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New Zealand secured a lead of 387 with several of their players coming to the party

Firdose Moonda18-Feb-2022Henry Nicholls scored his eighth Test century. Tom Blundell fell six short of his third. And Matt Henry continued his record-breaking ways, becoming the first No. 11 to score a fifty after taking a seven-for. All of which left South Africa with a mountain to climb in the first Test. New Zealand extended their lead to 387 and then reduced South Africa to 4 for 3 in the reply. On a surface that is just two days old and continues to offer good bounce and swing through the air, they will hope they’ve done enough to bat once.Sarel Erwee, Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram were dismissed inside four overs in the second innings. Tim Southee rapped Erwee on the pads with his second ball, that swung in towards middle. Erwee considered reviewing but decided against it to end his debut Test with 10 runs. Elgar survived Henry’s first over but when he scrambled the seam and angled it in from around the wicket, Elgar played and nicked off. Four balls later, Markram was stuck on the back foot and sent a thick edge to first slip. Of the three, Markram’s place is most at risk. He averages 9.7 from his last 10 innings and could be replaced by Ryan Rickleton, who has scored three hundreds from his last first-class innings.While South Africa’s selection decisions could have contributed to their misfortune, their effort in the field definitely did. They dropped seven catches – four on the first evening and three on the second – including Nicholls on 5 and 24 on day one and Southee twice in the same over on day two – to underline an underwhelming performance. Their four-man pace attack, sans Lungi Ngidi who was ruled out with a back spasm, relied mainly on Kagiso Rabada and, without a specialist spinner, failed to hold up an end. Their lines and lengths were wayward as the inexperience of the 16 caps between Duanne Olivier, Marco Jansen and Glenton Stuurman showed, and their energy in the field was low.By comparison, New Zealand did not just score big runs, they scored them quickly. Their 366 runs in 78.5 overs came at a rate of 4.64 on the second day thanks largely to Colin de Grandhomme and Blundell’s 76-run seventh-wicket stand, which came at 5.49 to the over, and the late cameo by the final pair. Blundell and Henry put on 94 off 101 balls to frustrate South Africa after a long day in the field.Things started poorly for the visitors as Wagner took on the role of early entertainer.ESPNcricinfo LtdHe hit seven fours and two sixes, all off South Africa’s new-ball pair of Rabada and Stuurman. He cut Rabada for successive fours in two different overs, showing off perfect weight transfer to the back foot to flay the ball to an unmanned point region, and survived a review for lbw. Then he took on Stuurman’s opening over of the day when he worked the second delivery off the hip to long leg, drove the third through the covers for four and then top-edged a hook off the penultimate ball for six. That shot brought up the fifty-run stand between Nicholls and Wagner – the third of four in New Zealand’s innings. South Africa did not manage one partnership above 33.But, the fun didn’t last forever for Wagner. On 49, he attempted to flick Rabada over deep square leg but picked out Rassie van der Dussen instead. Despite Wagner’s disappointment, he’d done his job and then some. When he was dismissed, New Zealand had scored 81 runs off 86 balls in the morning and Nicholls was responsible for just 23.Wagner’s aggression allowed Nicholls to collect runs almost unnoticed and he reached lunch on 87. His signature stroke through the morning was the punch through the point/third-man region and he ended up scoring more than a third of his runs – 40 out of his 105 – in that area. By the time Nicholls brought up his hundred, Stuurman had claimed his first Test wicket when Daryl Mitchell nicked off to Elgar at first slip. Nicholls’ century came eight overs later, when he drove Olivier through backward point. In Olivier’s next over, Nicholls reached for another drive, edged and was caught at second slip.Nicholls was dismissed with the second new ball three overs away and South Africa may have been eyeing an opportunity to run through New Zealand’s lower-order but de Grandhomme had other ideas. He took 11 runs off a Stuurman over with a swivel pull six and a whip through square leg and then hit Stuurman for back-to-back fours. Blundell unfurled a cover drive off Stuurman after two pin-point boundaries off Olivier and Elgar had run out of ideas to stem the tide.He turned to Markram’s part-time offspin with the second new ball just 9.4 overs old. It may have seemed an insult to the quicks but it worked. Shortly before tea, de Grandhomme holed out to long-on for 45 to give Markram his first wicket in this format. Makram got a second when Kyle Jamiseon was caught at mid-off but New Zealand were not done. Blundell’s fifty came up with a pull off Jansen and he stuck with the tail to take the lead over 300. Southee was put down by Olivier at mid-on and van der Dussen at point and in between hit Rabada for four. A comical over ended when Southee hit the ball over Erwee at extra cover but the debutant backtracked and took a good catch over his head.Enter Henry, who picked up career-best figures of 7 for 23 on the first day. He made a mockery of South Africa’s weary attack with a 68-ball 58 which included a range of dismissive swats through the offside while Blundell showed off his late cuts and South Africa grew more and more despondent. As a measure of the one-sided nature of this game, the extras they had given away (35) by the time they bowled New Zealand out for 482 was higher than their top score (25) from the first innings.

Pakistan’s captain was thrilled by the crowd that showed up at the National Stadium to watch the final day unfold

Danyal Rasool16-Mar-2022Babar Azam has acknowledged that Pakistan’s pragmatic approach to the final day in Karachi had been shaped by the magnitude of the target Australia had set them. When the fifth day began, Pakistan needed to survive 90 overs, or, more improbably, score a further 334 runs to gun down the fourth-innings target of 506.But with the game stretching into the final hour and Babar and Mohammad Rizwan looking fairly comfortable having put on 115 for the fifth wicket, the prospect of a remarkable late dash to the target was beginning to take shape. But Babar and Rizwan appeared to resist the temptation, and while Babar explained that the chase was never quite on, it didn’t stop him from taking great pleasure in his knock.Related

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When Babar, Shafique and Rizwan made Karachi dream

“This innings holds a lot of meaning for me, because the team needed it,” he said. “We were realistic about the chase. We wanted to bat normally till tea, and then if we found ourselves in a situation where we could go for the chase, we were good. But we lost wickets, unfortunately, so we didn’t really think of the chase. We needed to save the game. If I’d stayed for longer we might have tried to chase it.”When Babar and Faheem Ashraf fell off successive balls, any ideas about a chase were immediately killed off, with Pakistan facing a final-hour battle to stave off defeat. “Rizwan and I were discussing what the situation demanded because the wicket wasn’t easy for the new batter,” Babar said. “The spinners were getting help. I had belief the way Sajid [Khan] and Nauman [Ali] batted, so I had trust in them to save the game for us.”‘Abdullah Shafique was outstanding in the way he played the new and old ball and the patience he showed’ – Babar Azam•PCBThe pitches for the series have been a perpetual point of focus, with further scrutiny on the Karachi strip after the one in Rawalpindi was rated “below average” after a dull draw that saw just 14 wickets fall over five days. There was more assistance for the bowlers in Karachi, though it was reverse-swing that provided the most salient threat rather than the cracks in the pitch assisting spin. Babar said the conditions were the same for both sides, and thought the pitch had plenty to offer the bowlers.”You get reverse for the fast bowlers here; they found it and so did we. The spinners found turn, too. I don’t think there was a difference in the reverse-swing they got in both innings. They got plenty here, too. There were a lot of soft dismissals in the first innings which can make you think it was reversing a lot. It was happening in the second innings too, but our batters were at their best. You get reverse-swing here in first-class cricket too, so they have an idea how to tackle it. When you’re playing against one of the best teams, they’ll give you a tough time.”Babar revealed how he had motivated his side after a dispiriting third day, which saw Pakistan bowled out for 148 in 53 overs, giving Australia a 408-run lead. “You get motivation from your teammates,” he said. “In the first innings, we didn’t bat like we wanted but in the second innings, we had belief that we could save the game. We told the boys ‘What’s gone is gone and we have to focus on the present.’ The veteran players showed their experience. We told each other that ups and downs happen in Tests and to play session by session. I tried to give them confidence. Abdullah Shafique was outstanding in the way he played the new and old ball and the patience he showed.”This tour’s hype isn’t just about what happens on the field, but also what surrounds it. With Australia in Pakistan for the first time since 1998, a large, frenzied crowd came out to watch Pakistan pursue history, either by chasing down the target or surviving more overs to save a Test than any side since 1939. It embellished an already dramatic day, and its value wasn’t lost on the Pakistan captain.”When you play in front of your crowd and they support you, that feeling is so good I can’t explain it,” he said. “When the whole stadium backs you, it’s brilliant. We’re so happy that cricket is back, and we’re playing against such a big team here.”

Manchester United’s defence has been told that “good players can play in any system”, with questions being asked of Ruben Amorim’s tactical set-up.

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Portuguese coach favours a certain systemResults have been hard to come byNeeds to make right additions in next windowFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Having enjoyed considerable success when fielding a back three at Sporting, Amorim made no secret of the fact that he would be bringing that blueprint with him when arriving at Old Trafford. Said system does, however, require specialist positions to be filled.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

United have found out the hard way that adjusting to a new formation is never easy, with leaks springing in defence while struggling to generate a spark in the final third. Said difficulties have contributed to the Red Devils languishing 14th in the Premier League table.

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Questions have been asked of whether Amorim is being too stubborn, with the Portuguese facing plenty of calls to change his approach – at least until he has taken in a full pre-season with his players and made more minor adjustments during the summer transfer window.

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WHAT GARY PALLISTER SAID

Quizzed on whether Plan A should have been ripped up by now, former United centre-half Gary Pallister – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “If we were in real danger of being in a relegation battle, I would be surprised if he didn’t change it. You would have to go back to the four and the way the players have played most of their career at Manchester United. I think he knows we’re not going to get involved in a relegation battle. We’re 15 points clear of that.

“Fortunately he has got the leeway to stick with it. I would be concerned if he didn’t and we were in a relegation battle, I would be asking him to change it, but he wants to stick by his philosophies, by his guns – this is what has brought him success and what he believes can bring him success at Manchester United.

“It’s getting the players to believe and adapt, and get the players in that can play the system he wants to. I’ve got no issues with it at the moment. You have to look a couple of months into next season, by the time he has got a pre-season with the team, bring in the players he wants, the ones he’s going to keep believing in the system, and that’s when we will probably start to judge Ruben Amorim.”

Liverpool stepped out to a roaring Anfield. It was a din, crashing, bouncing, shaking the pitch and speaking to the players that this was a showdown for the ages.

Manchester City were brushed aside, swept toward a chastening defeat by an unstoppable Red force. Virgil van Dijk rightly played down title talk in his post-match interview, but Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over the beleaguered champions has opened up a chasmic gulf, 11 points, that even City, usually so invincible, capable of clawing back from bruising setbacks, surely cannot bridge.

Arsenal (and Chelsea) sit nine points behind Liverpool in joint-second place, and while both outfits pose a threat, this was a performance for the ages, mere days after Real Madrid were put to the sword in the Champions League.

The Anfield crowd sang, and the squad met them with the most awe-inspiring of efforts. This is beyond the city’s wildest dreams. Jurgen Klopp is gone, Liverpool were heading into the gloomy bogland of an era ended – wasn’t that the narrative?

Only, Arne Slot is proving to be the architect of something special, something magical. He’s inherited a sparkling squad, and with Mohamed Salah at the front, all walks can be conquered before summer stretches down to Merseyside next year.

Mohamed Salah does his talking on the pitch

Salah has been vocal regarding his contractual situation of late, but that hasn’t stopped him from forging perhaps the most incredible individual campaign of his career to date – at this stage, in any case.

Man United

16

15

6

21

Man City

22

12

7

19

Tottenham

20

12

2

14

Arsenal

17

11

2

13

Chelsea

23

8

4

12

The 32-year-old has now scored 13 goals and added 11 assists across 20 matches in all competitions for Slot’s Liverpool, seemingly operating with a feverish desire to claim the biggest prizes and continue an illustrious journey.

The ultimate big-game player, Salah came up with the goods once again on Sunday, savagely pouncing on the Citizens’ weaknesses to carve through a delivery for Cody Gakpo’s opener, before dispatching the penalty to seal the deal after the interval.

Fantastic. The stuff of titles, that. However, trophies are not lifted solely by the flashiness of a club’s superstars. Adversity must be overcome and those outside the limelight must come up trumps to guide their team through tough periods.

The brilliant Ibrahima Konate picked up an injury against Real Madrid and may not feature again until the new year, but Joe Gomez made his first Premier League start of the season and proved himself (once again).

Performance in Numbers

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

Arne Slot's real Liverpool hero against Man City

Konate, shoved to the ground by Endrick on an otherwise exultant Wednesday evening, has been cruelly sidelined while at the height of his powers, but Gomez isn’t exactly untested in the biggest, toughest situations for Liverpool.

He thrived. The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle bestowed upon the 27-year-old an 8/10 match rating, writing: ‘Slotted into central defence with the minimum of fuss and covered the right flank when required. One good tackle on Haaland first half and so solid throughout.’

Erling Haaland was a shadow of his usual self, and this is largely down to Gomez’s almost innate partnership with Van Dijk, who he served alongside with regularity during triumphant Premier League and Champions League campaigns back in the dog days of Klopp’s tenure.

Van Dijk will take the spotlight, naturally, but we must tip our hat to this wonderfully dynamic player. He stepped in, he stood strong against the waves of City pressure. Albeit, soft, soft waves, really just lapping at Anfield’s toes. He was the most important player, in a sense, for he stood in for an irreplaceable Konate against the finest team of recent memory. He ran the show.

As per Sofascore, Gomez won both of his duels on the evening, also completing 88% of his passes and succeeding with four long balls, catching the eye with the gumption and accuracy of such balls, struck high and carried aloft through to the surging Luis Diaz, the charging Gakpo.

Stand up, Liverpool. You’ve scored a pair of brilliant victories this week, and the title’s yours to lose. There is, however, a long old road still to walk, and it’s filled with peril.

Good thing the Reds have Joe Gomez, ay?

Liverpool star who left under Rodgers is now on par with Mbappe & Haaland

A former Liverpool striker is still going strong in 2024…

ByRoss Kilvington Nov 30, 2024

It’s been a dreadful couple of weeks for Tottenham Hotspur since their incredible win away to Manchester City.

Ange Postecoglou’s side drew at home to AS Roma and Fulham, lost away to Bournemouth and then managed to throw away a 2-0 lead against Chelsea to lose 4-3 yesterday afternoon and now find themselves 11th in the Premier League.

While one or two starters put in a decent enough performance, most of them were dire, including one international who’s in danger of becoming Spurs’ new Tanguy Ndombele.

39%

Possession

61%

2.90

Expected Goals

2.83

3

Goals

4

6

Big Chances

3

13

Total Shots

17

5

Corners

10

17

Fouls

11

316

Passes

517

Spurs' poor performers

Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth examining a few of the other Spurs players who put in a notably poor performance yesterday, starting with Pape Matar Sarr.

The young midfielder looked busy throughout the encounter, but that’s about the only positive thing you could say about his game, as aside from running about a bit, he offered very little in attack or defence.

In fact, his most significant contribution to the game was giving away a second penalty in the 83rd minute thanks to a rather foolish challenge on Cole Palmer, so it wasn’t a massive surprise to see Spurs writer Alasdair Gold award the 22-year-old a 4/10 match rating.

Moving back into the defence, it was another performance to forget from Destiny Udogie, as while he wasn’t as bad as Sarr, it was still a disappointing day at the office for the Italian.

In his defence, the former Udinese gem looked bright for parts of the first half but ultimately couldn’t make an impact going forward, registering an expected assists figure of 0.01 and was equally ineffective at the back, losing five of nine ground duels, being dribbled past once and committing three fouls.

However, while both of the aforementioned starters were underwhelming, neither was quite as bad as the player who could become the team’s new Ndombele.

Spurs' new Ndombele

So, to get straight to the point, the player we are talking about is Yves Bissouma, who put on a horror show of a performance for Spurs yesterday evening.

The Mali international failed to have an impact going forward and was a complete liability in defence, clearing out Moises Caicedo in the penalty area in the 61st minute to hand Palmer the chance to level the score from the spot, which he did with ease.

It wasn’t just the “absolutely ridiculous” challenge on Caicedo, as Jamie Carragher described it, that led to Alasdair Gold awarding the midfielder a 3/10 match rating, though it was also the fact that he committed three fouls, lost five of 11 duels, lost the ball four times, was dribbled past once and generally felt like a walking disaster throughout.

Minutes

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Touches

32

Fouls

3

Penalties Conceded

1

Dribbled Past

1

Possession Lost

4

Duels (Won)

11 (6)

Shots

0

With that said, why is he at risk of becoming this team’s Ndombele?

Well, simply put, despite being an undeniably talented midfielder, the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace can be incredibly awkward in games and cause more problems for his side than he can solve, as evidenced by yesterday’s clash.

This is also how Ndombele was perceived for much of his time in North London, with former professional Trevor Sinclair describing the Frenchman as “clumsy” in an interview in December 2020.

The former Lyon star was an incredible prospect when the Lilywhites spent around £63m on him in 2019, but over the following years, he couldn’t string together any runs of impressive form, akin to Bissouma today, and eventually saw his contract terminated in the summer.

Ultimately, while there is still time for Bissouma to turn things around, he’s already made several high-profile blunders on and off the pitch this season, so unless he can get himself together, he could go the same way as Ndombele at Spurs.

Their own Palmer: Ange must rue selling Spurs' "unbelievable" game-changer

The sensational international is tearing it up away from Spurs this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 7, 2024

Capitals will have to clear RT-PCR testing on the morning of the game for the match to take place

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Apr-2022Wednesday’s match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals will take place in Mumbai instead of Pune, subject to Capitals clearing RT-PCR testing on the morning of the game. In case the match cannot take place as scheduled on April 20, the IPL will reschedule it.By late afternoon on Tuesday the prospect of the match taking place as scheduled brightened as Capitals were given permission to conduct a training session. The IPL, though, laid down the condition that only the players and the coaches would be allowed for the session which would be at the BKC ground on Tuesday evening.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the decision to change the match venue was taken by the IPL at a meeting on Tuesday, in the wake of several members of the Capitals’ contingent testing positive for Covid-19. In a media release, the IPL said it has shifted Wednesday’s match from the MCA stadium in Pune to the Brabourne stadium “to avoid any further incident due to any undetected case during a long-distance bus journey in a closed environment.”Related

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The IPL also said there were five confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Capitals contingent: Patrick Farhart (physiotherapist, tested positive on April 15), Chetan Kumar (massage therapist, tested positive on April 16), Mitchell Marsh (tested positive on April 18), Abhijit Salvi (team doctor, tested positive on April 18), and Akash Mane (social-media content team member, tested positive on April 18).On Monday, Capitals issued a statement confirming Australia allrounder Marsh was hospitalised, after testing positive for Covid-19, while the rest of the cases were asymptomatic.It is understood that Marsh was moved to hospital as a precautionary measure after he reported feeling unwell, including experiencing chills. The others who tested positive have been moved to a separate facility outside the team hotel because the hotel where the Capitals are staying had laid down the condition that anyone testing positive, including those that are asymptomatic, would need to move out of the premises.The IPL became concerned as soon as Farhart became the first known Covid-positive case this season. Ahead of Capitals’ clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore last Saturday, the IPL had asked both teams to not physically mingle after their match at the Wankhede Stadium. Both teams were seen waving at each other from a distance after the match, which Capitals lost. Doubts over Capitals’ game against Kings grew as additional cases emerged and the Capitals’ contingent was asked to isolate in their rooms on Monday.Since April 16, the IPL said, all members in the Capitals’ bubble have undergone four rounds of RT-PCR tests. In the latest round, conducted on Tuesday morning, all members outside of those that tested positive, had returned negative results. As per the protocol, all those that have tested positive will need to isolate for seven days and then return negative results on the last two days after which they would be able to rejoin the bubble.While IPL has managed to create a Plan B for Wednesday’s match, it will closely monitor the development, considering a Covid-19 outbreak had forced the suspension of the league at the halfway stage in 2021. Back then, there were multiple points within the IPL bubble that were identified to be vulnerable. This time, too, there were concerns around the bubble being breached, considering all teams, barring Mumbai Indians, are staying at hotels where other guests are allowed. While teams are staying on separate floors, where no one outside the bubble is allowed, players and support staff are allowed to use public spaces like the swimming pools within restricted timings.GMT 1210 The piece was updated with news of Capitals getting permission to conduct a training session.

GOAL selected the 50 best footballing talents from around the world born on or after January 1, 2001 – but are they living up to their potential?

Since NXGN's launch in 2016, GOAL has profiled the 50 best footballing wonderkids on the planet on an annual basis. Some of those recognised for their talent as teenagers are now household names, but others have not yet realised their potential.

So, after theNXGN 2025 list was revealed, check out where the stars of 2020 are now:

Every NXGN list

Dembele, Tielemans & 2016's best wonderkids

Mbappe, Donnarumma & 2017's best wonderkids

De Ligt, Kluivert & 2018's best wonderkids

Haaland, Sancho & 2019's best wonderkids

James, Oberdorf & 2020's best women's wonderkids

Pedri, Ansu Fati & 2021's best wonderkids

Le Tissier, Bennison & 2021's best women's wonderkids

Bellingham, Musiala & 2022's best wonderkids

Dumornay, Fowler & 2022's best women's wonderkids

Gavi, Garnacho & 2023's best wonderkids

Shaw, Thompson & 2023's best women's wonderkids

Yamal, Mainoo & 2024's best wonderkids

Caicedo, Moultrie & 2024's best women's wonderkids

Getty Images50Pablo Moreno (Juventus)

2020: Having scored more than 200 goals at youth level for Barcelona, teenage forward Moreno was beginning to make a similar impact in Turin, while having also earned a place on the first team's bench during the 2019-20 campaign.

2021: Moreno joined Manchester City in a swap deal in the summer of 2020, before being sent on loan to Girona. He managed 26 appearances in the Spanish second tier, scoring twice.

2022: The forward was loaned back to Girona for a second successive season, but struggled for game time, starting just once in the league all campaign. He left City to join Portuguese side Maritimo in the summer of 2022.

2023: Moreno made 22 appearances across all competition in 2022-23, but failed to find the net as Maritimo suffered relegation. His contract was terminated, and he returned to the Spanish second division with FC Andorra.

2024: The attacker started just one league game through the 2023-24 campaign as he continued to struggle in getting his career going.

2025: Moreno joined Osasuna B in the Spanish third tier over the summer, but he has yet again failed to make any kind of positive impact.

Advertisementasianadotmy49Luqman Hakim (Selangor)

2020: Already a Malaysia Under-23s international at the age of 18, Hakim had seen a move to Belgian side KV Kortrijk be put on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions.

2021: Hakim eventually arrived at Kortrijk in the summer of 2020, but made just one appearance in his first season with the club. He did, however, make his full international debut in May 2021.

2022: The forward failed to make a first-team appearance in 2021-22 as reports began to swirl that he might return to Malaysia in a bid to earn minutes at the senior level.

2023: Hakim did manage two appearances for Kortrijk in the first half of 2022-23, but was loaned to Icelandic second division side Njardvik on a year-long deal in February 2023.

2024: In January 2024, Hakim joined Japanese third-tier side YSCC Yokohama in a bid to gain regular first-team minutes.

2025: Those minutes weren't forthcoming, as Hakim made just one league start during the 2024 season, and he is now back at Kortrijk as he contemplates his next move.

48Luca Unbehaun (Borussia Dortmund)

2020: Having been snapped up from Bochum in 2016, Germany youth international Unbehaun was working his way through the youth ranks at Dortmund.

2021: The first-choice goalkeeper for Dortmund's reserve side, Unbehaun did make the first-team bench on a number of occasions.

2022: Unbehaun missed a lot of the 2021-22 season with a hand injury, but remained the No.1 for Dortmund's reserves, who played in the German third tier.

2023: The goalkeeper's wait for a first-team debut at Dortmund went on, though Unbehaun was named on the bench for a number of Champions League matches. At the end of the season, he left BVB having never made a first-team appearance, joining third-division side SC Verl.

2024: Unbehaun was first-choice at Verl as he looked to finally get his career moving in the right direction.

2025: A move to the Dutch second tier followed for Unbehaun, as he joined FC Emmen ahead of the 2024-25 season, and he has been the club's first-choice goalkeeper through the campaign.

Getty Images47Naci Unuvar (Ajax)

2020: Having become Ajax's youngest-ever goalscorer at the age of 16, Unuvar was being tipped to eventually replace Hakim Ziyech in the first team, despite reports linking him with Barcelona.

2021: Unuvar endured a difficult campaign, as he struggled to kick on in Amsterdam, and played solely for Jong Ajax in the second division.

2022: Unuvar performed much better for Jong Ajax in 2021-22, racking up double-figure totals for both goals and assists, while also earning a couple of first-team appearances.

2023: The winger spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Turkish champions Trabzonspor, but he started just one league match for the club. Ajax then sent him back out on loan, this time to Twente, in the summer of 2023.

2024: Unuvar started just two Eredivisie games for Twente, though he enjoyed a couple of eye-catching cameos over the course of the season. He was then sent on loan to Espanyol in Spain during the summer that followed.

2025: Having managed just two substitute appearances in La Liga, Unuvar's loan was cut short, and Ajax cancelled his contract in January. Twente picked him up shortly after, and he has taken up a similar role as an impact substitute since his return to Grolsch Veste.

Tim David was finally recalled by Mumbai Indians but it was a largely quiet week for those in the IPL

Alex Malcolm02-May-20223:35

Can David be Pollard’s successor for Mumbai?

County cricket
The world’s No.1 ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne returned to his run-making best for Glamorgan with scores of 130 and 85 in a cracking division two clash against Derbyshire. Labuschagne’s century in the first innings helped edge Glamorgan to a lead but he made a sensational near run-a-ball 85 in the second as Glamorgan fell just 21 runs short of chasing 331 in 55 overs on the final day. They held on for a draw. Michael Neser took 4 for 63 in the first innings at Derby.Matt Renshaw made a statement for Somerset scoring 129 in their innings rout of Warwickshire at Taunton. The left-hander was the only player in the match to pass 71 as he set up Somerset’s match-winning score of 458. It was Renshaw’s 14th first-class century and his first as an opener since his last century for Somerset at Taunton back in 2018. Australia’s chair of selectors George Bailey took notice of his return to form at the top of the order after he was named in the Australia A squad to tour Sri Lanka.Related

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Versatile Renshaw rising back up Australia's ranks

Pat Cummins rested for Sri Lanka T20Is; big guns return for white-ball leg

Not to be outdone, Marcus Harris produced his second century of the English summer in a run-feast against Surrey at Bristol. After Surrey piled up 603, Harris made 124 in reply for Gloucestershire sharing in a 296-run opening stand with Chris Dent. Harris has scores of 136, 67 and 124 in his first three county matches of the season, although his first two performances came on far tougher surfaces, as Gloucestershire and Surrey scored 1046 runs in three days for just 12 wickets in the draw before rain washed out the final day.Mitchell Marsh lofts one over the off side•BCCIIPL
It wasn’t a great week for the Australians at the IPL with very few outstanding performances. Mitchell Marsh produced his best score of the tournament to-date after an interrupted start due to injury and Covid-19. He looked in superb touch as he smashed 37 off 20 balls on Sunday for Delhi Capitals against Lucknow Super Giants. He feasted on Jason Holder and Dushmantha Chameera with three cracking sixes but fell to the spin of Krishnappa Gowtham as Capitals fell short in the chase. David Warner missed out making just 3 while Marcus Stoinis made 17 not out of 16 deliveries in a far from fluent display. He struck a boundary first ball and a six off his penultimate delivery but scored just seven runs off the bat from the other 14 balls he faced and was dropped at deep midwicket. Stoinis managed just 1 off four balls in his previous outing against Punjab Kings.Warner’s low score was his first in six matches after smashing 42 off 26 balls with eight boundaries in Capitals’ win over Kolkata Knight Riders last week. Marsh made 13 off seven in the same game but Aaron Finch, on return from a shoulder issue, missed out for KKR, clean bowled for 3 off seven trying to launch one across the line.Tim David was finally picked for Mumbai Indians, having been left out of the previous six games, and delivered with a match-winning 20 not out from nine balls to guide Mumbai home to their first win of the tournament over Rajasthan Royals. He struck two fours and a six and was out there with Daniel Sams as he hit the winning six in the final over. Sams took 1 for 32 from his four overs with the ball. Riley Meredith also bowled superbly taking 2 for 24 from his four overs to help restrict Royals to just 158 for 6.Glenn Maxwell produced a special cameo for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Gujurat Titans cruising to 33 from 18 balls. He launched Mohammed Shami over square leg twice for six and then switch-hit Rashid Khan for four over cover, with the ball landing just short of the rope. He then sliced a Lockie Ferguson yorker over backward point for four but fell trying to go again in the 19th over. However, RCB were unable to defend 170 with Josh Hazlewood delivering a rare expensive spell giving up 36 runs in 3.3 overs without a wicket. This came after he took 2 for 19 against Royals last week including the prized scalp of Jos Buttler in a wicket-maiden. But RCB failed to chase 145 with Maxwell falling for a first-ball duck.Did you see?
Pat Cummins has been running the drinks in KKR’s last two matches. He was left out of the loss to Gujarat Titans last week with suggestions he was being rested due a niggle. But he was not selected for KKR’s clash against Delhi with Tim Southee preferred after Cummins had been too expensive with the ball in his first four games of the tournament. He is also going to be rested from Australia’s T20I series on the multi-format tour of Sri Lanka in June.Injuries
Finch did have a shoulder issue that had forced him out of KKR’s line-up last week for one match after making a half-century against Royals. But he recovered quickly to take his place in the side against Capitals and there are no concerns long-term.Matt Renshaw set up the innings with a hundred•Getty ImagesPerformance of the week
Renshaw’s century for Somerset was the standout performance of the week, in both the context of the game and of his career. He was the only player in the match to pass 71 making 129 in a game where only four other half-centuries were scored across three innings. But it was significant in that it was only his third innings back opening the batting having spent the past two years batting at Nos. 3-5 after he was dropped from Queensland’s Sheffield Shield team back in 2019 and took a break from cricket. With a Test hundred under his belt in 2017 as an opener, and Australia’s current opening pair of Warner and Usman Khawaja both set to turn 36 this year, the 26-year-old is returning to his best at the right time.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil appears to be hanging onto his job by a thread after his side were smashed 4-0 by Everton in the Premier League earlier this week.

The Telegraph’s John Percy has reported that the English head coach will not be sacked before the clash with fellow strugglers West Ham United on Monday night, however.

Wolves are currently 19th in the table and have won just two of their 14 matches in the division, with both wins coming in November – against Southampton and Fulham.

With O’Neil under mounting pressure at the Molineux, the Old Gold board are reportedly looking at potential replacements for O’Neil in the dugout.

Wolves eyeing former Premier League managers

According to The Telegraph, Wolves are eyeing up Graham Potter, Rob Edwards, and David Moyes in the event that they decide to part ways with their current head coach.

The report claims, however, that there are doubts over whether or not Potter, whose last job was at Chelsea, would be willing to take on a relegation battle midway through the season.

It also states that Edwards, whose Luton team are 19th in the Championship, is an outsider in the running to replace O’Neil at the Premier League side.

This suggests that Moyes, who Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola once said he admired for his long career and calm head in the dugout, could be the most likely candidate at this moment in time.

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Wolves could, now, land a big upgrade on the struggling O’Neil by deciding to move for the out-of-work tactician to help them to avoid relegation from the top-flight.

Why David Moyes is an upgrade on Gary O'Neil

The former Manchester United head coach, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, is an experienced boss who has managed in 19 Premier League seasons.

His team finished in the top half of the table in 13 of those 19 seasons, with West Ham, Everton, and Manchester United, and this shows that he knows how to manage a successful side at that level, whilst he has also excelled in Europe – winning the Conference League with the Hammers in 2023.

Since FBref started collecting xG data in the 2017/18 campaign, no Moyes team has ever finished inside the bottom four for Expected Goal Difference, which essentially shows how well the team is coached by the quality of chances they create minus the quality of chances that they concede.

Whereas, O’Neil finished 14th with Wolves last season but his side were 17th on Expected Goal Difference, with -21.00, and his Bournemouth side avoided the drop in 15th in the previous campaign despite finishing bottom on Expected Goal Difference, with -25.3.

This means that the Englishman’s teams, in both of his full seasons as a manager to date, have struggled in the Premier League, conceding far more high quality chances than they create, and that appears to finally be catching up with him this term.

Club

Games

Wins

Draws

Losses

West Ham (2nd spell)

230

103

43

84

West Ham (1st spell)

31

9

10

12

Sunderland

43

8

7

28

Real Sociedad

42

12

15

15

Man Utd

51

26

10

15

Everton

518

221

134

163

Preston

211

103

53

55

Moyes has a proven track record of coaching teams well in the English top-flight and has shown, with Everton and the Hammers, that he can take them to the next level to finish in the top half to compete in Europe, which is why he would come in as a big upgrade on O’Neil.

Wolves could hire “genius” 4-2-3-1 coach who'd be perfect for Ait-Nouri

Wolverhampton Wanderers fans will be crying out for an upgrade on Gary O’Neil.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 5, 2024

Christian Eriksen hinted at a Manchester United exit in the summer as the midfielder addressed a potential return to Ajax.

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Eriksen has only a few months left in his contractThe midfielder is already seeking a fresh challenge Could reuntite with Ajax for a second stintFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 33-year-old midfielder, who joined United in 2022, signed a three-year deal following a short but impressive stint at Brentford, which marked his return to professional football after recovering from a cardiac arrest suffered during Euro 2020 while representing Denmark.

Since joining the Red Devils, Eriksen has made 99 appearances, scoring seven goals and playing a crucial role in helping the club secure the FA Cup last season under Erik ten Hag. However, reports suggest that United will not be offering an extension, leaving the experienced midfielder in search of a new club ahead of the 2025-26 season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT ERIKSEN SAID

Speaking to , Eriksen revealed that he is yet to decide on his future.

“I haven’t thought about it that much. It’s the same principle as last time, the contract expires in the summer, so in my head I’m prepared to find something new. I’m actually fine with that, whatever it is, it’s not something I’ve decided yet,” he said.

"Before my cardiac arrest, I spent years in England, then moved to Inter and thought I'd never come back. Two years later, I was back in England, and now it's almost been four years here. Careers don’t always follow a set plan. I don’t have a checklist of things I must accomplish—I’ll take things as they come and decide what’s best for me and my family."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

One possible destination for Eriksen could be Ajax, the club where he spent five successful years before moving to Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. Last summer, Ajax were linked with an interest in bringing him back, and their sporting director, Alex Kroes, confirmed that discussions had taken place. When asked about the possibility of a return to the Dutch club, Eriksen refused to dismiss the idea.

“No, I’m not closing the door on anything,” Eriksen explained. “I’ll see what comes up and whether it’s something that fits. That was last summer. We’ll have to see where they stand this summer. Of course, it’s also about the interest from the other side and not just from the player.”

DID YOU KNOW?

While Eriksen remains open to new challenges, he has ruled out a return to Denmark's Superliga or a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.

"I am not going to the USA – we are not going that far," he confirmed. "We would like to stay in Europe, but it is too early to go home to Denmark. I feel like I have some good years abroad left."