Tag Futebol

Sunderland’s squad is really starting to take shape now ahead of their first Premier League showdown with West Ham United next month.

Indeed, at the time of writing, Enzo Le Fee, Habib Diarra, and Noah Sadiki have all joined Regis Le Bris’ camp in rapid-fire fashion, with the next expected arrival through the door coming in the form of promising Club Brugge attacker Chemsdine Talbi for a weighty £19.8m.

Sunderland’s breakneck pace in the summer transfer window won’t be slowing down here, you imagine, as more and more new faces are tipped to join the exciting Black Cats ride up to the top flight.

Sunderland lodge bid for next summer signing

The central midfield department certainly looks well stocked on Wearside, as plenty of attackers now begin to be linked to the Stadium of Light to boost numbers all over the pitch, away from just Talbi strengthening their options down the right channel.

Both Gonzalo Garcia and Luiz Suarez have been on the Sunderland radar from Real Madrid and Almeria, respectively, as Le Bris looks to enhance the Black Cats’ firepower up top. Still, with Garcia reportedly content to stick it out in Spain, and with Suarez on the Sporting shopping list, it might well be a tough battle ahead to tempt either promising striker to England.

It could well be an equally testing endeavour to try and pick up Sassuolo ace Armand Lauriente this summer. However, it is stated that Sunderland still holds a concrete interest in snapping up the entertaining Frenchman, according to journalist Gianluigi Longari.

Further reports from Italy have also suggested that the Black Cats have seen a first offer rejected for the forward, with the Italian outfit holding out for more than €30m (£25m) plus bonus. The player himself is said to be pushing to leave.

If Sunderland were ultimately successful in this race to land the explosive 26-year-old, they could be about to win Le Bris his next Le Fee, as another exciting talent from Europe down the left flank prepares to wreak havoc on Wearside.

Wju Lauriente can be Le Bris' next Le Fee

Sunderland’s strategy in the chaotic summer window so far seems to centre on them plucking gems from the European leagues, hopeful that they go on to be as instantly successful as Le Fee was on English shores.

Le Fee was a very bright spark for the Black Cats in their moment of need last season, as seen in the former Lorient midfielder collecting two assists in the tense playoff semi-final matches to secure his team a triumphant trip to Wembley.

Lauriente will hope he can translate his Sassuolo magic to the English game very shortly too, with the stylish winger spearheading his own promotion charge last season as Fabio Grosso’s men returned to Serie A at the first time of asking.

Their similarities don’t end there as Le Bris gears up to potentially welcome his next Le Fee to his ever-growing camp, with Lauriente well-versed in what it takes to be a star at a top level, having collected a mightily impressive tally of 42 goals and assists plying his trade in both Ligue 1 and Serie A. His compatriot, before embarking on a fresh challenge on Wearside, lags behind on 21 goals and assists in both those top divisions.

Lauriente’s G/A record by club
Club played for	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
Sassuolo	102	31	18
Lorient	91	13	14
US Orleans	17	3	1
Rennes	2	0	0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Staggeringly, Lauriente might well go on to be an even bigger star than Le Fee when judging those numbers, with the Sassuolo number 45 no doubt ready to push the 25-year-old for a starting spot down the left flank. It’s no wonder that analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as “one of the best left-wing options out there”.

Having been lauded as an “amazing” performer to watch in the past by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, too, picking up Lauriente might well have the same impact Le Fee’s arrival did in boosting the Black Cats’ chances of being a success.

But this time around, he could be the decisive star that helps Sunderland stave off the relegation drop zone in the Premier League.

Dream squad Sunderland could build: £112m spent on 7 signings after Talbi

Sunderland looks ready to take the Premier League by storm, with this being potentially what their dream squad could look like very soon.

1

By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 6, 2025

It must be difficult not to get carried away if you’re a Birmingham City fan at present.

After all, £10m was recently splurged out on Kyogo Furuhashi to boost an already potent forward line, on top of the fact that pre-season action kicked into gear with a bang as the new-look Blues confidently beat Spanish titans Sevilla 3-1.

Any naysayers doubting Birmingham ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign might well have been silenced after this impressive victory, with more new signings now being tipped to join the exciting St. Andrew’s rollercoaster before pre-season is up.

Birmingham now targeting move for Premier League star

Despite a barrage of fresh signings entering the building, only Phil Neumann out of all the summer buys would be unleashed from the get-go against Sevilla, as Davies dripfeeds minutes to his whole camp before the second tier comes into view.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Taichi Hara could soon be another option the Blues boss tests out across the remaining pre-season fixtures, with reports suggesting that Birmingham have added the Japanese gem to their shortlist after he has impressed out in the J1 League with Kyoto Sanga.

Alongside him, Birmingham could tap into the Asian market even more by snapping up Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Hwang Hee-Chan.

Indeed, a development from South Korean journalist Han June has suggested that the newly promoted side views the Old Gold number 11 as a main target due to his top-flight experience in England.

This might well result in Birmingham pulling off another ambitious swoop like the Kyogo deal, with both players in question hailing from Asia, but both well-known and exciting entities when plying their trade in some demanding divisions up and down the United Kingdom.

Why Hwang could be Kyogo 2.0

Whilst Hwang has fallen down the Molineux pecking order since Vitor Pereira’s arrival on the scene, his goalscoring record at the very top for Wolves at his prime will be enough to convince Blues fans that this is a worthwhile capture to chase after.

22 Premier League goals have come his way since he moved to the West Midlands for £14m, with 12 of those being fired home across the 23/24 season, leading to then Old Gold boss Gary O’Neil hailing the South Korean marksman as “excellent” for his clinical nature in front of goal.

On top of that, his goalscoring expertise also stretches out to a standout spell leading the line for Austrian side RB Salzburg, with a bumper 45 strikes collected, with three of those goals even coming in the illustrious Champions League.

Kyogo is well-versed in what it takes to be a goalscoring menace at this intimidating level, too, with three of his mammoth 151 career strikes falling on Europe’s grandest stage.

CF

168

61

35

LW

45

9

4

RW

32

5

3

AM

8

0

0

CF

177

105

29

LW

99

31

22

SS

11

2

1

RW

11

3

1

But, as can be seen looking at the table above, they both won’t just be vying to steal the striker limelight off Jay Stansfield or Alfie May, with Hwang and Kyogo more than comfortable sneaking out to the left wing if needed, alongside also slotting nicely into Davies’ 4-2-3-1 system as a presence just behind by the main striker.

Hwang wasn’t just labelled as a talent who has “got everything” by ex-Arsenal great Ian Wright by fluke, with the 29-year-old a real standout purchase for the Blues if it goes through.

There are some hurdles for Birmingham to overcome in terms of fee and wage costs, but if Birmingham wants to accelerate to that next level quickly, it might well be worth throwing the necessary cash at Hwang, much like they did when forking out £10m for Kyogo.

Birmingham City could sign "special" star who'd be Kyogo's dream winger

Birmingham City could soon win a dream attacking partner for Kyogo Furuhashi by securing a deal for this special forward.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 13, 2025

Shortly after resigning from his role with Sri Lanka, Silverwood joins Tom Moody’s backroom staff

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2024Chris Silverwood has been appointed to his first job in English cricket since he was sacked as England’s head coach, replacing Azhar Mahmood as one of Tom Moody’s assistants at defending champions Oval Invincibles in the Hundred.Silverwood lost his job in the aftermath of England’s 4-0 defeat in Australia in early 2022 but was only out of work for two months, joining Sri Lanka on a two-year contract. That was later extended to include the recent T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the US, but Silverwood resigned shortly after their group-stage exit, citing a reluctance to spend long periods away from home.Related

Deepti returns to the Hundred with London Spirit

Stokes to link up with Flintoff in Superchargers comeback

Silverwood resigns as Sri Lanka head coach

Noffke leaves Queensland, Brisbane Heat for Otago job

He will now join Moody’s staff at the Invincibles for 2024, ahead of their – and the Hundred’s – opening matchday on Tuesday, against Birmingham Phoenix. Mahmood resigned from his role when he took up a full-time role with Pakistan earlier this year, and Silverwood will join Matt Walker and Jim Troughton in the men’s coaching staff.James Foster, who lost his job as Northern Superchargers coach last year after they won the wooden spoon in the men’s competition, will also return to the Hundred this summer. He has replaced Paul Collingwood as one of Trevor Bayliss’ assistants at London Spirit, with Collingwood unavailable for the start of the tournament while on Test duty with England.The Spirit have added two more assistant coaches to the backroom staff of their women’s team, who are coached by the Australian Ashley Noffke. Ali Maiden, the Yorkshire men’s assistant coach, and Sunrisers’ Marc Broom have both been appointed, and Maiden could be a contender to replace Noffke when he steps down at the end of this season.The most notable coaching appointment in the Hundred this year saw Andrew Flintoff replace Foster as Superchargers head coach in the men’s competition. His first match as a head coach is against Trent Rockets at Headingley on Friday night.

With Europa League football at the least secured, Nottingham Forest are now reportedly evaluating a move to sign a Serie A striker when the summer transfer window swings open.

Nottingham Forest are destined for striker problem

It may seem absurd to suggest that Nottingham Forest will be in a desperate position for a striker sooner rather than later, but Chris Wood can do everything but stand in the way of age. The New Zealand star has undeniably enjoyed an excellent season and at 33 years old it defies logic that he has been one of the best in his position in the top flight. He has spearheaded Forest from relegation troubles into the top six, ageing like fine wine in the process.

Like all players, however, there will soon come a stage when Wood has to call it a day at the top level. And although evidence would suggest that day isn’t any time soon even at 33 years old, Forest would be wise to prepare for the inevitable in years to come.

Nuno Espirito Santo, more than most, will be well aware of just how difficult his star striker will be to replace whenever Nottingham Forest need to do so. Full of praise for Wood earlier this season, the manager told reporters: “We are very happy to have Chris with us.

Nottingham Forest make contact with ex-PSG ace as Marinakis eyes £20m move

They’re already thinking about the summer transfer window.

By
Tom Cunningham

May 22, 2025

“He is an example for the young lads to follow because it is never too late to achieve good things in football. He is a good example to everybody and we are very happy to have him.”

Nottingham Forest considering Castellanos move

With replacing Wood in mind, those at the City Ground have seemingly turned towards Italy. According to Corriere dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest are now evaluating a move to sign Taty Castellanos, who will be free to leave Lazio this summer but only if the Reds come in with a major offer.

The Midlands club aren’t alone in the race for the forward’s signature either, with West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers also considering moves to sign the Lazio man. Whether that sees Forest push on and secure Castellanos’ signature remains to be seen and whether he is talented enough to replace Wood is the big question.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)	Taty Castellanos	Chris Wood
Starts	27	34
Goals	10	20
Assists	3	3
Expected Goals	12.8	12.6

Whilst Castellanos was described as a “superb” signing by U23 scout Antonio Mango when he joined Girona in 2022, he has failed to truly kick on since then and the numbers compared to Wood do not make for pretty reading.

What should be a particular concern is the fact that the 26-year-old has underperformed his expected goals whilst only finding the back of the net 10 times in Serie A this season. Wood, meanwhile, has outperformed his expected total by almost eight goals in what has been a sensational season.

Leeds United clinched the Championship title with a century of points on Saturday after Manor Solomon’s stoppage-time winner against Plymouth Argyle at Home Park.

The Whites had already secured promotion to the Premier League and knew that a win over the Pilgrims would seal the title to go along with it.

Daniel Farke will now be preparing for a season in the Premier League, having been relegated in his only full campaign at that level with Norwich City, as Leeds aim to avoid an instant relegation back down to the Championship.

There will, obviously, be parallels drawn between Marcelo Bielsa’s title-winners, who earned promotion as recently as 2020, and the current set of players ahead of their top-flight season.

The Argentine boss had some terrific players at his disposal during his tenure at Elland Road, including iconic Spanish playmaker Pablo Hernandez, who played a critical role in the 2019/20 title success.

Why Pablo Hernandez was an icon for Leeds

The experienced attacking midfielder arrived in West Yorkshire in 2017 with a big reputation behind him, having played in LaLiga and the Premier League for Valencia and Swansea, assisting 13 goals in two top-flight seasons for the Swans.

Hernandez lived up to the hype that came with him by hitting the ground running with a return of six goals and eight assists in 35 matches in the Championship in his first season at Elland Road.

Leeds opted to appoint Bielsa as their new head coach in the summer of 2018, and it was a move that resulted in Hernandez’s output at the top end of the pitch soaring to new heights.

The Argentine manager deployed a high-pressing, high-intensity, possession-based system that allowed his attacking players to flourish with plenty of touches in the final third.

Appearances

39

36

Goals

12

9

Assists

12

9

Big chances created

16

13

Key passes per game

3.0

2.3

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish magician thrived under Bielsa in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 Championship seasons, scoring 21 goals and providing 21 assists in total.

The right-footed wizard, who could play on the flank or in the middle as an attacking midfielder, was a joy to watch with his ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate. His return of 29 ‘big chances’ created in those two campaigns speaks to just how exciting he was to watch, as the maestro could consistently unlock opposition defences.

Such was the level of adoration and admiration that Leeds supporters had for Hernandez, a group of fans went out to Spain to watch him play for Castellon in 2022, leaving the midfielder in tears on the pitch as they chanted his name.

Leeds could, now, unearth their next version of the iconic wizard by swooping to sign one of their reported transfer targets ahead of their return to the Premier League.

Leeds eyeing move for Premier League attacker

According to Caught Offside, Leeds United are one of a number of teams interested in a deal to sign Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich Town in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Burnley, Aston Villa, Everton, and West Ham United are also keen on the England U21 international, which means that there could be plenty of competition for his signature ahead of next season.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It states that Leeds are ‘seriously’ eyeing the young forward up because they want to develop young players and find their next generation of first-team regulars ahead of their return to the top-flight.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke recently claimed that the attacking midfielder has a relegation release clause worth £35m, which will now be active after the Tractor Boys were relegated from the Premier League.

Leeds must act upon their serious interest in the Ipswich star and win the race for his services this summer, because he could come in as the new Pablo Hernandez for the Whites.

Why Omari Hutchinson could be the new Pablo Hernandez for Leeds

Whilst Hutchinson is not a veteran with hundreds of appearances in LaLiga and the Premier League combined, the 21-year-old star would arrive with 29 top-flight matches already under his belt.

He is also very similar to Pablo Hernandez in style. Like the former Leeds man, the English ace predominantly plays as either a right-winger or as an attacking midfielder, and likes to drift inside into central positions even when he starts out wide.

Hutchinson, as you can see in the clip above, is comfortable when taking the ball under pressure in central areas around the box, and has the quality to make things happen in those situations.

The left-footed star, who was dubbed “dazzling” by Statman Dave, has scored three goals and provided two assists in 28 appearances in the Premier League, whilst playing for a struggling team that have already been relegated to the Championship.

It was his form in the second tier for the Tractor Boys in the 2023/24 campaign, however, that suggests that he has the potential to be the next Pablo Hernandez at Elland Road.

Appearances (starts)

44 (20)

xG

5.22

Goals

10

Big chances created

7

xA

5.18

Assists

5

As you can see in the table above, Hutchinson caught the eye in the Championship last term with his ability to score and create goals from a wide or central attacking midfield role.

The 21-year-old talent produced 15 direct goal contributions in just 20 starts for Ipswich, on loan from Chelsea at the time, and this shows that he has the potential to deliver consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, Hutchinson is a player who has all the attributes and positional qualities to emerge as Hernandez 2.0 for Leeds under Farke next season, as a versatile attacking midfielder who can produce moments of magic to excite supporters on a regular basis.

At the age of 21, the left-footed ace would also come in as a long-term asset who could develop and improve during the course of his career at Elland Road, making it an exciting signing for the short-term and for the future.

Better signing than Solomon: Leeds lining up move for £25m "machine"

Leeds United could land an even better signing than Manor Solomon by signing this £25m star.

ByDan Emery May 2, 2025

Vote for the best individual Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance by an Indian in Australia since 2000

Shashank Kishore21-Oct-2024Update: This poll has ended. Sachin Tendulkar’s performance goes into the quarter-finals. Check the other polls here.ESPNcricinfo LtdSachin Tendulkar celebrates his double-century at the SCG in 2004•William West/AFP via Getty ImagesSachin Tendulkar – 241* & 60* in Sydney, 2004Match drawn, series drawn 1-1Sachin Tendulkar’s form with the series level 1-1 hadn’t been reassuring. His cover driving had caused three dismissals in the first three Tests, and he was determined not to fall for the bait at the SCG. His 241* in the first innings – his highest Test score at the time – was a remarkable example of his discipline and ability to find a way.Tendulkar did not play the cover drive, even when the Australian bowlers offered easy temptation, and entirely cut out a faulty part of his game. He batted for more than ten hours and helped India amass 705, shutting down Australia’s hopes of a series win. His unbeaten 60 off 89 balls in the second innings was compiled with more freedom, as India pushed towards a declaration. However, a setting a target of 443 left them with too little time to take ten wickets and achieve what would have been a historic series win.Watch the highlights of these performances on the Star Sports network at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm IST, from October 22 onwards.Virender Sehwag saved the Adelaide Test for India in 2008•AFPVirender Sehwag – 63 & 151 in Adelaide, 2008 Match drawn, India lost the series 2-1After winning in Perth, India began the final Test in Adelaide 2-1 down and Virender Sehwag gave them a cracking start, his 63 off 90 balls laying the platform for a first-innings total of 526. But Australia responded with 563 and the visitors were under fire to save the game.Sehwag was in Australia only on his captain Anil Kumble’s insistence, and he wasn’t known to be a second-innings performer. He ended up batting for nearly six hours, doing un-Sehwag things like going an entire session without a boundary, and scored his 13th century – his first in the second innings of a Test. He went through his gears, ensuring runs came despite wickets falling, to put India’s lead well out of Australia’s reach. Sehwag finished on 151; the next highest score in India’s total of 269 for 7 declared was MS Dhoni’s 20.

And has anyone hit more sixes in their first T20I innings than Tristan Stubbs’ eight?

Steven Lynch02-Aug-2022England hit 20 sixes in the first T20I against South Africa. Was this a record? asked Derek White from England

Those 20 sixes in the first T20I against South Africa in Bristol last week was easily an England record, surpassing 15, which they had achieved five times, including twice in successive matches against West Indies in Bridgetown in January. But it was short of the overall mark: Afghanistan’s batters hit 22 sixes in their 278 for 3 – the joint record for any senior T20 match – against Ireland in Dehradun in February 2019. There have been three cases of 21 sixes in a T20 international innings, and another of 20.How many players with at least ten Test appearances have finished their career with their batting average being better than at any point beforehand? asked Kunjal from India

If we look at the men whose average at the end of their final Test was higher than at the end of any of their previous matches, there are eight (plus three current players) who averaged 30 or more. The most matches involved was 29, by Seymour Nurse of West Indies, who finished with an average of 47.60, helped by 258 in his final Test (against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1968-69), and India’s Irfan Pathan (31.57). The old England opener Jack Russell averaged 56.88 – his highest – after his tenth and last Test, in which he scored 140 and 111 against South Africa in Durban in 1922-23. Note that Mushfiqur Rahim, who made 198 runs for once out in his most recent match (against Sri Lanka in Mirpur in May), currently has a higher average – 37.93 after 82 Tests – than after any of his previous matches, as does Ravindra Jadeja (36.56 after 60).The list changes if you consider the average after every individual innings, as the figure can drop after a lower second knock. The most innings then is 50, by the South African opener Eric Rowan, who signed off – aged 42 in 1951 – with an average of 43.67. Pathan is next (40 innings, average 31.57), while the West Indies wicketkeeper Gerry Alexander took his average to a career-high 30.03 with 73 in his 38th and last Test innings, against Australia in Melbourne in the final chapter of the exciting 1960-61 series that began with the first-ever tied Test, in Brisbane. The highest average involved for anyone with ten or more innings is Russell’s 56.88 from 18, although Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Shahidi currently averages 58.83 after ten, but will presumably appear again.Tristan Stubbs hit eight sixes on his T20I debut in Bristol. Has anyone managed more than this? asked Henry Oldfield from England

The 21-year-old South African Tristan Stubbs did hit eight sixes in his valiant innings of 72 from 28 balls in Bristol the other day. While it was his first innings in T20Is, it wasn’t quite his first match; he played two against India in June without getting to the crease. In any case, the record for a T20I debut is ten sixes, shared by two men: Ravinderpal Singh for Canada against the Cayman Islands in Bermuda in August 2019, and Leslie Dunbar for Serbia against Bulgaria in Corfu two months later. JP Kotze smote nine sixes on debut for Namibia against Botswana in Windhoek in August 2019.The record for a Test-playing nation is six, by Australia’s David Warner against South Africa in Melbourne in January 2009 – a debut also notable for the fact that Warner was almost unknown, as he had not even played a first-class match at that point.Duanne Olivier has a strike rate of 35.3 in Tests, the second best of all time among bowlers who have bowled at least 2000 deliveries•AFP/Getty ImagesIs it right that Duanne Olivier has the best bowling strike rate in Tests? asked Johannes Vetter from South Africa

It’s true that the South African fast bowler Duanne Olivier has the best strike rate in Tests among current bowlers (given a minimum of 2000 balls bowled). He has taken 59 wickets in 15 matches so far, at a rate of one every 35.3 balls; the only man ahead of him over a complete career is the 19th-century England bowler George Lohmann, who took a wicket every 34.1 deliveries. Currently in fifth place is Olivier’s team-mate Kagiso Rabada (40.7), while Dale Steyn’s 439 Test wickets came at the tremendous rate of one every 42.3 balls.Was Sam Northeast the oldest man to score a quadruple-century in first-class cricket? asked Lakshmi Patankar from India

Sam Northeast, who scored a county-record 410 not out for Glamorgan against Leicestershire at Grace Road last month, is now 32. The only older quadruple-centurion was Brian Lara, who was 34 when he reached 400 for the second time, during the Test against England in Antigua in 2004. Slightly more surprisingly, perhaps, Lara’s effort in that game was also, at 773 minutes, the slowest first-class quadruple; Northeast is next with 603. However, although it’s difficult to be absolutely certain, it looks as if Lara was also the quickest to the mark – in the course of his unbeaten 501 at Edgbaston in 1994 he reached 400 in 367 minutes. The youngest to score a first-class 400 was Pakistan’s Aftab Baloch, aged 20 in 1973-74. For the list of the highest first-class scores, click here.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

“My innings was simple. If the ball was in my zone, I tried to strike it as clean as possible.”

Hemant Brar21-Oct-2020Nicholas Pooran doesn’t like to complicate things. Before IPL 2020, when ESPNcricinfo had asked him which team he was looking forward to playing against the most, his answer was: “All.” When asked which bowler he was most excited about facing, he said, “Everyone.”The same can be said about his batting too. In a 360-degree world, Pooran relies on drives and pulls to score a majority of his runs. While batsmen are busy slogging right, left and centre, he revels in playing proper cricketing shots. Tuesday was just another example of it.Despite Shikhar Dhawan’s second successive hundred, the Kings XI Punjab had restricted Delhi Capitals to 164 for 5. It wasn’t a big target but the Kings XI lost KL Rahul early. While Chris Gayle changed the momentum with a 26-run over, it was Pooran who flattened the Capitals.After Gayle’s onslaught, the Capitals had managed to restore the momentum in the very next over, which saw the back of Gayle and Mayank Agarwal. R Ashwin had bowled Gayle with a slider as the batsman went for a slog across the line, but Pooran drove him to the cover boundary first ball. While it was a fuller delivery, Pooran’s shot selection also made a big difference.Cometh the middle overs, the phase in which Pooran has been the most destructive batsmen this IPL. In overs 7 to 15, his 230 runs are second only to Rahul’s 241. But while Rahul’s runs have come at a strike rate of 133.88, Pooran has smashed them at 182.53. Among those with at least 50 runs in that period, no has scored at a faster rate.But before Pooran got going, there were some jitters, not in shot selection but in running between the wickets. One such mistake had already resulted in Agarwal getting run out. In the eighth over, it could have been curtains for Pooran as well when he tried to drop-and-run only to be sent back by Glenn Maxwell. Shreyas Iyer’s off-balance throw was a bit wide of Pant who failed to flick it on to the stumps and Pooran was saved.Nicholas Pooran provided impetus to the Kings XI Punjab innings•BCCIHad Pooran been run out, the Kings XI would have been 70 for 4 in the eighth over with not much batting to come. In that scenario, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index, the Capitals would have gone on to win the game.What followed instead was a period of such clean hitting that it resulted in Sachin Tendulkar tweeting in praise. After being 11 off 10 balls, Pooran tonked 42 off the next 19. Tushar Deshpande bowled short and got whacked over deep square leg. Marcus Stoinis tried length and was launched over long-on. In six balls, bookended by those two hits, Pooran struck two sixes and three fours to turn the game decisively in the Kings XI’s favour.

Some power packed shots played by @nicholas_47.
What a clean striker of the ball he has been. His stance and backlift reminds me of @jpduminy21.#KXIPvDC #IPL2020

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) October 20, 2020

At the halfway stage, the Kings XI required just 64 from 60 balls with seven wickets in hand. Pooran and Maxwell added 69 in 40 balls, the latter’s contribution being only 16 off 15, and by the time Pooran got out, the equation had further come down to 40 from 45 balls, which the Kings XI achieved with one over to spare.Pooran did all this while playing shots right from the MCC coaching manual. In his 28-ball 53, ESPNcricinfo recorded eight cover drives, which fetched him 14 runs. The only more productive shot was the pull, yielding 16 runs from three attempts. The innings, where he scored at a strike rate of almost 190, had no reverse sweeps, no scoops, no ramps and just one slog.After the match, when Maxwell asked Pooran about his knock on , Pooran’s reply was: “My innings was simple. If the ball was in my zone, I tried to strike it as clean as possible.”At the post-match presentation, he told host broadcaster Star, “I am a naturally aggressive player. I play on merit. If it’s in my zone, I hit it. Simple as that. If it’s a match-up, it’s a match-up.” When asked about confusion while running between the wickets, he replied, “One of those nights, one of those nights. It was tough. Poor communication. Simple.”Those responses may come across as simplistic, but Pooran is aware of what he has been doing right and what he needs to improve upon.”I have been working really hard,” he said at the post-match presentation. “I have been hitting the ball pretty good. I have been getting starts but haven’t been able to convert those into big scores. Even tonight I got a start but couldn’t finish the game for the team. That’s disappointing for me.”Before Tuesday, Pooran had only threatened without actually inflicting much damage but if he can keep improving the way he has been, it won’t be too long before oppositions start considering him a real threat.

MatériaMais Notícias

Mais novo reforço do Flamengo, Léo Ortiz chega com moral ao Rio de Janeiro e pode bater recorde que pertence a Gamarra, fora dos gramados. Considerando o valor fixo já pago ao Red Bull Bragantino e as metas bônus estipuladas no acordo, a contratação tem chance de se tornar o zagueiro mais caro da história do clube.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Flamengo

Os 7 milhões de euros (R$ 37,6 milhões na cotação atual) pagos pelos para adquirir Léo Ortiz já fazem dele o terceiro da lista dos defensores mais caros do Flamengo. No entanto, caso o zagueiro conquiste títulos pelo Rubro-Negro, o clube tem de gastar mais 1 milhão de euros (R$ 5,3 milhões) como bônus ao Bragantino. Desta forma, o valor total da transferência chegaria aos R$ 43 milhões, superando as cifras corrigidas de Léo Pereira e Gamarra.

Líder da lista, Gamarra foi contratado pelo Flamengo em 2000, junto ao Atlético de Madrid. O Rubro-Negro pagou 5,6 milhões de dólares (R$ 10,1 milhões) para contar com o zagueiro paraguaio. Esse valor seria de R$ 42,5 milhões nos dias de hoje, com a correção pelo IPCA, índice oficial para calcular a inflação no Brasil.

continua após a publicidade

Segundo colocado no ranking, Léo Pereira foi adquirido do Athletico R$ 30,4 milhões, em janeiro de 2020. Em valores corrigidos, a negociação custaria R$ 38,8 milhões ao Flamengo em 2024.

Confira os 10 zagueiros mais caros da historia do Flamengo, segundo levantamento do site “ge”:

Gamarra: R$ 42,5 milhões (R$ 10,1 milhões em 2000)Léo Pereira: R$ 38,8 milhões (R$ 30,4 milhões em 2020)Léo Ortiz: R$ 37,6 milhões em 2024Rodrigo Caio:R$ 28,3 milhões (R$ 21,2 milhões em 2019)Pablo: R$ 18,9 milhões (R$ 17,3 milhões em 2022)Fabrício Bruno: R$ 16,6 milhões (R$ 15,1 milhões em 2022)Erazo: R$ 12,4 milhões (R$ 7 milhões em 2014)Alex Silva: R$ 11,2 milhões (R$ 5,5 milhões em 2011)Rhodolfo: R$ 9,4 milhões (R$ 6,7 milhões em 2017)Donatti: R$ 8,4 milhões (R$ 5,8 milhões em 2016)

Tudo sobre

FlamengoLéo Ortiz

The dejection was palpable. Emi Buendia’s arcing strike following a goalmouth scramble condemned Arsenal to only their second defeat of the season. It was the last kick of the highly charged contest against Aston Villa.

Perhaps the most frustrating part is that the Gunners’ lead at the top of the Premier League has now been slashed to just two points after Manchester City thumped Sunderland. For their part, Villa are now emerging as bona fide contenders, third in the standings and with 30 points, three fewer than Arsenal’s 33.

Mikel Arteta has done incredible things in north London over the past five years, but this is the season that Arsenal must crown their revival with a gold medal, having finished runners-up in the top flight for three successive seasons.

And, sadly, the manager got it wrong against the shrewd Unai Emery.

Why Arteta got it wrong vs Aston Villa

Credit where credit’s due, Arteta made a few changes at half-time, his side one goal down, and was rewarded for his alteration when Leandro Trossard converted following an initial strike from Bukayo Saka before the hour mark. 1-1.

But the Emirates side would ultimately come away with nothing, and Arteta will be irked by his own decision-making, having opted to play Eberechi Eze out wide and withdraw the playmaker instead of skipper Martin Odegaard, despite the England international having played some knockout stuff from a central berth in recent weeks. He was, after all, named the club’s Player of the Month for November.

Eze, however, did flatter to deceive, at fault for Matty Cash’s opening goal, and the Spanish manager will feel he was somewhat handicapped due to injuries to key defensive personnel, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera all missing out.

Viktor Gyokeres entered the fray at the interval, and though the Swedish striker toiled away, he might have enjoyed a greater impact had he been unleashed from the outset, but Arteta opted to go down a different road.

Arteta must axe 5/10 Arsenal star

Arsenal have been immense this season, a force to be reckoned with. That said, they still need to be more incisive in the danger area, and for all his strengths and clutch ability in the box, Mikel Merino is not the solution at number nine.

Merino has posted five goals and three assists across 21 matches in all competitions this term. He has split his time between the final third and the middle of the park, and seven of those eight contributions have come as a makeshift striker.

It’s remarkable, but it’s not going to work all the time, and this was painfully clear at Villa Park, whose defenders negated his threat. Gyokeres was largely ineffective after the break, having replaced the seven-pass Spaniard at half-time.

Neither impressed, but football.london did award Gyokeres a 6/10 match rating, drawing attention to his energy and the off-the-ball work that evades statistical representation. Merino, conversely, was branded with a 5/10 score, having fumbled a chance with Saka earlier on.

Minutes played

45′

45′

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches

17

11

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

7/11 (64%)

4/7 (57%)

Chances created

0

0

Dribbles

0/1

0/0

Ball recoveries

3

1

Tackles won

0/0

0/0

Duels won

1/5

0/0

Assessing which of Arsenal’s centre-forwards did better on the evening is akin to splitting hairs. The fact of the matter is that neither received enough service, and this is an issue that Arteta has to overcome, especially with Eze, Odegaard and Saka all on the field at different stages.

Though it’s perhaps telling that Gunners goalkeeper David Raya took more touches of the ball than the pair of them, and given that Arsenal enjoyed 58% of the possession before the break (compared to 49% across the second half), Merino should have had more of an influence.

Gyokeres was signed for a big fee during the off-season to provide the north London side with a solution up top, and it’s surely crucial that he is afforded more starting action going forward, having started from the bench on three successive occasions since returning from the muscle injury that ruled him out for a few weeks in November.

The 27-year-old does need to up his game to the next level, because one thing’s for certain: If Arteta has to persist with Merino at number nine throughout the duration of the campaign, getting his hands on that elusive Premier League title will prove a tall order indeed.

Sterling 2.0: Berta flop already looks like he'll never make it at Arsenal

It is not looking good for the Arsenal star so far this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 6, 2025