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Chelsea are believed to be closing in on an agreement for their fourth exit of the summer, with BlueCo attempting to trim the club’s bloated books.

Enzo Maresca’s side have already waved goodbye to Kepa Arrizabalaga, who signed for Arsenal in an official £5 million deal earlier this week, with the 30-year-old joining defender Basir Humphreys and fellow keeper Marcus Bettinelli out of the Stamford Bridge door.

Related Chelsea ready to sell £80m duo after agreeing Pedro and Gittens deals

Enzo Maresca’s side need to balance the books.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jul 2, 2025

Humphreys sealed a £12 million permanent move to Burnley in May after spending the 2024/2025 campaign on loan at Turf Moor, helping Scott Parker’s side achieve promotion back to the Premier League, while Bettinelli replaced Scott Carson at Man City.

These departures have yielded around £19 million in total transfer fees, but given the club have spent around £140 million already this summer, they’ll need to orchestrate more exits in an effort to stay in line with PSR and UEFA’s FFP regulations.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Liam Delap’s £30 million switch from relegated Ipswich, Joao Pedro’s now-confirmed £55 million move from Brighton and Gittens’ pending £55 million arrival from Borussia Dortmund could yet be followed by more incomings, so player sales will become an absolute necessity before deadline day on September 1.

Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Ben Chilwell, David Datro Fofana, Armando Broja and Axel Disasi are all on the chopping block this summer, according to The Athletic, while Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke are also linked with high-profile exits lately.

Arsenal are seriously looking at Madueke as a back-up option/competition for star winger Bukayo Saka, and given the plethora of transfers conducted between both sides over the last few years, there is every possibility the England international could be next out of the door.

“Noni Madueke is one of the players Arsenal are looking at,” said David Ornstein to The Athletic.

“Arsenal have long been searching for back-up/competition for Saka. They first looked at Mbeumo, that didn’t work out, so they had to look at alternatives — Madueke is among them.

“A lot appeals to Arsenal about that profile because he can play on the other side too, he’ll be known to many of the Arsenal players, he’s London based and Chelsea are always open to conversations about trading.”

Chelsea close to finalising Djordje Petrovic transfer to Sunderland

Chelsea could also trim their backlog of shot-stoppers down even more, with both Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic up for sale (Simon Phillips).

The latter played a key role on loan at sister club Strasbourg last season, and Petrovic has received plenty of interest this summer. Many suitors have reportedly phoned his representatives to gauge the possibility of a transfer (Simon Phillips), which is no surprise considering his “world-class” talent, as described by Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior.

Now, as per Sky Sports Switzerland reporter Sacha Tavolieri on X, it appears one of them are now closing in on a deal for the Serbia international.

Indeed, it is believed Sunderland are now close to finalising Petrovic’s signing from Chelsea, which could be for around £22 million if all goes to plan.

If done, this is a very solid move for the 25-year-old, as he’ll likely accumulate far more game time between the sticks for Regis Le Bris’ men, and could have the opportunity to play a vital role in helping Sunderland maintain their newly-found top-flight status.

Tottenham Hotspur have held talks with the representatives of an “outrageous” forward compared to Argentina icon Lionel Messi, according to reports, coming amid their triumph in the Europa League.

Tottenham end 17-year wait for silverware after Europa League win over Man Utd

Brennan Johnson etched his name into Spurs folklore on Wednesday night, scoring the only goal of a tense encounter, with Ange Postecoglou’s side ending the club’s 17-year wait for major silverware after beating Man Utd 1-0.

Tottenham: Levy ready to trigger £100k-per-week rival star's release clause

Spurs are front of the queue for his signature.

ByEmilio Galantini May 21, 2025

As Tottenham’s squad hoisted the trophy aloft, Postecoglou was also reminded of the promise he made earlier this campaign – namely that he ‘always’ wins silverware during his second season in charge.

Guglielmo Vicario

7.7

Yves Bissouma

7.6

Cristian Romero

7.4

Bruno Fernandes

7.4

Destiny Udogie

7.2

via WhoScored

It was a statement which could’ve come back to bite him, but the 59-year-old’s message has now been vindicated by Spurs’ glorious night in Spain. Postecoglou became the first Australian manager to win a major European trophy, doing his country proud in the process, all while changing an ever-present narrative around the Lilywhites that they’re a ‘nearly’ team.

“It wasn’t me boasting, it was a declaration,” said Postecoglou on his ‘second season’ quote after Tottenham’s win over United.

“If we fell short, I was ready to cop it.”

Guglielmo Vicario’s heroics in goal – combined with Cristian Romero’s outstanding defensive display, Micky van de Ven’s acrobatic clearance off the line and the performances of their wing-backs – helped to shut a dominant Man United side out and end Tottenham’s long wait for a parade.

Spurs also sealed a monumental boost by qualifying for next season’s Champions League, and all the riches that come with it in terms of both revenue and player-pull.

This will undoubtedly have a positive effect on their summer recruitment strategy. Whether or not Tottenham’s trophy-winning boss will be at the helm to benefit from it next term remains to be seen, following previous reports Postecoglou could leave regardless of their Europa League campaign.

However, whether it be for Postecoglou or any potential new manager, Lyon star Rayan Cherki is attracting Daniel Levy’s interest.

Tottenham hold talks with Rayan Cherki after Lionel Messi comparison

According to GiveMeSport, Tottenham have declared their interest in Cherki after holding talks with his representatives.

Levy and co are apparently attempting to discover more about the terms he’d want to join them, and there are reports that the exciting French winger has a very tempting £19 million release clause in his contract.

This could make the “outrageous” forward one of the bargains of this summer window, especially after a phenomenal 24/25 haul of 12 goals and 20 assists in all competitions.

GMS also stated that the boldness of Tottenham’s offer to Cherki would be directly linked to their Europa League triumph, so now that they’re confirmed champions, Levy could make a more tempting proposal.

Their status as a Champions League side for next season now also makes Spurs a far more attractive proposition to players like the 21-year-old, so this could be one to watch in the coming weeks, with Cherki also being likened to Messi by former Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas.

Chelsea are now believed to be “strong” contenders to sign one Barcelona star this summer, with news coming to light that the player and Hansi Flick’s side are currently at an impasse when it comes to a new contract.

Chelsea's main transfer plans this summer

Amid the Blues’ chase for Champions League qualification, BlueCo are making plans to strengthen the squad this summer ahead of Enzo Maresca’s second full season in charge.

Real Madrid offer £34m and "exceptional" player to Chelsea for Fernandez

Los Blancos are big admirers of the Argentine.

5 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 26, 2025

Chelsea are ready to splash the cash on a centre-back, winger and forward, while it is also believed they could bring in another central defender, left-back, new goalkeeper and attacking midfielder – but all of this will largely depend on their Premier League finish and how many players they can sell (Simon Phillips).

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 11th

Man United (home)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (away)

May 25th

Chelsea supporters will be particularly keen to see fresh attacking options come in, as they’ve lost a degree of potency since the turn of the year. Christopher Nkunku, João Félix and Carney Chukwuemeka will all likely be sold or loaned out as well (Simon Phillips), while Mykhailo Mudryk is currently banned after failing a drugs test.

Ideally, Chelsea need a versatile attacking player who can cover plenty of bases, both through the middle and out wide.

An ambitious target in this regard, but one who’d arguably be perfect, is Barcelona superstar Raphinha.

The former Leeds United forward is enjoying the season of his life at Barça under Hansi Flick, racking up 30 goals and 23 assists across 49 appearances in all competitions, and he can play across multiple areas in the attacking front three.

Raphinha has been linked with a move to Chelsea in recent days, but a new report from CaughtOffiside claims the Brazil international could cost up to £77 million to prise away from the Camp Nou.

Chelsea now "strong" contenders to sign Raphinha

The outlet also claims both Raphinha and Barça are struggling to reach an agreement over a new contract, as the player’s wage demands are currently too high, and fresh terms can only be agreed if he lowers them.

Their precarious financial situation could even hand Chelsea a chance to tempt him back to the Premier League.

Indeed, it is believed Chelsea are now “strong contenders” to sign Raphinha amid this contract debacle, but BlueCo will have to pay him a high salary as well, with his current take-home being around £206,000-per-week.

Arsenal and Liverpool are also named as frontrunners for Raphinha alongside Chelsea, if an exit does end up being on the cards for him, and there is little denying La Liga’s arguable player of the season would be a major upgrade.

“He’s [Raphinha] unbelievable because he’s always 100% very focused and gives us a lot of strength in the defense, but also in the offence,” Flick told TNT Sports Brasil.

“He’s always the player who starts the dynamic to press, but also when we have space, he started in the right moment in these spaces, and it helps us a lot.

“He also always smiles; this is what I like the most, he’s always positive, and it’s important for him to be positive, this is the big thing – then you have confidence to give 100% on the pitch.”

Arsenal have held initial discussions over signing a “special” player for Mikel Arteta, with new sporting director Andrea Berta looking to back him in the transfer market this summer.

Arsenal set to sign new forwards before next season

One of the key items on their transfer agenda is the signing of a forward, both out wide and further up front.

Top target: Arsenal and Berta in talks to seal early deal for £60m striker

The Gunners have a new top target at striker, and negotiations are ongoing to convince him to move to the Emirates Stadium.

1 ByDominic Lund Apr 22, 2025

Arteta has had to cope with fewer options than he’d ideally like throughout 2024/2025, with star winger Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli both previously sidelined for extended periods.

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

Strikers Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are also unavailable after suffering long-term injuries, and while the latter could return to action earlier than initially expected, some reports have suggested that Jesus could be out until 2026, as he continues his recovery from an ACL rupture.

Mikel Merino has been utilised as an emergency striker while Jesus and Havertz remain sidelined, with the Spaniard doing pretty well in his unlikely new role. However, Merino is hardly a long-term solution, so Berta is reportedly keen to reinforce Arteta’s attacking areas.

As per GiveMeSport and other media sources, Arsenal want to sign a new left-winger and striker this summer, not to mention a potential alternative to Saka on the right-hand side.

That being said, Arsenal are also keen to bring in a new full-back and midfielders, to cover for the looming departures of Thomas Partey and Jorginho on free transfers, so Berta must tread carefully with their budget.

This is where versatile Wolves star Matheus Cunha could be a very useful signing, given the Brazilian can operate in both wide areas and up front as a centre-forward.

His contract also contains a £62.5 million release clause, with Cunha recently admitting that he’d like to take the next step in his career.

Arsenal hold "exploratory" talks over signing Matheus Cunha

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Cunha, but they’re not the only ones, as Man United and Aston Villa are also believed to be among the clubs who are very keen.

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, writing a detailed piece on his potential next landing spot, writes that Arsenal have held “exploratory” talks over signing Cunha ahead of the summer, alongside United and Villa, with Saudi clubs also lurking in the background and prepared to trigger his exit clause.

The Brazil international, who signed for just £34 million from Atlético Madrid, is said to be a fan of United, so Arsenal could have some convincing to do as he ponders a switch to Old Trafford.

Cunha has bagged a brilliant 16 goals and four assists in all competitions for Vitor Pereira’s side this term, with Wolves’ manager recently branding him a “special” player.

“He is a special player. He can do things that can make the difference in small details,” Pereira said of Cunha.

“Matheus Cunha is a player, in my opinion, who can reach high standards in this league. I hope not [elsewhere] because we need him.”

Chelsea will take a commanding lead back to Stamford Bridge after they hammered Legia Warsaw 3-0 away from home in the Conference League on Thursday evening.

The Blues heavily rotated their squad for the trip to Poland and one of the young players who came in scored their first goal for the club, as Tyrique George opened the scoring.

Noni Madueke added two goals to his seasonal tally in the second half with two strikes that were assisted by Jadon Sancho, which has left Enzo Maresca’s side in a terrific position ahead of the second leg.

The Conference League is the last chance for Chelsea to win a trophy before the end of the 2024/25 campaign, whilst they continue to compete for Champions League qualification from their Premier League season.

Despite the comfortable win, there were some negatives to come out of the trip to Legia Warsaw, as centre-forward Christopher Nkunku saw his penalty saved.

Chelsea’s strikers have failed to consistently perform across all competitions this season, and it is an area for concern ahead of the summer transfer window.

Why Chelsea need a new centre-forward

Nkunku’s missed penalty against Legia Warsaw means that he has now scored one goal in his last 18 appearances against Premier League level or Conference League teams.

The France international has also failed to register a goal or an assist in any of his last six matches in all competitions, as the ex-RB Leipzig man has been unable to prove his worth to the team in a centre-forward position.

Nkunku has not done enough with his chances this season to seriously push Nicolas Jackson for the starting role in the Premier League, with a return of five goals from 5.58 xG and seven ‘big chances’ missed in the Conference League this term.

Neither Jackson nor the French flop, however, have delivered ruthless performances in front of goal in the top-flight, leaving Maresca without a reliable goalscorer in the number nine position for all of his first season at Stamford Bridge.

24/25 Premier League	Christopher Nkunku	Nicolas Jackson
Appearances	26	25
xG	4.83	11.70
Goals	3	9
Minutes per goal	310	208
Big chances missed	6	17
Assists	2	5
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, both of Chelsea’s strikers have underperformed against their xG in the Premier League and missed more ‘big chances’ than they have managed goals scored.

These statistics show that the Blues lack a number nine who can make the most of the high-quality opportunities that the team can create for the striker in Maresca’s system, as they have racked up more than 16 xG between them.

This is why Chelsea should make signing a new centre-forward a big priority to bolster their squad in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Chelsea open talks to sign Premier League striker

According to journalist Simon Phillips’ Substack, Chelsea have opened talks to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The report claims that the Blues have ‘reopened’ discussions over a deal to bring the England U21 international to Stamford Bridge to compete with Jackson and Nkunku for a starting spot in the team next season.

Transfer Focus

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

It states that the Premier League giants are ‘very serious’ about getting a move over the line for the former Manchester City star and that they want to get it done before the Club World Cup kicks off in the middle of June.

The Guardian recently reported that Delap has a clause in his contract that will allow him to leave Ipswich for £30m this summer if the Tractor Boys are relegated from the division. They are currently placed in 18th and are 12th points adrift with seven matches to go.

This suggests that it could be a fairly reasonably priced deal for Chelsea to complete this summer, which is one of a number of reasons why the Blues should ensure that they win the race for his services.

Why Chelsea should sign Liam Delap

As well as his price tag, the club should swoop to sign Delap from Ipswich because he could supercharge Cole Palmer by providing the England international with the clinical number nine that he has yet to have in a Chelsea shirt.

The Tractor Boys star has outperformed Jackson and Nkunku in the Premier League this season, in what is his first season in the top-flight after loan spells with Stoke City and Hull City in the Championship in recent years.

As you can see in the graphic above, Delap has scored three more goals and missed seven fewer ‘big chances’ in comparison to the Senegal international, outperforming his xG by roughly three goals.

The 22-year-old marksman, who joined Ipswich from Manchester City last summer, has also shown that he can do it against some of the top teams in the league, as shown by the goal against Aston Villa in the clip below.

Delap has proven himself to be a Premier League-grade centre-forward who can excel in front of goal by outperforming his xG, which suggests that he would thrive alongside a creative talent like Palmer.

Cole Palmer (Premier League)	23/24	24/25
Appearances	34	30
Goals	22	14
Key passes	72	75
Big chances created	17	20
Assists	11	7
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Chelsea superstar has created a staggering 37 ‘big chances’ for his teammates since the start of last season, but has only been rewarded with 18 assists for his efforts.

This suggests that Palmer has suffered as a result of the underperformance of Chelsea’s strikers – Nkunku and Jackson – and that is why he could be supercharged by the signing of a clinical forward like Delap.

The left-footed playmaker’s assist tally could balloon next season if he has a striker, like the £30m-rated star, who can outperform his xG instead of underperforming, to create ‘big chances’ for on a regular basis.

Contact made: Chelsea plot move for "world-class" ace who'd be Desailly 2.0

Chelsea could repeat their Marcel Desailly masterclass by raiding AC Milan once again.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 7, 2025

It is now down to the club to push to win the race for Delap in the summer transfer window and the latest report on them opening talks to sign him is a step in the right direction.

Pooja Vastrakar’s fitness and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s form could also be key, if Mumbai are to repeat their success from the inaugural season

S Sudarshanan11-Feb-20253:22

What is MI’s biggest strength?

Where Mumbai Indians (MI) finished in WPL 2024They finished second in the league stage for a second season in a row, but went down to title-winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the closely-fought Eliminator. They were inaugural champions in 2023.What’s new for MI in WPL 2025?Allrounder Nadine de Klerk and Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup winner G Kamalini, who was India’s wicketkeeper and opening batter in the tournament, are among their newest additions. The other two new players in the squad are Rajasthan seam-bowling allrounder Akshita Maheshwari, and Madhya Pradesh’s offspin-bowling allrounder Sanskriti Gupta.De Klerk’s addition comes at a time when India’s own seam-bowling allrounder Pooja Vastrakar is injured. Vastrakar had last played for India at the Women’s T20 World Cup in October 2024, and then three matches in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy after being rested from the home ODIs against New Zealand.Related

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Coach Edwards reveals MI's mantra for WPL 2025

“Pooja’s currently injured at the moment, so will be making a call on that very, very soon,” MI head coach Charlotte Edwards said in the pre-season presser. “Clearly she’s been a big player for us for the last couple of seasons, but obviously we’re monitoring her fitness and, hopefully, we should be able to announce something really soon.”MI also have a change in the coaching staff, with former Australia opener Nicole Bolton replacing England’s Lydia Greenway as the fielding coach.MI’s likely XI1 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 2 Hayley Matthews, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 S Sajana, 7 Nadine de Klerk, 8 Amanjot Kaur, 9 Akshita Maheshwari, 10 SB Keerthana, 11 Saika IshaqueOther players: Chloe Tryon, Shabnim Ismail, Pooja Vastrakar, Sanskriti Gupta, G Kamalini, Jintimani Kalita and Amandeep KaurKey players: Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Saika IshaqueHarmanpreet Kaur is MI’s leading run-getter in the WPL, followed closely by Nat Sciver-Brunt. A lot of MI’s fortunes hinge on how the pair performs. Harmanpreet averages 17.40 at a strike rate of 102.35 in MI’s losses, while the corresponding figures for Sciver-Brunt in those games are 10.33 and 106.89. Sciver-Brunt heads into WPL 2025 on the back of a difficult Women’s Ashes, where she picked up just two wickets and hit two half-centuries across the multi-format series.Nat Sciver-Brunt heads into WPL 2025 on the back of a difficult Women’s Ashes•PTI There will also be additional spotlight on Harmanpreet in a home ODI World Cup year, which will be her first as India’s captain. Of late, her slowish starts in T20s have been in focus, even if she possesses the ability to make it up later. A case in point being MI’s must-win league-stage game against Gujarat Giants in WPL 2024. In that match, Harmanpreet was on 20 off 21 balls at one stage, before surviving a dropped chance and turning the game around to finish on 95* from 48. MI, and India, would want their captain to be in good striking form.Saika Ishaque has been the find of the WPL, and is its second-highest wicket-taker so far. Performances for MI helped her make her India debut, although she finds herself out of the reckoning after only four matches across white-ball formats. Ishaque has the ability to bowl across phases, and heads into WPL 2025 on the back of successful performances in domestic cricket, where she picked up 39 wickets and captained Bengal to a runners-up finish in both the Senior Women’s One-Day and the T20 Trophy.Young one to watch: Akshita MaheshwariMaheshwari, 24, could be expected to feature in MI’s starting XI, given the question marks over Vastrakar’s availability. She is a seam-bowling allrounder who plays for Rajasthan in the domestic circuit, and is the first from her state to be part of the WPL. In the Under-23 Women’s One Day Trophy last season, Maheshwari had finished with 23 wickets, the second-most in the competition, and picked up two hat-tricks: against Mizoram and Odisha, both in Mumbai. She also returned 4 for 23 against Meghalaya in the One Day competition earlier this domestic season. Maheswari was even part of the Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy, although she did not get a game.MI’s league fixtures in WPL 2025MI start their campaign against Delhi Capitals (DC) on February 15 in Vadodara, and are one of the three teams that play league matches in all four cities hosting WPL 2025. Their two league games in Mumbai are back-to-back, making MI one of only two teams – the other being DC – playing on successive days in this edition. MI also play the last game of the league stage, which could help if things are tight – they will know the exact qualification scenarios.

Judgement on tourists’ first meeting with new England needs a little more time

Andrew McGlashan16-Jun-2023It was a field Australia would not have been allowed in a T20 powerplay. In the third over Pat Cummins, the No. 3-ranked fast bowler in the world, armed with a new Dukes ball and an average of 21.74 had three fielders on the boundary for Ben Duckett.Leading into this Ashes, which has been dominated with whether England could do it against this attack and in turn how they would respond, Australia openly said that it was their field placements where a response to Bazball was most likely to be seen. They were true to their word. A few minutes earlier, Cummins had stood at the top of his mark to begin the series with a deep backward point in place. Australia had reacted to Bazball before a delivery had been bowled.Zak Crawley promptly got onto the front foot and crunched a drive through the covers. Mitchell Starc to Rory Burns this was not. By the time Cummins bowled his second over, there were three fielders back on the rope with just two slips and a gully catching. Whereas normally there would be a stacked slip cordon waiting behind the batters, now there were as many fielders on the boundary.When Nathan Lyon was introduced for the 10th over he started with four men out. Ollie Pope was 11 off 18 balls and there was long-on, deep midwicket, deep backward square and deep backward point. Within the first session of an Ashes series, England were essentially able to milk a bowling attack. The first 25 overs produced the lowest percentage of dot balls in a Test since 2002.”From a bowling front things went pretty well,” Josh Hazlewood, who had won the selection race with Mitchell Starc, said. “Obviously there’s things we’d change looking back and we’ll probably dig into that. It’s a different way of going about it, different fields at different stages. Some worked, some probably didn’t.”Related

• 'So negative they were almost inert': How the media reacted to the Ashes opening day

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• Declaration 'no surprise' on first evening of opening Ashes Test, Bairstow says

• Jonny Bairstow: 'When your beans are going, you try to give it a whack'

• Joe Root hundred guides England on freewheeling first day of the Ashes

Even though Bazball is now a year old, it is still often difficult to fully digest what England are doing with the bat, particularly when Joe Root reverse scoops Cummins and Scott Boland over deep third for six.Did Australia’s plan, formulated heavily by the work of coaches and analysts, to effectively go defensive work? England bounced along at 5.03 an over (marginally behind the 5.13 they scored at on the opening day in 2005). Australia did not bowl a maiden until the 37th over from Hazlewood and sent down just two for the day. But they claimed eight wickets having had to bowl first on what is a pretty docile surface.”Think you have to look at the end score, so eight for under 400, basically all out for 400. You’d take that on that wicket for sure, whether it takes 80 overs or 160. It’s the same score,” Hazlewood said. “We have to start to look at things a bit differently, not so much strike-rates and economy. It’s just about wickets and the score and if we can keep it as simple as that think it will go a long way towards wrapping our head around the new Ashes.”They could even have had a wicket caught a deep point. Boland bowled a short, wide delivery to Harry Brook who flayed it into the off side, but Travis Head was slow to react from the boundary and couldn’t hold on as he sprawled forward. The slowness of the pitch largely took out the short ball as a viable option for a sustained approach.Travis Head drops a catch from Harry Brook•Getty ImagesDespite the boundary-riders the scoreboard kept rattling along. It felt Australia had conceded ground very early, but they insisted they didn’t lose control. As a rather rough comparison, England hit 40 fours and five sixes today in 78 overs while in Mount Maunganui, where they declared on 325 for 9 after 58.2 overs, they hit 48 fours and one six.”There’s a lot more ones probably but if we shut down the boundaries then that score really doesn’t really go through the roof at sevens or eights,” Hazlewood said. “If we can keep it at five an over and keep taking wickets throughout the day that somewhat keeps them in check.”Last week, coach Andrew McDonald said the bowlers would have to accept a higher economy rate and it’s something they are buying into.”We talked between the final and this game, we caught up a few times with the coaches,” Hazlewood said. “You’ve got a red ball in your hand, got whites on, you think if I bowl top of off then it should be respected but think those days are long gone no matter who you are playing. India went at a fair clip last week as well. We are used to seeing that sort of stuff and it’s almost about taking the batter out of it and keep bashing away.”Australia made regular-enough inroads during the first half of the day to have their noses in front at two stages: when Boland produced an excellent delivery to clip Crawley’s glove with the last ball before lunch then when Brook and Ben Stokes fell in quick succession.With England 176 for 5, Australia were probably one quick breakthrough away from having a chance of keeping them to 250. There would have been very different reflections on the day. But Root and Jonny Bairstow, two Yorkshire mates, combined with an impish stand of 121 in 23 overs. Even when that was broken Australia couldn’t stem the scoring. However, the final twist (if it is such a thing these days) of Stokes calling his players in meant they were off the field before the close.In 2005 when England racked up 407 in 79 overs, there was a view that they had squandered the potential for a bigger total. History shows how that played out and there will be far fewer of those conversations this time given the now sustained approach to Test cricket. But in a similar way to how it took that match to play out to is conclusion to understand the context of the opening day, so too will a fuller judgement on Australia’s first meeting with Bazball need a little more time.

The India captain has left nearly 34% of his 124 balls so far – a vastly different approach than what we are used to

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Jun-20213:57

Steyn: Pujara should have created more opportunities to rotate strike

Third ball of the 11th over after lunch on the second day of the WTC final, Virat Kohli moves back and across as soon as Neil Wagner bangs it in short, headed outside off stump. Standing up on his toes, Kohli flashes hard, and is beaten for pace by the 82mph delivery. Bowler and batter stare at each other, exchanging only smiles, no words.Only 16 runs had come from 11 overs in the second session at that stage, which featured half a dozen maidens. Just before the break, India had managed seven runs in eight overs of which five were maidens. That dry phase had started with the fall of Rohit Sharma, followed a few overs later by that of Shubman Gill.Kohli’s response to the short, wide-angled delivery from Wagner was instinctive. Yet, it was an uncharacteristic reaction in what was a masterful display of restraint, which allowed India to get their teeth into a tough job.

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Despite opening for the first time in England, Sharma and Gill showed exuberance in going for runs, which came at a decent clip especially in the first ten overs, as New Zealand’s new-ball bowlers struggled for consistency. But, as soon as the two fell, New Zealand became more disciplined. That made the second session crucial. In any case, overcast conditions, inclement weather, and two outstanding bowling attacks had suggested a low-scoring match, and anything around the 250-mark might be good enough.That was evident in the batters’ approach. Cheteshwar Pujara had played 21 balls without making a run before lunch. The first over of the second session, delivered by Wagner, was a maiden. Kohli was the batter. Kane Williamson threw the ball to Colin de Grandhomme.In their one-on-one duel during the two-Test series in New Zealand last February, de Grandhomme had conceded just one run and sent Kohli back once in ten balls.Virat Kohli got off the mark with a classy drive through the covers•ICC/Getty ImagesHe might be just a medium-pacer, but de Grandhomme’s strength is that he can sneak the ball past the outside edge or rap the pads with seam movement both ways. Immediately into his spell, de Grandhomme got the perfect length: not full enough, but on a spot where the batter might consider the drive. Kohli was beaten by one such delivery early on, one that pitched on middle-and-off, and moved just enough to beat the edge and hit the outside of his back leg. BJ Watling took the catch but there was no bat involved, and Hawk-Eye showed it to be clearing off stump.Kohli managed just four runs from the 21 deliveries he faced from de Grandhomme. In the first Test of the 2018 series against England at Edgbaston, Kohli had faced 27 deliveries off James Anderson without scoring a run. He ended up scoring a century, one of his best.On this day, New Zealand had a short cover and short midwicket for Kohli, but Williamson had left big gaps on both sides for the India captain to pick. Kohli abstained. Standing, typically, a good yard outside the popping crease, he negotiated both the swing and the seam movement, mostly with ease. His other strength, taking a big stride forward, came in handy, too, as he played the ball under his eye line. Firmly.Related

• Five things India must keep in mind in the WTC final

• Kohli: 'Win or lose this game, cricket does not stop for us'

There was another change that Sunil Gavaskar, among others on commentary, found in Kohli’s technique that should help him: as and when Kohli makes a back-and-across movement, he keeps the front leg straight, which allows him to deal with the incoming delivery much more efficiently, nullifying the threat of being lbw. There was also the open stance, which allowed Kohli to not just read the line of the delivery better, but also deal with it more effectively.These technical changes allowed Kohli to score runs against the swing, too, mainly square of the wicket. As per ESPNcricinfo’s logs, he scored 25 of his 44 runs in the area between cover and backward point.But what shone through brighter than all of this was Kohli’s patience. As he rushed out with Cheteshwar Pujara after the lunch break, he reminded one of a boxer getting inside the ring. The keenness. But, once he took guard, Kohli was Zen-like. He left a lot of deliveries: nearly 34% of his 124 balls so far. Before tea, Kohli was not in control of only nine out of the 96 balls he had faced, and then seven out of the 30 in the truncated third session.Kohli showed that he could, when needed, be quiet. Along with Pujara and then Ajinkya Rahane, he ensured India would not lose the edge earned through hard work, in the second session. If he can show the same powers of concentration over the rest of the weekend, Kohli might, yet, play the defining role in this WTC final.

MatériaMais Notícias

Sport e Fortaleza se enfrentam neste domingo (26), pela Copa do Nordeste. A bola vai rolar a partir das 18h (de Brasília), na Arena Pernambuco, em Recife (PE), com transmissão do ESPN, Star+, Nosso Futebol, SBT e DAZN.

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Confira todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre Guarani e Paysandu (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Sport x Fortaleza
Copa do Nordeste- Semifinal
🗓️ Data e horário: domingo, 26 de maio de 2024, às 18h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Arena Pernambuco (PE);
📺 Onde assistir: ESPN, Star+, Nosso Futebol, SBT e DAZN.
🟨 Árbitro: Caio Max Augusto Vieira, de Natal ;
🚩 Assistentes:Jean Marcio dos Santos (RN) e Luis Carlos de Franca Costa;
🖥️ VAR: Pablo Ramon Goncalves Pinheiro.

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

Sport: Caíque França; Pedro Lima, Rafael Thyere, Luciano Castán e Felipinho (Dalbert); Felipe, Fabricio Domínguez e Lucas Lima; Chrystian Barletta, Gustavo Coutinho e Romarinho.

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Fortaleza: João Ricardo; Tinga, Kusevic, Titi e Bruno Pacheco; José Welison, Matheus Rossetto (Hércules) e Pochettino; Yago Pikachu, Lucero e Moisés.

Tudo sobre

Copa do NordesteFortalezaSport

Newcastle United were unable to make it three Premier League wins in a row last night, as Eddie Howe’s men secured a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

After a drab first half with little to shout about for both sides, Bruno Guimaraes’ second-half strike put the Magpies ahead with just under 20 minutes remaining.

Anthony Gordon’s penalty with just a handful of minutes remaining put the hosts ahead once again, but for the second time in the contest, Cristian Romero managed to find a leveller.

The point takes Howe’s men up a place to 13th in the Premier League, but it could have been a whole lot better had his side managed to hold on for all three points.

Despite numerous positive showings, a handful of the players selected to start the game failed to impress, which could lead to numerous changes ahead of the weekend.

Newcastle’s poor performers against Spurs

For the third game in a row, Joelinton was handed a start at the heart of the Newcastle side, this time partnering Lewis Miley and Sandi Tonali, with the latter coming into the starting eleven.

However, the Brazilian was unable to repay the faith shown in him by the manager, with such a showing one to forget for the Magpies’ number seven on Tyneside.

He featured for the entirety of the contest, but only managed to come out on top in just 27% of the duels he entered, whilst being dribbled past on three occasions.

Joelinton wasn’t alone in struggling to deliver at St James’, with winger Jacob Murphy also struggling to provide his usual impact off the right-hand side of the attack.

The Englishman was largely unable to deliver in the final third, as seen by his measly tally of just three crosses completed, doing so at an accuracy rate of just 30%.

He also only managed to complete 50% of his attempted dribbles and completed just 16 passes before being substituted for Anthony Elanga with just over 20 minutes remaining.

The Newcastle star who needs to be dropped after Spurs

Home games against Spurs have often been a formality for Newcastle, as seen by the club’s recent record against the Lilywhites over the past couple of seasons.

Howe’s men had won four in a row against the North London outfit at St James’, but his men were unable to add to such a record during their lacklustre showing last night.

The inability to secure all three points was no doubt down to the disappointing showings from numerous players, with the aforementioned duo just two of the stars who failed to deliver.

However, they weren’t alone in struggling to match the expectations of the supporters, with winger Harvey Barnes unable to replicate his recent showings in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old has now started four league games in a row, with his two-goal game against Manchester City undoubtedly keeping his place in the starting eleven.

He’s now failed to score in each of the last two outings, including against Spurs, with winger Gordon now deserving of a start after his goal off the bench.

However, Barnes’ performance before his teammate’s arrival onto the pitch was certainly below par, which will no doubt contribute to the manager’s thinking.

The winger featured for 66 minutes on Tyneside last night, but could only muster 30 touches of the ball and made just ten passes, six fewer than Aaron Ramsdale, as he struggled to make the desired impact on proceedings.

He also only managed to complete one of his attempted dribbles and one of his crosses, which further highlights his struggles within the final third of the pitch.

Minutes played

66

Touches

30

Shots taken

2

Dribbles completed

1

Crosses completed

1

Possession lost

12x

Duels lost

75%

Passes into final third

2

Barnes massively struggled to find any of his teammates during the draw, as seen by his tally of 12 times possession lost – ultimately being wasteful when in possession.

The attacker was just as poor without the ball, often being dominated by the opposition, subsequently losing 75% of the ground duels he entered against Thomas Frank’s side.

As a result of his performance, Barnes was handed a measly 6/10 match rating by The Express journalist Lee Ryder – further showcasing his struggles against Spurs.

After such a showing, Howe will no doubt want to shuffle his pack on Saturday against Burnley to attempt to get their recent winning run in the Premier League back on track.

Gordon will no doubt be chomping at the bit after his goal, which could result in his compatriot being dropped after his recent flurry of starts in the North East.

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