Tag Futebol

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:56

Agarkar: If Ashwin stays fit, can’t see India in much trouble this home season

India completed a 3-0 whitewash in devastating fashion as a seven-wicket haul from R Ashwin shot New Zealand out for 153 in their last innings of the series. India declared just under an hour from tea, after Cheteshwar Pujara had completed his eighth Test hundred, to set New Zealand a target of 475 and give themselves a day and a half to take 10 wickets. They only needed 44.5 overs, as New Zealand lost nine wickets for 115 runs in the post-tea session.Ashwin’s figures of 7 for 59 were his best in Test cricket, as were his match figures of 13 for 140. He picked up his 21st five-wicket haul, his sixth ten-wicket match haul, his seventh Player of the Match award and seventh Player of the Series award – fourth in a row – as well. There probably isn’t a more influential cricketer anywhere in the world today. Certainly no one has played a bigger part in India securing the No. 1 Test ranking, a feat they got to celebrate when Virat Kohli was handed the ICC Test championship mace at the end of the match, in front of a capacity crowd in Indore.Set a similar task last year in another dead-rubber Test, on a similar slow turner at Feroz Shah Kotla, South Africa chose to block their way to a draw. They didn’t succeed, but they did make India toil for 143.1 overs. New Zealand, having until now given India a harder time on this tour than South Africa did in theirs, adopted an entirely different approach and collapsed spectacularly.Their two most accomplished batsmen, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, exemplified this approach. Both came out looking to attack Ashwin, their tormentor through the series, and ended up playing a part in their own undoing.Williamson hit Ashwin for three fours in his first two overs, either side of tea, but in that time also gave the bowler enough of a clue that he was looking to step across his stumps and play him with the turn as much as possible. He shuffled across again to the eleventh ball he faced from Ashwin, premeditatedly, and a flatter, quicker one turned in and trapped him in front. Like he had done to Kumar Sangakkara on the 2015 tour of Sri Lanka, Ashwin had dismissed Williamson four times in four innings.In his first over at the crease, Taylor jumped out and hit Ashwin over the top for a four and a six off successive balls. As Ashwin’s spell continued, he stepped out again to whip him over midwicket, and then drove him against the turn through the covers. Having gone to 32 off 24, though, he chanced a sweep off a ball that was too full for the shot. It sneaked under his bat and bowled him.Luke Ronchi, James Neesham and Martin Guptill all fell in the next seven overs, the latter two to Ravindra Jadeja, and it seemed almost certain that the match wouldn’t go into a fifth day. BJ Watling and Mitchell Santner hinted that it just might, while putting on 24 for the seventh wicket, but Ashwin came back to break their partnership, bowling over the wicket to the left-handed Santner and beating him with natural variation. Coming forward to defend, Santner inside-edged the ball into his pad and then onto the stumps.India didn’t have to wait too long for the eighth and ninth wickets, but Watling and Trent Boult briefly raised the possibility of their having to come back on Wednesday to take the tenth, by putting on the longest partnership of the innings. They stuck around for 10.1 overs, causing India a bit of frustration – Jadeja bowled a 45kph donkey drop to Boult, Ashwin dragged down a legbreak to Watling – and threatening to take the fourth day into an extra half-hour, before Boult came down the track to drive Ashwin and popped back a waist-high return catch.Cheteshwar Pujara finished with a century and three fifties in the series•BCCI

India declared halfway through the morning session, one ball after Pujara brought up his hundred by helping a short ball from James Neesham to the fine leg boundary. It was a fitting way to reach the landmark, given that the area behind the wicket had fetched him 57 of his runs and six of his nine fours, with the lap-sweep and late cut his go-to shots against the spinners. Having gone to lunch batting on 50 off 98 balls, he had sped away to score 51 off 50 in the second session. At the other end, Ajinkya Rahane helped an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 58 hurry along at 6.44 an over, stepping out to play his favourite chips down the ground and inside-out drives.Ahead by 276 overnight, India had only extended their lead by eight runs when M Vijay was run-out by a brilliant piece of fielding from Guptill in the eighth over of the morning. In walked Gautam Gambhir, who had retired hurt late on the third evening with a shoulder injury. His re-entry sparked an immediate upsurge in India’s run rate, as he took frequent singles against New Zealand’s one-day fields, and pounced on anything remotely loose, his standout shot a drive drilled past extra-cover off Boult.Gambhir’s urgency rubbed off on Pujara as well. He ran as fast as his troubled knees would take him, ending up with a dirt-streaked shirt from all the times he had to dive into the crease, and looked outside his usual repertoire of shots, even jumping out of his crease at one point to flat-bat Boult back over his head.The pair added 76 for the second wicket before Gambhir fell for 50 off 56 balls, chipping Jeetan Patel to short extra-cover. Kohli, the first-innings double-centurion, fell in the sixth over after lunch, given lbw looking to sweep Patel although replays suggested the ball may have struck his pad outside the line of off stump.With nine overs to bat out before tea, New Zealand lost one wicket, Umesh Yadav going around the wicket in his first over and attacking the stumps to get Tom Latham lbw playing around his front pad. New Zealand were 38 for 1 at tea. They probably wouldn’t have imagined that it would all be over after just one more session.

There’s no question that incoming Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has a major job on his hands in order to improve a team which looks as though it will finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

There will likely be a few arrivals during the summer transfer window in order to bolster the team, while several of the squad may be moving on.

Kepa Arrizabalaga has been the number one ‘keeper for the majority of the Blues' season, however, could Pochettino ditch the “liability” – as dubbed by former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot – for another shot-stopper ahead of 2023/24?

The £150k-per-week Spaniard has kept nine clean sheets in 28 league games this term and with two years left on his current contract, the Argentinian could see this summer as an ideal time to cash in on the 28-year-old, especially with the Blues eyeing a move for Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana, who could be available for around €50m (£45m) according to journalist Rudy Galetti while The Telegraph has indicated that the Blues are keen on adding him to their squad before the start of next season.

Could Andre Onana replace Kepa Arrizabalaga at Chelsea?

With Pochettino looking at putting his own stamp on the first-team squad, nothing can be ruled out during the transfer window and the goalkeeping area may be something that the new manager wants to address.

Onana has developed into one of the finest ‘keepers on the continent, and according to FBref, he ranks in the top 10% for goals against per 90 (0.85) and save percentage per 90 (78.2%) over the last 365 days across Europe’s top five leagues, while also ranking in the top 13% for touches per 90 (42.97), suggesting that he is extremely comfortable on the ball and can be relied on to start attacks from the back.

Kepa, on the other hand, only ranks in the top 21% across the same performance metrics, with 1.01 goals against per 90 and a 75% save percentage per 90, while he only ranks in the top 46% across Europe’s big five leagues for touches per 90, taking 37.22, and it proves that Onana could be an upgrade on the Spaniard.

Former Inter midfielder Clarence Seedorf praised the Cameroonian for his “fiery character”, and since joining the Italian giants back in January 2022, he has kept 19 clean sheets in 38 matches, conceding only 30 goals during that time.

This impressive form over the previous 16 months suggests he could be an excellent capture for Chelsea and could give Pochettino the chance to ditch Kepa in the process.

While Todd Boehly will undoubtedly have to move on some of Chelsea's bloated squad if he wants to sign new players this summer, it seems clear that attacking additions are necessary.

The Blues are one of the lowest-scoring sides in the division, having mustered just a goal a game in the Premier League so far this season, with the 3-1 win over Bournemouth last weekend just the third time they've managed to score more than twice in a top-flight fixture.

Therefore, it is perhaps no surprise to see Chelsea linked with some of the best strikers across European football, with Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen one man who Boehly could look to bring to Stamford Bridge.

Could Chelsea sign Victor Osimhen this summer?

According to reports last month from 90min, the west London outfit are confident that they can win the race to sign the 24-year-old sensation this summer, despite not being able to offer Champions League football.

They claim that the Blues are prepared to blow other sides out of the water as they prepare what would likely be a club-record bid for the €150m (£133m-rated) forward, who has been at the forefront of Luciano Spalletti's Scudetto-winning side this season.

The Nigeria international boasts a phenomenal record of 23 goals and four assists in just 28 Serie A appearances, earning an incredible 7.47 average rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Previously described as "phenomenal" by former Cagliari coach Walter Mazzarri, Osimhen has naturally been afforded a lot of chances in Napoli's run to the title, but it is his overachievement in terms of expected goals which suggests that he could be the man to solve Chelsea's woes in front of goal.

As per Fotmob, the fine-finishing forward has scored 23 goals from just 18.9 xG this season, which suggests that he is more than capable of putting the difficult chances away.

As such, it marks him out as an ideal replacement for the struggling Kai Havertz, who once again has underperformed on expected goals as Chelsea's main man in the attack.

Could Osimhen replace Havertz at Chelsea?

As per Understat, the former Bayer Leverkusen man has failed to turn his xG into results throughout his time at Chelsea, but this season has been the worst by far, as he has scored 5.15 fewer goals than expected.

He has also averaged far fewer shots (2.1 vs 4.2) and dribbles (0.5 vs 0.8) per game than Osimhen, while the 6 foot 4 striker's 6.81 average rating from WhoScored simply puts the Napoli forward in a different league.

If Boehly is serious about turning Chelsea into title challengers, he must consider ditching the "hopeless" Havertz, as he has been dubbed by Chris Sutton, and bringing in the exciting Osimhen instead.

Newcastle United now have just four games remaining in their Premier League campaign with a spot in the Champions League firmly on their radar.

Eddie Howe's men have exceeded all expectations following their takeover. The Magpies have established themselves as the real deal in the race for a spot inside the top four with big victories over the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

However, last weekend's defeat to title chasers Arsenal was no doubt a setback, while the likes of Liverpool ready to pounce if either they or the Red Devils in the closing weeks.

Remarkably, seven points from 12 will be enough to secure a place in the Champions League, and with four games remaining in their campaign, here is how the Tyneside club's remaining games pan out…

Newcastle fixtures 13 May: Leeds (a) 18 May: Brighton (h) 22 May: Leicester (h) 28 May: Chelsea (a) Leeds v Newcastle

There is a case that Arsenal were simply too good for the Toon at the weekend, though the home side had their moments. Turning their attention to a team at the opposite end of the table, Howe will surely feel that a performance of a similar level will be enough to take three points from West Yorkshire, despite Sam Allardyce's men only losing narrowly to leaders Manchester City.

That said, Leeds United are fighting for their lives and Elland Road can be just as raucous as St James' Park on its day – and with so much on the line, this game is far from a foregone conclusion despite the gulf in class the two sides have displayed throughout the campaign.

It must be noted that despite having the league's leakiest defence ahead of Saturday's lunchtime clash, the Whites kept a clean sheet over Newcastle when they last met, so the way this result goes could well hinge on just how composed the hosts are as they scrap for points to stay alive.

Unfortunately for them, history is perhaps not on their side.

Prediction: Leeds 0-3 Newcastle

Newcastle v Brighton

Brighton's shock defeat against Everton will surely calm some of the nerves ahead of a game that could be pivotal in both clubs' search for European football.

With this a midweek clash and the Toon benefitting from an extra day's rest over their opponents, who face Arsenal this coming Sunday, you have to say that the odds are in the hosts' favour ahead of this one.

Prediction: Newcastle 3-0 Brighton

Newcastle v Leicester

This could be Newcastle's day of destiny. Granted, their Champions League fate could be sealed before kick-off or even going down to the wire, but if they keep their current pace up, victory over Leicester could well be the clincher.

With the Magpies' defeat to Arsenal just their second at home this term, this has to be a game the lowly Foxes will be having nightmares about.

The game will also be an opportunity for the Toon's incredible support so say thank you for a memorable season. There is surely only one outcome here.

Prediction: Newcastle 5-0 Leicester

Chelsea v Newcastle

Whether Newcastle will even need a result at Stamford Bridge remains to be seen, but with the Magpies in the box seat when it comes to securing a top-four place and Chelsea's season petering out, this is arguably going to be a more awkward afternoon for the hosts than the Champions League chasers.

If qualification is already secured, Eddie Howe could experiment with his side and afford some of his players an early holiday after a terrific year's work. But he'll no doubt want to head out on a high note – though the same can be said for the beleaguered Blues as their never-ending state of mid-transition continues.

Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Newcastle

Predicted run-in points: 11/15 Predicted total points: 76

Leicester City could still appeal to Graham Potter, however, he is looking to sit out until the end of the campaign having been sacked by Chelsea over the weekend.

Could Potter sign in the summer?

It is believed the Foxes made an immediate approach to the now-former Chelsea manager after parting ways with Brendan Rodgers over the weekend.

However, it is also believed the 47-year-old rejected the approach as he looks to enjoy a short break from the game on the back of the disappointment of being sacked by the Londoners.

The Foxes sit in a seriously concerning spot in the table with just nine games remaining as they find themselves slumped down in 19th spot.

Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell are the caretaker coaches in charge of the relegation battlers but they did not get off to the best of starts on Tuesday night.

A big point against an in-form Aston Villa was lost in the dying minutes of the game as their relegation worries were only compounded.

But speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has claimed the club could still appeal for Potter in the summer if they are able to survive:

(19:35) "I still think he has an interest there and I think if there was an interim manager at Leicester which I think they're considering, someone short term, I think Potter then again in the summer. I wouldn't completely rule him out going to Leicester but in the summer."

"But yeah, they don't know who they want yet, but I think they may go short-term, from what we're hearing."

Is Potter perfect for Leicester?

There may be some fans who may hold the rejection against Potter, however, on the back of what was a seriously underwhelming spell at Stamford Bridge, perhaps it was best for all.

Potter's time at Chelsea was undeniably a failure with the Blues slumped in 11th spot upon his sacking and perhaps he was not in the right frame of mind to take on a job straight away.

However, there are a lot of potential positives to suggest he could do at Leicester from his time at Brighton & Hove Albion where he developed a number of players.

The likes of Lewis Dunk, Yves Bissouma and Leandro Trossard all developed under Potter during his time on the south coast (via Transfermarkt).

And with the Leicester squad full of young talents like Harvey Barnes and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, perhaps Potter is the man to extract the best out of their potential.

However, there surely has to be a massive caveat on his reported intrigue in the job at Leicester as relegation to the Championship could prove a major issue.

Not only could it see Potter look elsewhere, but it could see a number of their exciting prospects look to leave in search of Premier League football.

While the international break is still in full swing, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will already have one eye on the return to club action this weekend, with the Red Devils set to take on top-four rivals Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday.

The major selection headache at present for the Dutchman, ahead of the trip to St James' Park, will be the enforced absence of influential midfielder, Casemiro, with the Brazilian still having three games left to serve of his four-game ban after being dismissed in the most recent league meeting against Southampton.

The loss of the 31-year-old will come as a notable blow for United such has been the £70m man's impact in recent times, having been hailed as the "glue" in the side by club legend Rio Ferdinand due to his undoubted importance.

Although there is an argument that the former Ajax boss could look to fill that void by pushing usual centre-back Lisandro Martinez further forward, there are other members of the squad who could also be pushing for a role.

Academy graduate Scott McTominay will likely be hoping he has staked a claim for selection after netting twice off the bench in Scotland's 3-0 win over Cyprus on Saturday, with that clinical double proving vital in getting Steve Clarke's men off to a perfect start in their Euro 2024 qualification campaign.

That being said, however, the fact that the 26-year-old wasn't even selected from the start for his country should be something of a warning sign to Ten Hag, with the 6 foot 4 man – who has been linked with a move to Newcastle this summer – having also been hooked early in the second half during the FA Cup triumph over Fulham last time out.

Instead of looking to the Lancaster-born colossus as the answer to the Casemiro problem, United could be wise to hand a chance to January arrival Marcel Sabitzer in that deep-lying role, with the Austria international having also thrived for his country in recent days.

Should Sabitzer start for Man United?

The on-loan maestro scored twice and registered an assist for Ralf Rangnick's men in what was a thumping win over Azerbaijan on Friday evening, with the 29-year-old recording a monstrous 10/10 match rating, as per Sofascore, after also laying on three key passes and creating two big chances on the day.

Although that creative prowess may ensure that Sabitzer is better suited to a more advanced role, the Bayern Munich man could replicate the forward-thinking and progressive approach that Casemiro has taken on in his defensive-minded berth this season, with the latter man having created five big chances in the league this term.

Equally, while the former Real Madrid ace has been an effective screen in front of the back four this season as he ranks in the top 6% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for tackles made, Sabitzer also possesses the credentials to mirror that destructive style, as the 5 foot 10 gem actually ranks in the top 5% for that same metric.

A player who can seemingly make an impact at both ends of the pitch, the recent, temporary addition notably bagged his first goal for the club against the Cottagers just over a week ago, with that hopefully the first of many in a United shirt.

With recent reports claiming that the £13m-rated ace would be "happy" to stay in Manchester beyond the end of the season, the upcoming top-flight fixtures should allow him the chance to prove why he would warrant a permanent deal.

The exciting playmaker does appear to have been carrying something of a knee problem of late, although the aforementioned Rangnick does appear to be "optimistic" regarding the extent of the injury, ensuring that Sabitzer could still be in line to feature against the Magpies.

If the one-time RB Leipzig star – who has been branded a "monster" by Statman Dave this season – can showcase his ability to ease the loss of Casemiro, then such flexibility and versatility may well only enhance his chances of being snapped up for the long term by Ten Hag and co.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is one of the managers who is being eyed by the Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur as a potential managerial option.

Could Postecoglou leave Celtic?

This is not the first time in which Postecoglou has been linked with a potential exit from the Scottish champions for the Premier League.

Only a matter of months ago was the Australian linked with a possible switch with Leeds United believed to be interested in making him their replacement for Jesse Marsch.

However, Spurs are on a different level to the Yorkshire side who are currently battling away at the other end of the Premier League table.

Speaking to beIN Sports, journalist Gary Jacob has suggested that, along with a list of young managers, Postecoglou is someone who the Londoners are eyeing as a possible Conte successor:

(3:00) "Spurs are already looking at the managers. They are looking at various young up-and-coming managers. Perhaps the exception slightly being Ange at Celtic who's slightly older, but all the managers they're looking at are coaches."

Should Postecoglou leave Celtic?

As was the case earlier in the season, it does feel unrealistic for the Australian to walk away from the Bhoys at this stage in the campaign.

The Scottish crown is seemingly set to remain at Parkhead for another season with Celtic with a nine-point gap to their city rivals in second.

And the treble remains on for Celtic who will face a semi-final clash against their rivals which could offer them a final against either Falkirk or Inverness.

But with this in mind, you do have to question whether Postecoglou may feel he has taken this Celtic side as far as he can with the only potential disappointment being their Champions League run this season.

A move to Tottenham could prove too good of an opportunity to turn down for the Australian if he was offered the job, however, it would also be a big call from the Spurs hierarchy to take a chance on a manager with no experience in the Premier League.

A lot spilt over on the weekend in north London and it feels as if Spurs have to nail their next appointment, and it is certainly feasible that Postecoglou could prove too big of a risk with sections of the fans already frustrated with the board.

Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku is not in their plans for next season and the 29-year-old does not want to return from Inter Milan at the end of his loan.

What has happened with Romelu Lukaku?

The Belgian striker returned to Inter after Chelsea bought him from the Italian giants back in the summer of 2021 for an extraordinary fee.

However, having struggled to find his feet in the Premier League over the 2021/22 campaign, Inter took the striker back on loan for this season.

Having only spent one season actually at Stamford Bridge following his return, the striker will return in the summer with three years remaining on his deal.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Belgian is neither in the plans of the Londoners for next season nor is keen to return:

"I wanted to clarify after speaking also to Inter sources, what they mean is that the agreement is a straight loan. So Inter have no buy option and it's normal that Romelu Lukaku will go back to Chelsea.

"They know that the player wants to stay. Romelu Lukaku's priority will be to stay at Inter at least for one more season on loan. And so at the end of the season, Inter will decide internally how to proceed.

"From what I understand, Chelsea are not planning for the next season with Romelu Lukaku as a striker."

Could Lukaku rediscover his form at Chelsea?

Lukaku's return to the Bridge back in 2021 actually got off to a promising start which saw him find the back of the net three times in his opening three Premier League games (via Transfermarkt).

And his form failed to really pick up from there with his fourth goal in the Premier League coming all the way on Boxing Day.

What was interesting about his return to Chelsea was that all of his league goals came in clusters of games and then he endured long barren runs without scoring.

This season, with Inter, has not been any better for the Belgian with his season being heavily hindered by injuries which has seen him only make eight starts in Serie A (via Transfermarkt).

Perhaps there is some cause for optimism that he has provided two goals in his last four league games but there has to be question marks as to whether any Premier League side would look to him as a potential option this summer.

And given his last couple of seasons, it would be difficult to imagine any of the bigger sides viewing him as an option.

What will be interesting is to see whether Inter are willing to put their trust in him going forward with Chelsea likely to be looking to reclaim some of the money they spent on him.

Given the Blues are currently without an out-and-out striker in their starting XI, it is a damning indictment of where the Belgian's career currently is.

Everton reportedly ‘expect’ to sign Conor Coady on a permanent deal from Wolves this summer.

The Lowdown: Impressive loan

Coady has impressed on loan at Goodison Park so far, having played in Premier League, with Everton boasting the second-best defensive record in the bottom half of the table.

Hailed as having ‘quality’ and leadership by pundit Noel Whelan, the six-foot-one central defender has formed a formidable new partnership with James Tarkowski, which the Merseysiders will hope continues to flourish as they look to avoid relegation down to the Championship.

The Latest: Expected to sign

As per Football Insider, the Toffees ‘expect’ to sign Coady permanently this summer, as they have a £4.5m option to buy.

They ‘fully intend’ to trigger that option, with Sean Dyche a ‘big admirer’ of the 30-year-old’s experience and leadership.

Coady is thought to be ‘very happy’ at Goodison, and is ‘eager’ himself for the deal to go through.

The Verdict: No-brainer

Signing Coady on a permanent deal for £4.5m is surely a no-brainer for the Blues.

The England international has been a standout performer, ranking highly among his team-mates for average aerial duels won as well as interceptions, clearances, blocks and passes per game, as well as contributing a goal and an assist at the other end of the pitch (WhoScored).

If worse comes to worst and Everton are relegated, Coady at least possesses plenty of Championship experience, and could help bring them straight back up like he did with Wolves.

Nonetheless, the Toffees will not want to be thinking about relegation right now, and instead focus on staying up come the end of the season.