Após o duelo conta o Red Bull Bragantino, Renato Gaúcho cobrou publicamente a diretoria do Grêmio e pediu reforços para a sequência da temporada 2023.A declaração pegou muita gente de surpresa, já que semanas antes o próprio comandante havia exaltado seu grupo e garantido que iria brigar de igual com os principais times do país.
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Em meio aos debates, Renato Gaúcho compareceu à sala de imprensa nesta terça-feira e deu a sua versão sobre os fatos. Como não poderia ser diferente, ele amenizou as próprias declarações, admitiu que errou e defendeu o elenco.
– Eu conversei com o (presidente Alberto) Guerra, com a diretoria. Me precipitei de algumas coisas que falei naquela entrevista, mas foi no sentido de tirar a responsabilidade do grupo. Eu sempre tiro a responsabilidade do grupo. Conversamos que precisamos de velocidade, mas esbarra na parte financeira – afirmou.
Calendário
Com o clima mais leve, Renato Gaúcho espera que seu time apresente um bom futebol e consiga derrotar o Cruzeiro nesta quarta-feira, às 19h30 (de Brasília), pelo jogo de ida das oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil.A primeira partida será em Porto Alegre.
Manchester City have secured the future of one of their brightest young stars, with Rico Lewis committing his long-term future to the Premier League giants. The 20-year-old defender has signed a fresh two-year extension to his existing agreement, ensuring he remains at the Etihad until 2030. Reports suggest there is also an option that could stretch his stay through to 2031.
Lewis turned down summer exit rumours
Despite heavy speculation linking him with a switch to Nottingham Forest during the transfer window, Lewis made it clear he had no interest in leaving. His loyalty has now been rewarded with a contract that cements his place in Pep Guardiola’s squad for the foreseeable future. For a player who has been part of City’s set-up since he was eight years old, the deal represents the latest chapter in a fairytale rise.
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Lewis expresses pride over City commitment
Lewis could not hide his delight after putting pen to paper.
“Manchester City mean everything to me so to have been given the opportunity to sign this new contract is such a special moment both for me personally and my family,” Lewis said.
“I am still improving and developing as a player, and I know that the opportunity to carry on working with Pep, his coaching team and our amazing squad will only help me to keep getting better. I have spent so much of my life at this club. City means everything to me, so to be able to stay longer makes me incredibly happy.
“It’s an absolute honour and privilege to represent the Club every single day and to play in front of our fantastic fans who have always been so supportive of me. I will give everything to try and help us look to achieve more success both this season and beyond and with the world class squad we have, I very am excited about what the future holds for the Club.”
From academy prodigy to treble winner
Lewis has been part of City’s academy since childhood, working his way through every level before breaking into the senior side during the historic treble-winning season of 2022/23. The defender has since gone on to feature almost 100 times for the first team, a staggering achievement for a player who has only turned 20. Guardiola has increasingly deployed him as a hybrid midfielder, where his technical ability, tactical awareness and energy have added an extra layer of dynamism to City’s style of play. This adaptability has made him indispensable in a squad stacked with world-class talent.
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Trophy cabinet already stacked with silverware
At just 20 years of age, Lewis already boasts a collection of silverware that would make seasoned veterans envious. He has lifted two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the Community Shield.
Chelsea certainly appear to be a team who are aiming for a big season in 2025/26.
Enzo Maresca not only led the Blues to a wonderful triumph at the Club World Cup, but he simultaneously managed to bolster his squad in the process.
In came João Pedro and Liam Delap. Elsewhere, Jamie Gittens was signed to bolster Maresca’s wide options, while Brazilian sensation Estevao will link up with the club ahead of the new season.
Chelsea forward Joao Pedro
It is a summer of change at Stamford Bridge, and the victory stateside will only heighten expectations once the Premier League season gets underway in a few weeks.
The $125m that the club won at the tournament this summer will help fund a few of the summer signings, but Maresca will be looking to sell a raft of players to fund more incomings.
João Felix and Christopher Nkunku could be set to leave the club this summer. As to Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga and Raheem Sterling in the coming weeks.
These players could fetch decent fees, which, in turn, will allow the club to further bolster key positions.
Noni Madueke has also been sold to Arsenal, while Nicolas Jackson is being heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge. These two might be the biggest losses.
Chelsea looking to sell more players
Given the imminent arrival of Estevao at Stamford Bridge, plus the presence of Pedro Neto, it was evident that Madueke’s chances of regular game time on the right flank would be limited next term.
When Arsenal began to show serious interest, it was only a matter of when and not if the Gunners would seal the deal.
Noni Madueke for Chelsea
His sale could earn Chelsea around £50m, which is a remarkable sum for a player who scored seven Premier League goals for the Blues last term.
Jackson has been subject to interest from a host of clubs since the summer transfer window opened a few weeks ago.
Recently, however, it is Manchester United who are keen on securing a move for the Senegal international.
According to reports, United have already held talks with Jackson’s representatives regarding a potential move to Old Trafford.
With Pedro and Delap looking like they will share the centre-forward workload this season, is there any room for Jackson?
Chelsea'sNicolasJacksonreacts after being shown a red card by referee Ivan Barton
Last term, he made just 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring only 13 goals in the process for the club.
His form tailed off towards the end of the season after a decent start, going on to find the back of the net on four occasions after Christmas.
Given his competition for a place in the starting XI combined with his poor form throughout 2025, Jackson could seek a fresh start by moving away from London.
Nicolas Jackson
He could easily command a fee of over £50m in the current market, and he wouldn’t exactly be a massive loss to Maresca.
The Blues might have to brace themselves for a potential offer for one of their star players, however, and he would be a far bigger loss than Madueke and Jackson combined…
Chelsea could receive an offer for Cole Palmer
While Maresca is keen on selling several of his first-team players this summer to raise funds, certain players won’t be for sale.
Cole Palmer is one such name. The Englishman is at the forefront of the club’s recent success, and he will have another big part to play next season.
An extraordinary recent report from Spain has claimed that Manchester City are looking to bring him back to the Etihad, just two years after selling him.
Indeed, Pep Guardiola is willing to offer Chelsea £147m to seal a swoop for the former City academy graduate, and he could be the final part of the jigsaw for the Spaniard.
It is highly unlikely that Maresca will even consider such an offer, despite it meaning the club could rake in £100m profit on the midfielder. He is far more important than that ahead of the new season.
What Chelsea would lose if Palmer leaves
For a fee of just £40m, Palmer has arguably been one of the finest signings in the club’s recent history.
Hailed as having a “special quality” in front of goal by Guardiola a few years ago, Palmer soon emerged as one of the finest talents in the Premier League during his maiden season at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer scored 27 goals and grabbed 15 assists for the Blues as they sealed a return to European football under Mauricio Pochettino.
Last season, the former City starlet registered 32 goal contributions across all competitions, particularly shining at the recent Club World Cup.
Indeed, the attacking midfielder was in sublime form stateside. Aside from his five-goal involvements, Palmer averaged 3.5 shots per game, created four big chances while also averaging two key passes each game.
He powered the club to the title, and it sets him up for another wonderful campaign at Stamford Bridge.
This will be the first time the Blues will play in the Champions League since 2022/23, highlighting how important it is for them to keep Palmer.
Palmer’s Premier League stats for Chelsea
Metric
2023/24
2024/5
Goals
22
15
Assists
11
8
Big chances created
17
24
Key passes per game
2.1
2.5
Shots per game
3.2
3.4
Via Sofascore
While everyone has their price, Maresca will surely be ready to turn down any official bid should it arrive in the coming days; that’s for sure.
Jackson and Madueke are certainly dispensable, with the Blues already having players better than them in the current squad.
As for Palmer, there might not be a better attacking midfielder in the whole of England who has offered as much as the Englishman since he moved to London.
There are plenty of weeks left in the transfer window, but every single Chelsea fan will be hoping that their talisman remains at the club. Not just for next season, but for the foreseeable future too.
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Chelsea are now just two games away from being crowned champions of the world.
Late on Friday night, the Blues booked their place in the Club World Cup semi-finals, thanks to a 2-1 victory over Palmeiras at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Cole Palmer broke the deadlock early, only for Chelsea-bound Estêvão Willian to score a stunning equaliser, but Malo Gusto’s late cross was deflected into his own net by Agustín Giay as the Londoners prevailed in Pennsylvania.
Enzo Maresca’s team will now take on Fluminense in Tuesday’s semi-finals at MetLife Stadium, the third different Brazilian club they’ve faced this summer, firm favourites to reach the final, where either Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid await.
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Meantime, Chelsea remain, as is their want, extremely busy in the transfer market, with João Pedro debuting off the bench on Friday, while Jamie Gittens has since arrived too, it could mean that another of their forward players is to take his leave.
The latest on Noni Madueke's Chelsea future
As reported by Sam Dean and Sam Wallace of the Telegraph, Arsenal are preparing a £50m bid for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke.
Meantime, David Ornstein of the Athletic notes that the England international has actually already ‘agreed personal terms’ with the Gunners, and this deal appears as though it could actually happen, with Madueke thereby becoming the tenth player to leave Chelsea for Arsenal in the modern era, six of which have done so since 2019.
Players Arsenal have signed from Chelsea (1992-present)
Players
Year
Fee
William Gallas
2006
£5m
Lassana Diarra
2007
£6m
Yossi Benayoun
2011
Loan
Petr Čech
2015
£10m
David Luiz
2019
£8m
Willian
2020
Free
Jorginho
2023
£12m
Kai Havertz
2023
£65m
Raheem Sterling
2024
Loan
Kepa Arrizabalaga
2025
£5m
Information courtesy of Premier League.com
A real mixed bag there from an Arsenal perspective, with Chelsea supporters very much viewing their North London rivals as a bit of a dumping ground, but could a highly-rated teenager be moving in the opposite direction?
Chelsea targeting Madueke upgrade
According to a report by Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are closely monitoring Ethan Nwaneri’s contractual situation at Arsenal and are ‘ready to attack the situation’.
The 18-year-old, only eligible to sign a professional contract since March, currently has just one year remaining on his deal with the Gunners, and James McNicholas of the Athletic has reported that ‘talks are at a delicate stage’, with the club desperate to tie down ‘such a valuable prospect’.
He adds that, before committing to anything, the £47m-rated youngster wants to seek assurances over his playing time, following a breakout season at Arsenal, seeing 1,378 minutes of action across all competitions, including starting 11 Premier League matches, scoring nine goals.
For context, despite his age and the fact he played 1,246 fewer minutes, he only scored two fewer goals than Madueke across all competitions, underlining the immense potential and talent that he possesses.
Indeed, Nwaneri is only the third player to score nine goals before their 18th birthday for a Premier League club, after Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, who weren’t bad, were they?
Described by Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout as a “magnificent talent”, he could well be the perfect long-term replacement for Madueke, but if it is indeed first-team opportunities that are the teenager’s priority, perhaps Chelsea are not the right club to join, considering all the wide-attacking options currently on their books.
Chelsea’s current wide attackers
Players
Age
Chelsea appearances
Cole Palmer
23
95
Noni Madueke
23
91
Pedro Neto
25
49
Christopher Nkunku
27
60
Raheem Sterling
30
81
João Félix
25
40
Jamie Gittens
20
0
Mykhailo Mudryk*
24
73
Tyrique George
19
26
Kendry Páez
18
0
Estêvão Willian
18
0
Omari Kellyman
19
0
*currently banned for doping.
All information courtesy of Transfermarkt
Fair to say, Maresca has a fair few options from which to choose out-wide, even if Mykhailo Mudryk is currently banned, while a couple of others are likely to depart, including the aforementioned Madueke and João Félix.
Nevertheless, might Nwaneri be the best of the lot?
Well, former Chelsea winger Joe Cole compared the teenager to Lionel Messi, following Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Leicester City in February, stating “you can’t mark him because he can go both ways… I don’t even want to say it, but it’s like Messi”.
Meantime, Lorihanna Balabanova of Total Football Analysis praises Nwaneri’s ‘versatility’ and phenomenal ‘potential’, adding that his ‘best attribute is his ability to find pockets and exploit spaces’.
Thus, it is clear that Nwaneri is a player who is poised to be a future star, and if there’s one thing Chelsea love, it is hoovering up such young talents, so will they strike again?
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Chelsea are reportedly on the verge of signing a free agent for manager Enzo Maresca, with the player leaving his club this summer and now readily available for hire.
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The Blues couldn’t get some high-profile deals signed and sealed in time before the pre-Club World Cup deadline, which passed on Tuesday at 7pm, but they could still add new players to the tournament’s squad thanks to a unique registration window open from June 27 to July 3.
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This does exclude winger Jamie Gittens, though, due to the fact he’ll be registered as a Borussia Dortmund player for the Club World Cup.
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
However, regardless of not being able to participate for Chelsea at the tournament in any aspect, if they do eventually strike a deal, club director Sebastien Kehl confirmed in an interview this week that Chelsea will hold transfer talks for the 20-year-old again.
“We spoke on the phone, in the end we did not agree, because we have different ideas about the current value of the player,” he said to Tage Spiegel.
“Jamie definitely makes our team better. We are glad that he is there. We are in a good exchange and see how things are shaping in the future.
Jamie Gittens
“Of course, at some point, if you take a player with it, you also have to sell. I assume that his market value will not fall. We will see to what extent we can keep it until the end of the tournament. There will be talks again.”
Alongside Gittens, Chelsea are believed to be prioritising new attacking additions right now, which includes a new winger, versatile attacking midfielder and another new striker after Liam Delap (Simon Phillips).
They could also add to their large crop of promising youngsters, following deals for Geovany Quenda, Dario Essugo and 19-year-old defender Mamadou Sarr from sister club Strasbourg in the last six months.
Chelsea close to finalising deal for ex-PNE defender Kian Best
According to a report from EFL Analysis, Chelsea want to sign former Preston North End left-back Kian Best on a free transfer.
The teenage defender was a “shock” departure from Deepdale this summer and is free to talk to clubs, which has piqued interest from Stamford Bridge officials who are now looking to bring Best to Cobham.
It is believed Chelsea are “close to finalising” a deal for Best after opening talks, with Maresca’s side pushing to make it happen. The England Under-19 international could then go out on loan to sister club Strasbourg to further his development.
Chelsea manager EnzoMarescaduring training
Despite interest from Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United, Best is on the verge of a move to Chelsea instead, and he’s been called “different class” by the manager who gave him his senior debut in 2023.
“His intelligence, passing range and quality on the ball is different class,” said former PNE boss Ryan Lowe.
“I think you only have to look at my record, I won’t hesitate to put them in regardless of how old they are. He’s definitely deserved a place in the team so far.”
With the summer transfer window well and truly back open, Aston Villa have a huge few weeks ahead.
After failing to qualify for the Champions League after defeat against Manchester United on the final day of the season, the West Midlands side find themselves in the Europa League.
That surely makes them less appealing to top players they are looking to sign, and also means they have less money, which could make it tough to turn the loan moves of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford into permanent deals. Spain international Asensio did not have a buy clause in his loan from Paris Saint-Germain, and it is unclear if he will come back.
Marco Asensio & Marcus Rashford for Aston Villa
Well, if it turns out that Asensio doesn’t re-sign for Villa, they seemingly have a replacement in mind.
Villa's potential Asensio replacement
It would certainly be a huge blow for Villa if they were to lose Asensio, who had a great impact and brought lots of technical quality in attacking areas to their squad. However, they seem to be targeting a fellow Spaniard to replace him.
According to a newspaper in Spain, via Caught Offside, Unai Emery and his side are seemingly targeting a move for Real Betis attacker Jesus Rodriguez. He reportedly has a release clause worth £30m in his current deal, but Betis are negotiating a new contract with the view of increasing the price of that release clause to around £43m.
Real Betis' Jesus Rodriguez.
Of course, the release clause makes this a complicated situation, and on top of that, Betis are thought to be set on keeping Rodriguez.
However, Villans’ sporting director Monchi ‘is determined to sign’ the attacker, and ‘will be leading negotiations to get the deal done’ this summer.
Why Rodríguez would be a good signing
Despite being just 19 years of age, Rodriguez had a strong second half of the campaign with Betis, after breaking into the first team under Manuel Pellegrini following a stint in the youth team until December.
Real Betis'JesusRodriguezcelebrates scoring their second goal
The Seville-born sensation played in 32 senior games last season for the club, scoring three times and grabbing one assist. He played a lot of first-team football, too, notching up 1739 minutes, the equivalent of 19 full 90-minute games. If anything, that shows the trust Pellegrini has in him already.
The 19-year-old attacker performed well in the UEFA Conference League last season, too. Although Betis lost in the final to Chelsea, he had an important role in their quest to the final, playing eight games and scoring against Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok.
There is no doubt about it, Rodriguez stepping into Asensio’s shoes at Villa Park would be no mean feat. Not only is he ten years younger and therefore far less experienced, but the impact he had at Villa would be tough to recreate.
Even Asensio himself struggled to continue the form he showcased during the early part of his career in the West Midlands. He scored eight times and grabbed one assist in 21 games, but after a rapid start, couldn’t keep up his hot run of form past the start of April.
When looking at the underlying stats on FBref last season for both Rodriguez, a Spain U21 international, and Asensio, there are some numbers that stack up well against each other. One of those is goal-creating actions, in which the Betis man averaged 0.41 per game compared to the Villa loanee’s 0.66, showing they are both involved in their team’s goals regularly.
Described as an “explosive” player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Rodriguez will certainly bring dynamic ball-carrying to Villa Park, more so than Asensio of the stats are anything to go by. The 19-year-old averaged 4.31 progressive carries each game last season, compared to Asensio’s 2.72 per 90 minutes.
Goal-creating actions
0.41
0.66
Progressive carries
4.31
2.72
Carries into penalty area
3.17
0.93
Take-ons completed
2.44
1.06
Ball recoveries
4.72
3.05
It is not hard to see why Rodriguez will be Emery’s new Asensio. Not only are they both Spanish attackers who can play across the frontline, but he has the technical quality of the former Real Madrid star, combined with the habit of being involved in goals, even if that is not directly.
This seems like a deal Monchi wants to get over the line, and for £30m, the value of his current release clause, it could be an excellent piece of business for the Villans.
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Manchester United have now agreed personal terms with a striker following talks with his entourage, but they must shell out €75m (£64m) to get a deal done, according to a report.
Man Utd's striker pursuit heating up
Following the late heroics against Lyon to progress to the Europa League semi-finals, Ruben Amorim would’ve been hoping to ride the momentum into the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend, but his side came up short in a 1-0 defeat.
It was a drab affair at Old Trafford, with Rasmus Hojlund once again failing to find the back of the net in the Premier League, having scored just one goal in his last 18 games, which highlights the need for a replacement to be brought in this summer.
The Red Devils and INEOS are now stepping up their pursuit of a new striker, and they are believed to be on the verge of signing Wolves star Matheus Cunha, having held positive talks over a deal for the Brazilian.
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Cunha is not the only option, however, with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap also on the list of targets ahead of the summer transfer window.
According to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness), there has now been a promising update in Manchester United’s pursuit of Victor Osimhen, as they are believed to have reached an agreement in principle on personal terms.
Galatasaray's VictorOsimhencelebrates scoring a goal that was later disallowed
United have held talks with Osimhen’s entourage, and negotiations appear to be going well, with the striker seemingly keen on a move to Old Trafford this summer, and Amorim’s side are now becoming more determined to get a deal done.
A deal will not be cheap, however, as the Red Devils will have to fork out the forward’s €75m (£64m) release clause, which only applies to clubs outside of Italy.
"World-class" Osimhen could be huge upgrade on Hojlund
Lauded as “world-class” by members of the media, the Nigerian is enjoying a fantastic season on loan at Galatasaray, amassing an incredible 30 goals in 35 matches across all competitions, while also providing seven assists.
Albeit playing in a much weaker league, the 26-year-old is vastly outscoring Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, and he has proven himself in one of Europe’s top leagues in the past, scoring 26 Serie A goals en-route to Napoli’s title triumph in the 2022-23 season.
Competition
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Turkish Süper Lig
25
21
4
Europa League
7
6
2
Turkish Cup
3
3
1
Osimhen could be a fantastic signing for Man United this summer, at which point signing a new striker should be one of their main priorities, given that Hojlund and Zirkzee cannot be relied upon as a regular source of goals.
One of the most underrated academies in English football could well be that of West Ham United. The Hammers have produced some exceptional players in the Premier League era, some of them going on to have legendary careers, though sadly away from East London.
Perhaps the most famous example is Frank Lampard, who broke through under Harry Redknapp and eventually joined Chelsea, where he became a key player at Stamford Bridge. Rio Ferdinand is another player who came through the Hammers academy, but he moved to Leeds, and then Manchester United, where he was a vital player under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Of course, there are other examples, including Jermaine Defoe, who broke through the first team at Upton Park. There are more recent talents to have come through West Ham’s academy system, who have now left.
Some of West Ham’s biggest academy losses
When you think of West Ham’s academy in the modern-day era, the one player who might spring to mind immediately is Declan Rice. The England international moved to Arsenal in 2023, but certainly left his mark on the London Stadium.
He made 245 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals and grabbing 13 assists from defensive midfield in that time. He also helped them to win the UEFA Conference League back in 2023, one of his final acts as a West Ham player.
Another player, who people may not know was once a West Ham academy player, is Ayden Heaven. However, he was poached by Arsenal as a youngster, and is now at Old Trafford like Ferdinand once was. So far, the youngster has made two Premier League appearances.
Heaven is not the only former West Ham academy man now plying his trade in Manchester. Striker Divin Mubama joined Manchester City last summer, and he has gone on to play twice this season, scoring once against Salford City in the FA Cup.
However, perhaps the most frustrating loss of an anace,y player in recent years is someone else poached by Man City.
West Ham’s biggest academy loss
Over on the Blue half of Manchester, they are not short of elite talent. However, Divine Mukasa, formerly of West Ham, is arguably one of the most exciting. He was described as a “serious talent” by football analyst Ben Mattinson.
In fact, Mattinson also says he believes Mukasa “would be playing for West Ham’s first team right now if he had stayed”, which further shows just how talented he is. He has certainly reached an exceptionally high level this season.
Muksas’s numbers for City’s under-18s this term are nothing short of incredible. In 25 games in the Under-18s Premier League and the FA Youth Cup, a competition in which City are in the final, he has managed 17 goals and 21 assists.
To break that down further, he has found the back of the net 16 times and created 15 goals for his teammates in the league, making just 20 appearances. In just five FA Youth Cup games, he’s grabbed a phenomenal six assists.
Mukasa has also stood out in the UEFA Youth League for City, and his underlying numbers via Sofascore show how well he has played. In eight games, he averaged 1.7 key passes per game and completed 0.6 dribbles.
Minutes
54.1
433
Assists
0.6
3
Key passes
1.7
8
Dribbles completed
0.6
3
Tackles and interceptions
1
5
In a West Ham shirt for the under-18s, Mukasa’s record was not as good as it was for City. He managed just one goal and one assist in ten games, playing 610 minutes, the equivalent of 6.7 full 90-minute games.
Based on his sparkling form in the Etihad youth ranks, it might not be long before he earns his chance in Pep Guardiola’s first-team ranks, with the Irons left faced with the prospect of witnessing one of their own go on to shine elsewhere – much like with the case of three-time Premier League winner and all-time top Chelsea goalscorer, Lampard.
There is no doubt that fumbling Mukasa was a real error by the Hammers. His talent is clear to see, and he could have had an impact in their side this season, if only they had managed to keep hold of him two years ago.
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Nagraj Gollapudi11-Jul-20240:59
Seales: West Indies lacking consistency in first Test
Inevitable. Even West Indies wouldn’t mind if that’s the general conclusion drawn from the manner in which they have all but surrendered the first Test to England. They are lucky that the denouement is deferred to the third morning.You don’t need to be in West Indies’ dressing room now to know how they must feel: dejected and defeated. Barely half an hour after the close of play, Jayden Seales, who took four first-innings wickets, sat with his head bowed before the media briefing started.His first answer summed up the sombre mood in the visiting camp: Seales said it was “frustrating looking up at the scoreboard” on Friday evening with England four wickets away from an innings victory. Seales blamed West Indies’ batters for failing on Thursday.Unfortunately, those batters failed on all fronts for second successive day. Once again, wickets fell in quick succession without any meaningful partnerships. In fact, the highest stand for the visitors in the match was the 44-run stand on Thursday between Mikyle Louis and Alick Athanaze. In contrast, England had three 50-plus stands that frustrated West Indies bowlers.Unlike the overcast first day, Friday was wonderfully sunny with Lord’s festively dressed in red to mark ‘Red for Ruth Day’. Harry Brook and Joe Root looked set for a big score each, but each was defeated by the mastery of the bowler. Brook went for a premeditated pull, but Alzarri Joseph had banged in a short-of-a-length delivery on the fifth-stump line that climbed fast to gain a top edge while Gudakesh Motie, coming from around the wicket, bowled an arm ball disguised as inswinger which landed on the side of the seam to deviate naturally by that little bit, enough to push back Root’s off stump.Motie has already bowled another wondrous delivery (this time from over the wicket), which pitched in the rough outside Ben Stokes’ off stump, coughed up dust, turned big, and rushed past the inside edge to uproot the middle stump, leaving the England captain wide-eyed and gaping with astonishment.Ben Stokes was bowled by a beauty from Gudakesh Motie•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesThen there was the amazing runout by Louis who charged in from deep point to pick up a miscue from Jamie Smith which landed in no-man’s-land before darting at bullseye and uprooting the stump to run out a hapless Shoaib Bashir.Yet, those positives could not offset the mistakes of the batters. Virtually every visiting batter would look back at his dismissal today and acknowledge that he could have avoided that one action that proved fatal.One learning for West Indies’ batters will be not getting stuck without scoring for long pockets of time, something that forced them to commit an error. Of course, the pressure created by a disciplined England bowling attack, which improved their lines quickly from the first innings, and focussed on sticking to good length and short-of-length was immense.But as Holder briefly showed, you can pick the odd bad ball and cover up as long as you are not forcing the issue. Unfortunately, he failed to successfully duck a short delivery from Atkinson which came nearly a minute before the scheduled close.Related
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England’s batters never found themselves under such an incessant scrutiny. When they look at the numbers, West Indies bowlers will notice there were 111 full-pitched deliveries (as recorded by ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data) off which England looted 131 runs while losing just one wicket.While West Indies attempted to fire in the short ball to, as Seales said, force an error, the majority of those deliveries lacked the bluntness barring the one that got Brook. Instead, off 24 short deliveries, England picked 30 runs.There are some individual learnings, too. One young man England fans were keen to watch was Shamar Joseph, the 24-year-old speed demon from the remote Guyanese village of Baracara. His heroics at the Gabba this January to stun Australia on an injured foot made him a compelling story.On his first day at Lord’s, three days before the Test, Joseph said he and his team would look to “ruin” Anderson’s farewell. Not just that, he was confident about putting his name on the Honours Board, which eluded even Brian Lara. Joseph was not being cocky, having delivered on similar desire in the only two Tests he played – in Adelaide where he bagged a wicket on his first ball on debut and a five-for and then a seven-wicket haul in Brisbane.James Anderson got Kraigg Brathwaite for the eighth time in Tests•Getty ImagesAt Lord’s, though, we will remember Joseph mainly for lying flat twice on his back, suffering cramps and stiffness in his leg and eventually walking off. Joseph had missed the warm-up match in Beckenham last week due to Hurricane Beryl disrupting flights from the Caribbean. He had not played any red-ball cricket since January 29, when the Gabba Test finished and since then was just playing or training in a T20 environment – in IPL and then in the World Cup.Test cricket, Joseph will know now, is ruthless. You can’t just turn up and hit the straps. The hard yards are necessary: he can look at Atkinson, who opted out of the playing at Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL to focus on playing first-class cricket because the ECB had set England-after-Anderson in motion. The best example is Anderson himself – 40,000-plus deliveries in Test cricket, but never did he forget to be ready.Fitness, temperament, patience, consistency and relentless discipline: these are the factors that underpin Anderson’s longevity and unparalleled success. The same applies to Stokes.A Test defeat in just over two days is embarrassing, no doubt. Unfortunately for West Indies, this is the second time this year they find themselves in that position. This January, they lost the first Test of the Australia series in Adelaide inside three days. A week later, they turned up for the pink-ball Test in Brisbane and created history by winning a Test match in Australia for the first time since 1997.But expecting a miracle like the one Joseph performed is wishful. The turnaround in this three-match Test series is fast so West Indies have the disadvantage of not having any time to switch off. Nor do they have the luxury of another warm-up: they have to do things on the run.
NZ are better than other sides at reading conditions, and that allows them to strike faster than their opponents
Sidharth Monga04-Nov-20221:41
Moody: Finn Allen is a unique talent
Yet another World Cup where you look at them and think maybe this time they don’t have it in them to make it. But yet again, New Zealand are the first team to reach the semi-finals.Despite that bowling attack, if you put them up against Australia and England over 10 matches in these conditions, you’d expect the other two to prevail.Tournament play is different though. Especially when only two teams make it out of a group of six. Room for error is negligible. Every new venue brings new conditions and new ground dimensions. You have to read the conditions quicker and strike faster than the opposition. That’s something New Zealand have been good at, giving them their fifth straight white-ball World Cup semi-final.Related
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What they did to Australia in the first game of this tournament was somewhat similar to what they did to India in 2016. They picked three spinners to India’s two, went after the new ball, hitting two sixes in the first over and then defended 126 with the ball beginning to rag. Here, they again read the pitch in Sydney perfectly, attacked Australia early and have kept finding a way since then.Their captain Kane Williamson is proud of how well they assess and adapt to different conditions. And this is unlike Test cricket, where you get to see a pitch three days in advance and compare how it is coming along. In this World Cup, sides have had their first look of the pitch on the day of the match.”Often it’s very difficult to know exactly how a pitch is going to play until you start playing,” Williamson said. “And then trying to be really clear with your communication, whether it’s as batters or a bowling unit. Make sure you’re getting around each other to report back and either identify what a competitive total is and what options for some of your better ones to take. Then same with the ball really.”The system then is to keep in touch with the dugout. A batter who is coming in next might send a drink out and ask something. You take that moment out and report back. When you are bowling, you help the new bowler out. Not to say other teams don’t do it, but New Zealand perhaps do it better because their incoming batters or bowlers often know just what to do.Kane Williamson and Tim Southee have a chat during New Zealand’s win over Ireland•Associated Press”The two that are out there are the two that are out there, and then you might get a drink that comes out, and they might ask, ‘how’s it going?'” Williamson said. “Someone on the sideline might be curious. So you report back what you feel is happening. Then sometimes it is your team blueprint, where do we need to be? How do we get there? And doing your best to do it.”It’s one of the challenges of tournament cricket, but it certainly makes it enjoyable to do to try to make those adjustments. Therefore, the value of the contribution isn’t always what it might seem. So it’s really trying to commit to what you’re trying to do as a team and be nice and clear on how that looks. Then from there just really trying to make those adjustments as you go.”One example of making adjustments on the go was when Ireland’s batters took Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi on, taking 29 off their first overs. Immediately, Santner made the adjustment, cutting down the pace and going wide of their sweeping arc.
“Often it’s very difficult to know exactly how a pitch is going to play until you start playing. And then trying to be really clear with your communication, whether it’s as batters or a bowling unit. Make sure you’re getting around each other to report back and either identify what a competitive total is and what options for some of your better ones to take. Then same with the ball really.”Kane Williamson
“We had a little chat, absolutely,” Williamson said when asked about the adjustment. “Obviously being out in the middle and feeling that, when the spin is on the slow side and you bowled a particular line, that made it much more difficult to control. They made that adjustment quickly, which was great.”Also being put under pressure, we know how dynamic that batting line-up of Ireland is, and they’ll keep taking it on. They [the spinners] bowled beautifully to make that adjustment quickly and adjust their line and take a few Ks off their deliveries, which definitely made it a little bit more difficult.”New Zealand might feel Williamson himself getting in a big contribution might be one of the last pieces of the puzzle. Williamson scored 61 off 35, but he scored them his way. He scored 15 off the first 15 balls he faced before he started to get going. The rhythm was better than earlier, and he kept going.”You’re looking to make the contributions, and there’s a lot of thought that goes into trying to position ourselves, whether it’s my batting or someone else’s in terms of the partnership,” Williamson said. “And you’re always wanting to try and get that momentum and take those options and feel quite good about it. So it was nice to make a contribution today.”