Birmingham dismissed for lowest T20 total as Nottinghamshire claim crushing win
ECB Reporters' Network02-Jul-2021
Jake Ball recorded figures of 4 for 11•Getty Images
Notts Outlaws continued their assertive defence of the Vitality Blast title as they thrashed Birmingham Bears by 114 runs at Edgbaston.The Outlaws made it seven wins from 11 games after brushing aside a Bears side hit by the loss of allrounder Carlos Brathwaite after a positive Covid test. They totalled177 for 9 thanks to Samit Patel, who hit 41 off 30 balls, Ben Duckett (39 off 20) and Alex Hales (34 off 21) against a depleted attack led by Jake Lintott’s 3 for 28.The Bears’ reply then plunged into disarray at 19 for 5 and they were bowled out for 63, their lowest-ever T20 total, as Jake Ball took 4 for 11, Calvin Harrison 4 for 17, including a triple-wicket maiden, and Samit Patel 2 for 8.Having taken 18 wickets at 13.33 apiece in the tournament, Brathwaite was a big loss to the Bears’ bowling and Notts, put in, set off in a manner to take full advantage. Opening pair Duckett and Hales smashed 54 in boundaries in a stand of 75 before both fell to superb catches. Duckett was brilliantly caught by Matt Lamb at deep cover off Danny Briggs and Hales was well held by Sam Hain running round the long-on rope.The introduction of wristspinner Lintott applied a brake and, though Patel batted with his customary verve, Notts were grateful for a late salvo of 18 in six balls from Harrison.The Outlaws then torpedoed the Bears’ reply right at the top with three wickets in the first 17 balls. The spinners gave their side the perfect start as Patel dismissed Adam Hose, caught and bowled, in the first over and Matt Carter conceded just a single from the second.Ball delivered the third and ended it with 1-0-4-2 after Will Rhodes lifted to mid-on and Ed Pollock dragged a pull on to his stumps. Patel and Ball had not finished, foxing Hain and Lamb into sending up skiers to leave the innings in ruins at 19 for 5.Rob Yates and Michael Burgess took the score to 39, but a triple-strike from Harrison, ousting Burgess, Tim Bresnan and Briggs, turned that into 39 for 8. Rapturous applause from the big, good-natured crowd greeted the raising of the 50 but the Bears still have much work to do to qualify while The Outlaws are pretty much there with three games to spare.
A recap of the significant milestones in the competition’s five-year gestation
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jul-2021September 2016 It was almost five years ago that the seeds for the Hundred were sown – little did we know it at the time. Late in the 2016 summer, the first-class counties finally voted in favour of the ECB’s idea for a new city-based competition, initially conceived as a T20 vehicle. Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, said: “We’ve all been looking at how we can use domestic T20 for an even bigger purpose, especially getting more young people to play. This format was invented here and is successful worldwide. It can excite new fans, attract the best players and fuel the future of the game, on and off the pitch.”Related
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October 2017 On a winter scouting trip to the Desert Springs resort in Spain, the ECB’s chief commercial director, Sanjay Patel, first put forward the idea of 100-ball cricket. Patel gave a presentation to Graves, ECB chief executive, Tom Harrison, and England director of cricket, Andrew Strauss, which pitched a shorter, simpler game than T20. “Don’t prejudge it,” he said, “just go away and have a think.” With a new broadcast deal banked, ensuring cricket’s return to BBC TV, the board was considering a radical move.April 2018 The 2018 season had barely begun when the ECB went public with its new plan. Instead of a T20 tournament, eight city-based sides would compete in a completely untested format – innings of 100 balls, broken down into 15 six-ball overs and a 10-ball finale. No, it was not an April fool. “This is a fresh and exciting idea which will appeal to a younger audience and attract new fans to the game,” Harrison said. Strauss later came in for criticism after suggesting a simplified game would be aimed at “mums and kids”.July 2018 With the ECB establishing a working group to fine tune the concept, now known as “The Hundred”, various ideas were put forward – including the abolition of the lbw law. Opposition from the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) led to the abandonment of the 10-ball final over; instead, a switch to five-ball overs bowled in blocks of ten won favour, the reduction in end changes helping to save time. The option to retain a bowler for 10 consecutive deliveries, if a captain chose to, was also mooted.September 2018 Pilots of the new format were held at Trent Bridge and Loughborough, allowing players to finally see what they were getting into. Various different tweaks to the rules were introduced across the trial days – ranging from substitute fielders, tactical timeouts, and Powerplays of differing lengths. The reception from those involved was broadly positive. “I think the emphasis on the ball is really interesting and really important,” Kevin Shine, the ECB’s lead bowling coach, said. “We’re not thinking of overs, we’re not thinking of an innings. It’s that old cliché: every ball is an event.”View inside the studio ahead of the Hundred draft•Getty ImagesOctober 2019 Work continued behind the scenes during an Ashes and World Cup summer, with a planned launch in 2020. The eight team names – Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets and Welsh Fire – were confirmed, and Test players allocated. Later the same month, the first sporting draft held in the UK took place at Sky’s studios in west London; Rashid Khan was the first player picked, followed by Andre Russell and Aaron Finch, as the teams set about selecting 96 players from a starting list of 571.December 2019 Playing conditions were announced for the Hundred, including confirmation of a 25-ball Powerplay, one strategic timeout per innings, and the provision for a new batter to always be on strike, even if the two in the middle crossed before the dismissal was completed.April 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic threw the entire 2020 season into disarray. With the prospect of any cricket being pushed back, and the likelihood of it having to be played behind closed doors, the ECB quickly took the decision to postpone the Hundred entirely. Commitment to the idea had not wavered, however, with Harrison describing the case for the tournament as being “much greater than it was”.October 2020 With the player draft having taken place a year earlier, the ECB had to rethink how teams for the 2021 tournament would be put together. Initial plans had been to allow 10 players to be retained from year to year – but in the event, men’s teams were allowed to retain as many as they wanted, with a period for negotiating new deals ahead of a mini-draft in early 2021. Players in the women’s teams were all given the option to roll-over their contracts.February 2021 Fixtures for the competition are announced, headlined by the decision to begin with a standalone women’s fixture at The Oval. The second draft was held behind closed doors this time, with Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran among the overseas players picked up; while the advent of Brexit meant several of those expecting to be involved using their Kolpak status in 2020 missed out.England men’s Test captain Joe Root will play for Trent Rockets•Getty ImagesApril 2021 There was still time for new innovations to be floated, with a controversial suggestion that wickets could become ‘outs’, in order to make the game’s language more accessible. The idea was shelved soon after.June/July 2021 Amid uncertainty about travel restrictions due to Covid-19, and the requirements for players to quarantine, a number of overseas players started to withdraw from their deals. The women’s competition was particularly affected, with all 11 Australia internationals who had originally signed up eventually pulling out – including major drawcard Ellyse Perry. Wildcard selections, based on form in the T20 Blast, were also announced.July 2021 Despite concerns around rising Covid-19 infection rates, with requirements for self-isolating causing cancellations in the Blast and County Championship, Harrison says there will be no return to biosecure bubbles for the Hundred. Availability of England men’s Test players, initially planned for the first three matches, is reduced to two on the eve of the tournament. Playing conditions are finalised, with umpires to hold up a white card between sets of “five” (the term “over” will largely be dropped) from the same end; an amended version of Duckworth-Lewis-Stern will be used for rain-affected matches.After the longest of waits, the stage is set for the women of Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals to take the field on Wednesday evening at The Oval.
يخوض فريق الكرة بـ الزمالك مواجهة صعبة أمام منافسه ستيلينبوش الجنوب إفريقي، بعدما أسفرت القرعة على ملاقتهما ضمن لقاءات دور ربع النهائي من كأس الكونفدرالية.
وكان الزمالك قد تأهل إلى منافسات دور ربع النهائي من كأس الكونفدرالية، وذلك بعدما تصدر مجموعته برصيد 14 نقطة، من الفوز في 4 لقاءات وتعادل مرتين دون تلقي أي هزائم.
طالع.. خاص | حازم إمام وميدو يرفضان عرض الزمالك
ويسعى الزمالك للمضي قدمًا نحو حصد بطولة الكونفدرالية والحفاظ على اللقب بعدما حققه في النسخة الماضية على حساب نهضة بركان.
ويتواجد الزمالك في معسكر مغلق خلال الفترة الحالية استعدادًا لخوض مباراة القمة أمام الأهلي وذلك ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري، والمقررة يوم السبت المقبل 22 فبراير الجاري. موعد مباراة الزمالك في ربع نهائي الكونفدرالية
ومن المقرر أن تقام مباراة الذهاب بين الزمالك وستيلينبوش يوم 2 أبريل المقبل، بجنوب أفريقيا، في حين ستقام تقام مباراة العودة يوم 9 أبريل على ستاد القاهرة الدولي.
Depois de empatar sem gols com o Fluminense no primeiro jogo da final do Carioca Sub-17, o Vasco se prepara para a decisão. O confronto está marcado para esta sexta-feira, às 15h, nas Laranjeiras. Com isso, o técnico Rafael Paiva destacou a qualidade do grupo, falou sobre a semana de preparação, e projetou a terceira final da categoria na temporada.
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– Temos um grupo muito focado, que sabe exatamente aquilo que quer. Tivemos uma semana de preparação muito boa, todos os atletas treinaram em alto nível e estamos esperançosos. Sabemos da força do adversário, todos sabem que o Fluminense é uma equipe muito forte, mas acredito que nosso plano de jogo está muito bem estruturado e a gente espera poder colocar em prática tudo aquilo que treinamos – ressaltou o comandante ao site oficial do clube.
+ Confira a classificação final da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro
Cabe salientar que essa será a terceira final da categoria nesta temporada. A equipe foi derrotada pelo Flamengo na final do Brasileirão e pelo próprio Fluminense na Copa Rio. Rafael Paiva revelou suas expectativas para essa decisão e disse que o time teve um bom desempenho no primeiro jogo, mesmo atuando com um jogador a menos.
+Mudança de planos: A pedido de Zé Ricardo, Galarza não vai disputar a Copinha e fará pré-temporada
– A expectativa é de trazer o título, esse é o nosso principal objetivo. Acho que os meninos fizeram uma temporada muito boa, conquistaram muito em termos de aprendizado e amadurecimento. Agora precisamos buscar o título, então esse é o nosso foco. Apesar das circunstâncias, fizemos um bom primeiro jogo e vamos com tudo em busca do título – finalizou o comandante.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta personally pulled the plug on his side doing a deal for one £330,000-per-week striker in the summer window, with a report sharing exactly why he didn't fancy the big-name talisman.
Arsenal chase Premier League title after £91m summer window
The Gunners spent £91 million in total on five major signings for Arteta before the window closed last Friday at 11pm, including their permanent transfer of goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford.
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By
Ben Browning
Sep 3, 2024
After Raya, Italy international defender Riccardo Calafiori, Euro 2024 winner Mikel Merino, shot-stopper Neto and, of course, Raheem Sterling joined Arsenal – with all of these new recruits now aiming to boost Arteta's Premier League title charge.
Sterling arrived at the Emirates Stadium at the eleventh hour on deadline day, and was unable to take part during Arsenal's disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Brighton just before the international break.
The 29-year-old comes as Edu Gaspar and co's most high-profile summer signing, and one which the Brazilian wasn't expecting to make.
"To be fair, we never planned really to sign him when we started the transfer window, just to be very transparent. For different reasons," said Edu on the late signing of Sterling.
Raheem Sterling's all-time stats for Chelsea
Goals
19
Assists
12
Yellow cards
13
Red cards
0
Minutes played
5,335
"But we always say to everyone that you have to be prepared for every single scenario. So when that opportunity came to me, and I checked the squad, I checked how he plays, and spoke to Mikel of course.
"I spoke to Tim [Lewis], our vice-chairman, to check if everyone is comfortable for the step we are going to take, and it makes a lot of sense. Yes, it makes a lot of sense to have someone like him because I’m pretty sure he is going to add a lot [to] the squad."
Sterling could make his debut in Arsenal's next game, their crunch north London derby visit to Tottenham, and may well play a role in their following clash against title rivals Man City at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal were heavily linked with a new striker for much of the transfer window, and made a widely reported attempt to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, but they were also chasing a new winger and finally landed on one in Sterling at the last minute.
Why Arteta pulled plug on Arsenal signing Ivan Toney
Another number nine they were heavily linked with, and for a long time before his move to Al-Ahli, was Ivan Toney. Some reports claimed Arsenal were planning a late summer bid to sign Toney, but the transfer didn't come to fruition. Journalist Miguel Delaney of The Independent, writing an inside story this week, has explained exactly why.
According to the reporter, Arteta personally pulled the plug on an Arsenal move for Toney in the summer, with the Spaniard believing that he wouldn't have fit in with the group and there was little potential for chemistry with his current squad.
The England striker ultimately made a deadline day switch to Saudi Arabia, despite late rumoured interest from Chelsea, and is now on a lucrative mega-money contract of around £330,000-per-week. It was a bizarre end to the Toney transfer saga at Brentford, which had been going on for nearly a year, but Thomas Frank insists that he remains a Bees "legend".
“On the pitch, he has been a fantastic goalscorer, link-up player and leader. He has pushed the team, the squad and himself," saidFrank on Toney's move to Al-Ahli.
“It’s a wonderful journey that we have been on together. Ivan helped the club and the team, and the club and the team have helped Ivan.
“I’m happy he has an opportunity to try something new in his life and career. We thank him for so many magic moments and wish him all the best for his next chapter. Ivan leaves as a Brentford legend.”
What’s that, is it a light at the end of the tunnel? Chelsea are making headway and the most interesting point of the Blues project lies in the giddy attacking talent at Enzo Maresca’s disposal.
Cole Palmer is the centrepiece of course but an overreliance on his talent from last season has been tempered. Now, there is some exciting new talent to diversify the attacking efforts.
Of course, there are a couple of resurgent stars that have actually been on the books for over a year now. Indeed, the closed qualities of Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku are beginning to unfurl.
Chelsea's current strikers
Chelsea signed Jackson from Villarreal last summer, completing a deal in excess of his £30m release clause. Nkunku arrived earlier in the summer in a £52m transfer, with a move actually being agreed with RB Leipzig some time before, in a gentlemanly fashion.
Nkunku’s maiden year on English shores was not so much affected as ravaged by injuries. The France international scored three times in the Premier League last year but started only twice.
He’s scored three goals from six matches under Maresca though, notably bagging the winner against Bournemouth last weekend. He’s only started three times and looks like he could be a real menace throughout the campaign.
Jackson, aged only 23, had greater success, avoiding any annoying layoffs to post 17 goals from 44 matches, albeit missing a staggering 24 big chances in the Premier League last term, scoring 14 goals.
This season, the rough diamond has two goals and an assist from five matches. His total Chelsea tally stands at 19 strikes, whereas his French counterpart has just six goals to his name.
Both could end the striker’s curse at Stamford Bridge. So many talented centre-forwards have seen their time in west London prove to be a footnote in the background of an otherwise impressive career, with one such man being Alvaro Morata.
He’s certainly enjoyed a resurgence, having actually outscored the aforespoken forwards since they arrived at Chelsea.
Alvaro Morata's resurgence after leaving Chelsea
Chelsea signed Morata for – wait for it – a then club-record £60m fee in 2017 under Antonio Conte, bringing the Spaniard in from Real Madrid after his relatively prolific stint with the European heavyweights.
Alvaro Morata
It went wrong. Morata took on the rather cumbersome weight of essaying to replace Diego Costa at Chelsea and though starting brilliantly, with nine goals from just 14 appearances, he ended the season with 15 from 44 fixtures.
He was jettisoned back off to the Spanish capital at the midpoint of his second year, this time signing for Atletico Madrid in what would become the most nomadic of wandering careers. After scoring 24 goals from 72 matches as a Blue, he can hardly be considered a success.
24/25
AC Milan
2
1
0
23/24
Atletico Madrid
48
21
5
22/23
Atletico Madrid
45
15
3
21/22
Juventus
48
12
9
20/21
Juventus
44
20
12
19/20
Atletico Madrid
44
16
5
18/19
Atletico Madrid
17
6
1
He’s been comparatively prolific, with the newly-signed AC Milan star’s 22-goal haul since the start of last season surpassing the Chelsea totals of both Jackson and Nkunku.
Morata, who earned a jaw-dropping £170k per week at Chelsea, is a good striker – he spearheaded Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph – and has even been rather generously claimed to be “on par with Erling Haaland” by Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone.
Urr, maybe not, but he was still a major miss for Chelsea and has illustriously resurrected his career since leaving, even outscoring Jackson last term for good measure.
Chelsea star who was let go for £0 is now worth more than Fofana & Sancho
Chelsea let star go for £0 and now he’s worth more than Wesley Fofana.
How will Todd Boehly be judged? How will Chelsea’s Clearlake years be remembered? At the moment, while uncertainty reigns amid the threat of an ownership civil war, Enzo Maresca is stirring a decent team together.
There’s no denying that the road has been rough these past few years, but Chelsea went through the gears under Mauricio Pochettino last year but the Argentine didn’t fit the vision, and Maresca has been welcomed with the long run in mind.
How will Chelsea be judged? Transfer dealings have been questionable at best and disastrous at worst, but the £42.5m signing of Cole Palmer has possibly trumped every deal across the great expanse of the Premier League since the summer of 2023.
The England international is quite the player, moving to Stamford Bridge after showing exciting signs of quality at Manchester City, but being restricted to a bit-part role in Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering machine.
Chelsea star Cole Palmer
He has been the catalyst and remains the biggest gem in an expensive Blues squad…
Cole Palmer's success at Chelsea
Last season, Palmer scored 25 goals and claimed 15 assists for Chelsea, inspiring awe through his attacking performances and playing a crucial role in rising from the rubble of the previous season, returning to Europe with a sixth-place Premier League finish.
1.
Cole Palmer
34
33
2.
Erling Haaland
31
32
2.
Ollie Watkins
37
32
4.
Mohamed Salah
32
28
5.
Phil Foden
35
27
5.
Heung-min Son
35
27
Oh sure, Erling Haaland knows his way around goalscoring; ah yes, Liverpool boast the talents of Mohamed Salah, expert shooter and ever-evolving playmaker, but neither amassed more goal contributions than Chelsea’s man.
Phil Foden, Palmer’s ostensible roadblock at the Etihad Stadium, was bestowed the Premier League Player of the Season award, but he too failed to match his countryman’s prolificness.
That £42.5m outlay looks to be shrewder and shrewder every day. After all, Palmer has quite quickly shrugged off any notion of being a ‘one-season wonder’, having already posted a goal and four assists in the top flight, featuring three times.
His variegated approach to his football emphasises his quality as “one of the best in the world”, as he has been called by his captain Reece James.
As per FBref, the 6 foot 2 star ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and the top 7% for progressive passes per 90.
But for all his clinical performances, Palmer’s ability is not really quantifiable. Indeed, he is so influential, so slick, so stylish, impelling his peers toward brighter prospects.
He has been, in this way, the talisman that Chelsea needed to guide them away from the hanging mists of testing times.
Now, let’s imagine that Chelsea once had a forward within their grasp who could have been even greater than Palmer, how they must rue the missed opportunity.
When Kylian Mbappe had a trial with Chelsea
Kylian Mbappe is the very personification of a superstar. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have faded into the background, neither ageing greats plying their trade in Europe any longer, and Mbappe is among the blooming phenomenons to have sights fixed on the Ballon d’Or and greatness.
If he hasn’t got that already. Mbappe swerved a nascent stage with Monaco and toppled Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title in 2016/17, a season the France prodigy began aged 17.
He won the 2018 World Cup, dominated his homeland after joining PSG and wreaking chaos each year. Real Madrid have long craved his signature and won a protracted, years-long bid to sign him this summer, clinching him following the expiry of his contract.
This is all a roundabout way of acknowledging the enormity of the missed chance from Chelsea, who had welcomed Mbappe during his formative years to their esteemed Cobham academy.
According to The Athletic, in 2011, an 11-year-old French boy completed a four-day trial at Chelsea but saw a deal fall through despite scoring and shining in a match against Charlton Athletic, with Mbappe’s mother demanding a contract be penned there and then.
Chelsea, however, were circumspect, unwilling to make such a cursory decision. Mbappe’s mother would not wait around for longer negotiation, further steps, and it’s worth remembering that Chelsea shuffled through incalculable numbers of teenage hopefuls, and could not hand out offers without completing due diligence.
Still, it’s one that’s certainly looked back on with an air of poignancy. After all, Mbappe showed remarkable qualities from the get-go, and perhaps an exception should have been made for a player whose ability soars above any Chelsea player since – and that’s including Palmer.
Bigger talent than Cole Palmer
Palmer is still only 22, which is quite a thing. If he continues on his current track, it’s conceivable that he will earn a place among the likes of Mbappe, Haaland, Vinicius Junior and more as one of the game’s superlative forwards, challenging for the biggest accolades year after year.
But he’s got some distance to travel before he can become the true cream of the crop and dethrone a player like Mbappe, who might be one of the finest in front of goal but backs it up with extraordinary underlying numbers, ranking among the top 2% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 4% for progressive passes, the top 2% for progressive carries and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90.
His transfer to Real Madrid has seen a slow but steady start, with three goals from five appearances, but the France captain is sure to reach lofty heights indeed over in Spain, for he has done so across every realm so far.
Paris Saint-Germain
308
256
108
15
France
85
48
35
2
AS Monaco
60
27
16
1
Real Madrid
5
3
0
1
Perhaps Palmer will continue his meteoric rise and ascend to the very peak of football’s talent mountain, but it would take some doing.
As per Transfermarkt’s player-valuing system, Mbappe, still only 25, is worth £152m at present, placing him among the highest-rated players in world football – something that will surprise no one.
That’s on par with Bellingham, Vinicius and Haaland as the world’s most valuable players, and currently perches some distance above Chelsea’s superstar Palmer, who is valued at £69m.
No doubt Palmer will continue to grow, and Chelsea truly do have one of England’s finest talents in a long, long time. But just imagine Mbappe blitzing up and down the wing. It’s a missed opportunity if we’ve ever seen one…
Chelsea flop left on a free transfer, now he's outscoring Isak & Toney
He’s found his goalscoring boots after departing Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool have rejected an approach from Real Madrid to buy Trent Alexander-Arnold in January as he enters the last six months of his contract.
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Real confident of signing right-back
Liverpool star's deal expires in summer
Eligible to sign pre-contract in January with foreign club
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WHAT HAPPENED?
claim Real are growing increasingly confident that Alexander-Arnold will sign a pre-contract agreement in January, with his Liverpool deal set to expire in the summer. Per the report, a four-year contract and a massive signing-on fee has been promised to the England international. Meanwhile, Paul Joyce of reports that an offer has been lodged from the Spanish club to buy Alexander-Arnold in January but that has been emphatically rejected by the Premier League leaders.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Liverpool remain hopeful that he will decide to stay, and rebuffed a claim that he has already agreed to move to Spain. The Reds also maintain he has not discussed a deal with another club, but Spanish media reports claim discussions have taken place between Alexander-Arnold's camp and Real.
DID YOU KNOW?
Liverpool may well be anxious over the futures of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, too, as their contracts expire in the summer. Salah has claimed he has yet to make progress in his discussions with Liverpool over committing his future.
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WHAT NEXT?
Liverpool do not have long to convince Alexander-Arnold to stay as, from January 1, Real can legally discuss a move with the player.
تقدم فريق ريال مدريد بهدف أول في مباراته أمام مانشستر سيتي بمنافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
ويلتقي ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” في إياب ملحق دور الـ16 لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وكانت مباراة الذهاب انتهت بفوز ريال مدريد بثلاثية لهدفين أمام مانشستر سيتي على ملعب “الاتحاد”.
وسجل الفرنسي كيليان مبابي، هدفف ريال مدريد الأول في الدقيقة الرابعة من عمر المباراة بين الفريقين.
الهدف جاء بطريقة رائعة بعد كرة طويلة وصلت لمبابي من أسينسيو، ليسجل الفرنسي من لمسة واحدة “لوب” فوق الحارس إيدرسون، مستغلاً خطأ من روبن دياز في بداية اللعبة.
ويمكنك متابعة التغطية المباشرة لمباراة ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي لحظة بلحظة بالفيديو من خلال الرابط. هدف مبابي في مباراة ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي
Liverpool fans will hope Darwin Nunez goes on a devastating run of form now, having broken his goalscoring duck for the 2024/25 Premier League season last time out against AFC Bournemouth.
This was the Uruguayan attacker’s first start in the league under the new Arne Slot regime, and he repaid his manager’s faith with a strike in the one-sided contest, as the Reds swept the Cherries aside 3-0.
Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez-1
Under the previous stewardship of Jurgen Klopp, Nunez hadn’t exactly sparked into life and shown himself to be a consistent finisher of chances though, with a satisfactory but not amazing 11 top-flight strikes managed last campaign before the German handed over the reins.
Once upon a time deep into the German’s tenure, the Reds nearly snapped up a younger but still potent Erling Haaland, who could have cost pennies to land, when weighed up next to Nunez’s extortionate £85m price tag.
When Liverpool could have signed Haaland
Amazingly, Borussia Dortmund managed to snap up the ice-cold Norwegian’s services in 2019 for an extremely low £17m, after the Scandinavian had become a scarily clinical goal machine for RB Salzburg in nearby Austria.
Netting a ridiculous 29 times from just 27 appearances for Salzburg, the goals wouldn’t let up for the Nordic great in Germany either, with 86 strikes coming his way from 89 games, as Dortmund laughed all the way to the bank when Manchester City became interested.
Dortmund’s unbelievable gain could well have been Liverpool’s theoretically, with the Reds eager to get Haaland through the door in 2019 before his major move to the Bundesliga.
Ex-Molde scout John Vik revealed in 2022 to the Athletic that Liverpool – alongside Arsenal – had their eyes on a growing Haaland when he was still playing in his native Norway, but none were willing take the plunge and gamble on the towering centre-forward. At the time, he was playing for Molde and could have been available for just £4m.
That must be a major regret on the end of the Reds, who could do with a deadly striker away from Nunez and a misfiring Diogo Jota, with Haaland now one of the world’s best talents at rivals Manchester City.
Erling Haaland's transfer value in 2024
According to Transfermarkt, Haaland’s valuation has now shot up to a steep £152m, a far-cry away from his humble beginnings at Dortmund when he cost a meagre £17m to pick up.
The menacing 24-year-old has become a “special talent” striker – as per Jesse Marsch – donning a City shirt under Pep Guardiola’s expert management, with a staggering 100 goals and 14 assists registered across 105 appearances to date.
As can be seen in the table below, having Haaland at Slot’s disposal right now would undoubtably improve Liverpool going forward, with Nunez and Jota’s combined goal total this Premier League season so far staggeringly eight off the lethal 24-year-old’s total.
Haaland vs Nunez & Jota’s (24/25)
Players
Games played
Goals scored
Haaland
5
10
Nunez
4
1
Jota
4
1
Sourced by Sofascore
The Reds would have been able to win him for much less than what Man City forked out as well, with the reigning top-flight champions having to pay up a £51.2m fee, which is still modest for such a devastating attacker, but high compared to his previous £4m price-tag back in Norway.
Haaland doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon either when it comes to his dangerous form in-front of goal, with the world class Man City striker capable one day of going for a lavish amount to another club.
Whilst City revel in having a striker of the Norwegian’s quality at their disposal week in week out, the Reds will regret not just taking a punt on the prolific forward when he was a raw unpolished gem playing for Molde.
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