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Jesse Lingard scored his first goal since overcoming a recent hamstring as Seoul claimed a vital in K League 1.

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Lingard scores after injurySeoul FC beat K League 1 leadersTitle challenge within reachWHAT HAPPENED?

Lingard provided the finishing touch with his left foot, firing the ball low across Gangwon goalkeeper Lee Kwang-yeon, who ought to have done better after getting hands on the shot. The former Manchester United talent proceeded to run over to the Seoul fans and engaged in what appeared to be a choreographed celebration with 17-year-old team-mate Kang Ju-hyeon.

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That was Seoul's second goal of the game and was the killer moment in the 2-0 victory. A fifth-consecutive win, it also further blew the K League 1 title race wide open, with Gangwon actually leading the standings. But the result brought Seoul back to within five points of the top, despite being in fifth place. Only six points separate the entire top six. For Lingard, captaining the side once more, it was a third goal in 16 league appearances this season. He had only returned from a month-long absence due to a hamstring injury in the previous game.

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With Seoul looking up the table rather than down, a title charge feels within reach if they can continue to harness the momentum. The capital club were last champions in 2016. Their next three games against Jeonbuk, Daejeon Hana and Daegu are all favourable bottom four opponents.

King and Russell tore into the SL attack to chase down a modest 155 with three overs to spare

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Mar-2020Sri Lanka limped their way to 155 for 6 on a good track in Pallekele, as West Indies put in a strong collective bowling effort. The target was no match for West Indies’ batting might, as the visitors flew at over 10 an over in the Powerplay, before the middle order kept the score ticking, and Andre Russell then finished the game in a hail of sixes. They needed only 17 overs to complete the chase and complete a 2-0 whitewash of the T20I series.Sri Lanka stutter through the early/middle oversNone of Sri Lanka’s first six partnerships were worth more than 33. That would almost be passable, if they had managed to score quickly. But they didn’t. Against West Indies’ varied and canny attack, most in the top order could not consistently find timing, with no one in the top five breaching 25.Just as a partnership seemed to be developing, and it would be time for the pair to raise the tempo, the attempted big shot would go awry. Avishka Fernando was bowled by Oshane Thomas, swinging across the line. Kusal Perera holed out to point trying to cut Fabian Allen. Shehan Jayasuriya was caught at deep midwicket, and Kusal Mendis sent a legside flick straight down the throat of deep square leg.Despite a good final partnership between Thisara Perera and Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka had ceded too much ground earlier in their innings. Their total of 155 always seemed at least 15 short. Against this West Indies batting line up, it was probably 30 short.King of the PowerplayWest Indies hit 61 in the Powerplay, getting themselves well ahead of the rate. Of those runs, Brandon King had made 43. He’d also hit every single one of the boundaries. He started with a flick of the wrists to send a wayward Lasith Malinga ball skimming away behind deep square leg for four, before busting out the big power shots. He blasted Angelo Mathews’ first ball through the covers, then clipped him beautifully behind square for a four later in that over.Malinga bowled the final over of the Powerplay, and it was here that King really put West Indies well ahead of the required rate. He edged the third ball past the keeper for four, but later, launched Malinga over long on for six, before clobbering him over cow corner for another one. He faced each of the balls in that over and reaped 19 runs. He’d be out in the eighth over for 43 off 21, but by then, West Indies were flying.Cyclone RussellAt the other end of West Indies’ chase, an even more devastating innings. From who else, but Andre Russell? He came to the crease in the 13th over, when West Indies needed only 53 off 44 balls, but man, did he make sure this good chance of victory was emphatically grasped. He hit six sixes in his 40 off 14 balls – that’s a strike rate of 286.71, by the way, if you’re struggling with the maths. No fours, because why bother? The third six, off Thisara Perera, flew high over cow corner, and out of the Milky Way, probably.Malinga’s bowling plans get messed upFirst of all, Malinga himself was having an off night, conceding 12 runs off his first over, and eventually finishing at none for 46 off 3 – an economy rate of 15.33, thanks to Messrs King and Russell. Then, his prize spin-bowling asset, Wanindu Hasaranga, pulled up lame chasing a ball at deep square leg in the second over and had to be rushed off to hospital for scans. This meant Sri Lanka’s best wicket-taking weapon of the tour didn’t get to bowl a single delivery, and Malinga had to make up those overs with others, with predictable results.

Liverpool's hopes of winning the Premier League title took another hit on Saturday as they were held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United at the London Stadium.

A late header from Michail Antonio ensured that the Reds only returned to Merseyside with a solitary point to their name, which leaves them third in the league.

Jurgen Klopp's long tenure in charge of the club now looks set to come to a close without a fairytale ending, as a Premier League title currently looks unlikely, whilst they have already been knocked out of the FA Cup and the Europa League.

It is not impossible, though, as they still have three games left to play to hope that their rivals slip up and provide them with a chance to move back to the top.

One man who will have a keen eye on results, and performances, between now and the end of the season is Arne Slot, who looks set to succeed Klopp in the dugout.

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the club have agreed a compensation package with Feyenoord to make the Dutchman their new manager from next season onwards.

He may have been watching the 2-2 draw with West Ham on Saturday and one player whom the head coach may already have an eye on replacing is Wataru Endo, who could be brutally ditched to make way for Stefan Bajcetic.

Wataru Endo's performance against West Ham in numbers

The Japan international lined up at the base of the Liverpool midfield in London, with Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister either side of him.

Unfortunately, the experienced battler failed to take control of the game in the middle of the park, and produced a poor performance for the Reds.

In fact, This is Anfield's Mark Delgado handed the former Bundesliga star a match rating of 4/10 – citing his 'slow and ponderous' play and lack of progression in possession.

Pass accuracy

88%

Key passes

0

Long passes completed

0/1

Duels won

6/13

Dribbled past

1x

Error leading to shot

1

As you can see in the table above, a lack of progression was an issue in Endo's display as he did not complete a single long pass or create any chances for his teammates.

The 31-year-old dud also lost 7 of his 13 physical duels throughout the game, which shows that West Ham's players came out on top against him more often than not.

Endo also made one error that directly led to a shot for the opposition. This means that he directly created more chances for the Hammers to take a shot at Alisson than he did for his teammates to test Alphonse Areola.

Wataru Endo's season in numbers

The former Stuttgart gem joined Liverpool on a permanent deal from the German side last summer to provide more steel at the base of Klopp's midfield, after Fabinho's move to Al Ittihad.

He has been a solid, albeit unspectacular, performer for the Reds throughout the Premier League this season, as his work on and off the ball has left a bit to be desired.

To his credit, Endo ranks within the top 32% or higher of midfielders in the top-flight for tackles made per 90 (2.41) and interceptions per 90 (1.15) respectively, and the top 10% for aerial battles won per 90 (1.87).

However, the defensive midfielder has lost 56% of his duels in the Premier League, including 59% of his battles on the ground, and this shows that he has been a lightweight against opposition midfielders, as opponents have beaten him in physical contests more often than not.

In possession, the 31-year-old has not provided outstanding quality to progress his team up the pitch and create chances on a regular basis.

He ranks within the bottom 13% of midfielders in the division for assists per 90 (0.00), the bottom 9% for progressive carries per 90 (0.54), the bottom 27% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.48), and the bottom 11% for touches in the opposition box per 90 (0.54).

Why Arne Slot would love Stefan Bajcetic

Liverpool must brutally ditch Endo from the starting XI over the coming weeks and with a view to next season as teenage starlet Bajcetic could emerge as a better option in his position.

Slot has typically deployed a 4-2-3-1 base formation during his time with Feyenoord, which includes two holding players in a double pivot behind a number ten as part of the midfield structure.

Bajcetic, who writer Zubin Daver hailed as "special" last year, could play as one of the two midfielders at the base of that system, using his qualities in and out of possession to thrive alongside a player like Mac Allister.

The 19-year-old star has missed 41 games with a calf injury this season – making his return to the first-team squad against West Ham on Saturday – after his breakthrough year in the first-team during the 2022/23 campaign.

In the Premier League last season, Bajcetic made 11 appearances – starting six times – and showed promise with his work on and off the ball in midfield.

The Spanish teen won 45% of his duels – higher than Endo's 44% – despite only being 18 at the time and playing against players with many more years of experience and physical growth.

As you can see in the chart above, the Liverpool youngster ranked above average for midfielders in the Premier League for progressive carries, percentage of aerial battles won, and touches in the middle third per 90 respectively.

He also ranked within the top 24% of his positional peers for successful take-ons per 90 (1.20), which speaks to his ability to progress forward with the ball.

Impressively, Bajcetic also ranked within the top 12% for interceptions per 90 (1.54) – higher than Endo's 1.15 per 90 this term – and the top 13% for aerial battles won per 90 (1.54).

These statistics suggest that Slot would love the teenager as a replacement for Endo, as he is 12 years younger than the Japan international but has already showcased the potential to offer more in and out of possession as part of the prospective new manager's double pivot in a 4-2-3-1 shape.

Liverpool's 4/10 star proved why Slot must spend this summer

Jurgen Klopp’s final weeks as Liverpool manager have seen a fatal slump in form.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 27, 2024

They also show that Klopp should drop the 4/10 dud when Bajcetic is fully fit to be able to start for the Reds, due to the possible upgrade he could be in the middle of the park for the German's side – based on his form last term and potential to improve further at his young age.

The pair were denied a compelling title race in the Eredivisie, but they will renew their rivalry on Sunday in England's biggest fixture

In his four full years in charge of Ajax, Erik ten Hag enjoyed one waltz to the Eredivisie title and two closely fought contests with PSV, securing the crown each time with one game to spare. But perhaps the most interesting title race of all was the one that was never allowed to finish.

In March 2020, the Johan Cruyff Arena hosted a top-of-the-table clash between Ajax and AZ Alkmaar, coached by a young upstart by the name of Arne Slot. Three points separated the two teams before kick-off, and a win for Ajax would have given them a six-point cushion. But they were outplayed on their own turf, with AZ slicing them open repeatedly.

The visitors scored in just the third minute after a misplaced pass from Daley Blind, had a goal ruled out by VAR and then a delightful chip by Oussama Idrissi over a hapless Andre Onana sealed a famous win. At full-time, Slot and his coaching staff staged a group hug. They were now level on points with Ajax and dreaming of a first title in 11 years.

AZ and Slot never got to live out that dream, as just two weeks later the Dutch season was halted by the coronavirus pandemic. In mid-April, while other European leagues were planning to resume behind closed doors, the Dutch Football Association agreed to cancel the season and declare it null and void. Some argued it was unfair on Ajax, who were top at the time that the campaign ended. It was equally unfair on AZ, who had done the double on the Amsterdam giants and had the momentum.

That win was as good as it got for Slot at AZ as he was sacked midway through the next campaign for getting distracted by an offer from Feyenoord. Slot and Ten Hag were now the head coaches of the Netherlands' most fierce rivalry, and Ten Hag had his revenge in the 2021-22 season, winning both games against Feyenoord on his way to clinching his third title with Ajax just as he had agreed to take over at Manchester United.

With Ten Hag out of the picture, Slot finally got his hands on the Dutch title in 2023, and one year later, he accepted another enticing offer, this time from Liverpool. Now, on Sunday, the two Dutchmen will continue their rivalry as the heads of England's best supported and most successful sides.

Getty 'Overly lyrical'

Ten Hag and Slot had a competitive yet friendly rivalry when they were both in the Eredivisie. But when Ten Hag was under-fire at United before last season's FA Cup final and Slot had been confirmed as the next Liverpool manager, the Red Devils boss took aim at Feyenoord while speaking to . He felt the Rotterdam outfit had been getting too much credit despite finishing seven points behind runaway champions PSV.

"PSV are a well deserved champion. Better than the rest by such a large distance, including Feyenoord. Peter Bosz did an excellent job at PSV last season. The club is alive and sparkling," Ten Hag said.

"On the other hand, I think people are overly lyrical about Feyenoord. In my opinion, the difference between PSV and Feyenoord was too big from Feyenoord's perspective as reigning national champions. Feyenoord was stable this year, but not top. PSV was two classes better in all areas. In terms of dominating the ball, in terms of pressing, in terms of intensity, you name it."

AdvertisementGetty Images'Good and normal relationship'

Ten Hag did not personally question Slot's coaching talents, though, and he welcomed his appointment by Liverpool. "I think it is a very good and beautiful choice from both sides. This is great for the Dutch coaches' guild."

Ten Hag also struck a conciliatory tone when he spoke to Dutch newspaper in August. "I think the fact that there are now two Dutch managers at the helm at Liverpool and Manchester United is fantastic for our football,” he said. "It is fantastic what Arne has achieved at Feyenoord, how he has helped that club get back on track, and the football that Liverpool prefers to play also suits Arne Slot completely. I think it’s a very good match."

Slot has also played down any hint of a rivalry with Ten Hag whilst also admitting the pair were not close. "It’s as good and normal a relationship as I have with other managers. The relationship I would call it very good; we all respect each other because of what the managers did at their former clubs," he said on Friday.

"Friends? No, friends is something else, but it’s a very good relationship. A friend is someone you see a lot and go to dinner. We don’t know each other well enough."

AFPStronger foundations

Slot has certainly got off to a more comfortable start at Liverpool than Ten Hag has enjoyed in all three of his seasons in England. Liverpool earned a hard-fought 2-0 win at promoted Ipswich and then coasted to another 2-0 win over Brentford in Slot's Anfield bow.

There was a somewhat subdued atmosphere for his home debut, a far cry from the raucous mood of Jurgen Klopp's last season. Instead, there was a feeling of serenity, which contrasted with the chaos Ten Hag has endured at the start of each of his three seasons with United.

He suffered a loss at home to Brighton on his debut and was then hammered 4-0 by Brentford; his first away game of last season resulted in defeat at Tottenham; the first road trip of this season to Brighton last week had a familiar outcome to many of last season's low-points: losing in added time.

Ten Hag pre-empted the inevitable comparison which would be made between him and Slot when speaking last May. "Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders have left a strong foundation," he said. "He [Slot] ends up with better foundations than I did when I went to Manchester United from the Netherlands, in terms of structure in the club, in terms of balance in the squad."

Ten Hag' assessment was understandable, as Liverpool had finished last season in third place, having qualified for the Champions League in seven of the previous eight seasons under Klopp, including winning the league and coming second twice.

Slot was happy to admit this after the Brentford game, saying: "I inherited a team and all of them stayed. We try to keep a lot, a lot, a lot almost the same and try to adjust maybe one or two things where we think we could win."

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GettyTen Hag's transfer toils

Ten Hag, by contrast, inherited a United team that had achieved their worst points total in the Premier League and had returned a goal difference of zero. He also had problematic players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial to deal with. However, he has had five transfer windows to build the squad he wanted, being armed with a war chest of close to £600 million ($787m). And yet, last season United had their worst-ever finish to a Premier League campaign and posted a negative goal difference.

He has also been allowed to sign many of the targets he wanted, a number of whom he has worked with previously. Indeed, he has spent £250m ($328m) on former Ajax players alone, and yet a lot of those signings have simply not worked.

Antony has been a total disaster, one of the worst, if not worst, Premier League signings of all time at £85m ($111m). United were keen to offload the Brazilian this summer, but could not find anyone who wanted to take him on loan, that's how bad he has been.

Mason Mount, meanwhile, has been perennially injured, missing almost all of last season and has now been ruled out for a fresh six weeks with a hamstring injury. And this is a player who, Ten Hag stressed, had no major injury record before joining United.

Andre Onana has made a series of high-profile errors, particularly in the Champions League, and has not improved United's build-up play as intended while Rasmus Hojlund has had just one consistent period in the league and was out of the team by the end of last season.

The loan signings have not worked either. Wout Weghorst left without scoring a Premier League goal and Sofyan Amrabat could hardly cope with the pace of the Premier League. Ten Hag has had some rotten luck, such as with the injuries to Mount and star summer signing Leny Yoro, but the recruitment under his watch has been very poor.

He is confident that the extra responsibility will not have an adverse effect on his batting

Umar Farooq18-May-2020Pakistan’s new white-ball leader Babar Azam wants to follow in former captain Imran Khan’s footsteps and embrace controlled aggression. Last week, Azam was appointed Pakistan’s ODI captain and the 25-year old is also the heir apparent to Azhar Ali in Test cricket.”I would like to go with what I have learnt that is attacking. So, I would like to follow Imran Khan style of captaincy,” Azam said in an online press conference on Monday. “As captain, you have to learn to be cool. You have to take players with you as well as planning with them against other teams. There are instances when you get angry inside but then you have to contain yourself and must have to control your aggression in the field. The confidence is the key and the more you back your players, they will give their best. With player support you can have a bed of thorns turn into a bed of roses.”Azam is Pakistan’s premier batsman across formats and his recent elevation to ODI captaincy confirmed his status as the highest-profile cricketer in Pakistan. When asked if he was feeling the additional pressure of leadership, Azam said he was ready for the new role.ALSO READ: Babar Azam named Pakistan captain for ODIs”It’s a challenge and you always have to get ready to take up the challenge,” Azam said. “When Wasim Khan (PCB CEO) called me first about handing me the captaincy, it naturally made me happy. It was written in my destiny and it did come to me. You can’t complain that you got it early or it’s a big responsibility. If they (PCB) invested their trust in me, obviously they thought it through and saw a potential in me and I am ready for this.”In addition to the challenges on the field, Azam will have to handle pressure from the media, senior players and power struggles in selection. Historically, many Pakistan captains have struggled to juggle multiple roles and as a result have drifted away from playing their natural game. Azam, though, was confident that leadership will not have an adverse effect on his batting.”I love to take challenges and there is a big difference between captaining and batting,” Azam said. “I don’t think there will be any effect on my batting. In fact, I never think about this because while batting I won’t think about captaincy, so my focus will always be there on my batting. After that I will look into how to handle rest of things and how to draw performances from the team and it is a challenge and I am up for it.”I am definitely not expecting a straight line of victories as a captain. Definitely there won’t be a decorated bed of roses. There will be ups and downs, there will be mistakes and there will be good performances – so this is a part and parcel of it.”Azam backed himself to take his own decisions as captain, but said that he would also take inputs from the senior players and the team management whenever he needed support.”Whenever I feel I need help, there are senior players to help and I look back to Misbah for advice,” Azam said. “It’s a wrong impression that head coach is controlling me as a captain with his decisions. It’s a different perspective. This is definitely not like captaining an Under-19 team or A team where you mostly rely on the dressing room for on-field decisions. I have learnt enough to drive the game on my own in the field with my decisions. But it’s a team game, you sometimes do need tips from the staff sitting outside and if they have a good suggestion, then I do consider it and apply. So this is how it works.”

Chelsea's machine-like academy operation has seen some brilliant players emerge and play a part in the first team, but it's also seen its fair share of blunders.

Reece James and Conor Gallagher both reside in the current squad, while Mason Mount was sold to Manchester United for £55m last summer after winning the Champions League in 2021. There are many more.

But not all ply their trade through their formative years, instead purchased as raw, unrefined seniors, many of whom fail to ever live up to the hype. There's one such player who failed to make an impact at Chelsea but has now cemented himself as one of the greatest players of his generation. He is Cole Palmer's idol.

Speaking of Palmer. The England international is exactly one of those untested and talented young pros to have made the move to Stamford Bridge – but he's been nothing other than an unmitigated success.

Cole Palmer's season in numbers

Where even to begin? Let's look at it linearly. Chelsea completed the signing of Palmer from Manchester City for an initial fee of £40m back on transfer deadline day last summer, with the 22-year-old having made waves on the fringe of Pep Guardiola's sparkling senior set-up.

Chelsea have toiled and trundled for much of the campaign under Mauricio Pochettino but there have been glimpses of quality, flashes of prosperity yet to come. Palmer has been the fulcrum, the mastermind, the string-puller. He has been, as talent scout Jacek Kulig put it: "one of the most in-form players in Europe".

Having scored the winning goal as City defeated Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup, his move to Chelsea gave him the licence to thrive – and indeed he did.

Palmer blanked across his opening four Premier League fixtures for the Blues but he has now scored 24 goals and supplied 13 assists across 42 matches in all competitions.

He's rather good, bucking the bleak trend of failed signings at Chelsea in that regard.

But going back to that original point, it hasn't always been that way. With the Blues bosses surely rueing the one-time sale of Kevin De Bruyne, who indeed has a fan in former teammate Palmer and arguably has a seat at the table of the great game's greatest greats.

Why Chelsea sold Kevin De Bruyne

De Bruyne is one of the most iconic Premier League players of his generation. The creative linchpin of Guardiola's illustrious success, he has amassed 378 games for the Sky Blues, directly contributing toward 270 goals, following a club-record £50m transfer from Wolfsburg in 2015 that initially raised a few eyebrows.

This season, the 32-year-old has battled against injuries but has still posted six goals and 16 assists across 22 matches in all competitions, with Guardiola dubbing him "one of the greatest players of all time" and Thierry Henry hailing his "incredible" ability.

Palmer admitted to being starstruck after first training with the likes of De Bruyne at the Etihad Stadium but Chelsea must feel a sense of poetic justice that they have swiped a prodigious playmaking talent from the club that has bathed in the riches of De Bruyne's quality.

Especially so after selling him to Wolfsburg for only £17m, which was a moderately successful recoup at the time but looks rather stumpy now.

To highlight his world-class influence: as per FBref, De Bruyne ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, assists and shot-creating actions, the top 9% for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90.

Premier League

5x

Champions League

1x

FA Cup

2x

Carabao Cup

5x

FIFA Club World Cup

1x

UEFA Supercup

1x

Community Shield

2x

Forget all the individual brilliance, the intricacies that make De Bruyne the phenomenon that he is – that trophy cabinet alone marks his transfer to Manchester City as the best possible move for his career.

The esteemed Belgium international will have no regrets over his move away from Chelsea but the Stamford Bridge side must rue the day they shipped him on.

It all could have been so different.

As the summer transfer window approaches, Newcastle United have already begun thinking about potential incomings to strengthen Eddie Howe's side, which could now see a rising La Liga star arrive on Tyneside.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies certainly aren't messing around, with an agreement already reportedly reached to sign Lloyd Kelly upon the expiry of his current Bournemouth contract at the end of the season and the same deal reportedly being worked on for Tosin Adarabioyo. Two free agents, Kelly and Adarabioyo represent smart business by those at St James' Park looking to add depth to Howe's defensive options.

Reporter shares what he's now heard on "incredible" Newcastle ace's future

Ruthless from PIF…

ByTom Cunningham May 16, 2024

Behind that defence, however, the Newcastle boss has seen another problem emerge. The absence of Nick Pope due to injury has left Newcastle with little choice but to turn to 35-year-old Martin Dubravka, who has struggled to match the quality of their number one, albeit whilst putting in some commendable performances.

It could be a glimpse into the future unless the Magpies act, with Pope now 32 years old, himself. And it seems to be a problem that PIF are well aware of, having sent scouts in search of a solution.

Now, according to reports in Spain, Newcastle are in pole position to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia in a deal worth €40m this summer. After reportedly sending scouts to watch the goalkeeper in action as he kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against Rayo Vallecano last weekend, PIF reportedly picked the giant 6 foot 6 'keeper ahead of Howe's first choice for the position, which was Aaron Ramsdale.

Newcastle were clearly left impressed and could now push on to land their Pope successor in the coming months. Just 23 years old, those at St James' Park would be getting the ultimate solution to their fast-approaching problem, which could see them take a huge step back towards competing for a place in the Premier League's top four. As the summer window approaches, it certainly looks set to be a busy few months for the Magpies.

"Superb" Mamardashvili can replace Pope

It will be interesting to see whether Mamardashvili will step into Pope's role or be forced to watch from the bench and wait for his opportunity if he completes a move to Newcastle this summer. The latter's injury may hand Howe a simpler decision as he looks to get back up to full speed, but if that competition arrives, the former Bournemouth boss will have quite the selection headache.

Clean Sheets

13

5

Save Percentage

74.8%

73.6%

Saves Per 90

2.81

2.81

With an incredibly similar save percentage and the exact same number of saves per 90, it's no wonder Newcastle's scouting department have identified Mamardashvili as the ultimate replacement for Pope for years to come. The Valencia man wouldn't be leaving Spain without his plaudits either, with Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig full of praise for the shot-stopper back in January, dubbing him "superb".

As Newcastle enter pole position, the Premier League may get the chance to see the young goalkeeper take the reigns from Pope as soon as next season at St James' Park.

Pakistan closed eight wickets down and 244 runs ahead as England’s seamers battled back on the third evening

The Report by Valkerie Baynes07-Aug-2020Yasir Shah collected four wickets as Pakistan secured a healthy first-innings lead but England’s five-pronged seam attack chipped away to keep them in contention during the opening match of what could turn out to be a classic three-Test series.Late on an intriguing third day, it felt as though there were multiple scenarios yet to be played out, but it would take much more than England had shown so far to completely flip the script. By the close, the hosts had put themselves in a position to do just that, provided they can take early wickets on the fourth day and then produce an improved batting performance in their second innings.England had resumed in peril at 92 for 4 and required either Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler or both to produce big innings with the deficit 184 runs following Shan Masood’s outstanding 156, built over the first two days.Instead, Pakistan seamers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Abbas kept the pressure on the batsmen with a miserly first hour in which England managed 19 runs. Abbas was particularly exacting, conceding just one run from his initial seven overs.Pope, who had resumed on 46, passed fifty during that time but he and Buttler, who began the day on 15, just couldn’t get into a flow.It was teenage firebrand Naseem Shah who caused the batsmen real bother, however, eliciting loose shots from both before he had Pope out to an excellent ball that lifted late off a full length, found the splice and went straight to Shadab Khan at gully for 62.Three balls later, Naseem cracked Chris Woakes on the side of his helmet with bouncer. Concussion tests passed, Woakes joined Buttler in guiding England to lunch otherwise unscathed, despite the introduction of Yasir, who bowled two overs before the break. In all, England had added 62 runs for the session and trailed by 167.Yasir, who had Joe Root caught behind on the second evening, struck with his second ball after lunch, bowling Buttler between bat and pad as he played forward to a ball he expected to turn more than it did and which crashed into the top of off stump. Buttler, having come in under pressure to score runs, added just 23 for the day before he found himself out to a very good delivery.Yasir then removed Dom Bess with turn and bounce and an excellent slips catch by Asad Shafiq, who leapt high to his right to pull down the ball which looped off the shoulder of the bat and, crucially, held on as he hit the ground, horizontal and at full stretch.Woakes had dug in for 19 runs off 48 balls but he also fell to Yasir, whose quicker ball clattered into middle stump. For a third day in a row, England were struggling after lunch but being eight wickets down brought Stuart Broad to the crease and there was a sense of anticipation following his crucial half-century in the third Test against West Indies not a fortnight ago.Three consecutive boundaries followed off Afridi but by the time Khan had Jofra Archer caught behind off the glove for 16, Broad had quietened down. He had another go with 6-4-2 in succession off Yasir to move to 29 but that’s where he stayed, unbeaten, when James Anderson fell lbw to Khan attempting a reverse sweep and England were all out for 219, trailing by 107.When Broad removed Masood for an 11-ball duck, Pakistan were 8 for 1 and they could have been two down at tea but for Ben Stokes putting down Abid Ali off the bowling of Anderson.It took the introduction of Bess to make further inroads after the interval. Bess struck with his sixth ball to remove Abid, hoicking in ungainly fashion to deep square leg, and so began an enthralling period where the plot deviated one way then another.Like Bess, Woakes came in with immediate effect, removing the dangerous Babar Azam – who scored 69 in the first innings – for just 5, caught by Stokes holding on this time at second slip. Woakes then trapped Azhar Ali lbw for 18 to put Pakistan at 63 for 4 with the lead 171 and keep England in the fight.Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Rizwan pushed Pakistan’s advantage beyond the 200-mark with a partnership that looked set to frustrate the hosts but which ended on 38 with a superb run out by Dom Sibley, descending on the ball from point and firing it in off-balance to take out the stumps with Shafiq nowhere near making his ground.Stokes, who did not bowl in the first innings due a quad injury suffered in the West Indies series, came into the attack late in the day and his ability to make things happen could not be denied. Stokes had Rizwan out lbw and Afridi gloving a bouncer to gully, with Broad accounting for Khan via the DRS in between after his appeal for lbw was initially turned down by on-field umpire Richard Illingworth but was shown to be hitting leg stump.That left Yasir set to be the protagonist again, seeking quick runs to push the lead up on the fourth morning as the storyline came full circle.

Cristiano Ronaldo has rejected claims Real Madrid are "lucky" and says he considers Los Blancos to be the best club in the history of football.

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Ronaldo hails Real as world's best clubWon a host of titles with Spanish giantsExplains secrets to club's continued successWHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid won La Liga and the Champions League last season and went on to strengthen their squad in the summer by adding French superstar Kylian Mbappe and Brazilian wonderkid Endrick to an already talented squad. Carlo Ancelotti's side will therefore be looking for more trophies in 2024-25 and to continue their European dominance after having lifted the Champions League in six of the last 10 years.

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Madrid have often been described as "lucky" over the years after making a habit of pulling off last-gasp wins and coming from behind in games when they appear to have no hope. Ronaldo, who won a host of titles during his time at the club, has explained why it's not luck that sees the Spanish giants continue to add trophies to their cabinet on a regular basis.

WHAT RONALDO SAID

Ronaldo told Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel: "Real Madrid are looking very good. It's the kind of team, they don't rush under pressure. This is why they most of the people say they are lucky. No they are not lucky. They prepare for this kind of moment. The Bernabeu has a different aura, the energy is different. When the big teams go there, they score a goal after 85 minutes, 90 minutes, the pressure is a lot. For me it's the best club ever in the history of football.

"I always say Madrid are going to be better. We don't know, let's see. Mbappe is there now. I think Madrid will keep strong but I don't know if they will be better than last year. Let's see. They have a fantastic team, fantastic players. I believe they will be one of the best teams in the world."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo is Real Madrid's all-time top scorer after bagging 450 goals for Los Blancos. He also scored his 900th career strike recently, netting for Portugal in a Nations League triumph over Croatia.

Sussex wrap up emphatic victory with a day to spare in first round of Bob Willis Trophy

ECB Reporters Network03-Aug-2020Sussex 176 (Salt 68, Garton 54*) and 221 (Salt 80) beat Hampshire 153 (Came 25) and 150 (Robinson 5-29) by 94 runs Ollie Robinson took five wickets, including three in 14 balls, as Sussex beat Hampshire by 94 runs in their Bob Willis Trophy south group opener at Hove.Robinson picked up Joe Weatherley, Felix Organ and Sam Northeast before lunch and claimed Harry Came as his fourth victim early into the afternoon session. He then returned after tea to remove last man Ajeet Singh to finish with 5 for 29 from 13.3 impressive overs.Hampshire lost wickets steadily in their pursuit of a victory target of 245 and were dismissed for 150.Robinson, 26, finished with match figures of 8 for 56 and once again showed the form which brought him 137 Championship wickets in the last two seasons and a place in England’s training squad for the recent Test series against West Indies.He removed both Hampshire openers in near-identical fashion, driving without much foot movement and edging to third slip. George Garton held on at the second attempt to remove Joe Weatherley (2) before taking a low catch offered by Organ for 9.Robinson struck again in his fourth over when Northeast (7), attempting a checked drive, got an inside edge and lost his leg stump and Hampshire had slumped to 38 for four just after lunch when Came was defeated by Robinson’s extra bounce off a good length and edged to Phil Salt at slip for 6. After his new-ball spell Robinson had figures of four for 15 from eight overs.Although Robinson was a handful throughout, there was some poor shot selection by the Hampshire batsmen with no one in either of their innings going past 30.After Robinson had wrecked their top order, debutant off-spinner Jack Carson picked up three wickets as Hampshire’s batsmen continued to show a lack of discipline having seemingly got themselves established.Ian Holland (13) was bowled sweeping as for the second time in the match Carson took a wicket with his second ball before left-hander Tom Alsop, who looked as comfortable as anyone, came down the track and was beaten in the flight, bowled for 27.Lewis McManus was another who got out when seemingly well set, caught off a top-edged pull for 28 the ball after he pulled George Garton over mid-wicket for a flat six.Then James Fuller horribly mis-timed a pull at a short ball from slow left-armer Delray Rawlins which he should have blasted out of the ground and instead gave a catch to Henry Crocombe at wide long-on.Hampshire were 135 for 8 at tea and their resistance lasted for only another 15 minutes after the interval. Mason Crane endured a 14-ball duck, caught off a mis-timed sweep to give Carson his fifth wicket of the match.Fittingly, though, it was left to Robinson – the best bowler on show by some margin – to wrap things up when he had last man Dale caught behind for a duck to claim the 14th five-wicket haul of his first-class career. Keith Barker, who struck some futile blows towards the end, finished unbeaten on 25.Earlier, Sussex had added 66 runs to their overnight 155 for 6 before they were dismissed for 221 in their second innings.Barker made the breakthrough in the second over of the day when Rawlins (11) was caught behind to give the former Warwickshire left-armer his 400th first-class wicket. Off-spinner Organ and leg-spinner Crane combined to finish off the innings.Robinson made a rapid 23 before trying to sweep Organ out of the rough and giving a catch to Holland, running back from slip.Garton (13) was leg before when he missed a sweep off Crane, who finished off the innings when Mitch Claydon (16) slogged across the line after adding 22 runs for the last wicket with Crocombe (10 not out).