The league's most storied franchise claimed their sixth MLS Cup after an absolutely dominant postseason run

CARSON, Calif. — The Los Angeles Galaxy are the 2024 MLS Champions, defeating the New York Red Bulls 2-1 Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in front of a sold-out crowd of 26,812 people. The league's most storied franchise claimed their sixth MLS Cup.

The Galaxy returned to the top of MLS after an absolutely dominant postseason run, defeating the Colorado Rapids, Minnesota United FC, Seattle Sounders and now RBNY. Spearheaded by their brilliant midfielder Riqui Puig throughout the playoffs, the Galaxy played the title game without the the ex-Barcelona star, who sustained a torn ACL in the Conference Final, making their achievement on Saturday even more impressive.

Goals from winger Joseph Paintsil and striker Dejan Jovelic secured the victory, while midfielder Gaston Brugman was named MLS Cup MVP after sliding into the starting XI in place of Puig against the Red Bulls.

For the away side, it was a bleak performance from the RBNY defense, conceding twice inside the opening 13 minutes. They earned a goal back through centerback Sean Nealis in the 28th minute, but another never came — despite a plethora of attacking chances.

It was an opportunity for RBNY to earn their first MLS Cup as an organization, with their 29th season in the league once again ending in disappointment. GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Dignity Health Sports Park.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWINNER: Joseph Paintsil

The Ghanaian winger took his game to another level against the Red Bulls on Saturday, opening the scoring while putting his blistering pace on display all match. He was an absolute thorn in the side of defender Dylan Nealis, beating him on multiple occasions, including the first strike of the match.

Sent a sensational through-ball by Brugman, he fired home to hand the Galaxy an early 1-0 lead.

"The goal happened because Gaston knew, he already watched when I was in an empty space and when he made the touch, he just put it there," the 26-year-old winger told GOAL. "We train about this, and he had the space. And for me, to kill them it's always about my pace, and I know what I need to do – and it resulted in a goal."

In his debut season after arriving from Belgian side Genk ahead of 2024, the 26-year-old scored 10 goals and recorded another 10 assists, while adding another five goal-contributions during the postseason run.

"It means a lot to me, it means a lot to my family, it means a lot to Ghanaians, and the LA supporters, too," he said. "I can't even describe how I feel now. All I have to say is thanks to the work [of the team], to the LA fans, and to the people that support me."

AdvertisementIMGANLOSER: The RBNY defense

Ahead of the match, it was learned that star defender Andres Reyes would miss the match due to what was an apparent sudden illness. Young Swedish defender Noah Eile stepped in for him, but without a proper warmup or expectation to be playing from the opening whistle, the 22-year-old was caught out off-guard from the start.

Miscommunication with his defensive partners created an opening on Paintsil's goal, while on the second from Jovelic, the RBNY defense was once again victim of disorganization.

"It's not how we intended things to go," RBNY defender John Tolkin told GOAL. "We've dealt with adversity all year, and I thought Noah had a good game, so kudos to him for being ready. I know that's not an easy thing to do, in final especially – to be alerted right before we go in that he's starting. So, those things happen, and we've had that next man mentality all year. I'm happy for Noah."

Manager Sandro Schwarz rolled out with two inverted fullbacks and three central defenders, which was a tactic that had previously worked during their postseason run, but the Galaxy exploited it with through balls and lobbed aerial crosses.

In total, the Galaxy registered 12 shots on goal, with six of them ending up on target. However, their Xg (expected goals) was just a mere 1.3 — with poor defending, led by even worse communication, overshadowing any positives that RBNY put on display.

IMGANWINNER: LA Galaxy fans

The White and Gold faithful created one of the most impressive environments from a home fan perspective. For 90-straight minutes, they were loud, proud and consistently singing the name of their club. Speaking in the locker room after the match, Paintsil shared that the fans were the 12th member of the team.

"They've been faithful throughout the season since I came – they've been faithful to now, and I would say a very big thank you to them, because they've made us who we are now, with their voices and with their belief. They gave us that kind of adrenaline to also keep going, to keep fighting," Paintsil told GOAL. "They did everything we just needed. They did for us with their support, with their voice and it resulted in this fantastic moment, with the trophy."

Defender Jalen Neal doubled-down on Paintsil's reaction, with the U.S. youth international telling GOAL that "it means everything to have our fans supporting us through this, every single step of the way, through the ups and downs. It's ultimately what leads to a championship. So we can't thank them enough for what they've done.

"They had unconditional support throughout the season, whether the momentum was towards us or not. We were undefeated at home for a reason this year, and it showed through their support. So, you know, all credit to them for that part. They were really a different force to be reckoned with than us on the field today."

IMGANLOSER: Emil Forsberg

Ahead of Saturday's match, RBNY star Emil Forsberg told GOAL, “I came to win. Nothing else. That’s the ultimate goal, to win."

The Sweden international and former Bundesliga star, however, fell short on Saturday – failing to live up to his own personal ambitions, despite registering the corner kick that led to their lone goal.

"It's tough, I feel very angry, disappointed about everything, to be honest," he told GOAL. "The first 20 minutes, we were a bit sloppy, we gave them two goals and we had to work ourselves out from that."

Forsberg had their best chance of the game to draw level in the second half, too, turning and firing only to hit the post with less than 20 minutes left in the match.

"It wasn't my day. It was just heartbreaking to be honest," he said. "Sad, angry. I should make that one, but it wasn't that kind of day. I'm still proud of what we achieved together, I can't wait for next year. It was a tough season, but still happy about what we achieved together."

An Arsenal player is keen to play under one Premier League boss in particular, and his exit from the Emirates Stadium appears to be a sure-fire possibility before deadline day.

Players who could be sold by Arsenal as window nears closure

Clubs have just over a week to wrap up their summer deals and concentrate solely on the season ahead, with a few Arsenal players still up for grabs.

Fabrizio Romano says £26m player has agreed to join Arsenal with Merino

He’s eyeing a move to the Emirates.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 21, 2024

Striker Eddie Nketiah has been subject to late window interest from both Bournemouth, who eventually settled on the signing of Brazilian forward Evanilson, and Nottingham Forest.

The Englishman is unlikely to feature often ahead of a star-studded Arsenal attacking line, so it is believed Forest are attempting to take advantage of the situation, with both Nuno Espirito Santo's side and the Gunners confident of finalising his transfer.

Meanwhile, Leicester City have held talks over a deal for Reiss Nelson, so Nketiah may not be the only Arsenal forward departing in the next nine days. Meanwhile, there is also the ongoing matter of goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who lost his number one spot between the sticks to David Raya last season.

The £120,000-per-week ace has been described as destined to leave by reliable journalists all summer, but time is running out for Ramsdale to find a new home and a place to feature far more often.

“But I do think both things will happen. It’s a matter of when Ramsdale leaves, not if," said reporter Charles Watts, all the way back in May.

Bukayo Saka

7.67

Declan Rice

7.38

Martin Odegaard

7.37

Kai Havertz

7.16

Gabriel Magalhaes

6.99

“The key thing for Arsenal is getting value for money. I saw an initial fee of £15 million mentioned in reports last week and that is quite frankly ridiculous. Arsenal signed Ramsdale for nearly £30m two years ago and he has developed into a far better keeper since then.

“He’s still young, he’s homegrown, an established England international and has a long-term contract. Yes, interested clubs will know that Arsenal’s stance in any negotiations will be weakened somewhat given he is now clearly behind David Raya in the pecking order, but that shouldn’t mean the club should basically give him away. Ramsdale is a top class keeper and he’s shown that at Arsenal. When you look at what other keepers have moved for in the last couple of seasons, a bid of £15m shouldn’t even be one that Arsenal entertain.”

Ramsdale keen to play for Gary O'Neil at Wolves

According to GiveMeSport, following a widely reported approach from Wolves, the Englishman's stance on a move to Molineux has emerged.

The outlet claims that Ramsdale is keen to play under Gary O'Neil at Wolves if he does end up leaving Arsenal in the days ahead, as they seek a competitor for current number one Josa Sa between the sticks.

The 26-year-old is delaying a final decision over his future, though, as he weighs up the best possible next step for his career.

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： Um dos principais artilheiros do do Guarani neste ano, o atacante Lucão espera continuar crescendo com a camisa do clube em 2022. Segundo o centroavante, sua meta é fazer uma temporada de alto nível no Bugre.

– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE B

‘Estou trabalhando muito para continuar com essa média de gols e até melhorar isso nos próximos jogos. Estou muito motivado com tudo que tem acontecido comigo. Vou me dedicar para evoluir ainda mais com todos’.

O jogador falou da importância do Bugre vencer as duas partidas que restam na fase de classificação do Paulista para buscar vaga nas finais da disputa.

‘Vamos ter mais dois jogos nesta reta final de primeira fase do Paulista e queremos vencer as duas partidas para chegarmos às finais da disputa. Vamos lutar muito para fazer dois grandes jogos para sairmos com o objetivo alcançado’, declarou.

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His body cannot be expected to stand up to the demands that have been placed on it by New South Wales, the Sydney Sixers and Cricket Australia

Daniel Brettig02-Nov-2012Breaking into prominence in Australian cricket as a 17-year-old schoolboy in 2010-11, Pat Cummins seemed too good to be true. Fast as any in the country, he was also tall, sported a late outswinger, and possessed an instinct for how to bowl that is usually the exclusive preserve of only the best and most seasoned of fast men.Two years on, with Cummins facing his second consecutive home summer on the treatment table, it turns out that this story was indeed too much of a fairytale to be sustained in the cluttered reality of 21st century cricket. Cummins’ bowling skills, natural attributes and intelligence have not diminished, but while he is still a teenager, his body cannot be expected to stand up to the demands that have been placed on it by New South Wales, Sydney Sixers and Cricket Australia.A back stress fracture has offered time for Cummins and those around him to think seriously about how the past year since his Test debut in South Africa has unfolded. It has been punctuated by injuries to his foot, side and back, a lot of T20 matches, a great deal of travel, and by his own admission a departure from the bowling fundamentals that put him in the Australian side in the first place.The most recent episode in South Africa does not reflect a great deal of credit on the Sixers. While CA had sent their bowling coach, Ali de Winter, to the T20 Champions League to monitor the workloads of the national team representatives taking part in the event, Cummins’ admission that he was starting to feel sore towards the back end of the event did not reach de Winter, the physio Alex Kountouris, or the team performance manager, Pat Howard, as early as possible.This lapse between Cummins confessing to some minor discomfort and CA’s staff knowing of it may have prevented them from calling him home early. As it was, he bowled in the semi-final and final without feeling too inconvenienced, but no one will now know whether the current stress fracture might have stayed merely a less serious stress reaction without those matches.CA is known to be disappointed at being kept out of the loop, though the Sixers’ reasons for keeping the matter to themselves are unclear. It is plausible that they feared the loss of another key part of their team after already being stripped of the services of Shane Watson as part of a pre-planned move to give the Australian vice-captain more time at home to prepare for the Test summer.Irrespective of when or how it first became clear that Cummins was sore again, the fact of his recurring injuries endorses the view that he has risen too far, too fast. Many were seduced by the possibility that a bowler so young might be ready to win matches for Australia, and his performance in Johannesburg a year ago brought that excitement to a feverish pitch.It must be remembered that not only has Cummins barely played for his state, he has barely played for his club. NSW selectors first chose Cummins at a time when a glut of other injuries had limited their bowling stocks, but they kept picking him because of how impressive he seemed, or more accurately, how impressive he was. Similarly Australia’s selectors – first the panel of Andrew Hilditch and latterly that of John Inverarity – have returned to Cummins several times as soon as he was fit after injury because of how beguiled they were by his combination of speed, skill and intelligence.

“Jason Gillespie, Mitchell Johnson… had a string of injuries over a few years and came out the other side. So I’m not too fussed. I’d love to be playing but I realise it’s not a rare thing to occur”

Now all must acknowledge and accept that Cummins’ path cannot be any different to that of most fast bowlers before him, who have generally endured periods of injury and pain before entering serious national team calculations later in life. Cummins noted the stories of Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and Mitchell Johnson as examples of this.”There’s other people like Jason Gillespie, Mitchell Johnson, there’s a whole string of fast bowlers who are were pushing the 140-150kph barrier at 18, 19, 20 years old, and none of them went through unscathed,” Cummins said. “They all had a string of injuries over a few years and came out the other side. So I’m not too fussed. I’d love to be playing, but I realise it’s not a rare thing to occur.”The revelation that Cummins had been scheduled to visit the Australian Institute of Sport for examination of his action, and its potential to contribute to his injuries, is telling. It confirms that some among Cummins’ mentors agree that he is still developing, still finding the correct bowling action and method for his body.There are pointed parallels here with the careers of Lee and Gillespie, who both underwent drastic changes to their bowling actions in their earliest days. In Lee’s case, there were five years of setbacks and experiments between his first-class debut in 1994-95 and his first Test in 1999. Those changes were forced by a string of injuries, but ultimately resulted in a bowling method that was both swifter and more durable than the original. In this Cummins can find some consolation, knowing that the action he used to great effect in Johannesburg a year ago does not have to be the one he carries right through his career.For now, however, he must cope with the bewilderment and frustration of another major injury. As he put it: “I’m sick of coming home and not playing the summer.” His minders for state, T20 club and country must be sick of it too, and it is to be hoped that they will now take a longer view to ensure that the promise Cummins has shown so far is not entirely undermined by impatience to have him bowling again as soon as possible.

Pep Guardiola's side threw away a three-goal lead to fall deeper into crisis as their run without a win stretched to six games

Manchester City thought they were out of their crisis when they went 3-0 up against Feyenoord on Tuesday, but their own dismal defending pulled them right back in as they were left wondering how on earth they managed to draw 3-3 in the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola's side were cruising thanks to a double from Erling Haaland and an Ilkay Gundogan strike, but they capitulated in a dreadful final 15 minutes.

A horrendous Josko Gvardiol back-pass allowed Anis Hadj Moussa to pull Feyenoord back into contention before Santiago Gimenez and David Hancko scored to round off the most unlikely of comebacks from the visitors, who are fourth in the Eredivisie, eight points off the pace.

GOAL rates City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Ederson (4/10):

  Stood tall to trap Paixao's effort but appeared to take his eye off the ball late in the game. A tad slow when he tried to halt Hadj-Moussa and didn't guard his post properly in the build-up to the second before being at fault for the equaliser.

  Rico Lewis (5/10):

  Was having a more comfortable evening than in recent weeks, shuttling between defence and midfield with ease, but he was overwhelmed at the end.

  Manuel Akanji (5/10):

  Crossed when Haaland's header hit the post. Part of the general defensive shoddiness towards the end.

  Nathan Ake (6/10):

  City missed his physical presence when he was taken off with 21 minutes to go

  Josko Gvardiol (4/10):

  Made a couple of good recovery runs but one weak ball to Foden that was intercepted was a sign he was lacking concentration, and he made his worst blunder of a bad week to gift Feyenoord a way back in to the game.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Bernardo Silva (5/10):

  Couldn't impose himself on the game.

  Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):

  Still looks uncomfortable as the main holding midfielder, but at least he scored.

  Matheus Nunes (7/10):

  Had a lively game, making an important block in the first half and setting up Haaland's second goal. Created another chance which Grealish should have done better with.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Phil Foden (5/10):

  Uninspiring once more. Blocked Grealish's shot and saw his own strike tipped around the post.

  Erling Haaland (8/10):

  A handful: hit the post, won the penalty and scored twice. Deserved much better.

  Jack Grealish (5/10):

  Not an encouraging return at all. Wasted a great chance to make it 4-0 and then had a shot deflected onto the bar at the end.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Kevin De Bruyne (5/10):

  Offered some flair but not enough intensity.

  Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (5/10):

  Too inexperienced to see the game out.

  James McAtee (5/10):

  Couldn't link up properly with his team-mates and scuffed his one chance.

  Pep Guardiola (4/10):

  Looked furious at the end, but it was partly his fault for making so many substitutions, which indicated he thought the game was over. Instead, the disease has spread even further.

da aviator aposta： We are now mere days away from the return of the Premier League, and it's Manchester United who are set to kick it all off when they play host to Fulham on Friday night.

da bet esporte： It's been a strange summer for Erik ten Hag's side this year, with mixed preseason results and a mini-injury crisis to carry on last season's misfortune. However, the club has been very active in the market.

The signings of Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui are all incredibly exciting, although, for the here and now, the capture of Matthijs de Ligt is perhaps the most important.

The Dutch international is only 25 but has already enjoyed a stellar career, winning titles for Ajax, Juventus, and, most recently, Bayern Munich – the Red Devils will be hoping he keeps that streak going at Old Trafford.

However, while United's business this summer would be the stuff of dreams for many clubs in the league, they still aren't finished as recent reports have touted a veteran international with a move to the club, and he could be the dream upgrade on Christian Eriksen.

Manchester United transfer news

According to a recent report from 90min, French international Adrien Rabiot 'would be interested in joining Manchester United this summer.'

The report claims that the former Juventus ace, now a free agent, is willing to wait a bit longer before deciding his future but would be happy to move to United because they will compete in Europe next season.

Moreover, the report has revealed that the player is waiting to see if the three-time European Champions will act upon their 'historic interest in his services.'

Overall, while his wage demands might prove to be on the higher side of things, the fact that he's available for free makes him an incredibly appealing prospect this summer, and given the fact that he is still just 29 and looks to have years left at the top, he could be an ideal upgrade on Eriksen – even just for a few years.

How Rabiot compares to Eriksen

Okay, so while Rabiot has played defensive midfield at points in his career, he's spent far more time starting in central areas. Therefore, if he were to move to United this summer, one of his main rivals for a place in the starting lineup would be Eriksen.

So, how do they stack up against one another?

Well, from a pure output perspective, it's the French "monster", as football writer Robin Bairner dubbed him, who comes out on top. In 35 appearances for Juventus last season, he scored five goals and provided three assists, equating to a reasonably impressive average of a goal involvement every 4.37 games.

In contrast, the Red Devils' Danish ace scored one goal and provided three assists in 28 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every seven games.

Unfortunately for the former Tottenham Hotspur ace, he also comes out second best when we take a look at their underlying numbers from last season. However, it is a slightly tighter affair.

For example, the Paris-born dynamo comes out on top in most relevant metrics, including non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, progressive passes received, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy and successful take-ons, all per 90.

Rabiot vs Eriksen

Stats per 90

Rabiot

Eriksen

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.25

0.26

Non-Penalty Goals + Assists

0.27

0.24

Progressive Carries

2.44

1.57

Progressive Passes

4.07

5.35

Progressive Passes Received

3.59

1.81

Shots

1.29

1.03

Shots on Target

0.54

0.32

Passing Accuracy

82.2%

80.5%

Shot-Creating Actions

2.17

3.63

Tackles Won

1.32

1.02

Blocks

0.88

1.34

Interceptions

0.85

0.31

Clearances

1.15

1.02

Successful Take-Ons

0.95

0.24

Aerial Duels Won

1.83

0.08

All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season

The 29-year-old also comes out ahead in most defensive metrics, including tackles won, interceptions, clearances and aerial duels won per 90, showing that he can impact play in all phases.

Ultimately, while Eriksen has been a useful signing for United, Rabiot beats him in both output and underlying numbers. Therefore, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co should look to make the Frenchman their next signing after De Ligt – the fact that he's a free agent is just a bonus.

Related The new Rooney: Man Utd want £50m PL star who made his debut aged 14

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Posts ByMatt Dawson Aug 13, 2024

أعلنت رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، عن اعتماد تقنية التسلل الجديدة، مع تنفيذها هذا الموسم 2024-2025 بشكل تجريبي.

ومثلما يتم استخدام التقنية في مسابقات الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، سواء الدولية أو الخاصة بالأندية، سيكون الدوري الإنجليزي كذلك أحد الدوريات التي تعتمد التقنية.

طالع أيضًا.. إعلان موعد قرعة موسم الدوري الإنجليزي 2025/26

وجاء بيان رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي كالتالي “سيُطلق الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز تقنية التسلل شبه الآلية يوم السبت 12 أبريل (الجولة 32)”.

وأضاف: “يأتي ذلك بعد اختبارها بشكل غير مباشر في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز وتشغيلها بشكل مباشر في كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي هذا الموسم”.

واختتم: “تحتوي تقنية التسلل شبه الآلية على عناصر رئيسية في عملية اتخاذ قرار التسلل لدعم حكم الفيديو المساعد (الفار)”.

ويُتيح هذا النظام تحديد مواقع أكثر فعالية لخط التسلل الافتراضي، باستخدام تتبع بصري للاعبين، ويُولّد رسومات افتراضية لضمان تجربة مُحسّنة داخل الملعب، لتحافظ على نزاهة العملية مع تعزيز سرعة وكفاءة واتساق عملية اتخاذ قرارات التسلل.

ويحتل ليفربول صدارة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بفارق 12 نقطة عن أقرب منافسيه آرسنال صاحب المركز الثاني.

 

Cheteshwar Pujara also fires to help visitors finish day three with significant lead

Matt Roller04-Sep-20215:31

Laxman: Rohit’s adjustments more in his mindset than technique

It was worth the wait. Rohit Sharma’s first Test hundred away from home took India into a dominant position against England at The Oval, leaving them well-placed to push for a 2-1 lead in the series.Rohit shared partnerships of 83 and 153 for the first and second wicket with KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara, pressing on through the third morning after seeing out 16 overs on the second evening. He batted within himself for most of the day in gloomy, overcast conditions but moved from 94 to his hundred by swinging Moeen Ali for six over long-on.Rahul fined for dissent

India opener KL Rahul was fined 15% of his match fee for violating the ICC Code of Conduct by showing dissent at an umpiring decision.
The incident occurred during the third day of the fourth Test, in the 34th over of India’s second innings, when Rahul showed dissent on being adjudged caught behind following a review. He was also handed one demerit point for the offence, his first in 24 months.
The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf, third umpire Michael Gough and fourth official Mike Burns. Rahul admitted to the Level 1 breach and accepted the penalty imposed by match referee Chris Broad, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

He was eventually dismissed in bizarre fashion, heaving a pull straight to long leg when Ollie Robinson dug the second new ball into the pitch, and when Robinson had Pujara caught in the slips via an inside edge into his back thigh five balls later, England were back in the game. But Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja – retaining his spot at No. 5 – battled through before bad light brought an early close shortly before 5.45pm local time.Rohit rode his luck at times, offering two chances to Rory Burns at second slip, but neither was taken. The first came on the second evening when he had made only six: he edged James Anderson into the cordon, but Burns appeared not to pick the ball up against the backdrop of the crowd and only realised it had come in his direction once it had brushed his foot on its way to the boundary.Rohit Sharma deposited one in the stands at long-on to get to his century•Getty ImagesThe second came on 31, when Ollie Robinson had him poking defensively at a wide-ish ball on a good length. Third slip had been moved into the covers shortly before, meaning Burns had to fling himself to his right; he could only get a fingertip to it, pushing it down towards third man.Anderson made the breakthrough shortly after Burns’ second drop, inducing an outside edge from Rahul. Rahul had started brightly, driving Chris Woakes down the ground for four and pulling him for six, but England bowled dry to stem the flow of runs. Anderson found a hint of movement away off the seam as Rahul came forward to defend; the on-field decision was not out, but the DRS showed a healthy outside edge.Related

Rohit Sharma walks the tightrope to his hundred

Stats – Rohit Sharma's first overseas Test century

Rahul gestured to the umpires that he had flicked his back pad with his bat on the way through, but replays confirmed the ball had hit the bat after that. England reviewed an lbw appeal shortly before lunch with Rohit on 42, but DRS confirmed it was an optimistic shout.Pujara started his innings brightly, admittedly helped by some loose bowling from England’s change bowlers, but had to overcome an injury scare shortly after lunch. He rolled his ankle turning at the non-striker’s end and underwent seven minutes of treatment from the physio with heavy strapping before resuming.Rohit punched Craig Overton off the back foot for two to bring up his fifty and Pujara continued to bat fluently, cutting two boundaries in the space of three balls off Overton – the second a deft, late upper-cut over the vacant gully region. Rohit cruised through the 90s, pulling Anderson for four and then bringing up his hundred with a straight six, celebrating in restrained style.Rohit’s comparative struggles overseas compared to in India have often been used as a stick to beat him with but this was further proof that he is still one of the best all-format players in the world. This was his third 50+ score in the series and his eighth Test hundred in all – three of them brought up with a six.Cheteshwar Pujara brings out the upper cut during his knock of 61•Getty ImagesPujara brought up his own half-century – his second in three innings – by steering Overton away behind square after tea, as England tried out a short-ball strategy with the second new ball looming to no great effect. The crowd were subdued, with the partnership extending past 150 as Moeen and Root’s offbreaks were milked.But Robinson struck twice in the first over bowled with the new ball to change the complexion of the day and enliven the crowd. The first was an innocuous ball, a back-of-a-length loosener which hardly got up above waist-height, which Rohit inexplicably pulled straight to long leg; five balls later, Pujara was cramped for room playing off the back foot and inside-edged to third slip via the back thigh, given out on review.Jadeja walked out to join Kohli, keeping his position at No. 5 after his surprise promotion in the first innings, and the pair saw India through to the close with Kohli again looking in superb form, creaming two cover drives away for four. They will resume with a lead of 171 on the fourth morning and while the pitch appears to have flattened out, India will be much the happier side overnight.

A "versatile" European champion is refusing to rule out the prospect of a move to Liverpool this summer, according to a new transfer update.

Liverpool transfer news

The hope is that a number of shiny new signings arrive at Anfield in the current transfer window, giving Arne Slot the best possible opportunity of hitting the ground running. The Reds have been linked with an audacious move for Napoli superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but they have been shot down in the attempts to snap him up.

Liverpool are also believed to be pursuing a move for Spain and Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams, who has been one of the standout attacking players at Euro 2024 this summer. The 22-year-old could be viewed as someone who could provide stiff competition for the likes of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo out wide.

One position where Slot's squad is arguably lacking is defensive midfield, with Wataru Endo the only out-and-out natural in the role, but not a player who is considered either a key starter or a long-term option. Benfica star Joao Neves is seen as an exciting target there, with the Portuguese already playing with a maturity well beyond his years.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin is seen as an ideal replacement for Alisson this summer, should the Brazilian move to the Saudi Pro League, but it would be a shock if that happened.

"Versatile" ace refusing to rule out Liverpool move

According to Give Me Sport, Atalanta midfielder Ederson could be a target Liverpool this summer, with the Reds "actively looking for a fresh presence in the middle of the park following Thiago Alcantara's exit".

It is claimed that sporting director Richard Hughes "could take advantage of his contacts" in Italy in order to sign the 25-year-old, and for his part the player is "open-minded" about moving to Anfield before the new season begins.

Ederson could be exactly what Liverpool are after in the No.6 role this summer, with the £45m-rated ace performing superbly for Atalanta, helping them win the Europa League last season.

Not only did he average 2.3 tackles per game across 36 appearances in Serie A, but he also scored six goals, showing that he is more than simply a sitting midfielder who doesn't offer much in an attacking sense. He has also been lauded by South American football journalist Tim Vickery in the recent past

"24-years-old, strong, well-built central midfielder. Strong on the ball, versatile, box-to-box. Strong personality as well. The first time I remember him was his professional debut really. He was thrown in the deep end in a big team called Cruzeiro, who were really on the slide. They were relegated in dreadful form and even in this bad context, he stood out, so a lot of virtues."

Liverpool have enquired for £31k-p/w winger, they've already had a response

Arne Slot’s side are ramping up their summer business.

By
Ben Browning

Jul 12, 2024

It may be that Slot feels he has enough midfield depth already, but the importance of having an elite No.6 cannot be stressed enough, and Ederson could give Liverpool that extra bit of balance in the middle of the park.

Aiden Blizzard can claim the title of monster six-hitter and has Youtube to back him up

Interview by Jack Wilson07-Aug-2013You’re credited with hitting the biggest six ever, which ended up flying out of the WACA. Reckon there’s been a bigger one?
Apparently not! Everyone tells me it’s the biggest six ever – that’s what it says on Youtube. It was pretty huge but I reckon some of Chris Gayle’s ones may have gone further.Did you know it was a biggie as soon as it left the bat?
It was one of those ones that if you do it in the nets, no one knows how far the ball would have gone. I was lucky enough to hit it well in a big final. It was one of those things that just happened.It’s got a fair few views on Youtube. Do you go on there and watch it?
A few years ago, yes. The phone tended to get passed around between guys in the dressing room, but not now. I’m still living off it a bit.Wikipedia reckons there was a 150-metre one you hit off Nathan Bracken too.
That’s 150% a myth. Maybe in ten years time the ball will be going that far, but I haven’t done that.You’ve shared a dressing room with Kieron Pollard. Ever had a hit-off to see who can hit it further?
Plenty of times. We played together for the Adelaide Strikers and at Mumbai Indians. We’ve always had a bit of a joke about it and he’s taken my left-arm orthodox apart in the nets a few times – but I’ve got him out!That’s a big beast of a bat he’s got, isn’t it?
It isn’t too heavy, but he has, like, five or six grips on it. Maybe that’s the secret, because they definitely stay hit.What do you look for in a good bat?
It has to have a good balance with the middle being a lot lower. Gray-Nicolls have started doing ones with big, thick edges, which I like.What’s it like to walk out and open the batting with Sachin Tendulkar?
It’s something you can’t describe – it’s a phenomenal experience. The crowd are roaring and it goes right through your body. It’s a surreal thing when the guy walking down at the other end and tapping the pitch is Sachin.Is he a big talker between overs?
I get nervous if the other batsman talks a lot, but the crowd blocks it out. He’s an absolute student of the game. He remembers every ball he faces and he dissects everything that goes on out in the middle.Do you suffer nerves?
A bit. I get a little anxious to get out there and get going, and the blood starts flowing pretty quickly. Once I hit a few boundaries, I settle down.How good does it feel to play in front of those Indian crowds?
You get big crowds at home in Australia but it’s a bit different there. The grounds are open and quite large, but in India the stands are almost vertical and it’s like the crowd are on top of you. It’s quite phenomenal. It can be hard to hear and hard to concentrate when it’s 38 degrees and there’s a bowler of Dale Steyn’s calibre running in at you.Who’s the biggest joker in the Mumbai Indians dressing room?
Harbhajan Singh – he’s always one step ahead of you.Anyone else?
Rohit Sharma is a bit of a silent assassin. He’s the kind of guy who will tap someone on a shoulder, tell them to do something, then sit in the background laughing when they do. But Bhajji’s the main one.You’ve played in Australia, India, Bangladesh, England. Where’s the best?
I love playing at home and being closer to my family but India has to be one of my favourite places. The passion the locals have for their cricket is amazing.How do you wind down away from cricket?
I’m studying to be a life coach. It’s a bit left-field but something I enjoy. I also have two dogs, and my fiancée and I spend time walking them down the beach.What’s the worst chirp someone has given to you?
Paul Collingwood said something about it being cold and that a blizzard had come, because of my surname. I had a bit of a chuckle at him. It was in a warm-up game for the 2010-11 Ashes at the Adelaide Oval for South Australia.