All posts by h716a5.icu

Aston Villa were eliminated from the Carabao Cup last night, suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace. Unai Emery’s side, who are still competing in three competitions this season, might well be frustrated that a good chance to win some silverware has evaded them after the loss at Villa Park.

The Villans were very much the dominant side, as the post-match statistics, courtesy of Sofascore, suggest. Emery’s team had more possession than the Eagles, with 62% of the ball, and far more shots, 17 to the opposition’s ten, with nine on target.

With that in mind, it might be frustrating that they could not capitalise on such domination. Oliver Glasner’s side took the lead through Eberechi Eze, who scored something of a poacher’s goal, losing his marker in the penalty box and heading home from 12 yards.

Villa equalised 15 minutes later, through the in-form Jhon Duran, who took his goal brilliantly, swivelling as he shot and firing home into the bottom left corner. Palace’s winner in the 64th minute was a gift, with Diego Carlos giving it straight to Daichi Kamada whose shot from outside of the penalty box nestled into Joe Guaci’s goal.

It was a frustrating night at Villa Park, with Carlos amongst those in Claret and Blue who struggled.

Carlos’ stats vs. Palace

After a slow start to the season, the Brazilian centre-back has finally managed to break into Emery’s starting lineup of late. However, Jacob Tanswell, Villa writer for The Athletic, explained he had a “poor night” after what had been a “very good October” so far.

Indeed, the Villa number three made a very frustrating mistake for Kamada’s winning goal. Pressed by striker Jean-Phillipe Mateta, he played a sloppy pass right into the path of the Japan international. It was a well-taken goal from range, but not a mistake you would expect from an experienced head like Carlos.

Aside from that, his stats from the game were commendable. Carlos had 73 touches of the ball and completed 91% of his passes. He also won four from five ground duels and all three of his tackles. However, he gave the ball away six times, including once for the costly error that led to the Palace winner.

As frustrating as Carlos’ performance was against the Eagles, Emiliano Buendia’s showing was arguably more disappointing.

Buendia’s stats vs. Palace

It has been a long road to recovery for Bunedia since his awful anterior cruciate ligament injury in August 2023. Now fully back in action, the attacking midfielder made his first Villa Park start since returning from injury last night.

However, it was not quite the performance he would have hoped for. The Argentine midfielder struggled to make a real impact on the game, although did have some moments of quality on the ball.

His stats from the game showed that it was a tough night at the office. The 27-year-old completed 88% of his passes but managed just 39 touches, losing the ball 11 times. He created just one chance and only completed 33% of his dribbles. Out of possession, the midfielder lost a disappointing 11 duels.

Stat

Number

Touches

39

Pass accuracy

88%

Passes completed

22/25

Ground duels won

2/13

Number of times possession lost

11

Dribbles completed

1/3

Chances created

1

It was a performance that earned him a 6/10 rating from Birmingham Mail journalist John Townley. With that being said, the Villa correspondent credited him for looking ‘comfortable taking the ball in tight pockets’, a key feature of the Villa number 10’s game.

It was certainly a frustrating night at the office for Buendia, who surely would have been hoping for a more impactful performance on his first Villa Park start for well over a year. With that being said, it is something to build on, with the games now coming thick and fast for the Villans.

He's out on loan: Aston Villa ace has a “higher ceiling” than Douglas Luiz

Aston Villa have struck gold on this loan star who could be even better than Douglas Luiz.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 29, 2024

Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi has helped to launch the 2025 MLS campaign by doing keepy-uppies with an American football.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

NFL season came to a close at Super BowlMessi among those in attendance at Caesars SuperdomeAttention now turning to quest for MLS CupFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was among those in attendance at Super LIX as the NFL season came to a close in spectacular style in New Orleans. As one form of football prepares to take a break, another is stepping into the spotlight.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi landed the 46th trophy of his record-breaking career in 2024, as Inter Miami posted a historic points haul en route to claiming the Supporters’ Shield, but they came up short in the MLS Cup – meaning that there are wrongs to be righted in Florida.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Messi, as the reigning MVP of MLS, will be back for more as he enters the final year of his current deal. The new campaign gets underway on February 22, with another quest for glory – that sees the regular season run through to October 18 – about to begin.

Australian cricket heads into a new era following a tumultuous week

Alex Malcolm26-Nov-2021Pat Cummins has been named Australia’s 47th Test captain and will lead them in the Ashes after the resignation of Tim Paine. There are a number of key challenges that he is set to face in the role.History of Australian bowling captainsCummins is the first Australia fast bowler to captain the team since Ray Lindwall led them in one Test against India in 1956. Richie Benaud was the last frontline bowler of any description to lead Australia’s Test team with the legspinning allrounder captaining 28 times, the last of which was in 1963. Australia, as with the game as a whole, have had a preference for batting captains although globally there have been many examples of bowling captains having success in the Test match arena. The most recent being Jason Holder who led West Indies 37 times, taking 100 wickets at 26.76 with seven five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket haul, not to mention his two Test hundreds in that time, including 202 not out against England. Cummins himself acknowledged the challenge of being a bowling captain, hence his preference to have Steven Smith as his vice-captain.”There’s a couple of more unknowns about having a bowling captain and that’s why I think from the outset, I was absolutely determined if I was captain to have someone like Steve as vice-captain next to me,” he said.Related

If England don't make a strong showing in Brisbane, Australia could run away with the Ashes

Cummins faces rocky transition into Australia captaincy

Tim Paine out of Ashes after taking indefinite break from the game

Pat Cummins confirmed as Australia's new Test captain

New Test captain Cummins was 'absolutely determined' to have Smith as his deputy

Lack of captaincy experienceCummins has been a professional cricketer for over a decade and played 252 matches across all three formats, but the extent of his captaincy experience is just four 50-over Marsh Cup games for New South Wales last season. Nathan Lyon gave Cummins a ringing endorsement for his brief captaincy spell on Thursday and Cummins was unfazed by his lack of experience and being rushed into the role.”I’ve been vice-captain for two or three years,” he said. “Although I haven’t had too much experience as captain it was always in the back of the mind that this might pop up at some stage. Yeah, it’s right at the start of an Ashes series, but I feel like I’ve been really well equipped.”Pat Cummins’ only captaincy experience has come in domestic one-day cricket•Getty ImagesWorkload managementWhen to bowl, how much to bowl, and more importantly when to take himself out of the attack will be arguably Cummins’ greatest challenge as a Test captain. It was something that certainly challenged Andrew Flintoff who was the talisman in England’s attack when he took over the captaincy much like Cummins is now. Flintoff bowled himself 51 overs in an innings and 68 in a match after enforcing the follow-on against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in 2006, when he had a five-man attack at his disposal and the added part-time support of Paul Collingwood. Cummins has a game plan in place already to mitigate against such situations.”I think that’s going to be one of the main things that I have to be aware of. And that’s why I’ll be leaning on people like Steven, plenty of senior guys around. I’m not out there by myself. There’s plenty of people lean on. You know, David Warner’s there, Nathan Lyon, Starcy, Joshy Hazlewood. There’s a lot of experience in the side. Sometimes I might need to listen to what they’ve got to say more than what I’ve got to say myself.”There are also concerns about Cummins being captain in an era of bowlers being rested and rotated for workload management reasons but those fears may be unfounded with Cummins. Despite the fact he suffered multiple injuries and missed large chunks of cricket in the early part of his career, since returning to the Test side in 2017 Cummins has played 33 of a possible 35 Test matches, missing only one tour, the two-Test series against Pakistan in the UAE 2018. He has twice played all five Tests of an Ashes series and completed three four-Test series. Cummins believes he will only rest in limited-overs cricket and as a result, is comfortable that he is unlikely to captain Australia’s limited-overs teams on a permanent basis.Risk of too many chefsA byproduct of Cummins’ role, inexperience, and desire for Smith to be his deputy could cause issues in terms of the chain of command. The vice-captain has traditionally been a subservient role requiring subtle leadership and deference to the captain. Cummins made no secret of the fact he wants to be a collaborative captain and wants Smith to be prepared to step in to make tactical decisions while Cummins is out on the field, particularly when he is bowling. This will be a rare dynamic and requires very strong relationships and trust to work well.”I think it potentially could look different to what you’ve seen partnerships work in the past,” Cummins said. “There’ll be times in the field where I’ll throw to Steve and you’ll see Steve moving fielders around maybe doing bowling changes, taking a bit more of an elevated vice-captaincy role and that’s what I really want, that’s what I’ve asked and I’m really glad Steve’s happy with that as well. So we’ll nut out how exactly that works, but it’s going to be a real collaborative approach.”New partnership: how will Pat Cummins and Steven Smith work together?•Getty ImagesBurden of expectationAustralia’s last two Test captains have been left their post in ignominy. Smith has returned as vice-captain but the irony of how it has come about will be lost on very few. It is a well-worn joke in Australia that the Test captain is regarded as the second-highest office in the land, but the reality is that there is often more reverence for the Test captain than the Prime Minister and the moral standards in some ways appear, rightly or wrongly, to be higher based on the experiences of Smith and Paine. The burden of perfection is already on the shoulders of Cummins but he is prepared for what it is to come.”That doesn’t worry me too much,” he said. “I know with the role comes added scrutiny. But for 10 or 11 years I have been playing for Australia in the public eye. I won’t always get things right. I’m certainly not perfect. There’s going to be things that pop up. But as long as I can sleep at night I’m really comfortable with the responsibility.”

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke arrived in West Yorkshire in the summer of 2023 with a proven track record of getting teams out of the Championship.

During his time with Norwich City in Norfolk, the German tactician won the second division title two times in three attempts, with one relegation from the Premier League thrown in amongst that.

He failed to make it three times in four attempts in the 2023/24 campaign with the Whites, however, as his team were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the play-off final.

Farke will now be hoping to maintain his record of getting a team promoted from the league within at least two seasons by achieving promotion this term, with his team currently sat in the automatic promotion places in second – just behind Sunderland in the table.

His full-backs were key to his success during his time with the Canaries, as Max Aarons and Jamal Lewis were both named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for the 2018/19 campaign, with the former also making the Team of the Year for the 2020/21 campaign, with Dimi Giannoulis the left-back for Norwich in that season.

Leeds United's impressive full-backs

Farke’s ability to get the most out of his full-backs has been on display again during his time with the Whites so far, helping Archie Gray to earn a £30m move to Tottenham Hotspur after he spent the majority of last season at right-back.

Sam Byram has been a versatile and impressive operator so far this season, winning 72% of his duels across 11 appearances, whilst Jayden Bogle has made 3.2 tackles and interceptions combined per game across 12 outings in the league this term.

Junior Firpo, in particular, has thrived under the German head coach and established himself as a star for Leeds in the left-back position over the past 12 months or so.

Appearances

26

12

Goals

0

1

Big chances created

13

3

Assists

7

3

Key passes per game

1.1

1.7

As you can see in the table above, the former Barcelona man has provided a big creative threat down the left flank, with 16 ‘big chances’ created in 38 appearances.

Firpo had only managed three assists in 43 appearances in the Premier League with Leeds, before he worked with Farke, and this illustrates how much he has improved – offensively – under the German boss.

However, the ex-Norwich boss could have had an even bigger full-back talent at his disposal if Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch had not fumbled Leif Davis at Elland Road.

Leif Davis' Leeds career

In the summer of 2018, Leeds swooped to sign the teenage starlet from Morecambe’s U18s to bolster their own academy, for an undisclosed fee.

Despite coming from an U18 set-up and having no prior experience in first-team football, Davis made his senior breakthrough under Marcelo Bielsa and ended his first year in West Yorkshire with four Championship appearances under his belt.

He then featured three times in the 2019/20 title-winning campaign and played twice in the Premier League the following season, before being sent out on loan to Bournemouth in the summer of 2021.

Appearances

12

Starts

7

Goals

0

Assists

1

Big chances created

1

As you can see in the table above, Davis struggled for game time during his spell with the Cherries and did not make much of an impact in the final third.

However, at the end of that season, the English defender was still only 22 and had plenty of time left to develop and improve with more game time under his belt, as that was his first experience of even semi-regular first-team football.

Unfortunately, though, sporting director Orta and head coach Marsch decided that Davis did not have a long-term future at Elland Road and opted to cash in on him in the summer of 2022.

Ipswich Town swooped in to secure his services for a reported fee of £1m, plus add-ons, and the Whites will surely now look back on that sale with regret, as they fumbled a star who is now similar to Liverpool sensation Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Leif Davis is now similar to Trent Alexander-Arnold

The youngster enjoyed a terrific first season with the Tractor Boys as his return of three goals and 14 assists in 43 games helped them to win promotion out of League One.

It was then down to the left-back to show that he could step up to the Championship and the English whiz certainly did that, with an incredible 2023/24 campaign to help Ipswich finish second in the league and move up to the Premier League.

Davis, who was once hailed as an “animal” by ex-boss Scott Parker, scored two goals and provided a staggering 18 assists, with 2.9 key passes per game, across 43 outings in the division.

The 24-year-old star has now stepped up to the Premier League and his current form has landed him a comparison to Liverpool and England star Alexander-Arnold.

As per FBref, the Reds full-back is one of the most similar players to Davis, based on their respective statistics, in the top-flight this season, alongside the likes of Lucas Digne and Jurrien Timber.

Appearances

10

10

Goals

1

0

Big chances created

7

6

Key passes per game

2.5

2.2

Assists

2

1

As you can see in the table above, the Ipswich star has, impressively, outperformed Alexander-Arnold as an attacking force from a full-back position, whilst playing on the opposite flank.

This is particularly impressive when you consider that the Liverpool ace is tied for the second-most assists by a defender in Premier League history, with 59.

Therefore, Orta and Marsch fumbled Davis back in the summer of 2022 as they sold the defender before he had the chance to play a run of matches at first-team level to prove himself.

Farke has struck gold on undroppable Leeds ace who they didn't want to sign

The Leeds United head coach had to convince the club to take a chance on him.

1 ByDan Emery Nov 4, 2024

Ipswich provided him with his big break and he has gone from strength to strength since his £1m exit from Elland Road, whilst Farke missed out on the opportunity to unearth his own version of Alexander-Arnold, but at left-back.

India don’t feel they batted on too long after they ended one wicket short of a win

Sidharth Monga29-Nov-20215:16

Rahul Dravid: India showed ‘great fighting spirit’

When a side comes as close to winning as India did and the opposition is more than 100 away from their score, it is tempting to look for a few priceless minutes from earlier in the match. The mind immediately goes to India’s last partnership before declaration, which went at a little over three an over for over 20 overs. However, India coach Rahul Dravid said those runs were extremely important to bat New Zealand out of the game. He didn’t feel India had got the timing of the declaration wrong, which left New Zealand 284 to get at under three an over.Dravid was asked if Wriddhiman Saha and Axar Patel could have been more adventurous in that partnership and given India an extra half hour. “I don’t think so,” Dravid said. “That is not my reading of the game. Till half an hour before we declared, we were under pressure. All three results were possible.Watch live cricket on ESPN+ in the US

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from India vs New Zealand live in the US. Click here to watch English highlights from the first Test, and here for the Hindi highlights

“To be very honest with you, if we had got out – Wriddhiman Shaha showed great courage and character to be batting with the stiff neck that he had – if we had lost our three wickets quickly and they were chasing 240-250 in approximately 110 overs, then they are looking at 2.2-2.3 runs an over. So no that is not my reading of the game. We needed that partnership.”Dravid went on to suggest they would have approached the final session of day four differently had they not lost half-centurion Shreyas Iyer to the last ball before tea, but then stopped himself. “We lost Shreyas just before tea,” Dravid said. “Then we had that partnership, which was critical for us. From 167 for 7 to get to 230 for 7 was absolutely necessary. If this wicket was turning square and bouncing, and we had both the edges in play, I would have… you know there would have been a different situation.”My reading of the game was not that at all. Even today you walk into the ground, and you know the opposition needs just under three an over. That’s not a lot of runs if a couple of batters get set. Of course, we thought we did it well. We timed it well. We managed to get a wicket yesterday, and we came very close today. We were under pressure as well, people forget that, even 45 minutes before we declared.”Rahul Dravid believes the partnership between Wriddhiman Saha and Axar Patel was vital•BCCIThe biggest deciding factor was the conditions, an unresponsive pitch that took out a couple of modes of dismissals from the game. “Facts of the pitch were it probably was low and slow, probably didn’t have that much bounce, didn’t have turn,” Dravid said. “You probably expect a little bit more of wear and tear on these wickets in Indian conditions over five days. This didn’t seem to have that bite. Generally on days four and five, as a spinner, you can challenge both the edges. The outside edge for the catches, and you can get the lbws by beating the inside edge. Honestly, in this Test the outside edge was virtually ruled out.”Even on the last day, none of the edges carried. I can’t remember a catch close to the wicket. [KS] Bharat [substitute wicketkeeper] took a couple but other than that there was nothing. It sort of felt like there was only one way to get people out, which is lbw and bowled. Which was probably true in the last session.”Related

Kane Williamson: 'Defiant attitude great to see' from New Zealand

Dravid: 'Hopefully it is a matter of one innings for Rahane'

Anatomy of a stalemate on a dead Kanpur pitch

Ravindra, Ajaz frustrate India as NZ hold on for hard-fought draw

Stats – Ashwin's new record, a rare draw with nine wickets down

Dravid lauded his bowlers for bringing India as close as they did despite the pitch. “I think we did a great job in spite of that,” he said. “It was tough. Look we expect it to be tough in Kanpur. Let’s be honest, I have played here before, I know wickets here can be tough, but this was probably even lower and slower than anything I have experienced here.”Usually on day five you should get little more help. The cracks widen up a little bit. I don’t know, maybe it is the winter. I don’t know what it was but it just felt like if you wanted to block and not score runs, it was difficult to get you out. We saw that. We had quality guys who were able to make a game out of this. Otherwise this could have been a dull draw.”

Cristiano Ronaldo shared a dance with his mother Maria Dolores Aveiro as the Al-Nassr star celebrated his 40th birthday with a glitzy party.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ronaldo celebrates 40th birthday in glitzy partyShares a dance with his mother Dolores AveiroSinger Rauw Alejandro performs with live bandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo celebrated his 40th birthday on February 5 with a glitzy party in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia surrounded by friends and family, and several renowned celebrities including Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro, who delivered a rendition of 'Happy Birthday' for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and performed with a live band. Ronaldo also shared a dance with his mother Dolores Aveiro during the party.

AdvertisementWATCH THE VIDEOTHE GOSSIP

Ronaldo recently claimed he deserves the title of 'best footballer in history' during an interview with Spanish TV station as he placed himself ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi, Pele and Diego Maradona in the GOAT race. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner aims to score 1,000 goals before retiring from the sport as he stands just 76 away from becoming the first player to achieve the feat.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

The Portugal captain has confirmed his desire to lead his nation at the 2026 World Cup, however, he will have to focus on Al-Nassr first as he is yet to win his first major title in Saudi Arabia.

Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson has been in top form and Nuno Espirito Santo believes England could rely on the midfielder.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Anderson in top form for Nottingham ForestNuno reveals thoughts on England futureWon't put pressure on TuchelFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Nottingham Forest's fairytale season has seen the East Midlands side sit as high as second in the Premier League standings and they are well in with a shout to reach the Champions League as a top-five finish should be enough to secure qualification.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Anderson has been one of the names who have performed beyond the expectations placed on him having joined Forest in the summer from Newcastle United as the Magpies conducted fire sales due to PSR worries. Nuno backed Anderson to play for England, though stopped short of putting pressure on new manager Thomas Tuchel.

AFPWHAT NUNO SAID

When asked about Anderson's prospects of a call-up, Nuno said: "I think he has enough talent to be regarded – the rest is up to Thomas and I won’t comment on that.

"When he started the season he was playing wide for us, giving us a lot of things in terms of possession. But his numbers in terms of assists and goals aren’t there. Now, he’s giving us that. He’s reaching the box, shooting. He’s got goals and he has to believe he can do it. I think it’s something he has and he can do.

"For his age, I think he has been really good. And the club operated well, bringing him here. And I think he can improve. His defensive work has been good. But it can be better. We’re trying to look at all the details with him. We don’t want him to overthink things. If he’s in position – try to take a shot – even if he’s not in a good position – don’t overthink it."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR ANDERSON?

The 22-year-old will now return to his boyhood club when Forest take on Newcastle on Sunday. Nuno has urged Anderson to focus on the game, the coach added: "His focus has to be Newcastle – and he has to go there knowing he has nothing to prove to anyone and just to play his game. It’s as simple as that. He needs to improve your game – and the mistakes he made in the previous game? Eradicate them.

"However, he will have to be extra alert because the team that he is going to face knows him very well. This is what he should be thinking and I hope he’s thinking about this. If he’s not – I’ll tell him. And I’ll remind him on the day of the game."

South Africa will be missing Kagiso Rabada, who has been withdrawn from the ODI squad to manage his workload

Firdose Moonda18-Jan-20220:50

Sanjay Manjrekar: ‘Put pressure on the opposition, open with Venkatesh Iyer’

Big pictureUnlike most of the ODI cricket played at the moment, the three-match series between South Africa and India does not form part of the World Cup Super League, with those fixtures said to be slotted in at a later date. The 50-over format takes a bit of a backseat for much 2022, but this series will give both teams a chance to try out combinations. For South Africa, those combinations will include seeing how the attack holds up in the absence of Kagiso Rabada, who has been released by Cricket South Africa “due to high workloads over a sustained period of time”. CSA is giving Rabada time to rest and recover ahead of South Africa’s trip to New Zealand next month.With a T20 World Cup 10 months away, you may be wondering why these matches have been tacked onto the Tests, instead of T20Is for example, when they actually don’t count for much? Well, remember that this series was originally also supposed to include four T20Is, but concerns over the Omicron variant, which delayed India’s arrival in the country, chopped those off the schedule. The ODIs have stayed, not least because they bring CSA millions of rands through broadcast rights – more than they would get for a shorter format.But there may end up being some method to this madness as both sides have plenty to work on in this format.South Africa remain out of the automatic qualification zone for the 2023 World Cup after dropping points in Ireland and Sri Lanka. Given the volume of cricket and restrictions of bio-bubbles, this is a rare occasion when they have something close to a full strength squad at their disposal. Anrich Nortje is out with a hip injury, but captain Temba Bavuma is back, after breaking his thumb in Sri Lanka, as well as several senior players who were rested for the Netherlands series. Headlining that group is Quinton de Kock, who announced his retirement from Tests after the Boxing Day match, but has returned from paternity leave.India are also as close to their first choice group of players as possible. They are without their new permanent captain Rohit Sharma, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury, but do have their new permanent coach, Rahul Dravid, at the helm for the first time in an ODI series since being given the job on a full-time basis. Dravid took a second-string side to Sri Lanka in July, and won, and will want to start building for the outfit that will compete at the 2023 World Cup.Form guide South Africa LWLWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India LWWWLIn the spotlightAfter struggling for runs in the Tests,Aiden Markram will look to the ODIs to redeem himself and also improve his numbers in this format. In 34 matches, Markram averages 28.10 and has yet to bring up three-figures, but came close with 96 in Sri Lanka. The return of specialist openers to the ODI squad and Markam’s recent success in T20s at No. 4 suggests that he should be batting in the middle-order in this series, which may give him the opportunity to play himself back into form ahead of a trip to New Zealand and a home series against Bangaldesh.It’s that man again Virat Kohli. While it comes across as though viewers of this series simply shouldn’t take their eyes off him, he has given us all plenty to look at. From revealing a different version of events to the BCCI about his stepping away from white-ball captaincy to giving up the Test leadership, and shouting at the stump microphone in between, Kohli has been under the microscope for reasons other than his form. But let’s talk about that. He was not able to break his century drought in Tests but will hope he can do so in ODIs. He last scored an ODI hundred in West Indies in August 2019, but has made eight fifties in 15 innings since.Temba Bavuma will have Quinton de Kock back in the squad•ICC via GettyTeam newsSouth Africa have a bottleneck at the top of the line-up, which could leave Rassie van der Dussen coming in lower than he is used to. They have room for two allrounders and may have to choose between seam and spin in that role, two out-and-out quicks and a specialist spinner. Rabada won’t be there to choose from, but they have added some cover in the form of left-arm spin-bowling allrounder George Linde, retained in the ODI unit after being part of the Test squad. Rabada’s absence could open a door for the young Marco Jansen make an ODI debut, following a highly successful Test outing.South Africa: (possible) 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Janneman Malan, 3 Temba Bavuma, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Rassie van der Dussen 6 David Miller, 7 Dwaine Pretorius/George Linde, 8 Andile Phehlulwayo, 9 Marco Jansen, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiCaptain KL Rahul confirmed on the eve of the game that he would open in Rohit Sharma’s absence. He also hinted that India could play two spinners.India: (possible) 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Venkatesh Iyer, 7 Deepak Chahar, 8 Shardul Thakur/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalPitch and conditionsKnown for being slow and flat, Boland Park has thrown up some surprises over the years, most notably Sri Lanka being skittled out for 43 a decade ago. But first-innings scores tend to be high here and South Africa have topped 350 once in the last five years and come close on another occasion. Expect big runs on a ground with small boundaries, if the teams manage to not wilt in the weather. The Western Cape is experiencing a heatwave and temperatures in Paarl are set to top 45C this week.Stats and trivia South Africa have not won an ODI series since sweeping Australia 3-nil in February 2020. They’ve since drawn with Ireland and lost to Sri Lanka. Yuzvendra Chahal needs three wickets to become the 23rd Indian player to take 100 wickets in ODIs. Quotes”I think he’s fine. He’s practising with us. So I don’t see any discomfort. Hopefully everything stays that way. Nothing that I am aware of right now but everyone seems to be okay. And hopefully it stays that way.”
“The batting preparation from a slow bowling point of view has been happening for the past year and you would have seen the positive results that the guys displayed when we played in Sri Lanka. At the World Cup as well, we made positive strides in terms of how we are playing slow bowling. Coming up against India, spin bowling is a strength of theirs. That’s something we are aware of. We’ll prepare as well as we can to mitigate against that.”

Liverpool are believed to be preparing an incredible £58m offer for a “wonderful” footballer who is lighting up his league this season, according to a fresh transfer claim.

Latest Liverpool news

The Reds continue to be backed to make new signings, with Eintracht Frankfurt attacking star Omar Marmoush linked with a move to Anfield various times in recent weeks. He is seen as a potential long-term replacement for compatriot Mohamed Salah, with doubts still surrounding his future.

Liverpool are also reportedly interested in securing the signing of Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni in the January transfer window, should the reigning Champions League holders decide to allow him to leave midway through the season. The Frenchman was considered a target back in 2022, prior to moving to Spain from Monaco instead.

Away from transfer rumours, it is also an incredibly busy time at Anfield regarding the futures of so many key players, especially Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Salah. All three are out of contract next summer and none have signed extensions yet.

That said, they aren’t the only individuals in question, with midweek hat-trick hero Luis Diaz also potentially getting a new contract in the near future, as well as Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson. Retaining the services of these figures feels every bit as important as new signings.

Liverpool prepare £58m offer for "wonderful" star

According to a report from Spain, Liverpool are now preparing what is called an “incredible” £58m bid for Marmoush, as they continue to pursue a move for him.

The 25-year-old appears to be a primary target for the Reds at this point, as CEO of Football Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes look to get an exciting piece of business over the line. This update comes after reports said it was Marmoush’s “dream” to join Liverpool.

The idea of Marmoush in a Liverpool shirt is mouthwatering, considering the exceptional season he is having for Frankfurt, scoring 10 goals and bagging six assists in the Bundesliga already, in just nine appearances.

The Egyptian has a strong case for being seen as the most in-form player in his whole league and Ahmed Schubert has said of him: “I think that what Omar Marmoush has done in the German League since last season deserves greater praise and attention. Marmoush confirms day after day that he is a distinguished talent and a wonderful player. There is no doubt that his move to one of the big clubs in Europe is very close.”

Admittedly, Liverpool’s attack is already full of riches, but if Salah does move on he will leave a gaping void, considering he is now deservedly seen as one of the greatest players in the club’s history.

Diogo Jota’s injury problems are also a concern, with the Portuguese finding it tough to remain fit for long periods, and doubts persist over Darwin Nunez’s long-term worth, not least his finishing.

Move over Jones: Slot can unleash his own Xabi Alonso in Liverpool starlet

Liverpool have a “special” teenager who could be their next Xabi Alonso.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 8, 2024

Marmoush can shine both as a centre forward and out wide, and if Liverpool were able to snap him up for £58m, it could look like a steal over time.

A fresh report has emerged on the future of Julen Lopetegui at West Ham United, and his potential replacement at the London Stadium, as the London side continue to struggle in the early stretches of the Premier League campaign.

Lopetegui under early pressure at West Ham

Though he only arrived over the summer, Lopetegui is already headed firmly towards last-chance saloon in east London after a poor start to the season.

After 11 games, his side sit in the bottom half of the Premier League table with just 12 points to their name, losing five times and conceding 19 goals, among the highest in the division.

It follows a summer in which they laid their ambitions to join the elite in the top flight, spending over £130m on the likes of Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo.

Their summer spending was the fifth-highest in the Premier League, just £1m less than London rivals Tottenham, but they are yet to see any return on their investment as they struggle towards the bottom of the division ahead of their trip to Newcastle United.

Premier League’s biggest spenders summer 2024

Club

Outlay

Chelsea

£219.6m

Manchester United

£205.9m

Brighton

£192m

Tottenham

£133.5m

West Ham United

£132.5m

Their form has seen fingers pointed at Lopetegui, who became the first West Ham boss to lose his first three home games and has fared little better since, with very few truly impressive performances from his side and little indication that results will improve in the future.

Now, an update on his future and potential replacement has been provided.

West Ham update on potential Mourinho move

That comes courtesy of Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, who claims that Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho has “switched on a charm offensive to circulate his name around clubs in the Premier League” as he eyes a potential return to the top flight amid rumours he was very interested in the West Ham job.

However, a move to West Ham is unlikely for several reasons, not least because the ex-Chelsea man would be an expensive hire and Lopetegui’s departure would also be costly given his recent arrival.

Meanwhile, the report adds that “as things stand, the club are set to grant Lopetegui more time to turn things around ahead of a favourable run of fixtures in the Premier League”, with the Hammers facing Leicester City, Bournemouth and Wolves all in their next five Premier League games.

West Ham must rue losing "superstar" who shackled £104m trio out on loan

West Ham may have a player out on loan who could make a big difference to the current team…

1 ByRoss Kilvington Nov 23, 2024

Mourinho has also ruled out a move this season, explaining to Sky Sports: “Let’s make it clear for the next two years, this season and the next, nobody would take me from Fenerbahce.”

However, a future move could well be on the cards, with the Portuguese coach openly revealing his desire to return to a London club.

“I had three clubs in England, Chelsea twice, so in four different periods I’ve coached in England and I loved it. I’ve been so, so lucky to live in beautiful countries and beautiful cities like Istanbul, Rome, Madrid, Milan but my family lives in London. London is home so one day I want to be back, unless nobody wants me.”

For now though, should West Ham opt to part ways with Lopetegui they will seemingly have to look elsewhere to find a new coach.