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The back-up goalkeeper looked shaky after replacing Andre Onana as Ruben Amorim's side were thrashed on Tyneside

Manchester United thought they had just one dodgy goalkeeper; it turns out they have two. Altay Bayindir made his long-awaited Premier League debut against Newcastle on Sunday to give the hapless Andre Onana time to "disconnect" after his dismal showing at Lyon, but the Turk ended up making his fellow goalkeeper feel better after blundering in a damaging 4-1 defeat for Ruben Amorim's side.

Bayindir gifted Bruno Guimaraes a late goal which completed a rout for the Magpies after a Harvey Barnes double had already put them on their way to victory in a rampant second-half display. Alejandro Garnacho had cancelled out Sandro Tonali's opener in the first half, but United failed to compete in the second period and will be low on confidence for Thursday's Europa League quarter-final second leg against Lyon.

Amorim made five changes to his line up, which included leaving Onana out of the squad altogether, and Bayindir was beaten in the second minute by Joelinton, only for the Brazilian to be denied by the offside flag. There was no reprieve when Tonali volleyed Newcastle ahead in the 24th minute, though, after a delightful piece of skill from Alexander Isak, who flicked the ball into the air and guided it into the path of the Italian.

United responded with a well-worked counter-attack, beginning with some clever play from Manuel Ugarte to release Diogo Dalot, who in turn played in Garnacho to control the ball with his right foot and then fire it in off the post with a confident strike. His celebration – posing in front of the Gallowgate End – exuded confidence, or to be more accurate, arrogance.

Newcastle got themselves back in front early in the second half with a sweeping move finished off by Barnes which completely dazzled United's defenders. The Red Devils had another setback soon after when Joshua Zirkzee hobbled off with a painful-looking injury, and things got even worse when Noussair Mazraoui slipped over after a challenge from Barnes and the midfielder tore past the visitors' bumbling defenders to score again.

Surprisingly, that was not the worst moment of the game, which came soon after when Bayindir played the ball straight to Joelinton, who nodded it to a grateful Guimaraes and the Brazilian rifled in the fourth.

GOAL United's players from St James' Park…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Altay Bayindir (3/10):

Looked nervous even before his late howler. A good save from Isak on the rebound was the only positive note from a very shaky display, completed by a gaffe to rival Onana's latest work.

Noussair Mazraoui (4/10):

His slip handed Newcastle their third and ended all hope of a comeback. Before that he had defended well, in keeping with his consistent performances of late.

Victor Lindelof (5/10):

Did OK in the first half but couldn't cope with Newcastle's speed-freaks when they turned it on after the break.

Leny Yoro (5/10):

One of United's better performers in Lyon, he was brought back down to earth and given a brutal reminder of the physical intensity of the best sides in the Premier League.

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Diogo Dalot (5/10):

Good going forward, helping with Garnacho's leveller. But off the pace defensively, as Livramento cruised past him.

Christian Eriksen (4/10):

Contributed to a stylish move involving Fernandes and Zirkzee, but this was not the right game for his pedestrian pace and Newcastle's hyper-intense midfield destroyed him.

Manuel Ugarte (5/10):

Played a key role in the equaliser, but his sloppy passing was also on display and he could not live with Newcastle's formidable midfield trio.

Harry Amass (6/10):

An encouraging full debut for United and didn't contribute to the worst moments as he had been taken off in the 55th minute.

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Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

Responsible for a couple of nice passages of play, but this was not his strongest display and it looked as if, understandably, he was reserving some energy for Lyon.

Joshua Zirkzee (5/10):

Should have done better with his first-half attempt. Played some nice moves and he will be missed against Lyon after coming off with a worrying injury.

Alejandro Garnacho (7/10):

At last scored against a team other than Leicester, producing a top-draw finish. Taken off early in the second half with one eye on Lyon.

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Patrick Dorgu (5/10):

Imprecise and ineffective at stopping Newcastle's threat down the flank.

Rasmus Hojlund (5/10):

A downgrade on Zirkzee, his arrival coinciding with United falling apart.

Mason Mount (5/10):

Had a half-hearted attempt at goal.

Luke Shaw (5/10):

Made his first appearance of the season in the 78th minute, but it was not a good occasion to mark his comeback.

Kobbie Mainoo (N/A):

Brought on in the 88th minute.

Ruben Amorim (5/10):

Rotated his squad for Lyon, but didn't rest the players that needed it the most such as Fernandes, Dalot and Garnacho – and now he will be without Zirkzee.

Leeds United return to Championship action today as they prepare to welcome Sheffield Wednesday to Elland Road after their FA Cup match last weekend.

Harrogate Town visited West Yorkshire for the third round clash and Daniel Farke’s side needed a second-half header from Largie Ramazani to secure progress through to the fourth round in that tie.

The Whites will now be focused on the league and ensuring that they return to the top of the Championship table by securing all three points this afternoon in the early kick-off.

Leeds, as you can see in the highlights above, dropped two points in their last outing in the second tier, conceding two goals late on to throw a two-goal lead away against Hull.

The January transfer window has been open for business for over two weeks and Farke could look to dip into the market to bolster his squad, to ensure that they do not have many more slip-ups in the race for automatic promotion in the second half of the season.

One player who has been linked with a January switch to link up with the German head coach at Elland Road is Emiliano Buendia, who worked with him at Norwich City.

The latest on Emi Buendia to Leeds United

Speaking on The View podcast on Thursday, as relayed by LeedsUnitedNews, journalist Ben Jacobs revealed that the Whites will need to be creative to secure a deal to bring the Argentina international to West Yorkshire before the end of the window.

The journalist has ruled out an immediate permanent move to join Leeds this month, but revealed that there could be a deal to be done as part of a loan with an obligation in the summer.

Jacobs was quoted as saying: “Villa are open to a permanent sale but that’s not for Leeds right now.

“Or, more-likely, a loan with an option or obligation. A loan with an option would be Leeds paying 100% of the wages, not something Leeds want to do. An obligation, they may be more flexible with the wages.”

Villa reportedly paid a fee of up to £38m to sign the Argentine whiz from Norwich in the summer of 2021 and Jacobs does not believe that the Whites would be willing to pay the kind of money they would want to recoup from that this month.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, it appears as though there could be an opening for Leeds to get a deal over the line for Buendia if they can reach an agreement with Villa over a loan, with some of his wages covered for this season, which includes an obligation for the move to become permanent if they are promoted this year.

Signing the Villans ace, who can play as an attacking midfielder or out wide on the right, could put a few of the current squad on their toes, including Brenden Aaronson.

Brenden Aaronson's form this season

The USA international returned to Elland Road in the summer after his spell out on loan with Union Berlin last season and came back with the ambition of turning his career at the club around, having been relegated from the Premier League in his first campaign in England.

It has not been a perfect season for the 24-year-old attacking midfield, so far, but he has done more than enough to show that he can be a valuable member of the squad, certainly at Championship level.

Starts

24

xG

7.55

Goals

7

Big chances created

6

Assists

2

Key passes per game

1.5

As you can see in the table above, Aaronson has contributed with 13 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 24 starts in the second tier, although he has slightly underperformed against his xG.

The American midfielder has been unfortunate to only register two assists in those 24 starts, as his teammates have not made the most of the six ‘big chances’ that he has created for them this term.

Despite his relatively strong form in the Championship since his return to the club in the summer, Farke and Leeds could land a huge upgrade on Aaronson by sealing a creative deal to sign Buendia this month.

Why Buendia would be a big Aaronson upgrade

The 28-year-old star missed 56 matches last season due to an ACL injury and has racked up three goals in 18 matches in all competitions for Villa’s first-team and U21 side combined this term.

Buendia, who was once hailed as “magical” by analyst Liam Henshaw, had managed nine goals and eight assists in the Premier League in his first two seasons with Villa prior to that lengthy injury absence.

Before his move to Villa Park in 2021, the Argentine sensation thrived under Leeds boss Daniel Farke during their time together at Carrow Road, winning two Championship titles under the German boss.

In the 2018/19 campaign, Buendia scored eight goals and provided 12 assists in 35 starts as the Canaries won the division and earned promotion to the Premier League.

Norwich were then relegated straight back down to the Championship and the right-footed playmaker stepped his game up another level to be the main man for the Yellows.

Appearances

39

Goals

15

Big chances created

18

Key passes per game

3.1

Assists

16

As you can see in the table above, Buendia enjoyed an extraordinary year in the second tier that term with 33 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 39 appearances for Norwich.

These statistics illustrate the kind of quality he could provide in the final third for Leeds at this level, especially given that he would be working under the same manager who got the best out of him in the past.

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Leeds United have been linked with an interest in the Championship attacker.

ByDan Emery Jan 13, 2025

Buendia has the ability to come in as a huge upgrade on Aaronson by offering more quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, given that his form from the 2020/21 campaign saw him score and create far more frequently than the American ace has this season.

If they brought him in with an obligation to sign him permanently upon promotion, they would also be signing a player who has showcased quality at Premier League level, prior to his injury, whilst Aaronson was ranked the lowest-rated player in the Premier League by Sofascore in the 2022/23 campaign.

Nat Sciver will continue to lead the hosts with no replacement being called up

Valkerie Baynes03-Aug-2022Heather Knight, the England captain, has been ruled out of the remainder of the Commonwealth Games and the Hundred with a hip injury.Knight has not played either of England’s two fixtures at the Commonwealth Games so far after suffering the injury during the first T20I of the bilateral series against South Africa at Chelmsford on July 21.The England camp said on Wednesday that the injury had “failed to settle down as expected and Knight will continue to receive treatment”.Nat Sciver will remain England’s captain at the Commonwealth Games, where no replacement player can be called up, leaving the host nation with a 14-strong squad for the remainder of the competition. Knight will remain in Birmingham with the squad.

Pretty gutted to be missing the next few months of cricket.
Injuries suck, but I’ve been through this before and I’ll be back

Right behind the girls to smash it this weekend https://t.co/Dbyob3nWVY

— Heather Knight (@Heatherknight55) August 4, 2022

Knight had injections in her hip joint while sitting out the last two matches of the South Africa series in an effort to overcome the injury but Sciver revealed on Tuesday that Knight had undergone further scans after only noticing minor improvement.”She’s not in a good place,” Sciver said. “She’s better than she has been in the last few days, still in a bit of pain with her hip.”It’s probably going to be a bit quick to play against New Zealand. She went and saw our team doctor and had another scan.”Related

Heather Knight to miss CWG 2022 opener due to hip trouble

England know they have lessons to learn from their Commonwealth Games opener

Capsey, the teenager thriving at No. 3 for England

England have won both their group games so far comfortably in Knight’s absence, with 17-year-old Alice Capsey performing well at No. 3, Sciver at No. 4 and Amy Jones holding down the No. 5 spot.England are already assured of a place in the semi-finals at Edgbaston, with their final group fixture against New Zealand on Thursday set to determine who finishes top of Group B.Australia, who are guaranteed to top Group A after beating Pakistan by 44 runs in their final group match on Wednesday, will play the second-placed team in Group B; and the Group B leaders will play the winner of Wednesday night’s match between India and Barbados in Saturday’s semi-finals.Knight was due to play a second season as London Spirit captain in this year’s edition of the women’s Hundred. London Spirit begin their campaign against Southern Brave at Southampton on August 12.

Tony Mowbray was handed a rude awakening back in the hot seat of football management away at Middlesbrough on Tuesday night as his new West Bromwich Albion side fell to a dire 2-0 defeat.

It was a flat display from the Baggies at the Riverside Stadium who could only muster up one big chance being created all evening, with the quality of Ben Doak towards the close of the contest eventually securing Michael Carrick’s men all three points.

Mowbray could well want to add more quality to the attacking ranks after seeing his new team draw blanks on the road, with this striker reportedly on their agenda.

West Brom interested in signing new forward

This has been a promising transfer window for a number of promotion chasers so far, notably Sheffield United who have welcomed Ben Brereton Diaz & Tom Cannon through the door.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

So, what is West Brom’s response? Well, as per Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, the promotion candidates are considering a loan move for St. Gallen star Willem Geubbels this January in order to give them another standout option up top.

The Baggies are not alone in this pursuit, however, with the 23-year-old attacker also being eyed up by fellow Championship outfits Leeds United and Norwich City.

This will be an area that West Brom will be desperate to improve in, especially when you consider usual first-team ace Josh Maja – who has 12 second-tier goals next to his name – is now sidelined for the foreseeable owing to a leg injury that requires surgery.

What Geubbels can offer West Brom

It would be a wise decision to try and snap up Geubbels before the close of the hectic transfer window, with the ex-Olympique Lyonnais youngster perhaps an upgrade on what Mowbray already has at his disposal – away from any lingering injury issues – in the form of Karlan Grant.

After all, Grant hasn’t always found his time at the Hawthorns to be a walk in the park.

Indeed, before becoming a first-team regular this season, the former Huddersfield Town man had found himself chucked out on loan to Cardiff City, with a lacklustre three goal return managed during the 2022/23 campaign in the Championship signalling his switch to the Bluebirds.

Games played

13

27

Goals scored

6

6

Assists

2

2

Shots per game

2.2

2.1

Scoring frequency

145 mins

328 mins

Big chances missed

2

4

Big chances created

4

6

He has managed to breathe life back into his playing days in the West Midlands when looking at the table above, but his spot could soon be taken up by Geubbels’ arrival onto the scene, with the 23-year-old managing to match and surpass a few of Grant’s numbers this season playing out in Switzerland.

With a further three strikes coming his way away from league action, the Frenchman ends up bettering Grant’s output overall in all competitions, with two of his goals even coming in the UEFA Conference League.

Capable of playing down either wing too, much like Grant, the “powerful” attacker – as he has been described by The Rangers Journal – does feel like an improvement on the West Brom number 18 as competition for spaces in Mowbray’s starting lineup heats up.

The 61-year-old will hope his new potential recruit can lead the line effectively until Maja’s return, as the Baggies are clearly missing their injury-stricken star man dearly with only one strike across their last three Championship outings.

That’s where Geubbels will hope he can be of use as a short-term purchase, as Mowbray goes about leaving his lasting mark back at the helm.

West Brom have struck gold on "animal" who is worth more than Isaac Price

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ByKelan Sarson Jan 21, 2025

Despite Cox’s unbeaten 61, Invincibles can’t recover from losing three wickets in first 35 balls

ECB Reporters Network17-Aug-2022Trent Rockets bounced back from Monday’s defeat at Birmingham Phoenix to make it four Hundred wins from five with a 25-run victory over the Oval Invincibles after Alex Hales had set the night up with some characteristic pyrotechnics in front of his home crowd.Hales’s stunning 59 off 29 balls packed four sixes and six fours and a strike rate of 203.44 to give Rockets the platform to post a challenging 181 for 4, backed up by leading run scorer Dawid Malan’s 38 off 29 and consolidated by skipper Lewis Gregory combining with Colin Munro to add 41 off the last 19 balls.Despite Jordan Cox countering with an unbeaten 61 off 33, Invincibles couldn’t recover from losing their first three wickets for 32 in 35 balls with South African left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi finding a notable degree of turn in taking 2 for 21.Tabraiz Shamsi celebrates the wicket of Jason Roy•ECB/Getty ImagesAfter Rockets were put in, Malan had the six counter ticking from ball four but spent the next 40 largely admiring his teammate as Hales delivered an extraordinary display of his clean hitting skills.Hales, who survived an lbw review first ball, took a particular liking to Sam Curran, plundering three of his four maximums off the left-hander, whom he hammered for 20 runs in one set of five. He had gone past 10,000 career short-format runs in the previous set and looked unstoppable. His fourth six – off Sydney Thunder teammate Mohammad Hasnain – sailed over the roof of the Fox Road stand and into the Nottingham night as his fifty came up off just 22 balls.But after he’d gone for 59, picking out the fielder on the midwicket boundary as Hasnain took his revenge, Rockets lost some momentum and it needed Gregory and Munro’s enterprise at the death to set the Invincibles a testing chase.In between, Malan’s 29-ball 38 had ended when Jason Roy grabbed a very low catch in the covers that needed an umpire review to confirm, Tom Kohler-Cadmore miscued to point and Daniel Sams flicked one straight to deep square leg.The test facing the visitors soon became bigger still. Will Jacks was fresh from his brilliant unbeaten 108 not out last time out but Sam Cook had his number on this occasion, denied his wicket on an lbw review in his first set and watching him survive a top-edged pull before bowling him with a perfect yorker.Roy at least avoided another duck but on 20 from 17 ran into a ripper from Shamsi that knocked back his leg stump. Shamsi had Billings leg before with one that fizzed through three balls later.Curran built himself a start but perished for 27, getting away with a steepler that Tom Moores inexplicably spilled only for the wicketkeeper to redeem himself next ball with a stumping that won instant forgiveness from bowler Samit Patel.It wasn’t the best of nights in the field for the Rockets, with Cox shelled at short third on 32 and Sunil Narine on 16 by the ‘keeper – a difficult one this time – in the same Luke Wood over, but with 66 needed from 20 balls despite Narine launching a free hit over the rope at wide long on, the winning line looked too far away for the Invincibles, despite Cox hitting three sixes.

Mohamed Salah is on track to become the Premier League's all-time top scorer after he signed a contract extension at Liverpool.

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Salah trails Shearer by 78 goalsForward committed to new Liverpool dealBacked to break record in coming yearsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Salah put an end to the long saga of uncertainty around his future by signing on for another two years at Anfield. The forward has been sensational for the Reds again this season, topping the Premier League's goals and assists charts.

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The 27 goals he has scored this term take his all-time tally in the English top-flight to 182, putting him just 78 short of the record holder Alan Shearer. To surpass that record, Salah may have to sign on for another year on Merseyside as calculations from say the Egypt star is on track to reach 260 strikes by the end of the 2027-28 campaign.

WILL HAALAND SURPASS SALAH & SHEARER?

Even if the 32-year-old overtakes ex-England and Newcastle striker Shearer, he is expected to eventually see the record taken from him by Manchester City's Erling Haaland. The Norway international penned a new deal that keeps him tied to the club until 2034. By then, though, he will already be the record holder, with the study saying he is projected to end the 2030-31 season with 278 goals.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR SALAH?

Salah is on track to end the season with a second Premier League winners' medal, with Arne Slot's men sitting 11 points clear ahead of the weekend's meeting with West Ham.

Real Madrid will have to pay a double-digit buyout fee in order to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso as manager this summer.

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Alonso heavily tipped to join MadridLaLiga outfit likely to part ways with Carlo AncelottiLos Blancos must pay a buyout fee to sign AlonsoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Alonso is the hot favourite to replace Carlo Ancelotti as the manager of Real Madrid, especially following the Spanish giants' humiliating 5-1 quarter-final defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League. However, BILD reports (h/t Football Espana) that Los Blancos will have to pay a double-digit figure to Bayer Leverkusen in order to sign Alonso before his current deal, valid until June 2026, expires.

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Alonso is believed to have an agreement with Leverkusen CEO Fernando Cerro to allow him to leave for Real Madrid, but the German club will demand at least €10 million as fees for his release. Los Merengues are likely to negotiate the cost down, given their historical reluctance to pay large fees for managers. The timing, with the Club World Cup approaching, adds urgency to the decision. Indeed, there is just a 24-day gap between Madrid's final LaLiga fixture and the start of the Club World Cup. Not just that, but a host of Madrid players are expected to be on national duty in between, giving Alonso little to no time to work with the squad.

DID YOU KNOW?

Speculation surrounding a potential managerial change at Madrid has intensified in recent days. According to reports from Cadena SER, an intermediary from the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) was spotted in the stands of the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, fueling rumours of a possible managerial shake-up. Additional reports have suggested that former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could be enticed by the prospect of returning to management with the 15-time European winners, should the opportunity arise.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR XABI ALONSO?

Leverkusen's sporting director hinted last month that Alonso could remain at the BayArena for another season. "No, he's staying, that's it. He told me that there was nothing. He has a contract with us," said Rofles.

Alonso could lead Die Werkself to a second consecutive Bundesliga title, although with five games to go and with Leverkusen trailing Bayern Munich by six points, only a miracle could see them defend the league. They will take on St. Pauli in their upcoming clash, which will be played on Sunday, April 20.

Bumrah, if fully fit, could replace Umesh in the XI, while Australia are likely to remain unchanged

Hemant Brar22-Sep-20222:54

Is India’s bowling a concern heading into the T20 World Cup?

Big pictureAt this point in time, the Indian cricket team’s situation mirrors life: no sooner have you overcome a challenge than the next one crops up.After India successfully sorted out their batting, with their top order now looking for boundaries straightaway, they would have thought it was time to breathe easy. But lately, their death bowling has started giving them headaches.Since January 2022, 33 bowlers have bowled 20 or more overs at the death in T20 cricket. Among those, Harshal Patel (10.45) has the tenth-worst economy rate. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is somewhere in the middle with 9.54.In the first match of the ongoing series, India posted 208 for 6, their highest T20I total against Australia. During their chase, Australia needed 55 from the last four overs but wrapped up the game with four balls still left in the bank.Related

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Yes, the Mohali pitch was flat, the outfield lightning and the boundaries tiny, but there was hardly any dew. If India didn’t have the services of Jasprit Bumrah, Australia too were without David Warner, Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis.India, though, have solutions in sight for the T20 World Cup, if not this series. Once Bumrah returns, it should solve half the problem. And while Arshdeep Singh is not in the squad for the Australia series, he could be tried in place of Harshal during the South Africa T20Is. With a death-overs economy of 7.16, Arshdeep is third on the aforementioned list.Australia, meanwhile, will be pleased with their captain Aaron Finch showing signs of a return to form after a wretched time in ODIs this year. He took on Bhuvneshwar in the powerplay, smashing him for 22 off two overs to set the tone. Among other positives, Steven Smith, batting at No. 3 for the first time since last October, hit a 24-ball 35, and Matthew Wade once again demonstrated his finishing skills with an unbeaten 45 off 21 balls.The visitors will be looking to seal the series in Nagpur itself, which will be another big boost in the absence of many first-choice players.Form guideIndia LWLLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Australia WLWWWIn the spotlightWith Bumrah playing only three of India’s 27 T20Is this year, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been their regular death bowler. However, the last few games have put his this role under a scanner. In the Super 4 game against Pakistan at the Asia Cup, India were the favourites before he went for 19 in the penultimate over of the chase. In the first T20I against Australia, he conceded 15 each in the 17th and the 19th overs. Should India look to bowl him out by the 16th over?Before this series, Cameron Green had never opened in any form of senior cricket. But he smashed four boundaries in the first four balls he faced in the first T20I and finished with 61 off 30 balls to pick up the Player-of-the-Match award. Green is not part of Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, but if a batting slot opens up, the selectors know who to call. Friday will be another opportunity to further stake his claim.Team newsIf fully fit, Bumrah should replace Umesh Yadav for India. The hosts could also consider bringing in R Ashwin for Yuzvendra Chahal.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jasprit Bumrah/Umesh Yadav, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal/R AshwinAustralia are likely to be unchanged, with Kane Richardson, who missed the first T20I because of a minor side niggle, still unavailable. In case they decide to rest one of Josh Hazlewood or Pat Cummins, Sean Abbott can come in.Australia (probable): 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 Cameron Green, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Josh Inglis, 6 Tim David, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodBhuvneshwar Kumar conceded 15 runs each in the 17th and 19th overs against Australia in the first T20I•BCCIPitch and conditionsBowlers can expect a better outing in Nagpur than they had in Mohali. Across 12 T20Is at this venue, the average first-innings total has been 151. The last international match here was an India vs Bangladesh T20I in 2019, when Deepak Chahar registered figures of 6 for 7.India’s practice session on Thursday was cancelled because of rain. On Friday, it’s expected to be mostly cloudy, with the temperature hovering around 25°C.Stats and trivia Nine of the 12 T20Is in Nagpur have been won by the team batting first. Only 45 runs separate Rohit Sharma (3631) and Virat Kohli (3586), the top two run-getters in T20Is. Bhuvneshwar and Chahal have 84 T20I wickets each – the most for India in the format. Hazlewood is two short of 50 T20I wickets. If he gets there on Friday, in what will be his 32nd T20I, he will better Mitchell Starc’s Australian record of 40 matches. Quotes”I do not bat much in the nets, I practise separately, but from whatever I have faced, I can say Harshal Patel’s slower balls and his other variations are very deceptive. He has been working really hard on it. He has just come back from an injury, so let’s give him some benefit of that.”
“Having some good experience playing in India, finishing off games, understanding how it flows and how to play, or when it kind of lines up in front of you. There can be an advantage of batting second in Indian conditions. That was a good experience, the IPL, to have drawn on the other night out there in the middle.”

Liverpool now hold concrete interest in signing an “exceptional” £50m winger to replace Mohamed Salah this summer, with a report dropping a new update on the Egyptian’s future at Anfield.

Reds assessing options to replace Salah

Of course, every Liverpool fan will be hoping Salah extends his stay at Anfield beyond the end of the season, but it is by no means a guarantee, amid interest from the Saudi Pro League, meaning Arne Slot has started to assess potential replacements.

At one stage, Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo was deemed the player most likely to replace the 32-year-old, with the Merseyside club said to be willing to make an offer of £42m to get a deal over the line.

Earlier in the January transfer window, the Reds also made an approach to sign AFC Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, offering the Cherries a player plus-cash deal involving Ben Doak.

Semenyo is not the only Premier League forward Slot is considering as a potential replacement for Salah, however, with TEAMtalk revealing there is concrete interest in Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo in light of the forward’s impressive performances this season.

There may be competition for Mbeumo’s signature, however, with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United also very keen, and Liverpool’s interest is said to be intertwined with the situation surrounding Salah’s long-term future at Anfield.

If the forward decides to extend his stay on Merseyside, the Reds may choose to wait at least another window or two before pursuing a new right-winger, but if he chooses to move on this summer, they could step up their pursuit of the Brentford star.

With Neymar leaving Al-Hilal to sign for Santos, the Saudi Pro League side could push to sign Salah this summer, having identified him as their top target, as they want to replace the Brazilian with another big-name player.

Liverpool make enquiry over "outrageous" £20m star who's wanted by Man Utd

The midfielder’s agents are keen to secure him a move to a new club.

ByDominic Lund Jan 29, 2025 Mbeumo improving year-on-year

The Cameroon international played a key role for the Bees in their rise from the Championship to the top flight, scoring 23 goals across two seasons in the second tier, and he has since gone on to prove himself as a top player in the Premier League.

This season has been the France-born winger’s most impressive by some way, having amassed 17 goal contributions in the Premier League, most recently finding the back of the net in Brentford’s 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace.

That said, the £50m-valued forward, who has been described as “exceptional” by members of the media, is yet to prove himself at the very highest level, and it would be a risk to bring him in to replace Salah.

All being well, the Liverpool talisman will commit to a new contract to secure his long-term future before the end of the season, as truth be told, it is extremely unlikely the Reds will be able to find any player capable of replicating his attacking numbers.

The atmosphere around Arsenal at the moment is mixed.

Mikel Arteta’s side put in a barnstorming performance against defending Premier League champions Manchester City on the weekend and, in turn, have given their fans hope that they might be able to overturn their two-goal deficit away to Newcastle United in the League Cup tonight.

However, off the pitch, things are less than rosy as the board failed to make a single addition to the first team in the winter transfer window despite desperately needing attacking reinforcements following the injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus.

What might make the situation harder for fans to take is that the club were linked with a plethora of incredibly talented players, including Benjamin Šeško, and the fact that one of their former stars has outscored the Slovenian marksman as well as some of their current forward players, such as Gabriel Martinelli.

Arsenal's need for a striker

It was no secret that during the summer transfer window, Arsenal needed at least one attacking signing, as the only intentional additions to the frontline made under Arteta’s tenure have been Jesus and Leandro Trossard, with Kai Havertz initially joining as a midfielder.

1

Havertz

33

2686′

15

2

Saka

24

1828′

9

3

Martinelli

37

2341′

7

=

Nwaneri

22

647′

7

=

Jesus

27

1204′

7

4

Trossard

35

2040′

5

=

Magalhães

33

2764′

5

We’ve seen how this lack of firepower has affected the team this season, with the German being the only player to reach double figures for goals in the squad, while the injured Saka sits on nine and Jesus, Ethan Nwaneri and Martinelli are all on seven.

So, when the links to Šeško returned in full force last month, there was some excitement that the club would finally bring in another seriously dangerous striker with the skills and ability to rack up goals for fun.

For example, in just 29 appearances this season, the Radeče-born sensation has scored 14 goals and provided three assists, which might not sound incredible when you consider Havertz has scored 15 goals, but when you account for the fact he’s putting up these numbers at just 21 years old, it really is.

Moreover, the 6 foot 5 titan has been a force of nature for the national team, scoring 16 goals and providing three assists in just 39 senior caps, the first of which he won at 18.

In short, Šeško is a player who could’ve helped fire Arsenal to some kind of glory this season, be that in the league, Champions League or League Cup, yet a player sold by the club seven years ago managed to score more goals than him and Martinelli in his last full season.

The former Arsenal star outscoring Šeško

So, to get straight to the point, the former Arsenal star in question is Olivier Giroud, who joined the club in the summer of 2012 for just £12m from Ligue 1 side Montpellier.

Throughout the next five and a half years, the French marksman made 253 appearances for the North Londoners, scoring 105 goals, providing 37 assists and winning three FA Cups and three Community Shields.

However, in January 2018, he made a surprise £18m move to Chelsea – which allowed Arsène Wenger to bring in Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang – and in 119 appearances for the Blues, would score 39 goals, provide 14 assists, win another FA Cup and pick up a Champions League medal for good measure.

Not quite content with that, the “outstanding” marksman, as dubbed by former professional Danny Mills, would make another significant move in July 2021, this time to Italian giants AC Milan, where he’d play a crucial role in their 2021/22 Scudetto triumph and rack up an impressive haul of 49 goals and 20 assists in 132 appearances.

The Chambéry-born poacher left the San Siro last summer to join MLS side LAFC, and as he did so in the midst of their 2024 season, his tally across his final campaign with the Rosseneri and his first in Los Angeles was greater than Šeško’s so far this season.

Appearances

66

Minutes

4428′

Goals

19

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.43

Minutes per Goal Involvement

152.68′

For example, he scored 19 goals and provided ten assists in 66 games, totalling just 4428 minutes, so while the former Gooner averaged a goal involvement every 2.27 appearances, he also averaged one every 152.68 minutes, which is undeniably impressive for a 38-year-old centre-forward.

Ultimately, Arsenal were probably right to move Giroud on when they did, as Aubameyang came in and blew teams away for a few years, but we’re sure Arteta would love to have someone like him in the squad today.

With that said, the club should also do all they can to sign Šeško in the summer, as his record is unreal for someone his age, and there is every chance he could develop into twice the striker the Frenchman was for the Gunners.

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