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The ECB has recommended an eight-week ban and £8000 fine for Gary Ballance for bringing the game into disrepute through the use of racist language against Azeem Rafiq while the pair were at Yorkshire. The board also recommended a combination of fines and suspensions for five other former players at a Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) sanction hearing on Wednesday.The players were found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute by using racist language by the independent three-person CDC panel at the end of March, after a five-day hearing conducted at the start of that month. The charges laid against them, as well as Yorkshire, came from claims originally made by Rafiq and covered a period of nearly a decade from 2008. The panel cleared former England captain Michael Vaughan of having made a racist remark before a T20 game in June 2009.As well as Ballance, the ECB asked for a combination of fines, suspensions, reprimands and education courses for Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, Andrew Gale, Richard Pyrah and John Blain – all of whom either played at Yorkshire, or worked as coaches while Rafiq was there. The ECB asked for Hoggard and Pyrah to be fined £7500 each, Bresnan and Blain £5000 and Pyrah £4500 and asked for all six to receive reprimands from the CDC and to take part in a racism and discrimination course. They have also recommended a four-week suspension for Gale, should he return to coaching in cricket run by the ECB.Related

• Michael Vaughan cleared of racism charge by ECB disciplinary committee

• Cricket Discipline Committee racism hearings: The verdicts

• Gary Ballance retires from all cricket after brief Zimbabwe comeback

Vaughan was the only one of those charged who appeared to defend himself at the hearings. While Ballance had admitted to using the term “P***” among other racist phrases, Bresnan, Gale, Pyrah and Blain have denied all charges against them. The four were found guilty of using racist slurs that ranged from terms such as “you lot” to “P****” on multiple occasions.As well as Ballance, Hoggard made a qualified admission to similar charges, denying that he used the language with any racist intent. Those admissions led to the ECB asking for reduced fines in both cases. “We understand there has been a significant impact on Mr Ballance’s mental health, and that, in April 2023, Mr Ballance announced his retirement from professional cricket,” Jane Mulcahy KC, legal counsel for the ECB, told the panel. “So the ECB therefore suggests there be a reprimand, Mr Ballance be fined £8,000, reduced from £12,500, to take in effect his admissions. And also an eight-week suspension, reduced from 10 weeks, if Mr Ballance ever returns to ECB-regulated cricket as a player.”Ballance retired recently from all cricket, having first left Yorkshire late last year and then switched to play for his native Zimbabwe. He played one Test for them scoring a hundred, and eight internationals overall before he announced his retirement.The CDC panel will now deliberate over the recommendations before returning final sanctions on the players which could take several more weeks yet.Yorkshire were also found guilty by the CDC panel last month, having admitted to four charges laid against them. Their sanctions will be discussed at another hearing on 27 June.

Manchester United officials have set their sights on signing a player from West Ham United this summer, with Red Devils officials under the impression that he’d suit Ruben Amorim down to the ground.

Players tipped to leave West Ham this summer

Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Danny Ings and Michail Antonio are all out of contract at the London Stadium this summer, meaning Graham Potter, co-chair David Sullivan and Hammers transfer chiefs could be forced to orchestrate a serious summer rebuild.

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ByDominic Lund Mar 4, 2025

Carlos Soler is also set to return to PSG after his east London loan, as things stand, with no official decision made on whether West Ham will trigger the £17 million option to buy in his temporary deal, while there are some reports that Jean-Clair Todibo could be sold right after his obligation to buy from Nice gets activated.

Lukasz Fabianski will leave on a free at the end of this season if West Ham don’t activate the one-year extension clause in his contract as well, which would put an end to the Pole’s seven-year stay at the club.

Newcastle United (home)

March 10th

Everton (away)

March 15th

Wolves (away)

April 1st

Bournemouth (home)

April 5th

Liverpool (away)

April 13th

Lucas Paqueta’s future remains uncertain, amid rumours that clubs in Brazil are interested in poaching the midfielder as he battles spot-fixing allegations off the field.

Mohammed Kudus has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool ahead of the next transfer window, and there are suggestions that the Ghanaian’s contract includes an £85 million release clause which will become active this summer.

Kudus has apparently shown frustration behind-the-scenes at West Ham, and was unsettled during Julen Lopetegui’s brief tenure in charge. However, it is very debatable whether clubs will be prepared to pay £85 million for his services later this year.

Meanwhile, amid his excellent loan spell at Real Sociedad, defender Nayef Aguerd is believed to be attracting attention from elite clubs.

West Ham defender Nayef Aguerd attracting Man United interest

Real Madrid have already expressed interest in Aguerd, with the Morocco international standing out as Sociedad’s best performer by average match rating over 19 La Liga starts this campaign, according to WhoScored.

The 28-year-old is making a real success of his stint in La Liga, and Sociedad are believed to be attempting a permanent deal for the centre-back before next season.

However, as per a Spanish media source, Imanol Alguacil’s side will face stiff competition from Old Trafford.

Indeed, Man United are plotting a move to sign Aguerd from West Ham this summer, and the club are said to be convinced that the African would slot into Amorim’s system perfectly.

However, as per other reports, Aguerd won’t come cheap to suitors following his brilliant 2024/2025 campaign. West Ham will apparently demand around £42 million to sell Aguerd, which would give Potter’s side a £12 million net profit on the player after they paid £30 million to bring him in from Rennes on a five-year contract in 2022.

“We know very well that if we win against India, it will be called an upset. We will try to play our best cricket”

Mohammad Isam01-Nov-20221:44

Shakib: ‘India one of the favourites – if we win, it will be an upset’

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has downplayed the team’s chances against India, who he feels are the “favourites”, but says he will try to produce an “upset”, when the two sides meet in the T20 World Cup in Adelaide on Wednesday. Shakib called on his young team to forget about India’s might and play with a “nothing to lose” mentality, as he feels Bangladesh are “not here to win the World Cup”.Asked what Bangladesh’s next target is after overcoming Netherlands and Zimbabwe, Shakib said: “We want to play well in the next two matches (against India and Pakistan), so if we can win one of them, it will count as an upset.Related

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“We will be happy to inflict that upset. Both teams, on paper, are better than us. If we play well, if it is our day, why can’t we win? We have seen Ireland beat England, and Zimbabwe beat Pakistan in this World Cup. A similar result will definitely make us happy.”As I said in Bangla before, India is the favourite team, they came here to win the World Cup. We are not favourites, we didn’t come here to win the World Cup. We know very well that if we win against India, it will be called an upset. We will try to play our best cricket.”These are usually not the words that fans would want to hear, particularly during a World Cup when emotions are high. India also have a better head-to-head record in T20Is, having won ten T20Is and lost only one against Bangladesh. Shakib feels India will be particularly dangerous at the Adelaide Oval, having played here 29 times compared to Bangladesh’s experience of playing in this venue only once.”I can’t say that (the day-night timing) makes it equally balanced (for both sides),” he said. “India have played plenty of matches in all formats in this ground [29 times, overall]. Only Taskin and I have played here from our team. Quite naturally, it is not the same feeling. We will try very hard to give our 100 percent, to get the best result for the team.”They have tied up teams below 160 in all their matches. We have to bat really well to get 160-170, which is a par score in this World Cup. We have to play really well against India’s bowling. They have some world class players.”

“We are turning around from a time when we lost a lot of close matches. We are improving in that regard.”Shakib on winning close encounters

He also praised his side for closing out tight matches, particularly the one against Zimbabwe in which Bangladesh were expected to struggle on the pacy and bouncy Gabba wicket. Instead, they defended 150 with consistent performances from the fast bowlers and won the game by three runs.”Most T20 matches are decided in the last two overs. It is important to hold on to the nerve,” Shakib said. “We are turning around from a time when we lost a lot of close matches. We are improving in that regard, by winning a couple of close games.”I am definitely satisfied (with our performance). We were playing well except for the game against South Africa. It can happen in T20s. We want to play well in the remaining matches, which is very difficult in different conditions and against different attacks. I believe our team is capable of playing well consistently.”He also hoped that Bangladesh’s 2015 World Cup memories at this venue, when their 15-run win over England took them to the knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time, could inspire them.

It would be fair to say that, so far, this season has not gone to plan for Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have faced several problems this year, and while a sometimes wasteful frontline and inconsistent midfield are undoubtedly some of them, the most pressing issue has been the number of injuries they’ve had to deal with in the backline.

So, it wasn’t all that surprising to see the club go into the market last month and sign Antonín Kinský from Slavia Prague and Kevin Danso from RC Lens, although given the extent of their injuries, some would argue that wasn’t enough.

That must’ve been an opinion held by the club, as on deadline day, they made an attempt to sign a number of other defenders, including Axel Disasi, and while they failed, they can rest easy knowing that they already have a defensive stalwart worth millions more than the Frenchman.

Tottenham's defensive search

The objective coming into January was relatively straightforward for Daniel Levy and Co: sign at least one centre-back.

They achieved that with the signing of Danso on a short-term loan with an obligation to buy for around £20.9m, and while the Swiss international’s arrival is undoubtedly a welcome one, there is a feeling from some that it might not be enough.

It could be argued that the club feel similarly, as even after the deal was announced, links to other prominent defenders began appearing, the most notable being Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.

According to the BBC, the North Londoners made an astounding £70m bid for the Englishman, which the Eagles rejected on deadline day, and while he would have been an incredible addition to the Lilywhites squad, they made the understandable decision not to increase their offer this window.

However, the 24-year-old wasn’t the only London-based centre-back Spurs were interested in, as according to a report from the Daily Mail, the North Londoners reignited their interest in Chelsea’s Disasi on Monday.

The story claimed that Levy and Co were keen to bring the Frenchman to N17 on loan despite the player initially rejecting them just a few days earlier.

Unfortunately, as we now know, nothing came from Tottenham’s renewed interest in the 26-year-old, whom Football Transfers values at up to €39m, which is about £32m, and he ended up moving to Aston Villa.

However, while missing out on another defender is far from ideal for Postecoglou, he can at least rest easily, knowing he already has a player worth millions more in that position.

The Spurs star worth millions more than Disasi

So, while there are a couple of defenders who fit the bill, the Spurs ace we are talking about is none other than Micky van de Ven.

The Dutch international joined the North Londoners from VfL Wolfsburg for £43m during Postecoglou’s first summer and has gone from strength to strength and, according to Football Transfers, is now worth up to €68m, which is about £57m, or £25m more than Disasi.

Now, that’s certainly a lot of money, especially for a defender who has endured his fair share of injury setbacks in the last year and a half, but it just shows how good he is when he’s playing.

The 24-year-old titan has been described as a “complete & dominant” defender by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and while that sounds like awfully high praise, it’s more than backed up by his underlying numbers.

For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across the Premier League, he sits in the top 1% of centre-backs for assists and ball recoveries, the top 2% for medium passes completed, expected assists and goal-creating actions from live passes, the top 4% for carries and more, all per 90.

Assists

0.23

Top 1%

Expected Assisted Goals

0.14

Top 1%

Ball Recoveries

6.17

Top 1%

Medium Passes Completed

42.14

Top 2%

Expected Assists

0.08

Top 2%

GCAs from Live Passes

0.23

Top 2%

Goals plus Assists

0.23

Top 4%

Carries

57.56

Top 4%

Goal-Creating Actions (GCA)

0.23

Top 7%

Progressive Passes

4.91

Top 11%

On top of that, the Wormer-born monster is outrageously fast, setting a Premier League record for the fastest sprint speed when he reached 37.38km/h against Brentford last January, which is also why he is such an essential part of Posetcoglou’s ultra attacking style of play.

Ultimately, bringing Disasi in on deadline day would have certainly helped to alleviate some of the pressure on Spurs’ injury-prone backline.

However, with Van de Ven in the squad, the club already have one of the best defenders in the league.

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On paper, Sri Lanka have the better spinners, but they will need some stars to align if they are to upset the hosts

Andrew Fidel Fernando24-Oct-20221:12

Marsh: ‘Our backs are against the wall and we know what’s in front of us now’

Big pictureIs it possible? Are Sri Lanka in a better place going into this match than defending champions Australia?You could make a case, but not really. It’s complicated. Australia were beaten so profoundly by New Zealand in their tournament opener, their NRR has plummeted to a truly appalling -4.45. Sri Lanka, having thrashed Ireland first up, have a NRR of 2.467.NRRs only come into play if teams are on equal points ahead of the semi-finals. But you’re aiming to be the two best sides in a six-team group. Competition is fierce. And NRRs will weigh on teams’ minds. Sides as far back as Australia, who ordinarily are expected to beat Sri Lanka on home tracks, have that little extra inkling of pressure upon them. They don’t just want to beat Sri Lanka; they want to win big.Sri Lanka will be content with just winning. In Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, and Dhananjaya de Silva, they have better spinners than Australia. But on paper, Sri Lanka don’t win a lot of battles. They don’t have a pace attack of the quality of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood. And while Kusal Mendis looks as if he is working himself up to serious form, Sri Lanka’s middle order did not put up serious numbers in the qualifiers. They are heavily dependent on those 8-12 overs of spin.If an upset is to happen here, some stars will need to align. The likes of Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa may have to produce the kinds of innings they did in the recent Asia Cup, which Sri Lanka won. Sri Lanka’s inexperienced seamers will need to perform beyond expectation also.Related

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Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)Australia LLLWWSri Lanka WWWLWIn the spotlightAustralia’s openers are their top-scorers this year, which isn’t particularly surprising. However, they have hurt Sri Lanka many times before, and will be confident of taking down the opposition’s novice seam attack. Aaron Finch has three fifties and strikes at 136 against Sri Lanka. David Warner has monstered Sri Lanka in the past, hitting six fifties and a hundred. His 642 runs against them is his highest against any opposition, and he has scored those runs at a strike rate of 141. Sri Lanka will probably need them out early to make a game of this.Although Wanindu Hasaranga gets a lot of headlines, Maheesh Theekshana has been building himself quite the record too. After 28 T20Is, he has 29 wickets, and an impressive economy rate of 6.42 when you consider he often bowls at least one over in the powerplay. In the absence of Sri Lanka’s go-to death bowler in Dushmantha Chameera, Theekshana will likely have to bowl towards the end of an innings too. So far, he’s done the job nicely. He’s got seven wickets, and maintained an economy rate of 5.86 so far in this tournament.Australia’s opening defeat to New Zealand has left their NRR at an appalling -4.45•ICC/Getty ImagesPitch and conditionsThere is a small chance of rain in Perth, but it’s unlikely to impact the cricket hugely. Not a lot is known about how the Perth stadium pitch will behave, because it is not only a new stadium, it also saw little cricket over the pandemic. But it tends to be a boundary-hitting ground.Team newsSri Lanka are likely to slot Pathum Nissanka back in the XI, and perhaps put seamer Pramod Madushan back into play too, with both seeming to have recovered from niggles. This means Ashen Bandara, and perhaps Lahiru Kumara, go out.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Pramod Madushan, 11 Binura Fernando/Lahiru KumaraAustralia are likely to be unchanged despite their big loss.Australia (possible): 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt.), 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Tim David, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodStats and triviaAustralia have won eight of the T20s they’ve played against Sri Lanka at home, to Sri Lanka’s seven. One of those wins was a Super Over victory. Dasun Shanaka has had an outstanding 2022, in which he’s hit 456 runs, at a strike rate of 142. But he’s had a modest World Cup so far, with scores of 29, 0, and 8 in his three innings. The three most-prolific T20I batters against Sri Lanka are Australia batters. Warner is No. 1 and, Finch No. 3, with 446 career runs against them. Glenn Maxwell, at No. 2 on this list, has the most impressive stats – he’s hit 459 at a strike rate of 175.

تلاشت حظوظ نادي الزمالك، بشكل رسمي اليوم الثلاثاء، في التتويج ببطولة الدوري المصري للموسم الحالي، ذلك بعد فوز النادي الأهلي على سيراميكا كليوباترا.

وحقق النادي الأهلي الفوز على سيراميكا كليوباترا، بهدف دون رد، ليصل إلي النقطة 52، وذلك ضمن مباريات الجولة السادسة من المرحلة النهائية لبطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويحتل الزمالك المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 41 نقطة، ومتبقي له 3 مباريات في بطولة الدوري للموسم الحالي، يستهلها اليوم أمام بيراميدز.

طالع | ترتيب الدوري المصري بعد فوز الأهلي على سيراميكا كليوباترا

وبعد وصول الأهلي إلى النقطة 52، أصبح فارق النقاط مع الزمالك 11 نقطة، مما ينهي آمال الفارس الأبيض في المنافسة على اللقب بشكل رسمي.

يذكر، أن الزمالك يلتقي مع بيراميدز، في الثامنة من مساء اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن مواجهات الجولة السادسة للمرحلة النهائية من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

تجدر الإشارة إلي أن نادي الزمالك مازال يمتلك فرصة المنافسة على المركز الثاني ببطولة الدوري، إذا حقق الفوز في الـ 3 مباريات المتبقية مع خسارة بيراميدز الـ 3 مباريات أيضًا المتبقية له.

Leeds United have a break from Championship action this weekend as they prepare to host Harrogate Town at Elland Road in the third round of the FA Cup.

The Whites have an opportunity to hand chances to some of the fringe players in the group, to see if any of them can give Daniel Farke a selection headache ahead of the upcoming league matches.

Karl Darlow, after Illan Meslier’s mistakes against Hull City last time out, as seen in the highlights below, will get a game to showcase his ability between the sticks.

The former Newcastle United goalkeeper will be keen to show that he has what it takes to step up in the Championship, if Farke decides to make a change between the sticks.

Mateo Joseph, with Patrick Bamford and Joel Piroe missing through injury, could also get an opportunity to lead the line from the start against the League Two side.

A big performance from the Spain U21 international could be needed, amid talk that Leeds are interested in adding another number nine to their squad during the January transfer window, which opened for business last week.

Leeds eyeing striker deal

According to Sky Sports journalist Ben Heckner, the Whites are pursuing a deal to sign Hoffenheim centre-forward Mergim Berisha to bolster their attacking options for the second half of the season.

Transfer Focus

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

The reporter claims that Leeds and German side Werder Bremen are both interested in the former Germany international, which means that the Championship outfit may need to fight to secure his services before the end of the transfer window.

He adds that any deal could be structured in a way that would see the striker move to Elland Road on an 18-month loan deal, with an option to make the move permanent in the summer of 2026.

That would provide Leeds, or Werder Bremen, with a chance to run the rule over Berisha for the best part of two seasons before deciding whether or not they want to keep him in the long-term.

However, there is no mention of how much money Hoffenheim are set to demand for the permanent option, or how much they would want as a loan fee for the initial 18 months, which means that it is hard to gauge how viable a deal is, financially, for the Whites at this moment in time.

It is a move, however, that could make a lot of sense for Leeds and it would be one that would allow them to finally wave bye-bye to Joe Gelhardt, who has been linked with an exit from West Yorkshire this month.

Why it could be the end for Joe Gelhardt

Speaking ahead of the clash with Harrogate, Farke made it clear that Gelhardt is free to speak with other clubs but that he has not made a final decision on whether or not the forward will be allowed to leave in the current window.

With Bamford and Piroe out injured, Joseph and the English attacker are the only two senior centre-forward options for the German head coach for this weekend, which may be why he is slightly hesitant to sanction a transfer at this moment in time.

However, bringing in a seasoned number nine like Berisha would provide the former Norwich City boss with another quality option in that position, allowing him to send Gelhardt on his way without worrying about what it would do to the strength of his squad depth.

Championship strugglers Hull City are one of the clubs reportedly interested in signing the 22-year-old dud, who has been unable to force his way into Farke’s plans over the past 18 months or so.

Appearances

10

2

Minutes

205

9

Goals

0

0

Big chances created

0

0

Assists

0

0

As you can see in the table above, Gelhardt has rarely been used by the Leeds manager and has made little-to-no impact on the pitch in the limited time he has had, with zero goals, zero assists, and zero ‘big chances’ created.

Therefore, it would appear to be best for all parties involved to wave bye-bye to the former Wigan man, either permanently or on loan, this month, and signing Berisha may be their way to do that.

What Mergim Berisha could bring to Leeds

As well as the requisite squad depth to be able to part ways with Gelhardt, the German centre-forward could be an excellent addition to the squad for a number of reasons.

At the age of 26, Berisha is a reasonably experienced forward, who has played in the Bundesliga and for Germany at international level, and could come in as a fantastic mentor to Joseph, 21, to help him continue his development and fulfill his potential.

It would be a bit of a gamble for Leeds, though, as the forward has struggled for game time since suffering an ACL injury in November 2023 that kept him out for 251 days.

Berisha, who has been described as being a “clinical finisher” by analysts Football Chatters, has previously showcased his quality at the top level in German, however, prior to that long injury lay-off.

Appearances

23

xG

8.13

Goals

9

Conversion rate

16%

Big chances missed

5

Assists

4

As you can see in the table above, the striker caught the eye in the 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign for his former club Augsburg, with 13 direct goal contributions in 23 matches.

Ahead of that season, in the summer of 2022, it was reported that Jesse Marsch – the Leeds manager at the time – bid to bring him to Elland Road to bolster his forward options at the time, as the gem had scored 14 goals and provided ten assists in 28 league games for RB Salzburg in the 2020/21 campaign under him.

Ultimately, the American boss was unable to secure a deal for his former star in Austria, but it could be second time lucky for the Whites this month.

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Whilst it would be a gamble, as Berisha has one goal and one assist in 11 Bundesliga games this term, signing the German ace on an initial 18-month loan could be a shrewd piece of business and one that allows Fake to wave bye-bye to Gelhardt.

Sunderland are reportedly eyeing a move to bring a former Leeds United star back to the Championship in January.

Sunderland transfer news

As the Championship season approaches its midway point, Sunderland find themselves in a strong position and within striking distance of the automatic promotion spots.

However, if manager Regis Le Bris hopes to guide his team back to the Premier League, reinforcements might be necessary during the January transfer window.

Newcastle have sent scouts to watch "stunning" in-demand Sunderland star

The Magpies have been watching a defender.

By
Dominic Lund

Dec 22, 2024

Aston Villa prospect Louie Barry, who has been turning heads during his loan spell at Stockport County, is among those to be linked with a move to the Stadium of the Light.

The 21-year-old has developed significantly during his time with Stockport, helping them secure promotion last season with nine goals and four assists in 20 games, while this term, he’s already proving himself as one of League One’s top players.

According to a recent report from The Sunday Mirror, per Sunderland News, Villa are ready to recall Barry from his loan spell at Stockport in the New Year, before immediately sending him out on loan to the Championship, where he can continue to develop.

Sunderland are said to be keen, but will face competition for Barry’s signature from Leeds United, Burnley and Middlesbrough, say The Sunday Mirror.

Sunderland want Glen Kamara

Another player reportedly on Sunderland’s radar is former Leeds United midfielder Glen Kamara. The Finland international, dubbed a “monster” in the media, left Elland Road to join French side Stade Rennais in the summer, where he’s been a regular starter for Jorge Sampaoli’s side, who are currently 12th in Ligue 1.

Kamara has also been praised by the French media for his displays in the middle of the park, with Maxifoot describing him as “one of the best moves” of the summer transfer window.

“Great performance. His very intelligent positioning allowed him to recover many balls while breaking the lines. He deflected the cross leading to the third,” the publication wrote of Kamara after making his competitive debut for Stade Rennais earlier this year.

Despite his strong start to life in France, however, Jeunes Footeux reports that Kamara could be set to leave Roazhon Park in January amid interest from Sunderland.

The publication claims that the Black Cats have “come forward to inquire” about the 29-year-old’s availability, with Le Bris keen on signing a new defensive midfielder due to the uncertainty surrounding Salis Abdul Samed.

Samed is on loan at the Stadium of Light from RC Lens, but hasn’t featured all season due to injury. Jeunes Footeux notes, however, that “nothing is concrete” between Sunderland and Kamara and that the Black Cats would only be interested in a loan move.

Given his experience of playing in the Championship, as well as his international calibre, Kamara could prove to be a smart signing for Sunderland if they can make it happen, especially given their current lack of options in central midfield, and it looks as if it’ll be one to watch.

Jos Buttler’s 89 off 56 in vain but Royals will have a second shot at the title in Qualifier 2

Shashank Kishore24-May-20222:41

Manjrekar: ‘Chahal bowled the tough overs, but Ashwin was slightly disappointing’

A man who wasn’t snapped up until the fag end of an exhaustive two-day auction was front and centre of Gujarat Titans’ dream run into the IPL final, which will be played at their home ground in front of possibly 100,000 fans in Ahmedabad.David Miller, enjoying his best IPL returns since 2013, channeled the spirit of Carlos Brathwaite by going 6, 6, 6 in a sensational final-over take down of Prasidh Krishna as Titans made no fuss in polishing off the 16 runs they needed off the final over. Miller remained unbeaten on 68 off 38, and his partnership of 106 with Hardik Pandya, who made a subdued unbeaten 40, ensured Titans were always ahead of a chase of 189. They eventually got home with three balls to spare and with seven wickets in hand.Buttler starts, Samson sustainsJos Buttler laced three boundaries off Mohammed Shami early on to give Royals the push they needed to overcome the early loss of Yashasvi Jaiswal. Samson then came out and batted like a man possessed, standing upright and striking the ball on the up. Clearing his front leg and swinging through cleanly, he hit three fours and two sixes off his first 10 deliveries. His first non-boundary run came in the seventh over. It told you of his intent to give his team the extra runs they may have needed to deal with the dew that was expected later in the evening. Samson raced to 30 off 13 as Royals made 55 for 1 in the first six overs.The slowdownButtler slowed down, initially because Samson took on the aggressor’s role. Then Rashid Khan, who had a favourable match-up against Englishman – four dismissals, strike rate of 60 – had him all at sea with his bag of ripping googlies and legbreaks. Having bowled three overs on the trot for 12, Rashid paved the way for R Sai Kishore to remove Samson to further dent the Royals. Rashid finished with an economy rate of 3.75, mostly because of his genius, but also because the opposition only had six specialist batters and they couldn’t afford to take too many risks.2:41

Manjrekar sees shade of Dhoni in Buttler’s innings progression

The finishFrom the end of the third over to the start of the 15th, Buttler failed to hit a single boundary. And then they came in torrents. He hit left-arm seamer Yash Dayal for four fours in the 17th. The second of those, with Buttler on 43, would’ve been straight down Hardik’s throat at long-off had he not slipped. Two balls later, he raised a fifty off 42 balls. It wasn’t until the 19th over that he hit his first six, and it was quite a hit as he cleared his front leg and walloped Shami way over long-off. The last five overs went for 64, Buttler alone hitting 52.Titans rocked earlyThe Titans lost powerplay maverick Wriddhiman Saha for a duck when he nicked Trent Boult in the first over, but quickly recovered with Shubman Gill and Matthew Wade’s calculated assault. Gill triggered a surge when he took on R Ashwin in the last over of the powerplay. He began with a six over extra cover, before flicking him for two more boundaries as Titans ended the first six on 64 for 1, their highest powerplay score of the season. Gill looked peerless until his innings ended courtesy a mix-up with Wade as he tried to keep strike. Wade, who initially turned for a second, froze to leave Gill stranded. To make matters worse, Wade also fell two overs later as Titans were 85 for 3 in the 10th over.Miller, Hardik see Titans homeMiller and Hardik took calculated risks and peeled off risk-free runs including a 14-run final over from Ashwin that consigned him to 4-0-40-0, his worst figures this season. Titans needed 50 off the last five, but weren’t allowed to break free as Chahal and Obed McCoy kept things tight. McCoy was especially effective with his bag of slower deliveries, and Chahal varied his pace and lengths to bowl a tight 18th that left Titans needing 23 off 12. Miller’s ability to pick boundaries covered up for Hardik’s struggles on what Samson described as a “sticky wicket”. McCoy’s tight 19th that went for just one four meant Royals had the cushion of 16 in the final over. But Miller had other ideas. He went 6,6,6 to give Titans a ticket to their dream finale.

Following their confidence-sapping draw away to Fulham over the weekend, Arsenal had the tough task of hosting AS Monaco at the Emirates in the Champions League.

The French giants, who are third in Ligue 1, were level on points with Mikel Arteta’s side going into the encounter, but it would be inaccurate to describe the game as even.

It wasn’t a vintage performance from the Gunners, but they were clearly the better side, and there were a handful of impressive displays from across the starting lineup.

However, while it was a good night overall, there were a few worrying performances, especially from one player who must be dropped for the next game.

Arsenal's best players

Before we get to the negative side of last night, it’s worth examining the positive and those who put in stellar displays for Arsenal, starting with the man of the moment, Bukayo Saka.

The 23-year-old was somewhat quiet in the first 20 minutes or so but found himself in the perfect position to score the hosts’ opener and then did the same late into the second 45 before turning provider for Kai Havertz just a few minutes later.

He wasn’t at his scintillating best, but he was devastatingly effective all the same, which is the hallmark of a genuinely great player – some might even say world-class.

Another Hale Ender who stood out was 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, who was making his full Champions League debut, but you wouldn’t have guessed from how he played.

The stand-in left-back looked right at home on the European stage, locking off opponents and playing sublime passes into dangerous areas, just as he did for the first goal.

Other notable performers include Jakub Kiwior, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, who were unspectacular but effective and hardly put a foot wrong throughout.

However, while there were plenty of reasons to be happy with how the game went for Arteta and Co, there was one player who was seriously disappointing and should be nowhere near the starting lineup on Saturday.

The Arsenal star who must be dropped

So, the player in question is, unfortunately, the incredibly talented Gabriel Martinelli, who put in another performance to forget for Arsenal.

Now, the important thing to say is that we know the Brazilian international has it within him to be a world-beater.

His tally of 15 goals and six assists in 46 appearances in the 22/23 season is evidence of that, but since then, the former Ituano gem has looked a shadow of his former self.

For example, last season saw the 23-year-old rack up a rather meagre haul of just 13 goal involvements in 44 games, and this year has only been marginally better as he’s scored four goals and provided three assists in 21 appearances.

However, it’s not just his output or lack thereof, that is beginning to worry fans; it’s his lack of impact on games.

For example, the only impact he had during his cameo on Sunday was straying offside for what should have been the winner and then lobbing a ball at the back of Kenny Tete while the team were frantically looking for a winner.

Unfortunately, the Guarulhos-born ace was just as ineffective last night, as he consistently failed to beat his man, missed a golden opportunity, and, if we’re being honest, was incredibly lucky not to be sent off in the first half.

Minutes

64′

Expected Goals

0.10

Expected Assists

0.03

Shots on Target

0

Shots off Target

1

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (1)

Passing Accuracy

16/20 (80%)

Long Balls (Accurate)

2 (1)

Big Chances Missed

1

Ground Duels (Won)

9 (3)

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (1)

Lost Possession

7

Fouls

3

Offside

1

As content creator Jack Devonport said, it was a complete “horror show” from the winger, and the Standard’s Malik Ouzia was just as unimpressed, awarding him a 5/10 match rating at full-time.

While this all might sound rather harsh, it’s backed up by his statistics, perhaps the most alarming of which is that his 32 touches were fewer than David Raya’s 50, underlining his lack of impact.

In his 64 minutes of action, the 5 foot 10 attacker produced a combined expected goal plus assists figure of just 0.13, failed to take a single shot on target, failed in 66% of his dribbles, made just 16 passes, misplaced 50% of his long balls, missed one big chance, lost six of nine ground duels, lost the ball seven times, committed three fouls and was offside once.

Simply put, it was a really poor showing from Martinelli, and while he could still come good later in the season, he must be dropped for the game against Everton.

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