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The rationale behind his dipping strike rate is not clear, but he would want to try and find a way out

Shashank Kishore12-Apr-20224:49

Is Hardik Pandya’s batting position dictating his approach in IPL 2022?

When Virat Kohli said one “can’t create overnight what Hardik Pandya brings at No. 6” last October, he was referring to his middle-order power-hitting specifically. Over time, Hardik has been able to marry this ball-striking with the game-smarts that have made him a feared white-ball destroyer.Hardik, who has largely batted in the lower middle order, has notched up the seventh-most number of sixes in the IPL since 2017, with 92 hits.Related

• Williamson, Pooran help Sunrisers hand Titans their first defeat

• Nehra: 'From year one, you should be looking to win the tournament'

This fearless hitting was witnessed during the Champions Trophy final in 2017, where Hardik swatted six sixes against spin – almost immediately from the get-go – to make a whirlwind 43-ball 76 in a crumbling chase. We have seen that in Australia, where his finishing act – a 22-ball 42 – in a 195-chase helping India seal the T20I series in December 2020. He has done it numerous times for Mumbai Indians in the IPL.So, what makes Hardik tick? When in full flow, He can line up his scoring zones with a touch of brutality to his game. His powerful wrists and bottom-handed power have added different scoring zones to his repertoire. He can scythe wide yorkers behind point with the same efficacy as playing a helicopter to a yorker-length delivery.But so far this season, this version of Hardik hasn’t yet surfaced. His 141 runs in four innings this season have come at a strike rate of 122.60. This pales in comparison to his overall strike rate of 150.5 in the IPL. In the death overs, specifically, he strikes overall at a mind-boggling 187.60.This time around, Hardik has tried to take his innings deep, before trying to pull off a late jailbreak. This hasn’t worked, like it didn’t on Monday night against Sunrisers Hyderabad when he remained unbeaten on a 42-ball 50, with Gujarat Titans “finishing seven to 10 runs short” by his own admission.Barring the one knock against Punjab Kings where he made 18 off 27, Hardik has largely looked to build an innings. At Mumbai Indians, the presence of enforcers in Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock, and at times Kieron Pollard, left him with a clear mandate: of going out to take down attacks.2:15

Is No. 4 Hardik Pandya’s best position?

At Titans, it’s easy to assume it’s perhaps the added captaincy responsibility that is making him restrictive in his approach. But there could be a bigger factor at play: the auction. Titans made a splash when they signed Shubham Gill and Rashid Khan along with Hardik as their core group of players, but the batting is still thin on experience.Abhinav Manohar is a middle-order finisher, who hadn’t played a single T20 game until six months ago. B Sai Sudharsan has been picked on the back of one prolific Tamil Nadu Premier League season. It makes for a great story to tell how the franchise has backed two new players to rise to the occasion, but when it affects the overall batting dynamics, it’s hard not to look at the fault lines.Both Manohar and Sudharsan are now playing the role of enforcers. While Gill has been in scintillating touch, Matthew Wade has managed just 56 runs in four innings. Vijay Shankar, a batter they would’ve hoped a lot more from, finds himself out of the mix, firstly because of injury and then due to team combination.The top order isn’t brimming with alternatives either. Hardik’s move up to No. 4 has meant leaving the role he dearly loves to the likes of David Miller and Rahul Tewatia. There is one problem, though. Miller is not the same player that he has been. Since IPL 2016, Miller has the second-lowest strike rate among 59 batters who have faced over 500 balls,For Hardik, as a young captain, this can be a massive sacrifice, but it boils down to a lack of options. With only one other young batter in Rahmanullah Gurbaz to potentially fill in, the dearth of options may have fired Hardik to be a pillar at 4.Hardik’s captaincy mantra has revolved around “taking pressure off youngsters and asking them to play freely.” What freedom does he enjoy? It’s quite striking to look at the significant dip in strike rates of first-time Indian captains in the IPL as compared to the previous two seasons. Hardik’s dip from 151.67 in the previous two seasons to 122.6 currently is the biggest.As the season enters the second half and pitches tire, average scores could come down. Spinners may have a bigger say. The dew factor could be negligible, and Hardik may have to re-look at his approach.Even though it might not be his most ideal role, as a team man, one can understand his rationale behind doing it. But he would want to try and find a way out.

Erling Haaland made a dig at Jamie Carragher amid the Mohamed Salah row as he labelled the Liverpool legend "a loose cannon" after Manchester City edged out Real Madrid in the Champions League. The Norwegian striker’s first-half penalty completed City’s comeback in a tense 2-1 victory over Los Blancos, which tightened their grip on a direct qualification spot for the round of 16 in Europe.

City seal crucial Bernabeu victory

Rodrygo had put Madrid ahead on 28 minutes, finishing sharply after a sweeping counter-attack to end a prolonged goal drought. But City, as they so often do, responded almost immediately. A chaotic scramble in the Madrid box allowed 18-year-old Nico O’Reilly to stab home from close range, levelling the match and stunning a restless Bernabéu crowd. Just before the interval, Haaland was bundled over by Antonio Rudiger, and he dispatched the resulting penalty, sending Thibaut Courtois the wrong way. Madrid pushed hard in the second half as Jude Bellingham saw his lofted, delicate effort sail over the woodwork and Endrick’s late header skimmed the crossbar, but Pep Guardiola’s side held firm to leave Spain with vital three points.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHaaland lights up post-match interview

The entertainment did not stop at full-time. Appearing on , Haaland joined Kate Scott, Thierry Henry, Micah Richards and Carragher for an interview that quickly veered into playful chaos. 

Richards began by asking the striker how he was feeling. Haaland smirked: "I’m getting nervous with Jamie Carragher in the studio!" The comment triggered a burst of laughter before Carragher reassured him, perhaps not entirely convincingly, "You don’t need to be nervous, Erling."

When asked to choose between Carragher and Rudiger, his bruising marker for much of the match, Haaland fired another shot. He said: "I mean, I think I have to say Rudiger now because Carragher is a bit of a loose cannon now."

The jokes continued when Carragher invited Haaland onto his podcast alongside Roy Keane. With a grin, the striker replied: "I mean Jamie Carragher in this moment, and Roy Keane, I think I need to bring my father." Haaland’s comment referenced the infamous clash between Keane and his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, over two decades ago in the Manchester derby when a rash tackle from the United midfielder almost ended Haaland senior's career. Carragher could only laugh and seal it with: "It’s a deal."

Angry Carragher aimed fiery rant at Salah

Carragher's explosive criticism of Salah after Liverpool’s weekend draw has stirred controversy. Speaking on Sky Sports' Carragher accused Salah of deliberately fuelling tension by giving a rare mixed-zone interview that took aim at Slot and the club officials. 

"I thought it was a disgrace what he did after the game," Carragher said. "Some people have painted it as an emotional outburst, I do not think it was. I think whenever Mo Salah stops in a mixed zone, which he's done four times in eight years at Liverpool, it is choreographed by him and his agent to cause maximum damage and to strengthen his own position.

"He did that 12 months ago and I called him out on this show about it. He played on the heartstrings of the Liverpool supporters. Liverpool were top of the league and he'd scored the wining goal at Southampton. That was the time to come out and put pressure on the Liverpool ownership. For the rest of the season you have banners in the crowd saying 'Give Mo his dough'. He's chosen this weekend to do this now and he's waited for a bad result, they've conceded a last minute goal. The Liverpool supporters, the manager, the whole club feels like it is in the gutter at the moment, and he's chosen that time to go for the manager and maybe try and get him sacked. That's the way I felt about it."

The former defender softened his stance slightly after Liverpool’s Champions League win over Inter Milan, addressing Salah directly: "Mo, I apologize if I’ve upset you. I love you as a Liverpool player, but you need to behave yourself off the pitch."

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Goal ARSaudi interest in Salah intensifies

With the forward benched for three straight Premier League matches and talk of a move to Saudi Arabia has accelerated.

At the World Football Summit in Riyadh, Saudi league executive Omar Mugharbel openly acknowledged interest in the Egyptian superstar. "Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League," he said. "The clubs are responsible for negotiations, but he is certainly one of the targets."

According to , Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad are preparing to test Liverpool’s resolve, believing they can tempt Salah with a package that could eclipse previous offers rejected by the Premier League club.

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Sousa e Red Bull Bragantino se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (1), pelo jogo de ida da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil. A bola vai rolar a partir das 18h (de Brasília), no Estádio Marizão, na Paraíba, com transmissão do Amazon PrimeVideo (streaming).

➡️ Copa do Brasil: aposte e fature com os mercados a longo prazo do Lance! Betting!

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

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

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
SOUSA X RB BRAGANTINO
COPA DO BRASIL – TERCEIRA FASE – IDA

🗓️ Data e horário: quarta-feira, 1 de maio de 2024, às 18h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Estádio Marizão, em Sousa (PB)
📺 Onde assistir: PrimeVideo
🟨 Árbitro: Lucas Guimaraes Rechatiko Horn (RS)
🚩 Assistentes: Michael Stanislau (RS) e Mauricio Coelho Silva Penna (RS)
🖥️ VAR: Diego Pombo Lopez (VAR-Fifa) (BA)

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
SOUSA (Técnico: Paulo Schardong)
Bruno Fuso; Douglas Dias, Breno Cézar, Marcelo Duarte e Jackson; Emersonn Bastos, Hebert Cristian, Alexandre Aruá e Reinaldo; Hiago Ramiro e Diego Ceará.

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RB BRAGANTINO (Técnico: Pedro Caixinha)
Cleiton; Nathan Mendes, Pedro Henrique, Eduardo Santos e Juninho Capixaba; Jadsom, Eric Ramires e Gustavo Neves; Vitinho, Mosquera e Eduardo Sasha.

Tudo sobre

BragantinoCopa do BrasilOnde assistir

David Miller has been ruled out of South Africa’s T20I series in Pakistan, while fast bowler Gerald Coetzee will miss the entire white-ball leg of the tour due to injuries.Miller was named stand-in captain for the T20I series with regular captain Aiden Markram rested, but he has been sidelined after scans conducted on Wednesday confirmed he had suffered a grade-1 right hamstring strain during training in the build-up to the tour. “He will now begin a phased rehabilitation program,” CSA said.Allrounder Donovan Ferreira will captain the side in the three-match T20I series, which begins on October 28 in Rawalpindi. Ferreira had recently led South Africa in a one-off T20I against Namibia, which South Africa lost by four wickets.Coetzee was ruled out of both the T20I and ODIs in Pakistan due to a pectoral muscle injury. The 25-year-old sustained the injury during the T20I against Namibia. He bowled 1.3 overs in that game before he left the field and did not return.”Subsequent scans revealed the extent of the injury and following specialist consultation, he has commenced a structured rehabilitation program under the supervision of the Cricket South Africa High Performance and Momentum Multiply Titans medical teams,” CSA said.Left-arm seamer Kwena Maphaka had also been ruled out of the Pakistan tour with a hamstring strain, which he sustained while playing in a domestic first-class match in early October.South Africa have included batters Matthew Breetzke and uncapped Tony de Zorzi in the T20I squad, while fast bowler Ottneil Bartman was named as Coetzee’s replacement in the ODI squad. Breetzke had earlier also been named captain of the ODI side. The three-match ODI series begins right after the T20I leg, on November 4 in Faisalabad. The T20I squad will depart for Islamabad on October 23.

South Africa’s squad for Pakistan T20Is

Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Donovan Ferreira (capt), Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Andile Simelane, Lizaad Williams, Ottneil Baartman

South Africa’s squad for Pakistan ODIs

Matthew Breetzke (capt), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, George Linde, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sinethemba Qeshile, Ottneil Baartman

Fanning, Bancroft and Cartwright all made half-centuries in WA’s 298 for 9 before the quicks cleaned up SA for 232, with Harvey making 76 in the losing chase

AAP24-Sep-2025Western Australia opener Sam Fanning has top-scored before teammate Joel Paris claimed five wickets in a 66-run one-day win against South Australia in Adelaide.Fanning’s 75 from 91 balls and half-centuries from Cameron Bancroft (63) and Hilton Cartwright (55) steered WA to 298 for 9 from 50 overs on Wednesday.SA were bowled out for 232 from 44.3 overs in reply at Karen Rolton Oval with the left-arm seamer Paris taking a career best 5 for 42 to claim player of the match honours.SA’s defence of the Dean Jones Trophy is in early strife with consecutive losses, while WA banked their first win from two outings. WA, led by Paris and 19-year-old quick Albert Esterhuysen (3-42), who was on debut, prevailed after weathering an early onslaught from SA’s Mackenzie Harvey (76 from 65 balls).The aggressive opener struck 11 fours and one six after the early loss of his partner Jake Fraser-McGurk, who smacked three fours but was dismissed for 14 from 10 balls.SA’s top order failed to fire with second-gamer Harry Manenti (39 from 49 balls), Jake Lehmann (33 from 42) and acting captain Jason Sangha (18 from 24) unable to cash in on promising starts.Cameron Bancroft and Sam Fanning posted half-centuries•Getty ImagesEarlier, WA openers Fanning and Joel Curtis made a brisk start with an 86-run partnership in less than 13 overs. The stand was broken when Curtis (44 from 33 balls) edged to wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen from the bowling of Manenti (1-51).Fanning and Bancroft combined for a 92-run partnership, taking the visitors to a position of power at 174 for 1 in the 29th over.But the dismissal of Fanning, who struck three sixes and four fours from 91 balls, allowed SA to stifle momentum as WA lost 4 for 49 in the next 10 overs. Sam Whiteman, Ashton Turner and Ashton Agar all fell cheaply.And when Bancroft was out lbw to legspinner Lloyd Pope, WA were 223 for 5 in the 38th over and could only muster 75 more runs from the next dozen overs.Pope finished with 2 for 51 from 10 overs, Hanno Jacobs took 2 for 61 from nine on debut for SA while pacer Jordan Buckingham was the pick of the bowlers with a miserly 2 for 33 from 10 overs.

لا يزال روني باردجي نجم برشلونة يحاول التأقلم مع ناديه الجديد، وقد حصل على أكثر من فرصة للمشاركة تحت قيادة هانز فليك هذا الموسم.

وعبر باردجي عن سعادته بعودة فريقه للتدريب في ملعب الكامب نو، وذكر في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “كان الأمر مميزا وكان حلما، تحول الأمر إلى سحر لا يقارن في ملعب الكامب نو عندما وضعنا أقدامنا في الملعب”.

وأضاف: “مع أن الملعب لم يكن ممتلئاً حتى بنصف سعته، إلا أنه كان مميزاً للغاية، حضر الكثير في المدرجات لذا كان الأمر رائعا وكانت تجربة يصعب وصفها”.

وتفاعل باردجي مع صور ليونيل ميسي المنتشرة لمتابعة سير أعمال وتجديدات الكامب نو، وواصل: “في الحقيقة لم يكن أحد يعلم بوجوده هناك وكنت أتمنى رؤيته”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. سولشاير: لاعب برشلونة يشبه هالاند.. وحزنت لابتعاده عن مستواه بعض الوقت

وسئل باردجي حول إذا كان يريد عودة ميسي إلى برشلونة وأجاب: “سيكون من الرائع مقابلته يوماً ما وربما اللعب معه بالطبع، هذا كل شيء”.

وتحدث باردجي عن ماركوس راشفورد وانسجامه معه بعد انضمامهم هذا الصيف: “إنه رائع، نحن كأخوة نقضي كل يوم معاً، نلعب ونفوز ونخسر معاً وتجمعنا علاقة ممتازة خارج الملعب، نحاول قضاء أكبر وقت ممكن معاً لبناء علاقة جيدة”.

وأتم باردجي عن لامين يامال الذي يتصدر عناوين الأخبار باستمرار: “نعلم أنه كان يعاني من بعض المشاكل، لا أعرف ما يشعر به، لعب بعض المباريات مؤخراً وربما عاد الألم قليلاً، لا تعليق”.

واتختم باردجي عن علاقته مع هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة: “لدي علاقة جيدة مع هانز، هو مدرب رائع، النادي يثق بي، هذا يعني لي الكثير”.

Premier League fans will have enjoyed a feast of football after the conclusion of the international break. However, a former player in England’s top-flight calling out Jake Paul may not have been on their bingo card this weekend!

Former Premier League star Curtis Davies claims KO victory over Paddy Kenny

Boxing is a sport that has seen plenty of high-profile crossovers in recent years. On Saturday night, it was the turn of former Hull City defender Curtis Davies and ex-Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Paddy Kenny to pull on the gloves for charity.

The Sun report that Graham Stack was behind the event, one that also saw Jody Morris and David Bentley go head-to-head, among other bouts involving Leroy Lita, Lee Trundle and Greg Halford, but Davies and Kenny grabbed the headlines due to a turn of events in Mayfair that has garnered social media attention.

With both ex-footballers fighting it out looking to raise money for Playskill, Willow Foundation, Helping Hands and Sport In Mind, Davies took the victory ruthlessly, knocking out Kenny in the first round to claim a resounding victory.

Despite showing admirable bravery to carry on after his opponent landed a series of blows, Kenny, a former Republic of Ireland international, was eventually downed after a standing count took place moments earlier, in footage that can be seen below courtesy of The Daily Mail.

Unfortunately, the Sheffield United favourite needed oxygen after suffering the knockout blow. Hopefully, he can recover well following a bruising affair with some noble causes at the heart of the event.

Davies said after the fight: “Really pleased, I’ve worked hard for this, it’s bittersweet, I love Paddy to bits, I didn’t want to have to knock him about, but that’s what we’re here to do. It’s all for charity, yes, but I enjoyed that win.”

Curtis Davies calls out Jake Paul after victory over Paddy Kenny

Later on, Davies took the surprise step of calling out world-renowned influencer and professional fighter Jake Paul, alongside signalling his intention to enter the Misfits boxing scene.

Whether his comments were tongue-in-cheek or not remains to be seen, but he said after speaking about his victory:

In his heyday, Davies was a dominant central defender who would offer a physical challenge to any striker in the English football pyramid, and it appears he may have found a new calling in boxing, becoming part of a growing trend of ex-players who have swapped boots for gloves.

Curtis Woodhouse has carved out a successful career in the sport. At the same time, Danny Simpson have been involved in Misfits, creating some intriguing match-ups in a different setting to test out their competitive nature.

Either way, charity was the real winner on this occasion, and money raised will go towards helping vital causes after a momentous night of action in Mayfair.

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O Palmeiras de Abel Ferreira talvez viva a sua pior fase ofensiva em quase três anos de trabalho do português no Brasil.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Com apenas dois gols nos últimos cinco jogos, a paciência da torcida com a atual formação de ataque parece estar se esgotando.

Foram apenas três partidas nos últimos 22 dias, onde o técnico poderia ter testado trios e opções diferentes para o ataque, mas Abel optou por manter Mayke improvisado na ponta direita e Artur improvisado na esquerda.

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Neste mesmo período, o Verdão cruzou mais de 100 bolas na área sendo que não acertou nem um terço delas. Só na derrota para o Grêmio foram mais de 40 cruzamentos e mais uma vez um índice baixo de acerto.

Está mais do que claro que essa atual formação não está funcionando e o técnico terá o seu maior desafio para resolver no setor ofensivo em seus três anos de Brasil.

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O próximo jogo é o mais importante do ano, e o Palmeiras não pode passar por uma semifinal em La Bombonera assim como em 2018, sem dar um chute no gol do Boca Juniors.

Eu iria de Endrick, Rony e Artur, mas ele tem outras opções como Breno Lopes e as crias Kevin e Luís Guilherme. Também daria pra jogar com dois meias e aí Jhon Jhon e Richard Rios poderiam brigar por uma vaga.

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Não sei o que Abel vai fazer, só sei que o campo está mostrando que atual formação é muito inofensiva.

E apontar o dedo nessa ferida não me faz ser um corneteiro e muito menos não confiar no trabalho dele, mas sim alertar para que o Palmeiras volte a ser o o time agressivo que foi nos últimos anos.

+ De olho no Boca, Gustavo Gómez vê falta de eficácia do Palmeiras, mas diz: ‘Merecíamos mais’

Observação final: mesmo com a atual péssima fase do ataque, o Verdão segue sendo o melhor ataque da Libertadores e o terceiro melhor ataque do Brasileirão…

Mjallby AIF, based in a small fishing village, have achieved an incredible feat as they secured their first-ever Swedish league title with a 2-0 win over Goteborg on Sunday. Mjallby made history with three games to spare as they now lead second-placed Hammarby by 11 points. The club have secured an outstanding 20 wins in 27 league games and have lost just once.

Leicester-esque achievement from Mjallby

Mjallby AIF come from a small southern fishing village Hallevik, which has a population of just 1,500. With a 2-0 win over Goteborg on Monday night, the club wrote an unthinkable underdog story as they secured their first-ever Swedish top division title. In the process, they have also secured a berth in the 2026-27 Champions League (second qualifying round) for the first time in their history. Mjallby's achievement is drawing comparisons to what Leicester City achieved in the 2015-16 season when they won the Premier League, beating a 5000-1 odds. Also, it has to be noted that when the Foxes did the unthinkable in England a decade ago, Mjallby were struggling in Sweden's third tier. 

The current era in Sweden has been mostly dominated by Malmo, who won in eight out of the last 12 editions of the Allsvenskan. However, Mjallby have broken that recent dominance, managing to do so on a budget estimated to be around 15 per cent of Malmo's.

AdvertisementAFPHow have rivals described Mjallby's historic season?

Kim Hellberg, head coach of Hammarby, who have been Mjallby's closest rival in the 2025 campaign and are poised to finish as runners-up, spoke highly of the new champions.

"Mjallby are a really good side," he said. "They’ve been absolutely fantastic, they've exceeded all expectations. It's also a team that has got an exceptional amount out of what they've created. If you look at the underlying numbers, they've been overperforming quite a lot."

Who are the key figures behind Mjallby's success?

Firstly, Mjallby's head coach Anders Torstensson has to be named who has played a key role in club's historic success. 59-year-old Torstensson is assisted by Karl Marius Aksum, a tactics guru who has a PHD in 'visual perception in football'. The club have sold several of their youth players and reinvested the money judiciously for fresh signings, strictly based on data-based recruitment. This has resulted in the club signing Gambian attacker Abdoulie Manneh. 

Another key figure in their dressing is 23-year-old goalkeeper Noel Tornqvist who has had exceptional campaign with the now Swedish champions. Mjallby conceded only 17 goals throughout the season and much of that credit goes to the Swedish custodian. Tornqvist was so good at his job that he attracted interest from Como boss Cesc Fabregas, who signed the goalkeeper in the summer but loaned him back for the remainder of 2025. Tornqvist will soon head to Italy to play in Serie A from January following the conclusion of the Swedish campaign. He has also earned a call up to the national team after Sweden's long-serving No.1 Robin Olsen announced his international retirement.

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GettyMjallby's achievement a silver lining amid Sweden national team's crisis

While Mjallby's historic title win will inspire clubs across the globe, the Sweden national team's performance is at an all-time low. They are on the verge of failing to qualify for the expande 48-strong World Cup after taking just one point from their first four matches. Most recently they lost back-to-back games in the October international break against Switzerland and Kosovo. The losses meant that only a miracle can help them secure a berth in the World Cup next year.

Sweden took steps to remedy that by sacking head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson. The Dane became Sweden's first-ever foreign coach in February 2024 but his reign lasted less than two years as he was relieved of his duties last Tuesday, a day after Sweden suffered that embarrassing loss against Kosovo.

Both of Sweden's star forwards, Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak, featured in the October clashes but the high profile Premier League pair failed miserably in front of goal. Sweden next face Switzerland and Slovenia in their final two group fixtures in November. If they win those last two matches, they will at least stand a chance to progress to the World Cup play-offs next month. 

Manchester United had to react to what happened in the 2024/25 campaign after they endured a dismal end to the season under head coach Ruben Amorim.

The Red Devils lost 18 of their 38 Premier League matches, finishing 15th in the division, and lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Europa League.

Instead of opting to change manager once again, despite Amorim’s struggles and some question marks over his 3-4-2-1 system, the club opted to change things by dipping into the transfer market.

Manchester United invested in the forward line, despite a lack of European football, by signing Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko to bolster the manager’s options up front.

It is now down to Amorim to find a way to get the best out of those three exciting attacking recruits to ensure that the Red Devils do not go through another dismal season.

Mbeumo has already scored twice, against Grimsby and Burnley, since moving from Brentford, but United supporters are still waiting to see the best out of Cunha in a red shirt.

Why there is more to come from Matheus Cunha

The Brazil international has failed to score a goal or create a ‘big chance’ for the team in his three Premier League starts for United so far this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he has had an underwhelming start to his career in Manchester.

However, there is no need to panic because Cunha is a proven Premier League star who has shown that he can deliver consistent quality at the top end of the pitch, as evidenced by his form for Wolverhampton Wanderers last season.

The chart above shows that he should be a huge upgrade on Mason Mount in the number ten position when he finds his feet at Old Trafford and starts to deliver the kind of performances everyone knows that he is capable of, due to his ability to make an impact in front of goal.

Cunha, who signed for Wolves from Atletico Madrid, has proven that he can score goals and create high-quality opportunities for his teammates at an impressive rate in the Premier League.

As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian maestro scored 27 goals and created 20 ‘big chances’ in 55 appearances in the top-flight for Wolves in the last two seasons, outperforming his xG by a significant margin in both of those campaigns.

This shows that Manchester United have signed a star who is proven in the division and will deliver quality in the final third if Amorim can set the team up to get him in enough positions to make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, there is no need to panic or rush to judgement over Cunha’s fairly slow start to life at Old Trafford, because there is plenty more to come from the Brazilian maestro, given what he has already achieved in the Premier League in the Midlands.

If the former Atletico Madrid attacking midfielder does fail to translate his Wolves form over to Manchester, though, Amorim may find the club’s own homegrown version of Cunha from the academy.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

19-year-old attacking midfielder Jack Moorhouse, who is currently on loan at Leyton Orient in League One, could emerge as Manchester United’s own Cunha in the future if he continues to develop and progress in his career.

Why Jack Moorhouse could be a homegrown Matheus Cunha

Judging young players and predicting what their ceiling is or how they will develop over time is not an exact science, which is why so many players fail to make the grade after emerging as exciting talents early on in their careers.

Moorhouse did not burst onto the scene at 16 like Lamine Yamal or score in the Premier League at 18 like Kobbie Mainoo, but he has shown some very promising signs that bode well for the future.

The teenage talent scored four goals and provided two assists in 13 starts as an attacking midfielder for the Red Devils at U18 and U21 level, per Transfermarkt, almost a goal contribution every other game.

Analyst Ben Mattinson, in the post above, was impressed by his performances for United’s academy sides, describing him as a “game-breaking ball carrier” who is “ideal” for the left-sided number ten role in Amorim’s system, which is currently occupied by Cunha.

Moorhouse’s best performance for Leyton Orient so far this season came in a 3-1 win over Peterborough United in the EFL Trophy, and his display was Cunha-esque on paper.

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland U21 international showcased his quality as a goalscorer, a creator, and a dribbler, which are Cunha’s main three attributes as a player.

You can see in the clips above that Moorhouse loves to drive forward with the ball at his feet, taking players on, and he scored an excellent goal from range with his weak foot.

Albeit against very different opposition, the goal was not too dissimilar to the one that Cunha scored against Premier League champions Liverpool earlier this year for Wolves.

Both Moorhouse and Cunha are attack-minded midfielders who can score goals and create chances for their teammates, but they are also exciting players to watch because of the way they carry the ball and take defenders on.

Therefore, Manchester United may be brewing their homegrown version of the Brazil international at Carrington and Leyton Orient, and it is now down to the Irish maestro to develop and take the next steps in his career to convince Amorim to bring him into the first-team next season.

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By
Dan Emery

Sep 7, 2025