One Chelsea star has been critiqued for his performance in their game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Robert Sanchez having more touches than him at Stamford Bridge.

In what was Chelsea’s final Premier League game ahead of the November international break, the Blues played host to a Wolves side who, after 10 games, were still without a win in the top flight.

Enzo Maresca’s side struggled to do much with the chances they generated in the first half against Wolves, frustrating the home support at Stamford Bridge. Soon after the half-time break, however, the Blues broke the deadlock.

Malo Gusto opened the scoring with what was his first-ever senior goal just minutes into the second half. This lead was doubled just after the hour mark when Joao Pedro smashed a deflected Estevao cross beyond Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The game was put beyond any doubt when, with less than 20 minutes to go, Pedro Neto scored against his former club. The win moved Chelsea to second in the table. However, one Blues player was slammed for his performance against the relegation-threatened side.

Delap failed to make mark against Wolves

Signed in the summer from Ipswich Town, Liam Delap has endured a tough start to life at Chelsea. An injury saw him sidelined for weeks to open the 2025/26 campaign, missing almost two months. Upon his return, against Wolves in the Carabao Cup, Delap was sent off for accumulating two yellow cards after coming off the bench.

Delap, who reportedly signed a contract worth £100,000 per week, made his first start for Chelsea since returning from injury against the Old Gold, but failed to make an impact. Simon Johnson, who works for The Athletic, was critical of what the striker produced, noting that he did not appear at match fitness and said he was “struggling”.

As per SofaScore, within 64 minutes of football, Delap had just one shot on target. He was dispossessed on three occasions and by having just 15 touches in the game, had less time on the ball than Sanchez.

Delap is still a young player, one coming back from a relatively long set-back no less. His performance against Wolves, though, can simply not be the level that he consistently operates at going forward.

Chelsea weighing up move for England international

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Um dos maiores ídolos recentes da história do Corinthians, Paulinho se despede oficialmente do clube nesta quarta-feira (29), no CT Joaquim Grava. O jogador de 35 anos não chegou a um acordo com o clube para renovar seu contrato, que se encerra no fim do mês de junho, e está livre no mercado para assinar com uma nova equipe. Confira as principais respostas da despedida do jogador!

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

Com a camisa do Timão, o atleta soma 219 partidas oficiais e 40 gols marcados. Ao todo, conquistou quatro títulos: Campeonato Brasileiro (2011), Copa Libertadores (2012), Mundial de Clubes (2012) e Campeonato Paulista (2013). Antes do início da coletiva, o jogador recebeu uma camisa comemorativa, com o número oito deitado, representando a forma do infinito.

– Foram algumas noites pensando que chegaria esse momento. É uma despedida de gratidão, é a palavra que levo desse clube. Quando eu falo sobre a cultura Corinthians, é porque ela existe. Me sinto privilegiado de ter feito parte de uma história tão linda. São ciclos, que chegam, se encerram para outros se iniciarem. Olhar para trás e ver que dei meu melhor com essa camisa, com amor e lealdade, sendo verdadeiro. Queria agradecer a todos pelo respeito e carinho-, contou o jogador, emocionado, que completou:

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-Funcionários, também, algumas pessoas, como a Jô (assessora de imprensa), que sabe o que eu faço aqui dentro, os cozinheiros, faxineiros, Priscila, Mancha… Jogadores tem que entender quais e quem são as pessoas que fazem de tudo para performar dentro do campo. Quem arruma nossa cama, nosso almoço, nossa janta, os médicos, Dr Joaquim, Ana, fisioterapeutas, todos fizeram parte da minha história. Gratidão é a melhor palavra que posso usar dentro do clube. É isso. Difícil encontrar palavras. Obrigado por tudo, Corinthians! Aqui ficará um eterno torcedor-, explicou.

O jogador falou, também, deu seu legado com a camisa do Timão, vendo o ciclo atual como um encerramento natural de sua passagem pelo clube.

– Em 2013, quando sai, eu falei que voltaria. E voltei. Quando eu volto, tenho os altos e baixos, rendimento dentro de campo, existiram duas lesões que me complicaram. O respeito, carinho e amor que eu tenho pelo clube ficaram intactos. Não quis terminar com essas lesões. Mas hoje estou bem, recuperado, 100%. O ciclo se encerra, vejo de uma forma natural. Respeitei o meu momento. Hoje tem lideranças dentro do clube. Eu tive o privilégio de ser mais líder nos últimos cinco meses. Tentei mostrar para esse elenco o que um líder pode fazer. Deixei legado, tenho certeza. Para eles enxergarem o que é e como é o Corinthians: se doem, treinem, jogam porque tudo passa rápido. Esse clube pode te levar a lugares inimagináveis. Me levou para a Seleção, Copa do Mundo, Europa. Deixei meu legado: Paulinho é isso daí-, comentou.

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Paulinho também falou do jogo de despedida, disputado contra o Racing na última terça-feira (28). De acordo com o meia, ele não tinha noção do que representa para a torcida do Corinthians.

– Achei que não iria me emocionar, mas é difícil. Não tinha dimensão do que eu fiz dentro desse clube, me questionei se merecia tudo isso. Dentro da instituição, a gente não tem o discernimento. Em casa, vi que deixei legado e história. Construí essa história dentro do campo, sendo profissional-.

Sobre o futuro, Paulinho desconversou:

-Não tenho destino e nem proposta oficial. Enxerguei que muitas especulações estão sendo feitas a meu respeito. A questão do sétimo jogo, é que eu conversei para ter a chance de jogar em outro clube brasileiro. Até para eu não atrapalhar aqui. Eu tive várias conversas com o presidente, Fabinho (Soldado). Quando falamos de extensão de contrato, sempre falamos até dezembro e depois veríamos se fica ou não-, falou.

Sobre a saída, o jogador revelou que a decisão foi 100% dele.

-Eu que tomei a decisão. Precisa ter sabedoria, vi dessa forma. Falamos muita vezes. Conversei com o mister também. Pensei que foi isso, não tinha outra decisão a ser tomada. Foi que achei que meu ciclo estava no fim. Fiz tudo o que poderia fazer, principalmente dentro de campo e nesses cinco meses, ajudando garotada e comissão técnica que chega. Foi algo natural-, afirmou.

Para Paulinho, o Corinthians representa tudo na vida.

– Ser Corinthians é entender a pessoa que arruma tua cama, a pessoa que cozinha para você, quem prepara tudo para você ir lá e jogar. Em uma das partidas, falei no vestiário: Corinthians nunca vi exigirem craques, exigem vontade, garra e ter amor pelo clube. Isso só existe aqui, já passei em outros lugares, outros clube, Seleção, esse clube me deu a chance de jogar na Europa. Nunca vi nada igual-, disse.

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Costa Rica’s World Cup hopes have taken a severe hit. A 1–0 loss to Haiti has left Miguel Herrera’s side on the brink in the CONCACAF qualifiers, with their direct path now hanging by a thread. Pressure around Herrera grew louder after the match as Los Ticos have a difficult path to next year's tournament.

• AFP
  

  Costa Rica drop to third in Group C

  Herrera’s team entered the match with a chance to seize control of the group, especially after Nicaragua stunned Honduras earlier in the day. Instead, slipped to third place, and their fate now depends on a combination of unlikely results.

  Haiti struck the decisive blow just before halftime. Josué Casimir slipped a pass into the box for Ruben Providence, whose low cross found Frantzdy Pierrot for the opener. Keylor Navas immediately expressed his frustration, shouting toward a back line that reacted far too slowly. Despite pushing forward in the second half, Costa Rica never found the equalizer.

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• AFP
  

  Los Ticos must beat Honduras

  The math is now unforgiving for Herrera. Costa Rica must defeat Honduras in San José next week and hope Haiti fail to beat Nicaragua. Anything less than a victory eliminates them entirely from direct qualification and could even shut the door on the playoff route.

• AFP
  

  Herrera faces growing pressure

  Pressure around Herrera grew louder after the match, including a tense exchange during his arrival to the postgame press conference. Asked whether he still believed he should lead the team for the decisive match, he didn’t hesitate.
  “It’s not my decision. If we don’t qualify, then we’ll have to consider what comes next. I’m committed to this project.”

  Herrera took full responsibility for the team’s poor return – one win, one loss, and three draws in the final round – but emphasized that decisions about his future lie with federation president Osael Maroto.

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• AFP
  

  Navas and Costa Rica now need a miracle

  Costa Rica will now carry their fading World Cup hopes into a must-win showdown against Honduras – the group leader, but one that also arrives under significant pressure after a 2–0 defeat on the road to Nicaragua.

Bob Simpson played 62 Tests and would then go on to shape one of the great eras of Australian cricket

Alex Malcolm16-Aug-2025Australian cricket has lost a giant after former Test captain and the first full-time coach Bob Simpson died in Sydney at the age of 89.Simpson is one of the most influential figures in the history of Australian cricket. He played 62 Test matches between 1957 and 1978, averaging 46.81, and claimed 71 wickets while being known as one of the greatest slip fielders of his time. Simpson had made his first-class debut for New South Wales aged 16 and would go on to amass 21,029 runs and picked up 349 wickets with his legspin.He had initially retired from the game in 1968 after an 11-year career as one of Australia’s finest openers, having played 50 Tests and captained in 29 of them. But he then made an extraordinary return as Test captain in Australia cricket’s hour of need after the World Series Cricket schism in 1977. Simpson, at the age of 41, led in five home Tests against India and five away Tests against a full-strength West Indies side then.He finished with ten Test centuries, all of them made as captain, including 311 against England in Manchester in 1964, which was his first hundred in his 30th Test, and two more double-centuries. He averaged 54.07 as captain after not making a century and only averaging 33.67 before he assumed the role from Richie Benaud during the home summer of 1963-64.Simpson formed what remains one of Australia’s most successful Test opening pairings with Bill Lawry with 382 they added against West Indies in 1965 still the record for the first wicket.Bob Simpson had initially retired from the game in 1968 but then made an extraordinary return as Test captain during the World Series Cricket schism•PA Photos/Getty Images

Simpson was again called upon by the then Australian Cricket Broad (now Cricket Australia) in 1986 during the nadir of Australia’s on-field performance as a Test nation, having not won a series for over two years.Alongside captain Allan Border, Simpson was instrumental in instilling a culture of discipline and hard work into a younger group of players that were selected to regenerate Australian cricket, including David Boon, Dean Jones, Steve Waugh, Craig McDermott and Merv Hughes.In 1987, he was added to the selection panel that was chaired by Laurie Sawle and oversaw the start of Australia’s next golden generation with Mark Taylor, Ian Healy, Mark Waugh, Shane Warne, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath and Ricky Ponting among a host players selected and coached by Simpson until he stood down in 1996.Australia won the World Cup in 1987 and regained the Ashes in 1989, which they would hold until 2005. Australia regained the Frank Worrell Trophy in 1995, a trophy they had not held since 1976, having not beaten West Indies in a series anywhere during that time. That win in the Caribbean gave them the unofficial mantle of world No. 1 Test side.”Bob Simpson was one of the greats of Australian cricket and this is a sad day for anyone fortunate to have watched him play or who benefited from his wisdom,” Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird said. “Bob’s decision to come out of retirement to successfully lead the Australian team during the advent of World Series Cricket in 1977 was a wonderful service to the game, and his coaching set the foundation for a golden era for Australian cricket.”Dean Jones chats to Bob Simpson during the latter’s hugely successful stint as Australia coach•Elizabeth Dobbie/Fairfax Media/Getty Images

Many of the players, including Warne, regarded Simpson as the best coach they ever had and pivotal to their develop as international players after also coming through the Australian Cricket Academy under former wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, which had been established as a breeding ground during Simpson’s early years as Australia coach. Warne credited Simpson for convincing him to bowl around the wicket more often in certain conditions.Simpson was known as a disciplinarian and famously made fitness and fielding a major priority as coach.He was succeeded as Australian coach by one of his former players, Geoff Marsh, as the more senior team shifted their approach to preparation under the captaincy of Taylor after Border had retired in 1994.Simpson went on to coach Leicestershire and Lancashire for short periods in English county cricket. He also worked as a coaching advisor for Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy in India and as a consultant for India’s men’s team during the late 1990s.He coached into his 70s, including with Netherlands through a successful qualification campaign to reach the 2007 World Cup.He was appointed a Member in the Order of Australia in 1978, which was upgraded to Officer (AO) in 2007 for services to the game as a coach, consultant and administrator.He was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1965. He is a member of the ICC Hall of fame and the Australian Cricket Hall of fame.

Birmingham Phoenix battle back after posting 111 for 9, but hosts do enough to seal second spot

ECB Media27-Aug-2025

Trent Rockets 113 for 7 (Rehan 37) beat Birmingham Phoenix 111 for 9 (Rehan 3-15) by three wicketsTrent Rockets geared up for their Eliminator showdown with Northern Superchargers by sneaking past Birmingham Phoenix with one ball to spare after a memorable debut in The Hundred for Ben Cox and an eye-catching all-round display from Rehan Ahmed.The Rockets confirmed their second-place finish in the group, behind Oval Invincibles on net run rate, and will go into Saturday evening’s contest at the Kia Oval full of confidence after claiming their sixth win in eight.Spin was the key for the Rockets, with their slow bowlers producing combined figures of 6 for 35 from 50 deliveries after Ben Duckett (20 from 15) and Will Smeed (23 from 12) had made a promising start.Rockets skipper David Willey may have been questioning his decision to insert the opposition when the Phoenix raced to 36 for 0 from 21 deliveries, but the innings stalled when Duckett scuffed a short delivery from Lockie Ferguson to Rehan at midwicket.Joe Clarke soon followed, slog-sweeping southpaw spinner George Linde to deep midwicket, and from there the wickets tumbled. The irrepressible Rehan (3 for 15) induced a chop-on from Smeed and snared Jacob Bethell for a duck three deliveries later before Linde (2 for 12) claimed his second when Liam Livingstone’s ugly heave met thin air.Rehan grabbed his third – and 10th in the competition overall – when Benny Howell picked out Max Holden on the boundary and Joe Root, whose 15 deliveries cost just eight runs, got in on the action when Liam Patterson-White’s edge was brilliantly held by Cox, who only received a call-up to join the Rockets yesterday following an injury to Adam Hose.Dan Mousley (26 from 25) gave the score some respectability but 111-9 looked well under par, even on a spin-friendly surface.The chase was far from easy though. After the early loss of Tom Banton for 1, caught at mid-on off Boult, Rehan sparkled once more, racing to 37 in 23 balls before an audacious slog sweep was caught in the deep off Livingstone. Root continued his good recent form in the tournament with a run-a-ball 25 that came to an end when he was bowled by Patterson-White and the left-arm spinner struck again five deliveries later, castling Willey with a devilish delivery that spun back sharply between bat and pad.Linde was run-out after a mix-up and Marcus Stoinis got a leading edge to cover off Bethell as the Rockets slipped to 89-6, and the left-arm spinner struck again when Sam Hain holed out to leave six required from five.Bethell was entrusted with the final set and conceded just three runs from his first three deliveries but Cox kept a cool head and swept the fourth to the boundary to finish unbeaten on 17 from 12 balls.Named Meerkat Match Hero after his three wickets and quickfire knock, Rehan said: “Coxy was always going to do it, I had full trust in him. There was a lot of assistance for spinners on this pitch. We train on similar surfaces so it was about going out there and doing the same thing. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity I’ve been given and hopefully I can do it in the next couple of games.”