Anuj Dal five-for keeps Yorkshire under wraps at Scarborough

Wharton fifty drives hosts but low-key feel to contest after ECB points deduction

ECB Reporters Network03-Sep-2023Derbyshire all-rounder Anuj Dal impressed with five for 72 during a hard-fought opening day of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Yorkshire at Scarborough.Dal’s 20 overs of medium pace limited Yorkshire to 297 after they had been inserted in a low-key Division Two affair.While Yorkshire are bottom of Division Two and definitely out of the promotion race, Derbyshire are just about still alive. But it would take something remarkable to secure a top-two finish given they are 52 points adrift with four games remaining.Dal’s third career five-wicket haul – his second in the Championship this season – stood out during a day which saw a number of Yorkshire batters fail to make the most of encouraging starts on a pitch not as pacy as is usual at North Marine Road.James Wharton top-scored with a middle-order 58, but Fin Bean and Jonny Tattersall both fell in the forties. Derbyshire then reached close at 47 for one from 17 overs.For large parts, the cricket meandered in front of a subdued crowd in the Scarborough sunshine, interspersed by regular wickets for 27-year-old Dal.Yorkshire’s openers Bean and Adam Lyth confidently shared 59 inside 20 overs.But both left-handers were lbw stuck on the crease to Dal either side of lunch. Lyth fell for 32 and then Bean for 41.When the latter fell six balls into the afternoon, Yorkshire were 98 for three after 30 overs. Home captain, and last year’s prolific Derbyshire overseas player, Shan Masood had also been caught behind cutting at Sam Conners for eight just before lunch.After an opening half-century stand, Derbyshire did well to limit Yorkshire.Their fourth success came when the battle of the Georges was won by tall quick Scrimshaw, getting Hill feathering behind for 11 at 129 for four in the 41st over.For Yorkshire, this final month was always going to be about signs of progress ahead of next year’s promotion push after July’s 48-point deduction sunk them to the bottom of Division Two. So for someone such as 22-year-old Wharton to contribute will encourage significantly.He has reached fifty in all formats this year – his breakthrough campaign – including a blistering Vitality Blast 111 against Worcestershire in June.The pace of this innings was vastly different, but there were signs of dominance as he and Tattersall shared 71 for the fifth wicket through the afternoon.Wharton hammered a pull through midwicket off Conners and shimmied down the pitch to work off-spinner Alex Thomson wide of mid-on for four more.The latter took him to his second Championship fifty, off 102 balls. By that time, Yorkshire were closing in on 200. But when they reached that mark, Wharton fell as he edged a drive at Dal behind in the 61st.That was the first of two identical dismissals in successive Dal overs.When Matthew Revis was caught behind aiming an expansive drive like Wharton had, Yorkshire were 204 for six in the 63rd. Dal’s fifth wicket came in the first over of the evening having earlier removed Bean in the opening over of the afternoon. This time, Tattersall fell caught behind driving for 45, leaving Yorkshire 213 for seven in the 65th.Mitch Wagstaff took a stunner of a gully catch head high to help Scrimshaw remove Dom Bess shortly afterwards before Jordan Thompson and Matthew Fisher both hit sixes over long-on off Thomson’s spin to push Yorkshire up towards 300.The hosts narrowly missed out on that, but Fisher hit six leg-side fours in eight balls he faced from Scrimshaw, including four in an over, en-route to 37 not out off 22 balls.Thompson made 32 before miscuing a catch off Thomson. Scrimshaw then wrapped up the innings by getting Ben Coad caught behind.Coad then struck early in Derbyshire’s reply, but the departure of Harry Came was due to Tattersall’s brilliance behind the stumps as he completed a one-handed diving catch down leg – nought for one in the third over.Left-handed Wagstaff then confidently ensured there were no further dramas, closing with an unbeaten 32.

أسامة نبيه بعد تعادل منتخب الشباب مع المغرب: حققنا مكاسب عديدة من تجربة قوية

أثنى أسامة نبيه المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر للشباب، بمستوى لاعبيه في ودية المغرب الأولى التي انتهت بتعادل الفريقين بهدف لكل منهما.

وأقيمت المباراة بين مصر والمغرب، في مدينة الرباط ضمن الاستعداد لكأس العالم تحت 20 عامًا المقبل فى تشيلي، المقرر أن ينطلق 27 سبتمبر القادم.

وقال أسامة نبيه في تصريحات صحفية عقب المباراة: “حققنا مكاسب عديدة من التجربة القوية، أبرزها ارتفاع نسبة الانسجام والعامل البدني والخططي، وهو الذي وضح بشكل كبير من خلال فرض لاعبينا سيطرتهم على مجريات اللعب وهجومهم الضاغط معظم المباريات”.

طالع | منتخب مصر للشباب يتعادل مع المغرب إيجابيًا استعدادًا لكأس العالم

وأوضح: “لقد شاهدنا بعض اللاعبين في أكثر من مركز وتم الاطمئنان على آخرين من العناصر التي أثبتت وجودها خلال معسكر المنتخب في الفترات الماضية”.

وعلى صعيد آخر، جاءت المباراة في أجواء إيجابية وشهدت قيام حمادة أنور مدير المنتخب، بتبادل الدروع وعلم البلدين مع نظيره المغربي محمد امين يحياوي.

كما حضر المباراة عدد ليس بقليل من منتخب المنتخبات المغربية في اعمار الناشئين والشباب وشجعوا بشكل حضاري.

Blistering Bell-Drummond fires Kent to sixth straight win

A brilliant 111 from Daniel Bell-Drummond and a Grant Stewart hat-trick helped the Kent Spitfires to an emphatic 55-run win over Middlesex in the Vitality Blast at Canterbury.Bell-Drummond’s joyous innings lasted 58 balls and included four sixes as for the second consecutive evening Middlesex shipped way in excess of 200. Kent posted 228 for 3, but having stunned Surrey with a Blast-record run chase the previous evening, this time Middlesex subsided to 173 all out, with George Linde and Joey Evison also claiming three wickets apiece. Luke Hollman was the visitors’ top scorer with 48 from 20 balls, but the required rate became unmanageable and they were all out with an over to spare.The Spitfire Ground was sold out on a sweltering Friday night, with over 5,000 packed in to watch the hosts, resurgent after five consecutive wins, take on a Middlesex side who were still bottom of the South Group, despite Thursday night’s miracle.An early chance went begging when Tawanda Muyeye, who was on 8, holed out to Toby Greatwood, only for Hollman to miss an over-the-shoulder catch. Muyeye smote the next ball for six and the openers put on a stand of 127 before he was bowled by Josh de Caires for 50.Related

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  • Smeed launches Somerset into home quarter-final

The run-rate slowed slightly and Joe Denly was on 12 when Martin Andersson missed a difficult chance to catch him off Hollman, but it picked up again as Bell-Drummond reached his second Blast century with a classic cover drive for four off Greatwood and when Ryan Higgins’ 17th over only went for three it felt like a minor triumph for the visitors.Bell-Drummond was one short of his best Blast score when he hoicked Max Harris to Jack Davies at square leg and he departed to a standing ovation.Denly went for 30 driving Higgins to Andersson at long on but Sam Billings smashed 22 off the final over, meaning Middlesex had conceded exactly the same number of runs they did a week ago when Kent won the reverse fixture at Lord’s.

Hopes of a second miracle in 24 hours dimmed when the first three overs went for just six and Joe Cracknell swept Linde to Bell-Drummond in the fourth. Although Max Holden initially carried on where he had left off against Surrey, with 10 off his first two balls, he was bowled for 11, playing on to Evison.Linde then took two wickets in the eighth over: Higgins played on to the first ball before John Simpson fell to a diving catch by Evison on the boundary. Stephen Eskinazi went for 32, flicking Evison to Grant Stewart and Davies rattled off a quick 24 before he was lbw to the same bowler.Hollman and de Caires went down fighting, plundering 23 from Michael Hogan’s 14th over and putting on 60 for the seventh wicket, but a nightmarish 16th over for Stewart ended with Hollman caught in the deep by Jordan Cox off the tenth and final delivery.At the start of his next over Stewart had de Caires caught on the boundary by Jack Leaning and the bowler’s redemption was complete when Harris was taken just inside the rope by Cox.The rout was sealed when Greatwood chipped Agar to Evison and Kent, having seemed dead and buried little more than a fortnight ago, stand every chance of reaching the knock-out stages.

Can KKR and Titans produce another humdinger at high-scoring Eden?

Big picture: Will we witness Rinku magic again?

There isn’t a lot to talk about when talking about this game, is there? Just kidding. Where my Rinku fans at?Living up to that epic night three weeks ago is not going to be possible. 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 to win a game feels like a once-in-a-lifetime event.And in any case, both teams will want to focus on making the game as boring as possible. That sounds like a blasphemous way to build up to an IPL match, especially one that pits a side that kept defying the odds all the way to the title last year and one that has produced this year’s most outrageous result.But here’s the thing. Both Gujarat Titans (7 games) and Kolkata Knight Riders (8) have had enough of a go at this to figure out what their strengths and weaknesses are and how to play to them. In other words, their experience will help them manage difficult situations better, instead of letting them go so far that they end up needing a miracle.

Form guide

Gujarat Titans: WWLWL (Last five matches, most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders: WLLLL

Team news

KKR’s Litton Das left the IPL on Friday to attend to a medical emergency in his family in Bangladesh.Shubman Gill batting deep into the innings could enable Titans to mitigate the KKR mystery spin threat•BCCI

Toss and Impact Player strategy

Kolkata has not been kind to fast bowlers, so Titans, who have barely had to use Rahul Tewatia’s legspin, might decide to give him a proper run here. They’re also likely to swap Shubman Gill for Josh Little or Alzarri Joseph when they have to bring in their Impact Player.Gujarat Titans possible XII: 1 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 2 , 3 Hardik Pandya (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 David Miller, 6 Abhinav Manohar, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Mohit Sharma, 12 KKR will be pleased to see Jason Roy finding form. With Venkatesh Iyer and Suyash Sharma settling into life as Impact Subs, they aren’t short on options. They’ll want their quicks to buck up, though. With just 13 wickets at an average of 55.5 and an economy rate of 11.5, they are the worst-performing seam unit in the competition.Kolkata Knight Riders possible XII: 1 N Jagadeesan (wk), 2 Jason Roy, 3 , 4 Nitish Rana (capt), 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Andre Russell, 7 David Wiese, 8 Vaibhav Arora, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12

Stats that matter

  • Andre Russell is averaging 18 – his second-lowest in an IPL season – with five single-digit scores in eight innings. Not the best time to come up against Rashid Khan, who has dismissed him five times in 39 balls for 54 runs in T20 cricket.
  • 3.6 vs 13.8. Those are Rinku Singh’s balls-per-boundary numbers against pace and spin this season. So if you’re the Titans captain, do the right thing. Don’t give him pace.
  • Shubman Gill has an average of 59.2 and a strike rate of 143 against spin since IPL 2022. His batting deep into the innings might enable Titans to mitigate KKR’s mystery spin threat.
  • Though right now one of them is not feeling so great. Sunil Narine has an economy rate of 8.9 in IPL 2023. Never in the history of this tournament has he been so expensive. Also, he hasn’t picked up a wicket for five matches straight. That’s another first for him in the IPL.
  • Hardik Pandya has a strike rate of 102 against pace this season. This is the second-lowest among all batters who have faced at least 50 balls.

Pitch and conditions

Eden Gardens, after hosting three matches in this year’s IPL, has produced an average first-innings score of 222. It is the highest out of all the grounds on show in the tournament. So expect a few runs. Spin has offered a bit of respite, though – 21 wickets at an economy rate of 8.7 (versus 10.9 for pace) and a strike rate of 15.6, which is another season-topping metric among the grounds this IPL.

Varun's five-for in vain as Tomar's ton takes Rajasthan into quarterfinals

Rajasthan beat Tamil Nadu by 19 runs in the pre-quarterfinal in Vadodara

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2025

Will Varun Chakravarthy’s 18 wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy help him make it to India’s ODI squad?•BCCI

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy strengthened his case for selection in India’s ODI squad by taking his second five-wicket haul in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but his performance could not prevent Rajasthan from eliminating Tamil Nadu in the pre-quarterfinal stage of the tournament.While Varun finished as the top wicket-taker with 18 scalps in six matches, the knockout game’s defining performance came from Rajasthan opener Abhijeet Tomar, whose 111 in the first innings set the foundation for a 19-run victory. They will play Vidarbha in the quarterfinal on January 12.Rajasthan were on course for 300-plus after losing the toss, cruising at 182 for 1 in the 32nd over when Varun took three wickets in three overs to trigger a slide. He first bowled Mahipal Lomror for 60 with a wrong’un that drifted in, pitched and squared the left-hander to hit the top of off stump.Having broken the 160-run stand between Tomar and Lomror, Varun then bowled Deepak Hooda with a carrom ball as he attempted a mow towards the leg side. His third wicket was the centurion Tomar, holing out to long-on for 111 off 125 balls. He picked up two more wickets to finish with 5 for 52 in nine overs.Rajasthan lost nine wickets for 83 and were all out for 267 in 47.3 overs. Left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore and seamer Sandeep Warrier picked up two wickets each.Tamil Nadu responded with a rapid opening partnership of 60 in 6.5 overs before Khaleel Ahmed bowled the slower opener Tushar Raheja for 11 of 20 balls. N Jagadeesan raced to a half-century, hitting Aman Shekhawat for six fours in an over that included five wides to cost Rajasthan 29 runs. His dismissal for 65 off 52 balls, however, caused panic in Tamil Nadu’s chase.B Indrajith and Vijay Shankar kept the innings going and at the start of the 36th over, Tamil Nadu needed 83 runs with five wickets in hand. The run-out of S Mohammed Ali for a run-a-ball 34, however, swung the game Rajasthan’s way.Shekhawat, the fast bowler who had Indrajith caught behind, bowled Vijay Shankar for 49, and sealed the game by dismissing Varun for 18 in a close finish. He finished with 3 for 60 as Rajasthan, runners-up of the previous Vijay Hazare Trophy, entered the final eight by bowling Tamil Nadu out for 248 in 47.1 overs.

Khawaja shifts up as Queensland opener to allow batting order stability

Usman Khawaja will open the batting for Queensland in the opening three Sheffield Shield rounds, having previously batted at No. 4 while being the Test opener, as new coach Johan Botha looks to create more stability in the Bulls’ middle-order following a disappointing season last summer.Despite being the Test opener, Khawaja had batted at No.4 in his last eight Shield games since last opening in February 2022 just after he had been elevated to open in the final Test of the 2021-22 Ashes series. Australia’s selectors have not been prescriptive in directing state teams to bat players in their Test positions in Shield cricket and have been happy to let Khawaja and others bat wherever they were needed at domestic level.Related

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However, New South Wales coach Greg Shipperd has asked for guidance from the national selectors regarding where to bat incumbent Test opener Steven Smith when he returns to play Shield cricket at the start of the summer, with conjecture continuing to swirl around his batting position in the Test team for the India series.Meanwhile, Michael Neser is set to be available for the start of the domestic season after overcoming a calf issue but Xavier Bartlett is expected to miss at least the first month after the side strain he picked up in the first T20I in Southampton. It’s understood there is hope he could be fit for the Pakistan limited-overs series in early November.Khawaja, who was Queensland captain last season, opted to bat at No. 4 in his four Shield games last summer and scored two centuries. But he and new Queensland skipper Marnus Labuschagne are only set to be available for the first three Shield games this summer before leaving to play in the five-Test series against India. Khawaja is unlikely to be available to play Shield cricket again until the end of the Sri Lanka Test tour in February while Labuschagne may not return to Queensland until the end of the Champions Trophy in March.Jack Clayton was Queensland’s leading Shield run-scorer last season and made two centuries at No. 4 when Khawaja was absent but had to bat at No. 5 when the Australian opener returned and finished the season at No. 3. The promising 25-year-old left-hander looks set to settle at No. 4 this season and Botha praised Khawaja for helping create some stability in the Bulls’ middle order.”I know Uzzie has a good record for Queensland at No. 4, but I had a chat to him and he understood what we’re trying to do with giving the younger guys a bit of stability through Nos. 4, 5, 6,” Botha told ESPNcricinfo.Michael Neser is currently on track to start the Shield season•Getty Images

“I think he realized that if he went in at No. 4 then we’ll have to change our line-up around. And he’s been great with that. He said, ‘I’ll do whatever the team needs,’ and we want him to open so he’s going to do that for us to start with. So that’s a nice result for us. We can have a bit of stability through our Nos. 4, 5, 6 when the [Test players] leave after the third game.”Khawaja is already in some fine touch having helped his Queensland premier cricket club Valley claim the T20 Max title last week before smashing 114 off 119 balls in Valley’s first 50-over match of the season against a South Brisbane attack featuring Bulls seamer Gurinder Sandhu.On the bowling front, Neser looks set to be available for the start of the season after recovering from a calf problem. He got through six overs in a practice game for Queensland against South Australia last week and bowled 10 overs for his club side Gold Coast on Saturday.”He’s in a good spot,” Botha said. “You never want to be injured. But I think it came at a good time where he could freshen up a bit. He was over at Hampshire. So in a way, it probably worked out well. If he starts the season and he goes well, then it’s obviously worked perfectly, but we’ll have to see how that start goes and manage that maybe a little bit. But at the moment, he’s in a good space. He’s fresh. He’s good to go and he’ll be a big player for us this summer.”There have been concerns building over Australia’s fast bowling depth ahead of the series against India with Neser’s calf issue among a host of injury worries. Scott Boland is managing a long-term knee complaint while Lance Morris is set for a slow return following a stress fracture in his back.Bartlett’s significant side strain along with injuries to other white-ball quicks Nathan Ellis (hamstring) and Riley Meredith (side) has stretched Australia on the tour of the UK while they try to carefully manage Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc ahead of a huge workload against India.

WATCH: Leaked video shows Myles Lewis-Skelly's excitement at Viktor Gyokeres' Arsenal transfer as England starlet copies striker's iconic celebration

A leaked video appears to show Myles Lewis-Skelly reacting excitedly to Viktor Gyokeres' impending move to Arsenal.

Gyokeres set for Arsenal switchLewis-Skelly leaked video emergesReacts excitedly to Gunners moveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Just as Arsenal close in on a deal worth £54.8m (€63.1m/$74.2m) plus £8.6m (€9.9m/$11.7m) in add-ons for the Sporting CP star, Gunners left-back Lewis-Skelly has been caught on film imitating the Swede's iconic celebration. The England international can be seen showing a photo of Fabrizio Romano's 'Here We Go' tweet on Gyokeres and celebrating the news with gusto.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Barring any last-minute hiccups, this is a statement signing from Arsenal. Gyokeres scored a remarkable 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting following his move from Championship side Coventry City in 2023 and is regarded as one of the world's best centre-forwards. Many have claimed that the Gunners need a top striker to finally help them end their 21-year Premier League title drought, and now they may have the final piece of the puzzle to make that possible.

Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT?

It may just be a matter of time before the 27-year-old Sweden international joins Arsenal this summer, with the ex-Brighton man expected to sign a long-term contract with Mikel Arteta's men until 2030.

Salah's new Mane: Liverpool consider making big bid for £80m "nightmare"

da dobrowin: Liverpool’s mastery in the transfer market must leave rivals hot under the collar. FSG have their drawbacks, criticised for their frugality, but who can reasonably rail against their formula?

da prosport bet: Arne Slot, though, has exceeded expectations this season, winning the Premier League at a canter, somehow replacing the irreplaceable Jurgen Klopp.

Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk for Liverpool

It’s frightening to think that Liverpool are now ramping up their transfer plans, rewarding Slot with a deep-pocketed transfer chest which has already led to the signing of Jeremie Frimpong, with his Bayer Leverkusen teammate Florian Wirtz lined up for a reported British-record €130m (about £110m) transfer.

With a deal for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez also in the pipeline, Liverpool fans would be forgiven for indulging in fits of excitement: Slot and the powers that be are investing in a team ready to challenge at the highest European level for many years to come.

However, more is needed in attacking areas if the Reds are to do it all over again next year and keep Mohamed Salah, who turns 33 this month, on his A-game.

How Liverpool can keep Mo Salah firing

Last season, Liverpool won the Carabao Cup and restored their place in the Champions League after a wretched 2022/23 campaign, but failed to secure the biggest prizes.

Salah promised the Liverpool faithful he would put that right, and delivered on his promise by winning the Premier League under Slot’s wing, winning the clean sweep of individual prizes in the process.

It was, all in all, a rather good campaign for the Egyptian King, but there’s no question he was overburdened with responsibility at times, dragging his profligate teammates across the finish line.

Salah no doubt misses the seamless synergy that Jurgen Klopp pieced together when creating one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever frontlines, Salah joined by Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane in turning Liverpool back into a superpower over so many years.

Mohamed Salah in 2024/25

Competition

Matches

Goals

Assists

Premier League

38

29

18

Champions League

9

3

4

Carabao Cup

5

2

1

Stats via Transfermarkt

Now, Liverpool must reward their legendary veteran with new partners in the final third who maintain clinical rates of scoring, of supplying. Whether Salah will secure teammates on the level of Firmino and Mane remains to be seen, but FSG are certainly acting with the intent of achieving just that.

Slot driving ambitious Liverpool deal

As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool are considering ‘a fresh approach’ for Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon this summer, who is valued at around £80m.

Contacts were established one year ago when Newcastle fretted over ways to circumvent PSR, having failed to qualify for Europe. Liverpool were drawn to the possibility of signing Gordon, but in the end, Eddie Howe’s side found alternative routes to go down.

Anthony Gordon

Now, though, it’s become clear that Anfield’s interest has remained intact, and while the former Everton star would not force his way out of St. James’ Park, a return to Merseyside to sign for his boyhood club would be a big temptation.

Why Anthony Gordon could replicate Mane at Liverpool

Liverpool released Gordon from their academy when he was only 11 years old, leaving him adrift until washing up at Goodison Park, where he made his name.

Anthony Gordon for Newcastle

Newcastle paid Everton a £45m fee to sign Gordon in January 2023, and this was before he made genuine headway. Now, it’s understandable that the Magpies would want to bank nearly double that figure, and if Diaz is sold, Liverpool might just be able to make it happen.

Hailed for his “unbelievable” 2023/24 campaign by teammate Bruno Guimaraes, Liverpool’s interest came after a campaign that saw Gordon post 28 goal contributions across all competitions, earning Newcastle’s Player of the Season.

Despite winning the Carabao Cup and restoring his club’s place in the Champions League, the current season hasn’t been so kind to the England international, with injuries and suspensions disrupting the second half of the term.

The 24-year-old remains one of the most talented wingers in the Premier League, though, having pronounced himself a “nightmare for anyone” he plays against.

With levels still to scale as he makes improvements, Gordon might just be Slot’s long-term solution on the left flank, maybe even becoming Liverpool’s new version of Sadio Mane, with blistering speed and a dynamic danger to his skill set.

Sadio Mane Liverpool graphic

Last August, pundit Jamie Carragher actually tipped the Three Lions man to serve as Mane’s heir over on Merseyside, claiming he could make a “frightening” impact.

A player of such physicality and athleticism with ostensibly sharper weaponry than Diaz could certainly make a positive impact, striking a stunning partnership with the evergreen Salah, who will remain at Liverpool for at least two more years.

And if Darwin Nunez is sold and replaced by Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, with Liverpool locked in battle with Chelsea for the French forward, Slot might even have his own version of Firmino to complete a deadly new strike-force.

How to define Bobby Firmino? The Brazil forward was the glue which held Klopp’s iconic front three together, effortlessly brilliant and commendably selfless.

Mane and Salah were the goal-getters, but Firmino made it all tick, and given that Ekitike would join Liverpool as an up-and-coming Bundesliga talent, the similarities are clear to see, as Firmino arrived from Hoffenheim a decade ago for £29m.

Ekitike, 22, is a good goalscorer, having scored 22 times for his club this term, but he’s also so much more. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 10% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues this season for assists and the top 6% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Such quality would give Gordon an inroad to a new level of goalscoring success, especially with Salah shaping into one of the game’s superlative wide playmakers in recent years.

Liverpool have enjoyed tremendous success in Slot’s newly-crafted system, but with such signings, they could reach even higher, giving Salah a new attacking partnership for the ages.

A new Mac Allister: Liverpool set sights on signing "dangerous" £35m star

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing a star who could be Alexis Mac Allister 2.0.

ByDan Emery Jun 1, 2025

100% duels lost: 4/10 Newcastle dud must never start for the club again

Heading into their contest at the Emirates Stadium, Newcastle United were still riding high off beating Chelsea 2-0 in the ongoing race to finish inside the Premier League’s Champions League spots.

However, the Magpies swiftly returned to reality after losing 1-0 to Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, meaning only point now separates Eddie Howe’s Toon from seventh placed Nottingham Forest. Unfortunately, only the top five are allowed a seat around Europe’s elite table.

Therefore, Newcastle will have to get back to winning ways at home to David Moyes’ Everton to cement a spot, with a number of underperformers very much at risk of being dropped from this crucial tie.

37

19

14

4

71

37

20

6

11

66

37

19

9

9

66

37

19

9

9

66

36

19

8

9

65

37

19

8

10

65

Newcastle's biggest underperformers vs Arsenal

Newcastle just didn’t enter into this contest away from home with the same clinical edge they showed against Enzo Maresca’s Blues, as wasteful finishing ruined their day throughout. In short, it was obvious they missed Alexander Isak who was ruled out through injury,

Come the end of the finely poised clash, Newcastle actually bettered the hosts in terms of shots, but Arsenal just displayed more self-control in crunch moments, particularly when Declan Rice’s latest stunner proved to be the difference-maker between the two teams.

The visitors just didn’t have this same composure in their locker, with Anthony Gordon a real letdown throughout in the attacking areas, leading to the ex-Everton winger finishing the game with no efforts attempted on David Raya’s net. On top of this, a misjudged dribble from the Liverpool-born attacker would culminate in Rice firing home.

Moreover, Harvey Barnes would only muster up 14 touches of the ball down the opposing left channel on a quiet day at the office from the former Leicester City man, whilst Jacob Murphy would also fail to provide a spark down the wings when failed to register an accurate cross.

But, the most anonymous body perhaps just started for the final time donning the famous black and white stripes.

4/10 dud must never start for Newcastle again

Newcastle were, of course, hindered on their travels by 27-goal machine Isak being injured, but Howe would have hoped those in reserve would step up to the mark in the Swede’s costly absence.

Instead, Callum Wilson really struggled leading the line for the Magpies throughout, resulting in the 33-year-old being hooked by his manager just after the hour mark.

Minutes played

64

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

17

Shots

0

Accurate passes

8/8 (100%)

Successful dribbles

0/2

Total duels won

0/7

It hasn’t exactly been a standout season for Wilson away from his struggles in North London – with only one goal coming the former AFC Bournemouth striker’s way – but even this dire showing on the big stage against Arteta’s men felt like a low, especially as his St. James’ Park future hangs in the balance.

Across his forgettable 64-minute stint, Wilson failed to register a single shot on the Arsenal goal, failed to complete a single dribble to test the Gunners defence and further failed to win a solitary duel from seven attempts.

Newcastle striker Callum Wilson

Just off this showing alone, Wilson is unlikely to be kept around past this season, particularly when there are promising young talents such as William Osula at Howe’s disposal in the striker department.

Osula came on in place of the 33-year-old veteran actually, and whilst he too didn’t test Raya, he did valiantly win two duels for the cause.

Therefore, the future may well lie with Osula now over persisting with a waning Wilson, with Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder equally displeased with the ageing forward’s performance when dishing out a low 4/10 rating his way.

Cursing his team’s careless finishing at the full-time whistle, Howe will pray he has Isak available again for the vital final day contest.

If he isn’t though, you would anticipate that Osula will be thrown into the deep-end, with Wilson now potentially exiting St James’ Park on a whimper.

Newcastle could sign "legendary" Isak replacement for £27m

Newcastle could lose Alexander Isak this summer amid interest from elsewhere.

ByRoss Kilvington May 18, 2025

Corinthians não aproveita expulsão, empata com o Argentinos Juniors e segue por um fio na Libertadores

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet vitoria: Vanderlei Luxemburgo segue sem vencer no comando do Corinthians. O Timão foi até o estádio Diego Armando Maradona e empatou com o Argentinos Juniors por 0 a 0, pela 4ª rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Libertadores. Paulinho saiu lesionado no primeiro tempo, e a equipe argentina jogou com um homem a menos nos últimos 20 minutos da partida em Buenos Aires.

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da spicy bet: + Jogador ex-Timão na seleção da Itália? Lembre brasileiros que defenderam ou podem defender outros países

Com o empate, o Timão chega aos quatro pontos no Grupo E, mesma pontuação do Liverpool-URU, mas segue na terceira posição pelo saldo de gols. Mais cedo, os uruguaios superaram o Independiente del Valle por 1 a 0. Dessa forma, os argentinos lideram com oito pontos, e o Del Valle ocupa o segundo lugar, com seis pontos.

+ ATUAÇÕES: Ataque faz jogo apagado e ‘luz’ do Corinthians na Libertadores começa a falhar

Os comandados de Vanderlei Luxemburgo voltam a campo na Libertadores no dia 7 de junho, em duelo de vida ou morte contra o Independiente del Valle, fora de casa. No domingo (28), a equipe alvinegra tenta sair da zona de rebaixamento do Brasileirão e recebe o Fluminense, na Neo Química Arena.

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+ Não perca nenhum lance do Timão na Liberta. Assine o Star+ por apenas R$40,90 por mês e torça onde quiser!

CRIA DO TERRÃO QUASE ABRE O PLACAR

Como esperado, o Argentinos Juniors teve o controle da posse de bola nos minutos iniciais, e o Corinthians repetiu a estratégia defensiva que aplicou nos últimos três jogos, com dificuldades para sair jogando do campo de defesa. A melhor chance do Timão veio aos 17 minutos, quando Murillo roubou a bola no ataque, Yuri Alberto rolou para Bruno Méndez, que cruzou na medida para o zagueiro, mas o Cria do Terrão, livre, chutou por cima do gol.

Aos 28 minutos, o Alvinegro teve uma péssima notícia. Paulinho dividiu bola com um atleta do El Bicho e imediatamente caiu no gramado com a mão no joelho esquerdo, pedindo substituição. Luxemburgo colocou Roni no lugar do camisa 15.

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QUASE UMA LAMBANÇA

O Argentinos Juniors cresceu com a saída de Paulinho e quase inaugurou o placar em um lance inusitado da defesa corintiana. Metilli invadiu a área pelo lado esquerdo e cruzou na área. Bidu tentou fazer o corte, mas pegou mal na bola e mandou contra a própria meta. Atento, Carlos Miguel evitou o gol.

SUFOCO ARGENTINO

O roteiro da partida seguiu o mesmo após o intervalo, com o Corinthians tendo dificuldades para sair do campo de defesa, e a equipe da casa rondando a área de Carlos Miguel e controlando as ações ofensivas, apostando em jogadas pelos lados. A primeira chance do Timão no segundo tempo veio aos 18 minutos. Bidu cruzou na área, mas Yuri Alberto testou por cima.

NA RUA!

Os ânimos das equipes esquentaram na parte final da partida, e o Argentinos Juniors ficou em desvantagem numérica aos 31 do segundo tempo. Nuss, que havia entrado minutos antes, acertou uma cotovelada em Roni. O árbitro havia dado cartão amarelo ao atleta argentino, mas mudou de ideia após ver o sangramento na cabeça do volante, e expulsou o atacante.

A expulsão deu uma injeção de ânimo no Timão, que tentou sem sucesso se lançar ao ataque em busca da vitória. Porém, a equipe de Luxemburgo não ameaçou o goleiro Arias. Mesmo com um homem a menos, os mandantes chegaram com perigo. Metilli disputou com a zaga e ajeitou para Heredia, que cabeceou batendo. A bola desviou e passou ao lado da meta de Carlos Miguel.

+ Timão vivo na Libertadores? Veja os resultados e como ficou o grupo do Corinthians após a rodada

ARGENTINOS JUNIORS 0 X 0 CORINTHIANS

Local:Estádio Diego Armando Maradona, em Buenos Aires, na Argentina
Data e hora:24 de maio de 2023, quarta-feira, às 21h30
Árbitro:Carlos Ortega (COL)
Assistentes:Alexandre Guzman (COL)eMiguel Roldan (COL)
VAR:Jose Cabero (COL)
Cartões amarelos:Roni, Murillo (COR)
Cartões vermelhos:- Nuss (ARG)
Público/Renda:Não informado
Gols:-

ARGENTINOS JUNIORS:Martín Arias; Leonel González, Mac Allister, Torren e Montiel; Moyano, Fabrício Domínguez (Heredia, 10/2ºT), Cabrera, Álan Rodriguez e Metilli; Verón (Nuss, 21/2ºT).Técnico:Gabriel Milito.

CORINTHIANS:Carlos Miguel; Bruno Méndez, Gil, Murillo e Matheus Bidu (Fábio Santos, 45/2ºT); Paulinho (Roni, 28/1ºT), Fausto Vera e Maycon (Romero, 28/2ºT); Adson (Wesley, 45/2ºT), Yuri Alberto e Róger Guedes.Técnico:Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

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