Browsing: players

Chelsea have registered 33 academy players for their Champions League group stage clash against Ajax on Wednesday.

The list of players includes former Chelsea and Brazil captain Thiago Silva‘s son Isago and comprises various youngsters aged between 16 and 19.

Sources at the club say the move is simply an administrative decision to add all in one go rather than on a game-by-game or a case-by-case basis.

The players have been added to an unlimited B list which means they will be able to be called upon for any of Chelsea’s remaining group stage matches.

UEFA did not immediately respond when contacted by ESPN.

– Terry: Managing Chelsea is ‘one last dream to achieve’
– Maresca treats Chelsea players ‘same way’ as children amid red card run
– Premier League table

Chelsea’s B list academy players:

Goalkeepers:Ted Curd, Max Merrick, Jack Austin, Hudson Sands, Toby Bell

Defenders: Genesis Antwi, Richard Olise, Harrison Murray-Campbell, Kobe Barbour, Harry McGlinchey, Kaiden Wilson, Olutayo Subuloye, Joseph Wheeler-Henry, Calvin Diakite, Isago Silva, Lewi Richards, Dante Waite

Midfielders: Samuel Rak-Sakyi, Jimi Tauriainen, Reggie Walsh, Harrison McMahon, Leo Cardoso, Landon Emenalo, Sol Gordon, Ollie Harrison, Yahua Idrissi-Regragui, Frankie Runham, Shaun Wade, Charles Holland, Ibrahim Rabbaj.

Forwards:Ato Ampah, Shim Mheuka, Chizaram Ezenwata, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, Joel Vidal Philbert.

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Magnus Carlsen vs D Gukesh (Norway Chess Photo) NEW DELHI: The chess world has recently undergone a mix of surprise and confusion after last weekâ€s announcement of the new “Total Chess World Championship”, a concept developed by Norway Chess and officially approved by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).From Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathiâ€s witty explainer video to fans debating whether the sport really needs another “world titleâ€, the buzz around this unexpected development is undeniable.However, what makes this move remarkable is its timing. Barely months ago, FIDE had been locked in a public feud with the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, the independent tour launched by Magnus Carlsen and German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner.That clash began in late 2023 when Freestyle organisers tried to call their champion the “Freestyle Chess World Championâ€. FIDE objected immediately, insisting it alone held the right to sanction any world championship title in chess.The disagreement soon became one of the most talked-about controversies in modern chess.

What Will Happen to Iconic Norway Chess Tournament After Total Chess?

Players feared being barred from official FIDE events, open letters flew between organisers and officials, and Carlsen even published private messages accusing FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich of breaking promises.The issue finally cooled in February 2025 when Freestyle agreed to drop the “World Championship†label, with TimesofIndia.com revealing how, in a private Weissenhaus meeting, top-rated Freestyle Chess players unanimously decided the 2025 Grand Slam winner would be crowned “Freestyle Chess Champion”.Now, just months later, FIDE appears to have taken a more flexible approach, formally allowing Norway Chess to use the title “World Championship†for its “Total Chess†project.“We wanted to create something completely new with a tour system, and we wondered if it’s possible to get the World Championship title. It would be perfect,†Kjell Madland, founder, CEO and tournament director of Norway Chess told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interaction.“So, I had a meeting with Arkady (FIDE President) about 14 months ago to explain our ideas. Over the following months, we had very good discussions on how to make this work together. I told him that this is the Norway Chess project, but we want FIDE on board because we want the title and also to collaborate on rules and other details.â€The negotiations were not without challenges as Madland, who is also the tournament director of Norway Chess, revealed, “Of course, there are always challenges, but if you are respectful to the people youâ€re discussing with and listen carefully while communicating well, both parties will work to solve the issues.â€Behind the scenes, Norway Chessâ€s credibility also helped.”We were no strangers to FIDE when we first approached them,” Norway Chess COO Benedicte Westre Skog said. “Weâ€ve been in the chess world for quite some years now, and people know us. We have also proven that we’re capable of delivering.”Perhaps the most interesting detail is how secretive the process was.According to Madland, even the top players, including Carlsen and current World Champion D Gukesh, were kept completely in the dark until after the deal was signed. “Before the deal was signed, we didn’t talk to anyone. No players at all, not Magnus or other players. So he didnâ€t know anything about this,†Madland revealed. The decision to keep things under wraps was deliberate as the organisers wanted to avoid speculation or leaks before FIDEâ€s approval. As per our understanding, Norway Chess and FIDE officially signed the agreement on the “World Championship” on October 7, and it was made public later on October 15.“Since the agreement, weâ€ve spoken with some players to get their feedback on the regulations, including Magnus, Gukesh, and a few others. But before the deal, no players knew anything about this,†added the tournament director.The “Total Chess†concept itself differs from Freestyleâ€s approach. While Freestyle Chess is based on the Fischer Random format and is unrated by FIDE, Norway Chess top bosses wanted to stick to rated forms of chess: classical, rapid, and blitz.That distinction may have been what allowed FIDE to lend its approval this time.

Poll

Do you think the new Total Chess World Championship is needed in the chess community?

By staying within the rated framework and maintaining a close contact, Norway Chess, already a proven innovator in the chess world with inventions like Armageddon, the Confession Booth, and more over the years, managed to avoid the jurisdictional clash that sank Freestyleâ€s attempt.FIDE, in turn, supported them without appearing to lose control over the “World Championship†title.But why grant one independent organiser the use of the “World Championship†tag while denying another? The difference, it is understood, lies in how the two sides approached the federation.With Carlsen only playing the classical format in Norway Chess, thereâ€s a sense that the introduction of this new multi-format championship, combining faster classical, rapid, and blitz, could see the world No. 1 competing for the new title, attracting more attention, sponsorship, and money.Whether it succeeds in unifying formats and bringing all elites of the game under one roof remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Norway Chess has managed what even the Freestyle tour could not.

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Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is the NBA’s highest-paid player in 2025, according to Brett Knight of Forbes, reportedly bringing in an “estimated $159.6 million in pretax earnings this season—counting both his playing salary and his annual income from endorsements and other business endeavors.”

He topped LeBron James ($137.6 million) and Kevin Durant ($104.3 million).

Curry will have a $59.6 million salary for the 2025-26 season and has a number of business ventures and sponsorships, which includes the Curry Brand division of Under Armour, the Unanimous Media production company and a number of businesses under Thirty Ink.

James isn’t far behind him, with his $52.6 million contract supplemented by endorsement deals with Nike, DraftKings and Amazon and a wide array of other business ventures.

Durant’s on-court earnings are paired with off-court ventures that includes deals with FanDuel, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Joe & the Juice, a number of other investments and his sports, media and entertainment brand Boardroom.

According to Knight, “the league’s ten top earners are in line to rake in $902 million this season before taxes and agents’ fees, a 15 percent increase over last year’s record $787 million,” with $380 million of that coming in off-court business deals and endorsements.

Those off-court earnings are higher than any other domestic or international league, with global soccer’s top-10 earners ($238 million) coming the closest.

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  Sean AllenOct 21, 2025, 03:00 PM ET

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  Sean Allen is a contributing writer for fantasy hockey and betting at ESPN. He was the 2008 and 2009 FSWA Hockey Writer of the Year.

Is it really enough for a player to provide almost nothing but hits and blocked shots in fantasy hockey? Can those categories pile up at such a rate that managers can overlook empty returns elsewhere?

Based on the early returns this season … well, yeah.

Take the case of Brayden McNabb. The Vegas Golden Knights defender currently sits 16th among all blueliners in total fantasy points this season with 13.0. Aside from a single shot on goal, 12.9 of those fantasy points have come from his nine hits and 24 blocked shots. He is the epitome of earning value through defensive hustle alone, but he’s not alone.

Jump ahead: Goalies | Power Play | Droppables

Player, PositionTeamPercent of
leagues availableFPHBSBrayden McNabb, DVegas Golden Knights57%12.9Andrew Peeke, DBoston Bruins86%12Nikita Zadorov, DBoston Bruins56%11.4Darnell Nurse, DEdmonton Oilers13%11.2Adam Larsson, DSeattle Kraken38%10.1Conor Timmins, DBuffalo Sabres99%9.8Jared Spurgeon, DMinnesota Wild48%9.7Erik Cernak, DTampa Bay Lightning96%9.6Tyler Myers, DVancouver Canucks80%9.3Mike Matheson, DMontreal Canadiens4%8.6Shea Theodore, DVegas Golden Knights28%8.5Braden Schneider, DNew York Rangers95%8.5Jake Middleton, DMinnesota Wild67%8.5Brett Pesce, DNew Jersey Devils97%8.4Auston Matthews, CToronto Maple Leafs0%8.4Simon Edvinsson, DDetroit Red Wings37%8.2Joel Hanley, DCalgary Flames100%8.2Thomas Harley, DDallas Stars6%8.2Victor Hedman, DTampa Bay Lightning1%7.9Nick Seeler, DPhiladelphia Flyers96%7.9Charlie McAvoy, DBoston Bruins5%7.8Alexandre Carrier, DMontreal Canadiens99%7.7Mikhail Sergachev, DUtah Mammoth5%7.7Travis Sanheim, DPhiladelphia Flyers40%7.7Adam Fox, DNew York Rangers1%7.5Alexander Romanov, DNew York Islanders71%7.5Ryan Lindgren, DSeattle Kraken100%7.5Dylan DeMelo, DWinnipeg Jets91%7.5Mattias Ekholm, DEdmonton Oilers46%7.4Radko Gudas, DAnaheim Ducks76%7.4Jacob Trouba, DAnaheim Ducks40%7.3

Why 31? Because it felt wrong to cut off the list right before this generation’s rock star for FPHBS. Trouba has either led the league or threatened to do so in this category for several years.

Matthews stands alone in a sea of blueliners here, showcasing his renewed defensive focus. One of the game’s top snipers has blocked 16 shots through six games. If the power play starts clicking for the Leafs soon, Matthews could quickly become the leader in overall fantasy points.

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What jumps out most from that list is how many of these names have little or no offensive upside, yet they’re carrying steady value week to week. Peeke and Zadorov aren’t even defense partners for the Bruins, yet both benefit from the team’s physical play so far this season. Peeke is second in the league in blocked shots, while Zadorov is second in hits.

Of course, the real fantasy gold comes when a player contributes in those physical categories and chips in offense. Theodore fits that mold perfectly. Vegas has leaned on a five-forward power play early, but with Mark Stone sidelined for several weeks, Theodore will reclaim the quarterback role. That means some added offensive punch to the blocks foundation that’s already keeping him fantasy-relevant — the kind of blend that separates useful depth from true difference-makers.

Mikhail Sergachev is another example, with zero points but a solid base from the physical stats. We know he’ll start scoring eventually given his role as the Mammoth’s top offensive option on the blue line.

Goalie notes

Here’s this week’s goaltending snapshot, showing crease shares, fantasy production, and key notes where relevant.

Buffalo Sabres in six games (four last week):

• Alex Lyon (crease share season/week: 100.0%/100.0%, fantasy points season/week: 17.6/16.2, 84.4% available)

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Shutting out the defending champs and earning positive points in a loss to the Avalanche, it’s not like Lyon is getting a soft schedule to earn these fantasy points. There’s no clear timetable for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to return, so Lyon has some medium-term appeal now that the Sabres have remembered how to score.

Columbus Blue Jackets in five games (three last week):

• Jet Greaves (crease share season/week: 59.8%/66.8%, fantasy points season/week: 7.4/5.4, 91.2% available)

• Elvis Merzlikins (crease share season/week: 40.2%/33.2%, fantasy points season/week: 6.0/0.4, 73.1% available)

Keep your finger on the acquisition button for Greaves, as this already looks close to a 50-50 split of the crease, which is all Greaves needs to be worth a roster spot based on how he closed out last season.

Chicago Blackhawks in seven games (four last week):

• Spencer Knight (crease share season/week: 71.6%/75.8%, fantasy points season/week: 18.8/19.0, 70.8% available)

• Arvid Soderblom (crease share season/week: 28.4%/24.2%, fantasy points season/week: 1.4/2.6, 99.7% available)

Knight is getting a ton of volume and doing enough to earn positive points even when the ‘Hawks lose. Already he seems like a goaltender worth having as a third goalie in leagues with daily lineups, as long as you bench him for the toughest of matchups.

Detroit Red Wings in six games (four last week):

• Cam Talbot (crease share season/week: 55.7%/49.2%, fantasy points season/week: 16.4/13.6, 63.8% available)

• John Gibson (crease share season/week: 44.3%/50.8%, fantasy points season/week: 3.0/11.4, 77.5% available)

Los Angeles Kings in six games (three last week):

• Anton Forsberg (crease share season/week: 50.8%/65.6%, fantasy points season/week: -1.4/-1.4, 98.4% available)

• Darcy Kuemper (crease share season/week: 49.2%/34.4%, fantasy points season/week: -5.8/-0.4, 19.5% available)

Kuemper is not expected to be out for a long time, but his absence could drag out another week or so while the Kings are on the road.

Montreal Canadiens in seven games (four last week):

• Sam Montembeault (crease share season/week: 56.6%/49.4%, fantasy points season/week: -2.4/-4.8, 26.1% available)

• Jakub Dobes (crease share season/week: 43.4%/50.6%, fantasy points season/week: 17.4/9.4, 84.9% available)

New Jersey Devils in five games (four last week):

• Jake Allen (crease share season/week: 53.5%/88.9%, fantasy points season/week: 12.2/12.2, 87.8% available)

• Jacob Markstrom (crease share season/week: 46.5%/11.1%, fantasy points season/week: -0.2/3.6, 42.7% available)

Allen gets the crease for at least two weeks. He’s definitely worth starting for the entire run if your lineup locks, but it’d be better if you could move him and and out of your lineup; To avoid the home-and-home with the Avalanche, for example.

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Jake Allen makes big-time save vs. Flyers

Jake Allen makes big-time save vs. Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers in six games (four last week):

• Dan Vladar (crease share season/week: 66.0%/75.5%, fantasy points season/week: 16.4/14.0, 92.1% available)

• Samuel Ersson (crease share season/week: 34.0%/24.5%, fantasy points season/week: -6.0/-6.0, 97.1% available)

Pittsburgh Penguins in six games (three last week):

• Arturs Silovs (crease share season/week: 50.2%/33.5%, fantasy points season/week: 10.8/6.0, 89.4% available)

• Tristan Jarry (crease share season/week: 49.8%/66.5%, fantasy points season/week: 13.6/8.8, 71.1% available)

Vegas Golden Knights in seven games (six last week):

• Adin Hill (crease share season/week: 51.1%/37.5%, fantasy points season/week: 1.8/5.6, 10.0% available)

• Akira Schmid (crease share season/week: 48.9%/62.5%, fantasy points season/week: 14.0/12.0, 95.0% available)

Editor’s Picks

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With the success the Golden Knights are having, Schmid becomes a must-add with Hill’s injury on Monday. Carter Hart isn’t available to the team until December, so any extended absence for Hill will mean a steady diet of Schmid.

Washington Capitals in six games (three last week):

• Logan Thompson (crease share season/week: 67.0%/67.8%, fantasy points season/week: 14.6/8.0, 9.7% available)

• Charlie Lindgren (crease share season/week: 33.0%/32.2%, fantasy points season/week: 10.0/-4.0, 46.7% available)

Power-play notes

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Florida Panthers vs. Buffalo Sabres: Game Highlights

Florida Panthers vs. Buffalo Sabres: Game Highlights

Josh Doan, RW, Buffalo Sabres (available in 89.8%): The Sabres finally got a power play working this past week and the ultimate combo was a little unexpected. No Alex Tuch, but Doan and Zach Benson were on the top unit. Doan managed three power-play points as the attack came together to collectively average four shots every two minutes on the advantage.

Victor Olofsson, RW, Colorado Avalanche (available in 97.8%): It might not be Olofsson that ultimately sticks and becomes fantasy relevant, but note that the Avs are tinkering with their power-play deployment as they look to sail out of the advantage doldrums. Olofsson replaced Artturi Lehkonen on the top unit Saturday, but they still didn’t manage a goal.

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Trevor Moore, RW, Los Angeles Kings (available in 97.2%): With an injured Anze Kopitar, the Kings stuck to their five-forward power-play guns, moving Moore up to the top unit. That means neither Drew Doughty nor Brandt Clarke are getting the access they need on the advantage, even with the team’s best forward on the sidelines.

Ridly Greig, C, Ottawa Senators (available in 97.8%): A mainstay on the top unit since Brady Tkachuk was injured, we can probably skip Greig on rosters for now. If this power-play unit heats up though, he can be a streaming option.

Dmitry Orlov, D, San Jose Sharks (available in 93.7%): John Klingberg is considered day-to-day, but now we have the answer about who gets to quarterback the advantage in his absence.

Nick Schmaltz, RW, Utah Mammoth (available in 31.6%): This top unit for the Mammoth has been very steady and offers fantasy appeal all around. Schmaltz is the most available of all of them and he quietly leads the team in shots on goal.

Conor Garland, RW, Vancouver Canucks (available in 44.6%): There have been three players on the ice as part of the units that scored all four Canucks power-play goals this season. Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson are no surprises, but Garland has been the third consistent presence.

Shea Theodore, D, Vegas Golden Knights (available in 28.3%): As mentioned at the top of this column, Theodore slides into Mark Stone’s spot on the top power-play unit as Stone is out for a couple of weeks.

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Alex Iafallo, LW, Winnipeg Jets (available in 96.7%): With Cole Perfetti still expected out for a few weeks, it may be time to consider streaming in Iafallo if you need some power-play help. He has what is likely Perfetti’s role on the top unit and has been picking up more than his fair share of stats.

Droppables

Andrei Svechnikov, LW, Carolina Hurricanes (rostered in 62.4%): Appearing on what is essentially the fourth line in some games, Svechnikov isn’t getting time on the top power-play unit either. He has been a volume-driven fantasy producer in the past, so without the volume, he isn’t going to help your roster.

Brandt Clarke, D, Los Angeles Kings (rostered in 57.6%): As mentioned above in the power-play notes, the Kings are very much committed to a five-forward advantage. That means Clarke doesn’t even have the opportunity to compete with Doughty for looks on the top unit. Neither of them will be there.

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Professional golf’s offseason, especially post-Ryder Cup, is relatively quiet.

The superstars are either at home or playing abroad. The FedEx Fall is a different kind of chase, with players either looking to play their way into Signature Events, find form that has eluded them or keep their card and full playing privileges for 2026.

Three FedEx Fall events have come and gone. Scottie Scheffler won the Procore Championship, Steven Fisk won the Sanderson Farms and Xander Schauffele triumphed in Japan at the Baycurrent Classic.

The fall season can be described as sleepy, for fans and media alike, but there are still noteworthy storylines to follow during the final month of the “extended season.”

The majority of the drama will center around guys fighting to keep their card and fully-exempt status in 2026. Joel Dahmen, who sits at No. 103, headlines a cast of bubble players who will need to grind out the next four events to get on the right side of the line and remain fully-exempt on the PGA Tour.

In pro golf’s ‘offseason,’ a rare, grueling chase emerges every weekend

By:

Josh Schrock

That’s where the intrigue for the Fall finale begins.

Fighting to keep their card

Joel Dahmen (No. 103):Dahmen retained his PGA Tour card on the final day of the season last year at the RSM Classic. That was when the cut-off was 125. Now, with the cut-off at 100, Dahmen is once again on the edge with just four tournaments left.

Now 37 and ranked No. 187 in the world, these next four weeks could wind up being critical for the trajectory of his career. The top 100 players get guaranteed spots into next year’s full-field events and the Players Championship. With field sizes shrinking to 144 (the Players is going down to 120), the difference between finishing 100 and just outside will be monumental.

Dahmen started the FedEx Fall at No.93, but he missed the cut at the Procore and the Sanderson Farms before finishing T69 in the 78-man, no-cut Baycurrent Classic. He has now missed nine cuts in his last 14 starts and will need to find something during the next month to keep his full playing privileges.

Isaiah Salinda (No. 101):One of several PGA Tour rookies hoping to stay on the top circuit this fall, Salinda has a fascinating story and an engaging personality.

The Stanford product is the son of immigrants from the Philippines. He has a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which forces him to watch his heart rate during workouts. Salinda also wants to be a new type of professional golfer — one who breaks the mold.

“Too many guys out here are just kind of cookie-cutter, vanilla shortbread cookies, you know what I mean? I’m trying to be different,” Salinda said during the rookie breakfast at the Players.

“Buddy, I talk too much s—,” Salinda later said. “To the point where I think not too many people like me out here.”

Salinda wants to stand out. He finished third at the Mexico Open and T11 at the Houston Children’s Open. But a tough summer has him on the wrong side of the top-100 line with four events left.

Harry Higgs (No. 118):One of pro golf’s characters, Higgs had just one top-10 finish this season which came at the Myrtle Beach Classic. He missed the cut at the Procore Championship and finished T55 at the Sanderson Farms, which has dropped him to 118 with four tournaments to go.

Lanto Griffin (No. 108): Had it not been a Ryder Cup year or had the Ryder Cup not been in America, Lanto Griffin might have already locked up a two-year exemption this fall.

He finished third at the Procore Championship, behind Scottie Scheffler and Ben Griffin, both of whom were only in the field as a tune-up for the Ryder Cup. That performance moved Lanto Griffin on the right side of the bubble, but a missed cut at the Sanderson dropped him back down to 108.

“Obviously, you want to win but keeping your job … I went to Q-School last year and somehow won and extended the life [of my career],” Lanto Griffin said at the Procore. “This week, somehow, it all came together. Going to come up a little bit short. Kind of wish Scottie wasn’t here but I know all the fans enjoyed it. Just proud of myself. … Playing good golf is so much fun and playing bad golf is pretty brutal on your psyche. I’ve put a lot of hard work in these last five weeks since Wyndham, so it’s kind of nice to see it come together.”

Griffin medaled at Q-School last fall to remain on the PGA Tour. He’ll need similar magic over the next month to get off the bubble.

Sam Ryder (No. 106):The 35-year-old had a tough year on the course. Ryder finished T14 at the Players and T25 at the Farmers Insurance Open but has not cracked the top 10 in a tournament this year. His best post-Players finishes were at the Myrtle Beach Classic (T13) and Barracuda (T14). He missed the cut at the Procore but went T29-T20 in Mississippi and Japan to get himself close to the 100 cutoff.

“I think the correct answer is let the chips fall where they may and focus on what you can control,” Ryder said at the Sanderson Farms about fighting to keep his card. “I can’t control how people play. Really I just know — it’s really more process-oriented stuff. I’m very aware where I’m at. You know it all year. You get a text every single week that tells you exactly where you are on FedEx. You can’t hide from it.”

Ryder has finished between Nos. 101 and 125 in six of his seven seasons on the PGA Tour. He’ll need to find a way to do better than average to stay on the big tour.

Lanto Griffin’s interview after Procore Championship

The Siggy Hunters (looking to finish in the top 60)

Garrick Higgo (current rank: 57):The left-handed South African is exempt on Tour for 2026 thanks to his win at the Corales Puntacana Championship. But a T7-2-T4 run through the first three FedEx Fall events has pushed Higgo inside the top 60 and has him on track to earn a ticket to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am and the Genesis Invitational via the AON Next 10.

The 26-year-old Higgo already has two wins in his PGA Tour career, but he could parlay his fall success into a breakthrough 2026, as Ludvig Aberg and Maverick McNealy have in past years.

Higgo is currently the only player who started the fall season outside the top 60 to move on the other side of the cutoff.

Wyndham Clark (No. 59):The 2023 U.S. Open champion had a 2025 to forget, which included destroying a locker at Oakmont Country Club during the U.S. Open and being suspended by the club for his actions.

Clark showed signs of life late in the summer, going T11-T4 at the Scottish and Open Championships. He is already exempt into Pebble Beach by virtue of his 2024 win, but he’d like to ensure he stays inside the top 60 to get into Riviera. Clark finished T48 at the Baycurrent Classic and isn’t in the field this week in Utah. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play in one of the final events to lock his spot up as he looks for a bounce-back 2026.

Michael Thorbjornsen (No. 72):The former World No. 1 amateur has gone T13-T29-3 in three fall starts to jump to No. 72 and lock up his card for 2026. After a shaky start to 2025 that saw him miss five of his first seven cuts, Thorbjornsen has only missed one cut since mid-April and appears to be in line to make a leap. A strong finish to the fall should set him up to do just that in 2026.

Rasmus Hojgaard (No. 74):The talented Dane has accomplished a lot in his young career. He is a multi-time DP World Tour winner, he finished runner-up in the Race To Dubai last season, earned his PGA Tour card and made his Ryder Cup debut this fall at Bethpage Black.

Playing in the Ryder Cup has sparked many breakthroughs, and Hojgaard hopes his experience at Bethpage Black propels him to a better 2026 on the PGA Tour.

So far, so good.

Hojgaard left Bethpage and teed it up in the Sanderson Farms Championship, where he finished T3. He backed that up with a T14 at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan and has gone from 87 to 74 in the FedEx Fall standings. He said he would play as much as possible this fall to secure his card, but a couple more good finishes could propel him inside the top-60 mark. Either way, Hojgaard has virtually locked up his card for next season.

Big names looking for form

Max Homa (No. 100):Homa is exempt through 2028, but the six-time PGA Tour winner is trying to find something during the fall that can propel him back to the heights he previously enjoyed during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Homa’s only top-10 finish of the season came at the John Deere Classic. He has gone T19-T18-T40 in three fall starts, so perhaps the arrow is starting to trend up. He’ll tee it up this week in Utah as his search continues.

Tom Kim (No. 94):Kim’s card is locked up through 2026, so he’s not in danger of losing his fully-exempt status. But the 23-year-old hoped to use the fall season to make a run at the top 60, but has stayed put at No. 94 after going 72-T11-T56 across Napa, Mississippi and Japan. Kim is not in this week’s field in Utah.

Billy Horschel (No. 112):This is Horschel’s first start on U.S. soil since he underwent surgery on his right hip in May. Horschel missed the cut at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and then finished T54 at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan. His card is secure for 2026, but Horschel can still try to play his way into the top 60 or at least sharpen his form as the new year approaches.

Ahead of his NBA debut on Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg has already been warned about what it’s like to go up against star big man Victor Wembanyama.

“I have obviously seen tape. I have never seen him play in person,” Flagg told reporters Tuesday when asked about facing Wembanyama in his first career game. “From what the guys have told me, he’s kind of something you have never seen before, and you can’t really understand that till you see it in person.”

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Wembanyama has shown the makings of a phenom who could eventually become the face of the league. The 21-year-old was named the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year and finished second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in blocks. His sophomore campaign was cut short after 46 games due to the discovery of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, though he led the league in blocks for the second straight year.

Flagg had also been pegged as a future superstar well before his freshman season at Duke, and he lived up to expectations on the college level by earning National Player of the Year honors. The Mavs lucked into the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft despite having less than two percent odds to win the lottery, and they unsurprisingly selected him to assume the mantle of the future face of the franchise.

Both Flagg and Wembanyama represent a new breed of do-it-all type players, as their defensive skills will be just as important to their respective teams as their offensive production. Still, with Wembanyama entering his third year in the league, he will be much further along in his development as he tries to help the Spurs end their rebuild and contend for a playoff spot.

The Dallas-San Antonio rivalry is one of the fiercest rivalries in the NBA, so Flagg and Wembanyama will be tied together for quite some time as they battle it out each year.

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Mohsin Naqvi (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman and Pakistan Cricket Board president Mohsin Naqvi has proposed organising an event in Dubai to present the Asia Cup trophy to the Indian men’s cricket team. The event is planned for November 10 following correspondence between the ACC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).”There was a series of letters exchanged with the BCCI, and the ACC has conveyed to them that we are ready to host Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his players with BCCI official Rajiv Shukla to take the trophy in a ceremony on November 10 in Dubai,” Naqvi told the media in Karachi.

Inside details of how PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi ran away with the Asia Cup trophy!

The Indian team did not accept the trophy from Naqvi after winning the final against Pakistan on September 28. After nearly an hour of standoff, Naqvi instructed the trophy to be removed from the stadium.The Indian captain Suryakumar later mimicked receiving the trophy with his teammates. The team departed without the actual trophy.The Indian players’ refusal to accept the trophy from Naqvi was linked to his position as Pakistan’s Interior Minister and alleged support for terrorism in India.Indian media reports indicated that the BCCI might address this issue at upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) and ACC meetings. The ICC Board meeting is scheduled in Dubai from November 4-7.”The ACC has written to the BCCI that a ceremony can be held in Dubai on November 10. Bring your captain and players and receive the trophy from me,” said Naqvi.India maintained a perfect record against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, winning all three encounters. The Indian players chose not to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in these matches.Suryakumar received a 30 percent match fee fine from the ICC for dedicating the first match victory to the Pahalgam terror attack victims in Jammu and Kashmir.Pakistani fast bowler Haris Rauf also faced a 30 percent match fee penalty for displaying political slogans in the second match on September 21. However, opener Sahibzada Farhan was not penalized for his bat-wielding celebration after scoring fifty runs in the same game.

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The Knicks make it official.

At Saturday’s 5 p.m. deadline, New York announced they have waived Alex Len, Garrison Mathewsand Matt Ryan, leaving Landry Shamet as the player to earn the final roster spot ahead of the 2025-26 regular season.

Shamet was the clear-cut favorite to get the final roster spot, especially after the sudden retirement of veteran Malcolm Brogdon earlier this week.

The 28-year-old guard was a solid bench option for the Knicks last season. Shamet appeared in 50 games and averaged 5.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in 15.2 minutes of play. His usage was lower in the postseason, appearing in 11 games and averaging just 2.4 minutes in 7.5 minutes per game. He was huge in the Knicks’ Game 3 win over the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. In that game, Shamet posted just three points and dished two assists in his 11:23 minutes of play, but was a plus-12 when he was on the court as the Knicks avoided an 0-3 hole.

As for those waived, SNY’s Ian Begley reported late Friday that the team was set to waive Mathews. Mathews spent the last two seasons with the Hawks while Ryan was on the Knicks a season ago, but only appeared in 19 games and logged just 68 minutes.

Len spent parts of last season with both the Kings and Lakers. He appeared in 46 games combined and averaged 1.6 points per game.

With the roster set, the Knicks now prepare for the season to start next Wednesday, when they host the Cavaliers for an Eastern Conference showdown.

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Arsenal should have sold Leandro Trossard over the summer, really: it would have made sense.

The coldest decisions often prove to be the best ones: a fact that has seen Bukayo Saka enjoy an ascendence to the throne of English football, and Mikel Arteta shift his crosshairs to bring in physical beasts over technicality in recent years.

For under £25m, Arsenal’s acquisition of Trossard over a flashier name in 2023 ranks as another example of sensibility over passion – especially when considering the trajectories of the Belgian and some of the other names the Gunner have been linked to in the years since.

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Leandro Trossard has come back into the Arsenal team – and been exceptional

Arteta looks on against Brighton (Image credit: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Yet Trossard reached an obvious crossroads last season: he was never going to better his Midas goal haul of 2023/24, and at 30 years old, his goals were now punctuating scatter-gun displays in which little would stick.

Arsenal have long struggled to sell at players’ peaks, and with three forwards targeted in Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Ebere Eze – not to mention the fact that Arteta had looked to use Mikel Merino on attack ahead of the Belgian – Trossard seemed likeliest for the cut.

Another set piece goal for Arsenal!Leandro Trossard gives the visitors the lead! pic.twitter.com/jhd5yTROWmOctober 18, 2025

It makes his start to 2025/26 all the sweeter, and Trossard has a new role.

The former Brighton man has always excelled in tight spaces, and with Arsenal finding even less room in the final third, Trossard has left his touchline-hugging role to come inside and combine with Eze, Saka and others – yet he hasn’t lost his penchant to drift, find space and play the ghost at the back post, as he did for Arsenal’s winner at the Cottage.

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But more significantly than that, Trossard was Arsenal’s oldest starter against Fulham. Arteta lost Jorginho, Raheem Sterling and Neto as his elder statesmen over the summer, while Martin Odegaard has been in and out of the team following injury.

Seniority matters. Arsenal have more vocal leaders but in the experience of Trossard, Arteta has found a calm presence who has a chameleonic knack of twisting his game around his team-mates.

When Riccardo Calafiori overlaps, the Belgian adds numbers in the centre. When David Raya plays long, Trossard is a runner looking to catch Gyokeres’ second ball. Even when truly on his game, he never does one thing exceptionally: he just does an exceptional amount to a good standard, getting the best out of Eze, Saka and even Martin Zubimendi with his movement and license to roam.

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Trossard controls the ball against Fulham (Image credit: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

And nothing’s particularly changed for Trossard either. This is simply a version of Arsenal that suits him so much more than ever before – he’s not the star, he’s a foil for others.

He is still the pint-sized, silver-haired hard-runner who put in wing-back shifts at the Amex, the false nine who impersonated Gabriel Jesus after signing for Arteta, the wingfielder who filled Odegaard’s time-sheet last term and the man who struck against Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Tottenham and inevitably, Brighton.

Sometimes, he is every one in a transitional 15 minutes for a young Gunners side who are still gelling. He loses the ball, he doesn’t dictate – but he makes life easier for those around him in and out of possession.

Trossard has been a brilliant signing for Arsenal (Image credit: Getty Images)

Trossard never does one thing exceptionally: he just does an exceptional amount to a good standard

“He has this quality to create these magic moments when the team needs it the most,” Arteta claimed after the win at Fulham. “And that intuition: he’s in the right place at the right moment.

“And that’s a huge quality for the team and a massive weapon for us, so [I’m] really happy. I think he’s been very, very good in recent weeks, and now we have a lot of players in a really high emotional state and performance level, which is really good to see.”

Few saw Trossard becoming anything more than a stopgap for a superstar when he joined, let alone this latest renaissance. In an Arsenal side that made eight signings over the summer, this latest iteration of an existing fringe player might just be the best addition of them all.

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This weekend, players across the Premier League are taking a knee in solidarity with the No Room for Racism campaign.

Players across Europe began taking the knee in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd in the United States, with the return of the Premier League following its COVID-19-enforced break seeing players donning ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the back of their shirts in support of the movement.

Players took the knee every week at one point but now sporadically make the gesture – so why is that?

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When do players take the knee in the Premier League?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Players only take the knee these days for selected matches.

The Premier League’s opening weekend fixtures saw players across the country take the knee, with the gesture since reserved for ‘No Room for Racism’ weekends.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

These weekends are dotted across the season with the hope of drawing more attention to the cause.

The 20 captains of the Premier League sides often decide to make statements such as these, with all of them agreeing this time around to offer the gesture.

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Many Women’s Super League sides have already decided against taking the knee in matches marking Black History Month, believing the act is no longer meaningful.

Of course, it is not mandatory, for players to take a knee.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

This weekend, Dominic Calvert-Lewis opted not to, while in the past, Wilf Zaha and Marcos Alonso have refused to take the knee, too.

The Premier League’s No Room for Racism campaign is separate to Black Lives Matter movement of the United States.

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