England were favourites at a point but then went on to lose six wickets to India’s spinners

Sidharth Monga31-Jan-20251:19

Manjrekar spots an evolution in Dube’s power game

England will be wondering how they managed to lose in Pune. They squandered a chance to take the series into a decider after winning the toss, reducing India to 12 for 3 and then 79 for 5, got off to a flying start on a flat pitch and heavy dew around it, but ended up losing wickets in clumps after getting to 62 for 0 inside the powerplay. They were still favourites at 129 for in the 15th over, but lost two wickets in Varun Chakravarthy’s last over.One of the answers they will get is they lost six wickets to spinners bowling on a true pitch with a wet ball. The other answer is India’s intent with the bat: they never really slowed down even as the wickets fell. Abhishek Sharma kept going after the triple-wicket maiden early in the innings, and Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya overcame the mid-innings blows with some targeted hitting to score 53 each and take India to a fighting total of 181.Another answer – although they should never have let it play such a significant role – will be that India were allowed to play fast and loose with the concussion substitution. Dube, who was hit on the helmet in the final over and continued batting, complained of delayed onset of concussion symptoms, and was replaced by a full-time bowler in Harshit Rana even when a batting allrounder was available in Ramandeep Singh. Making his debut, Rana took the wickets to Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton to go with a six-run 19th over.Saqib Mahmood checks inIndia had the right idea to go after the bowling with the ball neither seaming nor swinging, but they ended up hitting everything straight to hand. Bowling his first over of the series, Saqib Mahmood accepted the gifts although England did play a part with some inventive fields. Sanju Samson found deep square leg, Tilak Varma edged the first ball he faced to deep third, and then Suryakumar Yadav middled one straight to short mid-on.1:23

Manjrekar: England could have tempered their batting approach

India don’t back downQuite often in the past, India have been guilty of taking the conservative option when forced to make a choice. Over the last year and a half, though, they have played differently. Abhishek is the flag-bearer of brave options. He made sure India had some momentum even as Rinku Singh got stuck. Not for the lack of trying, though.When Abhishek got out for 29 off 19, India held back Hardik in order to target Adil Rashid with Dube. Rashid responded beautifully with a teasing loopy delivery first up with an attacking field, but Jos Buttler dropped a half chance at slip.Rinku’s dismissal to Brydon Carse meant Hardik had to come in with Rashid overs still left. He channelled in his inner MS Dhoni by blocking out Rashid with proper front-foot defence. Dube helped him out by making sure Rashid went for 35 in his four even as Hardik warmed up to 13 off 16.He returned the favour when Mahmood and Jofra Archer came back with shots full of swagger. Those two comeback overs went for 37, which meant India had something to fight with even though Overton conceded just three off the last over. He also clocked Dube in the head, an event that would assume larger significance.Duckett stuns India, but they spin their way backThe chase started on a batting beauty, and Ben Duckett silenced the raucous crowd. More importantly, he reverse-swept Varun for a boundary, took 16 off Axar Patel’s first over, and seemed to be getting the better of spin challenge. Ravi Bishnoi, who had been digging the ball in, gambled with the last ball of the powerplay. With no boundary rider down the ground, he bowled the only flighted delivery of the over, and drew the mis-hit to dismiss Duckett for 39 off 19.Phil Salt, who managed to get to spin for the first time in the series, exposed his stumps in trying to cut Axar and was done in by one that skidded on. Buttler became the victim of a touch of extra bounce for Bishnoi to make it 65 for 3, but the presence of the fielder taking the catch at short third, Rana, left him infuriated according to Kevin Pietersen on air.3:48

Was Rana a like-for-like concussion sub for Dube?

Rana strikes immediatelyEven at 65 for 3, this was England’s game to lose. Harry Brook and Livingstone made an assured start to their stand despite the troubles Brook has had against spin all series. There was hardly any turn to worry about. They had added 27 off 21, and the asking rate was under 10 when Rana came on to bowl in the 12th over. Livingstone guided the second ball straight to the keeper. Done in by the extra bounce when attempting the late-cut.Brook still has it, but not quiteEven then Brook showed how easy batting was in those conditions. He took down Rana for 18 in his second over and even managed to hit his nemesis Varun for two fours, but then pre-meditated a ramp off Varun, possibly expecting the seam-up variation so he could use his pace, but ended up lobbing the slower legbreak to short fine leg. Carse made it worse with a slog-sweep straight to deep square leg in the same over.Overton and Rashid flickered for a moment, bringing it down to 21 off 11, but fizzled out amid Overton’s questionable tactics of not taking singles even though Rashid had slogged Arshdeep Singh for a six.

Well, that was about as perfect a response to last week’s game as Chelsea could have hoped for.

Enzo Maresca’s side lost the talismanic Cole Palmer in the warm-up and then found themselves one-nil down early on through a Lucas Paqueta wonderstrike, but that didn’t matter.

The West Londoners found themselves level within nine minutes, up 3-1 by halftime and then 5-1 winners at full-time, potentially sealing the fate of their former manager in just the second week of the Premier League season.

There were outstanding performances all across the pitch for the Blues, but two players in particular stood out, including Estêvão.

Estêvão's standout performance

With Palmer pulling out of the game before a ball was kicked, the young Estêvão was given the daunting task of starting his first Premier League game, although from the way he played, you’d have assumed he was a seasoned veteran.

The 18-year-old wonderkid was utterly sensational for the Blues, playing pinpoint perfect passes one minute and then beating a couple of West Ham players on the dribble the next.

The Brazilian dynamo might not have scored a goal on the night, but he was involved in almost everything good about the West Londoners’ play and has surely cemented his place in the side for next week.

It might sound like hyperbole, but we aren’t the only ones who were blown away by the teenager, as the Express’ Fraser Watson gave him an 8/10 match rating at full-time, and Sky Sports awarded him the Man of the Match award.

His statistics from the game more than back up the rave reviews as well.

Minutes

77′

Expected Goals

0.33

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.61

Assists

1

Touches

41

Key Passes

1

Shots on Target

1

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (2)

Tackles

3

In his 77 minutes of action, the former Palmeiras gem produced a combined expected goal and assist figure of 0.94, provided one assist, took 41 touches, played one key pass, created one big chance, took one shot on target, completed two-thirds of his dribbles and made three tackles.

In all, Estêvão’s place in the team is surely secure for next week, which should also be the case for one of his teammates who was just as brilliant.

The Chelsea star who is now completely undroppable

Now, if we are being honest, there were several starters last night who have a valid case for now being practically undroppable.

Performance in Numbers

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

Still, for our money, the pick of the bunch, alongside Estêvão, was Joao Pedro.

The Brazilian more than made up for his lacklustre showing against Crystal Palace last week by not only scoring his first Premier League goal for the club, but also picking up not one but two assists.

Like his younger compatriot, the “exceptional” attacker, as dubbed by pundit Troy Deeney, was involved in pretty much everything great about the Blues’ performances last night.

He looked silky on the ball one moment and then powerful the next, leaving the Hammers’ midfield and defence utterly helpless and simply unable to stop him.

Watson was just as impressed with the former Brighton & Hove Albion man, awarding him a 9/10 match rating at full-time, describing his performance as a ‘quality showing.’

Unsurprisingly, the 23-year-old’s statistics make for some wonderful reading and more than justify the vociferous praise.

Minutes

96′

Expected Goals

0.41

Goals

1

Expected Assists

0.11

Assists

2

Touches

38

Key Passes

2

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (1)

Shots on Target

1

Big Chances Created

2

Dribbles (Successful)

2 (1)

Aerial Duels (Won)

8 (6)

Fouls Won

1

Clearances

2

Blocked Shots

1

Tackles

1

In his 96 minutes of action, the Ribeirao Preto-born ace produced a combined expected goals and assists figure of 0.52, scored one goal, provided two assists, took 38 touches, played two key passes, completed 100% of his crosses, created two big chances, took one shot on target, won six of eight aerial duels, made two clearances, blocked one shot and made one tackle.

Ultimately, it was a complete performance from Pedro, and one that should now make him completely undroppable, alongside Estêvão.

"At a standstill" – Chelsea have now "paused talks" for "quick" talent

The west Londoners have held negotiations.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 22, 2025

Liverpool starlet Rio Ngumoha has received a new contract that has quadrupled his wages after his breakthrough under Arne Slot, a new report claims. The forward, who scored a vital winner against Newcastle earlier this season, has seen a massive increase on his initial wages of £14,400-per-year.

• Ngumoha's rise

  Ngumoha has enjoyed an incredible rise in profile in the Liverpool ranks this season, as he has become more and more involved with Slot's first-team. He has made four appearances in all competitions, famously scoring a late, late winner against Newcastle in the league. And The Sun now reports that when that goal went in, the teenager was still earning just 14,400-per-year, as the club have a wage limit for young players. But upon turning 17, his salary has increased immensely. 

Advertisement

• His new wage

  The winger celebrated his birthday on August 29, and the Reds have almost immediately handed him fresh terms – confirming as much earlier this week – worth 52,000-per-year. That is a four-fold increase on what Ngumoha was earning previously, and goes some way to showing just how much faith the club have in the youngster. He already has 12 caps for England's Under-17s too, as he bids to make an impact on both the domestic and international game in the future. 

• What's been said about Ngumoha

  Slot was full of praise for his newest star after his goal against Newcastle, telling reporters: “He’s a player that can finish really well for his age. How firm his shot was, you don’t see this often for a 16-year-old. I did hear someone afterwards in the dressing room, I won’t say who, said they would have taken that ball, have a first touch, then finish it off. But he is so confident. That’s what I like, because the first ball he got he wasn’t afraid. He immediately took someone on. When the second player came, he got across him, and for him to score that goal is not completely a coincidence because for his age he is an amazing finisher.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ngumoha makes history

  The winger's goal against the Magpies made him the Reds' youngest-ever scorer in a Premier League game, scoring at the age of 16 years and 361 days, and he expressed his amazement at writing himself into Merseyside folklore. 

  He said: “I’m buzzing! I’m so happy to score, especially the winner. A good moment, a special feeling, I’m definitely happy.

  “You just have to come on and make an impact and thank God that I did that. It was just a proud moment.”

  He added: “Normally, last season especially, the Academy coaches and even the first-team coaches are always saying, ‘Make the back post, make the back post.’

  “The fact that I made the back post is just crazy… when I saw it with Mo [Salah] and then Dom [Szoboszlai] putting it through his legs, I was like one-v-one and I just smashed it. The fans, I heard them screaming my name and that’s a sensational moment I would say.

  “But you can’t get too carried away with all the noise, like I said, because at the end of the day I probably do that finish 100 times on the training ground so it’s no different with the fans [here]. But obviously the fans backing you there, it’s just crazy.

  “I’m 16 but I don’t want my age to show that I can’t play with the older players. I want to prove a point that I can play with not just people my age but many ages above.

  “But like I said, there are people at the club who are always helping me and I’m always learning and improving, so I can’t complain.”

He is still recovering from an ankle injury picked up in January and remains a doubt for the white-ball tour of New Zealand after the Champions Trophy

Danyal Rasool07-Feb-2025

Saim Ayub scored two centuries in his last three ODIs•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan opening batter Saim Ayub has been confirmed out for at least another five weeks owing to injury; he continues his rehabilitation from the ankle injury he sustained in South Africa in January. It further confirms that he will not be available for the Champions Trophy, which runs until March 9, and the extent of his involvement in Pakistan’s white-ball series in New Zealand after that remains uncertain.A PCB statement said Ayub was “progressing well in his right ankle fracture injury”. He remains in England, where he will complete the remainder of his rehabilitation, and has been ruled out for 10 weeks from the time of his injury, which he picked up while fielding in the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town five weeks ago.Ayub had to be stretchered off the pitch in just the seventh over of the match, when Ryan Rickelton edged a delivery through the slips, sending Ayub off on a chase to deep third alongside Aamer Jamal. Jamal pulled it back in as Ayub stood poised to be the relay fielder, but lost his balance and twisted his ankle. He went down immediately and appeared in anguish holding the lower part of his leg as the physio rushed on.Related

Pakistan boosted by Rizwan's form but bowling remains a concern

Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf back in Pakistan squad for CT25

PCB chief says Gaddafi Stadium will be ready for Feb 7 inauguration

CT25 FAQs: Who are playing, what are the venues, where to watch?

Despite prolonged treatment outside the boundary line, Ayub was unable to put any weight on his right ankle, and appeared to be in tears as he was placed on to a stretcher and taken off. He was later seen on crutches in the medical booth.The PCB initially said he would be ruled out for six weeks, which offered some hope of his availability for the Champions Trophy, which Pakistan host. Last week the board announced the squad for the tournament, with Ayub absent from it.A week after the Champions Trophy final, Pakistan embark upon an eight-match white-ball tour of New Zealand, playing five T20Is and three ODIs between 16 March and 5 April. The Pakistan Super League starts on 8 April.

The home side built a lead of 190 on a surface where run-scoring has been hard work

Andrew McGlashan19-Feb-2025Sam Konstas put away the scoops, ramps and sweeps on the second day at the SCG but could only make 17 before falling to Scott Boland for the second time in the match.The day after Konstas’ first-innings dismissal – missing a sweep against Boland from the 13th ball of the game – had ignited debate about his batting approach he was much more measured during New South Wales’ second innings in a clear response to what happened on Tuesday.Related

Australia emerge from Test season with flying colours and new options

Konstas under the microscope as Boland, Davies shine

Overall batting was tricky and NSW closed in a healthy position with a lead of 190 and six wickets in hand as both teams pushed for a victory that will be vital to their hopes of a place in the Sheffield Shield final.NSW head coach Greg Shipperd and batting coach Nick Larkin watched intently from the boundary edge for the duration of Konstas’ stay which ended shortly before tea when he square drove a short delivery from Boland to point.Until then, Konstas had shaped up solidly against some demanding new-ball bowling from Boland and Fergus O’Neill. He had taken until his 13th delivery to get off the mark, showing a clear intent to leave deliveries outside off, and defended largely with a straight bat although was troubled by Boland.Will Sutherland trapped Kurtis Patterson lbw•Getty ImagesIt wasn’t until the 11th over that he found the boundary, collecting back-to-back fours off Will Sutherland, before carving another just over point against Boland. It was an attempted repeat of that stroke which brought his downfall.”I’m all for entertainment and good batting, but that wasn’t good batting on day one. It was good fun for five minutes,” Phil Jaques, the former NSW coach, said on commentary. “It was better application from Konstas today, he was really patient and gave himself a chance to get in. It was a better innings, but unfortunately not much to show for it.”Nic Maddinson, who hit 20 off the second of the game yesterday, had fallen early to a pearler from O’Neill while Kurtis Patterson was pinned lbw by Sutherland having worked hard for 28.Matthew Gilkes and Josh Philippe, the latter who was struck a nasty blow on the helmet, added 55 to turn the game more firmly NSW’s way until Philippe fell late in the day to Boland. His innings had included a bizarre moment shortly before his dismissal when it appeared umpire Simon Lightbody was giving him lbw to Mitch Perry only to stop raising his finger part way through leaving Victoria perplexed.Victoria had resumed on 92 for 4 and were quickly in deep trouble when Jackson Bird had Marcus Harris caught at point second ball of the day then trapped Sam Harper lbw before the opening over was done. It left Bird on 399 Sheffield Shield wickets, one short of becoming the fifth bowler to reach 400.When Sutherland fell to Hanno Jacobs, Victoria were still more than 100 adrift but nightwatchman Perry, who was given a life at cover by Gilkes, and No. 9 O’Neill eked out 34 in 16 overs until O’Neill was well held at long leg by Jacobs when he top-edged what became the last ball before lunch.NSW were frustrated for nine overs by the last-wicket pair with Boland making a handy contribution before Perry was last out, driving to mid-off, have faced 122 balls for 29.

The mood around West Ham United at the moment isn’t a particularly positive one, as Graham Potter’s side got their Premier League campaign underway with a demoralising defeat away to newly promoted Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.

The game was a stark reminder that the club need to do more business before the window closes next month, as with the squad the way it is, a relegation scrap feels almost inevitable.

One of the areas most desperately in need of reinforcing is up top, as while he certainly tried, Niclas Füllkrug looked miles off the pace and like someone who will struggle all season.

Fortunately, recent reports have linked the Hammers with an exciting centre-forward who’d be a massive upgrade on the German.

West Ham target a Füllkrug upgrade

While it’s undoubtedly true that West Ham have not done enough business this summer, it’s also true that some of the few deals they have completed have been pretty good.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, securing someone as experienced as Kyle Walker-Peters on a free in undeniably great work, and from what we saw in pre-season, and in flashes on Saturday, El Hadji Malick Diouf looks like he could be a real difference-maker this year.

Yet, to avoid being dragged into a relegation scrap, the Eastenders need to bring in more talent, which appears to be what they’re trying to do.

At least that is according to recent reports, which claim West Ham are interested in Rodrigo Muniz.

In fact, it’s more than that, as the reports have revealed that the club have now made a bid for Fulham’s goalscoring Brazilian.

A potential price is not mentioned, but stories from earlier his summer claimed that the Cottagers could ask for as much as £43m to sell the 24-year-old.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Muniz has shown over the last year or so that he has what it takes to make it in the Premier League, and would be a massive upgrade on Füllkrug.

How Muniz compares to Füllkrug

Now, when it comes to centre-forwards, what matters most is their raw output, and if we compare Füllkrug’s to Muniz’s, there is only one winner.

For example, in his 36 appearances for the West Londoners last season, totalling 1355 minutes, the latter racked up an impressive tally of 11 goals and two assists.

That means that the Brazilian “revelation,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, maintained an impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.53 games, or every 104.23 minutes.

In rather stark contrast, the Hammers’ German forward was only able to score three goals and provide two assists in 20 appearances, totalling 877 minutes.

In other words, the former Borussia Dortmund star averaged a goal involvement every four games, or every 175.4 minutes, which just isn’t enough to be leading the line for a club the size of West Ham.

Muniz vs Füllkrug in 24/25
Players	Muniz	Füllkrug
Appearances	36	20
Minutes	1355′	877′
Goals	11	3
Assists	2	2
Goal Involvements per Match	0.36	0.25
Minutes per Goal Involvement	104.23′	175.4′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Now, on top of the simple fact that the Fulham man is the far more dangerous striker, there are some other key reasons why he would be an upgrade on the Hannover-born poacher, such as his age.

At just 24 years old, the former Flamengo gem still has plenty of upside, and according to research from The Athletic, he is still three years away from hitting his peak.

The 24-capped German, on the other hand, is 32 and will be turning 33 midway through this season, which suggests that his struggles to keep up with the pace of the Premier League are only going to continue and worsen as the campaign goes on.

Moreover, he missed 28 games last season, whereas the Cottagers’ ace has missed just 22 across his entire career, so availability is something else that has to be taken into consideration.

Ultimately, Füllkrug is not a bad player, but he’s certainly not of the level required to be an important member of West Ham’s squad, and therefore, the board should do what they can to sign Muniz as his replacement before the window closes.

West Ham lodge major enquiry for "magic" £21m maestro who's keen on PL move

The Hammers have made an approach to sign a versatile midfielder.

By
Dominic Lund

Aug 18, 2025

A blistering onslaught from Glenn Phillips in the final six overs of the first innings helped New Zealand ease to a crushing win over Pakistan in the first ODI of the tri-series in Lahore. The visitors posted 330 thanks to Phillips’ 72-ball century, with 98 runs coming in the final six overs. Pakistan could never quite muster a convincing response, with all hopes pinned on a flying start from Fakhar Zaman. However, when Phillips – who could seemingly do no wrong – trapped him in front for a 69-ball 84, their resistance melted away, and New Zealand’s task became something of a cakewalk. To make Pakistan’s evening worse, Haris Rauf picked up an injury which prevented him from batting, and New Zealand won by 78 runs.New Zealand’s innings appeared a struggle until the 44th over, with Pakistan taking regular wickets, even if half-centuries from Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell kept them ticking along. On a flat wicket, Pakistan’s bowlers had done a stellar job restricting New Zealand’s scoring rate, with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah combining for five wickets. So it seemed, anyway, until Phillips let loose, ripping apart Pakistan’s bowlers at the very end. He would score his last 77 runs in 32 balls, as New Zealand took momentum with them into the dinner break.New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat on what looked a dry, flat surface at the newly built Gaddafi stadium, but immediately ran into headwinds. Afridi continued his ODI wicket-taking form with one in his first over, inducing Will Young into a prod that got a nick through to the keeper. With Williamson largely subdued in the opening powerplay, run scoring came largely through a belligerent cameo from Rachin Ravindra. A couple of boundaries off Afridi either side of the wicket set the tone, and he had raced to 25 off 18 deliveries; 20 of them came through fours. But a slightly careless shot off Abrar Ahmed ended a nascently dangerous innings with Ravindra out caught and bowled.Williamson continued to consolidate, and for a while New Zealand had entered a rut. By the end of the 18th over, their scoring rate had fallen below four, with Mitchell looking laboured as he shuffled along, scoring 9 off his first 22 balls. The escalation came all of a sudden, and primarily through Mitchell, when he charged down the ground to loft Khushdil Shah over the sightscreen for six. Williamson began to come into his own, too as New Zealand began to milk the bowling, with the run rate beginning to tick upwards as the partnership approached three-figures.But Pakistan were maintaining a hold over the game by picking up regular wickets, and two in five deliveries pegged New Zealand back sharply. Afridi, once more, proved the partnership breaker, another gentle edge from Williamson that Rizwan comfortably pouched. The two-paced nature of the wicket went on to do for Tom Latham, who found the ball stopping on him as he chipped it up to midwicket.In Mitchell and Phillips, though, New Zealand’s two most potent late-overs bludgeoners were at the crease, and they would go on to prove it over the next hour. Mitchell was picking off the Pakistan spinners whenever their lengths dropped short; each of his five sixes came against spin, but it would also be his downfall. A harmless full toss from Abrar was clipped straight into midwicket’s arms, Mitchell’s disbelief writ large on his face as he walked away 19 short of a hundred.Fakhar Zaman’s quick fifty led Pakistan’s chase•Associated Press

But for Pakistan, that was the reprieve before the storm. Phillips had been sedate until the 42nd over, nudging it around for 29 off 43, but when Salman Agha was pumped back over his head for a six, there were signs he was awakening. Agha was dispatched for another pair of sixes in his following over, but it was when the fast bowlers returned that the beast was truly unleashed.A nudge off Naseem in the 47th over brought Phillips his half-century, but he wasn’t nearly done yet. Afridi was launched over deep midwicket and then scooped above short third for consecutive sixes, before Naseem was plundered for 17 in the 49th over. But the worst of the carnage was left for Afridi in the final over, which produced a whopping 25, bringing up Phillips’ maiden ODI century.The crowd was at full capacity and full pitch when Pakistan came out to bat, because Babar Azam was opening alongside Fakhar. The noise was for Babar, but it was Fakhar who sprung out of the traps, helping Pakistan to a brisk start in the Powerplay. But Babar’s start to opening – the first time he has done so since 2015 – was inauspicious, flicking a harmless delivery from Michael Bracewell straight into midwicket’s hands.Kamran Ghulam was similarly turgid, and the pressure fell squarely on Fakhar to produce a mammoth innings if Pakistan were to make headway in the chase. For a while, he offered them hope, taking down Mitchell Santner and Bracewell as he hurtled towards his century, but Ghulam and Rizwan were sent packing at the other end.The death knell for Pakistan was struck by Phillips in the 24th over when he skidded one on that trapped Fakhar plumb in front. With the asking rate rising above nine and 212 runs still to get, there was little realistic hope the lower-middle order would be able to get Pakistan close. It was reflected in the activity of the crowd, which streamed towards the exits.Tayyab Tahir and Agha tried to keep it going, building up a tidy little partnership, but even moments of brilliance went New Zealand’s way when Bracewell took a stunning catch diving to his right to send a disbelieving Tahir back to the pavilion.Thereafter, it appeared both sides were going through the motions, New Zealand doing enough to chip away at the lower order. The only bad news for the visitors was what appeared a nasty injury to Ravindra, who lost a ball in the lights as it went on to hit him flush in the face, and went off as blood streamed down his hair.The game itself was far more straightforward for New Zealand. Khushdil and Agha fell to spin within four balls of each other and, despite an entertaining little cameo from Abrar at the very end, Pakistan were merely delaying the inevitable. Matt Henry bounced out Naseem with 13 balls still to go; they are well placed in this tournament, and, it appears, well placed ahead of the Champions Trophy.

تحدث المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، آرني سلوت، عن النجم المصري محمد صلاح في إطار دفاعه المستميت عن فلوريان فيرتز، بعدما تعرض الأخير للكثير من الانتقادات بسبب مستواه رفقة بطل الدوري الإنجليزي.

وانضم فلوريان فيرتز إلى ليفربول، في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي لعام 2025، قادمًا من باير ليفركوزن مقابل 116 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

ولم يتمكن فلوريان فيرتز من تقديم المستوى المطلوب منه رفقة ليفربول، حيث لم يسجل أو يصنع طوال مشاركاته حتى الآن.

وقال سلوت في تصريحات لشبكة “سكاي سبورتس” العالمية: “إذا تم التعاقد مع لاعب بهذا المبلغ، فإن الناس يركزون بشكل أساسي على الأهداف والتمريرات الحاسمة، لكنني أؤكد لكم أنه كان يستطيع أن يكون لديه ست أو سبع تمريرات حاسمة بالفعل”.

وأضاف: “إذا نظرتم إلى التمريرات التي مررها لزملائه والتي للأسف لم تنتج عن أهداف، فإن أحد أبرز الأمثلة على ذلك مباراة تشيلسي في الجولة الماضية، حيث مرر الكرة إلى محمد صلاح بعد دقيقة واحدة من دخوله (بداية الشوط الثاني)”.

وواصل: “بالنسبة لـ مو، هذا هدف بنسبة 99 من 100، بل أقول 98 من 100 لأن آخر مرة حصل فيها على تمريرة كهذه كانت ضد أتلتيكو مدريد من فلوريان فيرتز، لكن محمد صلاح سدد في القائم”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. واين روني قبل صدام الأنفيلد المرعب: الكراهية العميقة تجمع بين ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد

وأردف: “لم يكن محظوظًا في إنهاء الهجمات عندما منح زملائه فرصًا، ولكن بشكل عام بالنسبة للاعب يبلغ من العمر 22 عامًا، من الطبيعي أن يضطر للتكيف مع الانتقال إلى بلد آخر، ناهيك عن الانتقال إلى الدوري الإنجليزي”.

واستكمل: “ربما أقلل الآن من شأن أفضل لاعب خط وسط لعب في الدوري الإنجليزي، كيفين دي بروين، كان عمره 21 أو 22 عامًا عندما انتقل إلى تشيلسي، قيل آنذاك امنحوه بعض الوقت، سأمنحه (فيرتز) بالتأكيد بعض الوقت، في الوقت الحالي لم يحالفه الحظ”.

وشدد: “عليه أن يلعب، لقد لعب كثيرًا، ولكونه قادمًا من دوري مختلف وخاض العديد من المباريات، فمن الطبيعي أن يحتاج أحيانًا إلى مباراة لا يلعب فيها كما فعلت مع محمد صلاح وغيره”.

واختتم سلوت: “ولكي يستطيع إخراج أفضل ما لديه، من الضروري أن يلعب، وهذا ما فعله وما سيفعله في الأسابيع المقبلة”.

Aston Villa kicked off their Premier League season with a draw at home against Newcastle United.

Villa looked in trouble at half-time as they hadn’t had a single shot, whereas Newcastle had eight shots that were valued at 1.1 xG.

However, the second half was a better performance, and post-match Unai Emery praised his team’s efforts: “We didn’t concede a lot in the second half and created chances, but the red card completely changed the match. We have to feel happy and proud of our work. This is the level we are playing against, which is the highest in the Premier League and Europa League. Today was a very good test, and, in the end, it was a good result.”

In the second half, although Villa had less possession, they did more with it as they registered three shots on target. Newcastle again had eight shots, but they were of significantly lower quality as they only valued 0.33 xG.

With game one down and their attention back on the transfer market, Villa have agreed to move on a player who was excluded from yesterday’s squad due to ongoing transfer negotiations.

Bailey allowed to travel for medical ahead of Aston Villa exit

Leon Bailey has been granted permission to travel to Rome for a medical ahead of his loan move to Roma. The winger was not in Villa’s match-day one squad due to the negotiations, with looking to move Bailey on all summer since “Emery has not been happy with his progress since he signed his new deal in 2024” and has wanted him gone.

Sports Witness have cited reports that Aston Villa’s Director of Football, Monchi, has now agreed a deal with Roma for Bailey to join on loan with an option to buy. There was no indication as to how much of Bailey’s £6.24 million-a-year contract will be covered by Roma.

A deal is well and truly on the cards, pending a medical, between Roma and Aston Villa, with Bailey set to travel on Monday.

Where things went wrong for Bailey at Villa

When Bailey arrived at Villa, he was seen as a player with a lot of promise as he was coming off the back of a 25-goal involvement season at Bayer Leverkusen.

Midway through his stellar 23/24 season, Bailey was awarded a new contract that kept him at Villa until 2027, with the club having the option to extend by another year. During that season Bailey registered 27 goal involvements across all competitions, which made it for most prolific season in his career.

However, his form took a sharp turn downwards in the 2024/25 season when he only managed six goal involvements in all competitions. This has led to Emery being unhappy with his progress and wanting to move him on.

While it looks like the loan will only have an option to buy, and there is always the possibility that Bailey returns to Birmingham next summer, it might be best for all involved if this move is made permanent and Bailey gets a chance to rediscover his best form in a new environment.

It is fair to say that Max Aarons has not had the start to life at Glasgow Rangers that he had hoped for after his move to Ibrox on loan from Bournemouth earlier this summer.

The former Norwich City man, who trained with Russell Martin in East Anglia, was recently sent off in the 6-0 loss to Club Brugge in the Champions League, and was an unused substitute in the 0-0 draw with Celtic.

Aarons also failed to create a single ‘big chance’ or win any aerial duels in his first three starts in the Scottish Premiership since his switch from Bournemouth, per Sofascore.

Rangers eyeing up late move for new right-back

The club may be concerned by the English defender’s early outings for the Light Blues, because they are now looking at a late move for a player in his position.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to Tutto Mercato Web, Glasgow Rangers are lining up a last-minute deadline day deal to sign Lecce right-back Frederic Guilbert today.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are on his trail and that they could face competition from Spanish side Sevilla, who have also shown interest in recent days.

It adds that a move to Ibrox could be on the horizon for the £22k-per-week talent, but it does not reveal whether it would be a loan or permanent transfer.

What Frederic Guilbert could bring to Rangers

The experienced defender could arrive at Ibrox as an instant upgrade on Aarons in the right-back position for Martin, providing him with a defensively solid alternative to James Tavernier.

As aforementioned, Aarons has had an incredibly disappointing start to the season since his loan switch from the Cherries, and Guilbert could come in to offer more solidity in that area of the park.

The 30-year-old defender started 31 times in the Serie A for Lecce in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, and his performances in Italy suggest that he could be an upgrade for Rangers.

Appearances

31

3

Crosses per game

0.6

0.0

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.6

3.0

Clearances per game

3.2

0.7

Aerial duels won

1.3

0.0

Aerial duel success rate

58%

0%

Duels won per game

4.8

4.0

As you can see in the table above, Guilbert’s displays in the Italian top-flight were far more impressive, particularly defensively, than Aarons’ have been so far in the Premiership this season.

Aarons only played 209 minutes in the Premier League and LaLiga for Bournemouth and Valencia combined last season, as both teams decided that he was not good enough to play regular football in either division or country.

Martin cost Rangers the win by playing star who was worse than Aasgaard

Russell Martin may look back on this tactical decision with regret after his underwhelming display.

ByDan Emery Aug 31, 2025

Whereas, Guilbert started 31 times in the Serie A, another major European league, and showcased his defensive quality, which suggests that he could come in and offer more experience and defensive nous in the right-back position as an upgrade for Martin’s backline.