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Tottenham have set a mammoth price tag for star defender Micky van de Ven amid serious interest from Real Madrid and Liverpool, according to a new report.

Micky van de Ven continues to shine at Tottenham

Van de Ven has been an outstanding presence for Spurs in the opening months of 2025/2026, quickly establishing himself as a key figure under Thomas Frank.

The young defender has combined defensive solidity with a remarkable goal-scoring touch, already finding the net five times across all competitions – a striking return for a player primarily tasked with keeping things tight at the back.

Van de Ven has also scored twice as many goals as any other Premier League defender so far this term, including Arsenal’s highly-praised set piece weapon Gabriel, with the Dutchman involved in all but one of Tottenham’s seven clean sheets this season too.

The 24-year-old’s combination of pace, power and goal threat has made him an indispensable member of Frank’s starting eleven, and his ability to contribute at both ends of the pitch gives Spurs a unique edge.

Van de Ven’s importance to the Lilywhites is nothing new, as he bailed Ange Postecoglou’s high line out time and time again when he was fit and available to take part.

With Cristian Romero out injured and steadily working his way back to match fitness, van de Ven and Kevin Danso have helped to fill the Argentine’s shoes to great effect as Spurs now sit third in the Premier League table.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

22/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

08/11/2025

Cristian Romero

Groin

01/11/2025

Destiny Udogie

Knee

08/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

08/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

Van de Ven’s brace against Everton, with both goals coming from set plays, sealed a crucial three points for Spurs last Sunday as they became the first away team to claim victory at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Ever since van de Ven’s arrival in north London over two years ago, the Netherlands international has been linked with a high-profile move elsewhere.

Real Madrid have specifically been mentioned as suitors amid their reported search for new centre-backs, so much so that reports suggest Tottenham are prepared to double van de Ven’s salary to keep him away from the Bernabeu.

Spurs are in no immediate danger of losing the centre-half, considering he’s contracted until 2029, and Frank is convinced that he is happy in N17.

That being said, there is always a danger that Real could turn a player’s head, and if they manage to tempt van de Ven, Spurs are apparently clear in their demands.

Tottenham set 'historic' Micky van de Ven price tag as Real Madrid and Liverpool circle

According to reports from Spain, Tottenham have set an ‘historic’ price tag for van de Ven as Real, Liverpool and even Bayern Munich circle for his signature.

It is believed that Spurs want a minimum £88 million for van de Ven, which is described as an ‘historic’ sum and would make him the most expensive defender in football history — eclipsing the £80 million that Man United paid for Harry Maguire in 2019.

Frank’s side are determined to keep hold of him and only a “massive offer” would see him leave, highlighting his growing importance both on and off the pitch.

This valuation could be part of a broader strategy reflecting Tottenham’s ambition and financial muscle, especially following a significant £100 million capital injection by the club’s owners, the Lewis family.

The investment underscores their long-term commitment to strengthening the squad and competing at the highest level, and stopping key stars like van de Ven from leaving will be pivotal as the north Londoners look to kick on from their Europa League triumph in May.

شن بيبي إسترادا، الصحفي الإسباني هجومًا كبيرًا على لامين يامال، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة بعد رد فعله على قرار تغييره أمام آينتراخت فرانكفورت ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

واستبدل هانز فليك اللاعب لامين يامال بـ روني باردجي في الدقيقة 89 وبدا الأول أنه غير سعيد بقرار المدرب وقد أظهر الاستياء عقب خروجه من أرض الملعب وأثناء توجهه لمقاعد البدلاء.

وقد غادر يامال الملعب بوجه غاضب واضح، وبحركات على مقاعد البدلاء أظهرت استياءه، بحسب ما ذكرت صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية.

وحول ذلك، قال إسترادا في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “سبورت”: “لقد فقدت حبي للامين، كنت مغرمًا به لكنني الآن لا أحب حتى طريقة تجوله في الملعب، يبدو وكأنه يطفو على الماء”.

وأكمل: “عندما يزول الحب، يتبعه خيبة الأمل وبما أنني فقدت حبي له تمامًا وأشعر بخيبة أمل، فأنا أنظر إلى لامين بعيون مختلفة تمامًا وأراه أقل شغفًا عما سبق”.

اقرأ أيضًا | فليك يعلق على تصرف لامين يامال بعد استبداله أمام فرانكفورت ووضع برشلونة في دوري الأبطال

وأضاف: “أرى ما يفعله والده في المدرجات، وهو يفعل الشيء نفسه على أرض الملعب”.

وأردف: “أرى أنه لم يعد لامين هو من كان يغادر، لم يعد لامين الخيالي، اللاعبين حفظوا طريقة لعبه وأسلوبه”.

واستطرد: “نعم لديه قدم يسرى رائعة، يقدم المساعدة لفريقه على فترات لكنه ليس جاهزًا بنسبة 100% وإذا لم يكن 100%، فليستريح”.

وأتم: “من المؤسف أنني كنت أحبه لكن في سن الثانية والعشرين لن يكون في برشلونة بعد الآن”.

This weekend is arguably the biggest in Thomas Frank’s tenure as Tottenham Hotspur manager, when he leads his side out against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

The Dane has yet to get his first taste of the North London Derby, but he will be looking to get one over Mikel Arteta and secure bragging rights for the Lilywhites faithful.

Such a fixture is huge for supporters, with the meeting between the two clubs one of the first dates they look for upon fixture release day, before a ball is kicked.

However, it’s been a game that the white side of North London have often come out on the losing side away from home – subsequently winning just one of their last 32 encounters.

If Frank’s side are to write themselves into the history books, they will desperately need to keep one player quiet throughout the clash at the Emirates.

The threat Bukayo Saka poses to Spurs this weekend

Bukayo Saka may ply his trade for Arsenal, but he’s cemented himself as one of the Premier League’s most threatening attackers over the last couple of years.

The Englishman has managed to register over 20 combined goals and assists in all competitions in each of the last three years – often providing the difference in such a fixture.

He’s often popped up with the goods in attacking areas, as seen by his record against the Lilywhites since his senior debut back in the 2020/21 campaign.

Saka has featured on ten occasions against Spurs throughout his professional career, racking up a total of five goals – subsequently finding the net in 50% of his outings in such a clash.

He’s also popped up with various assists in the North London Derby, with his corner to Gabriel securing the Gunners all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last campaign.

It’s evident that the winger possesses serious quality, often coming alive on Derby Day, with Frank and his squad desperately needing to silence him on Sunday afternoon.

However, he too could unleash his own version of the Englishman at the Emirates, with the Lilywhites star potentially able to inflict serious trouble on Arteta’s men.

The Spurs star who’s becoming their answer to Saka

Players such as Saka don’t come around very often, and when they do, they cost a pretty penny – many of which undoubtedly cost a small fortune in the modern-day.

Whilst Spurs are unlikely to pay over the odds for top-level talents, they have invested heavily into the frontline over recent years – as seen by their deal to land Brennan Johnson.

The hierarchy forked out a reported £47.5m for the Welshman’s signature back in the summer of 2023, with the attacker showcasing his talents in North London last campaign.

He registered a total of 18 goals across all competitions last season, the highest of any player in the squad, often starring off the right-hand side of the club’s attack.

However, he’s fallen down the pecking order in recent months, which has resulted in various options being considered within the forward line in the capital.

Mathys Tel joined the Lilywhites on a permanent basis during the summer window, with the Frenchman costing a total of £27m from German side Bayern Munich.

The 20-year-old is capable of operating off the left-hand side or even as a centre-forward, with Frank able to rely upon the youngster in a variety of different positions.

When operating on the left, he’s able to cut inside and onto his favoured foot – something which Saka has made a name for himself for in England’s top-flight.

His similarities to the Englishman are also reflected in his shot on target accuracy, with Tel matching the winger with his tally of placing 33% of his efforts between the posts.

The Frenchman has previously impressed in his professional career, but has transferred his skills over to the Premier League, as seen by his tally of two goals in the league this season.

Mathys Tel – PL stats (25/26)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	8
Goals scored	2
Shot on target accuracy	33%
Pass accuracy	73%
Dribble success	50%
Long ball success	83%
Aerials won	1.2
Mins per goal	124.5
Stats via FotMob

Tel’s efforts in attacking areas have led to huge praise from numerous outlets, with Bayern Chairman Herbert Hainer labelling him “one of the biggest talents in Europe”.

However, he will need consistent first-team minutes to reach the heights many have touted him to, with Frank needing to trust him in the near future to reap the rewards.

He’s shown that he’s capable of producing the goods in attacking areas, potentially able to provide the difference in the clash against the Gunners on Sunday.

Tel has proven he’s able to be the club’s answer to Saka, but it remains to be seen if the manager will show faith in him to allow the youngster to continue on his upward trajectory.

Spurs must sell "one of the worst signings in PL history" to fund Semenyo

Tottenham Hotspur must sell one player if they are to land Antoine Semenyo in January.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 20, 2025

Wolves are on the hunt for a new manager after sacking Vitor Pereira, and their Premier League survival could hinge on finding the perfect Molineux candidate.

Their catastrophic start to the season has plunged the club into crisis, with Pereira dismissed just 45 days after signing a new three-year contract following a 3-0 defeat at Fulham last weekend. The Portuguese’s departure came amid unprecedented failure that has left Wolves rooted to the bottom of the table and staring at almost certain relegation.

Wolves are the only winless side in England’s top four divisions, having taken just two points from their opening 10 Premier League games.

More alarmingly for the Old Gold, no club has ever survived with two or fewer points at this stage of a Premier League season, making the Midlands side overwhelming favourites for the drop after eight successive years in the top flight.

Wolves 0-4 Man City

Bournemouth 1-0 Wolves

Wolves 2-3 Everton

Newcastle 1-0 Wolves

Wolves 1-3 Leeds United

Tottenham 1-1 Wolves

Wolves 1-1 Brighton

Sunderland 2-0 Wolves

Wolves 2-3 Burnley

Fulham 3-0 Wolves

Wolves have scored the joint-fewest goals (seven) while conceding the most (22) in the division, and have gone 14 consecutive league matches without victory for the first time since a run of 15 between February and August 2012.

Pereira’s final match saw him subjected to chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” by travelling supporters at Craven Cottage, having previously clashed with fans following a 3-2 home defeat to Burnley.

Amid their search for a new manager, Wolves have now turned their attention to Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards, who made over 100 appearances for the club as a player between 2004 and 2008, though Boro rejected an approach to speak with the former Luton manager on Thursday (Sky Sports).

However, in a sensational turn of events, following his cancelled press conference on Friday, it is now believed that Edwards will not take charge of Boro’s Championship clash with Birmingham City.at the Riverside today.

Rob Edwards "now looking likely to join Wolves" after Middlesbrough decision

This comes after a decision from Boro to stand him down for the clash, with journalist Ben Jacobs reporting that Edwards is “now looking likely to join Wolves” after days of intense speculation.

The 42-year-old, who James Collins called “terrific”, only just took over from Michael Carrick in June and put pen to paper on a three-year deal, but he’s now poised to try and steer Wolves away from the relegation battle despite making a fantastic start to life at Boro.

This latest twist in the managerial merry-go-round comes after former manager Gary O’Neil emerged as a leading contender but withdrew from consideration, feeling the timing wasn’t right for a return to Molineux.

Edwards guided Luton Town to Premier League promotion via the playoffs in 2023, demonstrating his ability to work wonders with very limited resources, and the coach’s work at Boro has been exceptional.

He’s guided Boro to their best start in the club’s 149-year history, winning EFL Championship Manager of the Month for August after four wins from four games with just one goal conceded.

Chelsea have their finger on the pulse when it comes to talent around the world and they could now be set to fight off competition to sign Boca Juniors midfielder Milton Delgado.

The Blues have made their fair share of moves for young stars in recent windows, albeit patience has been a little here and there over their Premier League impact, with Enzo Maresca enjoying a mixed start to the campaign at Stamford Bridge.

Intriguingly, the Italian boss has come under some pressure this season and Juventus had shown interest prior to appointing Luciano Spalletti.

Simon Phillips explained: “Enzo Maresca has been at the top of Juventus’ list for their new manager, but they knew that he is not attainable mid-season.

“This has not stopped them making contact with Maresca’s people in recent days. However, the word from Maresca is that at the moment he is not looking to make any changes to his current situation right now.”

Undoubtedly, Chelsea will spend again in January and Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr is a target at Stamford Bridge. Admittedly, BlueCo would need to show a sizeable level of ambition to pull off such a coup, but the Brazil international’s future in the Spanish capital appears uncertain with his contract up in 2027.

Juventus star Kenan Yildiz is also another player in the Blues’ sights, illustrating that they have their eye on developments across Europe when it comes to the window opening for business in January.

Keeping that fire lit, Chelsea may now be preparing to trigger the release clause of a talent who hails from South America.

Chelsea lining up bid for Milton Delgado

According to reports in his homeland via Sport Witness, Chelsea’s pursuit of Boca Juniors midfielder Martin Delgado has panicked his current club, while they are also braced for approaches from Sevilla and Inter Miami.

The Argentina Under-20 international has made 35 appearances in total for the South American giants, registering a solitary assist from his holding midfield role.

Starring in his national team’s run to the Under-20 World Cup final, he is set to be offered a bumper new contract by Boca that will raise his release clause value significantly, though his club are well aware they will receive an abundance of offers in January.

Chelsea also have a young star who is as exciting as Estevao

Chelsea have already concluded a number of deals ahead of 2026, namely the additions of Geovany Quenda, Denner and Emmanuel Emegha, hence why it would be a major surprise if Delgado was next in line to bolster Maresca’s squad depth.

Rajat Patidar, batting on 42, will be the key on the third day

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2025

Rajat Patidar and Abhimanyu Easwaran took Rest of India past 100•PTI

Despite Abhimanyu Easwaran’s half-century, Vidarbha’s bowlers put their side on top on the second day in the Irani Cup match against Rest of India. At stumps, Rest of India were 142 for 5, trailing Vidarbha’s first-innings total of 342 by 200. Rajat Patidar, batting on 42, will be the key going into the third day.Vidarbha resumed the day on 280 for 5 with Atharva Taide batting on 118. But their innings did not last long. Yash Thakur and Harsh Dubey fell in successive overs to leave them on 295 for 7.Darshan Nalkande hung around with Taide and the two added a crucial 37 to take the side to 332. Gurnoor Brar broke the stand by having Nalkande caught behind for 20. The end was swift as Saransh Jain picked the remaining two wickets in one over. He bowled Taide for 143 and, two balls later, had Aditya Thakare caught off Ruturaj Gaikwad.Abhimanyu and Aryan Juyal gave Rest of India a steady start of 52 before Nalkande trapped Juyal lbw. Yash Dhull came out with an attacking intent and hit two fours off Dubey, the second of those via an outside edge. But it was Dubey who had the last laugh when he had Dhull stumped for 11.Abhimanyu and Patidar took the side past 100. Abhimanyu brought up a half-century via an inside-edged four off Parth Rekhade before getting lbw in the same over. That triggered a mini-collapse. Gaikwad hit Thakur for back-to-back fours but was caught at deep-backward point off the following delivery. Ishan Kishan did not last long either, Rekhade having him lbw for 1.That left Rest of India at 124 for 5. Patidar and Manav Suthar, though, ensured there were no more setbacks till stumps.

The tournament will be held in February-March 2026 in India and Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2025United Arab Emirates (UAE) have qualified for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, after defeating Japan on Thursday by eight wickets in the Asia-EAP Qualifier tournament in Al Amerat.Haider Ali’s 3 for 20 and and an opening partnership of 70 between openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem helped them comfortably chase 117 against Japan. UAE now join Nepal and Oman as the last three teams to secure their World Cup spot in next year’s edition.Apart from hosts India and Sri Lanka, the other teams with automatic qualification into the tournament are the top-seven teams from the 2024 T20 World Cup – Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States of America and West Indies. The three teams that qualified on basis of their T20I rankings were New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland.Canada comfortably took the lone Americas Qualifier position. Italy, first time T20 World Cup participants, and Netherlands qualified from the five-team tournament in Europe. Namibia and Zimbabwe grabbed the two spots from the eight-team Africa qualifier before Nepal, Oman and UAE wrapped up the list this week in the nine-team Asia-EAP round.The 2026 tournament will follow the same format as the previous edition – the 20 teams will be split into four groups of five each, with every team playing the others once in a round-robin format. The top two teams from every group will progress to the Super 8 stage, where they will be placed into two groups of four according to pre-tournament seedings for another round-robin phase. The top two sides from each Super 8 group will then qualify for the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-final will meet in the final.

Liverpool slumped down to eighth in the Premier League table after they were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City at The Etihad in the last game before the international break.

The Reds have now lost seven of their last ten matches in all competitions and five of their 11 games in the Premier League, in what has been a dismal defence of their title so far.

Arne Slot will be disappointed with his side’s dreadful run of form and should use the international break to come up with a new way of approaching matches to turn the season around.

One thing that the Dutch head coach must look to do is to revive Mohamed Salah’s form, because the reigning Premier League Player of the Year has not been at his best.

How far Mo Salah's numbers have fallen this season

The Egypt international won the Player of the Year award by delivering 29 goals and 18 assists in the top-flight last season, helping the Reds to the Premier League title.

Unfortunately, the left-footed superstar has not quite been at his sparkling best for Slot in the current campaign, although he has still delivered four goals and two assists in 11 league games.

Mo Salah (Premier League)	24/25	25/26
Appearances	38	11
Goals	29	4
Minutes per goal	116	246
Big chances missed	24	6
Conversion rate	22%	15%
Key passes per game	2.4	1.9
Assists	18	2
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Salah is scoring and assisting goals less frequently than he did last season, with a lower conversion rate, which is why the manager needs to find a way to get him back to his best.

Per Sofascore, the winger registered three shots without any going on target and created three chances without any of them being ‘big chances’, but he was not the only Liverpool forward who failed to deliver.

Why Hugo Ekitike's place in the XI should be on borrowed time

Hugo Ekitike put in a disappointing performance in the number nine shirt and his place in the starting line-up may be on borrowed time come the other side of the break.

The France international was given the nod to lead the line for the Reds against the Cityzens, but he was just as ineffective as Salah at the top end of the pitch.

Per Sofascore, Ekitike did not take a single shot in the match and only made one key pass, whilst he also lost 100% (2/2) of his duels, which speaks to how underwhelming his display was.

In his 11 minutes on the pitch after the post above, the former Eintracht Frankfurt centre-forward did not take any shots or attempt any dribbles, but he did create one chance in what was an “anonymous” performance.

Ekitike has now failed to score in his last five appearances in the Premier League for the Reds, per Sofascore, and has only scored three goals in ten games in the division in total.

Unlike Salah, the French striker does not have an incredible career at Liverpool to buy him more time in the starting XI if performances like his one against Manchester City persist, which is why he may be on borrowed time in the XI.

On top of that, Alexander Isak returned from injury to make the bench on Sunday, which puts further pressure on Ekitike. The former Newcastle man scored 23 goals in the Premier League last season, per Sofascore, and could take his place in the starting line-up unless the ex-Bundesliga star improves his performances.

Man City fans' brutal chant sums up Florian Wirtz's time at Liverpool

The German struggled, yet again, for the Reds against Manchester City.

By
James O'Reilly

Nov 9, 2025

كشفت تقارير صحفية إنجليزية أن نادي ليفربول ينتظر رد الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، قبل اتخاذ أي قرار نهائي فيما يخص مشاركة النجم محمد صلاح في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وتستضيف المغرب نهائيات كأس أمم إفريقيا في الفترة بين 21 ديسمبر 2025 و18 يناير 2026.

وذكرت شبكة “thisisanfield” الإنجليزية أن هناك حالة من الترقب داخل أروقة ليفربول فيما يخص قرار الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم بشأن الموعد الإلزامي لإطلاق سراح اللاعبين المشاركين في كأس أمم إفريقيا، قبل اتخاذ قرار بشأن محمد صلاح.

وتضمن المشاركة في دور المجموعات وحدها غياب محمد صلاح عن صفوف ليفربول، عن ثلاث مباريات على الأقل، ولكن من المرجح أن تمتد فترة غيابه.

وسيخوض منتخب مصر مباراة ودية ضد نيجيريا يوم 7 ديسمبر المقبل، حيث يأمل الاعتماد على الثنائي محمد صلاح وعمر مرموش في ذلك اللقاء الذي يعني بدء المعسكر التدريبي في وقت مبكر من الشهر المذكور.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كوناتي يوجه رسالة مهمة إلى جماهير ليفربول: سنتجاوز المحنة

وأوضحت أنه رغم رغبة حسام حسن، فإن ليفربول وكذلك مانشستر سيتي ينتظران ردًا من فيفا حول الموعد الإلزامي للتخلي عن خدمات محمد صلاح ومرموش لصالح منتخب مصر، والذي من المتوقع أن يكون قبل أسبوعين من انطلاق البطولة.

وأفادت أن ذلك يعني أن الموعد النهائي هو 8 ديسمبر، وفي حال تطبيق هذا، فإن محمد صلاح سيغيب عن مباراتي ليفربول ضد إنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا، 9 ديسمبر، وبرايتون 13 ديسمبر في الدوري الإنجليزي، بخلاف المباريات الأخرى في فترة البطولة الإفريقية.

وسيسافر منتخب مصر إلى المغرب في 17 ديسمبر قبل مواجهة زيمبابوي (22 ديسمبر)، وجنوب أفريقيا (26 ديسمبر)، وأنجولا (29 ديسمبر) في المجموعة الثانية.

وإذا طٌلب من محمد صلاح مغادرة ليفربول والسفر مبكرًا، وفي حال وصول منتخب مصر إلى المباراة النهائية أو تحديد المركز الثالث، فإنه قد يغيب عن 9 مباريات رفقة كتيبة آرني سلوت.

وشرحت الشبكة الأمر على النحو التالي:

أقرب موعد محتمل لمغادرة محمد صلاح صفوف ليفربول: 8 ديسمبر.

ليفربول وإنتر ميلان خارج ملعبه، دوري أبطال أوروبا: 9 ديسمبر.

ليفربول وبرايتون على ملعبه، الدوري الإنجليزي: 13 ديسمبر.

الموعد المتوقع سابقًا لرحيل محمد صلاح عن ليفربول (حال عدم إجباره على المغادرة مبكرًا): 14 ديسمبر.

ليفربول وتوتنهام خارج ملعبه، الدوري الإنجليزي: 20 ديسمبر.

ليفربول وولفرهامبتون على ملعبه، الدوري الإنجليزي: 27 ديسمبر.

نهاية دور المجموعات في كأس أمم إفريقيا: 29 ديسمبر.

ليفربول وليدز يونايتد على ملعبه، الدوري الإنجليزي: 1 يناير.

دور الـ16 من كأس أمم إفريقيا: 3/5/4 يناير.

ليفربول وفولهام خارج ملعبه، الدوري الإنجليزي: 4 يناير.

ليفربول وآرسنال خارج ملعبه، الدوري الإجليزي: 8 يناير.

دور ربع نهائي كأس أمم إفريقيا: 9/10 يناير.

دور نصف نهائي كأس أمم إفريقيا: 14 يناير.

ليفربول وآرسنل على ملعبه، الدوري الإنجليزي، 17 يناير.

مباراة تحديد المركز الثالث في كأس أمم إفريقيا: 17 يناير.

نهائي كأس أمم إفريقيا: 18 يناير.

ليفربول ومارسيليا خارج ملعبه، دوري أبطال أوروبا، 21 يناير.

 

Melbourne Renegades paid for giving the former Australia captain a life in what became a one-sided derby

AAP29-Nov-2025Meg Lanning made Melbourne Renegades pay dearly for a dropped catch, spearheading Stars to a massive WBBL derby win.Lanning carried her bat through Stars’ innings, scoring 73, and was player of the match as they dominated for a 45-run win on Saturday in bleak, late-spring conditions at Junction Oval.Related

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Stars’ first win in four Melbourne derbies gave them top spot, one point ahead of Hobart Hurricanes, who were to host Perth Scorchers on Saturday night. It sets up a pivotal clash on Monday, when Hurricanes host Stars.While Stars posted their fourth-straight win, Renegades were well off the form that took them to last season’s title.Renegades’ fielding in particular let them down, most glaringly when Lanning was on 27 and cut Sarah Coyte to Deandra Dottin at backward point. Dottin grassed the straightforward chance and it proved a pivotal moment in the game.The previous ball, excellent glovework from Nicole Faltum had Amy Jones stumped off Georgia Wareham for 43 to break a dangerous stand of 62 with Lanning.Lanning hit seven fours and a six in her 58-ball knock. Captain Annabel Sutherland whacked two sixes off consecutive balls from Coyte on her way to a quickfire 27.In the same over, Alice Capsey and Naomi Stalenberg collided when chasing a ball and Lanning contributed a third six off the hapless Coyte.Stars’ Georgia Prestwidge caught Renegades’ malaise, dropping an easy chance from Dottin on the first ball of the innings. But fellow opener Courtney Webb spooned the easiest of return catches to Marizanne Kapp soon after and Renegades lost wickets steadily.Sasha Moloney took a scorching catch at backward point to claim the crucial wicket of Wareham for a first-ball duck off Maisy Gibson. Dottin and Faltum made 23 and Gibson claimed 3 for 17 from 2.3 overs.The undoubtable shining light for Renegades in the dreary conditions was Milly Illingworth, who snared 3 for 19 from four overs.Stars will now lose Kapp to South African international duties, while Sophie Molineux was a key absentee for Renegades.