In a nutshell

A chaotic start welcomed Chennai Super Kings back to the MA Chidambaram Stadium: protests and a delayed toss due to the late arrival of match officials. The end was even more frenetic, as Super Kings hunted down 17 off the final over, bowled by Vinay Kumar, to edge a high-scoring thriller and keep the IPL’s trend of successful chases this season alive.Chasing 203 after Andre Russell blitzed 88 off 36 balls, the highest score by a No. 7 batsman or lower in the IPL, Super Kings’ pursuit ebbed and flowed until the final over. Super Kings were given an imperative, rapid start by Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu, whose 75-run opening stand off 35 balls brought the voice of a subdued home crowd back. Then MS Dhoni’s 25 off 28 pushed Knight Riders ahead once more as the required rate soared.Eventually, the innings that gave Super Kings a chance came from Sam Billings. His strength is against pace, so he bided his time against Knight Riders’ spinners, using his feet and tucking twos into large gaps. Off the seamers, he pulled, drove and scooped his way to a 23-ball 56, his fastest T20 half-century, but holed out in the penultimate over.Then the final over. Vinay’s first ball, a full toss on leg stump that was questionably deemed a no-ball for height, was swung away over fine leg for six by Dwayne Bravo. Off the penultimate delivery, Ravindra Jadeja thumped a six over long-on to complete another stunning come-from-behind win for Super Kings.

Boundaries, wickets or both?

Given their personnel and the roles assigned, Knight Riders have set their template for the season: attack from the outset and don’t let wickets get in the way too much. The trend is already discernible. At the end of the Powerplay in their first game, against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Knight Riders were 68 for 2. At the same point against Super Kings, they were 64 for 2. After nine overs in the previous game, Knight Riders were 92 for 3. In this game, they were 87 for 4.The top three of Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine and Robin Uthappa scored a combined 63 runs off 36 balls against Super Kings. The approach of attempting to score boundaries despite losing wickets is fraught with risk, but it has worked for Knight Riders twice in two games.

In Russell’s hitting arc

Russell had a strike rate of 128 and a dot-ball percentage of 43 against legspinners in T20s, prior to Tuesday. So, it wasn’t surprising that Imran Tahir was brought on immediately after Russell came in. He conceded five runs off eight balls against Russell.With the main threat seen out, Russell feasted on Super Kings’ fast bowlers, who either had the wrong plan or missed their execution too often. As the bowlers repeatedly erred too full, Russell teed up the straight boundaries. Russell’s most productive hitting area was straight: he scored 50 runs off 15 balls between long-off and long-on. Overall, 84 of his 88 runs came in front of square on both sides. Off full balls, he scored 52 runs off 15 balls, at a strike rate of 346.7. His eventual smart strike rate of 347.22 over a 36-ball innings was a just indicator of the the impact of his blitz. In all, he hit 11 sixes out of 31 in the match – that is the joint-highest match tally in the tournament’s history.

Pacing a tough chase

Without a strong start in a 200-plus chase, the probability of getting close to the target reduces drastically. During the course of such a chase, wickets further bump up the required rate. So, against a strong bowling attack, the only chance Super Kings had was if their openers started aggressively.Shane Watson hit 42 off 19 balls, with three fours and three sixes, at a smart strike rate of 278.69 compared to his actual strike rate of 221.05. Ambati Rayudu kept abreast with Watson for the entirety of the Powerplay, adding 39 off 26 balls. Together, their partnership compensated for a stuttering Dhoni innings to give Super Kings a chance in a tough chase.

كشف أحمد سالم المتحدث الرسمي باسم نادي الزمالك عن رأيه في أداء فيتور بيريرا رئيس لجنة الحكام، موضحًا رأيه في احتمالية عدم مشاركة الفريق بالنسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

وقال أحمد سالم في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة ام بي سي مصر2: “نعم الزمالك نجح في إدارة الأزمة، وكان هناك تحفظ شديد في التصريحات الإعلامية، كنا نقول إن لنا مطالب ولم نُدخل أطرافا في الموضوع، نُطالب في حدود صلاحياتنا ولم نستفز أحدًا”.

وبسؤاله هل الزمالك يرى بيريرا رئيس لجنة الحكام ناجحا؟، أوضح: “بالتأكيد لا، ولا الرئيس السابق أيضا، لا توجد معايير ثابتة أو قياسات في توزيع المباريات على الحكام، هل عندنا احصائيات للحكام؟، هل عندما ارتكب حكمان كوارثا ضد الزمالك هل تم محاسبتهما؟ لا، بل أدارا مباريات بعد ذلك”.

وأردف: “احترمت ثروت سويلم بعد اعتذاره، وهذا يشفع له، لكنه عاد وتحدث في أمورا لن تفيدنا في شيء، ويقول اشتكوني في مجلس الشعب والجمهورية الجديدة لا يجب أن يحدث فيها ذلك، ما دخل تلك الأمور؟، نحن سألنا أسئلة نريد إجابة، لماذا لم يواجه الأهلي بيراميدز حتى الآن؟، ولماذا لم يرسل لنا الجدول الذي سيلعب بعد 11 يوليو؟”.

طالع | أحمد سالم يهاجم عامر حسين: لا يستطيع استخدام الكمبيوتر.. وطلب ضم لاعب لفريق إنبي “بالواسطة”

وحول كيف يتم النظر في احتمالية عدم مشاركة الزمالك في الكونفدرالية؟، أوضح: “كل الأمور ستدرس، غيابنا عن إفريقيا سيكون حدثًا، هذا الملف فيه لوائح جديدة، وسنعود للخبراء القانونيين، ونحن لسنا صامتين، المجلس الحالي يدفع أخطاء كارثية يبدو أنه سيظل يدفع ثمنها حتى نهاية دورته، و(يا ريت حد ينصفنا)، وهل لا يوجد قانون يُحاسب المسؤولين السابقين على الكوارث التي ارتكبوها؟”.

وأشار: “لو قرأتم حكم المحكمة الرياضية في قضية خالد بوطيب ستضحكون، به كوارث، النادي أذن للاعب بالسفر إجازة، وظل يرسل له النادي خطابات على منزله في مصر لكي لا يرد ويكون في إثبات حالة، وهذا تحايل”.

وواصل: “خالد بوطيب لو سمع الإعلام المصري سيعتقد أن الزمالك مُضطر للدفع، لكن الزمالك ليس مُضطرًا لدفع أي شيء، هناك اجراءات كثيرة، وسامسون أزمته انتهت وحصل على مستحقاته، ولا يوجد لاعب سيرحل عن الزمالك بأي أزمة”.

طالع | الزمالك: لم ننسحب من مواجهة الأهلي.. ما حدث يُعد ظرف قهري

وحول ماذا سيفعل الزمالك في مسألة البحث عن حقوقه؟، أجاب: “الفترة الماضية كان يتم حساب ما سيحدث في الفترة القصيرة، وبداية من الغد سنقرر ماذا سنفعل في القادم على المدى الطويل، وسنبدأ العمل على ما قررناه”.

وبسؤاله هل إذا الرابطة قررت تنفيذ 3 مطالب من الأربعة ستوافقون؟، أردف: “لن نقبل أي إجبار أو إلزام، لكن لو هناك طلبات نفذت وطلبات تم تأجيلها بسبب ضيق الوقت في الموسم، والاستجابة لطلباتنا كانت مُرضية، ممكن نتراجع”.

Thirty-two-year-old batsman Nain Abidi has returned to the Pakistan side for the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, after an eight-month break from cricket. She was named in the 15-member squad, along with four reserves, for the six-nation tournament to be played in Malaysia starting June 3.Abidi last played international cricket during the World Cup last year in England and subsequently moved to the USA after her marriage earlier in 2017. She returned to domestic cricket for the Zarai Tarakiati Bank women’s team earlier this month and had a productive tournament with two fifties, including an unbeaten 85 off 65 in the final on Thursday that helped them clinch the Departmental T20trophy. Abidi missed Pakistan’s last two outings, the ICC Women’s Championship matches against New Zealand and Sri Lanka.”Staying away from cricket is always difficult. I have played professional cricket for 11 years, so going and staying away from cricket was the most difficult part after marriage,” Abidi told the recently.Bismah Maroof continues to lead the team, following a 2-1 series win against Sri Lanka in March.The Women’s Asia Cup will consist of Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.Pakistan women squad: Bismah Maroof (capt), Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Javeria Rauf, Nain Abidi, Umaima Sohail, Javeria Khan, Sidra Nawaz, Nida Dar, Kainat Imtiaz, Sana Mir, Nashra Sandhu, Anam Amin, Natalia Pervaiz, Diana Baig. Reserves: Fareeha Mehmood, Rameen Shamim, Fazila Ikhlaq, Aliya Riaz.

England captain insists that a change of coach would be a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction, and says it’s up to the team to improve

George Dobell at Headingley31-May-2018Joe Root has defended Trevor Bayliss after speculation that the England coach could be sacked if England lose again in Leeds.Were England to lose in Headingley, it would be their third series loss in a row and their seventh defeat in 10 Tests. They would also slip to No. 7 in the ICC’s Test rankings.And while it seems unlikely Bayliss would be removed from his position as limited-overs coach – England are rated No. 1 in the world in ODI cricket, after all, and reached the final of the more recent World T20 tournament – it is possible he would be replaced as Test coach if Pakistan prevail in the second Test.But Root, the England captain, insisted such change would be a “knee-jerk reaction” and instead suggested it was his team who should take responsibility for playing “below par these last six months”.”I love working with Trev,” Root said. “I think he does some really great things for this team.”As Jimmy Anderson said yesterday, he can’t do it for us on the field. Ultimately we need to play better. We’ve been below par these last six months.”I don’t see why there’s a need for a change. I think it’s the easy thing to have a knee-jerk reaction and change everything.”Although Root accepted the England dressing room was “low on confidence” and the potential loss of Ben Stokes through injury was far from ideal, he said there was no place for self pity and urged his side to see the game as an opportunity to put things right.”We’re low on confidence after a difficult winter,” Root said. “But there’s no place for “poor-mes” in international sport. We have some very talented players across all departments. It gives opportunities when someone misses out.”The approach is to go out there and put it right. And maybe prove a point to certain people. That can be a driver. I’m looking forward to getting out there straight away and hopefully turning things round.”There’s always noise. When you’re playing well you can lull yourself into thinking you’re playing better than you are. It can be the same the other way round. I’ve been consistent for a while and not kicked on. The same challenges are there for me.”Mentally, I’m really up for that challenge and that fight. Whether that be the captaincy or my batting. I’m really looking forward to this week and I’m glad it’s come about so soon. Now it’s just going and doing it.”

The fact that Jonny Evans has been a regular feature in Erik ten Hag's Manchester United squad this season probably paints the perfect picture of the disarray that the Red Devils have found themselves in, losing four of their first seven Premier League games. Though decimated by injuries at times, United have still not been up to standard, leaving the door open for January reinforcements.

It looks likely to arguably be one of the most important transfer windows of Ten Hag's United tenure, especially if his side remains in crisis mode. With that said, reports suggest that the Red Devils have already made their first move for one particular target, who they could push on for come the winter window.

What's the latest Man Utd transfer news?

There's no hiding for Manchester United this season – they spent big in the summer. Ten Hag secured the majority of his transfer targets. Whether that be Mason Mount or Rasmus Hojlund, the Dutchman got what he desired. So, just how things have gone so horribly wrong so far this season is anyone's guess. But, the transfer market could hold the solutions to United's problems.

They have particularly struggled defensively this season, and have had their depth exposed in central defence, with Evans, at 35 years old, forced into the side at times. That depth could be solved by the potential arrival of Goncalo Inacio, however.

Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke has provided an Inacio transfer update, reporting that Manchester United have seemingly made their first move by scouting the defender in recent weeks, who has a £52m release clause.

Amid interest from the Premier League, Sporting Club have reportedly become resigned to losing the 22-year-old, providing both United and Liverpool, who are also interested in the Portugal international, with a major boost. If the two rivals go head-to-head for Inacio's signature, it will certainly spice things up in the January transfer window, that's for sure.

How good is Goncalo Inacio?

Starting all seven games in the Premeira Liga with Sporting CP sitting in top spot by a point, Inacio's importance in Portugal has far from decreased this season. Statistically speaking, too, Inacio has outperformed both Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, as well as Victor Lindelof, as per FBref.

Player

Progressive Carries

Progressive Passes

Blocks

Interceptions

Goncalo Inacio

16

59

7

6

Raphael Varane

6

26

4

1

Lisandro Martinez

6

26

4

2

Victor Lindelof

4

12

4

1

It's the types of performances that he is putting in this season which has seen Inacio earn significant praise, including from analyst Raj Chohan, who labelled the player as a "dominator". With that said, Manchester United could be keen to get any deal wrapped up as smoothly as possible, especially with Liverpool potentially sniffing around, looking to add to their own defensive options. When the January window opens, Ten Hag will be well aware of just how important it is that United get things right.

Chelsea have been in regular conversations with an elite club, and during these points of contact, they’ve enquired about signing a marquee forward for Enzo Maresca.

Chelsea pursuing new attackers this summer

Injuries to Marc Guiu, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke – combined with João Félix’s loan to AC Milan and Mykhailo Mudryk’s failed drug test – have resulted in the Blues’ sudden shortage of attacking options in the final third.

Chelsea approach £83m Barcelona player to see if he'd join Maresca

The Blues could look to raid Hansi Flick’s side.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 16, 2025

At the start of the Premier League season, it was hardly thinkable that Maresca wouldn’t have many options to play with in that department, with Chelsea possessing serious strength in depth over the first half of 2024/2025, but their decision not to bring in another forward during the January window could now have serious repercussions.

Aston Villa (away)

February 22nd

Southampton (home)

February 25th

Leicester City (home)

March 9th

Arsenal (away)

March 16th

Tottenham (home)

April 2nd

Attention is already turning to the summer window and who they could target ahead of next campaign, with Chelsea believed to be serious contenders for Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams among other high-profile names.

In terms of strikers, Chelsea have laid groundwork to sign Liam Delap ahead of the Club World Cup, but he isn’t their only centre-forward target, with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko also high on their shortlist (Simon Phillps).

Supporters will be keen for the Stamford Bridge hierarchy to bring in another attacking third option, with Chelsea failing to register a single shot on target in their last game against Brighton and Christopher Nkunku proving ineffective alongside the out-of-form Cole Palmer.

Chelsea ask AC Milan about signing Rafael Leao

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, in an article for The Boot Room, AC Milan forward Rafael Leao is also being considered by Maresca’s side.

The 25-year-old with 17 goal contributions in all competitions this campaign (nine goals, eight assists) does have a release clause in his contract, but it stands at a seismic £145 million, and Milan would only consider letting him go if a club triggered it.

Nevertheless, Bailey writes that Chelsea have asked Milan about Leao in regular conversations with the Serie A heavyweights, and they also discussed Felix’s long-term future at the San Siro.

The Rossoneri are apparently unwilling to sell as things stand, but Barcelona’s interest and the temptation of Chelsea means a summer exit cannot be entirely ruled out. Leao was said to be on the shortlist to replace Kylian Mbappé, according to Ligue 1 journalist Julien Laurens.

“He’s definitely on the shortlist to replace Mbappe. The club now knows for sure that Mbappe is leaving,” said Laurens last year. “I’m not sure if he would want to go. He’s on the shortlist, and he can make his mind up.”

Meanwhile, the Portugal international has also drawn some comparisons to Brazil legend Ronaldinho, even if he does need to work on his consistency.

“He’s Ronaldinho-vibes, sometimes, when he’s on it,” said TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves. “I think to be world-class, you’ve got to be consistent. Because he’s a bit flaky and a bit loose at times, he’s probably just missing that gap to world-class, but the talent’s there to be world-class.”

The CSK spinners took out RCB’s big guns within the first eight overs and from thereon turned a blockbuster contest into damp squib

The Report by Alagappan Muthu05-May-2018
3:55

Dasgupta: RCB paying for the mistakes made at the auction

Ravindra Jadeja took out Virat Kohli first ball. Harbhajan Singh took out AB de Villiers first ball. Chennai Super Kings took out Royal Challengers Bangalore for 127. And at the end of it all, MS Dhoni just smiled. He wielded a slow pitch like a magic wand, turning a docile bowling attack – economy-rate of 9.19 – into a mythical match-winning entity.The left-arm wrecking ball
Jadeja’s arm has been gathering dust this IPL and the situation got so bad that he was malfunctioning. He wasn’t scoring runs. On Thursday, he dropped two catches in two balls. He wasn’t taking wickets. And the coach was forced to call him out at a post-match press conference.But everything changed the moment CSK won the toss on Saturday. An arm ball zipped past Kohli’s cut shot and thudded into the off stump. A full-blooded sweep from Mandeep Singh found deep square leg. And even the top-scorer Parthiv Patel popped a catch straight back to him. Jadeja didn’t celebrate any of those wickets and instead wore a look that said: is this really happening? Considering they collapsed to 89 for 8, RCB might have wondered the same thing.2:14

Dhoni is the key on and off the field – Hussey

The right-arm straightjacket
Harbhajan used to be a linchpin with Mumbai Indians. But his 10-year relationship with them ended this season and he has found a foolproof way to cozy up to his new fans – tweet in Tamil, the first language in Chennai, and keep taking wickets. Big ones. Like de Villiers, stumped while playing the reverse sweep.Harbhajan’s success – and Jadeja’s too – was the result of being accurate, looping the ball up on off stump but rarely allowing batsmen to reach the pitch of it. Most played for non-existent turn and were ambushed by straight balls. The two spinners bowled eight overs, conceded only three boundaries and picked up five wickets. Even batsmen of the class of Kohli and de Villiers – who made only 9 runs put together – couldn’t cope.The baby-faced hero
Imagine the kid at the amusement park standing on tip-toe to prove he is tall enough to ride the rollercoaster. Now swap them out with Parthiv and you’ll just about understand how much he’d like to prove he belongs in an RCB batting line-up. He struck three fours and two sixes in the Poweplay, taking advantage of David Willey and Lungi Ngidi straying into his pads. There was one that he sent straight into the CSK dugout, making M Vijay run for cover. But in between those big hits, he ate up too many dot balls. The wickets at the other end began to take a toll as well. And eventually he fell for 53 off 41 balls. The next batsman to get into double digits was No. 8 Tim Southee, who made 36 off 26.The formalities
A chase of 128 presented the opportunity for CSK to experiment. They had handed a debut to David Willey and the English allrounder has experience as a pinch-hitting opener. But his work was limited to the ball, as a firmly traditional approach took them to the target in the 18th over. Traditional down to Dhoni finishing things off with a blaze of sixes.

Tottenham Hotspur have now been provided with an update on the injury Brennan Johnson suffered against Arsenal in Sunday's North London derby.

What's the latest Tottenham injury news?

Johnson was not the only player who sustained an issue in Sunday's game, with James Maddison being forced off after going in for a challenge with Jorginho, but he left the ground without the need for crutches or an ice pack, indicating the injury isn't too serious.

Ivan Perisic has now been ruled out for what is likely to be a considerable length of time, having picked up an ACL injury in his right knee, and the Croatia international joins the likes of Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Bentancur on the list of long-term absentees.

There are indications that Giovani Lo Celso is making decent progress towards a return from a thigh injury, with Ange Postecoglou saying on September 15th: "Gio is still working his way back. He had a session with us yesterday, but we won't rush him back. It was just good that he got through the session, and the plan now is to reintegrate him."

However, the Tottenham manager may be a little more concerned by the hamstring injury Johnson picked up against Arsenal, with Football London reporting he could be ruled out for up to six weeks depending on the severity of the issue. It is thought the Wales international only suffered from a tight hamstring, rather than a more serious injury, but he is set to undergo scans this week to determine the extent of the problem.

Spurs will be hoping the 22-year-old is back in contention ahead of the October international break, and he could return to the side for the trip to Luton Town on October 7th if it is only a low grade strain.

However, if it is more serious than first feared, the forward may not be able to return until after the international break, and in the worst-case scenario he may not be ready to make his comeback until the away clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers in November.

Did Brennan Johnson play well against Arsenal?

Postecoglou put his faith in the Welshman by starting him for the trip to the Emirates Stadium at the weekend, but he did not have the best of games in front of goal, missing two big chances, the highest number of any player on the pitch.

It could be viewed as a positive that the former Nottingham Forest man was getting in the right positions on Sunday, in what was a high-pressure game, but Postecoglou will be hoping he can be a little bit more clinical going forward.

Having been lauded as "unbelievable" by former manager Sabri Lamouchi, the winger certainly has the potential to be a long-term success in north London, and he performed well in the Premier League last season, scoring eight goals in his debut campaign. As such, Postecoglou will be hoping the injury is nothing serious, allowing Johnson to continue his development with Spurs at the earliest opportunity.

Liverpool should be emboldened that while Saturday evening's shattering defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League has resulted in an injury to the in-form Cody Gakpo and suspensions to Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota, the rekindled verve and vitality is there for all to see.

What's also pleasing is that the Anfield side boasts a wealth of academy talent that eclipses anything the club has been seen in recent years, with such exciting options offering a different approach for manager Jurgen Klopp, should he need it.

And use it he has; last season, with Liverpool suffering an incredible depletion of form and fluidity, a young Stefan Bajcetic was brought into the senior fold to aid the beleaguered Reds in their efforts, and he shone as the brightest spark in a midfield that was languishing heavily below expectations.

Hailed for his "exceptional" rise to prominence by Klopp last season, the 18-year-old Spaniard is but one example of the rich crop of precocity just waiting for a chance to impress on the major stage.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is the obvious example, having been promoted to Liverpool's vice-captain in the summer and praised as "world-class" by former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves.

The aforementioned Jones has also enjoyed an impressive rise over the past year, while Ben Doak, aged 17, has currently made eight senior showings in age-belying fashion, and has been proclaimed to be a 'Scottish Wayne Rooney' by his agent Jackie McNamara due to his small yet strong stature and innate physicality.

Some remarkable talent, and all names starting to make themselves known on the major stage, but perhaps one of Liverpool's most prodigious youngsters is yet to become known to the masses.

Oakley Cannonier, goalscoring sensation, has recently returned from injury and is looking to continue his ascent to prominence after demonstrating such a sharp cutting edge in the earliest phase of his youth career.

Who is Oakley Cannonier?

Cannonier's progress beneath the surface at Liverpool has seen him be hindered by a long-term injury that has ruled him out of contention for much of the past year.

The aptly-named Cannonier has been firing the strikes home with vicious regularity at youth level, scoring 44 goals and supplying five assists from only 60 appearances for the Reds' respective development sides, heralded as a "goal machine" by prominent Liverpool reporter Neil Jones for his efforts.

The 19-year-old forward exhibited his prolific abilities last term with a flourish, scoring ten times from only 12 outings during a term that was hampered by injury – including seven goals from only four matches in the UEFA Youth League.

Last month, the striker returned to action with a resounding hat-trick in a friendly against Hull City after indeed spending ten months on the sidelines, and will now surely be viewed as one to keep an eye on as he continues to build back the form that left the likes of The Athletic's James Pearce describing him as "outstanding."

An out-and-out centre-forward, Cannonier will indeed be hoping that he could find his name on the senior team sheet this season for the first time, perhaps linking up with academy peer Kaide Gordon, who is looking to pick up where he left off under Klopp's wing after battling his own long-term absence.

How good is Kaide Gordon?

It's perhaps a testament to Gordon's prodigious skill set that he is still only 18-years-old (for a few more days) and has already forged four senior showings under Klopp's stewardship and netted his maiden goal – and that's despite spending the entirety of the 2022/23 campaign on the sidelines with a long-term injury.

Once described as "exceptional" by his manager, Gordon thrived for Liverpool's development squad after signing from Derby County for a reported fee of £3m as a 16-year-old, posting 12 goals and five assists across all competitions.

The one-cap England U21 international is capable of thriving across both offensive flanks and boasts skill, speed and guile in abundance.

Already demonstrating his ability to provide both incisive and creative danger, the Merseyside outfit's second-youngest-ever goalscorer would work seamlessly in tandem with Cannonier, providing the all-encompassing attacking threat as the focal frontman.

Player

Age

Result & Competition

Ben Woodburn

17 years, 1 month, 14 days

2-0 vs Leeds, League Cup

Kaide Gordon

17 years, 3 months, 4 days

4-1 vs Shrewsbury, FA Cup

Michael Owen

17 years, 4 months, 22 days

2-1 vs Wimbledon, Premier League

Jordan Rossiter

17 years, 5 months, 30 days

2-2 vs Middlesbrough, League Cup

Ki-Jana Hoever

17 years, 8 months, 7 days

2-0 vs MK Dons, League Cup

With both Gordon and Cannonier sharing an unfortunate spell on the sidelines with long-term injuries despite remaining pleasingly ensconced in the maiden stage of their professional career, with ample time to grow into their skin, they can both prove to be the first-rate phenoms Klopp and Liverpool crave for in the future.

As mentioned earlier, Liverpool's rise since that fateful day when Klopp graced the Merseyside club as manager for the first time has done more than just improve the first-team squad.

Liverpool, as a footballing institution, has been comprehensively rejuvenated, the stains of a miserable period in the club's history wiped away, and sustained success is now stitched into the fabric of the outfit once again.

As such, youth players are now held in a higher regard. The investment is felt. Gordon and Cannonier are but two of the teenage sensations pushing for a place on the Premier League pitch soon, and given the immense quality brimming from each, there is every possibility that both earn a shot to cement their berth soon enough.

MatériaMais Notícias

Titular do Guarani e em alta no clube, o atacante Waguininho revelou o desejo de ver a equipe crescendo de produção neste ano. O jogador, que teve passagem pelo futebol sul-coreano, falou que o grupo tem conversado bastante para melhorar seu desempenho em campo na temporada.

– Estamos nos dedicando ao máximo no dia a dia para melhorarmos nosso rendimento em campo nestas próximas semanas. Já provamos que temos condições disso. O grupo tem se empenhado para crescer na competição.

Segundo o atleta, a meta do Bugre é estar sempre próximo do G4 da disputa.

– Vamos trabalhar para encostarmos no G4 e para brigarmos nesta parte de cima da tabela de classificação. Temos que focar tudo nisso.

O Guarani é o 13º colocado no Brasileirão da Série B e enfrenta o CSA, nesta sexta-feira, às 19h15, pela 20ª rodada da competição nacional.

RelacionadasBahiaRodriguinho projeta decisão na Copa Sul-AmericanaBahia04/11/2020FortalezaFortaleza rescinde contrato com o atacante FragapaneFortaleza04/11/2020Futebol InternacionalNiltinho avalia temporada e projeta: ‘Queremos brigar pelo acesso’Futebol Internacional04/11/2020