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Looking ahead to the future, Liverpool have reportedly registered their interest in signing one particular Real Madrid target who is on course to become an undeniable star.

Liverpool transfer news

If there were any concerns that the Reds would fall away in the Premier League following Jurgen Klopp's departure, then those have been significantly eased by Arne Slot and the start his side have made this season. Earning maximum points without conceding once in a run that includes a 3-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford, the Dutchman may just be getting started.

Klopp sold Liverpool star for £6.5m, he's now outscored Chiesa since 2021

The club may regret allowing the talent to depart Anfield.

1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 11, 2024

As the former Feyenoord boss continues to get settled, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes may start to think about the 2025 transfer windows, in which Liverpool could be far busier than they were in a relatively quiet summer.

The rumours certainly suggest that's the case too. The Reds have already been linked to the likes of Angel Gomes, who would be making quite the controversial move as a Manchester United academy graduate. The England international has recently returned to the spotlight once again after making his Three Lions debut.

With his contract coming to an end next summer, the deal would certainly make sense, but Gomes isn't the only midfielder that those at Anfield reportedly have their eye on.

According to GiveMeSport, Liverpool have registered their interest in signing Chris Rigg from Sunderland alongside Manchester City and Chelsea, whilst Real Madrid have also been linked with a move.

Such interest should come as little surprise too. Rigg, just 17 years old, is already a consistent starter at the Stadium of Light and looks set to be the next best player in the Championship, potentially following in Jude Bellingham's footsteps in the process.

Liverpool, however, will seemingly be looking to deny Real Madrid the chance to sign yet another future star in a battle that the Reds are all too familiar with.

"Wonderful" Rigg is a future star

The way he has maintained his place in a Sunderland side who sit top of the Championship under new boss Regis Le Bris makes it difficult to believe that Rigg is still just 17 years old. The midfielder instantly stands out among his teammates as a star in the making and one destined for the very top. It's potential that former boss Tony Mowbray saw and potential that the rest of English football is now seeing.

Mowbray previously told Sunderland's official website, via Chronicle Live: "Chris Rigg is pushing really hard for a starting place in our team I would suggest, and I don’t say that lightly, he’s a 16-year-old boy. He knows where the goal is and wants to run forward, he’s got energy to burn and can keep running all day.

"He looks you in the eye and wants to please and do what you want him to do. He should have scored again to be honest, if he’d trusted his right foot he would have scored again.

Rigg is doing really well and is a real positive for our football club. I’m eulogising about him there, we shouldn’t overly build him up. He’s still a young boy but he has wonderful qualities and wonderful attributes.”

After all the investment into the playing squad over the last couple of years, Manchester United have stuttered and failed to push their way back up to the top end of the Premier League.

Boss Erik ten Hag is entering his third season in charge at Old Trafford, but despite winning two trophies in his first two seasons, there is a real demand from the fanbase to improve and push themselves up the table.

This season hasn’t started the way many would’ve hoped, sitting in 14th place on just three points after the first three matches of the new campaign.

Despite multiple new additions in various needed areas of the pitch, issues in the middle of the park have once again reared their heads, with various players failing to make an impact.

One first-team member in particular has produced various disappointing displays, looking past his best after his big-money move to Old Trafford.

Casemiro’s disappointing time at Man United

After joining the Red Devils in a £70m deal from Real Madrid in 2022, Casemiro was signed to try and provide needed quality and experience in the centre of midfield.

However, the move hasn’t gone to plan, with the Brazilian failing to make the impact many would’ve envisaged, picking up two red cards and looking way off the pace in the Premier League.

Jamie Carragher demanded that he leaves for Saudi Arabia last season and perhaps he should have heeded that advice.

He was touted with a move away from Manchester this summer, but remained at the club upon the closure of the transfer window, producing a disaster class against Liverpool during last weekend's 3-0 defeat.

The 32-year-old was at fault for both of the goals in the first half against Arne Slot’s side, being replaced at the break by academy graduate Toby Collyer.

However, the club may have made a mistake in allowing one midfielder to leave, with the former United ace undoubtedly a better talent than Casemiro in 2024.

United made a mistake allowing £9m ace to leave

James Garner is one of many stars who have come through the United academy, making seven appearances for the club’s first team.

He was sent on various loan spells to Watford and Nottingham Forest, before securing a permanent £9m transfer to fellow Premier League side Everton during the summer of 2022.

The move has allowed the 23-year-old to gain consistent first-team minutes – featuring 62 times for the Toffees under Sean Dyche and developing into a fabulous talent.

His development has progressed rapidly in a short period of time, with the Englishman now undoubtedly a better midfield option than Casemiro when delving into his stats from last season.

Garner may have won slightly fewer tackles per 90 minutes, but did dominate in possession, completing more progressive carries whilst succeeding with more take-on attempts than the Brazilian.

Games played

37

25

Goals + assists

3

3

Progressive carries

1.1

0.6

Key passes

1.32

0.73

Shot-on-target accuracy

24%

23%

Shot-creating actions

2.93

1.86

Tackles won

1.3

2.6

Interceptions

1.35

0.82

Take-ons completed

0.6

0.4

Errors leading to goals

1

2

He also registered fewer errors that led to goals than the current United midfielder, with Garner undoubtedly a more dependable option than the 32-year-old.

Given his form in the Premier League, the Red Devils certainly made a mistake by allowing the youngster to depart the club.

With Garner only being 23, he still has the potential to improve further, potentially developing into a top-quality midfielder – demonstrating what he’s capable of after his departure from his boyhood club.

Man Utd "phenomenon" sold by Solskjær is now outscoring Hojlund & Zirkzee

The brilliant striker was incredible last season.

3 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 6, 2024

Bangladesh allrounder Soumya Sarkar said he has to better prepare himself mentally in order to become a more consistent batter. He was adjudged Player of the Match for his half-century along with bowling figures of 1 for 18 in two overs against Zimbabwe in the first T20I in Harare, where the visitors won by eight wickets.Sarkar made 50 off 45 balls with four fours and two towering sixes. He said that he made a nervous start when he was nearly run-out in the first over, but a six off Luke Jongwe in the fifth over relaxed him.”I was playing my first international match after four months so I felt a bit shaky at the start,” Sarkar said. “When some of my first shots were going to hand, I told myself to take a bit of time. A four or a six would open things up for me, I thought. When I got a preferred ball and struck the six, I got my confidence back.”This was only Sarkar’s second fifty this year. He was given a chance in one Test against West Indies and the ODI series against New Zealand, without much success. Sarkar’s inconsistency resulted in him being constantly shuffled in and out of the team as well as up and down the batting order.”When I was out of the team, I practiced with purpose, particularly during the DPL T20s. I will continue to focus on certain areas of my game. I have to be more mentally fit to be more consistent.”My biggest competition is with myself. If I think of competing with others, it puts pressure on me. I want to do well myself, and get back my place in the team,” Sarkar said.Sarkar was later dismissed in a needless manner. After completing the run to reach his fifty, he ran himself out when a back-handed flick by Regis Chakabva caught him short of the crease trying a second run off the same delivery.”I felt that we could have finished the game two overs earlier if I wasn’t run out in that manner,” he said. “It was disappointing to get out. I thought that I was playing their left-arm spinner well, so I would have charged him further if I was around.”Sarkar said that Mohammad Naim’s three fours in the fourth over gave them the momentum required to chase down 153, which Bangladesh achieved with more than one over remaining.”I was supposed to bat at No 3, but the coach told me at the innings break that I would be opening in Liton’s place. I had to prepare myself mentally, and speak to the new partner and bat according to the conditions.”When we were going slow at the start, I told Naim that one big over will bring the flow in our favour. When he struck those three fours in the fourth over, things changed quickly,” he said.

It’s been a relatively quiet transfer window for Liverpool this summer, with the club’s dealings only ramping up over the last seven days.

Arne Slot’s side completed a deal to sign Georgian international goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, with the 23-year-old spending the remainder of the campaign at Valencia – joining the Reds in the summer of 2025.

They also clinched a deal to sign Italian winger Federico Chiesa from Juventus over the last couple of days, spending £12.5m including add-ons – bolstering the attacking options at Slot’s disposal.

However, as of yet, the club are yet to sign the midfielder they’ve been desiring all summer after Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi rejected the chance to move to Anfield.

It’s since been quiet on the club’s hunt for a new deep-lying talent, but that could be about to change on deadline day, with one player linked with a move to Merseyside before the closure of the window in less than 12 hours time.

Liverpool interested in £75m midfield talent

According to TyC Sports, Liverpool have had an attempt to land Porto’s Argentinian midfielder Alan Varela after previous interest in the talent.

The 23-year-old, who’s been on the club’s radar for some time, has been subject to discussions over a potential move to Anfield, with the hierarchy holding a huge interest in the youngster.

However, Varela has a €90m (£75m) release clause in his current deal, with the Portuguese side unwilling to let him leave unless the Reds trigger the deal in his contract.

He would be a huge addition for Slot’s side, potentially completing his midfield trio and following in the footsteps of his compatriot who’s currently plying his trade on Merseyside.

Why Varela could be Mac Allister 2.0 for Liverpool

Argentinian star Alexis Mac Allister enjoyed a successful debut campaign at Liverpool last season, featuring in 33 Premier League matches, achieving a total of ten combined goal contributions.

He joined the club in a £35m deal from fellow English side Brighton – a bargain for a player of his quality – with the 25-year-old cementing his place as a regular starter at the heart of the Reds side.

Mac Allister could be joined by compatriot Varela before tonight’s deadline, with the duo potentially able to form an excellent partnership in the middle of midfield, handing the club a huge boost in their pursuit of a successful first season under Slot.

When comparing their respective stats from 2023/24 on FBref, the pair are very similar, with the Porto star matching or even bettering the Reds’ number 10 in various key areas.

The “monstrous” talent, as described by analyst Ben Mattinson, may have registered fewer goals and assists, but he did manage to achieve a higher pass completion rate and complete more progressive passes per 90 – showcasing his excellent ability at moving the ball into forward areas.

Games played

30

33

Goals + assists

5

10

Progressive passes

7.3

7.2

Pass accuracy

88%

87%

Take-on success

70%

53%

Interceptions made

0.9

1.2

Clearances

1.1

0.9

He also completed more take-ons than the current Liverpool ace, demonstrating how effective he would be at keeping the ball in Slot’s possession-based system.

Defensively, Varela has also impressed, completing more clearances, and providing that added defensive cover in front of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahim Konate that the club have been searching for.

Whilst £75m is a huge figure for an unproven Premier League player, he would provide serious quality to the midfield department, allowing the Argentinian to link up with his compatriot at Anfield.

With less than 12 hours left in the window, Slot’s side will have to move quickly to secure a deal for the youngster to avoid a repeat of a collapsed move for Zubimendi, with it a chance to potentially end the search for a No.6.

After Chiesa: Liverpool eye up last-gasp move for £17m Zubimendi alternative

Things are ramping up on Merseyside…

1 ByAngus Sinclair Aug 30, 2024

Okay, okay, it wasn't the perfect start to the season, but Tottenham Hotspur also drew their curtain-raiser in the Premier League last year, away to Brentford, before charging toward a streak of nine victories and one draw (at the Emirates) across ten fixtures.

Then the setbacks came, stabbing down at the team like erratic lashes of lightning, and therein lies the problem that Ange Postecoglou is hoping to bed away, with some exciting signings brought in to go one step further this year.

Tottenham lost control against Leicester City after the break, wasting a catalogue of chances and paying the price upon the evergreen Jamie Vardy's strike, his ninth goal against Spurs, who failed to rally and had to make do with shared spoils.

Now, Everton await as Tottenham play host for the first time this term, and after being thrashed 3-0 against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, an air of expectation has hung in north London.

Spurs team news vs Everton

The major sticking point heading into this afternoon's affair is undoubtedly the ankle injury that Dominic Solanke sustained in training this week, ruling him out of contention.

Solanke completed a move from Bournemouth for about £65m earlier in August after a remarkable campaign on the South Coast, and despite featuring in every top-flight fixture for the Cherries last term, he has been ruled out one game into the 2024/25 campaign.

Yves Bissouma is in contention to feature after missing the trip to Leicester due to a club-imposed ban for disciplinary reasons, though Archie Gray could start in the sitting midfield position, with Rodrigo Bentancur ruled out due to the league's concussion protocols.

Wilson Odobert is in line for a debut, while Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison will be eyeing their first starting berths of the season. Ange has a lot on his plate, though his most pressing concern will surely be determining who to stick at the front of the ship.

Who Ange could replace Solanke with

Richarlison is one of the most obvious options to replace Solanke with, for the Brazilian is fully fit and featured prominently at centre-forward last season.

He rid himself of the woes of the previous year, scoring just once over 27 games in the Premier League after transferring from Everton for some £60m in 2022, but there's still much to be desired.

Indeed, Richarlison enjoyed a brilliant purple patch last year, scoring nine goals across eight wintry matches in the top flight, but then suffered an injury-hit end to the season.

The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare commented on how much Tottenham had "missed his physical presence" toward the end of the campaign, and that quality could be an interesting thing to throw into the mix against his former outfit, having bagged twice against them in an emphatic display last year.

However, Richarlison's cameo last weekend proved that he has much to do before he is polished and effective to the degree that Postecoglou demands to provide him with regular appearances from the opening whistle, introduced before eight crucial minutes of injury time and missing a glorious chance to get his side off to a winning start.

Richarlison: Cameo vs Leicester

Stats

#

Minutes played

8'

Touches

7

Shots taken

1

Big chances missed

1

Accurate passes

3/5 (60%)

Key passes

0

Duels won

0

Stats via Sofascore

Despite only being on the field for a few moments, he produced a wayward header, unmarked, after a wonderful free-kick from Lucas Bergvall.

Starting Richarlison simply might not be the answer this time, not when Heung-min Son is ready to continue his emphatic form as Tottenham's central striker.

Why Heung-min Son must return to no. 9

Skipper Son featured in his natural left-flanking role against Leicester, but he was outfoxed by a dogged defence, unleashing just the one blocked shot and creating one key pass for his teammates, fading after a delightful whipped delivery for the sidelined Solanke early on.

Look, Son's brilliant, and any notion that his ship has sailed must be laughed out of the room. Last term, he bagged 17 goals and ten assists in the Premier League, alternating between the left and a centre-forward deployment, and indeed his "world-class" quality, as praised by Postecoglou, and leadership presence emphasise the importance of playing him.

After all, he's hardly one dimensional, able to mix his goalscoring his elite-level creativity, and ranks among the top 7% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year and the top 10% for shot-creating actions per 90 anyway, as per FBref.

He also created 17 big chances in the division last year, with Dejan Kulusevski the next-most creative Lilywhite on that list with 14 big chances created.

He might not have clicked right into gear straight away but the South Korea international will be desperate to influence proceedings today and might find that he can make the best impact in front of a dynamic supporting cast.

James Maddison claimed an assist against Leicester and will hope to recapture that imperious pre-injury form from last year. The Englishman's vision and defence-splitting ballwork is something that no other player in the squad can replicate to the same degree.

Premier League: Top 5 Active Goalscorers

Rank

Player

Apps

Goals (per game)

1.

Mohamed Salah

264

158 (0.60)

2.

Jamie Vardy

308

137 (0.44)

3.

Raheem Sterling

379

123 (0.32)

4.

Heung-min Son

304

120 (0.39)

5.

Callum Wilson

221

88 (0.40)

Stats via Premier League

Moreover, Kulusevski could make a difference if provided with a starting role, bringing the energy and intensity to effectively supplement Son, pushing forward and stretching the lines.

All told, there's nothing to worry about regarding Solanke's injury, with the 27-year-old expected back shortly and Postecoglou not exactly starved of alternative ways to piece his team together.

But starting Richarlison would be a mistake, for Son must return to the spearhead.

Related Scouts sent: Spurs target £15kp/w "engine" who has shades of Mousa Dembele

The special youngster has a very bright future.

Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 24, 2024

تحدث آرني سلوت، المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، عن فوزهم في مباراة الأمس على ليل في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2024/25.

واستضاف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة الفريقين في الجولة السابعة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مرحلة الدوري، حيث فاز ليفربول بهدفين لهدف.

وعزز ليفربول صدارته لجدول دوري أبطال أوروبا، بالعلامة الكلامة 21 نقطة، مع العلم أنه حسم تأهله إلى دور الـ16 منذ الجولة الماضية.

وقال سلوت، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “نحن سعداء لتواجدنا في المراكز الثمانية الأولى، لا يخبرك جدول الدوري هذا بأي شيء، ربما يكون الرقم 24 أفضل من 16 لكن 16 كان لديه قرعة سهلة، نريد أن نكون في الصدارة لكن علينا أن ننتظر ونرى ما إذا كان ذلك ميزة”.

وأضاف: “كمدرب، أنا أكثر إعجابًا بذلك الفوز مقارنة بالجماهير أو أولئك الذين يشاهدون التلفزيون، كنت أعلم أنهم لم يهزموا في 21 مباراة لكنهم فازوا على ريال مدريد وأتلتيكو مدريد وفعلوا ذلك بدون أفضل اللاعبين في العالم، أكن احترامًًا كبيرًا لهم، لم أكن سعيدًا باستقبال شباكنا لهدف من فرصة واحدة للخصم”.

واسترسل: “ميزة تدريب ليفربول أن لديك أكثر من 11 لاعبًا جيدًا، أنت تعرف مدى صعوبة تلك المنافسة والدوري الإنجليزي، الأمر متروك للاعبين من أجل الاستعداد حال حصولهم على فرصة، كان إليوت محظوظًا في هدفه، ولكن أدائه كان جيدًا”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. محمد صلاح بعد إنجازه التاريخي أمام ليل: أتمنى ألا أكون الوحيد.. وأنا موجود لمساعدة لاعب ليفربول

وفيما إذا كان يمكن اعتبار ليفربول أفضل فريق في العالم، قال: “لا، أعتقد أننا نمتلك الكثير من الجودة واللاعبين يعملون بجد حقًا، إذا قال توماس فرانك ذلك (مدرب برينتفورد بعد مباراة السبت الماضي)، فهذا يعني شيئًا ما، لقد كان في الدوري الإنجليزي منذ فترة طويلة ولا يمتلك الكثير من الإمكانيات، إذا قدم مثل تلك المجاملات، فهذا جيد، يمكنني أن أقترح خمسة أو ستة فرق جيدة جدًا أيضًا”.

وأوضح: “في كل مرة نفوز فيها، يكون بفارق ضئيل، لدينا عمل صعب علينا القيام به من أجل الفوز، أعتقد أننا نستطيع التحسن، عندما يفوز فريق بيب جوارديولا، كان سيقول إنهم يستطيعون التحسن، الكمال غير ممكن، نحن نحاول كل يوم، ربما لن نحقق 10 من 10”.

وأكد: “كانت مباراة مانشستر سيتي هي أفضل مباراة لعبناها حتى الآن (فاز ليفروبل بهدفين دون رد)”.

وفيما يخص التعاقدات في موسم الانتقالات الشتوي، قال ساخرًا: “يمكنك دائمًا المحاولة، ربما كان بإمكانك أن تسأل مو أو فيرجيل أو ترينت!”، في إشارة منه إلى تكرار الأسئلة الموجهة له فيما يخص مستقبل الثلاثي محمد صلاح وفان دايك وأرنولد.

وكشف سلوت خبرًا مقلقًا بشأن كورتيس جونز، حيث أشار إلى إنه عانى من كدمة جعلته غير قادر على مواصلة اللعب، ليتم استبداله بين الشوطين.

وأوضح: “كانت هناك لحظة في المباراة حيث شعر بشيء ما، وقال إنه يريد اللعب لمدة خمس دقائق أخرى ثم نرى كيف ستكون الحالة، ولكن بعد ذلك قال إنه يجب أن يخرج”.

 

 

Africa has provided the world with some of football's finest players this century, but who have been the best of the best?

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Article continues below

African football has reached another level since the turn of the millennium. You can find players from the continent scattered all over the world's best and most competitive teams.

The stars of Africa have also given the game some of its defining, iconic moments. Roger Milla and George Weah kick-started the revolution in the 1990s, and their legacies are in good hands even today.

But who are the best African players? Who are the ones most deserving of the world's adoration? As we reach the quarter-mark of the 21st century, GOAL has ranked the top 25 to this point:

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFP25Asamoah Gyan

Asamoah Gyan isn't the best African player of the 21st century, but he may very well be among the most important. His heroics during Ghana's run to the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals inspired the entire continent and ought to have ended with the Black Stars becoming the first African team to ever advance to the semi-finals had Luis Suarez not got himself involved.

At club level, Gyan enjoyed fruitful spells in Italy, France and England, before playing out the second half of his career largely in Asia, with time in Turkey and his homeland scattered in between.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport24Youssef En-Nesyri

In 20 years, people are going to look back at Morocco's 2022 World Cup run while watching compilations of Youssef En-Nesyri and decree that he was a one-of-a-kind striker. He jumped over nine feet in the air to score the goal which knocked out Portugal in the quarter-finals that winter, for crying out loud.

As is the case with every storied striker, En-Nesyri spent a good chunk of time at Sevilla and won a couple of Europa Leagues for his troubles. Nowadays, he's trying to relight the fire of Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce, though somehow goals seemed to come easier to him in Spain.

Getty Images Sport23Sulley Muntari

Imagine playing so well for prime-Barclays era Portsmouth that after one season, Jose Mourinho wants to sign you for an Inter team that would eventually win the treble. That just so happened to one of Ghana's finest ever, Sulley Muntari.

His energy and physicality made Muntari a typical Mourinho player, someone who wasn't afraid to dig in deep and do the dirty work when necessary in the name of victory. He was dependable, despite his penchant for picking up a needless booking here and there. That rarely mattered to Muntari's teams, nonetheless.

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Getty Images Sport22Yassine Bounou

You can take all of Yassine Bounou's accomplishments, all his accolades, and all his medals regardless of their colour and make a compelling case that he is the best African goalkeeper of all time.

The bottom line is very, very few men from Bounou's home continent have been considered among the world's best the way he was in his pomp at Sevilla and with the Morocco national team. It's that simple. He was and is a fantastic goalie, no questions asked.

India’s batting innings was hurt by three run-outs on day three

Varun Shetty08-Jan-2021Australia ended the third day 197 ahead, with eight wickets in hand, and both Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith looking at their pristine best as they picked apart India’s insipid – and temporarily depleted – bowling attack in the final session. India’s day didn’t end too far from where it had begun in terms of the deficit, but a collapse of 6 for 49 at the end of their innings and the ease of Australia’s scoring in the final session pushed them decidedly behind in the match. The relentlessness of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood was responsible for that, as they were bowled out for 244, 94 short of Australia’s first-innings score, while also losing the immediate services of Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja who were both hit on their hands by bouncers and missed the end of the day as they went away for scans.Coming into the day – the sunniest of all so far – at 96 for 2, it was clear that India’s senior-most batsmen had to both be among the runs if they were to set up a fighting chance for their inexperienced bowling line-up. But both Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were met with the exact diligence and consistency that they faced in the last hour of the second day; they had made nine in the last ten overs in that period, and on the morning of the third they got only 11 off seven overs in the opening half hour. Rahane countered the short-pitched bowling with compulsive hooks and attacking shots briefly, but uneven bounce had already shown up early in the day. Eventually, he chopped a late cut on as the ball stayed lower than he expected when he leapt to execute the shot.Pat Cummins leaps up in joy after getting rid of Cheteshwar Pujara with a jaffa•Getty Images

That brought Hanuma Vihari to the crease and another extended period of tight bowling – into the body mostly, by both spinner and fast bowlers – that seemed to produce chances every couple of overs. Pujara looked to find an escape off Nathan Lyon’s bowling, but before he could manage to get the strategy going properly, he had been dropped by Mathew Wade at short leg. Vihari had his share of misses and inside-edges and reprieves close-in as well, as he got wrapped tighter and tighter into a shell. At 4 off 37, he looked to steal a single to Hazlewood’s right at mid-off, only for the bowler to adjust his lunge such that he could throw the ball at the stumps immediately. Executing to perfection, he hit the non-striker’s stumps directly to catch Vihari short.Australia had India 142 for 4 at that point and were only a wicket away from exposing the lower order. Enter Pant who, once again, came out attacking and briefly swayed the momentum India’s way. Against predominantly short bowling, he occasionally fended, occasionally ducked, and often cut or pulled to pick up quick boundaries early in his innings. He was also struck on the elbow by Cummins during that phase, the blow that later kept him out as Wriddhiman Saha came in to keep wicket in Australia’s second innings.Pant’s stand with Pujara settled down after the early bluster, and stretched past 50 with runs coming a lot easier than in any previous stand. But after negotiating the second new ball together for close to eight overs, both Pant and Pujara fell six balls apart. Hazlewood had Pant nicking to first slip from around the wicket, and Cummins – for the fourth time in five innings – got Pujara to edge behind with one that straightened in the channel. Just like that 195 for 4 turned to 195 for 6, and from there it was a rather dramatic, humbling collapse.Only Jadeja’s forced counterattack in the last-wicket stand looked anything like competitiveness as R Ashwin, first, and then Jasprit Bumrah were run out to lift the innings’ tally of those caught short of their ground to three. Between them was Navdeep Saini’s attempt at standing up to Mitchell Starc, whom he had peppered with bouncers and a beamer on day two; in turn, he was softened by three bouncers and patted the fourth to short cover who was brought in that very ball. Starc also got Jadeja’s left thumb with a bouncer in the middle of all this, before Cummins wrapped the innings up and finished with 4 for 29 in 21.4 overs.India managed to dismiss both openers fairly early, starting with Mohammed Siraj finding Will Pucovski’s outside edge just as the debutant had begun to look confident. David Warner then missed a slog-sweep against Ashwin to be lbw, and it looked like India had a way back in. While the first session had balls kicking up at batsmen, Bumrah and Ashwin both got a few to keep low in the final session. With the uneven bounce going both upwards and down, India might have enjoyed more control had Jadeja been available.Instead, it was mostly rock-solid batting from Labuschagne and Smith that dominated the rest of the session. They had both picked up the pace of the pitch fairly early on, and appeared more than ready for India’s leg-trap strategy – loading up the leg side infield and slanting it into the stumps. The strategy that had worked so well all series till now as a restrictive tool, came apart for India. In fact, it proved to have the opposite effect here, as Labuschagne picked up four boundaries square on the leg side. Rahane attempted a brief rotation of his bowlers, in order to have as much of Bumrah on as possible. But little control came from the other end as no-balls, boundary balls and touches of genius driving from Smith kept pegging India back. By stumps, the third-wicket pair had added 68 without once looking like getting out.

Left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks, who has played one Test for South Africa, has been added to their squad for the New Year’s Test at the Wanderers. Hendricks was part of the original 15-man squad that was announced on December 11 but had to be withdrawn for reasons related to Covid-19.Although CSA does not disclose the names of infected players, because of doctor-patient confidentiality, coach Mark Boucher indicated Hendricks had been affected by the virus and was undergoing tests to determine if he could enter the bio-bubble and rejoin the group. “Beuran is going through medical protocols to come into the bubble. He has needed to have one or two Covid tests as well as checking what his antibody tests are,” Boucher said at the conclusion of the Boxing Day Test.Related

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Hendricks’ inclusion comes after Migael Pretorius, who was called up to the Test as cover on December 16, had to be released because of a shoulder injury. Glenton Stuurman has also been released from the squad after suffering a left quadriceps strain. It still leaves South Africa with at least seven pace-bowling options for the second Test: the four selected for the first Test – Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla and Wiaan Mulder – as well as Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius and Hendricks.Although it may appear South Africa are stocking up on seamers to go all pace on what is expected to be a spicy track, Boucher said he was “not a fan” of going into a Test without a spinner, which should leave Keshav Maharaj’s place secure. Meanwhile, Rabada, who was added to the squad during the Centurion Test after recovering from a groin injury, is not a certain starter as South Africa look to monitor his workload.The same can be said of Stuurman, who was expected to debut at SuperSport Park but missed out because of a niggle.That means Hendricks may come into contention to earn his second Test cap at his home ground. Hendricks debuted at the Bullring in January against England and took six wickets in the match, including 5 for 64 in the second innings.

سجل الدولي الكولومبي، لويس دياز لاعب فريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي ليفربول هدف التقدم في مباراة وست هام، ضمن الجولة 19 من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

الهدف جاء في الدقيقة 30 من الشوط الأول، عن طريق الكولومبي لويس دياز بعد تمريرة من ترينت الكسندر أرنولد.

طالع أيضًا | وسط اهتمام برشلونة وباريس سان جيرمان.. ليفربول يتخذ قراراً حاسماً بشأن مستقبل لويس دياز

استلم دياز الكرة من ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، وانطلق إلى منطقة الجزاء، وحاول التمرير لـ محمد صلاح، لكن دفاع وست هام اعترض الكرة، ولحسن حظ الكولومبي عادت له من جديد ليسدد في شباك الحارس ألفونسو أريولا.

تلك النتيجة تجعل ليفربول يرفع رصيده إلى 45 نقطة في صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بينما وست هام في المركز الثالث عشر برصيد 23 نقطة. هدف ليفربول الأول أمام وست هام يونايتد