going to look like, who knows whoâ€s going to play?â€

What Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.

The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was especially good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.

The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,†Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.â€

Englandâ€s Marc Guéhi sprints during a training session at St Georgeâ€s Park. Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA

Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.

It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchelâ€s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.

Tuchelâ€s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.

What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want to be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milanâ€s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.

This is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.

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It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood†within the squad before his first game.

“There isnâ€t any animosity between anyone,†Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when weâ€re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long youâ€re here.

Marc Guéhi was excellent against Serbia, and scored his first England goal. Photograph: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images

“The atmosphere is always great when weâ€re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the rest of the lads do, too.â€

What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi. “For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,†he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether Iâ€m playing or not Iâ€ll still support the team.

“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You donâ€t have many days on this earth. Iâ€d rather be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.â€

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Mets pitching prospects Jonah Tong and Nolan McLean dazzled in the minor leagues during the 2025 season and were recognized for their performances at the third annual MiLB Awards Show on Monday night.

Tong, the No. 2 prospect in SNY’s midseason rankings, was named the 2025 Pitching Prospect of the Year and earned All-MiLB Prospect First Team honors after his dominant season with Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse.

The 22-year-old went 10-5 with a 1.43 ERA and 179 strikeouts over 113.2 IP combined across both levels. He was promoted to Triple-A in the middle of August and made two starts with Syracuse, tossing 11.2 scoreless innings with 17 strikeouts.

McLean, SNY’s No. 4 prospect, won the Breakout Player of the Year after flying up the rankings and impressing each time he took the mound.

In his first season as a full-time pitcher, the former two-way player owned a 2.45 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 113.2 IP and 21 appearances with Binghamton and Syracuse.

Both prospects earned promotions to the majors and gave Mets fans something to look forward to for years to come. The pitching duo, along with fellow top prospect Brandon Sproat, is expected to play a major role in 2026, which will mark their official rookie seasons.

Congrats to the Canadian Cannon! #Mets No. 4 prospect Jonah Tong is the 2025 Pitching Prospect of the Year! The 22-year-old led the Minors with a 1.43 ERA with 179 strikeouts across 113 2/3 innings. pic.twitter.com/HVsmN6Ge3I

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 30, 2025

This year’s best of the best!
Introducing the 2025 All-MiLB Prospect 1st and 2nd Teams! pic.twitter.com/uMQsH40PIM

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 30, 2025

Call it a breakout! #Mets No. 3 prospect Nolan McLean is the Breakout Player of the Year!
After starting the season off @mlbpipeline‘s Top 100, the righty impressed with a 2.45 ERA and 127 strikeouts across 21 Minor League appearances. pic.twitter.com/haSfkNGax3

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 30, 2025

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What is it about this side and set-plays?

For context, since the start of the 2023-24 season, Arsenal have scored 36 goals from corners in the Premier League – 15 more than any other side in this period.

Arsenal’s prowess from set-pieces ultimately turned this game on its head.

From the first, in the 84th minute, Arsenal took a short corner before Declan Rice swung the ball into the box.

Merino got there in front of Sven Botman to glance the ball in off the post.

And the decision to go short certainly did not go unnoticed by Match of the Day pundit Joe Hart.

“Rice was willing to do something off the cuff [for the goal],” the former Manchester City goalkeeper told BBC Sport. “That is someone who is not bothered about the problems Arsenal had faced, that was someone looking for a solution and, at that moment in time, that was the solution.

“When he needs to make the last-ditch tackles, that’s what he does and when he needs to do something special, like that kind of blind round the corner ball on to Merino’s head, that was a special bit of play that his team needed.”

Merino previously spent a season at Newcastle, but there was no chance of the Spaniard reining in his celebration as he punched the air.

But it was instructive that each Arsenal player raced back to their own half so the game could get back under way.

They sensed there was another twist to come – and it arrived in the 96th minute.

After going short for their equaliser, Arsenal went direct and another substitute, Martin Odegaard, set up Gabriel, who headed home at the near post.

The away end up in the gods could scarcely believe it – even though this side are making a habit of scoring late goals.

“That shows a lot and not only set-pieces strategy but also mentality,” Merino told Match of the Day. “Other teams, if they get six or seven corners and they don’t score, they start to lose belief in the qualities.

“But, for us, it’s a matter of keep doing what we do, doing it at the highest level and, in the end, the last one, the last second, we scored and I’m really happy.”

It is very early days, of course, but this felt like a timely test of Arsenal’s credentials as title challengers that the Gunners found a way to pass.

After watching champions Liverpool slip up against Crystal Palace on Saturday, Arteta’s team ultimately took advantage.

Rather than remaining five points behind, Arsenal have instead closed the gap.

“The character they showed today was as impressive as the result,” England women’s record scorer Ellen White told BBC Sport. “St James’ Park has been such a hard place for them to go, and they have had some difficult games there recently with maybe some things not quite going their way.

“We saw that again at the beginning of this game as well, so to show that grit, determination and togetherness and have the character to come through such a physical game – there were some big hits going in, with a lot of big tackles and relentless running as well – was so impressive.”

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The Florida Panthers played their third preseason game of the week on Wednesday night in North Carolina.

Florida faced the Carolina Hurricanes, who theyâ€ve defeated in two of the past three the Eastern Conference Finals.

Much like their previous trip to Nashville on Sunday, the Panthers did not bring any expected NHL regulars on the trip – other than expected backup goalie Daniil Tarasov – instead allowing their younger prospects and players fighting for roster spots to have another opportunity to show what they could do.

Carolina, meanwhile, dressed plenty of their NHL guys, including Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Nikolaj Ehlers, Seth Jarvis, Frederik Andersen and Shayne Gostisbehere.

Tarasov looked good in his first appearance in a Panthers sweater, playing the entire 60 minutes and stopping an eye-popping 47 shots, backstopping Florida to a stunning 4-2 win.

The only goals to get by him were on a great deflection by Carolina†Ryan Suzuki and off a quick turnover that led to a slot one-timer off the stick of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, both coming during the opening frame.

Considering the Panthers were outshot 19-2 during the first period, a 2-0 deficit didnâ€t seem that terrible.

Things didnâ€t get much better in terms of shot volume during the second period, but Tarasov stopped all 16 shots sent his way to keep Florida down by only two heading into the third.

Defenseman Ben Harpur, who got into a fight earlier in the game, got the Panthers on the board with a sneaky wrist shot from the right-side boards that got past the blocker of Amir Miftakhov just under four minutes into the final frame.

It wasnâ€t until late in the third when the preseason version of the Comeback Cats roared to life.

First it was Gregor scoring a gift of a goal after Miftakhov gave the puck away behind the net to Gracyn Sawchyn, who quickly fed Gregor in front of a wide-open net.

Just 1:16 later, Mike Benning fired a shot that went off the stick of Miftakhov, rolled up his arm and went just over the goal line to five the Panthers a stunning 3-2 lead.

Jack Studnicka added an empty-net goal to seal the victory for Florida.

Carolina outshot the Cats 49-16 in the game, but Florida played an excellent third period to shock the Hurricanes and head back home with a win.

The Panthers ended up going 4-for-4 on the penalty kill, including a lengthy 5-on-3 during the first period. Tarasov stopped all eight of the power play shots sent his way by Carolina.

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Photo caption: Sep 24, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Eric Robinson (50) tries to get to the puck against Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Benning (20) and defenseman Tobias Bjornfot (22) during the first period at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)

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Greg WyshynskiSep 19, 2025, 07:00 AM ETCloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.HENDERSON, NV — Connor Bedard didn’t take it…