Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly leading the race to sign Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres – who is likely to leave for around €70 million.
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Kyle Mayers’ 73 went in vain for West Indies, with Rohit Sharma’s back injury a matter of concern for the visitors
Sidharth Monga02-Aug-20223:18
Hardik Pandya – ‘When I bowl it gives a lot of balance to the side’
Suryakumar Yadav put on a workshop on how to hit hard lengths after Hardik Pandya and R Ashwin helped India keep West Indies down to 164 in their 20 overs. Riding on Suryakumar’s 76 off 44 balls, India got to their target and a 2-1 lead in the five-match series with an over to spare.The only matter of concern for India was the fitness of their captain Rohit Sharma, who retired hurt with a suspected back spasm when batting.Put in on a bouncy track that was hosting its second match in two days, West Indies got off to a quick start in the powerplay, but Pandya and Ashwin dragged them back with their changes of pace. Between them, they conceded just 45 in eight overs.While Kyle Mayers scored a 50-ball 73, run-a-ball 20s from Brandon King and Nicholas Pooran hurt West Indies’ momentum. Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell helped them get 80 off the last seven but it wasn’t enough to trouble Suryakumar.Right from the first ball he faced, Suryakumar looked in imperious touch, squeezing out a near-yorker for four through cover. He followed it with scarcely believable shots to perfectly acceptable balls bowled on hard lengths.Five of his 12 boundaries came behind square on the off side, and one behind square on the leg side, but his best shot was an aerial inside-out drive to a short-of-a-length ball on middle stump, getting a six over wide long-off. It was but one of an exhibition put on by Suryakumar, who at one point threatened to score a century in a small chase.By the time he was done, India needed just 30 off 33 balls.Mayers signals intent
India snuck in a quiet over from Deepak Hooda with the new ball, but Mayers got stuck into any pace on offer, especially that of Avesh Khan. If he went over the leg side against Avesh, he made room to slice open the covers when Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled. Arshdeep Singh did well in the final powerplay over, but Mayers and King punished two slight errors of length from Ashwin in the seventh over to make it 56 for 0.1:02
Kyle Mayers – ‘India assessed the conditions better than us’
Pandya, Ashwin choke the middle overs
Pandya, who had been pulled for a six in his first over, got a change of ends, which meant Mayers was hitting into a stiff wind if he pulled. Extra bounce, hard lengths and changes of pace followed in the next three overs, which went for just 11 runs, and also brought the wicket of King, who played on when slogging at Pandya.Ashwin had two left-hand batters in sight, and he stifled them with his guile and variations on a pitch with little turn. Mayers and Pooran managed to hit a four and a six in his remaining three overs, but had to take big risks. By the time the duo was done, West Indies had reached just 84 in 13 overs.Honours even in final exchanges
West Indies managed to successfully target Avesh in the final exchanges, but Arshdeep and Bhuvneshwar kept pulling them back, denying them the finishing kick they badly needed after that middle-overs slowdown. Mayers and Rovman Powell played some incredible shots to get them the 80 runs they did in these seven overs, but they were about to pale in comparison.The Suryakumar show
The first ball Suryakumar – opening for the third time this series – faced was a low full-toss with not much room, but he squeezed it out for a four through the covers. He was just warming up those whippy wrists of his. In the fourth over, he played a mix of a ramp and a drive to send Azlarri Joseph for a six over third.India took 56 off the powerplay, which is when West Indies would have hoped to have brought on a slowdown like the one they experienced.However, Suryakumar took Jason Holder on in the eighth over, and then punished Joseph for no fault of his in the tenth. The drive off a short-of-a-length delivery for six over wide long-off was followed by a ramp from around leg stump, with Suryakumar almost on his back as he arched back to make room. It was the halfway mark, and India needed just another 69.Before he signed off, Suryakumar played another outrageous shot, a sweep off left-arm seamer Dominic Drakes from wide outside off and over short fine. When he tried a repeat, Suryakumar fell, leaving India just 30 to get in 33 balls, which they did comfortably thanks to Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 33 off 26 deliveries.
A 2-0 defeat last time out at Old Trafford ensured that Manchester United have now suffered four defeats in a row in all competitions, with manager Ruben Amorim likely thankful that the scoreline was not even more damning, following a first-half mauling at the hands of Newcastle United.
Indeed, it could be said that the Magpies somewhat let United off the hook in that breathless opening 30 minutes or so, with Alexander Isak dinking the ball into the grateful arms of Andre Onana when tearing in on goal, while a resurgent Sandro Tonali also somehow struck the post from close range.
Whether it was intentional or not, the visitors failed to truly stick the knife in amid their early dominance, although, with a trip to face Liverpool away at Anfield now next in store, the Merseysiders are unlikely to be so forgiving. That 7-0 hammering still lingers in the recent past.
On a positive note for Amorim, the Portuguese coach will be able to welcome back both Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes from suspension for the clash with Arne Slot’s side, ensuring there will be a much-needed midfield shake-up following the limp showing of the Casemiro and Christian Eriksen axis on Monday evening.
A team news update from the ex-Sporting CP boss also revealed that Marcus Rashford – who was back on the bench against Newcastle – is set to be absent from the matchday squad once again due to illness, with the 39-year-old left to ponder how he can reinvigorate an attacking unit that has now failed to score in three successive Premier League games.
With Fernandes now back and available, however, an easy solution could be for the influential skipper to come back into the side in place of Joshua Zirkzee, with the Dutchman having been the early victim of the away side’s rampant onslaught earlier this week.
The jeers and boss that rang out upon Zirkzee’s withdrawal on the half-hour mark will have left a bad taste in the mouth for some, with journalist Tyrone Marshall observing that the moment felt “pretty brutal” for United’s beleaguered summer signing.
As Gary Neville also noted on co-commentary for Sky Sports, it was hard not to “feel sorry” for the 23-year-old, with the £36.5m addition certainly not solely to blame for the club’s woes both against Newcastle and this season as a whole.
That being said, the manner of the former Bologna man’s performance – which ended abruptly following Kobbie Mainoo’s much-needed introduction – was frankly inexcusable, with the forward looking so at odds with the relentless nature of the opposition.
The 6 foot 4 enigma had been afforded the chance to impress in what looked to be an ideal position behind Hojlund in one of the two number ten berths – having admitted himself that he is more of a ‘nine and a half’ than an orthodox striker – although the limp nature of his display was stark, as he lost the ball seven times from just 15 touches and completed only three accurate passes.
There have been bright moments for Zirkzee this season, including his debut winner against Fulham and his clinical brace against Everton, but such outings have been more of an outlier than the norm, with Monday’s showing far more like what supporters and Amorim have come to expect.
|
Zirkzee stats vs Newcastle |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
Record |
|
Minutes played |
33 |
|
Touches |
15 |
|
Pass accuracy |
3/9 (33%) |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Shots |
0 |
|
Possession lost |
7x |
|
Dribbles completed |
0 |
|
Duels won |
3/3 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
With just four goals to his name in 2024/25 thus far, the decision to fork out for a ‘striker’ who had only netted 11 league goals last season in Italy looks like a “spectacularly ill-judged” one, according to writer Sam Pilger, with it no surprise that rumours are already swirling regarding a swift return to Serie A.
Not that all the blame can be put solely at Zirkzee’s door, amid the club’s collective shortcomings, with teammate Lisandro Martinez another of those who deserves to be ousted from the side for the clash with Slot’s men.
Having overcome defeats to Brighton and Brentford at the start of 2022/23, Martinez was at the forefront of what was an encouraging first season at the club for both himself and manager Erik ten Hag, with the Argentine lauded as one of United’s “best signings… for years” by Patrice Evra.
Fast forward to the present day, however, and the diminutive left-footer – who only featured 14 times last term due to injury – has now put in a string of error-strewn displays at the back, having been branded “awful” of late by pundit Jamie Carragher.
As the ex-Liverpool hero also noted amid the loss to the Tynesiders, the World Cup winner has “been caught out more in a back three than he was in a (back) four”, with that coming despite a sense prior to Amorim’s arrival that he looked “perfect for a left centre-back [role] in a three”, in the words of Neville.
In truth, there are almost too many mistakes to count in recent times, with the former Ajax man particularly culpable for Isak’s opener at Old Trafford, having simply watched on as the towering Swede headed home from Lewis Hall’s cross.
Equally, who can forget Martinez’s tame clearance in the build-up to Dejan Kulusevski’s strike in the 4-3 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup, while he also failed to deal with Chris Wood’s looping header in the loss to Nottingham Forest – a game in which he was also far too easily out jumped by Nikola Milenkovic.
With Liverpool now to come, the 26-year-old – who was turned inside and out by Mohamed Salah in the 7-0 drubbing in March 2023 – could well need to be dropped to the bench, with such individual errors costing Amorim dearly at present.
It would be a bold call considering Martinez captained the side against Eddie Howe’s men in the absence of Fernandes, before being withdrawn late on, but the time may be now for Leny Yoro to earn a recall, with the Frenchman having, ironically, been a serious target for Liverpool over the summer.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Much like with the case of Zirkzee, Martinez isn’t solely at fault for United’s woes, but with form needing to be found quickly, not even senior figures like himself should be safe from the axe.
As Amorim has repeatedly insisted, his idea and his plan are not going to change, it is the players who need to quickly adapt, or risk being left behind.
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1
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Dec 29, 2024
In a rare show of emotion, Kraigg Brathwaite slammed the bat on the pitch after getting out for 94. The Khaled Ahmed delivery had surprised him by keeping low as it hit him on the pads Jermaine Blackwood tried to convince him to take the review but Brathwaite knew what had happened. Replays confirmed that it would hit the leg-stump.Captaincy has brought the best out of Brathwaite, who has led West Indies to two impressive series wins in the last 18 months, and has now put his team ahead in the ongoing Antigua Test against Bangladesh as well. “I always enjoy captaining,” he said. “I like the challenge. I like to lead from the front. I am really enjoying it. I want to continue to lead to the best of my ability.”His captaincy is reflected within his batting. He is an accumulator, and takes his time to score runs. On Friday too, Brathwaite batted responsibly, not allowing the impressive Bangladesh pace attack to make any in-roads. He left most of what was bowled to him, scoring off deliveries pitched on the stumps. He made 61 of his 94 runs on the on-side, proving a batter’s discipline does indeed force bowlers into making mistakes.Related
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Brathwaite was candid about his displeasure at getting out six runs short of a well-deserved Test hundred, though it was a crucial innings on a two-paced track that pushed West Indies to a lead of 162.”When I started the innings, the pitch was a bit slow,” he said. “It got a little harder this morning but still it was on the slow side. But I think it was a decent pitch to bat on. I am obviously disappointed but I am happy that the team has an important lead. I was pleased (with the 94) but the most important thing was to build on a foundation for my team. I was happy with the time I spent. Obviously well done to the team for getting a lead.”Brathwaite added 62 and 63 for the third and fourth wicket with Nkrumah Bonner and Blackwood respectively, partnerships although not too big, were crucial in the context of the game.”The partnerships were really important. I think the Bangladesh bowlers did really well. Even the spinners held their line really well. The pitch was a little slow but it still had something for the pacers off the surface. I think those were crucial partnerships. I thought we did a good job to get a lead.”Bangladesh are 50 for 2 in the second innings, trailing by 112 runs and Brathwaite knows that his team faces a decisive period of play on the third day. “We lost some wickets in a cluster which wasn’t good but that can happen,” he said. The pitch doesn’t have as much moisture as it did on the first day. It is important that we start well (on Saturday).”The first hour is crucial. We have to keep it tight even if we don’t get wickets. Once we build pressure, that’s how we will take wickets. I don’t think we can run them over. We have to bowl well.”
No animosity with former captain Root after memorable dismissal in Roses match
Andrew Miller17-May-2022Leaving aside the odd season of injury comebacks, it’s been 15 extraordinary years since James Anderson last went into a home summer as anything other than England’s attack leader. You have to go way back to the India series in 2007, when his second Test five-for at Lord’s hinted at the bowler he was about to come, for the last time Anderson was genuinely out to prove his worth, rather than cement the credentials he had already established.And so it was an oddly cagey Anderson who faced the media in Leicester on Monday, at the behest of the Test sponsors LV= Insurance, but before he’d had any cast-iron assurances that his name will be back in the frame for another Lord’s appearance, when the squad for the first Test against New Zealand is announced on Wednesday.”Until that squad’s picked I’m not counting on anything,” he said. “My job’s to try and prove that I’m in good form, take wickets for Lancashire and help them win games. That’s all I’m bothered about, and then we’ll see what happens whenever the team is announced.”Chicken-counting aside, however, Anderson’s return for his 170th Test appearance, and 96th on home soil, is a given. Not only has he proven his form and fitness on the county circuit – including with the eye-catching dismissal of his former England captain, Joe Root, in last week’s Roses clash – he and his long-term sidekick Stuart Broad are just about the only capped England seamers available to Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum as they prepare to begin their captain-coach alliance in a fortnight’s time.Saqib Mahmood and Matt Fisher, both of whom debuted in Anderson’s and Broad’s absence in the Caribbean, have succumbed to stress fractures, the same complaint that Sam Curran is currently returning from, while Craig Overton and Chris Woakes – who shared the new ball in Antigua in March – are labouring with knee injuries. Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are coming back from elbow operations, and Ollie Robinson – the man who ought to be in possession – has been a fitness concern since struggling through the Hobart Test in January.Anderson and Broad, on the other hand, just keep rumbling on. “I don’t know, it’s just luck I guess,” he said of their longevity. “We still love playing, we’re really hungry to take wickets, and still love that feeling you get from it. I’ve spoken to Stuart a lot over the last few months, we still feel like we’ve got a lot to give the game, whether it’s for Notts or Lancashire, or for England.”Nevertheless, Anderson admitted that, with his 40th birthday approaching in July, his omission for the West Indies tour had caused him to reassess his priorities as he enters his 20th season as an international cricketer.”I definitely questioned it, yeah,” he said. “I talked it through with my family as well, and they saw it as I did, that I feel like I’ve got more to give to the game. The longer time went on, the more I was with the Lancs lads doing pre-season training. I was still doing the gym work, and I wasn’t bored of it. I wanted to be there doing it, irrelevant of what was going to happen in the summer.”If I play the whole season for Lancashire, then great. If I get a Test call-up then brilliant, but at the minute I’m really enjoying playing cricket. It did come into question, I guess – do I want to do I want to carry on? But in my head, I quickly decided I did want to see what happened this year.”James Anderson attended a #Funds4Runs community initiative in Leicester•LV= Insurance/#Funds4Runs
And if there were any residual doubts, then they were emphatically quashed by the 11th and most recent of his first-class wickets this season – the uprooting of Root’s off and middle stumps at Headingley on Sunday, as Anderson’s typically frugal figures of 15-7-17-2 briefly set Lancashire up for a final-day victory push against Yorkshire.”I did enjoy that one, it was nice to get a player of Joe’s quality out,” Anderson said. And it was doubtless all the sweeter given that Root had still been England captain for the Caribbean tour, and therefore was at least complicit in Anderson’s controversial omission.Did he say anything to Root when he got him out? “Absolutely not, no. Didn’t need to. Just pick the two stumps off the ground,” Anderson said. “We do talk. We’ve not fallen out or anything. Yeah, we chatted. I spoke to him before he announced that he was stepping down. There’s still a huge amount of respect between the two of us so there’s no animosity.”The biggest thing for me [on Sunday] was that we were pushing for a win,” Anderson added. “Obviously he got 140 in the first innings; we know how good a player he is. A few of our guys were seeing him up close for the first time and realising how good a player he is; they all commented on it. It was fruitless in the end, but we were pushing hard for that win, and he was the best player so it was nice to get the best player.”Three months after the event, Anderson says he hasn’t had a full explanation for his omission from the Test squad, and still doesn’t know whether there was a perceived issue with his attitude in Australia, where his eight wickets at 23.37 couldn’t prevent a 4-0 series loss. However, with his focus now back on adding to his England-record tally of 640 wickets, his thoughts are firmly fixed on the coming summer, as he hopes to help the new team hierarchy pick the performances up after a torrid 12 months.Related
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“It’s gone now. It’s history. I’m not bothered about what’s gone in the past,” he said. “All I can control is what I do in the future. I’ve got to try to prove that I’m still good enough to play international cricket and keep my fingers crossed that the selectors and the captain think so as well.”I don’t think from a performance point of view my confidence would have taken a knock. I felt like I bowled well in Australia and since I’ve been bowling back in England I’ve felt like I’m in good shape and bowling well. So from that point of view I feel like I know what I’m doing and I don’t think that will change, really.”I guess you do start questioning other things when that sort of thing happens – is it something I’ve done around the group or whatever else? I guess that’s the one thing that you start thinking about. But when it comes to cricket I’m pretty confident that I’m doing okay.”Anderson will be reassured too by the vote of confidence he received from Stokes after his accession to the Test captaincy, and is ready to return the compliment after seeing glimpses of his leadership style during the Ashes campaign.”He’s a natural leader and the lads all look up to him in the dressing-room,” Anderson said. “When he’s had the opportunity to be captain… I think there was maybe an hour in Australia, and you could see he’s got a real good tactical brain on him. He’s the hardest trainer in the group and sets the example of how to be an international cricketer.”We’re at quite a low point at the minute as a Test side. Where we are in the Test championship, we’re going to have to do something serious to be able to turn it around and get back up towards where we want to be, towards the top. I don’t think that necessarily happens overnight. But with Brendon and Ben, we’re never going to take a backward step. It could be a really exciting time for English cricket.”James Anderson and other England cricketers surprised Leicester Electricity Sports Cricket Club during an inter-squad friendly game organised by Test partners LV= Insurance. The club will receive support to train a new coach and relaunch their women’s team as part of LV= and the ECB’s commitment to support 4000 coaches through their #Funds4Runs community initiative. Visit Funds4Runs for more information
MatériaMais Notícias
O Palmeiras está na grande final do Campeonato Paulista pelo terceiro ano consecutivo.
Atual vice-campeão, o Verdão venceu o Red Bull Bragantino por 2 a 1, no Allianz Parque, neste sábado (26), com gols de Murilo e Rony – Léo Realpe anotou o tento do Massa Bruta – e garantiu a vaga na decisão do estadual.
Agora, a equipe palmeirense aguarda o seu adversário na final, que sairá do confronto entre São Paulo e Corinthians, neste domingo (27), às 16h, no estádio do Morumbi.
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> TABELA – Confira a tabela da reta final do Paulistão
> GALERIA -Veja quanto o Palmeiras faturou em premiação com Abel Ferreira
GOL RELÂMPAGO DO PALMEIRAS (DE NOVO)
Assim como foi nas quartas de final, contra o Ituano, o Palmeiras abriu o placar logo na sua primeira investida ao ataque, e novamente em um lance que nasceu em cobrança de escanteio de Gustavo Scarpa, pelo lado direito, Gustavo Gómez, posicionado no segundo pau, ajeito de cabeça para Murilo chapar a bola para o fundo do gol e marcar o seu terceiro gol em três meses de Verdão.
BRAGANTINO TENTA A RESPOSTA RÁPIDA
Assim que sofreu o gol, o Red Bull Bragantino foi para cima tentar o empate rapidamente, mas parou em uma boa intervenção do goleiro Marcelo Lomba, que substituiu mais uma vez o titular Weverton, que serve a Seleção Brasileira. A jogada do Massa Bruta começou com Helinho, pela direita, que deu ótimo passe para Hyoran, ex-jogador do Verdão, finalizar para a defesa do arqueiro palmeirense.
PALMEIRAS FAZ O SEGUNDO, MAS ANULADO
O camisa 7 recebeu pelo passe em profundidade, mas estava ligeiramente à frente do penúltimo jogador do Massa Bruto. O atacante saiu na cara do gol e rolou para Scarpa, que estava atrás da linha da bola e empurrou para o gol vazio.
Só após a bola cruzar a linha fatal que o assistente Luiz Alberto Andrini Nogueira levantou a bandeira e assinalou o impedimento, confirmado em consulta à arbitragem de vídeo.
BRAGANTINO EMPATA NA SEQUÊNCIA
Se o gol do Palmeiras que valeu teve uma resposta rápida do Red Bull Bragantino que quase resultou em gol, o empate do Touro foi quatro minutos após o tento palmeirense que não valeu.
E, assim como foi o gol do Verdão, originado em bola parada e marcado por zagueiro com assistência do outro beque, o Massa Bruta marcou o seu gol, em cobrança de falta cobrada por Helinho e desviada por Léo Ortiz para Léo Realpe cabecear no canto direito de Lomba, que foi na bola mas não alcançou.
RONY, O FALSO FALSO NOVE?
Sem um centroavante de peso, que é esperado pela comissão técnica desde o início da temporada, Rony foi mais uma vez o homem de área do Verdão, como ‘falso nove’.
E o cacoete de centroavante faltou ao camisa 10 aos 27 minutos do segundo tempo, quando Marcos Rocha lançou Dudu em profundidade, o ídolo palmeirense invadiu a área com liberdade, fez o cruzamento rasteiro e Rony, mesmo dando carrinho, não alcançou a bola por milímetros.
Gustavo Scarpa, que fechava na sequência, também tentou marcar, mas finalizou na rede pelo lado de fora.
RONY, O VERDADEIRO FALSO NOVE!
Antes, o jogador havia recebido cartão amarelo por tentar marcar de bicicleta e atingir a cabeça do lateral Aderlan, do Braga.
No lance seguinte, Dudu errou um passe para Zé Rafael, e a bola teve que voltar para a defesa.
O zagueiro Murilo, então, deu uma de armador e lançou Dudu, que deu ótimo passe para Raphael Veiga invadir a área pelo lado direito, bater cruzado e ver Rony completar na pequena área.
OUTRO GOL DO PALMEIRAS ANULADO
Aos 42 minutos ainda da primeira etapa, o Palmeiras chegou a marcar novamente, mas pela segunda vez na partida o gol foi anulado.
Gustavo Scarpa bateu falta pela direita levantando para o meio da área, Gustavo Gómez subiu mais alto que todo mundo e cabeceou para o gol, mas estava à frente do penúltimo defensor do Bragantino e o lance foi anulado.
BRAGANTINO VOLTA APERTANDO O PALMEIRAS
Precisando do resultado, o Red Bull Bragantino voltou para a etapa final indo para cima do Verdão.
Primeiro, aos seis minutos do segundo tempo, Aderlan cruzou para Ytalo que por pouco não chegou para empatar o jogo para o Massa Bruta.
Dez minutos depois, Helinho finalizou tirando tinta do gol de Marcelo Lomba.
PALMEIRAS RESPONDE EM TRANSIÇÃO
Como já e de costume em alguns jogos, o Palmeiras reforçou o seu esquema defensivo quando viu o Bragantino crescer, e passou a criar as suas chances de gol em momentos de transição rápida para o ataque.
Um minuto após o lance de Helinho, Scarpa desviou de cabeça e Rony, em velocidade, invadiu a área para chutar para fora.
LOMBA SE DESTACA
O Bragantino seguiu subindo as suas linhas contra o Palmeiras no segundo tempo, e criou ótimas chances de empate, com Hyoran finalizando com perigo e mandando para fora, e principalmente parando em boas defesas de Marcelo Lomba.
O goleiro palmeirense fez pelo menos duas grandes defesas que garantiram o placar favorável ao Palmeiras.
NA TRAVE!
Aos 45 minutos do segundo tempo, o Palmeiras teve a sua melhor chance de matar o jogo, com Wesley, que recebeu passe vindo da esquerda na entrada da pequena área, mas finalizou na trave do goleiro Cleiton.
FICHA TÉCNICA
PALMEIRAS 2 X 1 RED BULL BRAGANTINO
Local: Allianz Parque, São Paulo (SP)
Data e hora: 26 de março 2022, às 18h30
Árbitro:Luiz Flavio de Oliveira
Assistentes:Luiz Alberto Andrini Nogueira eEvandro de Melo Lima
Árbitro de vídeo:Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral
Público e renda: 37.618 pessoas /R$ 2.209.638,14
Cartões amarelos:Rony, Zé Rafael e Murilo (Palmeiras); Jadsom, Helinho, Aderlan e Léo Realpe (Red Bull Bragantino);
Cartões vermelhos:
GOLS: 1-0 Murilo (2’/1T); 1-1 Léo Realpe (18’1T); 2-1 Rony (39’1T)
PALMEIRAS: Marcelo Lomba; Marcos Rocha, Gustavo Gómez e Piquerez; Jailson, Zé Raphael e Raphel Veiga; Dudu (Mayke, 49’/2T), Rony (38’/2T)e Gustavo Scarpa (Wesley, 32’/2T).Técnico: Abel Ferreira
RED BULL BRAGANTINO:Cleiton; Aderlan, Léo Realpe (Lucas Evangelista, 28’/2T), Léo Ortiz e Luan Cândido; Jadsom (Praxedes, 28’/2T), Eric Ramires e Hyoran; Helinho (Guilherme, 41’/2T), Ytalo (Sorriso, 11’/2T) e Bruno Tubarão (Carlos Eduardo, 11’/2T).Técnico: Maurício Barbieri
It was yet another dismal display from the floundering Tottenham Hotspur last night.
Ange Postecoglou’s side took on an inform Bournemouth team at the Vitality Stadium, and despite dismantling Manchester City less than two weeks ago, were played off the park.
It was the North Londoners’ sixth Premier League defeat of the season and the third game in a row in which they’ve dropped points, following shambolic showings against AS Roma and Fulham last week.
Premier League
Bournemouth (A)
1-0 (L)
Premier League
Fulham (H)
1-1 (D)
Europa League
AS Roma (H)
2-2 (D)
Premier League
Man City (A)
4-0 (W)
Premier League
Ipswich (H)
2-1 (L)
It’s impossible to pinpoint the worst performer of the lot for Spurs, but last night showed that Postecoglou must drop one of the club’s biggest stars.
Spurs poor performers
So, before we get to the player in question, let’s examine a few of the other players who stood out for all the wrong reasons, starting with someone who’s becoming a bit of a scapegoat this season, Radu Draguisn.
Now, it should be said that the Romanian wasn’t solely responsible for the defeat, but he did lose Dean Huijsen on the corner he scored from, which was more than enough to justify the paltry 5/10 match rating he received from Spurs writer Alasdair Gold.
Out on the wings, it was a night to forget for both Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson, as the former’s only notable contribution to the game was a tame shot straight at the keeper in the first half, while the latter made no meaningful contribution at all.
Unsurprisingly, neither one impressed Gold very much, who gave the Swedish international a 4/10 and the Welshman an even more damning 3/10 on the night.
Lastly, it was not the return Dominic Solanke would have been dreaming of, as the former Cherries ace was practically anonymous for the vast majority of the game, and on the rare occasion he did find himself in a dangerous area with the ball at his feet, he made the wrong decision or simply blasted the ball miles over, as he did in the first half.
However, there was another of the team’s stars who put in a dreadful display last night, a star who must be dropped for some time.
The Spurs star who must be dropped
So, with most of his teammates already covered, we come to James Maddison, who looked a million miles away from the superstar player who tore City asunder last month.
Instead of spearheading attacks, putting the ball in the back of the net and striking fear into the opposition defenders, the £40m man looked lost at sea, desperately trying to make something happen in one moment and then fading out of the game in another, and his statistics from the game do not help his cause at all.
For example, in his 80 minutes of action, if you can even call them that, the former Leicester City ace amassed an expected assists figure of just 0.22, failed to take a single shot on target, misplaced four of five crosses, made just 39 accurate passes, failed in 100% of his dribbles, missed one big chance, lost the ball a staggering 17 times and committed one foul.
Minutes
80′
Expected Assists
0.22
Assists
0
Shots on Target
0
Crosses (Accurate)
5 (1)
Passing Accuracy
39/47 (83%)
Dribbles (Successful)
3 (0)
Big Chances Missed
1
Lost Possession
17
Fouls
1
Unsurprisingly, Gold was suitably unimpressed with what he saw and gave Englishman a 4/10 at full-time, writing that it was ‘another game lacking in impact’ from the 28-year-old and that he simply ‘didn’t contribute much,’ which is a pretty damming appraisal.
Nobody can doubt the “incredible” midfielder’s ability, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, but his consistency remains a problem, as following the masterclass at the Etihad he has failed to score or assist a goal in his last three games and considering the level of opposition, that’s just not good enough.
Therefore, while Maddison will likely have a significant role to play for Spurs this season, he should be dropped from the starting lineup for some time, as he has not been good enough lately.
Worse than Solanke: Tottenham star who lost the ball 13x dropped a 3/10
It was a night to forget for the talented international.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 6, 2024
Newcastle United’s three-match winning run in all competitions came to an end when West Ham United handed them a reality check at St. James’ Park in the Premier League.
The 2-0 scoreline was largely deserved by the revived Hammers, who did benefit from the home side’s profligacy. Julen Lopetegui has shouldered some weighty pressure in recent weeks and a Magpies victory could have been damning for the Spanish tactician.
Alas, Newcastle sit in tenth but remain just four points off Arsenal in the top four, with top-flight fixtures against Crystal Palace and Liverpool now forthcoming.
However, the missed chance to go within two points of second-placed Manchester City will rankle some. Optimism and anticipation spread like the fever on Tyneside, but prove to be equally noxious when such belief fails to be matched on the field.
Heading into the fixture, Dan Burn was sidelined after accumulating five yellow cards. His hulking presence was sorely missed.
Newcastle struggle without Dan Burn
Burn has been an utter stalwart for Howe’s Newcastle, signed as he was from Brighton & Hove Albion for a £13m fee back in January 2022.
One of the harbingers of the exciting new era, and frustrating in his absence on Monday evening, for the stability and steel that the 32-year-old brings has been indispensable for Howe’s side this season, especially as Sven Botman continues to work toward the end of his rehabilitation.
This season, the 6 foot 6 giant had played every Premier League minute before his suspension, completing 90% of his passes, winning 60% of his duels and averaging 4.4 clearances per game, as per Sofascore.
In his stead, Lloyd Kelly struggled to perform. Post match, the Chronicle Live branded him with a 5/10 match rating and wrote:
‘Switched off for the opener and did not take what was a big opportunity. Dan Burn will walk straight back into the team after his ban.’
Kelly wasn’t awful, but the difference was noticeable. He failed to complete each of his five attempted long balls and did little for the fluency of the home team.
After scoring big Premier League victories over Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, and having knocked Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup before that, Newcastle have been knocked down a peg and served a slice of reality. There is much to work on.
One thing that seems certain is that Sean Longstaff is perhaps not performing to the level that would reinforce Howe’s decision to continually start him in the middle of the park. Failing to impress against the Hammers, the homegrown talent might need to be dropped for the upcoming winter matches.
Why Howe must brutally ditch Sean Longstaff
West Ham won 60% of the duels at St. James’ Park on Monday evening, something that contributed toward the brusing defeat. Against Arsenal in the previous Tyneside clash, Newcastle won 57% of the duels – therein lies the problem.
0
2
18 (2)
15 (6)
2
0
52.4%
47.6%
8
3
21 (62%)
27 (74%)
40%
60%
Longstaff was emblematic of this struggle, flimsy and ineffective in his central midfield deployment. He lost four of his six contested ground duels and failed to complete his only attempted dribble, suggesting that he lacked the requisite progression to propel the hosts forward too.
Moreover, Longstaff failed to complete a single key pass despite leaving the field with a 91% pass success rate. What does that tell us? Well, considering that his 32 touches were less than that of Nick Pope (35), it would appear that the 27-year-old failed to assert himself and take control of proceedings.
Make no mistake, he wasn’t the only Magpie to toil. Bruno Guimaraes had an uncharacteristically shoddy evening, while Joe Willock was withdrawn at the break after picking up a knock. His performance, in fairness, appeared to have been hampered by this issue.
Longstaff suffered no such misfortune, though still failed to impress and was rightly taken off before the hour mark, handed a 5/10 score and lambasted for losing ‘possession a couple of times with ruthless Howe taking him off before the hour mark for Sandro Tonali.’
Also bemoaned for ball watching as West Ham scythed through black and white defences and Aaron Wan-Bissaka scored his third Premier League goal (two of which, believe it or not, have now been posted at St. James’ Park), Longstaff cannot retain his starting berth next weekend.
The trip to Selhurst Park is starting to look rather important and three points must be clinched, lest the bulk of the congested European-place-challenging pack pull away.
Tonali didn’t make that much of an impact when brought on but his silky passing and superior duel success – the Italian yields a 56% success rate across the campaign so far – bespeak his suitability. It’s time for Howe to ring the change.
Lewis Miley, 18, will be hoping to make an impact once again as he nears a return from injury, and while Joelinton’s dynamism has seen him operate in frontal positions of late, his robustness makes for a meaty midfield partnership with compatriot Guimaraes.
Unfortunately, for all Longstaff’s industriousness, he was lacking in quality and conviction against West Ham, and it might be time to demote him to the bench against Crystal Palace, with victory so important – especially since Liverpool trip to Tyneside in the next match.
It’s a setback, but Newcastle have displayed their powers of recovery before and will be determined to bounce back and fight toward continental qualification. Longstaff, however, must be dropped to steady the ship.
80% duels lost: Newcastle must boldly drop 4/10 ace who's badly "regressed"
Howe’s Newcastle side were defeated at St. James’ Park by struggling West Ham.
ByAngus Sinclair Nov 26, 2024
Back in July, if Liverpool fans were asked to dream up their perfect start under Arne Slot, many might not have aimed as high as the squad has reached at the November international break.
Five points clear at the summit of the Premier League with first place in the newly-formatted Champions League group phase too, life is good on the red half of Merseyside.
Saying that, Liverpool won’t win a prize for hitting lofty heights before Christmas; the trophies will present themselves later down the line, and there’s plenty of football to play in the interim.
But there’s no denying that the Anfield side have been immense. Slot inherited a top-class team, but he’s willed it into his own design. There’s so much to praise, but the new level of security in the defensive third is a thing to be admired.
Liverpool's much-improved defence
Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles. Yada yada, tell that to the Champions League winners of ’05. Even so, there’s more than a ring of truth to the adage, and Slot seems like he recognises the value.
Jurgen Klopp, for all his brilliance, perhaps implemented a heavy-metal system that precluded true defensive authority, what with the lightning-fast breaks and urgency to plough forward and swiftly overwhelm.
Now, first-placed Liverpool are fittingly redoubtable in defence, Virgil van Dijk playing some of his best, most commanding football alongside the monstrous Ibrahima Konate.
Premier League’s Tighest Defences 2024/25
Rank
Club
Position
Clean Sheets
Goals conceded
1.
Liverpool
1st
6
6
2.
Nott’m Forest
5th
4
10
3.
Newcastle
8th
3
11
4.
Arsenal
4th
3
12
4=
Man United
13th
5
12
Sourced via BBC Sport
It’s especially impressive that Alisson Becker has been out injured for much of the campaign, missing five top-flight fixtures already. Luckily, Caoimhin Kelleher is “the best no.2 in the world”, as Klopp once said.
It’s for that reason, however, that Kelleher is determined to leave Liverpool next summer in search of a first-choice spot of his own. Prudently, the club have already signed his replacement: Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Why Liverpool signed Giorgi Mamardashvili
Mamardashvili swivelled more than a few heads this summer as he performed brilliantly for Euro 2024 surprise package Georgia, awarded the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper award.
A towering shot-stopper of muscular physique, Mamardashvili, who is still only 24, was eyed by a wealth of top European outfits this year, but it was Liverpool whose negotiating proved worthwhile, completing the £29m transfer of the Valencia star toward the backend of the summer market.
Kelleher’s departure in 2025 is already determined; the Republic of Ireland international’s performances have cinched a move to a top-performing team.
Alisson won’t be going anywhere, though, and Mamardashvili, who is still on loan with Valencia and may spend the 2025/26 campaign elsewhere too, is set to serve as the superstar between the sticks for the next Anfield age.
Prudence is key. Liverpool are playing their cards calmly, perhaps inspired by rivals Arsenal’s success with William Saliba, who spent several years out on loan before finally taking the Premier League by storm.
Mamardashvili could be Slot's own Saliba
Clearly, Mamardashvili is not cut from the same tactical cloth as Saliba. It’s not likely that we’ll see him alongside Konate as Slot’s new central defensive partnership, in any case.
But he is a ‘monster’ of a goalkeeper whose talent has been recognised and pounced upon early. Had Saliba, for example, joined Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal squad in its (and his) nascent phase, he might have struggled to assert himself, might have failed to sharpen his talents and pumped himself full of confidence.
Instead, three campaigns in his homeland proved cardinal to the development of the France international. Arsenal signed Saliba from Saint Etienne for £27m in 2019, when he was 18 years old, but he only made his Gunners debut at the start of the 2022/23 season.
Now, he’s an “exceptional” centre-half, as has been said by respected journalist Henry Winter. Unflappable and with pinpoint defensive precision, Saliba has come out on top in 75% of his ground battles this season, as per Sofascore.
Patience could indeed be key here. Mamardashvili will continue to star for Valencia this term, having kept three clean sheets, saved one penalty and made 26 saves across 11 matches in La Liga.
But, were he residing within Slot’s squad this season, it’s hard to imagine that he would have displaced the brilliant Kelleher as Alisson’s deputy, not straight away.
It would have been detrimental to his skyrocketing development.
Harking back to earlier, Liverpool have made a near-perfect start to life under their new Dutch boss, but it’s important to remember that Slot will want to be defined by a career spread across the plane of so many seasons, and not just the hoped-for triumphs of one year.
Alisson is only 30, mind, but his fitness levels have faltered in recent years, and thus, Mamardashvili could be a crucial cog in the years to come.
We might come to look back on the 2024/25 campaign as one of significance in the Georgian’s growth as a player. When he’s operating at a world-class level, we might come to thank Richard Hughes for signing him early and then allowing him to foster his skills before staking his claim between the Anfield sticks.
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Mason Greenwood reportedly missed Marseille's latest training session due to 'personal reasons' as his side prepare to face Angers this weekend.
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Marseille away to Angers this weekendGreenwood absent from trainingOut due to 'personal reasons'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
According to , the former Manchester United man was absent from training on Friday ahead of Sunday's trip to Angers. But the report states the 'personal reasons' are nothing to worry about.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Greenwood has been one of the best players in Ligue 1 this season so having him available for the Angers clash is a huge boost for Marseille. They sit second in the division and will look to try and close the gap on runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
DID YOU KNOW?
This season, Greenwood has scored 14 goals and bagged four assists in 22 appearances in all competitions for the French giants.
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GettyWHAT NEXT?
After the Angers match, Greenwood's Marseille side host Saint Etienne in another Ligue 1 encounter on February 15.