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Liverpool wonderkid Rio Ngumoha is “buzzing” after netting a “crazy” 100th-minute goal in the Reds’ dramatic win over Newcastle.

• Teenager impressed during pre-season
• Earned Premier League opportunity
• Made Reds history with goal on Tyneside

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The reigning Premier League champions appeared to have let two points slip against 10-man opponents at St James’ Park, with the hosts battling bravely to level an eventful contest in the 88th minute.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  There was, however, still time for 16-year-old Ngumoha to make history as he became Liverpool’s youngest goalscorer. His composed finish in the 10th minute of stoppage-time sparked wild celebrations and wrapped up a thrilling 3-2 victory.

• WHAT NGUMOHA SAID

  Anfield academy graduate Ngumoha told Liverpool’s of his stunning impact off the bench: “I’m buzzing! I’m so happy to score, especially the winner. A good moment, a special feeling, I’m definitely happy. You just have to come on and make an impact and thank God that I did that. It was just a proud moment.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ngumoha added on his well-taken finish, which saw the ball fizzed into the back of the net from 12 yards out: “Normally, last season especially, the academy coaches and even the first-team coaches are always saying, ‘Make the back post, make the back post.’

  “The fact that I made the back post is just crazy… when I saw it with Mo [Salah] and then Dom [Szoboszlai] putting it through his legs, I was like one-v-one and I just smashed it. The fans, I heard them screaming my name and that’s a sensational moment I would say.

  “But you can’t get too carried away with all the noise, like I said, because at the end of the day I probably do that finish 100 times on the training ground so it’s no different with the fans [here]. But obviously the fans backing you there, it’s just crazy.

  “I’m 16 but I don’t want my age to show that I can’t play with the older players. I want to prove a point that I can play with not just people my age but many ages above. But like I said, there are people at the club who are always helping me and I’m always learning and improving, so I can’t complain.”

Chelsea have brought back academy product Ishe Samuels-Smith from sister club Strasbourg only 33 days after selling him to the French side, with the defender immediately loaned out to Swansea City.

• Chelsea re-sign Samuels-Smith after Strasbourg exit
• 19-year-old joins Swansea on season-long loan
• Move comes amid BlueCo’s shared ownership model

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Samuels-Smith left Stamford Bridge at the end of July, joining Strasbourg in a permanent deal under the shared BlueCo ownership structure. However, just over a month later, the teenager has returned to Chelsea and was officially loaned out to Swansea City on September 2. The left-back was on the bench for one Ligue 1 match during his short stint in France but did not make a senior appearance. Swansea announced his arrival on loan shortly after the transfer deadline.

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  The 19-year-old’s sudden return is understood to have been influenced by Strasbourg defender Ismael Doukoure signing a new long-term deal, which reduced the French side’s need for cover in Samuels-Smith’s position. Chelsea view a Championship loan as a better development pathway, following the model that saw current captain Reece James excel at Wigan in 2018-19. Samuels-Smith originally joined Chelsea from Everton in 2023 for £4m and signed a contract until 2031 earlier this year. He had captained the club’s Under-21s but is still awaiting his senior debut.

• WHAT STRASBOURG SAID

  The French side released a statement after the exit of the youngster, which read: "Racing announces the departure of Ishe Samuels-Smith, who returns to Chelsea. The entire Racing team thanks Ishe for his commitment during his time at the club and wishes him every success for the rest of his career."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SAMUELS-SMITH?

  Samuels-Smith will now spend the season with Swansea in the Championship, where he will hope to gain regular first-team minutes. Chelsea are expected to monitor his progress closely before deciding on his long-term role at Stamford Bridge.

All summer long, GOAL handed out grades for the biggest transfers from around the women's game…

This summer's women's transfer window was a truly record-breaking one, with clubs spending more money than ever before over the last few months. That was headlined by some humungous deals, particularly that which saw Arsenal make Olivia Smith the sport's first million pound player and the Orlando Pride's move for Lizbeth Ovalle which surpassed even that. Then, a crazy deadline day saw both Chelsea and London City Lionesses fork out even bigger fees, to sign Alyssa Thompson and Grace Geyoro respectively.

But the big moves were not just the ones that involved a lot of money. A stunning swap deal between Manchester City and Manchester United on the Women's Super League's deadline day, for example, was one of the most eye-catching of the summer, as were many of the free transfers that took place all across the globe after the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign. 

GOAL has been here throughout the summer to ensure you know who did the best out of every massive deal as we graded each done deal as it happened, letting you track the big winners – and losers – of transfer season.

• Chris Lee/Chelsea FC
  

  September 5: Alyssa Thompson (Angel City to Chelsea)

  For Angel City: It’s not been an easy season so far for Angel City, who find themselves on the outside looking in at the NWSL play-off spots with just a handful of games remaining. Their hopes of breaking into the top eight have been further complicated now by the departure of Thompson, who has been their best player all year. If the club had been able to match the rise of their electric 20-year-old, who they drafted first overall in 2023, then their chances of keeping hold of her on a long-term basis would’ve surely been greater. However, an inability to kick on since entering the NWSL back amid much off-field hype in 2022 means Thompson has outgrown the environment and is ready for a bigger challenge. Grade: F

  For Chelsea: In isolation, this is a fantastic signing. Thompson is one of the best young players in the world and the manner in which she grew to become Angel City’s go-to match-winner is great evidence of how well she has developed since entering the NWSL two years ago. If she can continue down that path at Chelsea, where she’ll be exposed to different styles and thus round her game out further, she can be a world-beater. However, it’s hard not to feel like Chelsea needed a more established, proven forward, rather than someone who can become that in time. The Blues are desperately chasing a first Champions League title and they need more elite match-winners in order to get over the line. Again, Thompson can become that, but it would be a lot to expect her to fill that sort of role straight away in her first big move, aged 20. She's a great addition but not exactly what Chelsea needed to round out their window. Grade: B-

  For Thompson: There's no doubt that Thompson has earned herself this sort of transfer with the form she has shown for Angel City. Her performances for the U.S. women's national team have only further highlighted what a talent she is, too. There is growing concern about how prolific Chelsea are becoming at snapping up top young players as of late, with it starting to move from a healthy number to more of a stockpiling one, but the seven-figure fee paid for Thompson shows she is in a different category in that sense and should see plenty of game time. It's important that she does, too, in order to allow her development to continue in this promising manner. The 20-year-old is about to take on a new experience, come up against different types of opponent and be presented with different challenges. As long as she gets good game time – and Sonia Bompastor is a great manager for young talent – this can be a fantastic move for her. Grade: A

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  September 5: Grace Geyoro (PSG to London City Lionesses)

  For PSG: This is a massive blow for PSG – but it has been coming. It's only two years ago that Geyoro was incredibly close to leaving the club, with Chelsea heavily linked to the midfielder. Fortunately for PSG, they survived that scare and tied their captain down to a new deal until 2028. However, the Parisians just have not kicked on in the time since, falling well short of challenging Lyon for domestic titles while failing to make a mark in the Champions League. Geyoro is a world-class player and it's understandable for her to have grown frustrated with the situation. In a summer that has also seen Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Korbin Albert depart to strengthen bitter rivals Lyon, for OL owner Michele Kang to now bolster another of her clubs with Geyoro is a bitter, bitter blow. It should serve as a wake-up call for a women's team that continues to underperform. Grade: F 

  For London City Lionesses: This is an incredible signing. There are a lot of questions about just how London City will gel, having signed almost an entirely new squad over the summer, but there is no question that they have recruited insanely well. Kang has been putting so many clubs to shame with her remarkable investment in the newly-promoted side and they will have a genuinely world-class midfielder at the heart of their bid to be seriously competitive on their WSL debut. Grade: A+

  For Geyoro: It's no great surprise to see Geyoro finally leave PSG given all the shortcomings outlined above. It is a shock, however, to see her join London City. Now, this is not like any newly-promoted team. The Lionesses are backed by Kang's incredible ambition and finances, making them very different. That said, it will be tough to immediately challenge for trophies and European football. It must be a relief for Geyoro, though, to be at a club with such incredible aims, having spent so long at one that continues to stand still. It might not seem like an immediate upgrade for her but, over time, it looks likely to be. Grade: B

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  September 4: Grace Clinton (Man Utd to Man City), Jess Park (Man City to Man Utd)

  For City: Though the news of this deal was a shock at first, it does make some sense on City's end. Their squad lacks natural, proven midfielders and swapping Park – who is not always best-suited to that position against some opponents – for Clinton addresses that without leaving them light in attack, as they have plenty of options in that area. Grade: B

  For United: Marc Skinner has made no secret of his desire to add more forwards in this transfer window and this does that, with Park offering something totally different to the rest of the attackers United have. She has big experience, her best years ahead of her and can also play in midfield if necessary, ensuring there remains cover for Ella Toone. To lose Clinton at the same time, though, makes this move tough to grade well as it means United still lack the necessary depth to compete in four competitions. Grade: D

  For Park: It's hard to grade this move for either player. While Park is joining a side that had a much better season than City last year, and thus has Champions League football on the calendar, it doesn't feel like a step-up. After all, both Manchester clubs have been on a similar level over the last few years, unable to be a constant on the continent or win many domestic honours. It's also a switch that seems likely to see her play out wide more, rather than through the middle, given Toone's presence in the No.10 role and United's desire to bring in more forwards. Right now, it's unclear if that will be better for her or not. Grade: C

  For Clinton: Similarly, this is not a massive step up for Clinton, though her comments about not being on the same page as United suggest it's a little more a positive for her to have swapped clubs. There were a lot of questions last season about how Skinner would accommodate both Toone and Clinton and it sometimes resulted in one being benched or playing out wide. City, however, clearly have a particular vision in mind for how the latter fits into their XI, or they would not have conducted this deal. That is another positive for Clinton, though she will still likely have to compete with Sydney Lohmann, one of City's biggest summer signings, for a place in the line-up. Grade: C+

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  September 4: Lia Walti (Arsenal to Juventus)

  For Arsenal: Renee Slegers' squad was looking quite well-stocked going into the new season, but this move suddenly leaves them much lighter in midfield. There are ways they can adjust to cope with this departure from a numbers perspective, with the likes of Frida Maanum and Victoria Pelova able to play deeper where necessary, but an injury here or there in what is expected to be another demanding season across four fronts could leave them with a real issue. That's before getting to the loss of Walti as a player and person. The Switzerland star, who was one of Arsenal's captains, might not have started lots last season but she was often a game-changing introduction as a substitute if not excelling as a starter, bringing her experience and composure on the ball to big moments. This is a blow both on and off the pitch for the European champions. Grade: D

  For Juventus: Arsenal's loss is Juventus' gain, with the Italian champions set to add an extremely intelligent and experienced midfielder to their starting XI. No one in Juve's squad in that area of the park is close to Walti in terms of the level and leadership she can bring to the table, meaning this represents a serious upgrade in a vital position while also providing the younger, more inexperienced midfielders with someone to learn from. It's hard to pick many faults in this move from a Juventus perspective. Grade: A

  For Walti: It makes sense that Walti would want to leave Arsenal at this point. She departs on an incredible high, having helped the Gunners to win the Champions League back in May, and now has the opportunity to be a regular starter and a key figure again at a big club, in Juventus. She hasn't been that in north London as of late and the feeling that this is a big season for Kyra Cooney-Cross, the 23-year-old who is nine years Walti's junior, makes it difficult to see that changing. It's the right time for her, even if it's a blow to Arsenal. Grade: A

The selection of Xavier Marshall, Saurabh Netravalkar and Sunny Sohal in the USA squad is only the latest instance of the selectors falling back on imports from the Caribbean and the subcontinent in the pursuit of the holy grail of ODI status

Peter Della Penna23-Jan-2018When the ICC took the decision to expel the USACA midway through 2017, it was the most tangible representation that the country was getting a clean slate for its cricket. More tangible signs followed later in the year when a new logo and website were unfurled for the new governing body, USA Cricket.But given the opportunity to start with a clean slate when it comes to a successful national team selection strategy, which they appeared to do to break the country’s Auty Cup drought in 2017, USA Cricket’s first move in 2018 has drifted toward “more of the same” from the old USACA regime. Specifically, it’s the tried and mostly failed strategy of calling upon former internationals and former first-class professionals to rescue USA from the Division Three doldrums and take them to the promised land of ODI status.In the past, this selection strategy was semi-restrained thanks to the maximum of two four-year resident players in a starting XI under the ICC’s formerly stringent eligibility guidelines. But the lifting of that rule, along with a lowering of the ICC’s residency eligibility threshold from four years to three, has resulted in the selection strategy being hopped up on amphetamines with Xavier Marshall, Saurabh Netravalkar and Sunny Sohal rushed straight into the USA squad all at once.When such a player – or three – with overseas professional experience appears, administrators and selectors tend to lose all self-control, believing Christmas has come early. Giddy with excitement, they go to bed dreaming of more sugarplum pros dancing in their heads. But USA’s cricket has been stuck in a very, very long winter nap and when these administrators spring up from their beds, tear up the shutters and throw up the sash, they never find a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer pulling a bundle of World Cup appearances with them.The reality is that the strategy of picking former internationals from other countries who have made USA their new home has rarely led to success for the country. Two of the most prominent examples of the failed strategy have come in the last five years at ICC qualification tournaments.After Orlando Baker captained USA to an 8-0 record in the ICC Americas regional qualifier in March 2013, he was pushed aside in favour of 41-year-old former West Indies spinner Neil McGarrell for the World T20 Qualifier that November. Despite having already demonstrated fitness issues due to his advanced age – he broke down with a hamstring injury in the final match of round-robin play against Bermuda at WCL Division Three – McGarrell was retained for the T20 Qualifier in the UAE where he took two wickets in five games before missing the last two matches due to injury. USA also cut loose younger fast bowlers in favor of 38-year-old former West Indies quick Adam Sanford, who finished with three wickets in three games as USA finished last in their group with a 1-5 record.A year later, USACA selectors rolled the dice on Jermaine Lawson, whose West Indies career never got back on track after he was reported for a suspect bowling action, first in 2003 and then again in 2005. When he toured Malaysia with USA for WCL Division Three in October 2014, he did so with a pinched nerve in his bowling arm. After three matches, the nerve ailment flared up and he could no longer take the field, leaving USA a bowler short in a tournament where they finished in the bottom two, relegated to Division Four. Like McGarrell and Sanford, Lawson hasn’t been heard from again.When USA has resisted the urge to call all former West Indian hands on deck, they have actually fared not so badly. At the 2015 World T20 Qualifier in Ireland, a very young side nearly qualified for the main event in India despite missing their best player in batsman Steven Taylor – who was with Barbados Tridents at the CPL. USA went 3-3 in group play, giving Ireland a serious fight in a pivotal loss before notching wins over Papua New Guinea and eventual qualifiers Hong Kong. Of the 15-man squad, seven were former USA U-19 players while another five had represented regional U-19 sides at USACA junior tournaments.The one rare but very significant success USA achieved that administrators can point at to show the expat ringer strategy can work was all the way back in 2004 when 42-year-old Clayton Lambert was drafted into the USA squad to make his debut at the ICC Six-Nations Challenge in the UAE. Lambert finished as USA’s leading scorer with 214 runs at an average of 107 as USA beat out Canada, Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia and UAE for a spot at the 2004 Champions Trophy.Yet, USA’s subsequent Champions Trophy performance featuring a squad flooded with over-40s like Lambert undid all that goodwill and provided an equally strong counterargument to the merits of relying on West Indian and South Asian expats who are past their use-by date. Lopsided losses to New Zealand and Australia, and the strident criticism that followed from Ricky Ponting, arguably contributed to Associates never again being part of the tournament.The glass-half-full view of the current USA squad compared to previous incarnations that included players such as Lambert, McGarrell and Sanford is that unlike those three, Marshall (age 31) Netravalkar (26) and Sohal (30) all have time and fitness on their side. Their selection for the upcoming West Indies Super50 is not meant to be a one-and-done roll of the dice to reclaim past glory but ideally the first stage of a lengthy partnership between the parties.In particular, Netravalkar’s story arc is similar to that of another former India Under-19 player who made a new life for himself in the USA in his early 20s, Sushil Nadkarni. In neither case was the player past their prime when they left India but instead it can be argued they intentionally opted to forego a professional cricket career in favor of furthering their education in America. Nadkarni averaged over 50 in one-day cricket in an illustrious career for USA from 2006 to 2014 after making his debut as a 30-year-old and Netravalkar has the capacity over time to make an equally significant impact with the ball.But the appeal to recruit the services of Netravalkar, Sohal and Marshall is the what. Of greater concern is the why. Why is there a desire to continue seeking out these types of players when they immediately become eligible instead of giving more opportunities to locally developed talent?A big reason is that the existing infrastructure fails to not only develop talent, but in some ways has a noticeably detrimental effect, tearing down skills and techniques established in better conditions. This is seen in multiple areas: lack of 50-over competitions, too many teams and the consequent thinning out of talent within premier divisions, lack of turf wickets, and poorly maintained outfields.When it comes to the false impression local infrastructure can have on batting and bowling, a good example is batsman Fahad Babar. He has scored multiple double-hundreds in league cricket, including 278 in a 30-over match a few years ago. But after a hot start to his national-team career he began to cool off late in 2016. In an effort to improve his game, USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake organized a seven-match stint in the B Division of Sri Lanka’s first-class competition. Babar totaled 187 runs in 14 innings with a best of 36. It highlighted the gulf in standards that exist between Chicago league cricket – 30-over matches played on artificial wickets – compared to matches utilising internationally regulated conditions.Current USA captain Ibrahim Khaleel openly admits to avoiding Chicago league cricket, save a few matches, instead choosing to focus mainly on net sessions, fitness and mental preparation ahead of tournaments with USA. After a lengthy Ranji Trophy career with Hyderabad, Khaleel believes playing on non-turf wickets adversely affects his technique. Former USA bowler Usman Shuja, the country’s leading wicket-taker in one-day cricket, similarly chose to play only a handful of club matches a year in Texas because he felt the casual approach of league opposition hindered his national-team preparation.Another case in point about the quality of American club cricket is allrounder Nisarg Patel. He left California in 2007 to attend university in England partly to help develop his game. He was a leading performer in the Essex League, taking 31 wickets in 2012, just three behind New Zealand legspinner Todd Astle. When he returned to Los Angeles, Nisarg put in a dominant performance at the 2014 USACA National Championship in Florida and was named tournament MVP.Nisarg Patel with USACA selection chairman Barney Jones•Peter Della PennaBut a quirk in the ICC’s eligibility guidelines meant that despite having played for USA at the 2006 Under-19 World Cup, Nisarg had to re-qualify due to spending too much time out of the USA while getting his bachelors and masters degrees in the UK. By the time he was called up to play for USA’s senior team in 2017, his game had stagnated partly due to a watered-down league standard, even though he is playing in a 50-over competition in Los Angeles on the best turf-wicket facilities in the country. If that is the case for Nisarg, what hope is there for players like Babar or anyone else to close the gap at international level by playing less than 50 overs on artificial wickets against substandard league-level opposition?So it’s no wonder the default fallback route is to call on the likes of Marshall, Netravalkar and Sohal, not to mention the recently installed 35-year-old Khaleel as captain along with Roy Silva, the 37-year-old former first-class pro from Sri Lanka. And if they can help propel USA up to Division One, a spot in the WCL Championship and 2020 World T20 over the next 24 months, there’s a strong chance opportunities for local talent will be even tougher to come by.As has happened in other Associate teams like Netherlands, the appeal for passport holders to get exposure by testing their skills at high-profile events such as the World T20 may spark interest and availability in US citizens playing overseas. Among those already known to be on the USA radar is 22-year-old Durham opening batsman Cameron Steel, who impressed with a best of 77 in the Royal London One-Day Cup against a Test-standard Nottinghamshire bowling unit before scoring 224 in the County Championship later in the summer against Leicestershire.Other US citizens plying their skills abroad include 27-year-old Victoria and Hampshire seam-bowling Ian Holland, 23-year-old former Canterbury Under-19 batsman David Wakefield, 19-year-old Surrey junior and former USA Under-19 captain Alex Shoff and 27-year-old New South Wales-based spinning allrounder Ryan Corns, who represented USA at the 2010 Under-19 World Cup and the senior team from 2011 to 2013 and is now excelling with Sydney Cricket Club in grade cricket. The examples of Corns and Shoff support Dassanayake’s recent call for USA’s junior players to raise their game by training and playing overseas. Anyone without significant overseas experience is behind the eight-ball.USACA received much-deserved blame for failing to rectify long-standing infrastructural woes. Former Associates such as Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Ireland, who were all behind USA through the 1980s and 90s, worked hard at cultivating strong infrastructures that allowed them to leave USA in their wake.The onus is now on the new USA Cricket administration to get things right. It won’t happen overnight and will take significant public and private financial support, but until they begin to address core issues such as infrastructure development and streamlining standards of play across leagues around the country, the cycle of local players overlooked in favor of expat ringers will understandably carry on.

Unbeaten Chelsea ran away with the title for the sixth-straight season, but there were plenty of talking points all the way down the table

And so another Women's Super League season comes to a close. It was certainly a memorable one, with Chelsea hitting remarkably new heights with their sixth league title in a row. The Blues went without defeat all year in the competition, while breaking their own record for points accrued and equalling that for most wins. It has not been a bad way for Sonia Bompastor's tenure to begin – and it could get better yet, with the FA Cup final to come this weekend.

There wasn't a great deal of change in the spots immediately below them, either. Arsenal, in the Champions League final later this month, qualified for Europe again by finishing second, with Manchester United to join them on the continent after recovering from the disappointment of missing out last time around. Again, the Red Devils' season can still get better, too, as they will be out to defend their FA Cup when they take on Chelsea at Wembley in a few days' time.

But it wasn't all smiles. This was a massively underwhelming season for Manchester City, for a plethora of reasons, and it was Crystal Palace who occupied that unwanted relegation spot, forcing them to return to the second-tier just 12 months after getting out of it. They were not the only sides left disappointed by this year's events, either, as GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from the 2024-25 WSL season…

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  WINNER: Sonia Bompastor

  Replacing Emma Hayes after her incredible 12-year stint in charge of Chelsea was never going to be easy for any manager, and yet Sonia Bompastor has made it look so. The former Lyon boss spoke before the season about how, while she couldn't improve on the Blues' position in the league, as reigning champions, she knew they could aim for another title and to break records. That's exactly what they have done.

  By clinching the WSL trophy with two games to spare, Chelsea won the competition earlier than any other team has managed before; by avoiding defeat to Liverpool on the final day, they became the first side in the league's 22-game era to go unbeaten; and by finding a late winner in that last outing, they broke their own record for most points in a season and matched the record for the most wins.

  "It's been the smoothest transition I've ever experienced," Millie Bright told on Saturday. "From the first day she came in, [Bompastor] excited us." That's a huge credit to the coach and her staff, who could yet lead the Blues to just a second-ever treble next week with victory in the FA Cup final. It's been quite the first season.

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  LOSER: Manchester City

  When Manchester City opted to make a change in the dugout just five days before their League Cup final clash with Chelsea, it felt like a massive risk. Head coach Gareth Taylor had been under pressure at various points in his tenure, and some criticisms of him were valid, but there was surely little that his replacement, former boss Nick Cushing, could do with this squad given the injury crisis it was enduring.

  Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood both missed several months after having knee surgeries in November and December, respectively, and only returned in the final few weeks of the campaign; Vivianne Miedema had a knee surgery of her own in October and, after returning to some promising form in the New Year, had her season ended early after picking up a problem on international duty; while star striker Khadija Shaw had a spell on the sidelines before Christmas and then didn't play again after that League Cup final in mid-March.

  Then there is Risa Shimizu, who missed the whole season; Rebecca Knaak, who joined in January and then was out for two months with a hamstring injury; Mary Fowler, who sustained an ACL injury in April; plus Aoba Fujino, Ayaka Yamashita, Jill Roord and so many more who had to miss notable time.

  But City opted for a managerial change at a surprising time, ahead of a four-game series with reigning WSL champions Chelsea across three competitions. Cushing had to come in and deliver immediately, working with a group that was massively depleted and featured only one or two names he had previously coached. It seemed highly unlikely to work and, in the end, it didn't.

  Would Taylor have fared better? That's a hypothetical we'll never know the answer to. One thing is for sure, though: He could not have fared worse.

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  WINNER: Alessia Russo

  There has never been much doubt that Alessia Russo is a fantastic all-round footballer. With a wonderful ability to hold the ball up and link play, the questions around her have instead been related to the goal-scoring instincts needed to be a top No.9. This season, she has answered those in her most impressive fashion to date, sharing the WSL Golden Boot with Man City star Khadija Shaw after equalling her best-ever return of 12 goals in the competition.

  It feels like a really significant season in the Arsenal striker's development. She looks more assured than ever in front of goal, posting some of her most clinical statistics in areas aside from the actual strikes themselves, and that has also helped propel the Gunners into the Champions League final which will take place at the end of the month.

  Can Russo go up another level yet? Former head coach Jonas Eidevall previously shared his belief that she could be a 20-goal striker. Russo has hit that mark in all competitions to contribute to a strong season for Arsenalm and there is reason to believe she can progress further to remain among the WSL's deadliest centre-forwards, based on what she has shown this past year.

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  LOSER: Sam Kerr

  Chelsea have had a remarkable season. On Saturday, the Blues lifted their sixth-successive WSL title, doing so after becoming the first team in the competition's 22-game era to go unbeaten all season and having broken their own record for the most points accrued in a single campaign. But missing from all of that on-pitch success has been Sam Kerr.

  The Australia star suffering a devastating ACL injury in January of last year while Chelsea were away on a warm weather training camp. It's an injury that is all too common in the women's game and can often be more complicated for some unfortunate players, with Catarina Macario, Kerr's club-mate, enduring almost two years on the sidelines after her own ACL tear.

  Kerr's case has been similarly tough. While there was hope that she could be back to contribute to the second half of the Blues' season, she's still yet to return to action at all. Success has still come Chelsea's way in spades this year, but Kerr will have found it hard to watch them lose another Champions League semi-final to Barcelona, knowing she could've made a difference if fit, and even if there might not have been much else that could've gone right for her team in the WSL, the league has still been deprived of the joy of watching one of the world's best for far too long. It's not just Chelsea fans that will hope to see her back as soon as possible.

Como president Mirwan Suwarso has confirmed that head coach Cesc Fabregas will not leave the club this summer, emphasising on his key role.

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• Fabregas linked with a switch to Inter
• Attracting interest after impressing at Como
• President clarifies the situation

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Fabregas will remain at Como despite recent reports linking him to a move to Inter. The club’s president has firmly denied any agreement with the Serie A giants, reaffirming that the former star midfielder is central to Como’s long-term project. Fabregas played a key role in the club’s rise both on and off the pitch, guiding the newcomers to a respectable 10th-placed finish.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Fabregas' tactical nous, which helped Como punch well above their weight, has caught the attention of several big clubs across Europe. He has been frequently rumoured to make a jump to the Bundesliga, with Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig among the teams linked with the manager. In recent days, though, the Spaniard was heavily tipped to join Inter to succeed Simone Inzaghi, who is reportedly set to become the new Al-Hilal head coach.

  Muwarso, however, rubbished the rumours, saying: "Our journey is long, it will last several seasons and revolves around Cesc Fabregas, who will not leave the club."

• WHAT CESC FABREGAS SAID

  Fabregas was also present at the same event and acknowledged that he has immense faith in the project being built at Como:  "I really believe in the Como project. I started with this club because I was thinking about a long-term project. I don't want to end my career in a club where there is a project for one or two years, and then everything ends. I really believe in the long-term project of Como, I came here as a player and I am very, very happy because here I can work the way I want. We have the same goals and the same ambition. The president allows me to work the way I want, the way I see things. Fortunately we share the same vision, the same goal, which is to get as high as possible. Together we have become a really good team, in a small city, in a small club — because we are still a small club — but with big, very big ambitions for the future."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Although Inter are determined to acquire the services of Fabregas at all costs, the Como boss' statements might more or less indicate that he will remain at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, at least for the 2025-26 season.

A former Premier League striker is fronting a proposal to usher in the first-ever Nigerian grand prix in Formula 1.

• Ex-Premier League player moves into F1
• Tries to launch first-ever Nigerian grand prix
• Old striker is key person in African bid

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  states that former Burnley and Watford man Marvin Sordell, who is co-chief executive of Opus Race Promotions, is chairing a F1 proposal that has 'early support' from the Nigerian government. The plan is to host a grand prix in the capital, Abuja, in addition to building a kart track, hotels, a technology hub, and more.

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  South Africa has hosted F1 races before, between 1967 and 1993, but Africa has not welcomed the sport to its shores for more than three decades. The report adds that in April, Opus held discussions with the chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, and a month later, it was officially appointed to negotiate with F1 and the FIA, the sport's governing body, on behalf of the Nigerian government. There is still a long way to go, however, before this can become a reality.

• WHAT LEWIS HAMILTON SAID

  At the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton stressed the sport needs a race in Africa next.

  He said: "We can’t be adding races in other locations and continuing to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from. No one gives anything to Africa."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While Nigeria hopes to host a F1 race one day, the report adds that the most likely new entrant is Thailand after the country's government agreed to provide around £890 million ($1.2bn) of funding for the race to take place in Bangkok. That street circuit could debut in 2028.

Victoria were two wickets away from a win that would take them to the top of the table, but the weather played spoilsport

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2024The thunderstorms that swept through Sydney on Monday denied Victoria an all-but certain Sheffield Shield victory over New South Wales with the home side eight down when play was suspended after Scott Boland had claimed five of them.A win would have put Victoria on top of the Shield ladder, but the players left the field about noon and did not return, with NSW 116 for 8 and needing another 86 runs to make Victoria bat again.Tasmania now have a massive home match against Victoria from March 1. NSW, who had turned their Shield campaign around with three wins from their previous four games, remain in the final hunt in fourth spot, behind Western Australia.NSW resumed their second innings on 40 for 3 and Victoria snared five more wickets before rain forced an early lunch and ultimately ended the match.Boland, who will head across to New Zealand for the Test series later this month, starred with 5 for 41 and took eight wickets for the match. On the final day he uprooted Moises Henriques’ leg stump, had Ollie Davies taken at second slip and then found the edge of top-scorer Sam Konstas.His Australian team-mate Nathan Lyon played a crucial innings for NSW to hold Victoria at bay before the weather intervened. Lyon faced 47 balls in tough conditions to make an unbeaten 17. Mitch Perry struck twice but it wasn’t enough.Despite going frustratingly close to a win and top spot, there was a significant highlight out of the match for Victoria. Will Pucovski returned to the Shield team and top-scored with 131 – his first ton in the competition since November 2020.

Dele Alli has, after just one forgettable appearance for Como, reportedly been offered to Brazilian side Gremio.

• Moved to Serie A as a free agent
• Sent off on only Como appearance
• Brazilian clubs cannot afford wages

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The ex-Tottenham and Everton midfielder stepped outside of his comfort zone when agreeing a move to Italy late in 2024. As a free agent, the plan was to get his career back on track in Serie A.

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  Former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas took a calculated gamble on Dele in his role as Como head coach. He saw enough to suggest that the 29-year-old could rediscover a lost spark.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  That has not been the case as yet, with Dele’s solitary outing for Como seeing him last less than 10 minutes before collecting a red card against AC Milan – having stepped off the bench in that contest.

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  Dele has been working hard in pre-season, but claims that the ex-England international has been offered to teams in South America. His wages are considered to be an issue for clubs in that part of the world.

Martin Williamson reviews Wealding the Willow by Robin Whitcomb

Martin Williamson27-Aug-2005

The Weald of England – an area south of the Downs that runs from Hampshire through to Kent – is regarded as the cradle of cricket. It was there in the late 17th and 18th centuries that cricket took hold and developed, and by the end of the 18th century, the game was rapidly taking becoming established elsewhere.The reasons that the game grew there more than elsewhere are varied, but one of the most important was that there were wide open spaces and the ground was ideal – the lush grass on chalk was widely grazed by sheep and so permanently cropped. Gradually some of the open land started to be fenced in and basic pavilions sprang up. The legacy of this is that the Weald is home to some of the oldest and most picturesque grounds in the world.In this book Robin Whitcomb has set out to capture the beauty of the area, and 90 grounds are featured in a journey which wends its way from east to west. The subjects vary from the grand – such as Goodwood and Parham – to the tiny.As almost all the venues evolved as opposed to being built, they are also littered with idiosyncracies. At Balcombe in Sussex, the ground is on the brow of a hill, so that a fielder on one boundary cannot see his colleagues on the opposite boundary; at Tilford in Surrey, a 17-foot slope is compounded by three of the sides being bordered by roads – I know from my own painful experience that a chase to the boundary can end with the unsuspecting fielder jumping for his life out of the path of a car!The environs have similarities. Many grounds are inexorably linked with adjoining pubs; quite a few have ponds within a decent hit; wooden pavilions are to the fore, and although a few more modern structures have inevitably crept in, they are almost all in keeping with the surroundings.This publication is a reminder of the game’s roots. As a coffee table book it is an entertaining read, but it is not just pictures. The well-researched introduction puts the role the area has played to the game’s history into context, and any sides planning a tour of southern England, whether from within the UK or further afield, would do well to buy this when considering an itinerary. A few games on some of the grounds Whitcomb covers would make for an enjoyable and nostalgic trip.