MacKenzie Gore was dealing on Opening Day and managed to match an MLB legend in the process.
Gore made the start for the Washington Nationals against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday and was nothing short of dominant. In six innings, the 26-year-old allowed no runs, one hit, and no walks while striking out 13.
According to Sarah Langs, since 1900, the only pitchers to rack up 13 strikeouts with no walks on Opening Day are J.R. Richard in 1980 and Hall of Famer Bob Gibson in 1967.
Here's where things get a bit crazy though. In that start, Gibson threw a complete game shutout for the St. Louis Cardinals against the San Francisco Giants, but he allowed five hits. In his game for the Houston Astros against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Richard allowed two hits and an earned run in eight innings. Gore only allowed one hit and no runs, though he only went six innings.
Gore is a former top prospect who arrived in Washington as part of the trade that sent Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres. He has yet to put it all together as control struggles have plagued him, but his stuff has never been in question and he looked phenomenal on Thursday.
Barcelona’s are interested in signing Levante sensation Etta Eyong and with his latest comments, the forward has intensified the transfer rumours as he openly names Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o as his childhood idols, admitting playing for Barca is his dream. With six goals and three assists already this season, Eyong has become one of La Liga’s most talked-about emerging talents.
Etta Eyong grew up watching Messi and Eto’o
Eyong has made his ambitions clear. In a recent interview with , the 22-year-old striker said Barcelona has always been the club he dreamed of representing. He spoke about idolising Eto’o during his early years and admiring Messi as the “best” player he has ever seen.
"When I was a child, I used to watch Eto'o's games at Barcelona. For me, Messi is the best, and playing with him would be a dream I wouldn't want to wake up from," Eyong said.
The ambitious forward has his eyes on dominating two continents – targeting success on Europe's biggest stage as well as the African Cup of Nations.
"In two years, I see myself winning the Champions League-why not in a year-and the Africa Cup of Nations is also a goal for me in a few months," he added.
Eyong says the foundation of his rise is focus and discipline, stressing that “the most important thing in life is your brain. If you don’t have concentration, you lose everything.”
His performances this season back up his ambition. Six goals and three assists in 12 La Liga matches have put him among the top scorers in Spain.
Advertisement
AFP
Levante hold firm as clubs eye Eyong move
Eyong’s impact has triggered interest across Europe. CSKA Moscow tested Levante with an early €30 million proposal, which the player and club rejected immediately. Barcelona and Chelsea have since shown admiration, while Arsenal, Real Madrid and Manchester United continue to track him closely.
Despite the attention, Levante are firm in their stance: Eyong will not be sold this season. Club owner Jose Danvila said they receive offers “every day” but keeping the team in La Liga outweighs any financial temptation. Levante sit 19th in the table and consider the striker essential to their survival push.
With no intention of leaving Spain, the idea of playing for Barcelona, the club he grew up watching, remains the one that excites him the most.
Villarreal's contract web for Eyong transfer
Eyong’s transfer situation is complicated by a detailed contract setup dating back to his time at Villarreal. When he left Villarreal for Levante in 2025, he signed a four-year deal worth €1m annually and a €30m release clause. But Villarreal inserted multiple sell-on conditions that guarantee them a share of any future sale.
For deals under €7.5m they take 80%, between €7.5m and €15m the fee is split evenly, and anything above €15m gives Villarreal 20% of the proceeds. If Levante reject an offer above €15m, they must still compensate Villarreal for what they would have earned.
Villarreal also retain the right to match any future bid for the striker. This means any negotiation for Eyong involves not just Levante, but Villarreal’s financial interests too.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images Sport
Eyong's path to Levante glory and next steps
Eyong’s journey to this point has been far from straightforward. He began at Cadiz B, making only scattered appearances before Villarreal signed him in 2024. He made his La Liga debut in April 2025 and scored his first top-flight goal weeks later, but limited minutes pushed him to seek a new start at Levante.
The move transformed him. Signed for €3m, he earned a starting role almost immediately and responded with six goals in 12 matches.
Eyong says hard work is behind everything. “I came here to play regularly and to help keep Levante in La Liga. The key to my scoring streak is simply hard work.”
Levante manager Julian Calero has praised him as a player who “can change a match on his own,” and insists that keeping Eyong is vital for their season.
Tea Joe Root and Ollie Pope batted through an uncharacteristically sedate second session at Lord’s, as India plugged away without rewards in the London sun and lost Rishabh Pant to a finger injury. England’s third-wicket stand had reached an unbroken 108 runs by tea, with Root and Pope adding 70 since the lunch interval.The stump microphones picked up Mohammed Siraj telling Root that he wanted to see some “Bazball” but England eschewed their usual attacking intent with the bat. India’s seamers went wide outside off stump, hanging in and waiting for a mistake that never came as Pope and Root left the ball alone and played with huge restraint.Root became the first man to get to 3000 Test runs against India shortly before going past fifty for the 103rd time in Tests, equalling Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting’s tallies, with only Sachin Tendulkar (119) ahead of him. He handed the strike to Pope during Jasprit Bumrah’s five-over spell after lunch, facing only two balls, and put away occasional bad balls from Nitish Kumar Reddy.It was Reddy who prised the game open for India in the morning session, removing both England openers in his first over after Ben Stokes had chosen to bat first. But Reddy and the rest of the Indian attack struggled with the softer ball. Shubman Gill eventually convinced the umpires to change it after 43 overs, but the replacement did not appear to move significantly more.Pant’s injury was a concern for India. He hurt his index finger while attempting to gather a rare ball down the leg side from Bumrah, and received treatment on the field before trying to continue. But after five balls, he left the field and continued to receive medical attention in the dressing room, as substitute fielder Dhruv Jurel deputised behind the stumps.
Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez has been given time off and psychological support after being involved in a tragic road accident near the club’s training base that claimed the life of an 81-year-old man. The Spaniard was expected to be on the bench for Inter’s midweek game against Fiorentina, but will now take a week off to recover from the emotional trauma.
Inter offer full support to struggling Martinez
The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday morning near Inter’s training base in Fenegro, when Martinez’s car struck an elderly man who was crossing the road in a wheelchair. The Spaniard reportedly did his best to help the victim, who was later identified as Paolo Saibene, until emergency services arrived. An air ambulance being called to the scene, but the 81-year-old man was later pronounced dead in hospital.
The Serie A club quickly recognised the seriousness of the situation and moved quickly to support a visibly shaken Martinez. By the time Martinez arrived home on Monday evening, a psychologist was already waiting on him to provide support in coping with the emotional trauma, having been called in by the Milan club. According to , teammates and staff have stayed in constant contact, and Inter gave the goalkeeper the week off to recover from the tragic incident.
Advertisement
Getty Images Sport
Inter cancel press conference and reach out to victim’s family
The incident happened shortly before 10am on Monday, leading Inter to cancel head coach Cristian Chivu’s scheduled pre-match press conference ahead of the Fiorentina game and morale was reportedly low during training, with the thoughts of the players and staff with the victim and the Spanish goalkeeper.
Club officials are also expected to contact Saibene’s family to offer condolences and support. Meanwhile, Martinez went through routine drug and alcohol tests at Saronno hospital, with club officials present to assist him. Authorities in Como are still reviewing the accident, and a full report from reconstruction experts is expected later this week.
"Unfortunately, a serious and delicate event has occurred," Inter president Beppe Marotta said on Tuesday. "Our deepest sympathies are clearly with the family of the deceased, and we also feel for our player, whom we know very well. These are situations and misfortunes that, unfortunately, are part of everyday life, but I hope that we can also benefit from this tragic situation."
Martinez settling in at Inter
This season had started well for Martinez. Born in Las Palmas, Martinez came through Barcelona’s La Masia academy before joining RB Leipzig in 2020. After two years in Germany, he moved to Genoa and later signed for the Italian giants in the summer of 2024. The Spaniard was beginning to settle in and gain confidence, earning back-to-back starts against Sassuolo and Cagliari as he worked to prove himself as a reliable option behind veteran keeper Yann Sommer.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
IMAGO / Nicolo Campo
Distraught Martinez cuts himself off from social media
Martinez won’t return to training until next week as he continues to recover from the emotional shock. The goalkeeper has been in touch with his teammates, coach Chivu, and club officials, who have all reached out to check on him and offer support. The 27-year-old has also stepped away from social media, deactivating his Instagram account to avoid online abuse. Meanwhile, Inter, who are currently fourth in Serie A standings, are doing their best to protect Martinez as he focuses on getting through one of the toughest weeks of his career.
West Ham United manager Graham Potter has sent a clear message to his players in a secret Rush Green meeting, as the threat of his potentially imminent sacking hangs over the Englishman.
Graham Potter given stay of execution as West Ham eye replacements
The Hammers, if anything, have regressed since Potter took over from Julen Lopetegui in January.
Already, the former Chelsea boss is drawing statistical comparisons with Avram Grant, who relegated West Ham in 2010/2011. Bar the Israeli, Potter has recorded the club’s worst ever win percentage in the Premier League (26.1 per cent), and this dismal number is only overshadowed by their leaky backline.
9. Sam Allardyce
30.7%
10. Julen Lopetegui
30%
11. Gianfranco Zola
27.8%
12 Graham Potter
26.1%
13. Avram Grant
18.9%
via StatMuse
West Ham have conceded 13 goals in the top flight already this season, with seven of them coming from set plays. Their failure to deal with dead balls is a major theme of their reoccurring struggles under Potter, and if it wasn’t for a surprise 3-0 win away to Nottingham Forest, he’d perhaps be gone already.
Nevertheless, Potter is being given more time to turn things around at West Ham, but not much at all.
The Hammers take on David Moyes’ Everton this weekend, and their ex-managerial hero has a real chance to put one of the final nails in Potter’s coffin before West Ham travel to title-chasing Arsenal.
In the meantime, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the rest of West Ham’s divisive board are making contingency plans to replace Potter.
West Ham co-ownerDavid Sullivan
Insiders claim Nuno Espirito Santo is considering an offer from West Ham after talks with both Brady and Sullivan, while ex-Irons defender and manager Slaven Bilic is already planning his backroom in the event he is chosen for the hot seat (ExWHUemployee).
Another ex-player in Gary O’Neil is also one of the favourites to potentially succeed Potter, but West Ham are not limited to just free agents.
Reports suggest Burnley boss Scott Parker has been discussed as an option by high-ranking West Ham officials (GiveMeSport), so it would appear the east Londoners are seriously assessing candidates right now.
What Graham Potter has said to West Ham players as sack looms
According to ExWHUemployee, despite all the uncertainty surrounding his position, Potter is presenting a united front to his squad.
The insider reports that Potter held a meeting with West Ham players and staff, where he delivered a motivational speech in an attempt to galvanise the team. Ex also says that the 50-year-old is “almost certain” to take charge of the Everton game, with a P45 far more likely after they take on Arsenal.
With the ex-Brighton boss on the verge of a contract termination, Nuno is West Ham’s obvious best bet.
West Ham need to appoint Nuno Espírito Santo if Potter leaves
The Portuguese coach is available, experienced and, crucially, understands the Premier League.
Nuno made his name at Wolves, guiding them from the Championship into Europe — including a Europa League quarter-final in 2020.
His side were disciplined, sharp and capable of taking points off the biggest teams. That blend of defensive organisation and counter-attacking is exactly what West Ham are crying out for right now, with Nuno also helping to fix Nottingham Forest’s set-piece weakness during his time at the City Ground.
At Forest last season, Nuno again proved his credentials. He steadied a club that looked in danger of sliding, galvanised the squad, got the very best out of his players and gave his former side a real identity.
All of this culminated in European qualification for the first time since 1995, and following Moyes’ era, a return to Europe is exactly what West Ham are aiming for too.
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has put striker Will Osula on red alert for the Premier League after seeing him score twice as the holders booked their place in the Carabao Cup fourth round with a 4-1 win against Bradford.
The 22-year-old Dane scored the Magpies’ second and final goals against the League One leaders at St James’ Park to highlight his development, and with record signing Nick Woltemade still coming to terms with English football and Yoane Wissa injured, he has been told he could get his chance amid a hectic schedule.
Asked how close Osula, on £25,000-a-week, is to starting a league game, Howe said:
Howe impressed with Newcastle forward Osula in training
Osula, rarely seen this season with just over 200 minutes of game time, arrived at the club from Sheffield United as a raw youngster last summer, and Howe and his coaches have since gone to work with him on the training ground.
Newcastle largely dominated throughout and the game was effectively over when Joelinton and Osula struck after 17 and 19 minutes respectively.
However, thanks to the efforts of City goalkeeper Sam Walker and some sub-standard finishing, they had to wait until the 75th minute for the Brazilian to make it 3-0, and although lifelong Magpies fan Andy Cook reduced the deficit, Osula scored again at the death to wrap up a comfortable win.
Howe said: “It was always going to be a difficult game. Nobody makes anything easy for you. Bradford are top of their league and full of confidence, so we needed an element of patience in our performance. But once we got into our groove, we were good.”
Worse than Miley: Howe must drop Newcastle flop who lost 100% of his duels
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe should drop this flop who was worse than Lewis Miley.
1 ByDan Emery Sep 25, 2025
Opposite number Graham Alexander, who played under Howe during his spell in charge at Burnley, was happy with much of what he saw from his side on a difficult night on Tyneside.
Asked what they had learned, he said with a smile: “We learned what a Champions League team looks like up close.”
On Cook’s goal, he added: “He’s a proper lad, he’s been a big player for this club for the last three or four years and everyone knows about his support for Newcastle, but he’s also got a massive bond with our club as well, so it was a special night for Cooky just getting on the pitch.
“But that’s a goal he’ll be talking about for the next 50 years, I expect.”
Australia fast bowler given downtime after South Australia’s qualification for Sheffield Shield final
ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2025
Kashif Ali struck in his first over on debut against West Indies in January•AFP/Getty Images
Kashif Ali, the Pakistan Test seamer, and South African fast bowler Keith Dudgeon have agreed terms for short-term deals at Kent, to cover for Wes Agar’s absence on domestic duty in Australia.Both Dudgeon and Ali will arrive in time for the start of the 2025 Rothesay County Championship, with Kent’s first game coming at Northampton from April 4, and will stay with the club until the conclusion of their match away to Derbyshire on May 23-26.The deals have been struck to allow Agar to manage his workloads following South Australia’s qualification for this week’s Sheffield Shield final against Queensland in Adelaide. He is now due to begin his third season at Kent when the Vitality Blast commences at the end of May, and will be available for first-class cricket until the end of July.Dudgeon, who has yet to play international cricket, has taken 224 first-class wickets in his career to date, at an average of 25.79. Ali, meanwhile, played his first Test against West Indies in Multan in January, in which he dismissed Mikyle Louis in his first over, and has claimed a total of 110 first-class wickets at 28.01.”We’re delighted to welcome Keith and Kashif to Canterbury for the start of the season,” Simon Cook, Kent’s director of cricket, said. “They are both good bowlers, and both will, we feel, complement our existing bowling unit well during their time here. We acted quickly to identify and secure their signatures as soon as it became clear that Wes Agar would only be available for June and July.”Keith is a proven wicket-taker in South African domestic cricket and has the ability to make a difference. Kashif is a slightly more patient operator and will give us the ability to limit opposition runs and build pressure that hopefully our other bowlers can capitalise on.”We’re looking forward to welcoming Wes back to Canterbury, albeit slightly later than anticipated. He is a big part of our dressing room and has already proven his ability with both the red and white ball.”On joining Kent, Dudgeon said: “I’m extremely excited to be joining Kent and help the side win matches. It’s a county with such a rich history I’m looking to make a big impression.”Playing county cricket is such a big deal for South Africans and I’m looking to take this opportunity with both hands. I’d like to thank the Club for showing faith in me and to the supporters; you will get every inch out of me every day.”Ali added: “I’d like to thank Kent for putting faith in me and giving me the opportunity to play county cricket.”I’m excited to play for this great team and I will always do my best every time I wear a Kent shirt.”
قارن ويس براون، لاعب نادي مانشستر يونايتد السابق، قائد نادي ليفربول، فيرجيل فان دايك، مع أحد أساطير الشياطين الحمر، وذلك في تصريحات صحفية.
فان دايك يعتبر من بين أهم اللاعبين في تاريخ نادي ليفربول الحديث وكذلك من بين أهم المدافعين في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز خلال السنوات العشر الأخيرة.
وقدم فان دايك مستويات أكثر من رائعة مع نادي ليفربول، وساهم الدولي الهولندي في حصول الريدز على لقبين في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز وكان آخرهم الموسم الماضي.
ودفع مستوى فان دايك المميز إدارة ليفربول لتجديد عقد اللاعب حتى نهاية شهر يونيو من عام 2027 المقبل.
أقرأ أيضًا .. بيرنال مشيدًا بلاعب أتلتيكو مدريد: أتمنى انتقاله إلى برشلونة
ويرى براون في مقابلة مع ”10 bet casino” أن أسطورة مانشستر يونايتد، ريو فيرديناند، أفضل من فان دايك.
وقال براون: ”أفضل ريو على فيرجيل فان دايك بنسبة 100%، بالطبع قد أكون متحيزًا، لكن من شاهد ريو سيعرف أنه لاعب من طراز فريد”.
واختتم براون في حديثه: “بصفة فيرديناند لاعبًا متميزًا من الناحية الفردية يمكنه فعل كل شيء، ويتميز برباطة جأشه لدرجة أنه نادرًا ما يلجأ إلى الانزلاق وإعاقة الخصم في منطقة الجزاء. يقرأ فيرديناند المباراة بدقة متناهية ويتمتع بالسرعة، ودائمًا ما يكون في الموقع المناسب لتسهيل مهمته. لقد فاز بالعديد من الألقاب ليظهر مدى أهميته لمانشستر يونايتد”.
فيرديناند يعتبر من بين أهم لاعبي مانشستر يونايتد على مدار تاريخه ، وحقق الدولي الإنجليزي السابق العديد من الألقاب بالفعل مع الشياطين الحمر وشكل ثنائية لا تنسى في مركز قلب الدفاع مع نيمانيا فيديتش.
After the sale of Jacob Ramsey handed them some wriggle room on the PSR front, Aston Villa are now reportedly eyeing a fresh approach to sign a player who Unai Emery loves.
Emery "accepts" PSR rules in frustrating summer
Aston Villa were finally forced to face their PSR concerns and sell an important member of Emery’s squad in Jacob Ramsey. The academy graduate completed a move to Newcastle United, who are likely to compete with Aston Villa for a place in the top six this season. It’s a move that needed to happen financially, but one that captain John McGinn has already aired his frustration about.
As frustrating as Ramsey’s sale will be for all involved at Villa Park, however, Emery has “accepted” PSR rules and reiterated the pride that he has in his side.
The Spaniard told reporters: “No, I’m not frustrated. I accept the rules, I accept where we are and how we are competing and how we are being ambitious in our capacity to compete with the better teams in the Premier League and in Europe.”
“I think you have to be proud of everything we are doing. But of course, everything we did for me is done now, we have to do it again and again and again and it’s starting again for me to beat these teams and to build, through the result, good performances and try to get our title we have.”
Meanwhile, what Ramsey’s departure has done is hand Villa some room to make some moves of their own, which could yet see them welcome a Premier League rival this month.
Aston Villa eyeing Jackson loan deal
Whilst they’re in no position to match his €60m (£52m) price tag, those at Villa Park could yet bypass FFP rules in a fresh approach to welcome Nicolas Jackson this summer. According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Aston Villa are now eyeing a loan deal to sign Jackson after he was dropped by Chelsea following their own impressive additions.
Emery is reportedly a huge admirer of Jackson, who worked under the Villa boss during their time together at Villarreal, and may yet get the chance to strike a reunion before the transfer window slams shut.
Instant Guessand upgrade: Aston Villa hold talks to sign £60m "monster"
Aston Villa could soon snap up this £60m attacker who is an instant upgrade on new recruit Evann Guessand.
ByKelan Sarson Aug 19, 2025
Dubbed “confident” by former Chelsea and Aston Villa midfielder Joe Cole last season, Jackson could have the perfect opportunity to leave his Stamford Bridge woes behind, courtesy of those in the Midlands.
Current ACA boss and former NRL CEO to take over CA CEO role when Nick Hockley departs at the end of the summer
Alex Malcolm03-Dec-2024Todd Greenberg has been announced as the new Cricket Australia chief executive to take over from Nick Hockley when he steps down from the role at the end of the summer.Greenberg, the current Australian Cricketers’ Association CEO and former CEO of the National Rugby League, had long been the front-runner to replace Hockley.He has strong relationships with the players due to his current role but also played first-grade cricket in New South Wales. His background as NRL CEO and General Manager of Stadium Australia has given him extensive experience in management of broadcast partners, sponsors, stadia and live events.He was a key player in the most recent MOU signed between CA and the ACA and also toured Pakistan in 2022 alongside Hockley when Australia returned there to play international cricket in the country for the first time since 1998.CA chairman Mike Baird was thrilled with the appointment.”I’m delighted Todd Greenberg will join Cricket Australia as Chief Executive Officer,” Baird said.”Todd will bring enormous experience to the role from his time leading the National Rugby League and his current position as CEO of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, as well as his time in club and stadium management.”He is also a renowned driver of commercial growth and innovation, such as bringing the State of Origin to Melbourne and introducing the NRLW.”We are entering a period of great opportunity and the recruitment panel and CA Board was enormously impressed by Todd’s passion for cricket and his vision to build on the achievements of the past few years and continue the game’s growth.”I would like to thank Nick Hockley who will leave the game in a position of great strength at the end of the season with important foundations including our broadcast rights deal, MOU and seven-year content strategy in place.”Todd Greenberg (left) has traveled to Pakistan with Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley•Getty ImagesGreenberg said he was excited to take on the new role as head of CA’s administration after beating out a field of candidates from within Australia and overseas.”I am grateful to be given the opportunity to take on this enormously important role in Australian sport and to further my involvement with a game I’ve loved since childhood.” Greenberg said.”This is an extremely exciting time for cricket with the rapid growth of the game across the globe creating fantastic opportunities, while also presenting some challenges to ensure Australian cricket retains its position at the very peak of the game.”Thanks to the work of the current administration the game has strong fundamentals in place. I want to ensure we build on this momentum so Australian cricket continues to thrive – from local parks to the nation’s biggest stadiums.”I’m grateful to all those at the Australian Cricketers’ Association where we formed positive and productive partnerships across the game, and I look forward to continuing and enriching these relationships for the betterment of cricket.”