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Arsenal could finalise a deal to sign a “world-class” player this weekend, alongside Chelsea’s Noni Madeueke, according to a report.

Madueke deal edging towards completion

Fabrizio Romano has revealed the Gunners’ deal for Madueke is now very close to completion, with the winger jetting back from the Club World Cup to seal a move across the capital.

However, a section of the fanbase isn’t exactly overjoyed by the news, with some fans even signing a petition in a desperate attempt to stop the move going through, which has angered former Manchester United man Rio Ferdinand.

Weighing in on the issue, Ferdinand said: “It’s fine for fans to disagree with signings or decisions made at their football club but the way some fans have publicly voiced their opinions and those who have gone a step further in publicly joining a petition for this player not to be signed by their football club is beyond me. I have never seen anything like this before, and I hope I don’t ever again.”

A good way of getting the fans back on side may be to finally get a striker through the door, and there has now been a suggestion that a deal for Viktor Gyokeres could be wrapped up in the very near future as sporting director Andrea Berta ramps things up a notch at the Emirates.

Odegaard 2.0: Arsenal in pole position for £87m "superstar" after Madueke

The incredible internatinal could be a game-changer for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 11, 2025

According to a report from The Guardian, Sporting CP retain feint hope the deal with Arsenal could be finalised this weekend, with Gyokeres making it clear he has no interest in remaining at the Portuguese club.

The Sweden international has failed to return to pre-season training, in order to try and force through a move to the Emirates Stadium, but a deal will not be cheap, with president Frederico Varandas holding firm on a total package of €80m (£69m).

"World-class" Gyokeres could be final piece of Arsenal jigsaw

While some Arsenal fans have been left angered by the decision to spend big on Madueke, there should be less outrage over signing the Sporting striker, given that he is clearly ready to make the move to a top club.

At 27-years-old, the Swedish forward should now be in his peak years, and he was lauded as “world-class” by members of the media after putting in a fantastic performance against Manchester City in the Champions League last season.

The Sporting star scored a hat-trick in his side’s 4-1 victory over City last November, which should allay some fears about whether he would be able to make the step-up to the Premier League.

Gyokeres is clearly determined to seal a move to the Emirates Stadium, and his exploits in the Liga Portugal indicate he could be a real difference-maker in Arsenal’s pursuit of the Premier League title next season.

أعلن سامي الطرابلسي، المدير الفني لمنتخب تونس، التشكيل الرسمي الذي سيخوض به مواجهة غينيا الاستوائية، ضمن الجولة الثامنة من تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026، والتي تقام على ملعب مالابو.

ويدخل منتخب تونس اللقاء متصدر المجموعة الثامنة برصيد 19 نقطة، بعد الفوز الكبير في الجولة الماضية على ليبيريا بثلاثية نظيفة، ويأمل نسور قرطاج في حصد النقاط الثلاث لحسم تأهله رسميًا إلى المونديال المقبل المقرر إقامته في الولايات المتحدة وكندا والمكسيك.

ويعتمد الطرابلسي في التشكيل الأساسي على الثلاثي فرجاني ساسي، السخيري والمجبري في وسط الملعب، بينما يقود الهجوم إلياس عشوري بجانب أسامة السعدي وهيثم المساوري.

وشهدت قائمة البدلاء تواجد محمد علي بن رمضان لاعب الأهلي، حيث فضل الجهاز الفني إبقائه على دكة الاحتياطية في بداية اللقاء.

طالع أيضًا | حازم إمام يُدافع عن تريزيجيه: كان أفضل من محمد صلاح.. والهجوم ضده مبالغ فيه تشكيل منتخب تونس أمام غينيا الاستوائية في تصفيات كأس العالم

في حراسة المرمى: دحمان

خط الدفاع: بن وناس – منتصر الطالبي – ديلان برون – ياسين فاليري

خط الوسط: فرجاني ساسي – السخيري – المجبري

خط الهجوم: إلياس عشوري – أسامة السعدي – هيثم المساوري بدلاء تونس أمام غينيا الاستوائية في تصفيات كأس العالم

فاروق فرحاتي، بلال السعيد، محمد الهادي محمود، نعيم سليتي، فخر الدين الشواشي، ياسين مرياح، معتز بالله بن حميدة، علي الغرام، محمد علي بن رمضان، سيف الدين التونكتي، أيمن الغربي، مكرم النفاتي.

Big picture: Will spin play a role in Kingstown?

A tournament of firsts has an addition: this is the first time South Africa and Nepal will meet on the international circuit. And they do so from opposite ends of the group’s points table.South Africa advanced to the Super Eight after the Nepal-Sri Lanka washout, but would have likely made it there anyway. They have won all three of their matches so far – two by close margins – and are looking like one of the form teams.Nepal have yet to win a match – and have in fact only played one full game – but they might feel they have already enjoyed some success. A 7000-strong crowd in Dallas, made up almost entirely of their supporters, cheered Nepal through their opening game against Netherlands. But their batting wilted under pressure from the Netherlands seamers, which does not bode well for them coming up against South Africa, whose fast bowlers have been exceptional.Related

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South Africa’s main concern coming into the tournament was the form of Anrich Nortje, but he is back to, and perhaps even better than, his previous best. Nortje has reached speeds of 150kph-plus, has shown off a good slower ball, is taking wickets, and is now two away from Dale Steyn’s record as South Africa’s leading bowler in men’s T20 World Cups. Nortje and Ottneil Baartman, with all his variations, have formed a formidable first and second change and have eclipsed Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada.It is yet to be seen how much of a role the spinners will play – and remember South Africa have included three specialists in their squad but only used one, Keshav Maharaj, so far – and the trip to the Caribbean might reveal that. Should things take a turn in the direction of the spinners, Nepal are well resourced with the addition of Sandeep Lamichhane for the West Indian leg of the tournament.

Form guide

Nepal: LLLWW
South Africa: WWWLLAiden Markram, as well as Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks, are woefully short of runs•Getty Images

In the spotlight – Sandeep Lamichhane and the South Africa top order

Sandeep Lamichhane, Nepal’s best-known player, has not played an international match since November last year after being convicted of and then acquitted for rape. The latter came ten days before participating teams had to name their final squads for the tournament and his name was not on Nepal’s initial list. Cleverly, they only included 14 players. But Lamichhane was subsequently denied a visa to enter the USA and had to miss Nepal’s first two games, but has reached St Vincent.All this for what, you may wonder? Well, Lamichhane is match-winner, who was the fourth-leading wicket-taker in ODIs last year, and played a key role in Nepal reaching the World Cup Qualifiers. He has described playing at a World Cup as “fulfilling my dreams and the dream of all cricket lovers”, and big things are expected of him.The one aspect of South Africa’s game that needs improving is the performance of the top-three batters, who have collectively scored just 61 runs from nine trips to the crease. That may be due to the difficulties of the New York surfaces, where they played all their matches, and could change if conditions are less tricky in the Caribbean. Still, Quinton de Kock, who is likely playing his last international event, Reeza Hendricks, who was overlooked in 2022 and may feel the pressure to prove why that was the wrong decision, and Aiden Markram, who is captaining, will want to do better. De Kock and Markram have both made some starts but Hendricks is particularly short of runs. With Ryan Rickelton in the squad, he will know he has some competition.

Team news: SA will field their best XI

Nepal will have to leave someone out to make space for Lamichhane, if he is available for selection, and it could be left-arm spinner Sagar Dhakal, who was economical but went wicketless against Netherlands.Nepal: 1 Kushal Bhurtel, 2 Aasif Sheikh (wk), 3 Anil Sah, 4 Rohit Paudel (Capt), 5 Kushal Malla, 6 Dipendra Singh Airee, 7 Sompal Kami, 8 Gulshan Jha, 9 Karan KC, 10 Sagar Dhakal/Sandeep Lamichhane, 11 Abinash BoharaUnlike Australia, who may or may not empty their bench against Scotland, South Africa are not considering anything other than fielding what they believe is their best XI. White-ball coach Rob Walter was clear that the top three will be given the opportunity to get some runs, while any changes to the attack will only be conditions-based.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Ottneil Baartman, 11 Anrich Nortje

Pitch and conditionsMuch like Eisenhower Park, this surface is also fairly unknown because of the scarcity of cricket here. On the evidence of the Bangladesh-Netherlands game, the surface is conducive for run-scoring and could offer a change from what South Africa experienced in New York. There are 58-metre boundaries on one side of the ground which means the big hitters will feel right at home.It’s expected to be humid, sunny and slightly windy during the game. Stats and trivia:

• Not only is Lamichhane Nepal’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, he is also two wickets away from 100 in the format. He also has the seventh-lowest bowling average in T20Is overall (and the second-lowest among bowlers playing the World Cup
• Heinrich Klaasen is two sixes away from become the leading six-hitter in T20s this year. So far, he has stuck 80 in 33 matches, two fewer than Nicholas Pooran, who has played two more matches
• There have only been two T20Is hosted in St Vincent before, both in 2013 in a series between West Indies and Pakistan played in July. Pakistan won the first match chasing 153 and the second after they defended 135

Quotes

“It’s easy to be chipper when you’re winning. Everyone is just pretty chuffed that they come out on the right side of the results and the way that we fought as a unit. We’ve got to celebrate a few wins, which has been great, and celebrate being part of the next phase of this competition. But we want to have a clean sweep of our pool round. That’s certainly something we’ll be focusing on and then taking that into the Super Eights.”
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Arsenal booked their place in the Champions League semi-final last night with a sensational 2-1 win over defending champions Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.

The victory secured a 5-1 aggregate win, putting a stop to the Spanish outfit’s chances of making it back-to-back European triumphs after their win at Wembley against Borussia Dortmund last season.

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli’s second-half strikes were enough for Mikel Arteta’s men to advance to the next stage of the competition, subsequently setting up a tie with French giants PSG.

It was a superb showing from the Gunners in Madrid, restricting Carlo Ancelotti’s side to limited opportunities and preventing his star-studded side from making yet another miraculous comeback.

Numerous players starred during the victory, playing a pivotal role in their chances of landing their first-ever European trophy in the coming months.

Arsenal’s star performers against Real Madrid

Mikel Merino once again started as Arsenal’s main centre-forward, not looking out of place and producing yet another impressive showing at the top end of the pitch.

The Spaniard registered two assists in the win and completed four passes into the final third, providing numerous opportunities for other attackers, as seen by his assist tally.

Declan Rice picked up where he left off from the first leg, completing 96% of the passes he attempted, three of which were into the final third, starring with the ball at his feet.

Out of possession, the 26-year-old was just as impressive, winning 100% of the tackles he entered, whilst making four interceptions, restricting the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior for large spells.

Despite the showings of the aforementioned duo, one other player hugely impressed at the Bernabeu – easily walking into Madrid’s side after such a showing.

The 8/10 Arsenal star who showed he would walk into Madrid’s team

For many years, Madrid have been the golden boys of European football, as seen by their tally of 15 titles – the most of any side in the competition’s history.

Six of their victories have come since 2010, but Arteta’s side produced an incredible showing over two legs to stop their chances of extending their record as the most successful side in history.

Given the stature of the club, only the best talents in the world could be able to cement their place in the squad, but Gunners full-back Jurrien Timber certainly wouldn’t look out of place within their side.

The Dutchman produced a sensational showing against the Spanish outfit last night, arguably his best since returning to action after missing the majority of his debut season through injury.

Timber featured for 89 minutes of the clash, limiting Vini Jr to minimal chances throughout the contest, making four recoveries to stop their Brazilian.

Minutes played

89

Touches

42

Passes completed

10

Passes into final third

5

Ground duels won

3

Times dispossessed

1

Tackles made

2

He also made five passes into the final third, with such a tally being 50% of all the passes he completed during the game, offering Arteta’s side a quick transition on the counterattack.

His impressive showing didn’t stop there, winning three ground duels, only being dispossessed once in what was a superb all-round performance from the 23-year-old – leading to one content creator labelling him as “phenomenal”.

To top off his excellent showing, he was handed an 8/10 match rating by the Evening Standard’s Simon Collings – further highlighting how much of a key role he played at the Bernabeu.

Given Madrid’s issues in the right-back role, there’s no denying the Dutchman would be able to star in their side, with the Gunners having a huge talent on their hands.

If they are to go all the way and win the competition this season, Timber will undoubtedly play a key role, potentially providing the difference in the next couple of rounds.

Bigger star than MLS & Nwaneri: Arsenal plotting bid for "skilful" talent

Arsenal are set to make a bid for a talented star who could be a bigger star than two young gems.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 16, 2025

In what would be a major coup, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now reportedly eyeing a move to sign a teenage sensation ahead of several Premier League sides.

Wolves targeting attacking reinforcements

Still in a good position to secure survival, Wolverhampton Wanderers can seemingly set their sights on welcoming some much-needed reinforcements ahead of Vitor Pereira’s first full campaign in charge.

On that front, the first task on their summer list of priorities will likely be to replace Matheus Cunha, who has attracted impressive admirers across the Premier League.

Wolves make contact in shock move to sign "special" winger once worth £73m

This would be a major coup…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 4, 2025

After Cunha recently commented on his future, claiming that he wants to be fighting for titles, Pereira responded by telling reporters: “Next season, I don’t know [if Cunha stays]. The focus is the next game and the team, and Cunha is a part of the team. In the summer, we will see what happens but in my opinion, it is normal that a player of his potential is ambitious.

“If the training gives me the confidence to go with Cunha, I will go with Cunha because he has the quality to help us and he has already helped us a lot with goals and assists.”

If those in the Midlands are to replace their star man then they will need to set their ambitions high, which could yet see a player of Sem Steijn’s calibre arrive. The FC Twente attacking midfielder has scored as many as 26 goals in all competitions and should certainly be high up on Wolves’ list of candidates to replace Cunha this summer.

Meanwhile, names such as Jadon Sancho have recently been mentioned in what would be the ultimate shock this summer. The Chelsea loanee has struggled once again in the Premier League this season and looks destined to return to Manchester United. It’s then that Wolves could pull off one of the most interesting deals of the transfer window.

Wolves join race to sign Rayan

Away from Sancho and on to stars for the future, those at Molineux have also set their sights on the next South American wonderkid. According to The Boot Room, Wolves are now eyeing a move to sign Rayan from Vasco da Gama ahead of Liverpool this summer. The 18-year-old winger has impressed in Brazil, with Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolves and Nottingham Forest all lining up for his signature.

Praised for an “exquisite finish” for Brazil’s U20s by South American football expert Nathan Joyes, Rayan looks set to have quite the decision to make when the summer arrives. Whether it’s Wolves who benefit from that decision or another Premier League side remains to be seen, however.

What Wolves can offer that Liverpool will struggle with is key game time and that should be the focus if they are to push on for Rayan’s signature in the coming months. A rising star who has already earned plenty of praise, Wolves could yet sign the next big thing this summer.

Their performances in the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka could be strong preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Bangladesh

S Sudarshanan27-Jul-2024India’s squad for the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 is teeming with spin options. There are four specialists in Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav and S Asha; several part-timers in D Hemalatha, Harmanpreet Kaur, S Sajana, Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues; and two travelling reserves Tanuja Kanwar and Saika Ishaque.It’s a selection decision that was made with more than just the ongoing Asia Cup in mind – there’s a T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October. India have been to Bangladesh twice in the last two years and the pitches in Sylhet, the venue for their T20 World Cup games, are spin friendly. It’s likely why India have more spinners than strictly necessary for the batting-friendly conditions in Dambulla, where the Asia Cup is being played.Their spinners have played an important role in their unbeaten run to the final, though. Deepti has played all 68 of India’s T20Is since 2021 and she has proven her value with her offbreaks once again in Sri Lanka by leading the wicket-charts (9) in the Asia Cup. Her spell of 3 for 20 broke Pakistan’s innings and earned her the Player of the Match award.Left-arm spinner Radha only made her comeback to the squad earlier this year and she is making herself undroppable. With a loopy delivery and a deadly arm-ball in her repertoire, she’s taken six wickets and has an economy of 5.40 in four Asia Cup games. In her heyday, Radha had picked up wickets in 27 successive T20Is between November 2018 to March 2021, but lost her spot in the squad after the T20 World Cup in 2023. After a successful WPL 2024 season with Delhi Capitals, Radha is back in the squad and has become one of India’s first-choice spinners.While Radha, 24, and Deepti, 26, have been around for a while, 21-year old Patil was one of the finds of the WPL. The offspinner was the highest wicket-taker (13) of the 2024 season and contributed significantly to RCB winning their maiden title. With her variations in pace, Patil can bowl in every phase of the game, but once she was ruled out of the Asia Cup after one game with a broken finger, Kanwar got her maiden call-up as a replacement. Kanwar was Gujarat Giants’ top wicket-taker in WPL 2024, and one of her variations is a ball she delivers from well behind the popping crease. She has fit seamlessly into one of Patil’s roles – bowling at least one over in the powerplay.That the legspinner Asha, who was second on the WPL 2024 wicket charts, is yet to play in the Asia Cup is an indication of how rich India’s spin resources are now.Shreyanka Patil is one of India’s most promising players•ACCBut it is a fast bowler who has been India’s second most successful bowler in Sri Lanka. Renuka Singh had a tough return from a stress fracture she suffered at the end of WPL 2023, and played just one of the three home T20Is against South Africa earlier this month after conceding more than 40 twice in three games. She’s found her form in Dambulla, adjusting to windy conditions to pick up seven wickets in four games, including a Player of the Match performance in the semi-final against Bangladesh.Pooja Vastrakar’s all-round ability has made her the first-choice seamer in India’s XI during the Asia Cup and she’s returned four wickets in three games. In the one game she didn’t play, Arundhati Reddy picked up two wickets against Nepal, and the fact that every bowler has made contributions to India’s run to the final has thrilled their captain.”Our bowlers did a great job and executed what we spoke in the team meetings,” Harmanpreet Kaur said after India made their fifth T20 Asia Cup final. “I am proud of our bowling. The bowlers come up with a positive approach and ideas regularly, and they are hitting the right lines and lengths. They give me confidence.”India’s bowling has tended to crack when put under pressure in big tournaments. They conceded 184 to Australia in the 2020 T20 World Cup final and couldn’t defend 274 in a must-win game against South Africa in the 2022 ODI World Cup.With all their bowlers finding their groove in the Asia Cup, India’s attack could pose a formidable challenge in the conditions they are likely to encounter at the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. But first, they face a test in Sunday’s final, against an in-form Chamari Athapaththu and her resurgent Sri Lankan side.

They’re inexperienced, they’ve had some drama, but Pooran believes the team understands itself better now

Alex Malcolm04-Oct-2022Shimron Hetmyer made headlines for missing his flight to Australia. But spare a thought for those who made it.

While part of West Indies’ T20 World Cup squad arrived in Australia on Saturday, those that played in the CPL final made the exhausting 35-hour journey from Guyana to the Gold Coast, via New York, Dubai and Brisbane to arrive at the team hotel late on Monday night ahead of their first match of the tour on Wednesday.All 14 members of the squad, with Shamarh Brooks still to arrive, fronted up to their first training session in Australia as a group on Tuesday afternoon. West Indies could be forgiven if they sleepwalk their way through the two T20Is against Australia.”It’s definitely tough,” West Indies Nicholas Pooran said in pre-match press conference. “We’ve been playing a lot of cricket for the year.”It’s difficult. It’s a challenge. But we are professionals. At the same time our main focus is obviously the World Cup qualifiers first. We have an opportunity to play against Australia, [but] we need to be smart as well. Our number one priority is obviously getting ready for our qualifiers. In saying that we will use these games here … obviously we want to win but we need to be smart as well. We need our players fresh and ready for when that qualifiers start.”Related

• Finch batting at No. 4 leaves Australia with more questions than answers

• Hetmyer dropped from West Indies World Cup squad over missed flight

• Yannic Cariah, who played his last T20 in 2016, makes West Indies' T20 World Cup squad for 2022

Such travel can often leave an individual dazed and confused when they wake up in a strange hotel room, needing a moment to clarify where they are and how they got there.West Indies find themselves in a strange hotel room right now. The two-time T20 World Cup champions, once giants of the format, now find themselves ranked seventh in the world and facing a qualifying fight against Scotland, Zimbabwe and Ireland just to make it the Super 12 section of the tournament later this month.These are unfamiliar surrounds for a team whose current squad features just five players who were part of the previous T20 World Cup. The legendary figures of Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo have left the international stage while Andre Russell and now Hetmyer are personae non gratae. That is 2217 games of T20 experience missing, albeit from a side responsible for the current qualification predicament they face. That number does not include Sunil Narine’s 435 games of experience that mysteriously remain missing from international cricket. Fabian Allen and Hayden Walsh have also been overlooked.Picked in their place is a man who has played just four domestic T20s, and none since 2016. Yannic Cariah, a 30-year-old legspinner from Trinidad, made his ODI in August but heads to the World Cup having not even been contracted to play in the CPL.There is some tournament-winning experience in Johnson Charles and Evin Lewis. Pooran and Jason Holder bring vast global experience while Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Rovman Powell and Alzarri Joseph arrive carrying outstanding form from the CPL.Courtesy the BBL, players like Jason Holder have plenty of Australia experience•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaBut the squad is not the fearsome force it was not so long ago. From the outside looking in, it is hard to fathom where West Indies find themselves. But Pooran believes the team is acutely aware of their surroundings and what needs to be done.”It’s a new generation for us,” Pooran said. “Some of them this is their first World Cup as well. We spoke about obviously being here for the first time. We are not coming here as the defending champions anymore. We obviously had a bad World Cup last year. We’re starting from the bottom. We have to obviously take the harder road first, which is the qualifiers and our number one priority at the moment.”But [it is about] roles and responsibility and accountability. We sat down and spoke to players about which parts of the game you are responsible for. Starting with it in practice, we want to have the right mindset. I think once we can perform our roles to the best of our ability, then everything else is going to take care of itself. And we’re not talking about winning or losing but we’re just talking about having a chance in a cricket game and that’s all that matters.”Making West Indies’ challenge even harder is the combined inexperience in Australian conditions. West Indies have not played an international match in Australia since the Sydney Test in January 2016, with Holder the only squad member to have played in that game. Their last ODI in Australia was during the 2015 World Cup and they have only ever played three T20Is in Australia, the last of which was in 2013. Charles is the only squad member to have played in that game. Aaron Finch and Josh Hazlewood, the latter who made his T20I debut, are the only remaining Australian players from that match at the Gabba, which the West Indies won comfortably.There is some BBL experience in the ranks, with Holder and Pooran having played at Metricon Stadium before for Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars respectively in one of the greatest-ever BBL matches in 2020.”I absolutely love my experience in the Big Bash with Melbourne,” Pooran said.” I think that’s one of my best T20 innings so I’ll always remember that.”But experience is not what this West Indies team wants to lean on against Australia on Wednesday and in the upcoming World Cup.”We understand that we don’t have as much experience in the room,” Pooran said. “But we have been playing cricket together for the entire year so we do understand each other a little better now.”But the culture is just all about love. Being a family. Actually looking out for each other and being in this together. This entire year we have been through our ups and downs. We’ve been all over the world. We’ve been losing cricket games. We have been winning games and we have been performing as a group.”We have stuck together and we’re here today and obviously we’re here to fight again.”

What worked well for Kings XI Punjab, and where Royal Challengers Bangalore erred

Dustin Silgardo24-Sep-2020Why did Kohli leave Steyn and Dube for the death overs?
With the Kings XI at 100 for 1 after 12 overs, Virat Kohli brought back Navdeep Saini for his third over. Saini had been easily RCB’s best death bowler since the beginning of last season, going at 8.85 runs an over in the last four overs as compared to 12.52 for the rest of the team. So why not leave two overs for him for the death? At that stage, Kohli had used three overs of Yuzvendra Chahal and wanted to keep one back for Glenn Maxwell, whom Chahal had dismissed five times in eight previous meetings. Saini was the next most likely to get a wicket, so Kohli was, perhaps, looking to be aggressive.That decision left Dale Steyn with two overs at the death, and Shivam Dube with at least one. Kohli had done something similar in the previous match – against the Sunrisers Hyderabad – and it had worked out well, as Dube managed to bowl three overs for just 15 runs and two wickets. But that was the first time Dube had ever bowled in the death in the IPL, so asking him to do it again was always going to be a gamble. Steyn, meanwhile, has not had great numbers at the death of late. The Kings XI played it smart by playing out Saini and Chahal and then looked to go big against Steyn and Dube at the end. However, had Kohli held on to his catches, his strategy may have worked out well.

Maxwell arrives. But you can’t go to Saini. Only one over of Chahal. #RCB’s Bowling resources are thin but the deployment is equally intriguing. #KXIPvRCB

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) September 24, 2020

Why was Philippe promoted ahead of Kohli?
Josh Philippe opened for the Sydney Sixers in the previous season of the Big Bash League and averaged 37.46, so the move was designed to get the best out of him, as Kohli said after the game. The idea was also to have him play a pinch-hitter’s role and leave Kohli and AB de Villiers to finish the innings.”He’s batted at the top of the order for Western Australia. He’s done well in the Big Bash as well,” Kohli told the host broadcaster. “[It’s still] early days in the tournament, so we thought we’ll try and maximise his ability, and see how we go from there on because I know I can bat at [No.] 3 [if I need to], [and] we have a solid opening partnership.”So we just thought chasing a big total tonight we’ll give ourselves a bit more depth in the middle overs … and Josh can go in and play a counterattacking knock, then AB and myself can really put pressure in the middle overs. But [it] just didn’t come off.”That said, Philippe is not a particularly fast starter – he struck at 117.93 in the powerplay in the BBL, less than Kohli’s 126.72 in the same period in the 2019 IPL. And, his early dismissal here meant Kohli came in with the team already in big trouble, and by the time de Villiers arrived, the game was all but gone.The Royal Challengers seem to have too many batsmen in the XI best suited to playing in the top three. One way to fix this would be to play Moeen Ali for Philippe. They may even consider playing Kohli at the top – where he averages 48.72 in the IPL – and pushing Finch or Paddikal down one place.

“Chasing a big total tonight we’ll give ourselves a bit more depth in the middle overs … and Josh can go in and play a counterattacking knock, then AB and myself can really put pressure in the middle overs.”Virat Kohli explains the thinking behind promoting Josh Philippe

Why have the Kings XI being leaving out Gayle and Mujeeb?
Mujeeb-ur-Rahman finished the recent Caribbean Premier League season as the second-highest wicket-taker and Chris Gayle, well, is the Universe Boss. So why did the Kings XI leave out both? Gayle’s declining strike rate recently may not have worked in his favour: since 2018, he strikes at 137.44, which falls short of Glenn Maxwell’s 148.59 and Nicholas Pooran’s 142.80 in the same period. Also, a settled opening pair of Rahul and Mayank Agarwal makes it further difficult for Gayle to sneak in.The equation for Mujeeb, though, is slightly complicated. The Indian fast-bowling reserves for the Kings XI are a bit thin, with the young Ishan Porel the only option apart from Mohammed Shami. Hence, they have played two overseas seamers: Sheldon Cottrell in both matches, and Chris Jordan and Jimmy Neesham in one each. Against the Royal Challengers, they opted for two legspinners in Ravi Bishnoi and M Ashwin to target the right-handed pair of Kohli and de Villiers. K Gowtham was left out for a lower-order hitter, for which they picked Jimmy Neesham. It worked out well for the Kings XI though, as Ashwin dismissed de Villiers and the legspinners took a combined haul of 6 for 53 between them.Getty ImagesWhere is Yadav going wrong?
Umesh Yadav has gone at 11.85 runs per over this season without having taken a wicket. Things weren’t much better last season either, when he went at 9.80. Yadav’s biggest issue seems to be bowling too many balls on the pads. Since the start of last season, he has bowled 37% of his balls on the stumps and 12% down the leg. As a result, he has been taken for runs on the leg side; more than 60% of the runs he has conceded this season have been scored square or behind square on the leg side. In the 2018 season, though – which has been Yadav’s best IPL so far – he had bowled 59% of his deliveries outside off, a clear sign of his success.

It was recently reported that Tonda Eckert is in pole position to be named the permanent Southampton manager after an impressive performance as the interim head coach.

The German tactician has won four of his five Championship games in the dugout, notably beating Charlton 5-1 away from home, but did lose 3-2 to Millwall last weekend.

It would be understandable if Sport Republic feel that Eckert has done enough in his interim spell in charge to earn the job on a permanent basis, but there is cause for concern with the former U21s boss.

Why Southampton should not appoint Tonda Eckert

The Saints are in a position, having just come down from the Premier League, where this may be their best chance to return to the top-flight before they have to cash in on more of their top talents with parachute payments dwindling.

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This means that it would be a big risk to appoint a permanent manager based on five games as a first-team manager in England, as he had never managed a game at any level in any country before this run of matches, per Transfermarkt.

It is hard, therefore, to judge whether the first four wins were a byproduct of a ‘manager bounce’ or if they were down to his coaching, as he does not have a managerial history to back up his credentials.

Southampton need to find their next Nigel Adkins, who joined from Scunthorpe United to lead Saints to promotion from League One and the Championship and left the club in 15th place in the Premier League in his only season in the top-flight.

Instead of appointing Eckert, Sport Republic could hire their own version of Adkins by making a move for reported target and free agent manager Michael Carrick.

Why Carrick could be Southampton's next Adkins

Like Adkins, Carrick would arrive at St. Mary’s with a wealth of experience in English football already under his belt, thanks to his time with Middlesbrough.

The former Saints boss had managed Scunthorpe for four seasons, including two in the Championship, and won promotion from League One on two occasions, before taking Southampton from League One to the Premier League.

Carrick, of course, will not have to get the club out of the third tier, thankfully, but he is an English manager who has the potential to be a brilliant appointment.

Matches

16

30

Wins

4

18

Draws

5

4

Losses

7

8

Points

17

58

Points per game

1.06

1.93

League position

18th

4th

One of the reasons why he could be a great hire for the Saints is that he has achieved success in the position that they currently find themselves in, as he took Boro from 18th to 4th in his first season with the club.

The former Manchester United midfielder then led Middlesbrough to 8th and 10th place finishes in the second tier, but they ranked 5th and 6th for Expected Points in those two seasons, per FotMob, which suggests that his coaching deserved higher league finishes than it got.

Carrick, who Tom Cleverley once claimed “oozes class” as a manager, is a proven Championship head coach who has shown, over three seasons, that he can coach a team to deliver play-off quality performances, which Eckert, through no fault of his own, does not have in his corner.

The ex-Boro boss also picked up seven points in two games as interim manager at Manchester United in the Premier League before his spell in the Championship, and played 481 games in the division as a player, per Transfermarkt.

This suggests that he could also be an appointment with the Premier League in mind, because of his experience at that level, whilst Eckert has never played, managed, or coached in that league.

Therefore, Carrick appears more likely to be Southampton’s next Adkins than Eckert is, because of both his proven quality in the Championship as a manager and his potential to be a successful Premier League boss.

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This is why Sport Republic should consider pushing to appoint the English tactician as their next permanent manager, rather than giving the interim German boss the job on a permanent basis.

Leeds United picked up a crucial win on Wednesday night, as they beat Chelsea 3-1 to go outside of the relegation zone. With 14 points to their name in as many games, it has certainly been a struggle for Daniel Farke’s side this season.

However, they are in good form. Of course, they beat the Blues this week at Elland Road, and last Saturday were unlucky to drop points away to Manchester City.

Only a goal in the 92nd minute from Phil Foden could sink Farke’s team, who were close to the ideal week in their relegation fight.

Indeed, there have been some standout players over the past few days for the West Yorkshire side.

Leeds’ best players in their last two games

It is hard to pinpoint just a couple of players who have excelled for Farke’s side against two of the Premier League’s title challengers, with the whole squad impressing. However, one player who shone was defender Jayden Bogle.

Against City, he played as a right-back, and won 100% of his tackles and three ground duels coming up against Jeremy Doku. On Wednesday, he had more of an advanced role and made great use of it.

Operating as a wing-back on the right flank, Bogle assisted Ao Tanaka, who made it 2-0 to Leeds on the stroke of half-time.

Another standout from the impressive performances this week was summer signing Lukas Nmecha. The German striker has been in good form this term and added to his goal tally at the Etihad Stadium last weekend. He’s now bagged four times in the top flight this season.

Whilst he didn’t find the back of the net against the Blues, Nmecha still made a real nuisance of himself for the Chelsea backline.

The German was not the only Leeds attacker who stood out in the last week.

From "Bang average" to undroppable

The Whites are not short of attacking options after a busy summer. They already had the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Joel Piroe and Wilfried Gnoto, three of the players at Farke’s disposal, who all played a big role in their promotion.

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Nmecha was brought in to add to that depth, as was Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The former Everton star made the move to West Yorkshire upon the expiry of his contract on Merseyside. It was a tough start to life at Leeds, though.

The 28-year-old did not exactly set the world alight with his start in a Leeds shirt. He’d only managed one goal in his first ten Premier League games, and that was away to bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers.

It meant the England international had to face some criticism for the lack of form in front of goal.

Earlier in the campaign, defender-turned-pundit Michael Dawson said on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday he was looking “bang average”, following the defeat to Fulham.

However, that form has recently taken a huge upturn. In what have arguably been his side’s two toughest games so far this season, Calvert-Lewin got himself on the scoresheet against both City and Chelsea.

It wasn’t just his goals that made these performances impressive, but the manner in which he played. He was a handful off the ball, winning 15 duels on Wednesday night, and six at the weekend.

He won three fouls in each game, too, making an impact despite having minimal touches.

Calvert-Lewin – last two games
Stat	vs. Man City	vs. Chelsea
Touches	15	35
Shots	1	3
Duels won	6	15
Fouls won	3 (1 penalty)	3
Goals	1	1
Stats from Sofascore

His performances were enough to earn him a pair of 9/10 ratings from journalist Graham Smyth. Against the Citizens, he praised Calvert-Lewin for the fact that he ‘gave Leeds much more presence’ and said he ‘brought others into play’ superbly against the West Londoners.

With two goals in as many games and some good centre-forward performances outside of that, it is easy to see why Calvert-Lewin could be considered undroppable for Leeds. After a tough start, it seems like he has finally begun to show his best form.

It does seem unlikely that Farke will omit the striker from his starting XI ahead of the game against Liverpool on Saturday. Instead, he will be hoping he provide further troubles for Virgil van Dijk and the rest of the Reds’ defenders.

If Calvert-Lewin can replicate such a performance again, it will go a long way to helping Leeds achieve their goal of Premier League survival.

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