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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been handed another injury doubt ahead of their looming derby clash at home to Tottenham, following the now-confirmed news that star defender Gabriel Magalhaes is set for weeks on the sidelines.

The Gunners welcome Spurs to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday brimming with confidence, as Arteta’s side look to extend their remarkable recent dominance over their fiercest rivals and strengthen their grip atop the Premier League summit.

Arsenal enter the 198th North London derby in commanding form despite a late setback at Sunderland ending their 10-match winning streak. They sit four points clear at the top of the table, and history suggests they’re well-positioned to maintain that advantage.

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Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal have won five of their last six Premier League encounters with Spurs, including three consecutive victories – their longest winning run against Tottenham since the late 80s (The Analyst).

Home advantage has proven decisive in this fixture. Indeed, Arsenal have lost just one of their last 32 home Premier League derbies against Tottenham, winning 19 and drawing 12, with that solitary defeat coming in November 2010 (The Analyst).

The Emirates has become a fortress against their arch rivals, with Arsenal having scored in each of their last 26 home league games against Spurs, netting at least twice in the previous eight meetings.

However, Arsenal have had numerous injury doubts to contend with, as they have for most of this season.

Gabriel is now reportedly set for at least a month on the sidelines after injuring his thigh on international duty with Brazil, with Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus have all been missing recently.

Riccardo Calafiori could miss Tottenham as Arsenal dealt another injury doubt

As well as this, star left-back Riccardo Calafiori, who’s been one of Arsenal’s players of the season so far according to Ray Parlour, was nursing a hip problem on international duty with Italy.

After checks this week, Fabrizio Romano stated that Calafiori is ready to play with no injuries, just ‘overload’, so Arteta’s latest update actually comes as quite a surprising twist.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, via football.london, Arteta says that Calafiori has been unavailable, and they’ll have to wait and see if he can take part against Spurs, pending another Saturday training session.

With Gabriel already ruled out, losing Calafiori would strip Arsenal of their two most versatile defensive options in one fell swoop.

If the former Bologna star is ruled out, Myles Lewis-Skelly is poised to return at left-back, with one of Cristhian Mosquera or Piero Hincapie replacing Gabriel. Calafiori’s been in exceptional form this term, so much so that Lewis-Skelly, one of Hale End’s latest rising stars, has barely got a look-in despite his excellent end to 24/25.

The 23-year-old would be a sore miss for Arteta, who is now facing a real selection headache ahead of one of Arsenal’s biggest games of the year.

Manchester United and England legend David Beckham cheekily trolled Premier League rivals Liverpool while browsing through football merchandise in an adidas shop. Beckham started his career at Old Trafford in 1992 and spent 11 seasons at United before heading to Real Madrid in 2003. He later played for LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain before retiring in 2013. He recently received his knighthood.

• Beckham cheekily trolls Liverpool

  Beckham was spotted at an adidas store where he was looking at a rack full of caps, which consisted of hats for both Premier League giants Liverpool and United, side by side. The former England wide man picked up the first cap from the United row and placed it in front of the Liverpool row to hide the Reds' badge. He then cheekily said on camera: "That's a lot better". 

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• Beckham's opinion on Man Utd – 'There’s still a long way to go'

  Beckham was recently quizzed by while in the Middle East as he was asked to share his opinion on the current United squad and their performance in the 2025-26 campaign thus far. The 50-year-old said: "I think there are signs of the manager turning things around. He has tweaked a few things and we are coming into a few better results. There’s still a long way to go and there has been a few games where we haven’t been playing as well. But I think we’ve got a good manager there and I think he is changing things slowly.”

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  Beckham to assist Amorim in Man Utd rebuilding

  Ruben Amorim is reportedly planning to call on Red Devils legends Eric Cantona, David Beckham and four other club icons in a bid to take his squad rebuild to the next level. United endured a nightmare 2024-25 campaign but have shown signs of improvement in the first half of the new season and currently sit seventh in the Premier League table after winning six of their first 13 matches.

  A source to : "Throughout his own career, Ruben always loved when former players and legends of the clubs he played for would interact with the team — sharing knowledge, stories, and advice about what it means to represent the club. Coming from Benfica, he understands what real pressure feels like and how to use it to grow — as a man, a player, and now as a leader. He believes these exchanges can help the players make the most of their time at United, both on and off the pitch."

Eddie Howe has finally got the better of Pep Guardiola now in a Premier League environment.

At the 19th time of asking, Howe managed to get one over on the highly successful Manchester City manager, as Newcastle United romped back into top-flight action with a 2-1 win at St James’ Park.

Newcastle were good value for the win, too, as Harvey Barnes chipped in with a double to steer the Toon to another memorable victory on their own patch.

How Harvey Barnes downed Manchester City

The former Leicester City winger is now up to six goals for the season in all competitions, despite his appearance against Guardiola’s men only being his fifth Premier League start of the campaign.

With a brace under his belt, though, he’s surely a shoo-in for more starts as the congested winter fixture schedule hits. Journalist Henry Winter simply described his display as “clinical” when powering two quickfire efforts past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Barnes would manage to put away those two efforts confidently, with just four shots registered in total. But, away from stylishly getting the better of the new City number one with his opener, the 27-year-old also managed to win three duels and attempt three mazy dribbles as a constant livewire.

The only worry will be whether Barnes can stay fit to keep up this electric form, with three Premier League goals now next to his name from limited starts. Across the last three seasons on Tyneside, he has missed a concerning 38 games via injury.

Thankfully, though, Newcastle have a rising star in their ranks who could go on to be a bigger talent than the Toon winger.

Newcastle's 18-year-old Barnes replacement

Howe has shown frequently throughout his time as Newcastle boss to date that he is willing to chuck a starlet into the first team picture if they’re deemed ready for the challenge of senior action.

Indeed, Lewis Miley first made his senior debut under Howe when he was just 17 years of age, while another budding homegrown prodigy in Sean Neave, occupied a space on the bench against City, all while still being a wide-eyed 18-year-old prospect.

Could Seung Soo-Park be the next to bridge the gap between the U21s and the first team?

The future certainly looks bright for the South Korean attacker, who excelled for Suwon Bluewings back in his native Korea at just 17 years of age, becoming the youngest ever player in the history of Korean league football.

One goal and three assists came his way from 28 appearances for Suwon, with Barnes reduced to playing all the way down in League One at around the same age with Milton Keynes Dons, out on loan from then parent side Leicester City.

Park has even been described as a “similar [player] to Mbappe” by Asian football expert John Duerden for his frightening speed when bombing forward, which was seen in the summer when Park was handed opportunities in pre-season, with three dribbles successfully completed up against Espanyol.

With two duels won against Tottenham Hotspur in another pre-season test, it might not be the wildest suggestion in the world to state that Park could be gifted some senior minutes in the bread and butter of the Premier League soon, with the Korean sensation hailed for showing a “maturity beyond his years” by academy coach Steven Harper when first joining.

Of course, the ex-Suwon winger does have both Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga in his way, too, down the left-hand side, but if he can manage to live up to all his early hype, he should be able to surpass those in front of him down the line.

Indeed, Elanga is yet to get up and running with zero goals for the season. Moreover, Barnes is also prone to a hit-and-miss performance in Newcastle black and white, having only managed five goals during the entire 2023/24 season.

For the time being, Howe will rely on Barnes, who is thankfully in a purple patch right now.

Yet, in the long term, don’t discount Park leapfrogging the Englishman, with a stunning Mbappe-style talent potentially on Howe’s hands.

9/10 Newcastle duo look even more important than Bruno G & Tonali

These two players stood out in Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Man City

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 23, 2025

Rawal, Harleen miss nailing down their spots as India build towards a home World Cup this September

Shashank Kishore24-Jul-2025

Kranti Goud – the breakout star

It’s hard to believe now, but the 21-year-old seamer from Madhya Pradesh, Kranti Goud, wasn’t in contention for the national team even as recently as April 2025. She wasn’t part of the ODI squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka until an injury forced seam-bowling allrounder Kashvee Gautam out. Goud debuted in the final, where she ended with 0 for 22 in five overs.Then, when the preliminary squad for the England tour was selected, Goud’s name was missing from the original longlist of around 30, who were asked to submit their passports for the UK visa. But when she impressed at the specialised skills camp in Bengaluru, she was a belated addition.Related

• Onus on England to process lessons from India series loss

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With Renuka Singh and Titas Sadhu injured, Goud came into the ODI series in England knowing she would potentially have to tussle for one bowling spot with Arundhati Reddy, since India had made it clear they were going to go spin-heavy, with Amanjot Kaur the other seamer in the mix.On Tuesday in Chester-Le-Street, Goud became the youngest India player, at 21 years and 345 days, to take a five-for in a women’s ODI, surpassing Jhulan Goswami’s record. Goud’s nip-backers and the ability to hustle batters made her a challenge for England’s batters. Goud’s use of slower deliveries and yorkers – like the one she bowled to dismiss Lauren Filer first ball – with England’s lower order looking to jailbreak were equally impressive.Her match haul of 6 for 52, which included a sensational inswinger that cleaned up Tammy Beaumont in the first over, didn’t win her the Player-of-the-Match award. That her captain Harmanpreet Kaur dedicated her award to Goud, while handing over a signed match ball with her bowling figures jotted down on it, showed how special the performance was. In a video posted by BCCI, Harmanpreet said: “It’s a great achievement for a bowler. We’ve been dying for a fast bowler like you. Well done, Kranti, you deserve it.”Like her statemate Pooja Vastrakar, Goud has shown all the attributes to be categorised as “fast”. Her dismissal of Richa Ghosh at the senior women’s one-day final on December 30, 2024 – a game where she picked up four wickets in a match-winning spell – got her noticed. Then when she sent back Meg Lanning at the WPL, Goud truly marked her arrival on the big stage. Four months on, he might have won her ticket to the World Cup.Harleen Deol (and Pratika Rawal) didn’t have that one standout performance that would cement their places in the side•Getty Images

Rawal vs Deol: No clear winner

Pratika Rawal’s solidity at the top of the order helped stitch opening stands of 48 and 64 in the first and third ODIs with Smriti Mandhana, but there was a sense that she missed out on both occasions. Rawal’s own scores in the series read: 36, 3 and 26. At a strike rate of nearly 70. Middling, not eye-catching. Rawal’s manner of run-accumulation – steady to start with and playing catch-up later on – worked against slightly weaker attacks like Ireland and West Indies. It didn’t in England.The pattern was somewhat similar with Harleen Deol, India’s No. 3, who made scores of 27, 16 and 45 at a strike rate of 66.16. Deol’s string of dots may have also led to Mandhana taking extra risks in the third ODI – she eventually perished in search of a boundary after making 45 in the series decider.There’s the obvious temptation to look at Shafali Verma, for her explosive style of play. While she hasn’t been in the ODI mix since October 2024, she is a part of the conversations. If the idea is to have one of Rawal or Deol bat at three, it’s likely they will trial there when India play Australia in three ODIs next month, their last set of games before the World Cup.However, if they are both going to hold on to their current spots, perhaps a conversation on their scoring rate needs to be had.Harmanpreet Kaur got to her century in just 82 balls in the final ODI•Getty Images

Harmanpreet Kaur is back!

All through the ODI series against Ireland, while the rest of the top order piled on the runs, Harmanpreet was out nursing a niggle. Prior to that, against West Indies, she made three quick starts, but couldn’t convert any of them. All told, she hadn’t hit an ODI half-century since October 2024, and had averaged 29 in 13 innings coming into the final ODI against England.On the surface, this wasn’t a real concern since the top order was delivering.But after scores of 17 and 7 in the first two ODIs, the captain needed to step up, and step up she did. Harmanpreet took till her 11th delivery to get off the mark, but looked mostly in control with her shot selection and timing. She even shelved the sweep until after she had passed fifty, and took the attack to the cleaners in typical style – tonking spin, hitting pace down the ground.Harmanpreet helped overcome the quick dismissal of the openers, steadied the innings with Jemimah Rodrigues, and made up for the middle-overs slowdown. Having underscored the importance of topping 300 in every innings, Harmanpreet had walked the talk in giving their four-pronged spin attack the cushion to choke England.”It was a very important match for us and I want to dedicate this to my dad, he has been waiting for this kind of knock,” she said after the game. “I was a little under pressure and wanted to do well for the team, and when you work hard the right time will come to deliver. Today was the right platform to deliver.”

Mexico closed 2025 with another setback – and another chorus of boos – after a 2–1 loss to Paraguay in San Antonio. Following the defeat, Javier Aguirre delivered one of his bluntest critiques yet, questioning both the individual and collective level of his squad. Winless in six straight, the coach acknowledged that Mexico remain well short of where they need to be ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Getty Images SportAguirre publicly questions player capacity

Mexico closed 2025 on a bitter note, falling 2-1 to Paraguay at the Alamodome and once again hearing the frustration of its own supporters – just as it did during Saturday’s scoreless draw against Uruguay in Torreón, a reaction that even irritated some players. The boos returned on Tuesday, underscoring the growing discontent surrounding Javier Aguirre’s project, which ends the final FIFA window of the year with more doubts than progress.

After the match, “Vasco” didn’t hold back. He openly questioned the level of several players and the team’s ongoing struggles to create consistent danger.

“There are players who want to and can, and others who want to but maybe can’t – they just don’t have enough,” Aguirre said. “That’s why we have to keep searching for the ideal XI, for the right way to build attacks and play out from the back.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMexico closes 2025 with six straight winless matches

The loss extended Mexico’s winless streak to six matches, something not seen since the Miguel Herrera era in 2015. The results paint a worrying picture heading into a year that will define the World Cup roster.

Japan0–0DrawSouth Korea2–2DrawColombia0–4LossEcuador1–1DrawUruguay0–0DrawParaguay1–2LossGetty Images SportCoach defends playing stronger opponents

Aguirre admitted that this stretch has been “bittersweet,” noting that the coaching staff intentionally scheduled tougher opponents rather than chasing easy wins that provide little real insight.

“It would be easy to bring in weaker rivals and win big, but that doesn’t prepare us,” he said. “These games show you who has the size to compete. Sometimes we fail. We’re not where we want to be yet.”

He also pointed out the advantage South American teams have by playing competitive CONMEBOL qualifiers, while Mexico has spent much of the cycle without meaningful tournament action.

“They’re in a fierce competition cycle – we’re not,” Aguirre added. “They haven’t outplayed us, but they’ve beaten us. That should worry us.”

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

Mexico will return to action in the March FIFA window when they face Portugal and possibly Belgium, pending confirmation of both matches. Aguirre wants to hold another mini-camp in February, which will include only Liga MX players, and the goal is to arrange matches against Central American clubs.

India will not host or visit Pakistan for bilateral contests, but their athletes and teams can take part in multi-nation events that also involve Pakistan, clearing the path for their upcoming fixtures in the men’s Asia Cup in September and the women’s ODI World Cup in October.Pakistan sportspersons can also participate in multilateral events hosted by India.The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports set down these guidelines in a statement, clarifying the Indian government’s position on sporting relations with Pakistan at a time of strained political relations between the two South Asian countries. The statement left one question unanswered: whether Indian athletes can take part in multilateral events hosted by Pakistan.Related

• UAE recall Matiullah, Simranjeet in Waseem-led Asia Cup squad

• Hybrid model agreed for Champions Trophy and ICC events from 2024-27

• Asia Cup 2025 in UAE starting September 9; India vs Pakistan on September 14

• India Champions pull out of WCL semi-final against Pakistan Champions

• No Babar, Rizwan in Pakistan squad for Asia Cup

The statement comes less than three weeks from the scheduled start of the Asia Cup in the UAE, where India and Pakistan, drawn in the same group, are set to meet at least once (on September 14 in Dubai), and potentially up to three times. It will be India’s first cricket match against Pakistan since the two countries exchanged cross-border hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack in April.There have been calls, in this climate, for India to boycott all sporting contact with Pakistan. During July’s World Championship of Legends, a tournament featuring retired players, both matches between the teams from the two countries had been abandoned, with the India Champions forfeiting their semi-final against the Pakistan Champions.With the Indian government making its stand clear, India now have official sanction to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup, which was originally to be hosted by India before being moved to the UAE in July.”In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India,” the ministry’s statement said.In a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, calls for India to boycott all sporting contact with Pakistan have grown louder•Associated Press

“With regard to international and multilateral events, in India or abroad, we are guided by the practices of international sports bodies and the interest of our own sportspersons. It is also relevant to take into account India’s emergence as a credible venue to host international sports events.”Accordingly, Indian teams and individual players will take part in international events that also have teams or players from Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in such multilateral events hosted by India.”To position India as a preferred destination for hosting international sporting events, the visa process for sportspersons, team officials, technical personnel, and office-bearers of International Sports Governing Bodies shall be simplified. In respect of office-bearers of International Sports Governing Bodies, a multi-entry visa shall be granted on priority basis for the duration of their official tenure, subject to a maximum period of five years. This shall facilitate their smooth movement into and within the country, in accordance with international norms. Due protocol and courtesies, as per established practice, shall be extended to the Heads of International Sports Governing Bodies during their visits to India.”The statement lays down in unambiguous terms what have been the Indian government’s unwritten guidelines for cricketing engagements with Pakistan for more than a decade. The two countries have not met in a bilateral series in any format since 2012, but they have faced off multiple times at the ODI and T20 World Cups, the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup.Pakistan have visited India for the T20 World Cup in 2016 and the ODI World Cup in 2023, but India did not visit Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Their matches, including their semi-final and final, were played in Dubai. The BCCI and the PCB have agreed on this hybrid model for all remaining ICC events in the 2024-27 cycle.

Standing at 2.08m tall, the fast bowler delivered a stinging blow to India in the Guwahati Test

Firdose Moonda24-Nov-20255:17

Best Test allrounders: Jadeja, Stokes, and… Jansen?

We all know the image that best represents the long and the short of South African cricket because we see it every time Marco Jansen and Temba Bavuma get together on the field. Turns out it’s Jansen who carried all the height envy, not the other way around.Okay, not quite, but now that you’re interested, hear him out about why he wishes he could shave a bit off his 2.08 metres, especially when he is playing in India.”I’ve always struggled bowling in India, whether it was white ball or red ball,” Jansen said at the post-day press conference, “And I’m still jealous of people that get the ball to squat and nip back. Yesterday was a perfect example. (I bowled a ball) that went over off stump because I’m so tall. For a different bowler, like KG [Kagiso Rabada] that’s hitting top of off, so I’ve always been jealous of those people where they’re a bit shorter than me.”The delivery Jansen referred to came late on day two of the Guwahati Test, at the end of his second over. He pitched the ball on a length. It seamed back in to KL Rahul. He left it. And it sailed over the top of the sticks. Rahul judged it well but Jansen was frustrated, knowing he had come close to bowling the India opener.Related

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A tall fast bowler can often find it difficult to keep the stumps in play. But there is a flip side to it. A broadcast graphic showed that Jansen’s short ball pitched almost a metre closer to the batter than Mohammed Siraj’s and still generated disconcerting bounce.Going short wasn’t the plan when the day began. South Africa’s initial breakthrough came when the spinners operated in tandem for 17 overs in the morning session. Keshav Maharaj had Rahul caught at slip to break a 65-run opening stand while Simon Harmer was at the other end. Jansen then replaced Maharaj and the short-ball barrage started because South Africa thought they were “just going to try it.” He bowled six in a row in his first over as a sign of what was to come.In the next over, Jansen took the catch at backward point that dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and gave Harmer his first wicket. Harmer also got the next one, when Sai Sudharsan was caught at midwicket. Jansen felt that was key. “The spinners did a great job and then I was lucky to capitalise,” he told the broadcasters.3:51

‘SA might set 470 target and keep 120 overs’

Jansen had Dhruv Jurel caught on the pull in the 36th over and that set the tone for how he was going to bowl for the rest of the innings. “When I got my first wicket with the bouncer, we said ‘okay cool, let’s see how long this is going to work.'”It worked for the rest of that spell as Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja were all out to the short ball sending Jansen on his way to pick up 6 for 48. Still, he didn’t think this performance has exposed a particular weakness in India’s batting. “Nitish Kumar Reddy. I’ve played with him at Sunrisers and I’ve seen him hit the short ball 50 rows back in IPL so I don’t think it’s a vulnerability thing. I just think it’s the game situation,” Jansen said.He was similarly complimentary about both Jurel and Pant but explained that Test cricket is “just difficult,” because “you have to absorb pressure and then you have to find a way and then you have to put pressure back on.” That is something South Africa have become better at doing over the last two years and were best at on a day like today.

I called the family – my brother, sister, mum, dad, you name it – just to get all those feelings and everything out.Jansen needed a bit of help to recover from being dismissed for 93 in Guwahati

Now as for Jansen’s claim about not bowling well in India before. It’s worth noting that he had only played one red-ball game in the country before these Tests, in 2019 for a South African A side. He bowled 15 overs and took 2 for 59. In ODIs, he has done reasonably well (17 wickets in 10 matches at 29.00), though the blow-out from South Africa’s group stage World Cup match against India in 2023 when he took 1 for 94 in 9.4 overs is clearly still a sore point. In the IPL he has 36 wickets from 35 matches but concedes at 9.40 runs to the over. All told, Jansen has been on nine tours to India, including five IPLs, over the last six years and perhaps the value of experience is starting to show.On this, his 10th trip, he has taken his first five-for in any format in the subcontinent to follow a career-best 93 with the bat. Still, he livid that a first red-ball century had eluded him. “I’ve never been in the 90s before in first-class cricket, never mind flipping Test cricket,” Jansen said.2:19

Philander: ‘Jansen made great use of his height’

Was it nerves, with South Africa nine down at the time, that caused him to hang back in his crease to defend Kuldeep Yadav, whom he had attacked all day, and chop on? Maybe. Maybe not. “I was nervous when I had 20. Definitely nervous. And I was nervous in my 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s. I was nervous the whole way through,” Jansen said.South Africa’s centurion, Senuran Muthusamy, told him to “just breathe” and “that helped massively,” but the disappointment was writ large on Jansen’s face when he was dismissed. He dealt with it when the team left the ground. “Yesterday, when we went to the hotel, I tried to switch off and blow some steam off. I called the family – my brother, sister, mum, dad, you name it – just to get all those feelings and everything out.”And to make sure he was focused for a big bowling shift. South Africa lost Rabada to injury at the start of the tour and went into this game with only two seamers in the XI. Jansen conceded that losing Rabada was big but “whether KG plays or doesn’t play, I always try to think of myself as someone who can also break the game open for the team,” he said.”I just try to give my best every time I get the opportunity and try to put the team in a winning position. Not having KG there definitely adds a bit of responsibility and pressure on myself and Wessie [Wiaan Mulder]. Nonetheless, we know we have the bowlers, we know we have the players in the squad to help the team.”Those same bowlers will have the job of bowling India out again if South Africa are to win the Test. Jansen suspects it will fall to the three spinners, one of whom – Muthusamy – has not been required at all thus far as the surface deteriorates.”It is a good wicket. There is a bit of pace, there is a bit of bounce and now, the ball is starting to turn a little bit as well. Some of the balls are stopping as well from the spin, so I think the game is going to go more to the spinners side of things,” he said. “I think the pace and the bounce will stay there, but for seamers, in particular, I think we are going to have to make the new ball count. It is still a good wicket. If you bowl well, you will get wickets. If you bat well, you will score runs. You are just going to have to figure out your way of doing it.”South Africa only need a draw in Guwahati to win the series and if they do, it will be their first series win in India since the year 2000.

Southampton have been granted permission following a managerial application ahead of Championship action returning, it has been revealed.

Southampton fan pundit calls for “experienced” manager

The Saints and Sport Republic have taken their time in regards to appointing Will Still’s permanent successor after sacking him at the beginning of the month.

A number of bosses have been linked with the St Mary’s vacancy, but it is interim manager Tonda Eckert who has been catching the eye after back-to-back wins against QPR and Sheffield Wednesday prior to the international break.

There have been suggestions the 32-year-old is in line to receive the permanent Southampton manager job, however, the pressure is on Sport Republic after a number of failures in recent times. Southampton fan pundit Ray Hunt even stated that supporters “want to see an experienced manager” come in.

“Sport Republic have appointed five permanent mangers in their three full seasons in charge. During that period, they have overseen two relegations from the Premier League, and one promotion with their only success, Russell Martin, but failed to give him the tools needed to succeed in the top flight.

“Moving forward, fans will want to see an experienced manager, who’s widely respected with a clear structure. We cannot repeat mistakes from the past. It is a huge task they simply have to get right. Take your time, give Tonda time in that interim, but ultimately make the right decision. The fans won’t tolerate another failure.”

Meanwhile, it has been added that Eckert is set to get the next three Championship fixtures to increase his chances of landing the role.

Now, it has been revealed the lengths the Saints have had to go to for Eckert to be in the dugout over the coming weeks despite already being employed as U23 coach.

Southampton apply for new visa to keep Eckert in charge

According to Sport 1, ‘Southampton applied for a work visa for Eckert for the upcoming matches so they could continue working with him’. It is claimed that the Saints ‘already received this visa for the next few games – meaning Eckert can continue’.

Tonda Eckert’s coaching career

Role

Years

1.FC Koln U17

Assistant manager

2013-2016

RB Salzburg YL

Assistant manager

2016-2017

RB Leipzig YL

Assistant manager

2017-2019

FC Bayern U17

Assistant manager

2019-2020

Barnsley

Assistant manager

2020-2022

Genoa

Assistant manager

2022-2025

Southampton U23

Manager

2025

Southampton

Interim manager

2025 – present

Eckert had a different visa as U23 coach, with the situation labelled ‘complex’ as ‘England’s employment law is extremely complicated, especially in football’, with clubs needing to ‘provide detailed justifications to the authorities as to why they prefer a foreign coach to an English candidate’.

Should Eckert get another positive result at The Valley this weekend and then again at home to Leicetser City and away to Millwall, then the speculation surrounding him landing the job on a long-term basis will only increase.

Southampton told to appoint new manager over Eckert who "ticks every box"

Alan Gardner is joined by Andrew Miller and Matt Roller to debrief on the Hundred and preview England’s upcoming white-ball series with South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2025After a month of the Hundred, it’s time to get back on the international treadmill as England take on South Africa in ODI and T20I series. On the latest Switch Hit, Alan Gardner is joined by Andrew Miller and Matt Roller to help get you back up to speed. Topics for discussion include Sonny Baker’s impending debut, Jamie Overton ruling himself out of Ashes contention, and “the end of the beginning” of the Hundred.