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Gloucestershire 231 (T Price 109, Leach 4-49) and 172 for 3 (Dent 66*, Bracey 51) lead Worcestershire 157 (Dale 6-41, T Price 4-58) by 246 runsAjeet Singh Dale’s career-best bowling performance and half centuries from Chris Dent and James Bracey steered Gloucestershire into a powerful position heading into the final day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Worcestershire at New Road.Dale bowled with considerable pace to picked up the final three Worcestershire wickets on the third morning to finish with 6 for 41 from 17.1 overs as Gloucestershire established a first-innings lead of 74.It was his first ever five-for in first class cricket and then Dent fought his way through a testing time with the new ball before he and Bracey cemented Gloucestershire’s position of strength and extended their advantage to 220 before bad light intervened.For Worcestershire, there was the encouragement of Josh Tongue working up a good head of pace which brought him three wickets. But they can still expect to face a daunting target on the final day in what are still bowler-friendly conditions.After the wash-out of the second day, mobile heating apparatus was needed to dry out the bowlers run-ups at both ends before play was able to get underway at 12 noon with a minimum of 88 overs remaining.Seventeen wickets had fallen on the first day to a mixture of fine seam bowling and poor shot selection. Worcestershire resumed on 118 for 7 under cloudy skies and Dale polished off the innings after a morning spell of 7.1-2-18-3.He made his senior debut for Hampshire in 2020, playing two Championship games, before moving to Gloucestershire at the end of 2021 season.Dale made eight Championship appearances last summer and signed a two-year contract extension in January until the end of the 2025 campaign.He did not take a wicket in the opening game of the campaign against Glamorgan but was a constant threat to the Worcestershire batters.Matthew Waite, a century-maker in the opening game against Derbyshire, added only seven to his overnight 44 before he pushed at a delivery and edged to second slip.Tongue survived 52 balls for 11 before he lost his leg stump to Dale to complete his first five-for in first class cricket. Dale then wrapped up proceedings when Dillon Pennington drove at a delivery and gave keeper James Bracey his fifth catch of the innings.Price finished with 4 for 58 from 16 overs to add to his maiden first class century on day one.When Gloucestershire batted, Dent had a let off on six when Ed Pollock failed to hold onto a head high chance at first slip off Joe Leach.Dent and Marcus Harris were given a searching examination against the new ball and there was much playing and missing but they fought their way through to raise the half-century stand in 18 overs.Tongue bowled an impressive initial spell and eventually made a breakthrough when Harris (26) deliberately tried to uppercut over the slips and was caught behind.There continued to be enough in the pitch to encourage the bowlers.But Dent began to grow in authority and confidence and greeted Brett D’Oliveira’s introduction into the attack with a straight six.He completed a 106 ball half century, his second of the season after his 78 versus Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.Tongue returned to have Bracey, 51, caught behind and, after a short break for bad light, accounted for Miles Hammond who attempted a pull but lobbed a catch to mid on.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels the International Cricket Council (ICC) has a role to play in ensuring that players from smaller Test-playing nations are paid well in Test cricket.Ponting cited the example of West Indies players who tend to choose franchise cricket over international duty for financial reasons.In an event organised by the ICC ahead of the World Test Championship final between India and Australia at the Oval from June 7, Ponting was asked about youngsters wanting to play the five-day game in an era of T20 leagues. “That question has a different answer in different countries,” Ponting said. “It has becoming increasingly difficult to groom the youngsters in the Caribbean for instance who want to chase the dream of playing Test cricket.”Their payment system in the Caribbean compared to some of the franchise leagues, it doesn’t match up and Sri Lanka will be the same and Bangladesh will be the same.”Ponting said talks are on within the ICC to address the issue. “It is not the case in India, England and Australia. You are paid well to play Test cricket for your country and most aspire to play the Test match game. There is a role to play for the ICC here.”…make the payments bit more even across international Test cricket to attract players from these different countries who want to play for their country.””It is something that has been spoken about at a very high level at the ICC to help that but in India the feeling I get is that most of these youngsters aspire to wear the baggy blue cap and the same in in Australia.”

In a season full of downs, the last week has been particularly brutal for Tottenham Hotspur.

With their Premier League campaign going about as badly as it possibly could, the Lilywhites knew that the cup competitions were their best bet for any sort of success this year.

However, within the last seven days, the North Londoners have been booted out of the League Cup at the hands of Liverpool and the FA Cup courtesy of Aston Villa, which has made Ange Postecoglou’s already difficult position appear even more untenable.

The Australian has been under increasing pressure over the last few months, and based on recent reports, Daniel Levy and Co could have already identified the man they want to replace him.

Tottenham Hotspur's manager search

Now, it’s certainly true that, so far this season, Postecoglou has been outrageously unlucky with injuries, so much so that he’s barely been able to field his first-choice backline, and in recent weeks, the same could also be said for the frontline.

However, with more losses than wins in the league and now two cup exits in the same week, it would be fair to say that much of the patience people had for him is starting to wear thin, and it now appears as if the club are looking for his replacement.

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, the game against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon will be crucial in deciding the Australian’s future, and should he lead the team to another defeat, the club has identified three potential replacements.

The first two are former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzić and Brentford boss Thomas Frank, but perhaps the most exciting and intriguing option would be Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola.

The report claims that the Spaniard is ‘liked a lot’ by Tottenham, although given his commitment to the Cherries, getting him to N17 before the end of the season would be incredibly difficult.

However, even if they have to wait until the summer, he’d still be worth it.

Why Iraola would be a great appointment

While there are a number of reasons why Iraola would be an excellent appointment for Spurs to make in the summer, arguably the most important is that he has a track record of surpassing expectations.

For example, his first job in management saw him lead Cypriot side AEK Larnaca into the Europa League group stage for the second time in their history.

Then, in Spain, he masterminded second-tier Mirandes’ surprise run to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, and then, following that, he took Rayo Vallecano from the second tier and left them as a midtable side in La Liga when he took over at Bournemouth.

Since moving to England, the “insane” tactician, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has steered the Cherries from relegation candidates to a team pushing for European football, and one that has already beaten the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Spurs.

Moreover, the Usurbil-born coach has the record to back up respected football analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he’s “one of the best in the league”.

Games

24

24

Wins

11

8

Draws

7

3

Losses

6

13

Points per game

1.67

1.13

For example, in 24 league games this season, he has overseen 11 wins, seven draws and six defeats, which works out to an average of 1.67 points per game.

In contrast, in his 24 league games in charge of the Lilywhites this season, Postecoglou has overseen just eight wins, three draws and 13 losses, which comes out to an average of just 1.13 points per game.

Ultimately, it will prove challenging to prise Iraola away from Bournemouth in the summer, but Spurs remain a big club, and if they push hard for him, there is every chance they will get him.

Instead of signing Tel: Spurs could unleash sensational Hotspur Way talent

The exciting youngster could be a star for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 10, 2025

The chasmic gap between Liverpool and second-place Arsenal helped cushion that fall bred from James Tarkowski’s last-gasp equaliser in the Merseyside derby.

Everton fought tooth and nail to prevent Arne Slot’s side from leaving with three points, deflating a Liverpool crowd that had begun to make merry, giddy at the thought of being nine points clear. They’ll have to settle for seven.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones both dealing with injury issues in recent weeks, the Scouse-born pairing were named as substitutes. Curiously, the Goodison Park clash was the first in Liverpool’s history not to feature an Englishman in the starting line-up.

Drawing that in, Liverpool have rarely been without a Liverpudlian, such is the strength of the city’s DNA at Anfield.

Liverpool's Merseyside connection

There always seems to be a Liverpool-born superstar in the club’s first team. Latterly, Alexander-Arnold has been the homegrown poster boy, but Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher came before him, winning the Champions League under Rafa Benitez.

Toxteth native Robbie Fowler scored 183 goals across 369 appearances for Liverpool, though, like Carragher, he grew up supporting Everton.

There are many more. Jayden Danns’ clinical shooting suggests that he could be the next wiz to establish himself as a mainstay, but credit has surely got to go to the aforementioned Jones, a midfielder who often falls below the parameters of praise.

Jones’ steady accession to a regular role in the team hasn’t been without its bumps. Injuries and chequered bouts of form have acted as his sticking point.

However, the England international has been hailed by Slot for his “complete” qualities, ranking among the top 1% of centre-midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 4% for assists and the top 14% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Oh, his skill in ball retention might be taken a little too literally sometimes, failing to release the ball with perfect swiftness at times, but there’s little question that Jones is a valued and useful member of the squad.

His heart beats red. This much was evidenced when he took umbrage at Abdoulaye Doucoure’s excessive celebrations in front of the away end during Wednesday’s meeting.

His intervention has spelt a return to the sidelines, however, for he was shown a second yellow card by referee Michael Oliver. He’s not the only young prospect to have broken in, however, with Harvey Elliott looking like he might shape into an even better midfielder than his 23-year-old counterpart.

Liverpool's "special" rising star

Elliott isn’t from Liverpool, but he was indoctrinated into supporting the Merseysiders from a young age by his father. It made the decision to leave Fulham at age 16 and sign for Kirkby Academy a rather straightforward choice.

That was in 2019. Liverpool had to pay a £4m tribunal fee for Fulham’s young talent but it’s proved to be worth the expenditure. Always regarded for his skilful dribbling and pinpoint passing under Klopp’s wing, Elliott has really come into his own over the past few years, even if he has been limited in Slot’s system so far.

Described as a “special talent” by The Athletic’s James Pearce, Elliott has been recorded by FBref to rank among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 7% for progressive passes and the top 6% for progressive carries per 90.

Kevin De Bruyne and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham are among the diminutive player’s most comparable players, so say FBref.

Elliott has only played 16 matches for Liverpool this season but he’s still bagged three goals – two in the Champions League – while also providing the late assist as his team won at Brentford in January.

The onus is now on Slot to utilise Elliott’s strengths over the coming months. His creative spark will be important. Oh, you could draw upon the 21-year-old’s poor performance at Plymouth Argyle, but how many times has he provided Liverpool with something different from the middle of the park, or the wing?

Picture this: it’s May 2024. Klopp’s getting ready to hang up the boots, so to speak, and he reveals that he regrets not playing Elliott more often.

It was a difficult campaign, laden with the weight of so many injuries, but this young playmaker stepped up, proved his worth among seasoned superstars.

Already, Elliott has a market price of £40m – as per Football Transfers – which marks an increase of 900%, in relation to his initial £4m asking price.

Rumours bobbed to the surface like rotten apples pertaining to Elliott’s potential exit given his lack of first-team action this term, but it’s understood that Liverpool have no plans on parting ways with such a gifted young ace, even if he’d fetch a neat fee.

Liverpool

135

13

15

Blackburn

42

7

11

Liverpool U21

22

4

10

Fulham U18

19

5

4

Fulham U21

6

0

1

Fulham

3

0

0

He might not be a city native, but Elliott is very much one of Liverpool’s best young players to have stepped from the academy and onto the major stage.

It’s sometimes easy to forget that he’s still so young, and has played more games for Liverpool than Raheem Sterling did (129).

Market Movers

Slot has hit the jackpot on this mercurial midfielder – let’s just hope that it all comes together and he plays a central part in Liverpool’s football over the coming years.

He's outperforming Diaz: Liverpool will rue selling "world-class" star

Liverpool may be looking to invest in a new wideman in the coming transfer windows.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 11, 2025

Arsenal have been hit with several huge injury blows in recent weeks that have left Mikel Arteta with little to choose from when selecting his attacking options in matches.

Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli are all out injured for the foreseeable future, and the Gunners did not swoop to bring in any reinforcements during the January transfer window.

Arsenal’s current injuries

Player

Injury

Expected return

Games missed (including predicted absence)

Gabriel Jesus

ACL

August 31st 2025

21

Bukayo Saka

Hamstring

April 1st 2025

18

Kai Havertz

Hamstring

June 30th 2025

14

Gabriel Martinelli

Hamstring

Unknown

1

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Knee

Unknown

29

Injury information via Transfermarkt

Whilst it remains to be seen how the London giants will resolve their issue in the number nine position, the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri has helped to deal with the loss of Saka to injury.

The 17-year-old whiz, who turns 18 in March, has emerged as a genuine first-team option for Arteta this season, with some eye-catching performances on the right flank.

Ethan Nwaneri's emergence this season

Nwaneri made his Premier League debut at the age of 15 years and 181 days against Brentford in September 2022, which made him the youngest player in the history of the division.

Two seasons later the England U19 international has become a regular in the senior set-up. He has made 24 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions this season, including 15 outings in the top-flight.

24/25 Premier League

Ethan Nwaneri

Appearances (starts)

15 (4)

xG

0.74

Goals

3

xA

1.01

Assists

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Nwaneri has produced four direct goal contributions in four starts in the Premier League, with his latest being an assist for Mikel Merino in the 2-0 win over Leicester at the weekend.

The teenage sensation, who has scored seven goals in all competitions, may soon have another incredible teenage talent alongside him in the first-team, as Arsenal have 15-year-old Max Dowman rapidly rising through the ranks.

Arsenal could hit gold with Max Dowman

Arteta, as he already has with Nwaneri, could hit the jackpot by unearthing the young attacking midfielder in the coming seasons, as he is emerging as an incredible prospect who could be as good as the current first-team academy graduate.

Back in November, Fabrizio Romano reported that the then-14-year-old was already training with the first-team at Arsenal, and that the club consider him to be a “huge” talent.

In the same month, analyst Ben Mattinson claimed that Dowman has stood out at U19 and U21 level, despite his incredibly young age, and described his talent as “insane”, whilst he added that it would not be a surprise for him to make his debut this season and beat Nwaneri’s Premier League record.

The 15-year-old starlet has already made his U21 debut and has racked up three goals and two assists in eight appearances for the U18s this season, which shows that the youngster is starring well above his age bracket.

Dowman is shining in the academy and has clearly caught Arteta’s attention, hence why he has been in first-team training as young as 14, which is why he could be as big of a talent as Nwaneri, who has emerged in the senior set-up at the age of 17.

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It is now down to the manager to plot the perfect pathway to the first-team for the left-footed playmaker, who is yet to make his senior bow, to ensure that the club can strike gold with the teenage ace, who could eventually become a regular for the Spanish tactician in the future.

Ipswich Town would have been hoping for another memorable night against one of the Premier League’s elite when Manchester City travelled down to Suffolk, only to be met by Pep Guardiola’s men at their most ruthless.

Indeed, after the away side opened the scoring courtesy of Phil Foden just shy of the half-an-hour mark, there was only going to be one emphatic winner, as the City of old came to the forefront in a 6-0 demolition job.

The visitors just wouldn’t have believed their luck when coming up against Kieran McKenna’s men, with the Ipswich defence all over the place from the minute Foden fired home.

Ipswich's shambolic defending

Annoyingly – before City eventually ran riot – Ipswich did have a couple of half chances here and there to shock Guardiola’s men, with Omari Hutchinson seeing one effort fly over Ederson’s goal courtesy of an Erling Haaland deflection just five or so minutes before Foden’s opener.

But, there would be no looking back after the number 47 gave his side the lead, as a whole sea of Ipswich shirts couldn’t deal with the trickery of either Jeremy Doku or Kevin De Bruyne before the England international beat Christian Walton.

The hosts simply couldn’t handle a City attack at their vibrant best, as the likes of Ben Godfrey just watched on as Mateo Kovacic hammered home a quickfire second, whilst the new Tractor Boys recruit didn’t get tight enough to Doku or De Bruyne again when Foden collected his easy brace.

The goals wouldn’t stop there as Godfrey’s poor day at the office continued into the second half when Doku and Haaland exchanged more strikes, with the ex-Everton man then substituted just after the hour mark by McKenna on what was a sobering first-ever taste of Premier League action lining up for his fresh side.

Godfrey obviously wasn’t the only underperformer at the back for the relegation-threatened outfit, as Dara O’Shea also had a notable off-day in the heart of defence despite usually standing out as a brave performer.

Performance in Numbers

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

O'Shea's performance in numbers vs Man City

Indeed, if you look at the numbers from Ipswich’s heroic 2-0 win over Chelsea from the close of December, the Irishman was a brick wall for the underdogs with three tackles registered on top of five duels being won.

He was anything but that against the reigning top-flight champions, however, with only one duel contested all night during what was somewhat of a feeble showing from the ex-Burnley centre-back.

Minutes played

90

Touches

66

Accurate passes

50/57

Possession lost

9x

Clearances

2

Blocked shots

0

Interceptions

0

Total tackles

1

Total duels won

1/1

In truth, it was a very flat showing from the 25-year-old who looked scared stiff by the unbelievable quality on show from the opposition, with no interceptions or blocks attempted when the visitors attacked at will.

Moreover, he would also give up the ball nine times when passing out from the back, as the below-par number 26 had a night to forget all round.

East Anglian Daily Times journalist Alex Jones would give O’Shea a low 5/10 rating after the game subsequently, with Ipswich hopeful that this is a one-off thud back to reality against a stuttering City side that have finally snapped back into life.

After all, before back-to-back defeats in the league, Ipswich had been unbeaten in three with O’Shea wanting to get back to his best when the Tractor Boys face the gruelling task of trying to topple Liverpool at Anfield up next.

Even if another defeat is put next to their name, McKenna won’t want his troops to feel too down, with plenty more crunch games away from playing the top-flight’s cream of the crop deciding their overall fate.

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1 ByKelan Sarson Jan 16, 2025

أعلن الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش، المدير الفني لفريق بيراميدز تشكيل لاعبيه في مباراته أمام الزمالك، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الممتاز.

وتقام المباراة بين الزمالك وبيراميدز، مساء اليوم على استاد القاهرة الدولي في إطار مواجهات الجولة السادسة من مرحلة حسم الدوري المصري.

بينما فريق بيراميدز، يتواجد في المركز الثاني بجدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 47 نقطة.

طالع | تشكيل الزمالك أمام بيراميدز في الدوري.. منسي وشلبي يقودان الهجوم

بيراميدز، خسر في آخر مباراتين له ببطولة الدوري أمام البنك الأهلي وفاركو، ليتراجع إلي المركز الثاني بترتيب بطولة الدوري، برصيد 47 نقطة. تشكيل بيراميدز أمام الزمالك في الدوري المصري

حراسة المرمى: أحمد الشناوي

خط الدفاع: محمد الشيبي – محمد حمدي – أحمد سامي – محمود مرعي

خط الوسط: وليد الكرتي – بلاتي توريه – أحمد عاطف قطة – عبد الرحمن مجدي – إبراهيم عادل

خط الهجوم: مروان حمدي بدلاء بيراميدز أمام الزمالك في الدوري

شريف إكرامي – أحمد توفيق – كريم حافظ – علي جبر – صديق إيجولا – محمود دونجا – يوسف أوباما – دودو الجباس –   مصطفى فتحي

If India were playing their first T20 World Cup match – against Pakistan – next week, Ricky Ponting would play Virat Kohli at his usual No. 3 position despite his current form. Ponting, the former Australia captain and current Delhi Capitals coach, told that any opposition will be relieved if India decide to drop Kohli.”I think if I was an opposition captain or an opposition player, I will be fearing playing an Indian team that has Virat Kohli in it, more than I would be one that doesn’t have him in it,” Ponting said. “I know there have been some challenges for him, it’s been a difficult time. But every great player that I have seen in this game has been through it at some stage, whether that’s a batsman or a bowler, they have all been through it. And somehow, the best find a way to rebound and respond, and it’s only a matter of time before Virat does that.”Related

• Kohli's slump: two factors that might have had a role to play

• Gavaskar on Kohli: 'There is this anxiety to play at every delivery'

• Rohit bats for Kohli again amid 'slump' talk

• Kapil Dev: 'If Kohli isn't performing, you can't keep youngsters out'

Kohli has not scored an international century since November 2019, but it is his T20 returns that are the most concerning for India. In the last IPL, Kohli tried various things but ended up with a strike-rate of just 116, the lowest among batters who played at least 250 balls in the tournament. Ponting still felt the payoff, if it came off, would be bigger than any other replacement having a “reasonable” tournament.”The other thing you risk as well is, if you leave Virat out on the eve of a T20 World Cup, and someone comes in and has a reasonable tournament, it will be hard for Virat to get back in it,” Ponting said. “If I was India, I would keep pushing with him, because I know the upside. If they actually get him back confident and playing as well as he can, that upside is better than most. So I think if I was a captain or a coach around the Indian setup, I’d be making life as easy as possible for him to feel as comfortable as possible, and just wait for him to flick the switch and start scoring runs again.”Ponting said he would put all the eggs in the Kohli basket as opposed to trying someone else and bringing Kohli in only if his replacement fails.”Early in the tournament, for a first-round game, get him in nice and early, among the runs, and then hopefully by the end of the tournament you’ll have Virat Kohli back at his best,” Ponting said. “That’s the way I would look at it. I wouldn’t think about holding him back at the start of the tournament, with the thought that you might be able to bring him back towards the back end and have him peak. Tournament play isn’t like that. You need to work your way into the tournament, get some runs under your belt, and get some confidence and then be playing your best cricket at the back end.”However, Ponting did say pushing Kohli to open just so he finds his ideal conditions can be counterproductive. “You still got to find the best balance for the team,” he said. “You can’t just make the team all about one person.”They probably should be trying to find new ways to get him back into the form and help him out but that [giving him the opening spot] quite often comes at the expense of someone else as well. You are moving someone else around trying to find a spot for Virat. He has opened the batting, he’s batted at No.3 in the IPL in the last couple of years and done the same for India.”Moving him around, to me, will make him feel that people are worried about him, and he will be more unsettled. I will be going the other way. I’ll be telling him, ‘This is your spot, this is where you’re batting, it’s not going to change. Keep believing in yourself, keep putting in the hard work, keep understanding what made you the best player in the world for a number of years. Get back to those thoughts and the runs will come.'”

Madhya Pradesh are nearly there. But no one from the team or from the periphery is ready to celebrate just yet. That is because there is still one full day, offering a minimum of 95 overs left in the Ranji final. Mumbai trail by 49, with eight wickets in hand, but must find a way to not just wipe out the deficit but also get ahead, and then take the ten remaining wickets to pull off a coup.It’s improbable but Mumbai have nothing to lose, and it’s this fearlessness they will try and carry forward on Sunday. Prithvi Shaw’s robust second-innings 44 has given them just a glimmer, but there’s a mountain to climb.That is because Rajat Patidar and MP’s lower order extended Mumbai’s agony on the field to 177.2 overs in which they made 536, securing a first-innings lead of 162. Patidar was the third centurion of the innings, after Yash Dubey and Shubham Sharma. It was also the most enterprising of the three, an innings full of authority, class, and a slice of luck on 52, when he was reprieved off a no-ball on the third day.Having shut shop after the reprieve until stumps on Friday, Patidar restored normalcy under overcast skies on Saturday, picking off runs with ease and giving a crowd of around 1500 people something to cheer about. Apart from ensuring the bad balls were put away, Patidar respected the bowling and ensured Mumbai weren’t handed any chance of a comeback despite striking twice in the morning.Aditya Shrivastava was out to a short ball from Mohit Avasthi, which was grabbed on the rebound at slip by Sarfaraz Khan, while Tushar Deshpande sent Akshat Raghuwanshi’s stumps cartwheeling with a superb in-ducker he should’ve been playing forward to.Parth Sahani, the debutant, was reprieved early when Shaw put down a tough chance at slip, but he was out lbw soon after to Shams Mulani, the left-arm spinner. It was largely down to Patidar from there on to steer the lower order.When Sahani became the sixth wicket to fall, MP were just 56 ahead, but Patidar found an able ally in allrounder Saransh Jain, who hung around to support him for as long as he was around, and then brought out his shots to make a maiden half-century to extend Mumbai’s misery. In all, the last four wickets added106. Mulani finished with a five-for after 63.2 overs of toil taking his wickets tally this season to 42.Needing to start aggressively, Mumbai lived up to their side of the bargain as MP quickly went on the defensive, mindful of cutting out Shaw’s scoring areas, especially the point region. Without Yashasvi Jaiswal, who spent large parts of the day off the field due to an ankle niggle, Mumbai opened with wicketkeeper Hardik Tamore, and he was off the blocks quickly too.It was Shaw who played some jaw-dropping shorts, like the swat for six over long-on, but he also rode his luck, with Gaurav Yadav failing to latch on to a mistimed pull to fine leg. Gaurav also reprieved Armaan Jaffer early in his innings but hit back to dismiss Shaw right at the close when the batter toe-ended a wide delivery to cover.Towards the end, MP bowled defensively, with spinners landing deliveries outside leg and pacers bowling wide outside off. For a team on the cusp of history, MP appeared just a tad nervy, even if they were within their rights to imply such tactics. To Mumbai’s credit, they found ways to play around it and give themselves a window of opportunity, however slim it may be.Tonight’s sleep or the lack thereof could either jangle MP or relax them to such an extent that Sunday is a mere formality. It’s one team fighting the odds to try and gun for No. 42, the other their first.

West Ham United have now been told a key condition of them potentially signing Brighton forward Evan Ferguson in January, with multiple reports linking Julen Lopetegui’s side to the Republic of Ireland starlet.

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£60m striker wants January exit as West Ham communicate intent to sign him

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1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 30, 2024

It was a Premier League record-equalling opening 45 minutes of goals, and while West Ham did threaten an exceptional comeback by notching two back, Gunners star Bukayo Saka put the result beyond all doubt with his penalty deep into first period stoppage time.

Lopetegui was left “frustrated” by their lacklustre defending and some of the decisions that went against them, but did praise his players for showing the “character” to compete in stages.

“Overall, I am frustrated with the first-half. We deserved two goals, but they didn’t deserve five,” said Lopetegui on West Ham’s 5-2 defeat to Arsenal.

Leicester City (away)

December 3

Wolves (home)

December 9

Bournemouth (away)

December 16

Brighton (home)

December 21

Southampton (away)

December 26

“We were unlucky in the decisions, in my opinion. The first goal, I think it was a block. We were unlucky. We have to do better for sure. We didn’t make good decisions in a defensive way – that’s why it was a strange match.

“The team showed character to compete. We were unlucky with the decisions today. We asked before the match, the referee with the block, as a coach we have to know the limit.

“This week we have to do better in our individual actions, in a defensive way.”

Lopetegui’s men next face Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City tonight at the King Power Stadium, and it is surely a must-win game for the Spaniard. FC Porto boss Sergio Conceicao is now being seriously linked with the West Ham job, and while Hammers chiefs are hesitant to axe Lopetegui so early, there is alarm within the London Stadium over their dismal form right now (The Guardian).

West Ham told Brighton condition of potential Evan Ferguson deal in January

Amidst their on-field struggles, West Ham are planning to sign a striker in January, following Niclas Fullkrug’s struggles with injury since his £27 million arrival from Borussia Dortmund.

Brighton striker Ferguson is on West Ham’s radar heading into January, with reports suggesting the 20-year-old could depart on loan in the winter after falling behind Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro in the Amex pecking order.

GiveMeSport have shared an update on their pursuit of the Irishman, sharing one condition of a potential temporary deal for interested sides, including West Ham.

They write that Brighton are likely to only green-light a straight loan for Ferguson, and they’re not inclined to negotiate a buy option clause, meaning his maximum stay in east London would be for six months.

The Seagulls clearly see a bright future for Ferguson, going by this update, and it is believed they’ve not fully signed off on his January exit just yet – despite his lack of consistent game time under Fabian Hurzeler.

Other reports have claimed that the price tag to sign him permanently would be around £60 million, and it is very debatable whether West Ham could afford that next summer anyway.