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Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope lived up to West Indies’ promise to fight back after their humiliation at Edgbaston

Alan Gardner at Headingley26-Aug-2017Leeds is only 65 miles from Scarborough – aka “Scarbados” – so it was perhaps appropriate that a sun-kissed Headingley was the scene for a pair of Bajans to revive West Indies’ hopes on this tour. Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope put on 246, West Indies’ second-highest partnership on the ground, to underpin a day of unexpected domination in their attempts to fight back into the series after being thrashed at Edgbaston.Hope’s unbeaten innings of 147 was his maiden Test century, coming two years after his debut against the same opposition in Bridgetown. Brathwaite, meanwhile, made his second hundred against England – the first was a valiant attempt to stave off defeat in Grenada during the 2015 series – and provided the bedrock for the tourists to go past England’s 258 during the evening session; not since Old Trafford 2004 had West Indies secured a first-innings lead in England.”The key word for us was ‘fight’,” Hope said on Sky TV. “We are not coming here to let people run over us.”Brathwaite, the team’s vice-captain, echoed that sentiment. “It was very important for us,” he said. “We know what we can do. We decided we would show fight, work hard and believe in ourselves and that’s what we did. Looking in the mirror after [Edgbaston], we knew we could do better, as a team we said we won’t give up and we’ll come out and work twice as hard.”While Hope and Brathwaite both hunkered down and made the most of their luck during a tricky morning session, neither got stuck. Brathwaite went to both fifty and a hundred with sixes down the ground, while the pull that took Hope to 99 had more than a touch of Gordon Greenidge’s flamboyance to it, one knee proudly pointing upwards. The next delivery was tucked for the single that took him to three figures, a moment he greeted with a full-throated roar of celebration.”Relief. It was good to get the monkey off my back,” Hope said. “I felt the pressure. As a professional you want to perform to your best. I wasn’t thinking about the 100 as much as I would expect [in the 90s]. I just tried to bat as long as possible and stick it out.”Having won his first cap as a 21-year-old, Hope’s introduction to Test cricket was a difficult one. It was not until his 17th innings that he finally passed fifty – although that helped West Indies to a series-levelling victory against Pakistan in Bridgetown earlier this year – but Brathwaite predicted that a player he has grown up alongside would now go on to establish himself.”I think Shai’s a top-quality player and I know he will do extremely well in international cricket,” Brathwaite said. “He already has a lot of one-day runs. This is the start of a lot of big things for him.”We played from Under-13 right up, so I’ve played a lot of cricket with him – we play first-class cricket together as well. I know him well and I’m very happy for him.”Although England fought back to remove Brathwaite, for 134, and Roston Chase with the second new ball, Hope remained at the crease until the close, in the company of the dangerous Jermaine Blackwood. From a perilous position of 35 for 3, and with last week’s twin capitulations with the bat still fresh in the memory, it was a quite remarkable performance. After West Indies’ impressive display with the ball on the first day, Kemar Roach had said he was expecting “big things” from the batsmen. Brathwaite and Hope ensured they did not disappoint.Brathwaite was involved in four reviews in all – twice overturning decisions given against him, twice surviving England’s attempts to winkle him out via DRS. The majority of his scoring inside the first hour was done behind the wicket, as several edges went to ground, but England were forced to reassess their tactics as the early cloud cover moved through and Headingley’s Janus face decided to smile on the batsmen once more.”I know my strengths and weaknesses,” Brathwaite said of his watchful approach. “I know it won’t be easy but once I’m out there, it’s good for my team. I try my best to be out there as long as possible and make sure I put away all the bad balls and it worked quite well for me.”Of West Indies’ turnaround in form from the previous Test, he added: “We stuck to our plans, as a bowling unit we were a lot more disciplined and, as batters, we just had to believe in what we’re working towards. We work hard in the nets and we believed we could do it. It’s not impossible and we showed our fight.” England will certainly know they are in a fight now.

For eleven sessions this Test went nowhere, the teams only three runs apart at the end of the first innings. But towards the end of day four, Pakistan’s spinners claimed four wickets, and shocked it into life

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Oct-2017Stumps Yasir Shah pivots after delivering•Francois Nel/Getty ImagesFor eleven sessions this Test went nowhere, the teams only three runs apart at the end of the first innings, but towards the end of day four, Pakistan’s spinners claimed four wickets, and shocked it into life.Having been made to labour in the field for 162.3 overs, Sri Lanka’s now face a stern battle on Monday. They are 66 runs ahead, but have lost four of their top five, and have fielded only six specialist batsmen in this match. At the crease is Kusal Mendis, who survived a thorough examination from Yasir Shah to finish on 16 off 66. With him is nightwatchman Suranga Lakmal. Niroshan Dickwella and Dilruwan Perera – the last recognised batsman – are yet to come to the crease.That Sri Lanka have found themselves in this position, is largely Yasir’s work, but ongoing poor umpiring in this Test was the catalyst for the slide. Dimuth Karunaratne was given out bat-pad for 10 off Yasir, though replays showed neither his bat, nor glove, got close to the ball. He should have reviewed it, of course, but as his bat had hit the ground during the course of his stroke, he perhaps felt he had made contact.The next two wickets went to part-timers, though Yasir had built substantial pressure to help bring about those batting mistakes. Lahiru Thirimanne edged a regulation offbreak from Asad Shafiq behind for 7. Kaushal Silva then missed a sweep against a sharp-turning Haris Sohail delivery and was dismissed for 25. Both those batsmen’s places will come under pressure now – each having failed twice in the Test.Dinesh Chandimal arrived at the crease with his side in trouble, as had been the case in the first innings, and he sought to play the same way as he did in that first dig. Having made 7 off 29 balls with Mendis, who himself was in discomfort against Yasir, Chandimal failed to get forward to a beautifully flighted delivery from the legspinner, and sent an outside edge to slip. Sri Lanka had stumbled to 65 for 4 and given Pakistan a glimpse – distant though it is for now – at victory.In fact, that Pakistan ended the day in a position of strength was the result of a resurgence that had first begun with the bat. By lunch, they had lost five wickets for 74 runs, and were in danger of conceding a substantial lead – still 79 runs behind Sri Lanka’s 419, and with only two wickets left. But Hasan Ali came in swinging, and in the course of driving the opposition back with his 25-ball 29, also enlivened what had otherwise been a dreary batting effort from Pakistan. Sohail struck three sixes off Rangana Herath – two down the ground, and one over cow corner – before he ran at Herath immediately after having the last of those big blows, and got himself stumped. That wicket completed Herath’s 32nd career five-wicket haul, and his seventh against Pakistan. He would go on to claim innings figures of 5 for 93, but will now likely also have to summon some of his best work with the bat.While Hasan made rapid ground at one end, Haris had moved competently past 50 at the other, in his maiden Test innings. The fours square on the offside, and the sixes down the ground off the finger spinners, were the primary features of his eventual 76 off 161 balls. After Hasan departed and Pakistan found themselves nine down, Haris and Sri Lanka entered one of those frustratingly dull periods, where the field was spread for the first four balls while Haris was on strike, and the batsman routinely turned down singles in order to protect Mohammad Abbas, the No. XI. Abbas, however, proved himself capable of resisting, seeing out 34 balls for his one run. Eventually, though, the third new ball was taken, and Haris was caught by mid-off, off the bowling of Nuwan Pradeep. Pakistan had, by then, limped over Sri Lanka’s 419 to establish a three-run lead.The worry, as ever, for Sri Lanka was that beyond Rangana Herath, there was not much penetration in the attack. Dilruwan Perera claimed a solitary wicket in his 37 overs, and Lakshan Sandakan went wicketless while conceding 98. The seamers were marginally better. Lakmal had achieved good movement off the seam in the first session to take two wickets, including that of Sarfraz Ahmed, who had played on attempting to inject some urgency into the innings. Pradeep, who had dismissed Babar Azam with the last ball of day three, also claimed two wickets.If the match hurtles to a conclusion after having ambled aimlessly for so long, it would be the third Test between these two teams that has taken that rough form. In 2014, the third Test in Sharjah had been interminably dull until Pakistan chased down 302 inside 58 overs. Later that same year, Herath took five wickets on the final day of what was otherwise a torpid Test, to set up the thrilling – and eventually successful – pursuit of a small score on the final evening.

Aston Villa are preparing an offer for former Arsenal loanee and current Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, according to reports.

The Villans have already reinforced their midfield options by signing Youri Tielemans this summer, and are now reportedly looking towards the La Liga giants to bolster their squad even further.

Is Dani Ceballos signing for Aston Villa?

The Midlands club are set to offer Real Madrid £15m for the 13-cap Spain international at the request of manager Unai Emery, according to Spanish outlet Diario Sport.

It comes as little surprise to see Villa reportedly so willing to splash the cash, given that they've not been shy when it comes to spending so far this summer, welcoming Moussa Diaby, Tielemans, and Pau Torres for a reported combined fee of €88m (£76m).

Now, it seems as though they're turning their attention to Ceballos, who previously impressed during a loan spell at Arsenal in the 2019/20 season.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

It wasn't so long ago that Villa were struggling in the bottom-half of the Premier League table under Steven Gerrard. One mid-season managerial change later, however, and Europa Conference League football beckons for a side now in a position to target Real Madrid's Champions League winning stars. It has been some turnaround at Villa Park.

Should Aston Villa sign Dani Ceballos?

If Aston Villa see their reported £15m bid accepted for Ceballos, then it is a deal worth taking the risk on. The Spaniard may have struggled to fully establish himself at the Santiago Bernabeu, but a move back to the Premier League could see him rediscover his best form, especially under compatriot Emery.

And if Villa can get the best out of Ceballos, then a £15m deal may well become the bargain of the summer in English football. Likely paired with Tielemans and Douglas Luiz, the Midlands club could have themselves one of the best midfield trios outside the Premier League's traditional big six.

Indeed, when compared with his positional peers across the top five European leagues, Ceballos ranks in the 93rd percentile for assists per 90, 97th percentile for pass completion and 99th for successful take-ons, creative skills which could be complemented by Tielemans' box-to-box role and Luiz's defensive attributes.

The midfielder received plenty of praise when on loan at Arsenal, with Tony Cascarino saying in his column in The Times: "Dani Ceballos impressed me. He has a bit of everything: tenacity, technical ability, and he wore the shirt as if he was an Arsenal player from 15 years ago. It felt like he really wanted to show his hunger to play and Arsenal have missed that enormously in midfield recently.

“He showed what he is about. He is on loan so Arsenal will have to hope he doesn’t do too well, meaning they can’t sign him.”

Ahead of the forthcoming campaign, Villa look stronger than they have in a long time. Under Emery, they could reach new heights, with fresh faces, potentially including Ceballos, playing a large part in that.

It remains to be seen whether the Villans' reported incoming bid will be accepted by Real Madrid, however.

Here’s how our ball-by-ball commentator recorded David Miller’s massive hits which almost resulted in six sixes in an over

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2017AFP18.1 Mohammad Saifuddin to Miller, SIX, he tries the slower one but it’s pretty full and Miller picks it. He waits and then swings his arms to send that sailing over wide long on again. That’s the first six off Saifuddin in this innings18.2 Mohammad Saifuddin to Miller, SIX, full and outside off, Miller picks the length early again, gets under it nicely and drives it inside-out over the covers, taking the fielder out of the equation for six more18.3 Mohammad Saifuddin to Miller, SIX, make that three in a row! It’s on his legs as he shuffles across a bit, another full delivery and Miller simply times the flick well and that’s gone behind square on leg for six more18.4 Mohammad Saifuddin to Miller, SIX, four out of four, what’s happening here! SA are over 200 already! Another full delivery down leg, another way to get the legs out of the way and another flick that dispatches the ball over the long-leg boundary18.5 Mohammad Saifuddin to Miller, SIX, those two fielders can keep staring and track the trajectory of the ball sail over them! Five in five. It’s short this time, Miller is in the crease and pulls it over the leg side18.6 Mohammad Saifuddin to Miller, 1 run, oh, Miller has driven that along the ground after going down on a knee. The disappointment shows on his face as soon as the ball goes off his bat. Saif bowled it full and wide and survived

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has rejected another bid from Bayern Munich for Harry Kane, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

The Kane transfer saga has been going on for quite some time, with the striker reportedly agreeing terms on a move to Bayern way back at the end of June, however it does not appear as though he will force a move this summer.

Journalist Paul Brown believes he does not want to damage his reputation by pushing to leave, recently telling GiveMeSport:

"It doesn't look like he is going to agitate for a move. I think he remembers from before, when Manchester City came in, just how much of a backlash there was when it looked like he was trying to engineer that transfer. He then ended up having to come back and face the music.

"I don't think he's going to push like that again this summer, so it really comes down to how talks go between the clubs."

Read The Latest Tottenham Transfer News HERE

As such, Bayern may have to match Tottenham's huge demands for the striker if they are to sign him this summer, with recent reports indicating they have submitted an £86m "take ir ot leave it" bid, giving the Lilywhites until midnight on Friday to respond.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg took Twitter to dismiss reports of a set deadline, saying: "Poker is ongoing as there was never a deadline. There was only the wish of an answer this weekend."

The Athletic's Ornstein has now given his own development and revealed that answer – the bid has been rejected. Despite being improved on the previous two attempts it is still a fair bit of shy of the Lilywhites' demands.

Is Harry Kane leaving Tottenham?

Football Insider have previously reported that Spurs may be willing to accept an offer of £100m for their new captain, so the German champions may simply have to stump up the cash if they are to prise him away from the north London club.

An offer of that size would make the England international Tottenham's most expensive departure of all time, despite the fact he has just one year remaining on his contract, and he is unwilling to commit to a new deal.

Of course, it would be a huge blow for Spurs to lose their all-time top scorer, but it may be difficult to resist a bid of £100m, considering there is seemingly a very good chance he could leave for free next summer if they do not compete for silverware this season.

Ange Postecoglou has recently confirmed he is in "open dialogue" with the striker over his future, also adding he "can't wait" for a decision to be made either way, as he continues to build his squad ahead of the new season.

Postecoglou's need for clarity over whether Kane is leaving the club could pressure Levy into making a decision soon, but for the meantime it appears as though he will continue to play hardball with Bayern Munich.

Punjab made Services follow-on whereas Vidarbha took a first-innings lead against Himachal Pradesh

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2017Bengal have almost confirmed a place in the knockouts after they took a first-innings lead of 69 runs against Goa on the third day in Kolkata. After scoring 379, Bengal’s Ashok Dinda took a five-for to restrict Goa to 310. On second place in Group D with 20 points ahead of Punjab’s 15, Bengal were leading by 177 runs with seven wickets in hand and will progress with 23 points even if they draw against Goa and Punjab register an innings win against Services.Resuming on 191 for 5, Goa’s overnight batsman Amogh Desai scored an unbeaten 103 – his sixth first-class hundred – to take Goa past 300, as wickets fell at the other end. Keenan Vaz stretched his overnight score from 40 to 60 before being dismissed by Dinda. Kanishk Seth (3-77) took the next two wickets off consecutive deliveries before Heramb Parab (29) put on 52 for the ninth wicket with Desai. Bur Dinda bowled Parab and to complete his 25th five-for in first-class matches and Goa wrapped up for 310 soon.In their second innings, Bengal lost opener Abhishek Raman in the fifth over. Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sudip Chatterjee then added 58 runs for the second wicket but seamer Felix Alemao trapped Chatterjee lbw for 35. Following captain Manoj Tiwary’s wicket for 8, Shreevats Goswami (15*) and Easwaran (20*) took Bengal to 108 for 3 at stumps.Services face the prospect of an innings defeat as they still trail Punjab by 212 runs after following-on on the third day in Amritsar. After being bowled out for 315 in the first innings, they ended the third day on 118 for 3.In reply to Punjab’s massive total of 645 for 6 dec, Services resumed on their overnight score of 130 for 4 and lost three middle-order wickets for 53 runs to Manpreet Gony, who finished with a five-for. They were reeling at 188 for 7 but were boosted by a lower-order charge from Vikas Yadav (71 off 97 balls) and Diwesh Pathania (68 off 48 balls), as they added 83 runs for the eighth wicket. Following Pathania’s wicket, Vikas went on to stretch the total past 300, before they were bowled out in 71.2 overs.Trailing by 345 runs, they were made to follow-on and lost their top three batsmen in a span of 17 overs to Taruwar Kohli and Siddarth Kaul, who was later picked in the India ODI side for the Sri Lanka series. However, captain Rahul Singh and Ravi Chauhan’s unbeaten 69-run partnership helped the side recover, as the duo will look to fight it out to avoid a defeat on the last day.Captain Faiz Fazal converted his century into a double-hundred to help Vidarbha take a 103-run first-innings lead against Himachal Pradesh on the third day in Nagpur. After losing his overnight partner Sanjay Ramaswamy for 115 that ended the opening stand of 264, Fazal added a 101-run stand with Wasim Jaffer (47 off 84 balls). A collapse was triggered by Himachal seamers Rishi Dhawan (4 for 96) and Akshay Chauhan, who shared six wickets between them, to reduce Vidarbha from 381 for 2 to 456 all out. Fazal’s was the third wicket and started the collapse as no other batsman after Jaffer crossed 20.Himachal finished the day on 70 for 3 in their second innings, trailing by 33 runs, after Rajneesh Gurbani dismissed two of their top three batsmen. Nikhil Gangta (9*) and captain Sumeet Verma (10*) at the crease.

Everton are playing a waiting game as they seek fresh investment into the coffers at Goodison Park; however, new 'favourites' now look to have emerged to plough extra financial capital into the club, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest investment news involving Everton?

Admittedly, things have been quiet on the investment front at Everton since it was reported by talkSPORT back in May that MSP Sports Capital had secured an exclusivity agreement with the Toffees.

MSP Sports Capital have a lengthy involvement in football clubs elsewhere and are connected with FC Augsburg, AD Alorcon, GD Estoril and SK Beveren. McLaren's F1 team also feature heavily in their investment portfolio.

Everton are in the process of erecting a new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock, which is expected to be completed in late 2024 as the Toffees gear up to leave their spiritual home of Goodison Park, as per BBC Sport.

Protests against Everton's ownership and board of directors were widespread last term due to the running of the club as the Blues continue to struggle on and off the field.

Financially, Everton are in a tight spot due to Financial Fair Play restrictions, though they have added Youssef Chermiti, Jack Harrison, Ashley Young and Arnaut Danjuma to their playing staff, as cited by Transfermarkt.

What has Paul Brown said about Everton's investment situation?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Brown has detailed that 777 Partners, who had previously been in the conversation concerning potential investment in Everton, could now surprisingly re-appear as the 'favourites' to finalise a deal with the Toffees.

Brown stated: "So it has gone very quiet from MSP and I'm told that Josh Wander, a managing partner of 777, was bragging last week to colleagues that he's about to write a cheque for around £250m to take control of Everton."

"But I do know that there are people connected with Everton who now think they are favourites to either buy into or invest in the club."

What else is going on at Everton?

Truthfully, Everton boss Sean Dyche will have a limited interest in matters off the field at the moment as he tries to guide his side on the path to avoiding being dragged into yet another relegation battle at Goodison Park.

In their Premier League opener, Everton lost out 1-0 at home to Fulham in a match where several golden opportunities were spurned by the hosts, which has since prompted movement in the transfer market to bring in more attacking reinforcements, as per Sky Sports.

Leeds United attacker Wilfried Gnonto is reportedly continuing to push for a move to Everton and there is an 'expectation' that his current employers could lower their asking price for the Italy international, according to FootballTransfers.

The Evening Standard has revealed that both Everton and Crystal Palace are keen to add Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy to the ranks after talks between the 33-year-old and Luton Town broke down.

England have options in Surrey seamer Tom Curran and Mark Wood as Overton’s replacement

George Dobell in Melbourne24-Dec-2017England have confirmed that Craig Overton is not fit to play in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne after sustaining a fractured rib.Overton, one of England’s relative success stories in another disappointing Ashes campaign, was first hit in the ribs while batting in Adelaide and took a further blow in the same area while diving for a caught and bowled chance in Perth. A subsequent scan showed the crack, though Overton continued to play his part in the rest of the match.With the England medical staff warning that Overton could potentially puncture a lung if he sustained another blow in the same area – and his whole-hearted efforts in the field render that far from unlikely – it has been decided not to risk him in the fourth Test. He must be considered a significant doubt for the Sydney Test, too.Tom Curran, the Surrey seamer, is the most likely beneficiary of Overton’s misfortune. While Curran is no quicker than the rest of the England seam attack, he has a good range of skills – he was the only England bowler to gain any lateral movement on a flat surface at Richardson Park – and the character to suggest he will thrive on such a big occasion. Notably, he produced a fine slower ball to dismiss Chris Gayle in an ODI in Southampton just as the West Indies batsman was threatening to run amok. Tom, aged 22 and the son of former Zimbabwe international Kevin, would be making his Test debut.He is not the only option, though. England could also pick Mark Wood, who is now with the squad and looks to be bowling at sharp pace in the nets. Doubts about his fitness linger, however, and the England management may be reluctant to risk him on a flat surface. The fact that they have been in the field for an average of 160 overs in the first innings of their most recent eight away Tests render them unlikely to take any risks.The other option is Mason Crane. While he would bowl the odd boundary ball – he is a 20-year-old legspinner, after all – he would offer some variety on what is expected to be another flat pitch (“a batting paradise,” was Chris Woakes’ assessment) and, at a ground with a vast playing surface, and as one of two spinners, could afford some protection.A look at the pitch on Saturday appeared to improve Crane’s chances. The England management were surprised how dry it appears and reasoned there may be assistance there for the spinners. They will take another look on Christmas Day before taking any firm decision.But Curran was the most impressive of the support bowlers in the nets. Generating decent pace and gaining enough movement to take an edge or two, he was the one drawing the admiring glances from those who will select the side.Stuart Broad and James Anderson also had a decent bowl. Anderson, as ever really, looked in good rhythm and struck Mark Stoneman with a bouncer at one stage while Broad should have done enough to prove his fitness.

Much has been made of Liverpool's midfield crisis this summer, especially as the transfer window edges closer and closer to its close. However, reports suggest that Jurgen Klopp could be about to welcome a player for the future, perhaps avoiding a replication of his current issues in years to come.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

Failing to sign both Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, who both ended up at Chelsea, Liverpool were left in somewhat of a transfer no man's land before settling on welcoming Wataru Endo from Stuttgart.

Joining for a reported £16m, the Japan international became the third signing of Liverpool's window, following in the footsteps of fellow midfielders Alexis Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai.

After losing both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho earlier this summer to Saudi Arabia, though, Klopp could yet welcome one more reinforcement in the middle of the park,

The Reds have been linked with moves for Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch, Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat, and even Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips before the window slams shut, but it remains to be soon if any of those reported options arrive at Anfield between now and deadline day.

Instead, Liverpool's focus has seemingly turned towards their academy. According to TuttoMercatoWeb, via Sport Witness, the Premier League giants have made an 'official offer' for Atalanta academy midfielder Samuel Inacio Pia, son of Pia – a Brazilian winger who featured for the likes of Napoli.

Who is Samuel Inacio Pia?

Just 15-years-old, Inacio is already "considered among the best", per TuttoMercatoWeb, in Atalanta's academy, scoring seven goals in 12 appearances for the U15s, before making a permanent move to the U16s.

So, although the midfielder wouldn't come in as a first-team option, he seems to have plenty of potential and could yet one day have a large part to play at Anfield. We've seen youngsters such as Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, and Stefan Bajcetic make the jump into the first-team, and even the starting line-up at Anfield, and Inacio could look at that trio as the perfect examples to follow.

Of course, the Brazilian could yet have a future at Atalanta, given how highly-rated he seems at the club, making the move to the U16s after impressing for the U15s. The coming season may be a crucial one in his development, as the Serie A club begin to consider whether he is ready to make further strides towards eventual first-team action.

Either way, Inacio looks to have the world at his feet this summer, and may even have a big decision to make.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

He wouldn't solve Liverpool's midfield crisis, that much is obvious at just 15-years-old, but the Atalanta man would represent a smart piece of business for the Reds' future, especially if he realises his potential.

As the summer transfer window comes to a close, the Merseyside club could potentially be one of the busiest clubs in England's top flight. And, after missing out on a couple of targets this summer, Klopp may be keen to ensure that his side enjoy a strong, statement-making end to the transfer season.

They, and Inacio, are certainly ones to keep an eye on.

Brentford and Crystal Palace meet on the weekend in the Premier League but this is not a fixture which has much of a recent history behind it. But Football FanCast has everything you need to know ahead of their meeting on Saturday.

Two game weeks are now behind us in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign and both sides have made respectable starts to their seasons, however, the game on the weekend will offer both teams a big opportunity to earn what would be an impressive three points.

Although the Bees come into the game on Saturday with a slight advantage in the table, Roy Hodgson's Eagles will be looking to bounce back after their narrow defeat against last season's runners-up.

Brentford vs Crystal Palace: After previous matches, what's their head-to-head record?

Although the two London clubs have met over their histories across the South Divisions, it is not a matchup which has provided much recent history.

Indeed, prior to Brentford's promotion to the English top flight back in 2021, the last meeting between these two sides came all the way back in 1977 when they faced off in the League Cup.

Their first meeting came well over 100 years ago when they met in the FA Cup in 1907, however, since then, there have only been 42 games across all competitions which has seen the Eagles narrowly edge the number of victories.

Brentford wins: 14 Draws: 2 Crystal Palace wins: 17 Brentford vs Crystal Palace: What's their record at Brentford?

Out of the 42 meetings between these two sides over the years, exactly half of them have come at the home of the Bees. And the west London side hold a seriously impressive record at home against the Eagles.

Although a lot of these meetings have come between 50-100 years ago, Brentford have recorded more than double the number of victories against Palace as they have recorded defeats.

Recent results may not provide fans of much hope about seeing a home win on the weekend, but they do show just how solid the Bees have been on home soil since moving into their new stadium.

Out of their 19 games at home last season, Brentford were able to take an impressive 37 points away from those games.The Bees were able to record 10 wins and seven draws but the most impressive stat coming in the way of just two defeats.

And this season has seen the Bees make an equally strong start at home with a resilient 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur who have been receiving rave reports from some in the media under their new boss Ange Postecoglou.

Brentford wins: 11 Draws: 6 Crystal Palace wins: 4 Brentford vs Crystal Palace: What's their Premier League record?

Given the Bees were only promoted to the Premier League back in 2021, meetings between these two sides in England's top flight are few and far between.

On just four occasions have these sides met in the Premier League and every single meeting has ended as a draw with just four goals having been scored between them.

Their two games in Brentford's first campaign in the Premier League, both of the games in west and south London ended goalless with 180 minutes of football unable to separate the sides.

Although there were only two positions in the league separating these two sides at the end of last season, there was a whopping 14 point difference between ninth placed Brentford and 11th placed Palace.

Both sides have opened the season with a win from their opening two games, however, it is the Bees who have the slight advantage having also recorded a draw.

Brentford vs Crystal Palace: What is the Brentford's biggest win between these sides?

Recent results between these two teams has provided a lot to be desired for the neutral, however, over the years there have been some thrilling meetings.

One of Brentford's biggest ever wins came in this fixture when the Bees ran out as 8-2 victors over the Eagles when they met back in 1930 in the South Division Three.

It turned out to be a real Christmas Day treat for the Brentford fans but what was to follow on Boxing Day proved to be a bruising affair…

Brentford vs Crystal Palace: What is the Crystal Palace's biggest win between these sides?

On the following day, the Eagles were able to seek some form of revenge when they hosted Brentford and were able to beat the west London side 5-1 at their south London home.

In the meeting prior to Brentford's 2021 promotion to the Premier League – which came in 1977 – Palace also ran out 5-1 victors when the two sides met in the League Cup.

Brentford vs Crystal Palace: What happened in last season's fixtures?

Meetings in the Premier League are few and far between when it comes to these two sides and the four meetings since Brentford's 2021 promotion have not exactly been classics.

However, last season's meetings did provide slightly more entertainment than their two clashes in the 2021/22 campaign.

Once again, 180 minutes of football were unable to separate the sides with both games ending as draws, but at least there were some goals for the fans to celebrate as both games ended 1-1.

Brentford vs Crystal Palace: What is Yoane Wissa's record?

Given there has been so few goals between these sides in recent years, there is no player, in particular, which holds a strong record in this fixture. But Yoane Wissa did find the back of the net in their meeting at Selhurst Park in August 2022.

Amid the absence of Ivan Toney, the 26-year-old's role in Thomas Frank's attack will be put under further importance for the foreseeable future and he has certainly responded well with a goal in each of their opening two Premier League games.

Brentford vs Crystal Palace: What is Eberechi Eze's record?

Only two Palace players have scored against the Bees in the Premier League and one of those is the recently departed Wilfried Zaha. The only other player to have found the back of the net for the Eagles in this fixture is Eberechi Eze.

The 25-year-old is yet to get off the mark for the Eagles this season, however, the departure of Zaha will put more emphasis on the need for Hodgson's young guns to step up in front of goal.

Brentford vs Crystal Palace: What are the recent results?

Last season saw Palace host the first meeting between these two sides which, ironically, also came in the latter stages of August. As previously mentioned, 90 minutes at Selhurst Park was not enough to separate these two sides.

Palace looked to have sealed the points in south London with Zaha's goal in the second half looking enough to beat the Bees, however, Wissa was able to rescue a point for the travelling side with an 88th-minute goal to send the visiting fans into raptures.

The two sides then met back in April when it was Brentford's turn to host the fixture which once again ended in a 1-1 draw.

In a fixture which has proved so hard to separate these sides, this meeting panned out in an almost identical fashion to the previous meeting in south London. Palace were handed the lead through Eze in the second half but Vitaly Janet secured a point for the hosts in the dying minutes of the game.

Brentford vs Crystal Palace: When is it?

Frank's men will host the Eagles on Saturday at 3pm (BST) in west London. Recent history would suggest this is not a fixture which will provide fans with a thrilling encounter, however, both sides will be looking to get one over on a fellow London side.

The Bees will go into the game with a big opportunity to continue what has been an impressive start to the new campaign which has them sitting inside the top four. However, they will be coming up against a well organised Palace side under Hodgson.

Since the return of the 76-year-old manager, Palace have looked rejuvenated and have only lost three of the 12 games under the Englishman's latest rein.

Although Palace were unable to pick up any points on Monday night, they were able to hold their own against one of the favourites to get their hands on the title this season. But there is no room for moral victories in the Premier League and Hodgson will be hoping for an instant reply from his side.

Question marks will have been asked of Brentford having lost their star striker, Toney, to a long-term ban, however, Frank's side look just as impressive in the early stages of this season and five goals from their opening two games would suggest they will not have any issues in front of goal as they await the return of their England international.