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In the Premier League this season, several brilliant matches have taken place on a Saturday at 3pm.

For example, Everton’s 3-2 loss to Bournemouth saw the Cherries recover to score three times in the final ten minutes to secure three points.

The Toffees’ 3-2 loss to Aston Villa two weeks later, which also featured a comeback win for their opposition, was another exciting clash, as was Chelsea’s 4-2 win over Brighton and Brentford’s 5-3 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, none of them were available to watch on television, as the 3pm blackout prevented supporters of these teams from watching their clubs in action.

This measure looks likely to be in place for the next five years at least as the Premier League has secured a record £6.7bn television deal which will see many more games shown from 2025 onwards.

This means the blackout – which permits any game from the Premier League, Football League or FA Cup to be shown between 2.45pm and 5.25pm on Saturdays – will remain in place until 2029.

But why is there a 3pm blackout rule? And considering the sheer cost of going to games in today’s economic climate, what is the opposition to this, especially as more and more people want to see their team live on TV?

Here, we take a deeper look into the rule and why it exists.

3pm blackout origins

The rule began in 1960, introduced by Burnley chairman Bob Lord, who wanted to make sure supporters still attended matches as some games began to be televised.

Amid the television boom in the 60s and with more people buying sets, it was only natural that football games would be shown live.

With the blackout rule, football clubs would still be able to protect their income by keeping matches strictly to Saturdays at 3pm. If supporters wanted to see their team, they would have to go watch the game in person, thus boosting the finances of the club in question.

Lord stated that lower-league clubs would be hampered financially if there was no blackout, as fans would simply watch matches on the TV rather than attend games in person. 60 years later, it is still in place.

The 3pm blackout helps smaller clubs

While many supporters struggle to make games due to financial reasons due to the rise in ticket prices, travel and everything else in between, watching a game on the TV sounds the cheaper option.

That may be so, but in order to watch a large portion of matches, several subscriptions are required. For example, Premier League games are shown on Sky Sports, Amazon and TNT Sports, which means three separate payments.

Watching lower-league football, therefore, is the cheapest option, and keeping the 3pm blackout rule could help those further down the pyramid.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Adam Capper, a non-league kitman for Heaton Stannington, believes that keeping the rule is crucial for such clubs. His team are just three miles from Newcastle United’s St James’ Park.

“Clubs at every level of non-league rely on gates as their main source of income, bums on seats,” he told BBC Newsbeat. “We would lose a significant amount of people coming into games and probably a lot of football clubs would struggle to exist.”

He states that the average attendance is around 400 fans, but if Newcastle play at home, this number is effectively halved.

Will the 3pm blackout rule end?

Despite the fact it can help local clubs and those down the footballing pyramid increase their attendances, there is no disputing that the rule is outdated.

As mentioned, the cost of watching matches on the TV is increasing every year, but could streaming services suggest that an end to the blackout rule is closer than ever?

Viaplay and DAZN are just two platforms that are proving to be very popular with those looking to watch football from the comfort of their own home.

Indeed, DAZN announced in the summer that they had announced a seven-year deal with the English Football League’s National League, National League North and National League South.

This deal marks the first for DAZN into the English domestic football market. Could this be a stepping stone for further purchases up the pyramid in the near future, and might this be the first step towards ending the 3pm blackout?

A recent report in The Times suggested the blackout is not expected to last beyond the current cycle of TV deals in 2028/29, with concerns the blackout pushes fans towards illegal streaming rather than the turnstiles.

Only the UK prohibits 3pm games

Some football associations spread out their fixtures across a given matchday, ensuring that a cluttered schedule is avoided while also giving lower leagues their own slot.

Germany is a prime example. Top-tier Bundesliga games are all shown live on a Saturday at 3.30pm local time, whereas 2. Bundesliga games have their own slot for kick-offs, with games beginning at 1.30pm local time – while no other games are broadcast at this time.

Could something like this work in the UK? It might take a while for anyone to find out, especially as Premier League chief executive Richard Masters admitted in 2023 that he “could not see it changing “in the near term”.

Broadcasting fewer games leads to more demand, according to the Premier League, which in turn, increases the value of the product.

This allows for domestic rights to be set at a much higher price and the current deal that is in place generates around £5 billion per season.

Like anything, money is the deciding factor, and as long as the Premier League can sell their product for billions, a 3pm blackout rule is likely to remain in place into the next decade.

DAZN has shown that they are keen on making inroads to perhaps change the way football is watched, but it will need more than them to change the rule.

His 219 follows last week’s 239 for an aggregate of 611 runs from his first four innings for Derbyshire

ECB Reporters Network22-Apr-2022Pakistan international Shan Masood became the first player in Derbyshire history to post back-to-back double centuries as Leicestershire’s bowlers were put to the sword on day two of the LV= Insurance County Championship match at the Uptonsteel County Ground.The 32-year-old opener was out for 219, having hit 24 fours and a six as Derbyshire racked up 401 runs in the day to lead by 224 with six first-innings wickets still in hand. Wayne Madsen made 94 and Mattie McKiernan is 63 not out.Masood’s magnificent innings followed his 239 in last week’s drawn match against Sussex, giving him an aggregate of 611 runs from his first four innings for Derbyshire, another county record.Left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson finally claimed his wicket this time, bowling him with a ball that turned sharply from outside the left-hander’s off stump. Masood turned for the pavilion but could leave the field only after every Leicestershire player, led by Parkinson, had offered a handshake of congratulation on a superb exhibition of high-class batting.It capped a day that began with Leicestershire’s bowlers hoping for a productive morning with a relatively new ball. Instead, after resuming on 36 for 1, Derbyshire added 111 runs before lunch and lost only one wicket in doing so.Brooke Guest was the sole casualty, given out leg before to Will Davis for 23. It might have been two but Madsen, having hit the first two balls of Wiaan Mulder’s third over of the morning to the fence, was dropped on the legside by wicketkeeper Harry Swindells on 14 in the same over.Masood by that point was looking in ominously good touch and as he completed his first fifty just before Madsen’s let-off there was already a sense he had his eye on another big score. Parkinson’s introduction helped stem the flow of runs in the last 40 minutes of the opening session but it was a different story after lunch when the Leicestershire bowlers conceded runs at more than four an over.Madsen passed fifty and Masood his hundred from consecutive balls off Davis, the latter’s including 12 fours. There was seldom any hint of a breakthrough until Madsen, within sight of what would have been a sixth century against Leicestershire and a third on this ground, decided to chance a single to mid-off off Beuran Hendricks with the odds clearly against him and paid the price, Ed Barnes beating the 38-year-old’s despairing dive with a direct hit.Understandably, Madsen looked mortified, yet his partnership with Masood had added 221 for the third wicket and put Derbyshire firmly in control. He and Masood shared a partnership of 292 against Sussex last week.When tea arrived at 295 for 3, their lead was 82. Now Leicestershire were pinning their hopes on the second new ball, which would be available an over into the final session.But that proved fruitless too as Masood continued to prosper. Most of his boundaries had come from sweetly timed drives or clips off his legs but he showed an aggressive side when he drove Davis for four and pulled him for six in the same over.McKiernan, though dropped on 39 off Mulder, was striking the ball confidently at the other end and he and Masood added 129 at almost five an over, passing his previous highest score of 52.Derbyshire supporters are already likening Masood’s impact to that of the Australian Simon Katich, who scored 433 runs in his first four innings for the county in 2007, and Martin Guptill, the New Zealand batter, who was the key figure the last time Derbyshire won promotion from Division Two of the County Championship in 2012.Although he is not alone in making consecutive double hundreds, no player in the history of cricket has made three in a row.

GOAL takes a look at the careers of some of the most highly-touted American prospects over the past decade

There is no shortage of American talent in the soccer sphere, with the United States now a well-established hub for top-tier footballers capable of playing at the highest levels worldwide. But ability is one thing. Having it all come together, in the right place, at the right time, with the right manager, at the right club, is another prospect entirely.

And in recent years, the United States has seen something of a mixed bag. Christian Pulisic, by some distance the most talent player of his generation, needed nearly five years and three clubs to find his best. Tim Weah and Gio Reyna – both fine footballers in their own right – have never quite enjoyed full seasons of success in accordance with what has been considered their potential.

Meanwhile, there have been some prospects that simply haven't panned out, such as the much-hyped but never-quite-reliable Konrad de la Fuente. And of course, there are some who are still far too young to tell – including Philadelphia Union gem Cavan Sullivan.

For 10 years, GOAL has produced NXGN lists to put a spotlight on the world's top teenage stars. Here's a look at the careers of some of the highly-touted American prospects over that span.

Getty Images SportChristian Pulisic

NXGN Year: 2017

NXGN Position: 3

Current club: ACMilan

Where is he now? The only real debate surrounding Christian Pulisic is whether he's world-class. Certainly, the former Dortmund man has gone from strength to strength, recovering from a poor spell at Chelsea to establish himsefl as the main man for Milan. He broke out in the 2023-24 season under Stefano Pioli, and has only improved since then. He leads Milan in goal contributions this campaign, and his performances against Real Madrid and Inter have helped carry the Serie A side to some significant wins. For the USMNT, he is even better. A reliable goalscorer who consistently delivers in big moments, Pulisic is right in the conversation among the best Americans to ever kick a ball.

AdvertisementImagnTimothy Weah

NXGN Year: 2019

NXGN position: 17

Current club: Juventus

Where is he now? TimothyWeah's career has been a bit mixed. Of course, he was always going to be unfairly compared to his father, who became the first African to win the Ballon d'Or when he claimed the award in 1995. Weah hasn't hit those highs – and likely never will. Instead, he had been a solid player in a number of high-pressure environments without ever truly finding top form. Stints at PSG, Celtic and Lille yielded varying degrees of success. Juventus doesn't quite seem the best fit, either. Weah is a winger through and through, but has too often been used out of position, either as a right back or No. 9. His showings for the USMNT – when he is allowed to play out wide – prove that there is still very much a player here. And at 25, there remains plenty of room to grow.

GettyJosh Sargent

NXGN Year: 2019

NXGN position: 34

Current club: Norwich

Where is he now? JoshSargent's quality is undeniable, but his level is yet to be determined. He impressed in spells as a teenager with Werder Bremen, but managed just 15 goals in 83 appearances for the club. He has fared better at Norwich, scoring in bunches in the English Championship, establishing himself as a top-tier striker in the second division. The Premier League was a level too high in 2021-22, with Sargent finding the net just twice in 26 appearances. There is talk of a transfer to a higher division – with a Premier League return rumored. It would seem to be the right time for the American to truly test himself, especially if he wants to be the USMNT's striker of the future.

GettyKonrad de la Fuente

NXGN Year: 2020

NXGN position: 39

Current club: Lausanne-Sport

Where is he now? From La Masia to the Swiss League, it's never quite worked out for Konrad De La Fuente. The hype was easy to understand, a technical and athletic winger from Miami electing to join the Barcelona Academy at 17. But it never came together for him in Catalonia, the U.S. youth national failing to make a La Liga appearance before leaving for Marseille in 2021. Since then, he's struggled for playing time, and has made just four starts for Lausanne-Sport this campaign.

Aston Villa have experienced a season of major highs and major lows so far, having beaten the likes of Bayern Munich 1-0 in the Champions League, whilst also then losing their way in the Premier League with zero victories collected in November.

Unai Emery will pray his team are out the other side of this slump in form now having collected a convincing 3-1 win over Brentford last match, especially when you look at how congested the Villans’ calendar looks this month with fixtures all over the shop.

Various Villa first-teamers looked full to the brim with confidence again versus the Bees, with Morgan Rogers standing out amongst many other key faces for Emery’s side.

Top Villa performers vs Brentford

Rogers would sport a new bleach blonde hairdo for the game against Thomas Frank’s men, but his football still managed to do the majority of the talking on the night.

The Villa number 27 would open the scoring to set the tone for the contest, with the recently capped England international firing home this stunning curled effort after 21 minutes on the clock that Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken was never going to get a glove on.

Away from Emery’s men clicking in attack, Villa also managed to restrict the visitors to just one big chance during the relatively straightforward affair, as the likes of Lucas Digne starred at the back with three interceptions and two tackles registered, alongside also mustering up four key passes from the left channel.

It was, however, the display of Ollie Watkins that stood out the most across the entire XI fielded, with the Villa sharpshooter more than justifying his recent nomination as one of the best attackers in 2024 at the FIFA awards with a goal and an assist in the dominant win.

Watkins' continued brilliance for Villa

There were some groans amongst the Villa fanbase at how many big chances their star-man had been missing of late, having missed an alarming 14 in Premier League action this season, but it’s undeniable how frightening the 28-year-old can be in front of goal at the top of his game.

Even with all those big chances going astray haunting the Villa number 11, he still has a respectable goal tally of seven next to his name from 14 top-flight contests, with Watkins on course for another exceptional goal return across the entire length of the 38-game marathon.

Season

Games played

Goals scored

24/25

19

7

23/24

53

27

22/23

40

16

21/22

36

11

20/21

40

16

Watkins is yet to experience a season at Villa Park where he doesn’t hit double figures for goals, with last campaign even seeing him bag a stunning 27 times from 53 games. He very much lived up to his “nightmare” billing by Leicester City defender Conor Coady, who stated that the striker’s ability to constantly be “on the move” makes him such a tricky talent to contain.

Coady even claimed that this ease with which he twists and turns defenders separated him from the likes of other poachers such as Haaland, who is funnily enough nominated alongside Watkins for this FIFA award, alongside other grand names such as Real Madrid ace Kylian Mbappe.

After all, even with his dips in form, the 28-year-old is only one goal shy of Mbappe’s eight strikes in La Liga, whilst Haaland is only five goals in front of the Englishman himself in the Premier League, after failing to find the back of the net in his last three league outings.

Whilst there have been audible cries for Watkins to improve at points this campaign too, everyone at Villa Park will be hoping his spot-kick goal against Brentford now kickstarts a golden patch of form.

Costing a then club-record fee of £33m to get him in through the door in 2020, the signing of Watkins has proven to be money very well spent, with the sharp-shooter now onto 77 goals overall and counting for Emery’s men.

3 key passes: 8/10 Aston Villa ace just proved he could be the new Grealish

Aston Villa picked up their first win in eight games by convincingly beating Brentford 3-1.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 5, 2024

Hansi Flick hinted that Wojciech Szczesny could extend his stay at Barcelona as Galatasaray reportedly plot a bid for backup goalkeeper Inaki Pena.

Article continues below

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Szczesny starred against BenficaFlick lavished praise on the Polish keeperPena is being courted by GalatasarayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Polish shot-stopper played a crucial role in Barcelona’s 1-0 victory over Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash on Wednesday. Despite Pau Cubarsí receiving an early red card in the 22nd minute, Barca held firm, thanks largely to Szczesny’s outstanding performance, making eight saves to secure his eighth clean sheet in 14 matches.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT FLICK SAID

Flick was full of praise for the 35-year-old goalkeeper, stating that his performance justified why he is currently the team’s first-choice.

"It's his job, I'll put it like that. The other 10 players defended very well against eleven, but of course he helped us a lot. It's his job. That's why, at the moment, he's number one," Flick told reporters.

The German coach also revealed that he was confident Szczesny would reach this level when he decided to bring him out of retirement as cover for Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s injury.

"When you see players who you know how they played before and you see them in training, you get a feeling. I'm not the only one who decides. I have a great staff around me and we talk a lot about the performance of the players and what they can contribute. That's how we run the team. It was clear to me that he could get here. So were the other coaches. It's not a one-man decision. I decided things, but I always want to know what others think."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

With Szczesny flourishing, the future of Inaki Pena has become uncertain. The 25-year-old Spanish goalkeeper was previously Ter Stegen’s backup but has now fallen further down the pecking order. His current contract runs until June 2026, but he now finds himself as Barcelona’s third-choice option behind Szczesny and Ter Stegen. This situation has caught the attention of several clubs across Europe, with Galatasaray reportedly leading the race to sign him.

According to reports from Spanish outlet , Galatasaray view Pena as the ideal replacement for Fernando Muslera, who is expected to return to Uruguayan football after spending over a decade as the club’s first choice goalkeeper.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Despite growing interest from other clubs, Pena is not currently looking for an exit from Camp Nou. While Barcelona have yet to initiate discussions about extending his contract, sources close to the club suggest that he remains committed to working hard in training and fighting for his place. However, if Szczesny extends his stay and Ter Stegen returns from injury, the Spaniard may have to reconsider his future if he wants more first-team opportunities.

The pair’s 196-run stand set up the game; England agonisingly short despite Sciver’s fighting 109*

Valkerie Baynes05-Mar-2022Meg Lanning had wanted to do departed Australian greats Shane Warne and Rod Marsh proud. She had also spoken of Rachael Haynes’ importance to her side’s World Cup campaign in the build-up to their opening match against England.Both talking points were apt as Australia held on for a tense 12-run victory on the back of Haynes’ hyper intelligent century as England fell just shy of their hefty 311 target in a high quality, high-scoring affair in Hamilton.A plucky second-wicket partnership between Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight worth 92 was no match for the 196 runs put on by Haynes and Lanning. Nat Sciver then made a late dash to make a gutsy 109 not out off 85 balls, but it wasn’t enough for England. Leg-spinning allrounder Alana King – who tweeted earlier in the day of her sadness at the loss of her “inspiration” Warne – took three wickets and Jess Jonassen took two in the final over to seal the win.At the halfway point of the Australian innings, Haynes had faced 60 deliveries for her 39 not out, but she reached a career-best ODI score of 130 off 131 after she and Lanning read the game to perfection. Their stand became Australia’s second-highest for any wicket at a Women’s World Cup. Lanning posted an excellent 86 off 110 in a contest that began as an arm-wrestle on a tacky pitch which made scoring difficult through the early stages.Knight won the toss and opted to bowl first and, despite boasting a vastly experienced attack in Katherine Brunt, Anya Shrubsole, Kate Cross, Sciver and spinner Sophie Ecclestone, their failure to take wickets proved costly.Amy Jones kept up to the stumps from the third over onwards, and the plan nearly paid off in the sixth when Alyssa Healy was nearly stumped. She punished anything short or overpitched, and managed to overturn an lbw decision on Sciver’s third delivery, with ball-tracking showing it narrowly missed leg stump. Sciver struck three balls later, however, as Healy tried to clear midwicket and picked out Brunt, who took a straightforward catch.Rachael Haynes and Meg Lanning put on 196 for the second wicket•Getty ImagesAt the end of the power play, Australia were 37 for 1 and, after 15 overs, their run rate was 3.86. At the end of the 16th, there had been just 31 scoring shots. But, with nine wickets in hand and 19 overs remaining, Haynes and Lanning were free to up the tempo and they did so without being rash.Haynes swivelled and pulled Brunt for four behind square to bring up Australia’s 200 and Lanning struck a powerful six off Brunt over deep midwicket. But Lanning finally fell when she slapped Brunt to Beaumont at point.Beth Mooney arrived as Haynes brought up her century off 115 balls, turning a single off Cross towards midwicket. Mooney and Haynes took their partnership past fifty in just 29 deliveries as they set about carrying Australia towards the 300-mark and beyond.Sciver put in a magnificent dive running in from midwicket which would have had Haynes out for 117, and, as if to rub it in, Haynes pulled Sciver for just the second six of the match in the next over. Haynes’ knock finally came to an end two balls later when Sciver had her caught by Danni Wyatt at deep midwicket.England’s chase began terribly with struggling opener Lauren Winfield-Hill falling for a four-ball duck. Beaumont and Knight rebuilt with the ball coming onto the bat much more than it had during Australia’s innings. Knight brought up their fifty stand by advancing down the pitch to Jonassen’s first ball and lofting it over the rope at long-off.After the power play England were 53 for 1 and tracking ahead of the curve. Beaumont raised her fifty off just 54 balls and she passed 3000 career ODI runs, becoming the fifth England Women’s player to do so – and the fastest – reaching the mark in 78 innings compared to Sarah Taylor’s 87.Tahlia McGrath and Lanning combined to make a crucial breakthrough to dismiss Knight, who fell for 40 when she picked out the Austtralian skipper at cover.Alana King tweeted of her sadness at the loss of her “inspiration” Shane Warne•Getty ImagesKing entered the attack in the 26th over and struck a short time later to remove Beaumont. Having made her international debut during the recent Ashes, King deceived Beaumont with a flighted gem that pitched outside leg stump and found the Healy’s gloves outside off before she whipped of the bails for the stumping. As Beaumont trudged off, King roared and slapped the twin black armbands she wore in honour of Warne, and Marsh.When King removed Jones and Wyatt cheaply, England had it all to do. They needed 88 off the last 10 overs as Sciver and Sophia Dunkley put on another fifty partnership to give England hope. But, no sooner had King worn a hard-hit straight drive from Dunkley on the ankle in her follow through, she bowled Dunkley round her legs with the very next ball.Sciver and Brunt didn’t let up though, and with three overs remaining, they needed 36 runs with Sciver reading the ball beautifully and batting with her trademark cool head.The tension mounted as Sciver was put down at mid off in the penultimate over but, entrusted with bowling the last over, Jonassen’s lightning reflexes kicked in to remove Brunt with the sharpest of return catches, thrusting her left hand out above her head, a deadpan look of shock on her face before breaking into a disbelieving smile. Jonassen then had Ecclestone caught off the final ball as England fell short.

Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed last month that Nils Koppen has been appointed as the club’s new technical director, following his spell as head of recruitment.

The Belgian chief will continue to work with head coach Philippe Clement to form the transfer strategy at Ibrox, whilst also taking on other responsibilities on the football side of the business.

They may now be preparing their plans for the upcoming January transfer window, which opens for business next month, with potential business in and out of the club.

One player who must finally be sold by the Scottish giants is a signing that was met with excitement by former Rangers head coach Michael Beale.

The Rangers signing that excited Michael Beale

In the summer of 2023, the Light Blues swooped to sign attacking midfielder Kieran Dowell on a free transfer from English Championship side Norwich City.

Beale hailed it as a “fantastic” piece of business and stated that he was “excited” to see what the former Everton man could accomplish during his time at Ibrox.

The left-footed whiz arrived in Glasgow off the back of a return of 12 goals and six assists in 75 appearances for Norwich in all competitions, including one goal in 19 Premier League matches.

Dowell, however, has, unfortunately, suffered with injury and form issues throughout his time with the Light Blues so far, and must now finally be sold by Clement.

Why Kieran Dowell must be sold

The 27-year-old flop’s contract does not expire until the summer of 2026 and this means that the club cannot wait until the end of the season for his deal to expire.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

They need to find a team to take him off them in the January transfer window next month, to save Rangers £16k-per-week in wages – £832k-per-season, although it remains to be seen whether or not there are any teams who would be willing to snap him up.

He, quite simply, has not offered enough to the team in his 18 months or so at Ibrox so far, as he has yet to prove himself to be a reliable option for the club, with two goals and two assists in 20 Scottish Premiership outings.

Games played

16

11

Games started

6

2

Unused substitute

7

11

Games missed through injury

36

1

As you can see in the table above, Dowell has only made 27 appearances for Rangers since the start of last season, with 37 matches missed through injury.

The most concerning part of that is that he has been an unused substitute on 18 occasions by Clement and Beale combined, which shows that there have been several points where the midfielder has not been deemed good enough to even come on as a substitute.

With this in mind, Clement must finally bin the Gers flop when the January transfer window opens for business, because Dowell has not done enough on the pitch to prove his worth to the club.

Potentially raking in a fee for the former Norwich man and getting rid of his £16k-per-week wages could, then, open the door for Koppen to bring in a fresh recruit to bolster the group ahead of the second half of the season.

Rangers signed their own Kante before he left after one forgettable year

Glasgow Rangers thought they had their own version of N’Golo Kante, then he flopped.

ByDan Emery Nov 25, 2024

Lauren Winfield-Hill will open batting despite indifferent form, confirms England’s Australian coach

Valkerie Baynes03-Mar-2022Lisa Keightley is more than happy for Australia to carry the “extra pressure” of being favourites into the World Cup as her side prepares to defend their title, starting against their arch rivals on Saturday.Keightley, England’s head coach, was part of the Australian teams which won the trophy in 1997 and 2005 and was Player of the Series when New Zealand triumphed on home soil in 2000. She believes that England have what it takes to win the World Cup five years on from defeating India in the final at Lord’s, despite their comprehensive defeat in the Ashes.A day after opener Tammy Beaumont said that England had been “written off” unfairly before the tournament, Keightley cited New Zealand’s nine-wicket warm-up win over Australia as a chance for a team to build momentum at the right time.”I’m happy to be where we are and Australia be favourites, that’s for sure,” Keightley said. “I think that becomes an extra pressure. If Australia look at it that way, I’m not too sure, but we know they’ve played pretty consistent cricket over the last two years. So, to be honest, they probably are favourites. They mightn’t say it but I think we all know that they probably are favourites.”In saying that, I think there’s a number of teams that, if you play well on your day and you take your chances, you can win a game of cricket. If that’s against Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, we’ve got to be playing good cricket, I do know that much for sure, and sometimes you’ve just got to get over the line and get the points.”Related

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Keightley confirmed that Lauren Winfield-Hill would join Beaumont at the top of the order after her half-century in England’s first warm-up match with Bangladesh. Winfield-Hill hasn’t scored an ODI fifty since November 2016, well before she and Beaumont opened together in England’s last fifty-over World Cup campaign.”It’s definitely going to be Lauren and Tammy,” Keightley said. “As an opening combination, they’ve got a lot of experience. They really enjoy batting together. Lauren, in the last 12 matches, is averaging 28 and I expect her to improve that and dominate. The thing that they’ve done really well throughout the time they’ve got back together opening is how we start.”Usually they give us a pretty good foundation and it’s up to, as an opening bat for both players, to get big runs for us and extend a partnership as big as they can. I think in our group at the minute we’ve prepped for them to open for this World Cup, and we’re backing both girls in to get us off to good starts and cash in when they can.”Keightley said England’s entire batting line-up was “going in the right direction” following the disappointment of the Ashes, in which they were bowled out three times for modest totals as Australia swept the one-day leg of the series 3-0.”We’ve seen over the last 18 months that our batters can score runs against good bowling attacks, which has given us confidence, and then we saw in the Ashes, moments of our batters taking it to the Australian bowlers and putting them under pressure.”A couple of times throughout that Ashes we were in positions to win and that’s what you need to do. “The disappointing thing that we all had was we didn’t take those moments. It was tough in the last two games.”Lisa Keightley looks on during England’s final warm-up match•ICC/Getty ImagesKeightley also said Tash Farrant had recovered from a bout of food poisoning which forced her from the field mid-over during the Bangladesh match and it was hoped she could regain her strength sufficiently to be available for selection ahead of Saturday’s match in Hamilton.Fellow seam bowlers Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole are “in a good place”, Keightley added, with the veteran pair continuing to have their workloads managed, as was the case through the Ashes. Pitches and conditions will dictate whether Charlie Dean, who made her international debut in the home series against New Zealand last year, joins Sophie Ecclestone as a second spinner.Christchurch is expected to throw up a fast, seam-friendly surface for England’s sixth match, against Pakistan on March 24, which could see Dean left out, but Keightley looked forward to the possibility of Brunt and Shrubsole bowling in tandem. Brunt was the leading wicket-taker in the Ashes with 11 from four matches at an average of 13.45 while Shrubsole took three wickets from four matches.”They both know their bodies really well,” Keightley said. “We’ll obviously look to see how they’re travelling throughout the tournament because we definitely want them at the back end.”We don’t want to show all our cards but we know if they’re opening together, our powerplay is usually pretty good, so if we’re fully fit and play our strongest side, there’s definitely that combination that we like to get together as much as we can. But we’ll wait and see on match-ups and pitches and we’ll go from there.”

Mbaye, who just turned age 16, will immediately join the youth setup of the Rossoneri

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AC Milan sign USYNT defender Mbaye16-year-old joins ranks of rising American stars in ItalyTeen is highly-rated defenderFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

AC Milan have reportedly signed U.S. youth international Astin Mbaye from the New York Red Bulls academy.

The 16-year-old has an EU passport, allowing him to leave at that age for the Italian. Several other teams in Europe were chasing his signature, while RBNY was in talks over a pro contract, but the have secured his services. Current U.S. internationals Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah both play for the Italian club.

Fabrizio Romano first reported the deal, while confirmed it with additional details.

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The RBNY academy has excelled in recent years, highlighted by the development of USMNT captain and Bournemouth star Tyler Adams, along with U.S. fullback John Tolkin, who plays for Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel.

The Eastern Conference MLS side also boast one of the most talented teenagers in all of MLS in Julian Hall, who is attracting interest from some of Europe's top teams at age 16.

Mbaye, meanwhile, has been a mainstay with the U15 youth national team, representing his nation six times at the U15 level, including at the December 2023 UEFA Developmental Tournament, where he bagged a goal against Scotland. He recently earned his first call-up to the U16 national team.

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The last American defender to play for the senior team of AC Milan was Oguchi Onyewu, who played for the from 2009-2011.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?

The senior team returns to the pitch on Saturday in Serie A action to take on Lecce. Sergio Conceicao's men sit ninth in the league standings.

Liverpool are planning to offer Conor Bradley a new contract as they see the young defender as long-term replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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Bradley set to sign new contractSlot considers youngster as Trent's replacementFull-back's current contract valid until 2027 Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Northern Irish defender penned a new contract only 15 months back, which is valid until the summer of 2027, but the Reds want to offer a fresh long-term deal to tie down the youngster at least until 2030, according to . The Liverpool academy graduate is reportedly ready to commit his future at Anfield, and his new contract will see a significant rise in his wages. The full-back currently earns £10,000 per week, but the figure will increase to £75,000 under the terms of the new deal.

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Arne Slot is known to be an admirer of Bradley and the Dutchman sees him as a potential long-term replacement for another academy graduate, Trent Alexander-Arnold. The England international is in the final few months of his contract and is tipped to join Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer.

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While the Reds have virtually given up on Alexander-Arnold, they remain hopeful of retaining the services of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, who are nearing the end of their respective deals.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

Arne Slot's side will be next seen in action on Wednesday as they take on Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 fixture in the French capital.