COUNTY CRICKET TRANSFERS ROUND-UP: Why Rocky Flintoff's Lancashire future is in jeopardy, three-way battle for Michael Atherton's son and a double blow for Durham
Josh de Caires - whose father Michael Atherton does not tend to get involved in his cricket affairs - has two attractive offers to rival Middlesex's bid to keep him.
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The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
2025/26 Premier League Specials: Odds for Golden Glove, most assists and top at Christmas
Liverpool to be top at Christmas - 2/1 Bet365 Mo Salah to register the most assists - 3/1 Bet365 David Raya to win the Golden Glove - 5/4 Bet365 The Premier League returns in August as the country's top sides once again battle out for the title, survival and European football across the span of the next nine months. England's top flight remains one of the most popular football leagues on the planet, with plenty of interest from fans around the world, and betting sites are preparing for the new season with a range of Premier League betting markets. While the usual debates will rage on regarding title contenders, the battle for top four and the fight to avoid relegation, betting sites regularly put together special markets both before and during the new season, with Premier League odds on markets including the golden glove, the top assister, teams to be top at Christmas and plenty more. And ahead of the new season beginning this month, we've picked out our favourite three special markets available across football betting sites, with odds on Liverpool to be top at Christmas, Mo Salah to register the most assists and David Raya to win the Golden Glove, with a three-fold acca paying out at 27/1 with Bet365 in the latest Premier League odds. Liverpool enter the 2025/26 season as the favourites in the Premier League winner odds to retain the trophy they won at a canter last term, with notable additions to Arne Slot's squad meaning the bookies are backing them to win a 21st top-flight title. The signings of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez – as well as the potential addition of Alexander Isak – means that Slot has added serious quality to a team that won the league by 10 points last season, and though the additions mean that the squad may take time to settle, it is a team that is still better than its rivals (on paper anyway) from the off. With Manchester City needing to bleed in their own major signings in key positions and Arsenal appearing yet to have solved their own attacking shortcomings, it looks like Liverpool will be best-placed to set the early pace in 2025/26. Slot's side were narrowly top of the league at Christmas of 2024, setting a blistering early pace that was only matched – however briefly – by Chelsea before the Reds began to run away with it. Though you would expect something different to happen this season, you'd also expect Liverpool to sustain a title challenge, and being top at Christmas will be a big part of that. Bet365 Premier League specials betting: Salah to get close to assist record? The Premier League assist record remains one of the most elusive records in the top flight, with Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne both having hit 20 in one season. Last term, Mo Salah registered 18 assists but couldn't get the record despite having a few games to do so, though the Egyptian won't be too dismayed considering how his season went overall. And while Salah's 47 goal involvements carried Liverpool to the title in 2024/25, his role in the side may be very different this season with the arrival of Ekitike and potentially Isak. However, he remains one of the leading contenders in the Premier League top scorer odds to win the Golden Boot again. With more of a recognised starting striker present, and with the help of a smaller goalscoring burden, Salah could well register a similar amount of assists as last season, perhaps even teetering near the record once again. While players including Bukayo Saka and teammate Wirtz should be up there, Salah looks like a solid bet on betting sites to finish 2025/26 with the most assists in the league. Premier League specials betting: Arsenal to keep best defensive record Arsenal have boasted the best defensive record in the league over the last two seasons, conceding just 25 goals last term and 29 the season before that. Mikel Arteta has emphasised defensive solidity as the focal point of his Gunners side, with the central pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba emerging as one of the best on the planet. And the team's defensive capabilities mean that David Raya has now won two golden gloves in a row, with the Spaniard keeping 16 clean sheets in 2023/24 before sharing the award with Nottingham Forest's Matz Sels last season, with both keeping 13 clean sheets. Such is Arteta's focus on the defensive side of the game that it looks like Arsenal are best-placed to keep the most clean sheets in the league once again. Of their main competitors, Liverpool tend to prioritise goalscoring over clean sheets and have a more all-action defence (especially with the additions of flying full-backs Frimpong and Kerkez) while City may need to strengthen in this area ahead of the new season if they're to keep anywhere as many clean sheets as the Gunners. Don't rule out another surprise keeper in there – like Sels was last year – though it looks like Raya is well-placed to make it three golden gloves in a row in 2025/26. If you're having a bet on the football, it's vital to practice responsible gambling. Betting can be addictive, and it's important to stay in control of your gambling, whether you're using online bookies, casino sites, slot sites, bingo sites or any other gambling platform. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop. Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help you stay in control. Try not to get too seduced by free bet offers or casino bonuses, which are widely available on gambling apps. But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don't hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.
The Sun
23 minutes ago
- The Sun
I trained with an EFL team – I almost fainted and the drills were so complex, it's a far-cry from Sunday League
PRE-SEASON as a Sunday league footballer is relatively simple. Three friendly games are followed by some players attending one 'fitness' session, which involves a few stretches, a lap of the pitch and a crossbar challenge before going to the local pub for a few pints. 3 3 3 As a professional for EFL side Cambridge United in League Two, however, things couldn't be more different. Intense workouts, demanding technical training sessions, and a constant tracking of your diet, sleep, water intake, and ability to recover mean that these players will be in tip-top condition when the season kicks off. With Brooks as the club's new front-of-shirt sponsor, Cambridge United players are taking their fitness more seriously than ever. I had the opportunity to head to the club's training ground and experience what it's like to do pre-season as a professional. Funnily enough, our session still began with a jog around the pitch and some stretching, but beyond that the session couldn't have been more different from what I am used to. Complex fitness drills were explained to me like the rules of a board game translated from Japanese to English by someone who'd only ever read the instructions upside down. I tried to navigate my way up and down the pitch in various forms with my heart beating out of my chest and my blood pressure at levels it hasn't been in years. After about 30 minutes of fitness training at this level, I was kneeling on the floor, gasping for water and feeling faint. That was before watching the team train with a ball, a showcase of the elite technical skill required to make it pro. Every session is monitored by every player's personal WHOOP band, a fitness tracker that explains to the coaches at the club how much sleep the players are getting, how hard they're working themselves, and how well recovered they are. EFL star sparks furious brawl and chased by opponents after 'one of the worst tackles you'll ever see in a friendly' But players' attitudes too have changed, long gone are the days of a summer break filled with fancy meals, drinking and coming back to pre-season overweight or unfit, in fact things have almost gone too far the other way. The modern footballer loves to flood Instagram with personal training clips in the off-season, presenting a new challenge to clubs, as players can be overworked or get injured before their professional campaign has even begun. Cambridge United monitor all of this, to ensure their players are ready for the new season.
The Sun
23 minutes ago
- The Sun
Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte: What belts are on the line for huge Saudi clash?
MOSES ITAUMA will flaunt both his WBA and WBO Intercontinental belts ahead of his blockbuster battle against Dillian Whyte. Itauma, 20, dismantled German heavy-hitter Ilja Mezencev in a May 2024 bout to secure the crown. 3 3 The British star then added the WBO belt to his collection a year later when he landed a brutal second-round TKO on Mike Balogun in Glasgow. However, Itauma is set to face his toughest test yet as he'll be stepping into the ring with former veteran Dillian Whyte. The Body Snatcher, 37, has been one of the most popular and dangerous heavyweights of the last decade and has signature wins over Alexander Povetkin, Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker. But following a drugs ban, Whyte has scored two unconvincing wins against Christian Hammer and Ebenezer Tetter, as well as withdrawing from fights against Joe Joyce and Lawrence Okolie. It's a massive crossroads fights for both men, with fans eager to know whether a win over the undefeated Itauma would see Whyte become a contender once again. What belts are on the line? To put it simply, none. The minor belts are of secondary concern in this one - Moses Itauma will hold onto his WBA and WBO Intercontinental belts, whatever the outcome of the fight. However, the result will have massive ramifications for both fighters. Victory for Itauma would solidify his position as a top heavyweight contender and potentially move him closer to a shot at Oleksandr Usyk 's world title. Whereas, a win for Whyte adds to the rebuild of his career and would demonstrate that he is still a force at this elite level - a defeat could leave him staring at retirement. Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte - all the info One of the biggest fights of the year has arrived The highly-touted Moses Itauma faces the biggest test of his fledgling career as he steps into the ring with Dillian Whyte on Saturday night. Itauma, 20, has great expectations on his shoulders - he has been compared to Mike Tyson and is expected by many to dominate boxing's heavyweight division over the next decade. But the Slovakian-born star - who sits at 12-0 (10KOs) is yet to face a test anywhere close to what Whyte can offer. The Body Snatcher is now 37 and has not looked great in his last couple of fights, but the former world title challenger knows an upset win would catapult him right back to the top table. Watch Itauma vs Whyte LIVE on DAZN Here's everything you need to know ahead of the fight... INFO Start time, TV channel and live stream - all the info LATEST NEWS Whyte's trainer reveals he's NEVER watched Itauma fight Whyte's rise from eating out of bins and selling fanta to heavyweight contender When is Itauma vs Whyte? Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte will take place on Saturday, August 16. The main card is scheduled to get underway at 5.45pm BST. While ring-walks for the main event are scheduled for around 10.20pm BST. This mouthwatering bout will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the ANB Arena - it can hold a capacity of approximately 8,000 people. The action takes place on DAZN. Alternatively, SunSport will live blog all the action as it happens. 3 What is the Itauma vs Whyte full card? Fans will be patiently waiting to see whether Dillian Whyte can stop the Moses Itauma hype train. However, the likes of Nick Ball and Filip Hrgovic are also set to be on the super Saudi bill. Here is the full card:
