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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is personally targeting one new forward for the Gunners, following their £30 million sale of Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace.

Nketiah seals £30m transfer to Crystal Palace from Arsenal

On Tuesday, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano gave the 'here we go' to Nketiah's move to Palace after days of speculation, with the transfer amounting to £30 million (including £5m in add-ons).

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3 ByTom Cunningham Aug 26, 2024

Nketiah leaves Arsenal following seven years with the first team, having made his professional debut for them all the way back in 2017 after graduating from the Hale End academy.

The Englishman went on to make 168 appearances for the north Londoners, scoring 38 goals and providing seven assists over an exact total of 7,000 minutes across all competitions.

Nketiah was down the pecking order under Arteta and far from guaranteed consistent minutes in the Premier League, motivating Arsenal to strike a deal with Palace as the 25-year-old begins a new chapter of his career across London at Selhurst Park.

Appearances

168

Goals

38

Assists

7

Bookings

12

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1

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7,000

via Transfermarkt

The former Leeds United loanee has been granted permission to travel for his medical at Palace, and no problems are expected, according to transfer journalist David Ornstein of The Athletic.

Following this agreement, and their deal to sign Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad, it is believed Arsenal are in the market for a new forward as we enter the final days of this summer transfer market.

Arteta personally targeting one forward for Arsenal after Nketiah exit

As per The Sun, Arteta is personally targeting one new forward for Arsenal, as the Spaniard would like another attacking option to come in before the transfer cut-off on August 31.

Edu Gaspar and the club's recruitment team are apparently looking at "numerous options" and are set to make a late transfer swoop for one more signing further up the field, with the £27 million fee received for Emile Smith-Rowe also bolstering their transfer budget.

It appears Arsenal may not be done with their acquisition of Merino, which was officially confirmed this week at long last, following weeks of talks.

“We are so happy to have completed the transfer of Mikel Merino," said a delighted Edu on Merino's arrival. "This has been another great team effort from many people at the club to finalise the transfer of a player who attracted interest from a number of clubs over the summer.

“Mikel was a key target for us this summer, and we identified him as a player who can fit perfectly into our squad and profile to improve us, as we aim to build on our strong performances of last season. With Mikel’s arrival, he brings us an added high quality of experience, physicality and athleticism as we look forward to this season ahead."

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a promising start to the campaign, drawing away to Leicester City on the opening week before coolly dispatching Everton in north London.

Ange Postecoglou will be well aware that his squad made a blistering start to the 2023/24 season, however, and has strengthened throughout the summer to put Spurs in a better place to restore a spot in the Champions League and challenge for silverware.

The likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, elite teenage talents both, will hope to stake claims at No. 6 after arriving down north London, especially with something of an air of uncertainty surrounding Yves Bissouma.

What's going on with Yves Bissouma

He might have scored as Tottenham claimed their first victory of the season, but Bissouma has got plenty to prove if he is to establish himself as one of Postecoglou's instrumental players this season.

An immense, technically proficient player, the Malian ranks among the top 2% of central midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 6% for passes attempted, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 4% for tackles and the top 10% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref.

But last season he suffered a string of on-field disciplinary issues, receiving three separate suspensions in the Premier League, lacking composure and control.

As such, he cannot be trusted to thrive at the heart of the Spurs side throughout the duration of the campaign – especially with the return of Europa League football now looming.

As such, Tottenham are mulling over concluding their summer spending spree with one final piece to complete the engine room.

Spurs eyeing new midfielder

According to GIVEMESPORT earlier this week, Tottenham are keeping tabs on Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough, who is valued at about £25m.

The Championship side are unwilling to part with their prized midfielder before next week's deadline, but Spurs are persisting in their interest and are even willing to play the long game, should Boro's resolve prove unwavering.

However, with multiple top-flight outfits keen on a move, Tottenham might want to consider launching a move, especially given the need to strengthen the base of the midfield.

What Hayden Hackney would bring to Spurs

Last season, Hackney scored the winning goal as Middlesbrough defeated Chelsea 1-0 in the Carabao Cup. Sure, the Blues breezed into the final after confidently overturning the semi-final deficit in the second leg, but the Englishman's quality was illuminated.

It was the 22-year-old's first showcase of his talents against Premier League opposition, with his manager, Michael Carrick, hailing him for the "immense" performance.

Last season, in the Championship, Hackney played a key role in helping the Riversiders push toward the upper end of the table, ultimately falling short but coming on leaps and bounds and finishing eighth, four points off a promotion spot.

The fast-flowing style of football saw Boro rank fourth for progressive passes made throughout the campaign (2050), behind only the three sides relegated from the Premier League. Hackney, anchored at the base of the midfield, was essential to the success.

Indeed, as per FBref, he ranked among the top 13% of midfielders in England's second tier last year for pass completion, the top 2% for passes attempted, the top 1% for progressive passes and the top 13% for shot-creating actions per 90, emphasising the level of his ball-playing ability.

Matches (starts)

21 (20)

Goals

1

Assists

0

Touches*

90.0

Pass completion

88%

Key passes*

1.2

Dribbles*

0.8

Ball recoveries*

7.1

Tackles*

1.7

Total duels won*

4.1

He'd be a wonderful addition and one who could be integrated into a strong mix of players, allowing him to get to grips with life down N17 without feeling overburdened.

After all, Spurs know all about landing an exciting talent from the EFL and nurturing them to the fore – just ask Dele Alli.

Hayden Hackney could be Ange's own Dele Alli

Postecoglou could repeat Tottenham's Alli masterstroke by securing this deal, having welcomed the former wonderkid to the club in 2015, signing him from MK Dons for £5m and beating off fierce competition from clubs such as Liverpool.

The 28-year-old had posted 16 goals and 11 assists across all competitions during his final campaign in League One before making the leap right to the top of the pyramid, aged only 18.

He scored 67 goals and supplied 61 assists across 269 appearances for Tottenham, and though his output declined toward the end as he headed toward dark days, the England international performed at an obscene level at the start, notching 97 goal contributions over his opening three top-flight campaigns alone.

Jose Mourinho claimed that he would become "one of the world's best", and while external factors have led to a demise for the current Everton player, who has not played for the Toffees since the start of the 2022/23 season, there is hope that he will one day grace the Premier League pitch again.

He was crowned the PFA Premier League Young Player of the Year across both of his opening terms, very much highlighting the reward that can be found in plucking one of the finest talents from below England's topmost division.

Hackney might not be the potent attacking superstar that Alli proved to be throughout several blistering years of success as a Lilywhite, but he could be a most impactful signing from a lower division to replicate Mauricio Pochettino's success in the past.

Slotting him into the base of the midfield, Tottenham could well and truly hit the jackpot, replicating their masterful signing from nine years ago.

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The special youngster has a very bright future.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 24, 2024

Amid speculation that Wilfried Gnonto could yet be heading for the exit door, one Premier League side are reportedly preparing a fresh attempt to deal Leeds United an added blow this summer.

Leeds transfer news

The Whites have already felt the consequences of their promotion failure more than once this summer, losing both Archie Gray and Glen Kamara to Tottenham Hotspur and Stade Rennais respectively. With just a matter of weeks left until the new Championship campaign gets underway, those at Elland Road have it all to do, but could yet face further departures.

Following Everton's sale of Amadou Onana, the Toffees could reportedly turn their attention towards signing Gnonto and rumours suggest that they may yet use their Onana money to splash out on the Leeds winger, whose future has been thrown into question for some time in Yorkshire. Losing Gnonto would undoubtedly damage Daniel Farke's attack, but losing an alternative forward could send their title hopes into disarray before the season's even underway.

According to Football Insider journalist Pete O'Rourke, Brighton & Hove Albion are now preparing to submit a fresh bid to sign Georginio Rutter from Leeds this summer, having reportedly failed with a £30m move earlier this summer. The forward became the Whites' record signing in 2022 after arriving from Hoffenheim. Now, two years later, he could yet take an alternative route back to the Premier League following this concerning new update.

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The Whites saw their first bid rejected…

1 ByTom Cunningham Jul 27, 2024

Rutter finally came to life in the Championship, but it still wasn't enough to drag Farke's side to promotion as they suffered Wembley heartbreak at the hands of Southampton. Impressing enough to earn Brighton's interest, nonetheless, the Seagulls are seemingly looking to hand the 22-year-old a deserved second chance in England's top flight.

"Brilliant" Rutter is crucial to Leeds' title hopes

After missing out on promotion last season, Leeds won't want to leave any doubts this time around and will be gunning for the Championship title and an automatic place into the Premier League. Rutter remains crucial to that goal. The Frenchman found his best form in the playmaker role under Farke last season, sitting behind Joel Piroe and recording an impressive 16 assists in all competitions, alongside scoring six goals of his own.

One of the best creators in the second tier, Farke's praise of the 22-year-old came as no surprise in the last campaign. The Leeds boss said via BBC Sport after a 3-0 victory over Birmingham City: "He fulfilled this role in a nearly perfect way – it was a brilliant performance. In recent weeks we have played him more in a flexible role, a bit deeper. He started quite often in a role up front but we have put him slightly deeper."

Whether Farke gets the chance to see such "brilliant" performances from Rutter this season remains to be seen, however.

One Manchester United midfielder has agreed personal terms to leave the club this summer, it has been reported, in a move that could have consequences for the rest of the Premier League giants’ transfer window.

Manchester United waiting on exits

Despite the news breaking at the beginning of the summer that almost all of Erik ten Hag’s squad are available for the right price, there have been very few exits at Old Trafford so far this summer.

French pair Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane both left on free transfers after their deals in Manchester came to an end, while Omari Forson also departed as a free agent.

Elsewhere, Mason Greenwood was sold to French side Marseille in a deal worth £22m, whlle talented defender Willy Kambwala has joined Villarreal in an £8m move.

Midfield outcast Donny van de Beek has also finally departed permanently following a horror spell at Old Trafford since his £35m move from Ajax, joining Girona for a nominal fee.

It has allowed Manchester United to make two new signings, with Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro coming in to replace Varane and Martial for a combined £86m, but they are still waiting on exits.

It is believed that a deal for Noussair Mazraoui is all but done, but requires right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s departure before it can be confirmed, while any new incoming centre-back is likely to hinge on the future of Victor Lindelof.

The same can be said in midfield, with deals likely waiting to be completed after they can shift one of Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay or Casemiro, all of whom have been linked with moves away. Now, one man has agreed terms to leave.

Midfielder agrees to leave Man Utd

That comes in the shape of academy graduate McTominay, who has reportedly agreed personal terms over a move to Galatasaray this summer. The Scottish midfielder is believed to be a target for Premier League side Fulham as well as the Turkish giants, with both sides tussling for his signature.

Scott McTominay’s 23/24 Premier League season

Appearances

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Starts

18

Goals

7

Assists

1

Yellow Cards

2

As per reports in Turkey, relayed by Sport Witness, McTominay is top of the Galatasaray wishlist and has even said yes to joining the Turkish side.

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Indeed, he has given the green light to a deal worth a reported €5.5m a year (£4.5m per year, or £86,500 per week), an increase on the £60,000 a week deal he finds himself on at Old Trafford.

That may well have been the easy part though, with reports earlier in the week suggesting that Galatasaray had seen an opening bid of €15m (£12.7m) knocked back for the Scottish international, with Dan Ashworth and Co keen to hold out for closer to £25m to let him leave this summer.

Should that price be met and McTominay depart, it could allow Manchester United to move for one of their midfield targets, with PSG’s Manuel Ugarte among those that they have been linked with in recent weeks.

New Zealand will keep one eye on the final day of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and how the next month pans out

S Rajesh18-Jan-2021If Australia winAustralia will move up to 75.4. They will obviously qualify if the three-Test series against South Africa doesn’t materialize. If it does, Australia will need another 59 points from that series, which they can get if they win one Test (40 points), and draw two (13 points each). So a 1-0 series win will be the minimum margin required to go past New Zealand’s percentage points.India will drop to 66.7 and will need 110 points out of 120 from their series against England. That can only happen if they win 4-0. Any other series scoreline and they will have to hope that Australia do even worse in South Africa. England could come into the reckoning too if both Australia and India drop points.If the Test is drawnAustralia will be on 71.25 points and will qualify if the series against South Africa is called off. If that series goes ahead, they will need 79 out of 120 points, which means at least two Test wins. If they don’t win two, they will drop below New Zealand in the table and will have to hope that results in the India-England series go their way.India will drop to 68.3 and will need 100 points at least from the England series. For that, they will need a 3-0 scoreline. Anything less, and they will drop below New Zealand and will be counting on other results going their way.(If the Gabba Test is drawn, if England beat Sri Lanka 2-0, the Australia-South Africa series ends 1-1, and the India-England series ends 2-2, then Australia will finish on 65.8, England on 65.6, and India on 65.3.)If India winAustralia will drop to 69.2 and will need 89 points from the series against South Africa to go past New Zealand. That can only happen if they win at least two Tests and draw the third, in which case they will get 93 points from the series. Had Australia not dropped those four points for slow over-rate in Melbourne, they would have been on 70 even with a defeat. In that case, the runs-per-wicket ratio would have come into play (since teams have played an unequal number of series, the series wins isn’t being considered in this cycle); currently, Australia’s ratio is 1.42 while New Zealand’s is 1.28.India will move up to 71.67 with a win and will need 80 more points against England to top New Zealand. They can achieve that with a 2-0 series scoreline in the four Tests.England’s win in Galle has brought them into the conversation as well, but for them to go past New Zealand, they will need to win the second Test in Sri Lanka, and beat India 3-0.

حقق النادي الأهلي، الفوز على نظيره سموحة، بثنائية دون رد، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الأهلي واجه سموحة، في إطار مواجهات الأسبوع الخامس المؤجل لبطولة الدوري المصري، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

وفوز الأهلي على سموحة، جعله متصدرًا لجدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 15 نقطة، بعد الفوز في 4 مباريات والتعادل في 3 مواجهات.

طالع | سبب تغيير أشرف داري بين شوطي مباراة الأهلي وسموحة

وسجل للأهلي محمد مجدي أفشة ليوقع على ثاني أهدافه مع القلعة الحمراء في الموسم الحالي 2024-2025، فيما جاء هدف المارد الأحمر الثاني عن طريق إمام عاشور.

ويتصدر ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري حتى الآن، مهاجم نادي الزمالك، ناصر منسي برصيد 5 أهداف. ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري

– ناصر منسي – الزمالك – 5 أهداف.

– محمد حمودة – غزل المحلة – 4 أهداف.

– محمود زلاكة – سيراميكا كليوباترا – 4 أهداف.

– على فوزي – إنبي – 3 أهداف.

– عمر ناصر – فاركو – 3 أهداف.

– جودوين شيكا – طلائع الجيش – 3 أهداف.

– صديق أوجولا – بيراميدز – 3 أهداف.

– محمد مجدي أفشة – الأهلي – هدفين.

– طاهر محمد طاهر – الأهلي – هدفين.

– وسام أبو علي – الأهلي – هدفين.

– عبد الرحمن البانوبي – زد – هدفين.

– أحمد قطة – بيراميدز – هدفين.

– فيستون مايلي – بيراميدز – هدفين

– علي الملواني – الإسماعيلي – هدفين.

– محمد هلال – البنك الأهلي – هدفين.

– محمود صابر – سموحة – هدفين.

– شادي حسين – زد – هدفين.

– أسامة فيصل – البنك الأهلي – هدفين.

– أحمد سيد زيزو – الزمالك – هدف.

– إمام عاشور – الأهلي – هدف.

– عمرو السولية – الأهلي – هدف.

– عبد الله السعيد – الزمالك – هدف.

– أحمد قندوسي – سيراميكا كليوباترا – هدف.

– أحمد بلحاج – سيراميكا كليوباترا – هدف.

– ناصر ماهر – الزمالك – هدف.

– مصطفي شلبي – الزمالك – هدف.

– مصطفي فتحي – بيراميدز – هدف.

– حسام عبد المجيد – الزمالك – هدف.

يمكنكم متابعة ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري محدث باستمرار طالع من هنا

Roma and Italy icon Francesco Totti has hinted that he could come out of retirement at 48 amid interest from some Serie A clubs.

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Totti could return to playing football professionally Announced his retirement in 2017Serie A clubs have shown interest in the Italy legendFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The legendary attacker brought the curtain down on his career seven years ago after playing his final game for Roma. However, the former Italy star could come out of retirement at the age of 48 as he claims to have been approached by multiple Serie A clubs.

AdvertisementWHAT FRANCESCO TOTTI SAID

Speaking to reporters at a recent event, Totti hinted at a surprise comeback to football as he said: "Some Serie A teams have contacted me. I admit that they made me think a little, a little crazy. It would be difficult, but in life, you never say never.

"There are players who have played many years after the end of their career. It also depends on where you play, with all due respect, but if I were to return to Serie A I would have to train really well."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Totti has, however, firmly ruled out a move to Roma's arch-rivals Lazio as he told La Gazzetta dello Sport, "Lazio? I wouldn't have even considered it. I'd be ready in two to three months. I'm still playing at 48. Half an hour, twenty minutes. If I had to do something crazy, I'd do it in Italy, not abroad, but it's crazy.

"When you turn the page you never know what awaits you. It wasn't my choice, but in that moment it has to be experienced differently from the context. Maybe that's also why I've had that thing inside me. It's true that there's a beginning and an end to everything."

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WHAT NEXT?

It remains to be seen if Totti decides to return to football and can manage to attain the fitness levels required to pursue the sport professionally again, or if he would ever play for another Serie A club, having spent his entire career on Roma's books.

With a deal to sign Lloyd Kelly edging closer to completion, Newcastle United have reportedly turned their attention towards another Premier League ace, who certainly has plenty of suitors this summer.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies seem to be wasting no time this summer, taking advantage of Kelly's free-agent status to line up a deal to sign the versatile defender, who will arrive to provide cover for the injured Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman.

The former Bournemouth man isn't the only defender reportedly being lined up, however. After seeing their deal to sign Tosin Adarabioyo on a similar free deal hijacked by Chelsea, Newcastle have seemingly turned their attention to Mario Hermoso. The Atletico Madrid man is set to become a free agent this summer, before potentially making his way to the Premier League. It's there that he could join another Newcastle target.

According to Globo Esporte, relayed by Sport Witness, Newcastle have expressed interest in signing Andreas Pereira from Fulham this summer, with both the Brazilian and the club accepting that it is time to turn to the transfer market and another season together is unlikely. The Magpies aren't the only interested though, with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur also reportedly making contact for the attacking midfielder.

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Pereira, earning £50k-a-week at Fulham, has enjoyed quite the revival since his Manchester United struggles and could now get the chance to return to a club competing for a place inside the Premier League's top six as a result. That said, it remains to be seen just how much Fulham could demand for his signature this summer.

"Outstanding" Pereira can replicate Willock's quality

With Joe Willock struggling with injuries throughout the majority of the campaign, Newcastle struggled for attacking intent when it didn't come through Bruno Guimaraes last season. But it's the type of quality that Pereira can replicate in abundance if the Magpies make their move in the coming months. The Brazilian may even need to replace his compatriot's hand in the goals if Guimaraes departs this summer.

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7

1

Assists

7

8

0

Key Passes

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62

7

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9

It's no surprise that Fulham boss Marco Silva has been so full of praise for his midfielder during his time in London, telling the club's official website after his side defeated Leeds United in the 2022/23 campaign: "He has been outstanding this season. I know a lot of people had doubts when I decided to sign him but I knew his qualities and his character.

"Even last season we had a conversation about his future but it wasn’t the right moment for him to join us. He’s a key player on and off the ball and with set pieces. Two assists this afternoon. A top professional who is enjoying himself at the moment in a white shirt. The three midfielders all played an amazing game today."

Handy 42 not out from Eoin Morgan as well, to get KKR off the mark in IPL 2020

Sreshth Shah26-Sep-20201:12

Manjrekar: Shubman Gill completely dominated Rashid Khan

Kolkata Knight Riders 145 for 3 (Gill 70*, Morgan 42*) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 142 for 4 (Pandey 51, Russell 1-16, Cummins 1-19, Chakravarthy 1-25) by seven wicketsThe Kolkata Knight Riders bounced back from their comprehensive defeat to the Mumbai Indians to ease past the Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets on the back of an impressive performance from their varied bowling attack, which restricted the Sunrisers to 142 for 4. That was followed by a knock of 70 from Shubman Gill to anchor the chase, and there was also a valuable contribution of 42 from Eoin Morgan, in an unbeaten 92-run partnership with Gill.After eight matches in the tournament, it was only the second time that a chasing side clinched victory. The Sunrisers, however, had won the toss and opted to bat first – the first side so far to do that. However, that also meant that it was the seventh game in a row where the team winning the toss lost the match. The Sunrisers are now the only team to remain winless in IPL 2020.Cummins, Chakravarthy show the way with the ballWith the Sunrisers’ best batsmen at the top of the order, the Knight Riders captain opted for an experienced new-ball pair, unlike in the game against Mumbai. Sunil Narine and Pat Cummins – who conceded 49 runs in three overs in his first match – bowled tight lines against David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, not allowing the two batsmen to assert their dominance.Bairstow survived on the review in the fourth over after umpire Chris Gaffaney thought he had edged an attempted paddle off Cummins into the hands of Dinesh Karthik. The next ball, though, he was bowled trying drive a good-length ball that was coming in, out for 5 off 10.Warner and Manish Pandey then consolidated, seeing out the rest of the powerplay, before Warner, then on 36, was caught and bowled in the tenth over, chipping one that went straight on from mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy – playing his first game for the Knight Riders – back to the bowler.Wriddhiman Saha, also playing his first game of the season, joined Pandey at No. 4, and although they batted for the next eight overs, the boundaries were few and far in between. Pandey looked to accelerate and struck three fours and two sixes in his innings of 51, but was caught and bowled by Andre Russell in the 18th over after getting into a bit of a tangle with a full toss – he seemed to be shaping to ramp, then seemingly tried to adjust to the line and flick it on to the leg side, but only managed to lob it back to the bowler – ending a 62-run stand that came in 51 legal balls.Mohammad Nabi hit two fours in the death overs and Saha was then run-out in the 20th for a 31-ball 30, but having conceded just 24 runs in their final three overs, the Knight Riders restricted the to 142 for 4, the third-lowest IPL total for any team that has lost four or fewer wickets in the last six seasons. Cummins conceded just 19 runs in his four overs as the Knight Riders used seven different bowlers – their premier wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav delivered just two overs.Gill, Morgan ease KKR’s nerves after early stutterThe Sunrisers’ left-arm pacers Khaleel Ahmed and T Natarajan struck early in the chase, dismissing Sunil Narine for a duck and then Nitish Rana (for a 13-ball 26) to reduce the Knight Riders to 43 for 2 in the fifth over. That soon became 53 for 3 when Dinesh Karthik was lbw to Rashid Khan.But, at the other end, Gill was comfortable in the middle, standing tall to cut the balls from the left-armers that angled across, or punch ones that were under his eyes. He saw off the inswingers that Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled and held his own as three wickets fell at the other end.ALSO SEE: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad live score 26th September 2020 When Morgan came in at No. 5, the England captain took to sweeping Rashid, surviving a few lbw counts but seemed to grow in confidence thereafter. Gill and Morgan rotated the strike in the middle overs, and Gill got his first fifty of the season by slicing a cut past point for four in the 13th over. Together the pair saw off the rest of Rashid’s spell, and then a tricky few overs from allrounder Mohammad Nabi, but as the Knight Riders inched closer to the target, Morgan produced some big shots.He ended the 15th over by hitting Bhuvneshwar over cover for a six, then finished Rashid’s spell with a crunch through deep midwicket and, with eight to win, sealed the game by clattering Natarajan for a six over long-on and then a four past the bowler. He finished on 42 off 29 balls, while Player-of-the-Match Gill was unbeaten on a 62-ball 70.

Crystal Palace became one of the most entertaining teams to watch anywhere in the country towards the end of the Premier League season this year, scoring for fun and punishing the 'big six' home and away.

Under new boss Oliver Glasner, the South Londoners looked as if they would have reached the European places if the season hadn't come to an end, and while the Austrian deserves plenty of credit, his ideas were executed by a squad full of brilliant talents.

Players like Adam Wharton, Michael Olise, and Eberechi Eze have been spectacular under the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss, although their impressive performances have led to stories about their potential departure, especially in the latter's case.

That said, if the Eagles do lose the former Queens Park Rangers star this summer, they could quickly replace him with another serious talent, according to recent murmurings.

Crystal Palace transfer news

According to reports from Spain earlier this week, Crystal Palace are one of several clubs interested in signing Arsenal's highly regarded midfielder Emile Smith Rowe.

Alongside Palace, the story names Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa, Everton and Nottingham Forest as the teams keen to land the Englishman.

While this extra competition is far from ideal, the good news is that the story claims the Hale End graduate is available for as little as €25m, which converts to just £21m.

It might be a challenging transfer to get over the line, but if the South Londoners are set to lose Eze in the summer, they could do a lot worse than replacing him with the Gunners ace.

How Smith Rowe compares to Eze

Now, it's not really possible to compare Smith Rowe to Eze this season, nor is it really fair, as a couple of years' worth of injuries have seen him lose his place in the Arsenal team, meaning he's played just 474 minutes of first-team football this season – in which he's provided two assists – while the Palace man has played 2284 minutes.

However, as the Eagles' dynamic midfielder has enjoyed his best season at Selhurst Park this year, we can compare that to the Gunners ace's best season in red and white, which came back in 2021/22.

During that campaign, the "special talent," as Jamie Carragher described him, scored 11 goals and provided two assists in just 2176 first-team minutes. This means he managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 167 minutes, which is genuinely impressive for someone who was 21 years old at the time.

Appearances

37

31

Minutes

2176

2284

Goals

11

11

Assists

2

6

Minutes per Goal Involvement

167

134

In comparison, the Eagles' Greenwich-born star scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 2284 minutes this season, giving him a slightly better average of a goal involvement every 134 minutes – but he's four years older.

Moreover, they're pretty close again when comparing some of the Croydon-born gem's underlying numbers from that season to Eze's from this year.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.38

0.59

Non-Penalty Goals

0.47

0.44

Assists

0.09

0.18

Goals per Shot

0.25

0.12

Goals per Shot on Target

0.43

0.30

Progressive Carries

3.05

2.98

Progressive Passes

3.99

4.08

Progressive Passes Received

6.53

6.10

Passing Accuracy

82.9%

77.0%

For example, while he comes out second best for non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual assists, and progressive passes, he comes out ahead for actual non-penalty goals, goals per shot, goals per shot on target, progressive carries, progressive passes received and passing accuracy, all per 90.

Ultimately, if Glasner is set to lose Eze in the summer, signing Smith Rowe for £21m as a replacement wouldn't be the worst idea. In fact, it might be a rather good one.

He hasn't been able to play a full season of football for some time, but the last time he did, he was a "joy to watch", per Mikel Arteta, and if there is anyone who could bring that joy back out of him, it's the Austrian who has already transformed Selhurst Park this year.

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