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We are mere hours away from the transfer window slamming shut, and as teams around them look to change their squads, Tottenham Hotspur look ready to add more quality to theirs.

There have been a number of headline-grabbing moves in the last couple of days, from the Lilywhites’ imminent capture of Bayern Munich gem Mathys Tel to Manchester United finally getting hold of Patrick Dorgu, but perhaps the most eye-catching of them all has been Marcus Rashford’s loan to Aston Villa.

The Manchester-born superstar was completely frozen out of the Red Devils’ first team by Ruben Amorim, and while he’s not been at his best for some time, we know what he’s capable of, and in that sense, the Villans could have a real game-changer on their hands.

However, the Englishman’s move to Villa Park could, in turn, help Spurs, as recent reports have linked one of his new teammates with a move to N17, a teammate who has won comparisons to the high-profile loanee and could be brilliant alongside Tel.

Tottenham target Aston Villa forward

According to a recent report from GIVMESPORT, Tottenham are interested in signing Villa’s dynamic winger, Leon Bailey.

The report has revealed that the Birmingham outfit have made the Jamaican dynamo available in the closing hours of the transfer window, which has caught the attention of Spurs Technical Director Johan Lange.

The Dane played a ‘key role’ in bringing the former Bayer Leverkusen star to Villa Park when he worked behind the scenes there and is now spearheading the North Londoners’ pursuit of the £120k-per-week winger.

It’s unclear how much a transfer would cost the Lilywhites, but given how much they need reinforcements for the right wing and the potential partnership with Tel off the left, it’s a deal worth pursuing, even if comparisons to Rashford concern some fans.

How Bailey compares to Rashford and why Spurs should sign him

So, before looking at his potential partnership with Tel and why Spurs should go out and get Bailey, let’s examine this comparison with Rashford and where it has come from.

In this case, it primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this instance, has concluded that the Englishman is the tenth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Jamaican star.

The best way to see how this conclusion has been reached is by looking at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, passing accuracy, key passes, passes into the final third, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

However, unlike the United ace, the last time the Kingston-born maestro was at his dangerous best was only last season, so there is a reasonable chance that in a new environment and under the incredibly positive style of Postecoglou, he could get back to tearing teams asunder.

For example, in just 52 appearances for the Claret and Blue, totalling 3197 minutes, the “unplayable” game-changer, as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, found the back of the net on 14 occasions and provided 14 assists for good measure, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 1.85 games, or every 114.17 minutes.

Now, just imagine that level of output off the right of Dominic Solanke, and then Tel off the left, who in just 41 appearances last season, totalling 1406 minutes, scored ten goals and provided six assists, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 2.56 games, or every 87.87 minutes.

If this deal were to pan out, Postecoglou would have two incredibly dynamic wingers to choose from and some brilliant competition for the likes of Brennan Johnson and Son Heung-min to ensure neither of their levels dropped.

Ultimately, while comparisons to Rashford might put some fans off of this transfer, it shouldn’t, as, unlike the Englishman, Bailey was at his electrifying best only last season, and a front three with him and Tel on either flank is a front three that could give any defence a real game.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Feb 3, 2025

Newcastle United are now in active negotiations over letting an “incredible” player leave this month, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Newcastle could be set for multiple departures

The Magpies are looking to re-shape their squad this winter, which means some long-serving players could move on before the transfer window slams shut.

Eddie Howe has now admitted that Miguel Almiron’s departure has been forced upon them because of their need to comply with the Premier League’s financial rules, saying: “He’s been top class. He lives his life through the football club. It’s not ideal but that’s the reality of PSR.

“We don’t want to lose players but we know that there’s a reality with PSR and the ongoing managing of that situation.

“So we’ve said many times over the last few weeks we’ll make more decisions not based on football, but based on decisions that we potentially have to make for the future.”

Earlier this month, it was reported that defender Lloyd Kelly could also exit St. James’ Park this month, with Fenerbahce keen over a deal, and a new club has entered the race for the defender.

According to Fabrizio Romano, who posted an update on X, Juventus have now held a meeting yesterday to discuss a deal for Kelly, having identified him as a target this winter.

Football Insider’s Mick Brown has provided a further update on the situation, suggesting the Magpies could be willing to accept an offer for the centre-back, given that complying with profit and sustainability rules must be taken into account.

Newcastle United’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Southampton (a)

January 25th

Fulham (h)

February 1st

Manchester City (a)

February 15th

Nottingham Forest (h)

February 23rd

Liverpool (a)

February 26th

Brown also goes on to offer a more general update on Newcastle’s transfer policy, saying: “From what I hear, they’d consider selling most of the fringe players at the club for the right price.”

Newcastle should cash in on Kelly

The former AFC Bournemouth man has failed to force his way into contention since arriving in the summer, appearing for just one minute in the Premier League since the end of November, so it may be wise to cash in on him this winter.

It seems unlikely that a huge offer will come Newcastle’s way, considering the Englishman is no more than a fringe player, but any sale would be pure profit, as he arrived on a free transfer, meaning it could be very tempting to let him leave.

That said, if Juventus’ talks don’t come to fruition, the 26-year-old may be useful to have as a rotation option in the second half of the season, and there are signs he could have a lot to offer at St. James’ Park if he is able to find his feet.

Former Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil lauded the defender as “incredible” for his performance in a 1-0 victory over Liverpool just under two years ago, and Howe will be hoping he is able to get back to those levels as soon as possible.

The six franchises have signed between two and five players already, and can have a maximum of 17 players in their line-up

Firdose Moonda31-Aug-2022CSA’s new franchise-based T20 league has been named “SA20”, Graeme Smith, the tournament commissioner, announced in a press interaction on Wednesday. He also confirmed that the player auction for the inaugural season, to be played in January-February 2023, will be held on September 19.The six teams – all owned by groups that own teams in the IPL – have already signed between two and five players apiece from a pool of marquee players as part of the direct-acquisition process. The franchises have an overall purse of US$2 million and can buy as many more players as they can, or want, with the maximum squad strength set at 17.Related

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The money available to them at the auction will be based on what is left of the purse after acquiring the pre-auction players [the five included a maximum of three overseas players, one a South African international, and one an uncapped South African player]. In total, franchises will be permitted to sign up to seven international players and ten South Africans, with a view to fielding an XI with a maximum of four internationals and seven South Africans, the same format as in the IPL.The tournament’s fixtures will be revealed soon and will comprise 33 matches, with each team playing the others home and away, two knockout matches, and a final. Sub-Saharan African broadcasters , who own a 30% share in the tournament, also have the rights to broadcast it on the African continent but CSA are in the market for international broadcasters. They are also in discussions to ensure South Africans who only have access to free-to-air television will have some way of keeping in touch with the event, with everything from radio coverage to delayed television broadcasts up for discussion.The league is currently working through player registrations and will present the franchises with a shortlist of candidates ahead of the auction.Smith said they had received an “immense amount” of interest from players, both local and overseas, despite the calendar congestion. The SA20 will clash with both the Australian BBL and the UAE’s ILT20 as well as the BPL in Bangladesh. While the ILT20 will rely on a majority of internationals, the BBL has a similar structure to the SA20 [with a maximum of three internationals in each XI]. Player overlaps between tournaments might become inevitable.To deal with clashing contractual obligations, Smith met with organisers of the ILT20, and the two players signed to both the BBL and SA20 – Liam Livingstone and Rashid Khan – have made themselves available for only part of the BBL, because they had signed with CSA first.”The Big Bash has created a different structure where they have allowed players to play for a portion of the Big Bash. The players that have signed for our league will be there [Australia] for the first couple of days of January and then they will come across to South Africa,” Smith said. “They will be here when their team owners require them in South Africa. They will be available fully for the South African league.”

“It’s going to bring financial support that hopefully will benefit all forms of the game in South Africa and keep us relevant in the international game. We don’t see it as an issue for Test cricket. We see it as an issue of growing South African cricket and keeping it strong”Graeme Smith, SA20 commissioner

The headlines have obviously been grabbed by the big international names, but the CSA’s focus is also on developing local players.”We’ve been able to attract some big international names to our league. You can see in the pre-signing with Rashid Khan, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and the like. We’ve got some real quality but the difference for us is that we focus on South African talent as well,” Smith said. “There will be 60 or 70 SA players on a global platform with their storylines. We’ve seen how that’s benefitted Indian cricket in the IPL and it’s gone to benefit their all-format cricket. We are hoping we will be able to create the same in South Africa.”The SA20, however, has been cited as one of the main reasons for CSA downscaling on Tests in the next FTP, in which South Africa play no Test series of three or more matches in the 2023-2025 World Test Championship cycle.With the prime summer period in January-February now occupied by the SA20, and the IPL due to start in mid-March, South Africa’s Test – and by extension their first-class – window will have to be earlier in the season, in September-December. And concerns around the quality of the red-ball game have already been expressed.However, Smith, also South Africa’s most successful Test captain, does not see the league as having a negative effect on the longer format.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”These are things everyone grapples with in the international game – the growth of T20 and trying to understand how all the formats fit in. It’s an interesting debate and discussion going forward,” he said. “Every year, South Africa has played a T20 tournament. Now it’s just got to a level that elevates it to a standard that we see across the world.”It will bring a lot of expertise into our game. It’s going to bring financial support that hopefully will benefit all forms of the game in South Africa and keep us relevant in the international game. We don’t see it as an issue for Test cricket. We see it as an issue of growing South African cricket and keeping it strong.”CSA will try not to have any international matches when the SA20 is on, but in the first year, it will coincide with three ODIs against England. The matches were postponed from late 2020 and form part of the World Cup Super League. South Africa lie outside the automatic qualification zone and will forfeit points to Australia in January 2023 – they are not playing those matches because it would clash with the league. So they cannot afford not to host England.In subsequent years, the FTP sees some fixture clashes with the SA20, such as an England tour in early 2026, but schedules may be tweaked to allow CSA to keep the league window free.CSA also intends to launch a women’s version of the SA20 in the future, but have not been able do it from the outset because of the T20 World Cup, which will be held in South Africa in February 2023. “It’s 100% in our plans,” Smith said. “In year one, with the Women’s World Cup starting directly post the new league, it wasn’t viable. It’s definitely in our plans to begin one as soon as possible.”

Aston Villa star Marco Asensio has spoken out after becoming the first player in nine years to miss two penalties in a Premier League match.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Asensio makes unwanted history
• Aston Villa still beat Southampton 3-0
• The Villans next face PSG on Tuesday

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Paris Saint-Germain loanee had the opportunity to break the deadlock for Aston Villa against Southampton on Saturday in the 69th minute after Jan Bendarek brought down Ollie Watkins inside the area. Asensio, however, failed to convert the spot-kick. However, Watkins soon scored his team's first goal before Donyell Malen doubled Villa's lead. Asensio then got a second penalty in the game's dying minutes but failed to find the back of the net as Aaron Ramsdale saved his shot. Fortunately for the ex-Real Madrid star, though, John McGinn was quick to react as he pounced on the rebound ball and sealed a 3-0 win for Villa.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Asensio is the first player in nine years to miss two penalty attempts in a Premier League match. West Brom's Saido Berahino was the last player to miss back-to-back spot-kicks against Watford in 2015. The other players who have missed two consecutive penalties in a match are Sunderland's Darren Bent against Tottenham in 2010 and former Aston Villa star Juan Pablo Angel against Fulham in 2005.

• WHAT MARCO ASENSIO SAID

  Despite his nightmare outing at St Mary's Stadium, Asensio was elated for his club, who picked up another crucial three points in their bid to finish in the Champions League place. Taking to X, the winger wrote: "Sometimes these things can happen, the most important is to keep trying. Happy for another 3 points away. Thank you for the support Villans!"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ASTON VILLA?

  Unai Emery's side, who moved up to the fifth position in the league table after Saturday's win, will next host PSG in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final fixture at home on April 15, where they will be aiming to overturn a 3-1 aggregate deficit.

Liverpool supporters have been frustrated by Manchester City’s sharp efficiency this month. The four-in-a-row champions have acted incisively to address glaring concerns within Pep Guardiola’s squad while latterly tying Erling Haaland down to an extraordinary new contract, valid until 2034.

Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been free to discuss pre-contract agreements with suitors overseas since the turn of the new year, while discontent grows around a supposed dearth of depth across the backline.

It’s hardly all doom and gloom. Arne Slot’s side perch atop the Premier League with a four-point lead over Arsenal, holding a game in hand at that.

Top of the Champions League group phase and still in both domestic cup competitions, the Reds are searching for silverware this season and have a talented and balanced squad that can achieve the lofty goals.

However, City’s recent action serves as a reminder to FSG and Richard Hughes that they need to ramp up the gas, lest this wonderful position flakes away over the business months of the campaign.

Andy Robertson, for one, needs replacing.

Why Liverpool need to replace Andy Robertson

A tremendous player, one of Liverpool’s finest since his smart £10m signing in 2017, leaving Hull City, Robertson has enjoyed a successful career as one of Europe’s superlative left-backs.

He’s still only 30, but the Scotland skipper is discernibly regressing in terms of athleticism, concentration and creativity, three staples of his skill set.

His understudy, Kostas Tsimikas, has a fine eye for a pass but is clearly unfavoured by Slot as the starting option, so Liverpool need to address this problem going forward. The Athletic’s James Pearce issued a pragmatic response on the matter, claiming that signing a new left-back is high on the to-do list but unlikely to be resolved this month given that there is existing depth.

Robertson, however, has consistently found himself at the scene of the crime this term and lacks the technicality and confidence that once established him as a world-beater.

Liverpool do have a successor in mind and may still push to complete a deal this month.

Liverpool's left-back search

As reported by Italian outlet Solo Lecce earlier this week, Liverpool have entered the race for Lecce full-back Patrick Dorgu, joining Premier League rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s understood that Liverpool’s admiration has grown with rapidity and that FSG chiefs have already prepared a €40m (£34m) offer for the Denmark international.

Dorgu, only 20, has impressed Liverpool scouts with his power and energy, also showing versatile traits that could see Slot will him into a shape of his choosing going forward.

What Patrick Dorgu would bring to Liverpool

Dorgu is one of Italian football’s brightest young talents, already chalking up 55 senior appearances for Lecce, scoring five goals, since earning his stripes in FC Nordsjælland’s academy in his homeland.

Currently plying his craft in Italy, Dorgu could prove to be Slot’s own Salah signing, with the Egypt sensation joining Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool from Roma for a £34m fee in 2017, the same window as Robertson, and going on to score 232 goals and set up 105 more across 378 appearances, winning the full gamut of trophies (Europa League notwithstanding).

Dorgu has shown flashes of quality but could realise his full potential with Slot’s Liverpool project beginning to hit full swing, similar to Klopp’s side way back when, with Salah serving as the attacking catalyst and still carrying that burden to this day.

The rising star, after all, has already been hailed as an “elite team player” with “immense physicality” by one analyst, so there’s every reason for Liverpool fans to get excited, for he could become one of the finest defenders competing on English shores.

Right winger

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Left winger

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As you can see above, Dorgu is one of the most positionally flexible players in Serie A, and while he’s found comparative prolific success on the right wing, Lecce manager Marco Giampaolo, who was appointed in November, has moved him back into a more conventional left-back role.

This is positive, proving that Slot, one of Europe’s superior tactical minds, could sculpt Dorgu to his own design, though it’s probable that the young gun will continue to provide support across a range of roles, skirting away from being pigeonholed into one tightly-held category.

Anyway, as per FBref, Dorgu ranks among the top 9% of Serie A wingers this season for tackles, the top 7% for interceptions, the top 5% for clearances and the top 9% for aerial battles won per 90, illustrating the strong defensive application that stays with him even when fielded in offensive situations.

There is hope that an agreement will be struck and Liverpool will extend Salah’s stay on Merseyside. If this is to be the case, Slot is not going to need a first-class replacement just yet.

But in Dorgu, he could land his own Salah signing, killing two birds with one stone. The lively Dane may prove to be the perfect Robertson replacement going forward, but his proven success as a moonlighting right winger has made a convincing remark on the dynamism that is practically custom-made for Slot’s fluid system.

Better signing than Kvaratskhelia: Liverpool set to win race for £50m star

Liverpool are getting ready to make some improvements in the transfer market this year.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 16, 2025

Everton and Sean Dyche are looking to complete the signing of a new right-back and winger in the January transfer window, according to a new claim.

Latest Everton news

Both incoming and outgoing transfer news continues to emerge at Goodison Park, with Beto being linked with a move away from the club next month. The striker has been a disappointing signing overall, scoring just once in 10 Premier League appearances this season, and talks regarding a move to Sevilla are thought to have taken place.

If Beto does move on, it is imperative that another striker is brought in to replace him, and Borussia Monchengladbach ace Tim Kleindienst has been backed to join Everton. The 29-year-old has nine goals in 15 outings in the Bundesliga in 2024/25 to date, suggesting that he could be a prolific addition to Dyche’s squad.

Former Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech is another player who is seen as an option for the Blues in January, with the Moroccan wanting a move away from current club Galatasaray. The 31-year-old may not quite be at his peak these days, but he could still add so much quality in wide areas, wreaking havoc with his left foot.

The future of Dominic Calvert-Lewin also means that other attackers need to be looked at alongside Kleindienst, in case the Englishman moves on, as well as Beto, which does admittedly seem an unlikely scenario. Rangers star Hamza Igamane has been mentioned as a target for Everton, having found the net four times in the Europa League this season.

Everton eyeing double signing in January

According to a new report from Football Insider, Everton and Dyche want to bring in a new right-back and winger next month, with the positions seen as “priority” areas for the Blues to strengthen in.

Although it is unlikely that The Friedkin Group will “open the chequebook and splash the money” in the January window, Dyche knows where he needs new signings. While that seems tricky, in terms of finances, the Merseysiders are “hoping to sign cover at right back for the rest of the season”, as well as bringing in a “wide attacker”.

It is encouraging to see that Everton are looking to bring in some reinforcements in January, in order to stave off the threat of relegation. While wholesale changes to the squad shouldn’t be expected, seeing a couple of new faces arrive in key areas should give Dyche the extra depth that he craves.

Seamus Coleman continues to be a dogged performer for the Blues, but he is now 36 years of age and needs more of a breather, with Nathan Patterson only managing 18 minutes in the league this season because of injuries.

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The 26-year-old is believed to be keen on the move.

ByDominic Lund Dec 29, 2024

Meanwhile, a right-sided attacker also makes complete sense, with Iliman Ndiaye flourishing on the opposite flank, and someone of Ziyech’s ilk could be perfect, coming straight in as a key starter and making an immediate difference in the final third.

Rajasthan Royals have gone in with clear plans for every game. Play six batters, five bowlers and an allrounder. Everything is smooth if they have a good start, but if there’s an early wicket, they push R Ashwin up at No. 3 to extend their batting line-up and ensure their finishers don’t go in too early and as a result run the risk of being out too soon.While the merits of those plans are clear to see, they have also resulted in someone like Devdutt Padikkal batting down the order, a slight deviation from his original role of an opener. Royals, it appears, are fine with that compromise. On Wednesday, Ashwin was promoted to No. 3, and while he started slowly, he made up for it by taking the attack to Axar Patel and racing to 21 off 13 and then 26 off 19. The plan was to continue attacking, but Yashasvi Jaiswal’s wicket in the ninth over, against the run of play, meant Ashwin had to look to bat through, which he did to bring up his maiden IPL fifty.”No, there’s no license that has been given,” Ashwin said when asked if he was sent in as a pinch hitter. “Starting from the season, it was communicated properly to me that I’d be used up the order. We had a few practice games as well where I opened, and I’ve kind of enjoyed it. I have worked a lot on my batting, so it’s nice to see whatever it’s been worked on translates on the field. Pretty good feel about the knock today, nevertheless it didn’t come in a winning cause.”Related

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Have Royals looked at certain opposition and thought Ashwin up the order against them would work better against them?”No specific plans [like that], ” he said. “It’s just to keep good intent, keep [his] mental preparation. I’ve been in good batting rhythm before the season. I’ve worked on my weight transfer forward, I’ve made some technical switches, have looked to increase scoring options, some changes to my bat swing. Hopefully, I can keep taking it forward.”Royals got to 107 for 2 in 14 overs but made only 53 off the last six. This was down to the “tacky” nature of the DY Patil surface, where playing shots from get go was proving to be increasingly difficult.”Today the pitch wasn’t quite the easiest so there was communication around that,” Ashwin said. “Obviously, the communication to keep going out to play for a few more overs and set it up keeps coming in. More often than not, if you find yourself hitting the 100-run mark by the 13th over, you end up getting to 180, that’s generally the kind of algorithm that works.”Today again we hit the 100-mark on a quite tough pitch while batting first, I think just maybe 15-20 short at the end but like I said you never really know unless both sides have played. We’ve made a good fist of these sorts of low-scoring games in the past but today, the wickets, catches – nothing really went our way in the second half. It was not our day.”Shimron Hetmyer’s absence may have also played a role in Royals shaking up their batting order. The 25-year old West Indian has been among the best finishers this season, but that role had to be taken up by someone else against Capitals. Sanju Samson took responsibility and it seemed the right move given he strikes at 192 in the death but he fell in the first ball of the 17th over, forcing Royals to recalibrate again.”Hetmyer has gone back home for the birth of his child and Rassie came in place of him,” Ashwin said. “Obviously Hetty has been giving us a good finish towards the end in most of the games. A finisher is always worth his weight in gold.”I thought even the toss was crucial today because the wicket was a touch tacky, and obviously had we had a bit of luck and taken our catches, the game may have taken a different course. At the back end of the tournament, there’s always pressure. Hopefully, we can turn it on and string a couple of wins together.”The loss puts Royals in a tricky position. While one more win may help secure a playoff berth, they probably need another to entertain thoughts of finishing in the top-two.

KKR’s mystery spinners Narine and Chakravarthy prove unhittable; Rahane shines with the bat

Karthik Krishnaswamy26-Mar-2022

MS Dhoni, 40 and no longer captain, turned the clock back with a vintage display of death-overs hitting, but Chennai Super Kings struggled either side of that as a canny bowling effort on a two-paced Wankhede Stadium pitch set up a comfortable opening-day win for Kolkata Knight Riders.All the Knight Riders bowlers contributed to restricting Super Kings to 131. Umesh Yadav was quick and incisive with the new ball, dismissing both openers, and mystery spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine were close to unhittable, finishing with combined figures of 1 for 38 from their eight overs.Andre Russell and Shivam Mavi bore the brunt of Dhoni’s punishment as Super Kings took 47 off the last three overs of their innings, but they had made an impact before that, teaming up with Umesh in hitting hard lengths and starving the batters of opportunities to access the short straight boundaries.The chase was straightforward, even if Knight Riders endured a spell of 29 boundary-less balls. The target was never going to challenge them as long as they didn’t lose a heap of wickets, and Ajinkya Rahane scored 44 while three others made twenties as Knight Riders got home with nine balls to spare.Umesh bosses the powerplay
Umesh has failed to attract bids higher than his base price for two auctions running, and the reason could be that he can leak runs outside the phase he excels in. But he has a terrific record in that phase, the powerplay – a better record since 2018 than even Deepak Chahar, whom Super Kings spent serious money to retain for this very skill.The ball swung early for Umesh, and a bit of dampness in the pitch also made his scrambled-seam ball nip around. Outswing got the better of Ruturaj Gaikwad, IPL 2021’s highest run-getter, in Umesh’s first over, and in his third straight over within the powerplay he dismissed Devon Conway, who, making his IPL debut, miscued a flick to mid-on while trying to break the early shackles.Super Kings ended the powerplay at 35 for 2, and the bulk of their runs came from their No. 3 Robin Uthappa, who troubled the new-ball bowlers with his big shuffle across his stumps. It allowed him to access the leg side against balls that were marginally too straight, and he hit two fours and two sixes in this manner in rushing to 23 off 16 at the six-over mark.Umesh Yadav accounted for both Chennai Super Kings’ openers•BCCI

Super Kings freeze in the middle overs
Varun Chakravarthy came close to taking a wicket in his first over when a bottom-edged sweep from Ambati Rayudu shaved the leg stump without disturbing a bail. He struck in his second over, however, a sharp leg-side stumping from Sheldon Jackson after a dipping wrong’un left Uthappa stranded outside his crease.Super Kings were 49 for 3 at that stage, inside the eighth over, not a terrible position, but a moment of indecision from Ravindra Jadeja on his captaincy debut led to Rayudu being run out in the next over. Then Shivam Dube – who had narrowly avoided suffering the same fate as Rayudu after another mix-up with Jadeja – lobbed a catch to midwicket after a well-directed short ball from Russell cramped him on the pull in the 11th over.The runs, meanwhile, were drying up. Super Kings got through 48 balls without a boundary before a misfield from Chakravarthy at mid-off allowed one in the 16th over. By the end of the 17th, Super Kings were 84 for 5 – it was their third-worst first-innings score at that stage of an IPL innings.Dhoni blasts off
In the first 16 overs, the Knight Riders fast bowlers had made a clear effort to bowl a good length or just short of it. According to ESPNcricinfo’s data, 48 of the 54 balls they bowled were in those areas, and only three on a full length.The slog overs, however, put bowlers under pressure to not be predictable, and to slip in the yorker every now and then. With dew setting in, controlling the yorker became difficult: Mavi and Russell bowled four full-tosses in overs 18-20, and three of them flew to or over the boundary.That apart, the late avalanche of runs was also down to Dhoni’s still flickering late-overs genius. He used the depth of the crease to manufacture boundaries square of the wicket off Russell, and in the final over executed a bottom-handed whip of fierce power, off a near-yorker, to give long-on no chance.Jadeja, boundary-less for the first 27 balls of his innings, ended it with a sliced six over the covers, and Super Kings had a total they could conceivably try and defend.Ajinkya Rahane was solid for Kolkata Knight Riders at the top•BCCI

Rahane does the Rahane thing
This was the sort of chase Rahane is designed for: coast at close to a run a ball, ensure one end is locked up, and half the job is done. Rahane, making his Knight Riders debut, gave them just the start they desired. Perhaps in an effort to search for swing, Tushar Deshpande and Adam Milne erred on the full side in the early overs, and Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer hit five fours in the first five overs, four of them with front-foot drives. In between, Rahane also pulled Milne for a six that showed how quickly he was seeing the ball and getting into position.By the end of the powerplay, Knight Riders were 43 for no loss.Bravo muddies the waters, but Knight Riders cruise home
Introduced in the seventh over, Dwayne Bravo made an immediate impact by angling the ball away from Venkatesh’s hitting arc and getting him to edge behind.This brought another left-hander to the crease, Nitish Rana, and Super Kings began to miss Moeen Ali – who is serving his quarantine after visa issues delayed his arrival in India – for the second time on the night. They had missed his hitting ability against Knight Riders’ spinners, and they were now missing his offspin.After an expensive eighth over from the dibbly-dobbly Dube, Super Kings were forced to turn to one of their two left-arm spinners, and Rana immediately hit Mitchell Santner for six. But with two more Santner overs to go and with Jadeja yet to bowl, Rana fell off the last ball of the 10th over, taking on a slower bouncer from Bravo and failing to clear short fine leg.With two right-handers at the crease, Santner and Jadeja combined to peg back the scoring rate, in the process also picking up the wicket of Rahane. He had done his job, though, and also shown clear intent to keep playing his shots in the middle overs, even nailing a reverse-sweep off Jadeja.After that shot, Knight Riders went 29 balls without a boundary, before Sam Billings stretched out and swept Bravo from outside off stump to the square leg boundary in the 16th over. That shot eased the pressure that had built up; Knight Riders had needed 25 off 27 before Billings played it.Billings made the task more straightforward for Knight Riders with a skip down the track in the 17th over to deposit Jadeja over wide long-on. He was caught on the boundary attempting another sweep off Bravo soon after, but he had shut the door on Super Kings by then.

Glasgow Rangers have now recorded successive wins without conceding a goal in the Scottish Premiership after a staggering 6-0 win over Kilmarnock at Ibrox on Wednesday night.

James Tavernier opened the scoring for the Light Blues, who only scored one of their six goals in the first half, before a second half hammering by the Scottish giants.

Hamza Igamane, Vaclav Cerny, and Danilo all got themselves on the scoresheet, and Cyriel Dessers came off the bench to score two goals for Philippe Clement.

One of the stars of the show for the Gers, though, was attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi, who was heavily involved in multiple goals for Rangers.

Ianis Hagi's performance against Kilmarnock

The Romania international came into the game off the back of an assist, of sorts, for the winning (own) goal against St. Johnstone at the weekend, with his cross forcing Jason Holt to convert into his own net.

It was another fantastic cross that broke the deadlock against Kilmarnock, as Hagi crossed for Tavernier to fire past former teammate Robby McCrorie to make it 1-0.

The mercurial magician’s crossing ability was on display again for the second goal for the Light Blues. He fired a ball to the back post for Danilo to find the back of the net.

They were the only two chances he created in the match, though, and Hagi also lost 100% (1/1) of his duels in his 90 minutes on the pitch, which shows that he struggled to compete out of possession.

There was a Rangers star who was even better than the Romanian wizard, though, and that was central midfielder Nicolas Raskin, who was man of the match, despite not even scoring any of the six goals.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Expand Collapse Nicolas Raskin's performance against Kilmarnock

The Belgian maestro was the true man of the match for the Light Blues with his terrific performance in the middle of the park for the Scottish giants.

Whilst the best of his work came in midfield, Raskin also popped up in the box with some terrific footwork to evade challenges and tee up Cerny for the fourth Rangers goal.

The 23-year-old whiz ended the match with as many chances created (two) as Hagi, despite only playing 74 minutes, but assisted one, rather than two.

Vs Kilmarnock

Nicolas Raskin

Minutes

74

Pass accuracy

91%

Dribbles completed

2/2

Duels won

7/9

Tackles + interceptions

4

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Raskin was incredibly dominant out of possession for the Gers to help them to maintain their dominance of the match, cutting out Kilmarnock attacks on a regular basis.

The former Standard Liege star coupled quality in possession, and in the final third, with defensive strength and reliability, which made him the heart of the team for Clement.

He was, arguably, the most important player in the game by being the glue to ensure that the Gers kept a clean sheet and constantly created chances to find the back of the net at the other end, whereas Hagi provided quality on the ball but struggled off it.

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Posts ByDan Emery Nov 25, 2024

Stuart Broad has said he will not take “any spur-of-the-moment calls” on his future as an England player after a “very disappointing” tour to Australia which has seen him selected in only one of the first three Tests.Broad was the world’s leading wicket-taker in Tests in 2020 but took 12 wickets at 39.50 in 2021. He played in only seven out of England’s 15 Tests last year due to a combination of rest and rotation, a calf injury and selection decisions, and was left out for the first and third Ashes Tests on seamer-friendly pitches.Related

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David Warner, whom Broad dismissed seven times in the 2019 Ashes series, said after the MCG Test that it was “a great result that he’s not playing” and the decision to leave Broad out of the first Test at the Gabba came in for criticism from Alastair Cook, who said selecting him should have been a “no-brainer”.Broad turns 36 in June and has already lined up a second career as a broadcaster and commentator with Sky Sports, and with Ollie Robinson – a similar style of bowler – impressing since his debut earlier this year, his future in the Test team has been called into question.”As a wobble-seam bowler, I feel as though I missed out on two of the best wobble-seam pitches in Australia,” Broad wrote in his column. “Only playing once has made this a very disappointing trip, one that has not met my personal expectations.”The biggest frustration is losing the Ashes, being 3-0 down and feeling like I’ve not really done anything. Not being able, as an experienced player, to influence a series while it’s live is tough.”Has it affected my hunger to play Test cricket? No. Looking at things pragmatically, I would argue that I won’t get a better chance to take wickets than at Brisbane and Melbourne. But I must be ready for my next opportunity, whether that be in Sydney, Hobart or beyond.”There is a long time between now and the tour of the Caribbean in March and I have never been one to make emotional decisions. So I’m not going to make any spur-of-the-moment calls on my future. I feel fit, I’ve come back from the calf injury feeling strong and I’m taking wickets in the nets. That’s all I can do given the lack of tour games and the tight schedule.”Broad also admitted that “the energy and the mood in the camp is low” heading into the final two Tests after Australia retained the urn within 12 days’ play, and said that England were approaching “the end of our mental tether with Covid”.”There are no excuses for England’s performances on this Ashes tour, he wrote, “but there are reasons why things have turned out as they have.”Unfortunately our displays have reflected our preparation. Imagine Tiger Woods rocking up at the Masters having not played for four months, spending time in a biosecure bubble and then seeing his entire practice rained off. He hasn’t played a single round of golf, yet he’s still expecting to win. Would you bet on him in those circumstances? No, you wouldn’t.”The reality is we turned up undercooked while Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland and Jhye Richardson were playing state cricket. Yes, like us, Australia had players at the T20 World Cup until mid-November. But was it a level playing field? Not really.”This tour has taken its toll on all of us. Without sounding like [I’m] making excuses, we may be at the end of our mental tether with Covid. We are the only team that has played solid international cricket throughout the pandemic and our multi-format guys had already done 50 days in a bubble before they turned up here.”We spent day two of the Boxing Day Test match testing for Covid and having guys moving out of their hotel rooms, away from their families, so they were no longer classed as close contacts. When you are faffing about with external stuff like that, it drags your focus away from where it needs to be.”