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Newcastle United will play Champions League football once again next season, but Eddie Howe will certainly know that first-team signings are needed if his side are to make headway after an extraordinary year.

Top five was secured, as was the Carabao Cup trophy after an incredible performance against Liverpool, who so dominantly won the Premier League.

Somehow, Howe achieved the feats with limited attacking options, but he’s seeking to rectify that in the summer transfer market.

Newcastle looking at Elanga alternative

Indeed, despite a slow start, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has revealed on Wednesday that the Magpies have seen a £45m offer rejected for Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga.

The Tricky Trees have no intention of selling, and while Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth and West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus have been also discussed, there’s another winger on British shores who could move to Tyneside this summer.

As per Football Insider, Celtic are determined to keep Nicolas Kuhn beyond the summer transfer window, although it’s anticipated that Newcastle and German club RB Leipzig will push to swipe his signature.

Brendan Rodgers considers the 25-year-old one of his most valuable players, but offers in and around £20m would likely be accepted by the Scottish champions.

Given the amount of money offered to Forest for Elanga, this might prove an incredibly shrewd piece of business for a Newcastle side boasting the fluent tactical conditions for such a player to flourish.

What Nicolas Kuhn could bring to Newcastle

Kuhn, who played for Ajax and Bayern Munich in his youth, joined Celtic from Rapid Vienna for just £3m in January 2024, and his stock has since risen considerably.

With 42 goal involvements from 68 matches across all competitions, the German winger hasn’t done too badly, even hailed for his “breathtaking” technical quality by Marvin Bartley.

With such sharp pace and dribbling skills, Kuhn fits the bill from a tactical perspective, with Howe questing for such a profile to add competition for the industrious Jacob Murphy on the right flank.

As you can see below, the Celtic star definitely boasts faculties that rival those of Elanga, albeit having performed his duties at a level of lower quality in the Scottish Premiership.

Matches (starts)

32 (24)

38 (31)

Goals

13

6

Assists

9

11

Shots (on target)*

1.9 (0.8)

1.2 (0.6)

Big chances missed

9

6

Pass completion

77%

78%

Big chances created

11

9

Key passes*

1.6

1.3

Dribbles*

1.8

0.7

Tackles*

1.2

0.5

Duels won*

3.5

3.0

But even so, the winger takes things in his stride and likes to be in the thick of the action, making things happen. Moreover, his tenacious approach has led to impressive defensive metrics, always chipping in with tackles and duels.

He also carries the ball forward with regularity, although it must be said that Elanga’s low average in that regard is largely due to the pragmatic nature of Nuno Espirito Santo’s tactics.

Ultimately, Newcastle could find that they could sign a dynamic forward in Kuhn who is capable of special things, and for a portion of the price that Elanga would be available for.

Given the underlying strengths that point in the Hoops man’s favour, it might not turn out to be a bad thing for a Newcastle side in need of reinforcements across a wealth of positions.

He's an Isak clone: Newcastle start discussions to sign £50m "superstar"

Newcastle have enquired about signing their next Alexander Isak.

1 ByRoss Kilvington Jun 23, 2025

It is no understatement to say that Glasgow Rangers require a major overhaul this summer.

Not just in the playing squad or staff members, but in mentality. Since the Ibrox side won the Premiership title in 2021, the Gers have won only two trophies since.

In comparison, Celtic have won every available league title on offer and have clinched a domestic double this season, although they did lose to Aberdeen in the SFA Cup final.

Things have to change at Ibrox, and fast. The 49ers’ involvement should give those at the club a boost, but the priority is a new manager.

The likes of Steven Gerrard and Davide Ancelotti have been linked with a move to Glasgow, while several other candidates have been touted for the vacant role.

Whoever becomes the next permanent manager will have work to do in order to improve the first-team squad this summer.

There are various positions that need urgent improvement, no doubt about that. Furthermore, several players could be sold to raise funds and help reduce the wage bill.

Cyriel Dessers may finish the season as the top scorer in the Premiership, but if a reasonable offer comes in this summer, the club should cash in.

Why Rangers must sell Cyriel Dessers

Never has a Rangers player exuded more Jekyll and Hyde-like qualities than Dessers. One minute, he is simply unplayable, causing chaos for opposition defenders domestically and in Europe.

Next, he struggles with the easiest of chances and offers next to nothing in the final third.

There is no doubt about his record in front of goal for the Light Blues since he joined in a deal worth £4.5m from Cremonese in the summer of 2023. Indeed, the Nigerian striker has scored 51 goals and grabbed 16 assists across 109 games for the club during his first two seasons.

On the surface, this is an impressive record in front of goal. He has shone in Europe, with his display against Fenerbahce one of the finest by a Gers forward in quite a while.

Unfortunately, these performances are few and far between. Throughout the 2023/24 league season, Dessers missed a staggering 27 big chances across 35 matches.

Over the same number of games in 2024/25, he missed 21 big chances, a slight improvement, but still not great.

Metric

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

16

18

Assists

4

2

Shots per game

2.9

2.4

Big chances missed

27

21

Goal conversion percentage

16%

22%

During the winter transfer window, several clubs were linked with making a move for Dessers. Saint-Étienne, Cagliari, and Empoli were all showing interest in securing a move for the 30-year-old.

Much to the disappointment of large sections of the support, the centre-forward remained in Glasgow until the end of the season at least.

He has two years left on his current contract, which suggests now would be the ideal time to cash in and secure a decent fee for the player.

This could be used to fund future signings, especially a couple of younger players with a higher ceiling for growth.

Dessers shouldn’t be the only player to be moved on this summer by the new manager. Nedim Bajrami is reportedly attracting interest from afar, and now might be a good time to part ways with the Albanian.

Nedim Bajrami has offers on the table

According to reports in Albania (as relayed by Glasgow Times), Bajrami has two options on the table with regard to a summer exit away from the Light Blues.

One comes from the Italian top flight, while the other is from the Bundesliga, and the report states that the midfielder is likely to leave Glasgow when the transfer window finally opens.

Much will depend on the price, however, as the 49ers will be keen on recouping much of the £3.4m that was spent on the Albanian last summer.

It’s safe to say he hasn’t exactly enjoyed the most productive of campaigns in Scotland, despite arriving with plenty of hype.

What exactly went wrong with Bajrami?

Why Rangers must sell Nedim Bajrami this summer

The 26-year-old had impressed for his country at Euro 2024, scoring an incredible opener against Italy after just 23 seconds.

A move to Ibrox in the final days of the summer transfer window looked like a real coup for Philippe Clement.

What looked like a potentially transformative signing for the club eventually turned into a waste of money. Across 44 games for Rangers, he only scored five goals and chipped in with four assists, showing that he has rarely made a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

Considering the sum of money the club had paid, this was hardly the best of returns, especially following a decent start to life in Glasgow.

The midfielder only started 15 Premiership matches, creating only four big chances, averaging one key pass and succeeding with just one dribble per game in the top flight.

In Europe, Bajrami didn’t fare much better. Indeed, he could only muster a single goal from 11 appearances, winning less than half of his total duels per game and averaging 1.3 key passes per game, which shows how ineffective he has been on the European stage since his move to Ibrox.

The nadir came against Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup back in February. Rangers suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat – arguably one of their worst domestic losses – but Bajrami was subbed at half-time following a dismal display.

Stevie Clifford, who runs Four Lads Had a Dream, criticised the Albanian a month before, saying:

“I’ll highlight it again, it’s not singling him out, but Nedim Bajrami is not offering enough at all.

“We need him to influence games & be involved, largely anonymous so far, again.

“£4m is big money to do it in these type of games & he’s miles off it so far.”

All of these points point towards a likely summer exit when the window opens next month. Should Rangers receive a bid that is deemed acceptable, then they must be ready to cash in.

He didn’t live up to initial expectations, and regardless of who the new manager is, Bajrami’s future already looks settled with the offers that are on the table from other clubs.

Hopefully, he can make better signings this summer.

Gerrard's next Defoe: Rangers could sign PL "living legend" this summer

Rangers must make a move for a current Premier League striker this summer

ByRoss Kilvington May 24, 2025

Burnley will head back into the Premier League desperate to stay there for the long term, with Scott Parker also having plenty to prove as a top-flight worthy manager.

Parker has now impressively sealed three promotions up to the big time on his managerial CV, but he’s never looked like the most comfortable figure plying his trade in the top-flight away from the Championship, with a dire 30 defeats next to his name when managing at the elite level.

He will no doubt be eager to prove all his doubters wrong from the Turf Moor hot-seat, but he will be very aware that any chance he has of establishing himself as a top manager at the level will rest on the newly promoted side keeping talents such as Josh Brownhill around.

Why Burnley must keep Brownhill

Jumping up a division and staying put there is going to be a very difficult ask for Burnley, especially when you weigh up the ongoing fate that every newly promoted side that triumphantly tastes promotion immediately falls straight back to the EFL.

That’s before you further factor in the grim fact that Burnley could lose a large portion of their promotion-winning heroes this off-season, with 18-goal star Brownhill allegedly on the summer shopping lists of both Everton and West Ham United.

Losing their beloved captain to a top-flight rival would be nothing short of disastrous for Parker’s men, with Brownhill’s 18 strikes and six assists across 44 league games undoubtedly playing a huge part in Burnley’s push back up to the top-flight.

The in-demand 29-year-old has also shown he can perform up a level previously, with six goals and six assists next to his name in the Premier League to date, meaning he could be just the steadying presence the Lancashire club need to try and secure survival.

Away from Brownhill, Burnley will also need to ensure they keep their formidable defence around to try and stave off relegation, with one stern Clarets defender actually boasting a higher worth than the electric midfielder now after a breakout promotion-winning season.

The "exceptional" Burnley star worth more than Brownhill

Remarkably, across the full 46-game marathon, Burnley would only ship a minuscule 16 goals in total, leading to first-choice goalkeeper James Trafford reprotedly being on the radar of Newcastle United.

He isn’t the only defensive star being eyed up by a higher suitor, however, with Crystal Palace also reportedly keeping tabs on Clarets number 16 Maxime Esteve, after the French colossus looked near faultless all season long alongside Trafford.

The former Montpellier man would deservedly slot into the Championship team of the season, with Esteve operating as both a classy performer on the ball with 60.5 accurate passes averaged per league game, but also acting as a forceful presence when needed by picking up a whopping 30 clean sheets.

Unsurprisingly, off the back of such a sterling individual season alongside his standout teammates, Esteve’s transfer value has shot up, with Burnley definitely winning themselves a golden bargain when purchasing the 22-year-old for around the £12.5m mark just last year.

Games played

46

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Touches*

78.0

Accurate passes*

60.5 (91%)

Ball recoveries*

3.7

Clearances*

5.0

Total duels won*

3.6

Clean sheets

30

Transfer value when joining

£12.5m

Transfer value now

£19.3m

Now, the in-demand centre-back is worth a far heftier £19.3m – as per Football Transfers – with Brownhill’s own value of £9.6m falling way short of Esteve’s bumped up valuation.

Therefore, it will likely have to be an astronomical offer put on the table for Burnley to consider parting ways with their “exceptional” – as he has been previously labelled by Parker – centre-back.

Further billed as possessing “undeniable” Premier League potential by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, it will be intriguing to see if does become even more of an imperious defender next season, whether that be lining up for Parker’s men, for Oliver Glasner’s Eagles or moving elsewhere.

Burnley have struck gold on "superstar" talent who's as good as Trafford

Burnley will hope they can succeed in the Premier League next season with this superstar already possessing top-flight quality.

ByKelan Sarson May 12, 2025

Chelsea have seen a huge improvement defensively in recent weeks, keeping five clean sheets in their last seven games, only conceding two goals and 16 shots on target across those seven games.

However, the attacking prowess does seem to have tailed off, with the Blues only scoring nine in their last seven games, with four of those goals coming against bottom of the Premier League, Southampton.

Enzo Maresca will be keen to add some extra firepower to his forward line this summer, with a new striker high on the wish list, alongside a new winger who suits the Italian’s system.

Chelsea battling for £64m "cheat code"

The Blues have been linked with a number of forwards over recent months, from Newcastle superstar Alexander Isak to Ipswich forward Liam Delap.

However, they’re not just casting their net across the Premier League but across European football, too.

Indeed, according to reports from TBR Football, Chelsea are interested in signing AC Milan’s £150m-rated winger, Rafael Leao. The player’s camp are currently assessing the player’s options ahead of the summer.

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That being said, the Blues could face competition from London rivals Arsenal, who are also now emerging as an option for the Portuguese winger.

Both Chelsea and Arsenal are keen to add a right-footed left-winger who offers a direct goal threat, speed in transition and creative qualities to unlock a game through their individual brilliance.

Leao has made 43 appearances for the Italian outfit this season, scoring ten goals, providing nine assists and totaling 2,997 minutes.

Chelsea are also reportedly in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, so just how do the pair compare?

How Leao compares to Gittens this season

Dortmund’s Gittens is another target emerging for Maresca’s side and it’s easy to see why.

The 20-year-old sensation – who is seen as the future of English football – has made 42 appearances for the German outfit this season, netting 12 goals and providing four assists.

He notably shone in the Champions League, scoring against Real Madrid, and would be a superb signing. Still, he’s not quite as good as Leao.

Both players fit the bill of a Maresca winger, looking to get into plenty of 1v1 isolations with the opposition fullback, capable of going both inside and outside and having the directness to drive towards the box themselves.

One factor that could be slightly more worrying surrounding Leao compared to Gittens is work rate, with Maresca often asking his wide players to work hard defensively.

Leao vs Gittens in 2024/25

Stats (per 90 mins)

Leao

Gittens

Goals

0.28

0.43

Assists

0.26

0.11

xG

0.28

0.20

xAG

0.27

0.13

Progressive Carries

4.86

5.74

Progressive Passes

3.67

2.08

Shots Total

2.30

2.59

Key Passes

2.09

1.09

Shot-Creating Actions

4.37

3.77

Successful Take-Ons

2.99

3.81

Stats taken from FBref

Whilst Gittens has a slightly higher shot volume, manages more progressive carries and successful take-ons, Leao offers more through creative passing, with more key passes, more shot-creating actions and higher assist numbers.

Described as one of football’s “cheat codes” by analyst Raj Chohan, Milan’s Portuguese star has blistering pace, the persistence to be direct and attack the opposition full-backs. He always forces them into uncomfortable scenarios and has the ability to create something out of nothing in a split second.

Both players would be excellent signings for Chelsea, but with the Blues already having such a young and inexperienced side, an addition like Leao could provide more of an instant boost, with a big-name signing to raise morale and ready to play a significant part in a title challenge.

Anyone could have seen this Champions Trophy imbroglio coming, but cricket’s governing body did not

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Nov-2024We are here again. Not for the first time and probably not the last.With under 100 days to go for the 2025 Champions Trophy, scheduled in Pakistan, the ICC has still not formally announced the dates for the tournament. The schedule, too, has not been finalised. Why? India, one of the eight participating countries, will not travel to Pakistan – a decision taken by the Indian government, according to the BCCI in its communication to the ICC.We have been here, not once but twice, as recently as 2023. Take your memory back to last year’s Asia Cup and ODI World Cup and you will see a similar pattern. In the first instance, the PCB was forced to loosen its stance that the event would be held solely in Pakistan after the BCCI said India did not have permission from their government to travel across the border. Eventually it was Pakistan, the hosts, who ended up boarding flights to and from Sri Lanka, where India played all their matches, including the final. At the World Cup, the PCB pushed to get the ICC to adopt the hybrid model, but Pakistan eventually travelled to India. They travelled, it has since emerged, despite deep reservations within the Pakistan government.Twelve months later we are once again in familiar territory: the BCCI has made its move, comfortably standing in one corner, arms folded. At the opposite end, the PCB stands steadfast, refusing to blink or budge. The ICC, in theory the adjudicator, remains tight-lipped. It is a shambolic situation.Related

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• India withdraw from T20 Blind Cricket World Cup in Pakistan

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Who actually gains from this brinkmanship? That is only part of the question. The more important question, though, one that never gets asked properly is: who is responsible for this standoff? Unequivocally the answer is the ICC, the game’s governing body, which has once again escaped scrutiny. To be precise, the ICC leadership: the ICC board.In November 2021 the ICC board allocated hosting rights for various global events in the 2024-31 rights cycle to several boards. The PCB, which had bid for two events, was allocated the 2025 Champions Trophy. The ICC board approved the hosts based on recommendations drawn up by a smaller working group that included Sourav Ganguly, then the BCCI president, and Ehsan Mani, the former PCB chair and ICC head. That ICC board was headed by Greg Barclay. Ganguly, one would assume, had the backing of the Indian board, whose secretary was Jay Shah (who takes charge as ICC chairman from December 1).Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president at the time, was part of the working group that drew up recommendations to the ICC board when it awarded Pakistan the Champions Trophy hosting rights•BCCIAs a reminder, the ICC board comprises directors who represent the 12 Full Members, along with an independent director, three directors representing the Associates, and the ICC chairman and CEO. So this was a collective call. If there was even a single voice of caution three years ago when it came to allotting the Champions Trophy to Pakistan, details of it have never emerged. Did nobody see this coming? Maybe they did but opted to look down or the other way instead?In the fraught political climate that has existed between the two neighbours since the Mumbai terror attacks of November 2008, you didn’t need to be a fortune-teller to raise a red flag about whether India would actually travel to Pakistan in 2025. More than one person involved in the bids allocation process said that one reason the ICC board believed conditions might be favourable for India to visit for the Champions Trophy was if Pakistan went to India for the 2023 World Cup – which they did. And once they did, the PCB must have assumed India would reciprocate.However, in a professional environment, you need accountability instead of relying on good faith. Why did the ICC, in 2021, not attach a few conditions when it allotted the Champions Trophy to Pakistan, starting with an official timeline including deadlines, with one specifically for the BCCI: communicate well in advance to the ICC whether India would travel to Pakistan? Such a hard stop could have been put in, say, a year before the actual event. In the absence of any such cutoff, the BCCI’s first communication to the ICC that India would not travel was relayed around November 6. That is just over three months before the scheduled start of the tournament on February 19.

More than one person involved in the bids allocation process said that one reason the ICC board believed conditions might be favourable for India to visit for the Champions Trophy was if Pakistan went to India for the 2023 World Cup – which they did

But more crucially, what plan was in place to deal with the outcome that was always likely? In a perfect and equitable world, global tournaments could go ahead without teams that are unable to participate in the prescribed way, but no ICC tournament is commercially tenable without India’s participation, a fact that was emphatically underlined during the last broadcast deal. Why wasn’t a hybrid option part of the contingency plan if India failed to travel to Pakistan? Or was it assumed that the PCB would once again fall in line and acquiesce to a hybrid model?As it turns out and as was pointed out to them recently by a senior official from an overseas board, the PCB might have a little leverage by dint of their team being part of the most watched and most lucrative match in an ICC event. It might have been unacceptable to the PCB to accept the hosting rights with a hybrid option attached as a contingency. But it would have been the most pragmatic and clear-minded approach, since it is beyond the ICC to persuade the Indian government to allow the Indian team to travel to Pakistan. Instead, the ICC leadership has opted to kick the problem down the road, hoping it will somehow resolve itself.In our increasingly divided and divisive world, strong leadership is required to maintain equilibrium. The ICC board in the past has shown it is capable of doing that. Now it needs bold solutions for the future.

Harmanpreet Kaur to lead, Meg Lanning, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews make the cut

S Sudarshanan27-Mar-2023
Hayley Matthews – Mumbai Indians
Her player-of-the-series outing in the inaugural WPL makes Matthews an overwhelming pick. She went unsold in the first round of the auction, eventually being picked up in the accelerated rounds. On the ground, she made an immediate impact, kicking off the WPL with a six and then never looking back. She was also effective with the ball, picking up 16 wickets in ten innings and also the Purple cap.Related

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Yastika Bhatia (wk) – Mumbai Indians
Even if she didn’t always convert her starts into big scores, Bhatia’s fluency at the top of the order helped Mumbai get off the blocks quickly. In fact, Bhatia’s 214 runs are the most in the WPL without a single half-century. She was a safe wicketkeeper and one of the few who contributed well with the bat.Meg Lanning – Delhi Capitals
Lanning carried Capitals’ batting though the tournament, scoring runs in almost every game. She finished as the leading run-getter in the WPL and looked on course in the title-clash too. She continued to middle the ball in the final despite Capitals losing regular wickets – her back-to-back fours off Nat Sciver-Brunt in the third over were all class. Lanning and Shafali Verma’s opening combination was an enviable one in the WPL.Nat Sciver-Brunt – Mumbai Indians
Cometh the big game, cometh the big name. Sciver-Brunt showed why she caused a bidding war in the auction. She occupied a crucial No. 3 spot in the batting order and owned the space, being as comfortable against spin as she was against seam. With the ball, she bowled the second-most deliveries – 114 – in the first six overs and had an economy rate of 5.63. Sciver-Brunt’s unbeaten 38-ball 72 in the Eliminator helped Mumbai romp into the final, where she anchored the chase and saw the team through, remaining unbeaten on 60.ESPNcricinfo LtdHarmanpreet Kaur (capt) – Mumbai Indians
Harmanpreet longed for the winning feeling and ensured she got it by being consistent with the bat. She got the WPL off to a flying start with 65 off just 30 balls against Gujarat Giants, and finished the season as fourth-highest run-getter. Harmanpreet led Mumbai with aplomb, ringing in changes and using the resources at her disposal optimally. In the final, she came in to bat in a tricky situation and calmly defused it with a 72-run partnership for the third wicket with Sciver-Brunt. She only fell with the win almost assured.Dayalan Hemalatha – Gujarat Giants
One of the few bright spots for Gujarat Giants, Hemalatha only enhanced her credentials as a finisher, something she has done quite frequently for Railways in the domestic circuit. Her strike rate of 157.29 for Giants was only second to Sophia Dunkley’s.Shreyanka Patil – Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore had a disappointing campaign overall, but Patil’s outings with both bat and ball were attention-grabbing. She started the tournament with a crisp pull shot and then showed her wares with the ball, particularly at the death. Patil was unflinching in the face of mounting attacks and can be looked at as a long-term player for Royal Challengers.Shikha Pandey impressed across all three facets of the game•BCCIShikha Pandey – Delhi Capitals
Pandey had a terrific all-round WPL. She finished with the third-most wickets among all pacers in the WPL, threw herself around in the field, and her cameos with the bat often gave Capitals useful impetus from the lower order, not least in the final. India’s captain Harmanpreet also made note of Pandey’s efforts and said, “Shikha was bowling brilliantly throughout the tournament. And today [in the final] when the team needed her batting, she took time and then executed it brilliantly.”Issy Wong – Mumbai Indians
Wong started the tournament with a first-ball six and also picked up the first hat-trick in the WPL. She used her pace and generated enough movement to get the better of the batters and also smartly used change-ups. Wong’s energy on the field often drew wild cheers from the crowd.Parshavi Chopra – UP Warriorz
Chopra had a limited role but left a lasting impact. Her figures of 0 for 35 in her first WPL outing against Mumbai didn’t do justice to the way she bowled. Against Giants, she truly showed her worth, using the wrong’un to dismiss both Hemalatha and Ashleigh Gardner. Part of a team that pushed Indian players to the forefront, Chopra sure grabbed her chances.Saika Ishaque – Mumbai Indians
Ishaque is perhaps the find of WPL 2023. A regular in the domestic circuit for Bengal, her disciplined left-arm spin by attacking the stumps got her rewards in the first half of the competition. After being a bit expensive in a couple of games in the second half, she held her own in both the Eliminator and the final, despite not having a truckload of wickets to show in them.

We can calculate how effective a batter or bowler is against a specific type of opponent in each phase of a game

Himanish Ganjoo17-Apr-2021In the 54 matches in which he has bowled for England in a T20, Adil Rashid has opened the bowling four times. All four were in the recently concluded five-match series against India. While opening with a spinner in the powerplay is no longer novel in the shortest format, this move was prompted by specific knowledge: googly-wielding legspinners spell trouble for members of India’s top order.In the first T20I, Virat Kohli holed out to a rash shot against Rashid. In the third, Rashid’s googlies kept Rohit Sharma circumspect in the very first over. In the fourth game, he had Kohli stumped, and in the fifth, he troubled Sharma with the wrong’un once again.Rashid’s promotion to open the bowling to counter Kohli and Sharma was the most recent instance of match-ups being used in T20 cricket. In Tests, each strategic play unravels over a long time. In contrast, because time is so limited as a resource in T20, each ball is a substantial determiner of the result. Teams look to optimise every moment to squeeze out the tiniest advantage, making T20 the format where gameplay is most closely “managed”.Related

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Using the bowler who takes the ball away from a batter, or sending a left-hander in ahead of schedule to counter a certain bowler can be the ten-run difference that massively tilts a match in your team’s favour.In Tests, “how” you execute is important, while in T20 the “what” and “when” gain equal importance because each play has a major bearing on the course of the game.With match-ups attaining ubiquity in the T20 landscape, it is important to look at statistics contextualised by various batter-bowler combinations. It is well known that the ball turning in to the batter is advantageous for him. Do the numbers bear that out?
If you look at the baseline run rate and dismissal numbers from the last three years of the IPL, they do.The following table shows you the run rate (runs per ball) and dismissal rate (probability of being dismissed) for left- and right-hand batters against different styles of bowling. (Left-arm wristspin is excluded because of very small sample sizes.)Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoFor left-hand batters, their overall dismissal rate facing offbreak bowlers is 4.3 compared to just 3.6 versus slow left-arm. The run rate is also lower against offspinners, by 0.26 runs per ball. Similarly, for right-handers, the runs-per-ball figure is almost 0.1 runs higher when facing offspinners as compared to against legbreak bowlers and slow left-armers, both of whom take the ball away from right-handers.Legspinners concede fewer runs to right-handers and are also likelier to get left-handers out. This can be illuminated by further splitting their performance by innings phase. Phase one is the powerplay (overs 1-6), phase two the middle overs, and phase three the death overs (17-20).Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoThe table above shows that right-handers play legspinners more conservatively in the middle overs, possibly “playing out” the dangerous match-up while conserving wickets for the end overs. Left-handers try to utilise the advantageous match-up by going harder in the middle overs – scoring quicker but also getting out more often.It’s a similar story when you look at slow left-arm numbers by phase. In the powerplay, right-handers score much slower compared to left-handers and get out more frequently. In the middle overs, they moderate their approach, scoring slowly while preserving wickets. In comparison, left-handers score faster but get out slightly more often.Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoThe data shows that match-ups work in a broad sense, but what happens when you look at players individually? Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are both classified as right-arm fast bowlers, but they execute their skills very differently. A right-arm seamer is expected to perform at a certain level versus right- and left-hand batters, but how much does an individual deviate from that baseline?This can be quantified by dividing their rates of conceding runs and taking wickets by the average runs per ball and wicket probability for each match-up. For example, right-hand seamers overall concede 1.27 runs per ball to right-hand batters in the powerplay while picking up wickets 3.61% of the time. In comparison, Bumrah concedes only 1.1 runs per ball and 4.1% of his deliveries get wickets. We can condense these facts into two simple ratios that tell us how well a bowler (or a batter) performs compared to a particular match-up in a given phase of the innings.Match-up Run Index (MRI) = (runs per ball by a player for given match-up) / (overall runs per ball for given match-up)Match-up Dismissal Index (MDI) = (dismissal rate for a player for given match-up) / (overall dismissal rate for given match-up)An MRI value of 1 means a bowler is as expensive as the average bowler of his kind for a given match-up. A value lower than 1 means he is economical. On the contrary, a higher MDI value than 1 means he is more likely to pick up wickets given that match-up. Continuing from our example, for Bumrah in the powerplay, the MRI is 0.86 (1.1/1.27) and the MDI is 1.14 (4.1/3.61). Here is a breakdown of Bumrah’s performance on these metrics:Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoFrom a strategy perspective, this shows that Bumrah is exceptionally miserly versus left-handers in the powerplay but not a great wicket-taking option. He is exceptional against both batting styles in the middle overs, and especially effective against left-handers in both run-saving and wicket-taking skills.Because spinners work with lateral deviation off the pitch, match-up indices are much more relevant for assessing their roles. Here is the same match-up-based performance table for Yuzvendra Chahal, which shows that he is a defensive option compared to other legspinners in the powerplay, but a wicket-taking one in the middle overs, with MDI values of more than 1 against both left- and right-handers, which means he is better at taking wickets than the average legspinner against both batting styles. In terms of economy he is almost as expensive as the average leggie to both kinds of batters (MRI values close to 1), but he is a lot more expensive against right-handers in the death overs.Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoSplitting open a batter’s performance in terms of MRI and MDI is also useful – it shows their relative strengths against particular bowling styles. For instance, here is Kohli’s record in the powerplay and middle overs the last three years:Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoEngland’s decision to bowl Rashid to Kohli is vindicated, albeit with a small sample size. Kohli scores at the par rate for a right-hander facing a legspinner in the powerplay, as evidenced by his MRI of 1, but with an MDI of 1.15, he is likelier to get out than the average right-hander.But a closer comparison within Kohli’s own record split by match-ups reveals that his real kryptonite might be offbreak bowling. In both the powerplay and the middle overs, he scores slower and gets out slightly more frequently than the average right-hand bat versus offspinners. He falters in a match-up that should be advantageous to him.Last year AB de Villiers, Kohli’s partner in the Royal Challengers Bangalore middle order, was shunted down the line-up to avoid facing legspinners, but he has an MRI of 1.09 and an MDI of 0.79 facing that style of bowling in the middle overs in the past three seasons, which signals that he is less likely to lose his wicket to them compared to the average right-hander.Sharma, Kohli’s partner in the Indian top order, has scored nine runs for two dismissals against legspin in the powerplay, but plays it much better when he’s settled in the middle overs, with an MRI of 1.06 and an MDI of 0.55.Different varieties of spin to differently handed batters are match-ups often used by bowling sides. To find out who is the best at run-scoring and wicket preservation for a match-up, we can calculate the MRI and MDI values for each batter in every phase and take a weighted average of these values to find a combined MRI and MDI for a batter.For instance, the following graphic shows the average MRI and MDI values for all batters who have faced 60 or more balls from legspinners in the last three IPL seasons. The average MRI and MDI account for the match-up and the expected scoring rates in each phase of the innings. Both batting hands can be combined on one plot because the MRI and MDI already account for match-up strength.Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoAn MRI of over 1 and an MDI of under 1 are better for a batter; a value of 1 means the player is average.The best batters are in the lower-right quadrant. Nicholas Pooran with his middle-overs aggression and Chris Gayle with his disdainful six-hitting are the best against legspin. A bunch of right-hand openers, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and Robin Uthappa, form a high-risk high-reward group in the top-right quadrant with high MRI and MDI values. Surprisingly, Krunal Pandya occupies the dreaded top-left quadrant, which implies slow scoring and a high risk of losing your wicket.How do batters do against offspin? David Warner outshines his left-hander peers in terms of strike rate and preserving his wicket, while fellow southpaws Gayle and Ishan Kishan are weaker than the average left-hander against offspin when it comes to striking the ball. Hardik Pandya is in a league of his own, with a high MRI and low MDI. MS Dhoni manages to not get out too often, but fails to score against offspin, his numbers heavily influenced by his match-up against Sunil Narine, who himself perches on the far right of this plot, fulfilling his role as an attacker of spin who does not need to value his wicket too highly.Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoPlotting the MRI and MDI values summed across phases for a bowler can tell us the kind of role he should play in a bowling attack. As an example of how this can be used, the following plot shows the aggregate MRI and MDI values for spinners who have bowled more than ten overs to left-hand batters in the last three seasons of the IPL. A higher MDI and a lower MRI is better for a bowler.Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoPlayers in the bottom-left quadrant are holding bowlers who concede fewer runs than one would expect given the match-ups they face, but who are less likely to get wickets. Such a bowler could be brought on as a defensive play to stem the flow of runs and force the batter to “play out” his overs, as teams have tended to do against Rashid Khan.The tactic of using Washington Sundar as a run-stopper in the powerplay is another great example visible on the plot. Moeen Ali has a small sample size of 108 balls over three seasons, but his high MDI indicates he fares well in comparison to the average offspinner against left-handers.Here is the same plot for spinners bowling to right-handers:Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoSurprisingly, R Ashwin is better bowling to right-handers than to left-handers in T20, opposite to his Test bowling strengths. Narine too fares better against right-hand batters. The four best legspinners – Rashid Khan, Chahal, Rahul Chahar and Amit Mishra – are expectedly in the top-left quadrant. Krunal Pandya was slightly high on the wicket-taking MDI against left-handers, but becomes a run-saving bowler facing right-handers.This method of summing MRI and MDI values over different phases is an attempt to integrate context into raw cricket numbers. The aim is to split the ball-by-ball records of each batter or bowler by the phase of the innings and the match-up, and then scale their run rate and dismissal rate by the par rates for that “context”.This adjusts rudimentary statistics by accounting for what the average player does against the same type of bowler. We can then take averages of these scaled numbers to find combined statistics, and then calculate MRI and MDI values for each combination of phase and match-up. We can then add these numbers up across phases and batting styles to get overall MRI and MDI values for each player. This pair of numbers tells us their run-scoring/saving and wicket-preserving/taking ability while accounting for the handedness of the batters and the style of bowler.The concluding plots show aggregate MDI and MRI values for both batters and bowlers in the last three seasons.Himanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfoHimanish Ganjoo/ESPNcricinfo

Maccabi Tel Aviv have distanced themselves from disturbances which led to the cancellation of the derby match against Hapoel before kick-off on Sunday, ahead of their trip to Aston Villa in November.

Maccabi’s fans have been barred from attending the Europa League match away to Villa next month amid safety concerns, a decision which was heavily criticised last week by a number of politicians, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

A No 10 Downing Street spokesman said on Friday that discussions were happening “at pace, across government” to overturn the ban.

On Sunday the Tel Aviv derby was called off before kick-off, with reports of smoke grenades and flares being thrown, but Maccabi insist their supporters did nothing to contribute to the game’s cancellation.

Maccabi Tel Aviv send statement after riots cancel local derby

A club spokesperson told the PA news agency: “Maccabi Tel Aviv FC would like to clarify that the reason given for the cancellation of the derby match hosted yesterday by Hapoel Tel Aviv FC – unlike as reported by some (foreign) media – was as a result of flares thrown on to the pitch by fans of our opponent Hapoel Tel Aviv, not visiting fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv.”

West Midlands Police said last week they supported a decision by the local Safety Advisory Group to bar visiting fans from the Europa League tie against Villa, having classified the fixture as “high risk”.

They said the decision was “based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Amsterdam”.

The match at Villa Park takes place against the backdrop of ongoing tension in the Middle East.

The Fare network, which reports incidents of discrimination to UEFA from national team and European competition matches, told PA it was “reluctant to question” the decision to bar Maccabi fans and added that Maccabi fans were “well known for their racism”.

PA understands Fare has made multiple reports of discriminatory behaviour by Maccabi fans inside stadia within the last 10 years.

Maccabi are aware of Fare’s comments but have not yet commented on them or on the decision of the authorities in Birmingham to bar their supporters.

Hapoel issued a statement on their website regarding Sunday’s derby cancellation, criticising the police for “preparing for a war and not a sporting event”.

“The shocking events outside the stadium and the reckless and scandalous decision not to hold the game only show that the Israeli police have taken control of the industry,” Hapoel said.

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“When we asked for explanations in real time, we were met with a contemptuous and humiliating attitude.

“Needless to say, the club’s management condemns all manifestations of violence – and will fight lawbreakers, even if they are wearing uniforms.”

Media reports in Israel said Tel Aviv police arrested five people on suspicion of disturbing public order and that 51 flares or smoke bombs had been thrown on to the pitch.

Chelsea are now leading the race to sign a “superstar” Premier League player, who wants to leave his current club.

Blues back on track after Everton victory

The Blues brought a four-game winless run across all competitions to an end on Saturday afternoon, courtesy of a 2-0 victory against Everton at Stamford Bridge, with goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto securing all three points.

Enzo Maresca will no doubt be buoyed by Palmer’s return to form, with the Englishman spending the majority of the campaign on the sidelines due to a groin injury, before breaking his toe, although he is yet to fully recover.

Maresca certainly isn’t lacking options top-quality options in midfield, with Palmer featuring in an advanced role against Everton, ahead of Enzo Fernandez and Reece James at the base of midfield, while Moises Caicedo is still yet to return from a suspension.

However, signing another new midfielder is on the agenda, according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Chelsea are now leading the race to sign Kobbie Mainoo, who wants to leave Manchester United, amid a lack of game time.

A whole host of clubs are in the race for Mainoo, with the Blues now in pole position, alongside Bayern Munich, although Napoli’s interest could pose a problem.

The midfielder, who Frank Lampard is a “massive fan” of, is keen to receive consistent minutes wherever he ends up next, which means a move to the Italian club is attractive, especially given the way Scott McTominay’s career has panned out since moving to the Serie A.

"Superstar" Mainoo could be exciting signing for Chelsea

Nicky Butt has made it clear he doesn’t want United to offload the youngster, saying: “If Mainoo was playing for another Premier League club, United go and buy him for £70m or £80m,”

“Now we’re going to sell him and he’ll be a superstar elsewhere like McTominay, Elanga, Henderson – we can mention loads of them.”

However, it would be understandable if the 20-year-old were to push for a move next month, given just how sparsely he has featured this season, with the starlet still yet to start a game in the Premier League.

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When the Englishman, who is represented by the same agent as Liam Delap, has been given the opportunity, he has often impressed, particularly catching the eye with his dribbling and tackling over the past year, when compared to other midfielders.

Kobbie Mainoo’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Successful take-ons

1.13 (90th percentile)

Progressive carries

1.91 (82nd percentile)

Tackles

2.77 (87th percentile)

Non-penalty goals

0.14 (79th percentile)

That said, Mainoo may find game time hard to come by at Chelsea too, considering Maresca already has Fernandez and Caicedo at his disposal, so a move to Stamford Bridge may not be ideal.

انتهت منذ قليل أحداث مباراة  السعودية وجزر القمر، في بطولة كأس العرب قطر 2025 بفوز السعودية

وواجه منتخب السعودية نظيره منتخب جزر القمر، في تمام الثامنة والنصف مساء بتوقيت القاهرة، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب. 

ويقع منتخب السعودية في المجموعة الثانية في مجموعات بطولة كأس العرب رفقة منتخبات المغرب وعمان وجزر القمر. 

طالع.. حسام البدري: أنا أكثر مدرب مصري حقق بطولات.. ويرشح بطل كأس العرب

وحقق منتخب السعودية الفوز على منتخب جزر القمر بثلاثية مقابل هدف، أحرز ثلاثية السعودية كلا من محمد كنو هدفين، وسالم الدوسري، بينما أحرز هدف منتخب جزر القمر اللاعب إبراهيم يوسف في الدقيقة 63

ورفع منتخب السعودية رصيده إلى 6 نقاط، في صدارة المجموعة الثانية ببطولة كأس العرب، بينما يتذيل منتخب جزر القمر المجموعة بدون أي رصيد من النقاط. 

وكان منتخب المغرب قد تعادل مع نظيره منتخب عمان بدون أهداف، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين في الرابعة والنصف من مساء اليوم الجمعة.  ترتيب مجموعة السعودية في كأس العرب 

1- السعودية – 6 نقاط 

2- المغرب- 4 نقاط 

3- عمان- نقطة وحيدة 

4- جزر القمر- بدون نقاط