Everton need to win against Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

It’s a strange thing to say, almost. Clubs seek victory each time they enter the field, but after just one win across seven recent top-flight outings, David Moyes’ side need to return to form at the Hill Dickinson and pause for the November international break on a high.

Crucial in achieving this will be the availability of talisman Iliman Ndiaye, who was withdrawn after an hour against Sunderland on Monday evening with a suspected knock, limping off the field.

The latest on Iliman Ndiaye's fitness

In short, Ndiaye has been cleared to play. The Senegalese winger has been nothing short of brilliant this season, with his return of four goals and an assist across ten matches.

But that hardly paints the full picture. It was the goal that counted at the Stadium of Light, but the manner in which the 25-year-old skipped his way into the box, wrongfooted one man, two, and then struck so sweetly past Robin Roefs, who was not wrongfooted but frozen in place.

He’s fast, furious and clever in his decision-making. So guileful. There has been concern that he will sit this one out, but Moyes revealed on Friday morning that the winger had trained as usual and is ready to play.

Given that Moyes has been so reluctant to start the 19-year-old Tyler Dibling this season, Ndiaye’s availability is crucial, not least because Fulham are a resilient and well-structured outfit, and his maverick nature could unlock that backline.

However, he’s not the only one who has the skillset to shine. Pitted against Everton at the Hill Dickinson will be their former star Alex Iwobi, and Moyes has found the Toffees’ new version this season.

Moyes must unleash Everton's new Iwobi

Iwobi was a trusty servant across his four years on Merseyside, and it was under Frank Lampard’s wing that he was resfashioned from an electric winger into a robust central midfielder.

Here the Nigerian’s creativity has been allowed to flourish, hitting 15 goal involvements in the league last year. Everton have missed this kind of player, but in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Moyes might have signed the solution.

Dewsbury-Hall, 27, joined the club from Chelsea for a £28m fee this summer and he has impressed across his nine Premier League starts, scoring one goal, assisting one more, and creating four big chances. Sofascore record that he won 55% of his ground duels and completed 71% of his dribbles, too.

This is a complete midfielder, and while he doesn’t shirk from defensive responsibilities, Dewsbury-Hall’s bread and butter is his passing, and this makes him the perfect solvent of Iwobi’s talent, for he could overpower him in his number ten role.

The pair are considered statistically similar players in the Premier League this season by data-led platform FBref, and the £90k-per-week Dewsbury-Hall could now prove his worth by stepping up and leading the Toffees toward three points.

Playing balls in behind is Dewsbury-Hall’s speciality. He has the athleticism to dribble the ball forward, but is designated as the Blues’ conduit between midfield and attack, passing through the spaces and creating for his teammates.

Iwobi has probably enjoyed the better season so far, as the statistics will tell you above, but this is a chance for Everton’s summer recruit to properly announce himself and become the “revelation” that former boss Brendan Rodgers said he was at Leicester City.

Fulham are a tough team, and they thrashed lowly Wolves last weekend after skidding to four successive defeats. One point and one place behind Moyes’ side, they will be hungry to cause an upset.

If Dewsbury-Hall turns up, he could not only stand out and overshadow his opposite number in Iwobi but also take Everton back into the win column.

Everton flop "failed a succession of managers", now he's saving Moyes

This Everton veteran is proving to be the unlikely signing of the summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 7, 2025

Allrounder Jalaj Saxena has decided to part ways with Kerala after nine seasons. *He will now turn out for Maharashtra in the upcoming domestic season.”It is a matter of great pride for me to join the Maharashtra cricket team,” Saxena said in a statement. “Maharashtra cricket has a rich legacy and I am fully prepared to contribute my best for the team. It is an honour to play alongside players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prithvi Shaw, Ankit Bawne as well as many talented newcomers…I sincerely thank the Maharashtra Cricket Association for the opportunity.”After making his domestic debut for his home state, Madhya Pradesh, in the 2005-06 season, he moved to Kerala ahead of the 2016-17 season and represented them through the 2024-25 season for a total of 125 matches.”It’s never easy to put my feelings into words, but today I want to share something close to my heart,” he wrote on his Instagram post. “I have played my last game in Kerala colours, and that thought still feels surreal. Saying this brings a strange mix of emotions – gratitude, pride and a little ache. Over the years, this team has given me more than just cricket. It gave me brothers, friends and a family that stood by me through every high and low.”I’ve given blood, sweat, and tears – everything I had – for this journey, and in return, it gave me memories and bonds that will last a lifetime.”Related

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Saxena amassed 3153 runs for Kerala and claimed 352 wickets across formats. Among these, in 58 first-class matches, he scored 2252 runs, including three centuries, and took 269 wickets at an average of 20.68, with 23 five-wicket hauls. During the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season – when Kerala fell short in the final against Vidarbha – he became the first player in the tournament’s history to achieve the double of 6000 runs and 400 wickets. His 269 wickets are also the second-most by any player representing Kerala in first-class cricket behind KN Ananthapadmanabhan’s 310.Across his entire first-class career, Saxena has accumulated 7060 runs and 484 wickets, with 34 five-wicket hauls.”To each and every teammate – thank you for making the dressing room a place of laughter, learning, and unforgettable memories. To the KCA, coaches, support staff, and the unsung heroes – the groundsmen who work tirelessly so we can have our game – my deepest respect and gratitude. None of this journey would have been possible without your support,” he said.”Cricket has taught me that every ending is just a new beginning. My heart will always beat for Kerala, and I’ll always carry these memories with me whenever I go.”Despite being one of the most consistent performers in the Indian domestic circuit in the last two decades, the national team cap has constantly eluded Saxena.

Fast bowler impressed in maiden Tests in 2023 but has barely bowled a ball since

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Mar-2025The 2025 season will be Josh Tongue’s second as a Nottinghamshire player. It speaks to the way things have gone for the fast bowler that he is excited to finally make his debut for the club.Tongue is no stranger to long periods on the sidelines. A previous 15-month stint prior to the 2023 summer led him to contemplate retirement and a move into coaching at the age of 25. He was suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome – a condition where nerves or blood vessel between the neck and shoulder are compressed – but Botox injections to alleviate the pressure (and pain) saved Tongue’s career.This time around, a rupture of his right pectoral muscle during the Hundred in August 2023 was followed by an aggravation at the start of last season. Having dealt with that issue, he was on the cusp of returning to action in Notts Outlaws’ T20 Blast campaign, but then he tore his hamstring. It was only at the start of 2025, on England Lions’ tour of Australia, that he made his competitive comeback.Indeed, 2024 was a bitter blow for Tongue given the strides he had made in between the two lay-offs. Having impressed on a Lions tour to Sri Lanka at the start of 2023, Tongue was thrust onto the international stage that summer, playing both Lord’s Test matches, against Ireland and Australia. He took five wickets on debut against the former, before pocketing Steve Smith twice on his Ashes bow, having already dismissed him earlier in the season for Worcestershire while Smith was playing for Sussex. He was also part of England’s limited-overs plans.Josh Tongue claimed a five-for on Test debut against Ireland•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesThat window netted Tongue the security of a two-year central contract with the ECB, who were enamoured by his high pace and impressive movement off the pitch and through the air. And the experience, along with the 10 wickets at 25.70, gave the 27-year-old something to hold onto during the toughest moments.”It was just like the end of the world,” Tongue said. “It was like, ‘How’s that happened? Really?’ Going through all my pec stuff, and then all of a sudden, I do one sprint session at Loughborough, and you just feel your hammy.”It’s just so cruel. But what I’ve been through in the past, I think that’s helped me mentally. Getting the right support around that has definitely helped me to where I am now.”I was out first with my thoracic outlet for 16 to 17 months, and then within the five, six months after that, I was playing for England. It just happened so quickly. So it’s just making sure, mentally, I’m in a good place, getting the right support. And even at Notts, Chris Marshall, our psychologist, helped me a lot during last summer. That just gives me the drive and the dedication to play for England again.”The winter has been very encouraging. Tongue attended a Lions bowling camp in South Africa last November, which led into the tour of Australia at the start of this year. His appearance against a CA XI on January 22 was his first since turning out for Manchester Originals against Southern Brave on August 23, 2023.Though Tongue went wicketless in that match, and the one-off unofficial Test match against Australia A, progress has been steady. His speeds over the off-season were consistently around the 90mph mark, and he is noticeably broader in the shoulders and chest than he was two years ago. His progress may have been stunted, but his development has not. Naturally, the ECB will carefully tailor his start to the season. It is unlikely he will play back-to-back rounds in the County Championship.”It was amazing to be back out on the field,” Tongue said. “Being out for that long, definitely, I wasn’t where I wanted to be in terms of how I was bowling. But for being out for 18 months, I knew that was going to happen. There were still snippets of my spells where I thought I was sort of back to where I was in ’23. But as the winter’s gone on, I feel like I’m getting better and better.”Related

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As expected from someone who does not want to take fitness for granted, he stopped short of admitting he had his sights set on a return to Test cricket this summer and the Ashes further along.Even the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at the end of May was waved away as something to aim for, despite the neatness of it taking place at Trent Bridge. Tongue’s focus right now is making sure he puts in performances at his home ground for his club before wondering what lies on the horizon for his country.”It’s everyone’s dream to play in an Ashes series away, and it’s natural to think like that – but I’m the sort of bloke who is focusing in the present. I don’t want to think too far in the future, because anything could happen in six, seven months.”There’s been a few people speaking about it [playing in the Zimbabwe Test]. But I want to get through that first block of Champos and make sure I’m bowling well. That’s the main thing, and my body’s holding up as well.”It is very weird,” he said of having not yet played for Nottinghamshire. “Signing, how many months ago during that Ashes (2023), but I haven’t played one game here. I’ve played here for Worcestershire and in the Hundred, but I haven’t played one game for Notts yet. But I’m looking forward to it.”

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe will be chewing on his pencil over the November international break as he works toward solutions that are so badly needed.

Fortunes have gone somewhat askew at St. James’ Park this season, with the club’s away form laying waste to Howe’s hopes of progress after a testing summer transfer window.

But it may be that the ramifications of that Alexander Isak-dominated summer are still being felt. However, tactically, things aren’t right, and the wider struggle of the summer market has led to the current issues which must be overcome if the Magpies hope to make it another positive campaign.

Where PIF have gone wrong in the transfer window

Newcastle have fallen by the wayside, but it’s hardly too late for them to pick themselves back up. But there’s no question that PIF have to learn from their recent transfer struggles, with those brilliant windows of Howe’s early reign something of a distant memory.

In 2024, Newcastle failed to sign a right-sided forward, a glaring gap in the squad. That has now been amended through the £55m addition of Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, but Elanga has blanked across 16 matches for the club, and with concerns over his form, questions must be raised over the extensive scouting that led to his signature being obtained.

Interestingly, Nick Woltemade’s fine form at centre-forward has eased the Isak blow, and before the season, that would have been viewed as the biggest issue. Newcastle’s attacking problems stretch more toward the creative side, with Anthony Gordon joining Elanga in having failed to register a goal contribution in the Premier League this season.

For a team whose 97 big chances created were bettered only by Liverpool in 2023/24, this is a real concern. This year, United have only created 14 from 11 matches, placing them 12th for that statistic. Gordon and Elanga must be doing a lot more, with the recruitment having felt they had hit the jackpot when shaping this wide duo.

While Newcastle have added exciting talents to their ranks this summer, Malick Thiaw and Jacob Ramsey among those with plenty of scope for growth, this is frankly an ageing squad and one whose freshen-up needs to go a lot further.

Tactical issues this season have been suggestive of this, and considering the company Newcastle are keeping in regard to the average age of their starting 11, it wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that younger profiles are needed for balance and continuity.

Everton

13th

28.0

Aston Villa

6th

27.9

Newcastle

14th

27.6

Fulham

15th

27.6

Burnley

17th

27.1

The need for depth and quality on the defensive flanks is alarming. Kieran Trippier at right-back is 35 years old and out of contract at the end of the season, and Tino Livramento has been unfit at times and deployed as a makeshift left-back at others.

This is largely because of Lewis Hall’s own unavailability this season. But with the 22-year-old drawing strength and fitness once again, we are turned toward the situation of one of Howe’s mainstays.

The Newcastle star now on borrowed time

Newcastle comprise players of myriads shapes and sizes and skills. Some are renowned as being among the best in the world, but some are of a shrewder nature, like Dan Burn, who returned home from Brighton for around £12m at the start of the manager’s reign and has since become one of his mainstays.

After all, it is only the skipper, Bruno Guimaraes, who has featured more prominently for Howe’s Newcastle than him.

1

Bruno Guimaraes

170

2

Dan Burn

165

3

Fabian Schar

163

4

Jacob Murphy

150

5

Joelinton

145

The 32-year-old has done more than endear himself to the Toon fanbase since arriving, but he’s getting on a bit and has been guilty of some suspect performances at left-back this season.

Naturally a central defender, Burn ranks against Premier League full-backs this term among the bottom 6% for shot-creating actions, the bottom 29% for progressive passes and the bottom 4% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

In the first five matches of the season, he was in the centre. Six appearances since have seen the England international deployed as a left-back, and this is inhibiting Newcastle’s flow and overarching connectivity.

Quite simply, Burn is not a natural left-back, even though he has played ample football in the moonlit role. He is a centre-back. 6 foot 6 and cool and composed.

Hall is far more dynamic and energetic in his role, and this will not only widen and add a dimension to Newcastle’s backline, but it could revive the likes of Gordon up ahead.

The boy from Blyth has been a revelation at Newcastle, and, pound for pound, “one of Newcastle’s best signings” since Howe arrived, as has been said by reporter Andy Sixsmith. A small fee and an immortalising contribution at Wembley last season have made sure of that.

But Howe will be putting a spoke in his own wheel if he continues to persist with Burn on the flank, limiting his side’s progression and mobility and dynamism at the back.

With this in mind, the modern legend might find himself slipping into his obscurity over the coming months, and perhaps that will lead to a departure to make way for this new chapter on Tyneside.

Newcastle must regret signing £100k-per-week flop who's cost £3.2m per game

Newcastle United must already rue signing this expensive flop, who is draining them dry.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 13, 2025

Santiago Giménez’s future at AC Milan has become increasingly uncertain, even though his contract runs through 2029. Local reports suggest the Mexican striker may be nearing the end of his spell at San Siro, drawing interest from several clubs across Europe – including a surprising contender in the Premier League with Sunderland.

Getty Images SportJoining the Black Cats?

Among the teams monitoring his situation, Sunderland have surfaced as one of the most serious candidates, according to Calciomercato.com. The Premier League club has started the season in unexpected form, sitting fourth in the table with 19 points, ahead of giants such as Tottenham, Manchester City, and Liverpool. Their rise – and need for added depth in attack – has put Giménez firmly on their radar.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportA difficult debut season in Italy

Giménez’s time with Milan has not unfolded as hoped. Through eight Serie A matches, he has yet to score or provide an assist, a downturn that has fueled speculation about a winter overhaul of attack. Giménez has also been linked to West Ham, who are reportedly exploring a swap involving Niclas Füllkrug – a sign that Milan could be preparing to move on from the Mexican forward.

AFPInjury concerns complicate his situation

Adding to the frustration, Giménez is recovering from a lingering ankle injury that has kept him sidelined for several weeks. His absence has hurt his rhythm in Milan and limited his opportunities with the Mexican national team. The lack of playing time has only intensified conversations about whether a change of scenery would benefit both sides.

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Getty Images SportOther Prem options emerge

According to the same outlet, Milan would consider signing a new center forward in January – but that move may hinge on Giménez leaving to free up a roster spot. In addition to Sunderland, Brentford have also inquired about a potential loan deal.

This wouldn’t be his first chance to cross into England: Giménez previously turned down an offer from Nottingham Forest during his final months at Feyenoord.

Now, with Sunderland flying high and Brentford solidly mid-table, both clubs see an opportunity to bring in a striker who, at Feyenoord, became one of Europe’s breakout goalscorers.