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TN won the inaugural edition under Karthik in 2006-07. Can they repeat that feat against a side that thumped them in the group stages?

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu29-Nov-2019
Dinesh Karthik’s Tamil Nadu and Manish Pandey’s Karnataka will square off for the Syed Mushtaq Ali title in a repeat of the 50-over Vijay Hazare final on December 1. Incidentally, this will be the first time that the finalists of the Vijay Hazare trophy will also contest for the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy in an Indian domestic season.After asking Rajasthan to bat first under lights in Surat’s Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, Karthik rifled through his options, using as many as seven bowlers to limit Rajasthan to 112 for 9.Tamil Nadu then bumped up R Ashwin to the top – he was opening the batting for only the second time in T20 cricket according to ESPNcricinfo’s data – and although he couldn’t get the big hits away, the senior pro helped see off the new-ball threat posed by Deepak Chahar and co.After C Hari Nishanth chopped on to Chahar for a duck, Ashwin put on 69 for the second wicket with allrounder Washington Sundar to lend direction to the chase. Ashwin holed out for 31 off 33 balls in the 11th over and then Karthik was pinned lbw for 17 six overs later, but Washington remained unbeaten on 54 off 46 balls to finish the chase without much fuss.ALSO READ: Sai Kishore – spinning fingers and sweet dreamsEarlier in the evening, though, Washington didn’t have too much to do with the ball, delivering a solitary over and claiming the wicket of opener Ankit Lamba for 15. Rajasthan captain Chahar promoted himself as the other opener – he was initially picked by Stephen Fleming as a batting allrounder at Rising Pune Supergiant – but Tamil Nadu’s new-ball fingerspinner R Sai Kishore barged through his flimsy defences with an arm ball. The wicket took Kishore’s Powerplay tally to 15 in this Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. No other bowler has taken more than 10 wickets in the Powerplay this tournament.Vijay Shankar provided crucial breakthroughs with the new ball for Tamil Nadu•NurPhoto/Getty ImagesWith Royal Challengers Bangalore’s director of cricket Mike Hesson and a few other scouts in attendance, Kishore finished with 1 for 35 in his four overs. M Siddharth, the other left-arm spinner, who was a belated inclusion in the squad after M Vijay suffered an injury, returned 1 for 22.Seam-bowling allrounder Vijay Shankar hit the hard lengths and compounded Rajasthan’s woes, picking up 2 for 13 in his four overs. Ashwin was held back until the 14th over and he struck almost immediately, trapping Manander Singh lbw for 7. At this point, Rajasthan were tottering at 76 for 7. Some late blows from Chandrapal Singh and Ravi Bishnoi hauled Rajasthan past 100 and helped them avoid the ignominy of being bundled out.Barring the Bishnois – Rajesh and Ravi – no other Rajasthan batsman passed 20. Chahar, however, briefly raised their hopes when he dismissed Hari Nishanth, but Ashwin and Washington saw off the Powerplay without any further damage. Ashwin ventured to play some funky shots, but couldn’t connect with them well enough while Washington was more adept at keeping the scorecard ticking.Washington was particularly severe on Ravi Bishnoi, the legspinner, taking him for 30 off 16 balls, including three sixes, the pick of them being a rasping slog-sweep over midwicket. In stark contrast, Ashwin was scratchy against the spinners and his stop-start innings finally ended when he hit a half-tracker from left-arm fingerspinner Chandrapal straight into the lap of deep midwicket.Left-arm seamer Aniket Choudhary gave Rajasthan another reason to smile when he removed Karthik, but it was Washington who had the last laugh.In 2006-07, Tamil Nadu became the inaugural Syed Mushtaq Ali champions under Karthik. Can they repeat the feat against a power-packed Karnataka side that thumped them in October earlier this year?

Aston Villa are reportedly set to dip into the free agent market this summer in order to bolster their defensive ranks.

Villa thriving despite defensive injury crisis

The difference between the Aston Villa of last season compared to the version we see now is quite remarkable. The Villans find themselves on the cusp of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since they won the tournament all the way back in the 1981-82 season.

This is no doubt thanks to the tactical changes and overall solidity that Unai Emery has instilled in his squad, withstanding an injury crisis which has seen the likes of Tyrone Mings and Diego Carlos miss big chunks of time.

Indeed, their attack has been the main area of the team which has been spoken about, as the club find themselves with the most Premier League goals outside of the three title chasers, but there's no question the partnership of Carlos and Pau Torres has been a revelation. The 31-year-old Brazilian has been phenomenal when healthy and has managed to cement his spot in Emery's starting 11, playing 27 games in all competitions this term.

Torres wasn't the only addition last summer, with Clement Lenglet joining on loan, but the France international is not expected to stay permanently. So, with Mings recovering from a horrible injury at 31 years of age, Konsa often used on the right hand side and Lenglet on the way out, Emery is looking to the free agent market for another left-footed centre-back to bolster his ranks for the 2024/25 season.

Aston Villa see defender as an 'attractive opportunity'

If Emery's men do manage to get into the Champions League next season, they will need to add a lot of experience to their squad in order to be competitive. It explains why the Villans see left-footed Mario Hermoso as an 'attractive opportunity' this summer. That is according to Tutto Juve, as summarised by Sport Witness, who state that Villa are 'in the lead' to sign the defender this summer.

Mario Hermoso's season in numbers so far

Games

36

Goals

2

Yellow Cards

12

Data via Transfermarkt

The update states that Villa are ready to enter negotiations for Hermoso in order to 'mock' Serie A giants Juventus by acquiring the player ahead of them. This follows reports last week that Emery was personally pushing talks with the soon-to-be free agent.

Hermoso's contract is set to expire in June and, if the Atletico Madrid man chooses to leave, there will be many clubs 'in the picture' to acquire his services. The centre-back has made a total of 165 appearances for Atletico with 28 of them coming in the Champions League.

This experience, alongside the versatility which the 28-year-old possesses, would make the defender an ideal match for the profile which Emery desires. His addition would not only bolster his defensive ranks but allow yet another experienced head to enter the camp.

Celtic decided to bring Brendan Rodgers back for a second spell at Parkhead last summer after former boss Ange Postecoglou had moved to the Premier League.

The Hoops chiefs backed him during the summer transfer window ahead of the 2023/24 campaign with nine new signings to bolster his playing squad.

Paulo Bernardo, Nat Phillips, Marco Tilio, Odin Thiago Holm, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Maik Nawrocki, Luis Palma, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, and Hyun-jun Yang were all snapped up, either on loan or permanently.

Rodgers was then able to add two new players to his group during the recent January transfer window as Nicolas Kuhn was signed from Rapid Wien on a permanent deal and Adam Idah arrived on loan from Norwich City on deadline day.

It was reported by Football Insider that the Hoops were also keen to sign a new goalkeeper to replace Joe Hart, although they did also claim that it could wait until the summer, and were unable to do so before the window slammed shut.

Celtic's goalkeeping situation

The Hoops will likely need to dip into the market to land a new number one ahead of the 2024/25 campaign as the former England international has officially confirmed that he will be leaving the club this year.

His contract expires this summer and the veteran shot-stopper has revealed that he is set to call time on his playing days after – what Rodgers described as – a "phenomenal" career.

This means that the number one jersey will be available for someone to take next season, and it remains to be seen who will be handed that honour.

The Scottish Sun reported in September 2023 that Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher is a target for Rodgers, as the Ireland international is currently second choice to Alisson at Anfield.

However, the Hoops appear to have already missed out on the chance to sign a dream heir to Hart's position in the team with 2023 target Andriy Lunin.

The Daily Record claimed in October 2023 that the Scottish giants had their eyes on the Ukraine international as a possible replacement for the English veteran.

They also stated that the Bhoys had been interested in a swoop to sign the young colossus during the summer transfer window, in 2023, but they were not able to convince Real Madrid to do business with them.

The Daily Record added that Lunin had become frustrated since the summer as the Spanish giants signed Kepa Arrrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea, which left the Hoops target on the bench.

His frustration with the La Liga side reportedly put Celtic on 'alert' ahead of the January transfer window, but the situation appears to have changed.

Lunin has earned his place as the first-choice goalkeeper for Real and it was recently reported that they are planning to offer him a contract extension, whilst the player himself has confirmed that he would like to stay at the club.

This suggests that the Hoops have already missed out on their chance to secure his services, and that last summer may have been the perfect time to strike but they could not do enough to convince the Spanish side at the time.

They may look back on that failure with regret as the talented gem is now starring for a Champions League giant and could have been a sublime replacement for Hart.

Joe Hart's form for Celtic this season

The current Celtic number one has endured mixed success throughout the season with some solid performances domestically but struggles in Europe.

In the Scottish Premiership, Hart has kept ten clean sheets in 25 appearances and saved 70% of the shots on target against his goal, which is an improvement on his save success rate of 65% in the division last season.

However, he only saved 61% of shots against him in six Champions League group stage matches as the Hoops finished bottom of their group.

Hart conceded a whopping 15 goals from 13.3 post-shot Expected Goals, which means that the experienced titan conceded 1.7 more than expected based on the quality of efforts faced.

The 36-year-old giant also ranks within the bottom 22% of Champions League goalkeepers this season for percentage of crosses stopped at 1.2%, and the bottom 10% for defensive actions outside of his penalty area per 90 (0.17).

Why Lunin could have been the dream Hart replacement

Meanwhile, Lunin has been a star for Real Madrid in Europe's premier cup competition this season, and caught the eye with his displays in LaLiga.

The 25-year-old colossus has started 13 top-flight matches for Carlo Ancelotti this season and boasts an extraordinary save success rate of 81%.

Lunin has only conceded seven goals in those 13 games from a post-shot xG of 12.2, which means that he has prevented 5.2 more goals than expected.

That incredible form has also extended to his performances in the Champions League, which is a tournament Real have won 14 times in their history – seven more than any other club. The Ukraine international has only featured in three games in the competition this term but has prevented a staggering 3.1 more goals than expected in those three outings.

Sofascore rating

9.6

Goals conceded

Zero

Saves made

Nine

Goals prevented

2.44

Run out success rate

100% (1/1)

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 2023 Celtic target recently caught the eye with a phenomenal display against RB Leipzig in Real's last 16 first leg clash against the Bundesliga outfit.

Alongside his outstanding shot-stopping quality, which is illustrated by his aforementioned statistics in LaLiga and the Champions League, Lunin is a commanding goalkeeper.

Over the last 365 days, the 25-year-old star ranks within the top 10% of goalkeepers in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for percentage of crosses stopped at 10%.

This shows that he excels at coming out to collect crosses and alleviate pressure on his defence by being dominant and controlling his penalty box.

Couple that with his incredible shot-stopping and this suggests that Celtic missed out on a deal to sign an elite goalkeeper who could have been a dream replacement for Hart.

In fact, Lunin's shot-stopping and ability to deal with crosses could have made him a huge upgrade on the Englishman, given his superior statistics in Europe and in a higher domestic division.

Rodgers may now watch the Real star's career from afar with a tinge of regret at not being able to secure his services last summer, before he emerged as the Spanish side's number one.

The war of words between the interim committee running Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) and the ousted board has continued apace, and the divisions in the country’s cricket community are widening.On Monday, the interim committee running Zimbabwe Cricket issued a statement instructing all employees, apart from the board originallysuspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) last month, to report for work on Thursday or face “legal” and “disciplinary consequences”. Their statement appeared to be directed mainly at the administrative and logistical staff.On Tuesday, ZC struck back with a statement of their own, calling the interim committee’s release “condescending, reckless and inappropriate” and denying the legitimacy of the committee.While Zimbabwe’s contracted cricketers are also ZC employees and included in the committee’s initial directive, the national men’s squad is not actually in training at the moment and it is the domestic off-season. The women’s side, meanwhile, are currently in training, clinging to their hopes of making it to the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Scotland at the end of August. Their team manager has said they have not heard from the interim committee.This is not the first time that the SRC and the interim committee have tried to get ZC employees back to work. They had initially hoped for employees unaffected by the SRC’s sanctioning of Tavengwa Mukuhlani’s board to return to work by the end of June, but when this did not happen, SRC chairman Gerald Mlotshwa accused Mukuhlani of “sabotage” and of orchestrating the stay-away. Since then, ZC’s offices have remained empty, although a few press releases reflecting the standpoint of the ousted board have been issued through the usual channels.The interim committee’s statement marked their first official public communication. It called the releases that have been issued through ZC’s channels “fraudulent”, unless they bore the signature of interim managing director Vince Hogg, or that of Dave Ellman-Brown, the interim committee’s chairman.”Employees and the public are advised to ignore fraudulent press releases purporting to emanate from Zimbabwe Cricket,” the committee’s statement read. “No such press release has any legal authority unless it bears the undersigned’s signature or the Signature of Chairman of the Interim Committee.”ZC’s response held little back. “We would like to make it very clear to Mr Hogg and the interim committee that appointed him that no amount of threats will cow us into submitting to an administration without legitimacy,” read ZC’s statement.”Our position is clearly informed by the fact that the International Cricket Council (ICC), the supreme custodian of the game of cricket, does not recognise the interim committee,” ZC’s statement continued, going on to emphasize the ICC’s directive to reinstate Mukuhlani’s board if Zimbabwe want the suspension to be lifted.”In the meantime, as players and staff we refuse to be used as pawns in the interim committee’s power grab scheme,” concluded the ZC statement which had ostensibly been drawn up during a “consultative meeting” between players and ZC staff in Harare on Tuesday.Yet it seems that the playing body at large is not fully united behind the board in their battle against the interim committee and the SRC. Most players are seeking not to get drawn into either side’s corner and simply want to be allowed to play cricket again.ESPNcricinfo spoke to several Zimbabwean cricketers on Tuesday evening, most of whom did not attend any meeting – or even invited – and weren’t consulted before ZC’s statement was released. Many did not back ZC’s statement attacking the interim committee, but some did. One invited player who said they couldn’t attend, but did agree with the sentiments of ZC’s statement. Some simply did not respond to requests for comment, even on condition of anonymity.There are clearly strong differences of opinion forming and while battle lines continue to be drawn and the stalemate between ZC and the interim committee continues, the collateral damage is mounting up.Four members of the women’s side have been stopped from taking part in the Global Development Squad fixtures, and Zimbabwe’s participation in either of the T20 World Cup Qualifiers hangs by the thinnest of threads – indeed, under suspension they simply cannot take part.Furthermore, Langton Rusere, who last year made history when he became the first Zimbabwean umpire to stand in the final of a major global cricket tournament at the Women’s World T20 final has now been barred from officiating during the upcoming West Indies v India series, having originally been part of the umpiring panel.

The Manchester City midfielder showed his class as the Chelsea-owned forward was denied a third goal of the tournament by VAR.

Goals in either half from Youri Tielemans and the brilliant Kevin De Bruyne earned Belgium an impressive 2-0 win over Romania.

The Belgians looked like they had a point to prove after their Slovakia loss, and took the lead inside 75 seconds through Tielemans following a flowing team move. Romania were thankful for goalkeeper Florin Nita making a number of good saves as they struggled to live with Belgium's high-octane tempo.

Edward Iordanescu's team rallied in the second half but good chances still fell the way of De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku – who would be top of the Golden Boot standings now if it wasn't for VAR, with a third strike of the tournament having been ruled out here. Dennis Man came closest for Romania but Belgium talisman De Bruyne produced a poacher's finish to seal the win; with all four teams in Group E now locked on three points with one game to go.

GOAL rates Belgium's players from RheinEnergieStadion…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Koen Casteels (7/10):

Was alert to the danger to push away a fierce strike early doors and was a solid pair of hands throughout the contest. Made a crucial save to keep out Dennis Man's close-range effort.

Timothy Castagne (6/10):

Was sometimes caught out of position and his decision-making was occasionally questionable but was competent enough at the back.

Wout Faes (6/10):

The Leicester City defender was neat and tidy but forward Denis Dragus gave him a few problems on the night.

Jan Vertonghen (8/10):

His hefty experience was on display when the 37-year-old made some important interceptions in and around his own area.

Arthur Theate (7/10):

Looked the more calm and composed of the full-backs, as he put in an assured display against the quick-to-counter Romanians.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Youri Tielemans (8/10):

Justified his selection in the starting lineup with a rasping strike for the opening goal. Added a lot of quality in Belgium's midfield.

Amadou Onana (7/10):

On the whole, the Everton man broke up play nicely and looked confident on the ball, while releasing others further up the pitch.

Kevin De Bruyne (9/10):

Looked in the mood. His distribution was on point and on another night would have grabbed a hat-trick. The Belgian talisman put in a captain's performance and grabbed a late goal with a clinical finish.

Getty ImagesAttack

Dodi Lukebakio (6/10):

Arguably should have made it 2-0 inside 20 minutes but took a touch too many when presented with a big chance by De Bruyne. Picked up a yellow card, which means he is suspended for the next game. Solid but not nearly as effective as team-mate Jeremy Doku.

Romelu Lukaku (7/10):

His hold-up play was powerful and impressive but the striker is still, at times, a bit slow to react and his awareness of the game around him could improve. Looked to have broke his Euros duck, only to have a third goal of the competition ruled out.

Jeremy Doku (8/10):

Brought his full box of tricks to the contest as he weaved in and out of Romania's would-be defence with relative ease. A big threat throughout.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Leandro Trossard (5/10):

Didn't offer a great deal when introduced, and was too slow in delivering passes into the box – arguably justifying Domenico Tedesco's decision to drop him.

Yannick Carrasco (7/10):

Went on a superb solo run that nearly led to a goal for his side.

Orel Mangala (6/10):

Was quiet when he came on.

Zeno Debast (6/10):

Did his defensive duties competently.

Domenico Tedesco (7/10):

Made four changes from the side that lost 1-0 to Slovakia in their previous fixture and one of his changes, Tielemans, had an instant impact. They looked sluggish against Slovakia but were energetic and dynamic here to keep their knockout hopes alive.

Fast bowler relieved to be given his chance, after pressure for places during Pakistan series

Andrew Miller22-May-2019

Liam Plunkett plays a video game at the England World Cup kit launch•Getty Images

At the age of 34, and with more wickets since the 2015 World Cup than any other England fast bowler, Liam Plunkett probably knew deep down that he had both the experience and the statistics to justify his retention in England’s 15-man squad for the tournament starting next week.But nevertheless, Plunkett still found himself “pacing up and down” in anticipation of his confirmatory phone-call from the national selector, Ed Smith – with his wife Emeleah choosing to keep schtum about some good work-related news of her own – as the battle for England’s final fast-bowling slots went right down to the wire.In the end, England chose to back Plunkett’s proven abilities as a deck-hitting middle-innings enforcer – a role in which he has claimed 85 wickets at 28.43 in 53 matches since 2015 – and instead it was the left-armer David Willey who missed the cut, a decision that Eoin Morgan, England’s captain, said had been the toughest of his career.”You always have that slight doubt in your mind,” Plunkett said at the New Balance England kit launch in East London. “Are they going down this route or that route? I felt like I deserved to be in that squad, but you just don’t know what they’re thinking.”To pass the time and to alleviate his nerves, Plunkett went back to basics, hitting the gym with a vengeance and topping up the fitness levels that will be crucial in retaining his edge as a fast bowler, after a dip in his average speed in the early part of the year appeared to have undermined his status in the side.”I think I did about 12 hill-sprints, and kettle bells, and bikes, pacing up and down,” he said. And all the while, Plunkett’s wife had been sitting on her own announcement – that, as a high-flying financial analyst in the USA, she had just been promoted to director at her company.”She didn’t tell me, she kept that quiet until I found out,” Plunkett said. “[We had a] fairly quiet [celebration], she’s worked just as hard to get there, so it was good to hear that news as well.”With that initial selection hurdle now out of the way, Plunkett can settle down to prepare for his role in what promises to be a gruelling six-week campaign. But with the average score in the recent England v Pakistan series pushing 350, he admitted it can be increasingly hard for a bowler in the modern one-day game to work out what exactly constitutes a good day at the office.ALSO READ: Team culture stronger than it’s ever been – Eoin Morgan “Ideally you want to go for 20 [runs], but realistically, bowlers will take 2 for late-40s, 2 for 50 now, especially when there’s a score like that, and people are going for 60, 70 [in their ten overs],” he said.In fact, Plunkett found himself passing the time with Chris Woakes during their twelfth-man duties in the Pakistan series, trying to compare batting and bowling landmarks in the modern landscape.”I was speaking to Woakesy on the bench the other day, trying to relate what a fifty would be like in bowling figures, and what a hundred is like,” he said. “We couldn’t work out what it would be. Ten overs, 2 for 20 would be like a double-hundred or something. It’s tricky, a tricky period to bowl in.”Plunkett has been around for so long, he can remember the days when feats that can seem common-place in the current climate still seemed extraordinary – such as England’s thrashing by Sri Lanka at Headingley in 2006, when Sanath Jayasuriya led an assault on England’s target of 322 inside 40 overs.”I remember going for 50-odd off nine and I was devastated,” he said (it was actually 46 off five, if the above game was the one he was recalling). “Worst day of my life, but it’s changed a lot now. If you’re picking up 2 or 3 for 50, I’ll snap someone’s hand off, especially in that middle part when you’re breaking the game up, and getting two or three of their main batsmen out.”That middle period remains Plunkett’s point-of-difference in the England set-up. His ability, alongside the legspin of Adil Rashid, to disrupt well-set batsmen and prise openings in an opposition innings, remains a valuable option for England to have in their armoury, even if the arrival of Jofra Archer could provide Morgan with an alternative go-to bowler.”Jofra’s an amazing talent,” Plunkett said. “It’s great to have him in the squad as someone who can rock up and bowl at 93mph consistently, and he can bowl in any part of the game also, so that just adds a bit more variation in the middle. If I’m not picking up, or Rash is not picking up, he can come in and I can work well with Jofra, or Rash can work well with Jofra. It’s good to have that versatility in the middle.”You get compared a lot,” he said, when asked to weigh up the merits of England’s various seam options. “I’ve been through a lot since the World Cup in 2007, and whatever squad you’re in, there’s someone chasing your tail. Whether it be Bally [Jake Ball], or the Overtons, or Lewis Gregory. Or whoever’s in the county circuit. You always get compared to someone”But I feel like I do a different role to the other guys. I think that’s what I’ve done well, and been successful at, and I don’t think they want me doing anything different.”You’re always working on your game, I’ve worked on my death bowling because every bowler has to be able to do all. Some people are better at stuff than other people, but if called upon, you want to be able to step up and do what you’re asked to do.”

Juventus will reportedly challenge a legal decision that orders the club to pay Cristiano Ronaldo €10m in unpaid wages.

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Ronaldo filed a suit against JuveArbitration board partially upheld his demandsJuve to further challenge the decisionWHAT HAPPENED?

According to the Bianconeri are gearing up to challenge an arbitration board's decision as they are not content with the ruling. Following a hearing focused on a compensation reduction agreement made between Ronaldo and the club during the COVID-19 pandemic-affected 2020-21 season the judge asked the Serie A outfit to pay out approximately €9.8 million ($10.4m/£8.3m) to the Al-Nassr superstar.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

During the hearing, it was revealed that Ronaldo had agreed to defer a portion of his salary to help Juventus manage financial difficulties brought on by the pandemic. However, the Portuguese claims he was not fully reimbursed for the deferred wages and sued the club demanding €19.6m (£16.4m/$21m). However, after the hearing, the court ruled that the agreement was non-binding and absolved Juventus of any fraudulent behaviour. Nonetheless, the court still deemed fit that the club pay Ronaldo €9.8 million, plus interest on the late payment and legal fees.

DID YOU KNOW?

Juventus' legal team has reviewed last month's decision and is now preparing to contest it. The club's legal counsel believes there are grounds to challenge the ruling and aims to overturn the decision in the next legal steps.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

With revenue streams severely impacted by the absence of matchday income and other disruptions during the pandemic, several clubs had to negotiate temporary wage adjustments with their players. It now remains to be seen if Juventus get their way in a higher court and is relieved of paying the hefty amount to Ronaldo.

Mauricio Pochettino brought up Coldplay's reference while analysing his first season with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

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• Pochettino cited Coldplay's example to assess first season
• Had a difficult start to Chelsea journey
• Won their last three Premier League games

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Blues boss turned to the famous British band Coldplay as he tried to give an honest assessment of his maiden season with the West London club. After a slow start to their campaign, the club managed to turn things around and since the boxing day, they have secured 35 points in the league. Only the top three Premier League clubs – Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool have registered more points than Pochettino's team.

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• WHAT MAURICIO POCHETTINO SAID

  Speaking to reporters, the Argentine said, "The problem in England, what happens, if after 10 games you are at the top and winning games, what happens after is relative. The problem is we are punished because of the first 10 games. If we count after 10 games, I think we are in the top four. That is the problem because you are punished because of the first 10 games.

  "Look, I want to be positive. I don't want to talk anymore. I don't want to say we are young and we have had to cope with injuries. If not, about the evolution in different aspects of the game and to evolve and be positive. Now it is like we are stuck, like the song of Coldplay, stuck and reverse. We are stuck in every single press conference. Stuck and going back in reverse. [Do] you remember the song? I am a fan [of Coldplay]. The song is Fix You."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  There have been speculations over the former Tottenham Hotspur manager's future at Stamford Bridge beyond the current campaign after he endured a turbulent first season in charge. He has been linked with a move to AC Milan as the Serie A giants look to replace outgoing manager Stefano Pioli.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  After winning their last three Premier League games, the 2016/17 champions will aim to finish the season on a high as they take on Brighton and Bournemouth in their last two matches of the campaign respectively.

يلتقي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، بالشرطة الكيني، في الدور التمهيدي الثاني من الكونفيدرالية الإفريقية.

وفاز فريق الشرطة الكيني على البن الإثيوبي بهدف دون رد في مباراة الإياب في دور الـ64 ليتأهل إلى الدور التمهيدي الثاني لبطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

طالع..5 صفقات جديدة.. جوميز يُحدد لـ إدارة الزمالك احتياجاته قبل انطلاق الموسم الجديد

في لقاء الذهاب على ملعب الشرطة الكيني، انتهت المباراة بالتعادل السلبي بين الفريقين، قبل أن ينجح الشرطة الكيني من الفوز بنتيجة 1-0.

وبهذه النتيجة، يتأهل الشرطة الكيني لمواجهة نادي الزمالك في الدور التمهيدي الثاني للبطولة.

الزمالك كان قد توج بلقب الكونفدرالية الأفريقية في النسخة السابقة على حساب نهضة بركان المغربي، وتم إعفاؤه من الدور التمهيدي الأول بصفته حامل اللقب. موعد مباراة الزمالك والشرطة الكيني

ومن المقرر أن تقام مباراة الذهاب بين الزمالك والشرطة الكيني في دور الـ32 من أحد أيام 13و14و15 سبتمبر المقبل، بينما مباراة الإياب أحد أيام 20 و21 و22 سبتمبر.

 

 

Back in August when the UEFA Champions League draw occurred, Manchester United fans were thrilled with their Group A placement, with a place in the knockout stages looking extremely achievable. However, fast forward to today, and Erik ten Hag’s side is out of European competition altogether after crashing out in last place last night.

The Red Devils had to win the game versus Bayern Munich yesterday, yet they suffered a 1-0 defeat and showed very little intent to win the game, highlighted by the five attempts at goal, one shot on target, and 0.25 xG.

Fingers should be pointed at the side as a unit rather than individuals, but it is difficult to look past players' who cannot provide any level of consistency – including Diogo Dalot.

Diogo Dalot’s game vs Bayern in numbers

The Portuguese full-back started the evening at right back before moving over to the opposite flank due to Luke Shaw picking up another injury, but he failed to have a positive impact on the game in either role.

Dalot is an interesting player, as he displays glimpses of quality, but that is often overridden by mistakes or underwhelming performances.

That was evident yesterday, with the full-back showing promise going forward via direct, powerful dribbling. He completed 100% of his five dribble attempts, but composure in the final third was missing, registering five failed crosses from five attempts.

Below is an overview of his stats from the game against Bayern.

Pass completion %

73%

Possession lost

19

Dribbled past

2

Ground duels (won)

9 (5)

Clearances

2

The stat above, which is particularly poor and frustrating, is that he gave the ball away 19 times, mainly due to complacency. Not only did this prevent United from sustaining pressure and control, but it also stopped attacking scenarios and allowed Bayern to regain possession or launch a quick transition.

The player who could replace Diogo Dalot

After the game, Manchester Evening News writer Samuel Luckhurst gave Dalot a match rating of five out of ten. However, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who played the second half at right back, received a seven, a rightfully higher score than the Portugal international.

The number 29 was strong in attack and defensively, with the ex-Crystal Palace player creating United’s best chance of the game by underlapping Antony and cutting the ball back to the edge of the box before Bruno Fernandes blasted it over the bar. Wan-Bissaka also made two tackles and interceptions, won all three of his duels, and had 100% pass accuracy.

The 26-year-old provides much more balance and defensive control than Dalot, but the latter does outperform him going forward, as shown below.

Tackles

2.10

2.91

Interceptions

0.98

1.54

Clearences

2.94

4.46

Key passes

1.26

0.69

Crosses into the penalty area

0.70

0.00

Shot-creating actions

2.66

1.20

In truth, the right back spot at Manchester United is up for grabs, with neither Wan-Bissaka or Dalot impressing Ten Hag or the United faithful this season.

A right-back may be on the manager’s wish list in January, but given that the ex-Porto defender has started over double the amount the Englishman has in the Premier League, it is fair to now give Wan-Bissaka a shot at nailing down the position.