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da realsbet： Yet another decisive weekend in the title race? Quite probably. While Liverpool had the Saturday off following Storm Darragh’s intervention, Arsenal had the opportunity to go within four points of the Reds.

da aposte e ganhe： Did the Gunners take that chance? Of course, they didn’t. Mikel Arteta’s men were made to rue their first dropped points since the last international break following what was a rather laboured display at Craven Cottage.

Raul Jimenez opened the scoring early on the clash before Arsenal fought back through yet more set-piece wizardry.

Without Gabriel, William Saliba has become the go-to man, now scoring in consecutive Premier League fixtures.

Truth be told, Fulham rarely threatened and it was Arsenal who dominated proceedings. A late winner looked to have arrived courtesy of Bukayo Saka, only for Gabriel Martinelli to be flagged for offside by VAR after bedlam had occurred in the away end.

So, on a day of negativity for Arsenal, were there any positives to take from the clash?

Arsenal's best performers against Fulham

Saliba has been a man mountain since Arteta first named him on a Premier League team sheet over two years ago now.

He was a rock at the back once more against Fulham and was the man who gave Arsenal a route back into the game.

With Gabriel missing again through injury, the goalscoring burden has fallen on the shoulders of Saliba from set-pieces and he’s not let Nicolas Jover or Arteta down one bit.

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Who is the man behind Arsenal’s ridiculous threat from set pieces?

Posts ByBrett Worthington Dec 5, 2024

While his goal against Manchester United a few days ago went in off his backside, this goal was rather more deliberate, sticking the ball home from a matter of yards out after Kai Havertz had nodded it into the Frenchman’s path.

Saliba wasn’t the only positive. After a monster performance against the Red Devils in midweek, Declan Rice was a surging forward from midfield once again.

His dead-ball delivery was inch-perfect on a number of occasions and he left the field having completed four of his seven crosses, three key passes and a 98% pass success rate overall. Not bad at all.

That said, who was the main man at fault in west London this weekend? It was arguably Jakub Kiwior.

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Expand Collapse Jakub Kiwior's performance in numbers

Fear. That was the primary feeling among Arsenal supporters inside the Emirates last Wednesday. Gabriel was absent, as too was Riccardo Calafiori.

However, their deputies in Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko did a fine job of minimising the threat posed by Ruben Amorim’s team.

In that game, the Poland international was near flawless, leaving the field with an 85% pass success rate and a duel success rate of 80%, losing just one all night.

That same level of performance was not apparent in the away clash at Fulham with the former Spezia man at fault for the hosts’ only goal of the game.

Kenny Tete played a ball in behind the Arsenal defence which wasn’t cut out by Kiwior. It looked as though he was caught in two minds. The ball was there for the Pole to throw himself at and make an intervention or he could have backtracked sooner and stopped Jimenez from racing in behind.

Unfortunately, Kiwior was able to do neither and allowed the Mexican to dart away from the defence and fire past David Raya.

It has been a week that’s arguably summed up the 24-year-old’s time in north London. Inconsistent.

Kiwior vs Fulham

Minutes played

90

Touches

76

Accurate passes

62/70 (89%)

Key passes

0

Crosses

0

Ground duels won

0/1

Aerial duels won

2/3

Tackles

0

Interceptions

1

Shots

0

Dribbles

0

Stats via Sofascore.

Handed a 5/10 rating by the Standard’s Simon Collings, it doesn’t make for great reading from a statistical point of view either. Kiwior may have completed 89% of his passes but he did not make a tackle, was dribbled past once and didn’t win a single ground duel either.

He will have better days, that’s for sure, but if Gabriel or Calafiori are fit when Arsenal take on Monaco in the Champions League they must return to the side.

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Arsenal want to sign another Spanish star

Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Dec 7, 2024

علق دودو الجباس لاعب فريق بيراميدز، على خسارة لقب الدوري المصري عن الموسم المنقضي، بعد صراع كبير مع الأهلي، موضحًا رأيه في مباراة نهائي كأس مصر المقبلة أمام الزمالك.

ويلتقي الزمالك مع بيراميدز، يوم الخميس المقبل 5 يونيو، في المباراة النهائية لمسابقة كأس مصر، للموسم الحالي 2024-2025.

وقال دودو الجباس في تصريحات إذاعية عبر “ميجا اف ام”: “احتفلنا في الملعب عقب مباراة سيراميكا كليوباترا تقديرًا لما قدمناه خلال الموسم، واحتفلنا بسبب منافستنا وتقديم أداء جيد، أما بشأن الأمور الإدارية، فلا تخصني تمامًا”.

وأكمل: “بيراميدز هو بطل الدوري ولا يصح لأحد أن يقول إننا خسرنا مباراتين أو غير ذلك، بل نحن نافسنا حتى آخر مباراة”.

وتابع: “لم نخسر الدوري كرويًا، ولكن هناك أمور أثرت على استمرار المنافسة، وهناك شيء خارجي بشهادة الجميع، لا يوجد اتفاق بشأن الاحتفال عقب مباراة سيراميكا كليوباترا، وكان لا بد من تلقي مساعدة رابطة الأندية لبيراميدز بسبب نهائي إفريقيا”.

طالع | دودو الجباس: لاعب بيراميدز أفضل من زيزو وإمام عاشور.. ولم نأخذ مكان الأهلي والزمالك

واستطرد: “نحن مسرورون بما وصلنا إليه، ومن حقنا أن نفرح؛ لأننا وصلنا بعد تعب وجهد وهناك أمور أخرى خارجة عن بيراميدز، طوينا صفحة إفريقيا من أجل التتويج ببطولة كأس مصر، وقد اعتدنا على الضغط”.

وواصل: “سنحاول السيطرة على مشاعرنا من أجل التتويج بكأس مصر، سنحتفل قليلًا ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، مسرور بوضع بيراميدز وسط الكبار، وأجمل كلمة أسمعها من الناس هي (تستاهلوا الحصول على إفريقيا)، والناس تقدر جيدًا ما وصلنا إليه”.

واختتم: “لم أحسم قراري سواء بالاستمرار أو الاعتزال، ولكني قادر على العطاء لمواسم تالية في الملاعب”.

She was initially supposed to miss only the first two games because of her international commitments

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2022Melbourne Renegades allrounder Harmanpreet Kaur has been ruled out of the ongoing season of the WBBL with a back issue.”Harmanpreet was fantastic for us last season and we were looking forward to having her as part of our squad again this year, but unfortunately she has been ruled out through injury,” James Rosengarten, Renegades’ general manager, said.Harmanpreet, the India captain, was initially supposed to miss only the first two games because of her international commitments, with India playing in – and winning – the women’s Asia Cup final. Simon Helmot, the Renegades coach, was confident of her joining the side for the rest of the campaign and had said that her workload would be carefully monitored after she reached Australia.England batter Eve Jones was signed as an overseas replacement last week.”Eve will stay on with our squad for at least the next couple of matches, as we work through the best strategy for our squad for the remainder of the tournament,” Rosengarten said.Harmanpreet was named Player of the Tournament last season after scoring 406 runs at a strike rate of 130.96, in addition to taking 15 wickets in 13 games. Renegades lost the Challenger against Adelaide Strikers and missed out on a chance to make the final.In the ongoing season, they have one win from two games so far.Harmanpreet’s India team-mate Smriti Mandhana had earlier withdrawn from this season of the WBBL to manage her workload.

Mutual decision comes after Australian chose not to pursue contract extension

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2022

Lisa Keightley has been in charge of England for two-and-a-half years•ICC/Getty Images

Lisa Keightley will leave her position as England Women’s head coach at the end of the summer after deciding not to pursue the option of a contract extension.Keightley was appointed in late 2019, and guided England to the final of the 2022 ODI World Cup. She also oversaw runs to the semi-finals of the 2020 T20 World Cup and Commonwealth Games, where England were beaten in the bronze-medal match on Sunday.She will continue to coach the team until the end of the home season, with limited-overs series against India scheduled next month. It is understood the decision to part ways was mutually agreed on before the Commonwealth Games.The ECB will now begin the process of recruiting a new head coach ahead of the next Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in February.Although England failed to defend the World Cup they won in 2017, and missed out on successive T20 titles, Keightley’s period in charge was marked by an injection of younger talent into the side, with Sophia Dunkley establishing herself as a first-choice pick and the likes of Issy Wong, Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp coming through.Jonathan Finch, the ECB’s director of England women’s cricket, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the commitment and passion Lisa has shown over the last two-and-a-half years in the role. We have seen increased competition for places over the last 12 months and the squad Lisa leaves is an exciting blend of youth and experience.”Leading an international team is challenging at the best of times. It is more challenging during a pandemic, and Lisa has been able to continue the development of the team during what has been the toughest period we have faced off the field.”Clare Connor, ECB interim chief executive, said: “I’d like to place on record our sincere thanks to Lisa for all her efforts across the last two-and-a-half years.”Lisa was always a fierce opponent when she represented Australia, and she’s brought that same pride, passion and will to win into everything she’s done with the England Women’s team.”The team have enjoyed working with her immensely and I know they’ll join me in wishing her all the very best for her next challenge.”Keightley’s departure follows that of her senior assistant and fellow Australian, Tim Macdonald, who announced in June that he would be leaving after the Commonwealth Games to take up an assistant coaching post with the Perth Scorchers and Western Australian men’s teams.

The UAE’s excitement over hosting the IPL has been well documented, but the fuss expected on the eve of the opening match was rather muffled

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Abu Dhabi15-Apr-2014It’s hard to tell if it’s one hoarding or two. They are the same size, they sit next to each other, and they share the instantly identifiable colour scheme of the same soft drink brand. Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Robin van Persie, Jack Wilshere, Sergio Ramos and David Luiz strike menacing poses in one of them, while Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Shane Watson and Rohit Sharma smile out of the other.All the above names are, in their own way, superstars. But the difference between the two groups of faces can be summed up very simply. The cricketers probably know all there is to know about the footballers, and follow their careers closely. The footballers are unlikely to have heard of the cricketers.What does it say, though, that the two worlds have collided on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road? How big, and how visible, is the IPL in its new, temporary home?The eve of the tournament provided conflicting answers to that question. It had taken over Gulf News’ sports supplement, filling up its centre-spread and the pages either side of it. There was no mention of it, though, in the evening sports bulletin on , which instead focused on the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, and news of Red Bull Racing’s failed appeal against the disqualification of one of its drivers at the Australian Grand Prix.One plausible explanation is the difference in target audience. And understandably so in a society as massively multicultural as the UAE’s.On Tuesday evening at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, players, backroom staff and a special list of invitees waited to board coaches that would whisk them away to an undisclosed location where, rumour had it, they would be entertained by Bollywood’s most famous names at a private dinner.In India, on days such as this, reasonably large crowds of fans mill around hotels to catch a glimpse of the players. Here, only a scattering of Indian expatriates hung around, despite the fact that the papers had been full of news about this tournament-eve party. It seemed that attending the matches – most of the early games are sold out – and watching the cricket would be more than enough IPL for Abu Dhabi’s cricket fans.At one point, Virat Kohli (carrying his suit on a hanger), MS Dhoni, Kevin Pietersen, Shane Watson, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir walked out of the hotel entrance and strolled down towards its lawns to catch a glimpse of the skyscrapers, backlit by the setting sun, on the opposite side of the road. They went more or less unmolested, and the handful of camera-toting enthusiasts who followed them quickly gave way when a security guard gestured with a hefty arm.A group of Russian tourists sat on the steps as the cricketers walked past, completely oblivious to who they might have been. It must have been refreshing, but also a touch unsettling, for the players. It certainly wouldn’t have happened to Messi, Aguero and van Persie.Asked what the evening promised, a former India player said Shah Rukh Khan was expected perform. Turning to a friend by his side, the cricketer added: “I hope it gets over soon.”

Plays of the day from the Group A match between Sri Lanka and Scotland

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hobart11-Mar-2015The wheelbarrow circle
Kumar Sangakkara had hit the first five legitimate balls of the 36th over for a six and four fours, so when he shaped to scoop Alasdair Evans again off the last delivery, short fine leg Rob Taylor could be forgiven for expecting that one to go to the fence as well. As soon as Sangakkara made contact, Taylor turned and began running to the fine leg fence, almost as if he was expecting to retrieve the ball from beyond the rope. Only, Sangakkara had mishit this one, and instead of hitting the ball over Taylor, he’d sent it to the vicinity of Taylor’s original position. Once the fielder noticed the ball wasn’t going to the fence, he circled back around to collect the ball, his overconfidence in Sangakkara’s abilities having cost his team a single.The unloved 12th man
Being on the cusp of the playing XI is never fun but Sri Lanka took 12th man Upul Tharanga’s misery to new levels when they refused to partake of the drinks he was running on to the field. There was moisture in the air in the first phase of Scotland’s innings and, in their quest to rush through 20 overs and ensure a full game was played, Sri Lanka had spinners operating at either end. When the umpires called for drinks after the 17th over, Tharanga dutifully jogged his tray on to the field. But Sri Lanka didn’t want to slow the game down. None of the fielders moved from their positions. Unneeded twice over in this match, Tharanga was left to wander off dolefully, occasionally glancing back to see if anyone had had a change of heart.The sole separation
Richie Berrington was bowling another handy spell at the death when his own apparel would conspire against him. Berrington landed his front foot on the crease only to find his foot continued to slide forward, instead of gripping the pitch and stopping. The result was a painful tumble and what appeared to be an ankle sprain. The side-on replay, though, showed that his sole had completely torn from the rest of the boot as he landed his foot. The injury meant Berrington was unable to continue the over, with Kyle Coetzer called on to finish it off.The double-strike
When Tillakaratne Dilshan was sweeping Josh Davey’s medium pace for two fours and a six in the 25th over it seemed as if Sri Lanka had planned to go after him. After the batting Powerplay, Davey might reflect that the strategy played into his hands. He picked up the wicket of Dilshan in the 35th over, then in the next over, removed two legends back-to-back. First he had Mahela Jayawardene miscuing one to mid off, then Sangakkara, who had been flaying almost every other bowler, nicked Davey behind next ball.The surprise review
Sri Lanka have been perhaps the worst users of DRS this tournament, often wasting their reviews on hopeless cases but, in this match, conjured a wicket seemingly out of nowhere through the review system. Michael Leask had swiped at a Nuwan Kulasekara bouncer, but though neither the bowler nor the wicketkeeper felt the batsman had hit it, fielder Seekkuge Prasanna was so adamant he had, he convinced his team-mates to ask for a review. Sure enough, Snicko showed Leask had given a feather edge to the ball as it passed over his head, and Sri Lanka’s referral record improved a little.

USWNT star Naomi Girma is attracting big attention from Europe, with Chelsea reportedly leading the race to sign her.

Article continues below

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• USWNT defender Girma out of contract in 2026
• San Diego Wave star has interest from Lyon & Arsenal
• But Chelsea lead race for potential $1m deal

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  There have been plenty of reports in recent months about interest in Girma from abroad, with her having emerged as one of the most talented center backs in the entire game already, aged just 24. Indeed, after helping her country win gold at the Olympic Games last summer, USWNT boss Emma Hayes described Girma as "the best defender I've ever seen".

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lyon, home of USWNT team-mate Lindsey Horan, have been linked with her, as have Arsenal. However, understands that it is Chelsea who are currently favorites to land Girma's signature, which could come at the cost of $1 million (£820,000). The current world-record fee for a transfer in the women's game is $862,000 (£706,000), which Bay FC paid to sign Racheal Kundananji from Madrid CFF last year.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Given that potential price tag, it is unlikely that Girma leaves the San Diego Wave for another NWSL side. That's because league rules require a salary cap tax if a club spends over a net $500,000 (£409,000) on transfer fees.

• USA Today
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR GIRMA AND SAN DIEGO?

  New San Diego boss Jonas Eidevall, and the new ownership which took over in October, will certainly be keen to avoid losing Girma, who is out of contract at the end of 2026. It'll be up to them to renew that deal and avoid losing the defender to a European giant.

It’s time to bounce back for Newcastle United. Only, this afternoon’s opponents in the Premier League happen to be Manchester City.

It’s been an indifferent start to the 2024/25 campaign but the Magpies have claimed ten points from 15 without actually playing all that well – last weekend’s defeat at Fulham was a downward turning point; a win would have put Eddie Howe’s side top, temporarily at least.

But it was a gloomy display that now puts added emphasis on claiming a result against the imperious champions. Howe would be wise to enforce a change or two.

Kieran Trippier's performance vs Fulham

Kieran Trippier was drafted in for his first Premier League start of the season at Craven Cottage, but he produced an effort that left the Magpies faithful wanting.

The 34-year-old has fallen out of favour this term and was heavily linked with a move away from England at the end of the summer transfer window, but his sale would have heightened concerns relating to depth and so he remains at St. James’ Park.

Unfortunately, he flattered to deceive in the place of Tino Livramento and must not be handed another starting berth this weekend. In their post-match player ratings, The Shields Gazette criticised the recently-retired England international’s ‘difficult afternoon’ against the electric Alex Iwobi, who made five key passes, giving Trippier a 5/10 score.

Minutes played

74′

Touches

60

Accurate passes

45/50 (90%)

Key passes

1

Crosses (completed)

2 (0)

Dribbles (completed)

0 (0)

Tackles

1

Interceptions

1

Clearances

1

Ground duels (won)

4 (1)

Dribbled past

2x

It’s acceptable that Trippier – who notably lost 75% of his duels on the day – doesn’t have the wheels he once did, but for that fact, he cannot start against Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side. He must return to the bench.

Why Kieran Trippier must be dropped

This season, across his three Premier League appearances, Trippier has averaged 0.3 dribbles and 2.3 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.

Of course, he’s only started once, but if Iwobi can cause him all sorts of problems and leave him struggling to make a positive impression in the duel, then there’s every chance that the likes of Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish or Phil Foden could inhibit him too.

Doku could be the obvious choice to send the veteran into a spin. As per FBref, the mercurial Belgian ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

Foden also dribbles with buttery grace, seemingly glued to the ball as he slaloms past defenders. The 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Season also knows Trippier well, having played alongside him for the Three Lions over the years.

That’s why Livramento must return to the starting line-up. The 21-year-old is energetic and dynamic and, crucially, has won 60% of his ground duels in the top flight this season, averaging 6.0 per game.

Trippier still brings more innate creativity to Newcastle’s right side but Livramento has the balance and athleticism to score a big upset and capitalise on the visitors’ absence of Rodri.

It won’t be easy, but Newcastle can claim a good result in this one…

Imagine him & Gordon: Newcastle in talks to sign one of the best CFs around

He’s on the move in 2025…

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 26, 2024

Arsenal are reportedly nearly certain to bid for a £26 million player next year, coming after he once agreed to join Mikel Arteta at the Emirates.

Edu making Arsenal transfer plans for 2025

The north Londoners’ transfer plans, led by sporting director Edu Gaspar, are well and truly underway for next year – with reports already linking Arsenal to a host of players.

Arsenal worried that £150,000-per-week star is also nursing an injury now

The Gunners have a few key players sidelined right now.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 24, 2024

It is believed that Arsenal are targeting a new number nine in January, and are considering a “big-money” bid, as per TEAMtalk, but it remains to be seen who they land on, as their shortlist apparently includes Inter Milan star Marcus Thuram, Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig ace Benjamin Sesko.

Appearances

42

Goals

18

Assists

2

Minutes per goal

115

Minutes played

2,057

Arsenal opted against signing a striker in the summer, instead choosing to keep their faith in Kai Havertz for the role, but a fresh centre-forward option is apparently very much on the agenda for next year.

As well as not bringing in a new forward, Arsenal also couldn’t quite get a deal over the line for Espanyol shot-stopper Joan Garcia. The Spaniard, whose contract includes a £26 million release clause, is said to have agreed to join the club and shook hands on personal terms.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Garcia even commented on his failed move to Arsenal, insisting he wasn’t distracted.

“During the entire market I was quite isolated,” he said.

“I was at the Olympic Games and when I arrived La Liga was already starting. The last few days were more intense, but I was very isolated, focusing on what I had to do, which is the field. I managed not to get distracted.

“Regarding my continuity, I am very happy that people are happy that I have stayed. I have worked all these years for this – playing with Espanyol in the First Division – and this is how it is. I hope to take advantage of it.”

The Gunners ended up signing Neto from Bournemouth on loan to fill in for Aaron Ramsdale as the second-choice keeper, but that doesn’t mean they’ve given up on Garcia, far from it.

Arsenal "highly likely" to bid for Joan Garcia in 2025

As per CaughtOffside, it is “highly likely” Arsenal will make a bid for Garcia in 2025, despite missing out on a deal over the summer and bringing in Neto.

Arteta’s side still want the 23-year-old, who represented Spain at this summer’s Olympics in Paris, and have very clearly identified Garcia as their preferred number two behind David Raya.

Arsenal have a good working relationship with both the player and his representatives after reaching an agreement on terms with them, so this apparently could be one to watch.

“There have been movements. We have had to work hard. There have been conversations, situations to work through. Situations to handle,” said Espanyol sporting director Fran Garagarza.

“We are dealing with a great goalkeeper, but we are also dealing with a great person. His behaviour, his poise, his harmony and his tone of voice… for me, he’s top 10. That’s what I’ll take from him.”

Royals’ left-handers versus Washington Sundar’s offspin could be an interesting subplot

Sreshth Shah28-Mar-20222:16

Shastri and Lynn excited by Ashwin and Chahal combo

Big pictureAnd then there were two. By the time Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals take the field on Tuesday, all other sides would have had a taste of IPL 2022.Sunrisers will be without Rashid Khan for the first time since 2017, but unlike a batter, a bowler can have an impact for only 20% of a innings, which might give them some respite. If fit, Washington Sundar could do a holding role with the new ball or after the powerplay and there’s the seam trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan and Umran Malik who offer 12 very different kind of overs. Bhuvneshwar will search for swing at the top, Natarajan will aim for the yorkers at the death, and Malik will look to beat batters with his raw pace and trouble them with his short ball. Marco Jansen, the tall, left-arm seamer, could be a potent new-ball partner for Bhuvneshwar. The other option for that final overseas slot could be the destructive West Indies allrounder Romario Shepherd.For the last few seasons, Sunrisers opted to load up on a top-heavy batting line-up – often with two heavyweight overseas batters at the top, but this time they’re expected to open with domestic batters Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek Sharma. Then there’s Kane Williamson as a top-drawer anchor, albeit coming off a long-term injury, Aiden Markram who can bat anywhere in the top five, and Nicholas Pooran who is expected to bring in the fireworks. Abdul Samad, Sundar and possibly Shepherd close out the batting, and on paper, this is a side with plenty of potential even though the bench doesn’t inspire too much confidence.Related

Sunrisers a mix of experience and youth

The miracle man of Chinnappampatti

Death bowling a worry for Royals

Royals have plenty of positives going into the competition apart perhaps from their death-bowling options. Trent Boult can do a job with the older ball, but he is most potent while swinging the new one into the right-hander. Prasidh Krishna will likely partner Boult in the powerplay, and if they can successfully build early pressure, R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal could capitalise on it to strangle the opposition in the middle overs. How they choose to approach the death overs could be the deciding factor in whether James Neesham plays as the allrounder or Nathan Coulter-Nile.As far as the top order is concerned, Royals have as good a unit as a team can hope for after an auction. They retained Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson, and now have Devdutt Padikkal set to bat at No. 3. Rassie van der Dussen, who has enjoyed a purple patch for South Africa in the last nine months or so, and Shimron Hetmyer, who is especially brutal against spin, are probably vying for one spot in the middle, though the decision for the first game has been taken out of Royals’ hands with the former unavailable for Tuesday’s game. With Samson likely to bat at No. 4, Royals have a potentially devastating top and middle order. Nos. 6 and 7 don’t look nearly as imposing, and a lot of hope resides in Riyan Parag, whom the franchise bought back after a dismal 2021 season.In summation, these are two sides that look vastly different from past seasons – each with obvious strengths and obvious weak spots. Both teams missed the playoffs in 2021, so they will be hungry to begin 2022 on the right note. It will also be the first match in Pune, and other teams will keep a keen eye on the action at the MCA Stadium.Devdutt Padikkal may need to up his post-powerplay scoring rate to fit into a middle-order role at Royals•BCCI

Possible XIRajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Sanju Samson (capt, wk), 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 James Neesham/Nathan Coulter-Nile, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Prasidh KrishnaSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Rahul Tripathi, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5 Aiden Markram, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Marco Jansen/Romario Shepherd, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 T Natarajan, 11 Umran MalikStrategy puntRoyals’ signing of Padikkal was an intriguing one, since two of their retained players were openers. Assuming Jaiswal and Buttler open, Royals might have an interesting call to make over who bats at No. 3, depending on which opener is dismissed first and when. If there’s an early wicket, Padikkal is a natural No. 3, given that he is best suited to batting in the powerplay, but if there’s a long opening stand, he might not necessarily be the best fit, with his strike rate outside the powerplay (120.89) significantly worse than that of Samson (156.67) since IPL 2019. If Buttler is dismissed first, Royals might look to push Samson to No. 3 anyway to maintain the right-left combination; in this particular game, they may not want two left-handers in the crease in Padikkal and Jaiswal, given the threat of Washington Sundar’s offspin.Stats that matter Only five batters in the IPL have averaged 40-plus and scored at a strike-rate of 140-plus since 2020. Two of them are Sanju Samson (54.50, 145.33) and Jos Buttler (43.00, 159.25). Royals have both the most successful IPL seamer and spinner in the powerplay. Since IPL 2020, no seamer has taken more powerplay wickets than Boult (21) and no spinner has taken more wickets in the phase than Ashwin (eight). With Sunrisers retaining a similar fast-bowling unit to 2021, how Padikkal does against them will be interesting. In five innings against Sunrisers, Padikkal has scored at a strike-rate of only 94.21, the third-worst strike-rate for any batter against one IPL team (minimum 100 runs scored).