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Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has been slammed by Graeme Souness for showing a "lack of appetite". The Reds legend also pinpointed the first warning sign in Salah's game in the club's Community Shield clash against Crystal Palace in August. After consistently delivering for the past eight years and playing a key role in Liverpool's title-winning seasons, Salah seems to be finally slowing down and his decline has coincided with an alarming dip in form from Arne Slot's side.

• Is age catching up with Salah?

  Since his move from AS Roma to Liverpool in 2017, Salah has been one of the best players in the Premier League. He has won the Golden Boot four times – twice shared – and has been named the Premier League's Player of the Season on two occasions. In the 2024-25 campaign, Salah registered 57 goal contributions in 52 matches across all competitions as he played a key role in the Reds winning the English top-flight title for a record equalling 20th time, and was subsequently rewarded with a new contract. 

  However, it seems age is finally catching up with Egyptian legend as his performance levels this term have dropped considerably. The 33-year-old has only scored four goals in Liverpool's opening 12 Premier League matches and has been accused of shirking his defensive duties.

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  'His brother turned up this season'

  Speaking to , former Reds star Souness said: "How long have we got?. He's been an absolute superstar. This is the nicest thing I can say about Salah, he's been the go-to man for the last seven years. If you're picking an all-time Liverpool eleven, he's one of the first names on the team sheet. I think it's his brother that's turned up this season."

  He added: "To me, I saw an incident in that Community Shield, just looking for little signals. There was a ball, he had his back to the sideline and a ball was played up and it's going towards the left-back in that game against Crystal Palace and he could easily have gone there. He's not going to win it, he's not a big strong aerial type, but at least he goes and makes life a little bit difficult for the full-back to do what he wants to do with it. He made no attempt to make that challenge. I'm thinking, he's never been the bravest, he's never going to get hurt in a 50/50, he's cute as anything and I wouldn't want him to because he's such a genius at the top end. But he's shown a lack of appetite and, I'm sorry, hard words sometimes are the kindest words and I think he needs hard words that ultimately are getting him back to being the superstar that he's been for Liverpool, but this season he has not turned up."

• Liverpool's weak link

  After the Reds' 2-1 loss to Chelsea last month, Blues defender Marc Cucurella pointed out a key weakness in the Liverpool side as he said: "We tried to attack (on their right side) always because we know that Salah is always ready to attack, to play the counter attack. So we know that, we practice and the manager tells us that the space is maybe there. We saw that in the last minute.

  "Yeah, I think they play one style of game that Salah is always ready to attack so we prepare that. If we do the crosses [with] maybe a lot of pace on them, so I think we try to make these things on our side and today it worked, and we can win the game in this way."

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  Carragher urges Salah to 'speak for the team'

  Following Liverpool's humiliating 3-0 loss at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, which saw them drop to 12th in the table, former Reds defender Jamie Carragher did not shy away from calling out Salah. He said on Monday Night Football: "I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match, or he needs a new contract. I'd like to see Mo Salah come out as one of the leaders, as one of the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team."

  Slot will hope to get Liverpool back on the winning track when they host PSV in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The Reds will return to Premier League action away at West Ham four days later.

Chelsea have now been handed a major boost in the race to sign Juventus star Kenan Yildiz, but there could be competition from a number of Europe’s top clubs.

The Blues made a number of additions in attacking areas during the summer transfer window, and Alejandro Garnacho has now started to find his best form, putting in a top performance in the 3-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers prior to the international break.

The winger was a constant threat, registering two assists and setting Malo Gusto up for the first goal of his career with a pinpoint cross from the left early in the second half.

Jamie Gittens, on the other hand, hasn’t been quite as impressive, having been unable to record a single goal contribution in his opening nine Premier League games, although it is still very early days for the Englishman, who is just 21-years-old.

However, the Blues have now set their sights on bringing in a new winger, and there has been a positive development in their pursuit of Yldiz, after submitting a proposal to the forward’s agent at the end of October.

Chelsea now receive major boost in Kenan Yildiz race

Chelsea have now received a major boost in the race to sign the Juventus winger, with a report from Caught Offside revealing talks over a new contract with the Italian club have recently stalled, given that the salary he is demanding has been deemed to be too high.

There could be fierce competition for the Turk’s signature, however, with a number of top clubs from across the continent now lining up for a possible bidding war, including Real Madrid and Arsenal.

Should the Serie A giants be unable to agree a new deal, they will look to hold out for a fee of €100m (£88m), which would make the 20-year-old one of the most expensive signings in the Blues’ history.

A deal for the youngster is likely to break the bank, but he is certainly exhibiting promising signs in Serie A, having made an impressive start to the campaign, chipping in with three goals and four assists in 14 matches across all competitions.

The starlet is also an impressive dribbler of the ball, averaging 2.25 successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 89th percentile, when compared to his positional peers.

Scout Jacek Kulig has waxed lyrical about the young forward’s dribbling ability too, saying he has “high on-the-ball bravery to make spectacular solo runs”, so it would make sense for Chelsea to pursue a deal, if Gittens continues to flatter to deceive.

Kenan Yildiz has been named as one of the best wingers in the world The Best 15 Wingers in World Football Ranked (2025)

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انطلقت منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26، ظهر يوم السبت وذلك بعد انتهاء فترة التوقف الدولي لشهر نوفمبر.

وتمكن تشيلسي من عبور بيرنلي بهدفين دون رد، في حين تعرض ليفربول للهزيمة أمام نوتينجهام فورست في الجولة نفسها بثلاثة أهداف دون رد.

بينما تعرض مانشستر سيتي للهزيمة على ملعب “سانت جيمس بارك” بهدفين لهدف أمام نيوكاسل يونايتد مساء السبت.

وشهد مساء يوم الأحد قمة منافسات الجولة المذكورة من الدوري الإنجليزي بين آرسنال وتوتنهام، حيث حقق الجانرز فوزًا بأربعة أهداف مقابل هدف.

وانتهت منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي يوم الإثنين بمباراة بين مانشستر يونايتد وإيفرتون، حيث فاز الأخير بهدف دون رد. ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي

1. آرسنال، 29 نقطة.

2. تشيلسي، 23 نقطة.

3. مانشستر سيتي، 22 نقطة.

4. أستون فيلا، 21 نقطة.

5. كريستال بالاس، 20 نقطة.

6. برايتون، 19 نقطة.

7. سندرلاند، 19 نقطة.

8. بورنموث، 19 نقطة.

9. توتنهام، 18 نقطة.

10. مانشستر يونايتد، 18 نقطة.

11. إيفرتون، 18 نقطة

12. ليفربول، 18 نقطة.

13. برينتفورد، 16 نقطة.

14. نيوكاسل، 15 نقطة.

15. فولهام، 12 نقطة.

16. نوتينجهام، 12 نقطة.

17. وست هام، 11 نقطة.

18. ليدز يونايتد، 11 نقطة.

19. بيرنلي، 10 نقاط.

20. ولفرهامبتون، نقطتان.

ويمكنك متابعة ترتيب الدوري محدث لحظة بلحظة من خلال الرابط.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians venceu o Coritiba por 2 a 0 na noite desta quarta-feira (6), no Couto Pereira, em Curitiba (PR) pela 38ª e última rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Fausto Vera e Ángel Romero marcaram os gols da vitória do Timão, ambos no primeiro tempo.

RelacionadasFora de CampoNeto atualiza situação envolvendo Gabigol, Flamengo e Corinthians: ‘Ele quer vir’Fora de Campo05/12/2023CorinthiansAtacante do Botafogo vira alvo do Corinthians para a próxima temporadaCorinthians05/12/2023CorinthiansMatheus Araújo revela se tem negociação para renovar com o CorinthiansCorinthians03/12/2023

➡️Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Com este resultado, o time comandado por Mano Menezes encerrou o Brasileirão na 13ª colocação, com 50 pontos, conquistando uma vaga na próxima edição da Copa Sul-Americana. Já o Coritiba está rebaixado para a Série B, terminando a temporada na 19ª posição, com 30 pontos, à frente apenas do lanterna América-MG.

CINCO LANCES QUE MARCARAM O DUELO

1️⃣ OLHA A BOCA! Com o estádio completamente vazio devido à punição sofrida pelo Coritiba, foi possível ouvir absolutamente TUDO que os treinadores estavam falando à beira do campo, incluindo os xingamentos…

2️⃣PLACAR ABERTO NO COUTO PEREIRA! Aos 10′, Fausto Vera finalizou de fora da área direto para o fundo da rede do Coxa, marcando seu primeiro gol com a camisa do Corinthians.

3️⃣MAIS UM! O Timão continuou pressionando e conseguiu ampliar a vantagem aos 20′. Após a defesa do Coritiba tirar mal a bola dentro da área, foi a vez de Ángel Romero estufar a rede. O paraguaio contou com o desvio de Thalisson Gabriel, que matou qualquer chance de defesa para o goleiro Pedro Morisco.

4️⃣PERDEEEEEU! Aos 37′, o zagueiro Thiago Dombroski teve uma ótima chance de descontar para o Coxa, mas finalizou para fora.

5️⃣FICOU POR AÍ! O segundo tempo seguiu em ritmo de jogo-treino. Sem grandes emoções, as equipes não criaram grandes chances na etapa final. O Corinthians administrou bem sua vantagem, e o Coritiba não conseguiu tirar o zero do marcador.

⏱Como foi o primeiro tempo?

Uma partida entre duas equipes sem objetivos na temporada não poderia ser diferente: ritmo de treino. No entanto, o Corinthians dominou as principais ações da etapa inicial, chegando com mais perigo no ataque. O Coritiba também teve algumas chances, porém não conseguiu aproveitá-las. Fausto Vera abriu o placar para o Timão com chute de fora da área, aos 10′, e Ángel Romero ampliou aos 20′ contando com o desvio do adversário.

⏱E a etapa final?

O segundo tempo não teve grandes emoções. O Corinthians conseguiu administrar bem a sua vantagem, mas também não se postou tanto ao ataque. O Coritiba, por sua vez, também não teve grande poder ofensivo e não conseguiu descontar no Couto Pereira.

✅O que vem por aí?

As duas equipes encerram a temporada e só voltam a campo em 2024 para a disputa dos campeonatos estaduais.

⚫FICHA TÉCNICA
Campeonato Brasileiro – 38ª rodada
Coritiba 0 x 2 Corinthians

Data e horário:quarta-feira, 6 de dezembro de 2023, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Local:Couto Pereira, em Curitiba (PR)
Arbitragem: Jonathan Benkenstein Pinheiro (RS) (árbitro), Tiago Augusto Kappes Diel (RS) e Maira Mastella Moreira (RS) (assistentes), Ivan da Silva Guimaraes Junior (AM) (quarto árbitro) e Daniel Nobre Bins (VAR-FIFA-RS) (árbitro de vídeo)
Cartões amarelos: –
Gols: Fausto Vera (0-1) (10’/1T), Ángel Romero (0-2) (20’/1T)

CORITIBA(Técnico: Guto Ferreira)
Pedro Morisco; Natanael, Thalisson, Thiago Dombroski (Maurício Antônio, após o intervalo) e Jamerson; William Farias (Matheus Bianqui, após o intervalo), Andrey (Diogo Batista, aos 20’/2T), Sebastian Gómez e Gabriel Silva (Lucas Ronier, após o intervalo); Kaio e Edu (Éberth, aos 19’/2T).

CORINTHIANS (Técnico: Mano Menezes)
Carlos Miguel; Fágner, Gil, Caetano e Matheus Bidu; Cantillo, Fausto Vera (Ruan, aos 22’/2T) (Bruno Méndez, aos 35’/2T), Matheus Araújo e Biro (Giovane, aos 21’/2T); Romero (Felipe Augusto, aos 35’/2T) e Yuri Alberto (Wesley, aos 29’/2T).

كشفت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية التفاصيل الخاصة برحلة نجم فريق إنتر ميامي ومنتخب الأرجنتين، ليونيل ميسي، المفاجئة إلى برشلونة حيث تفاجأ الجميع بالصور التي نشرها صباح يوم الإثنين، حيث تواجد في ملعب “كامب نو” الجديد.

وتسبب ليونيل ميسي في ضجة كبرى وسعادة غامرة لدي مشجعي برشلونة، خاصة وأن تواجده في معقل النادي الكتالوني لم يكن معروفًا لأي من المسؤولين، وهو بنفسه من أعلن عن تلك الزيارة بعدما نشر عبر حساباته الشخصية بمواقع التواصل الاجتماعي (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وذكرت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية أن ليونيل ميسي وصل إلى برشلونة على متن رحلة خاصة من مطار فورت لودرديل، ميامي، حوالي الساعة 2:30 ظهرًا، برفقة أقرب المقربين إليه ومواطنه رودريجو دي بول، حيث استغل كلاهما مشاركتهما المقررة مع المنتخب الأرجنتيني في أليكانتي يوم الإثنين لتقديم رحلتهما يومًا والاستمتاع ببضع ساعات من الاسترخاء في برشلونة.

وأوضحت أنه بعد يوم هادئ، قرر ليونيل ميسي الإقامة في فندق برينسيسا صوفيا مع بيبي كوستا، رفيق دربه في برشلونة لسنوات طويلة، ومن المثير للاهتمام أنه قد مُنح غرفة مطلة على ملعب كامب نو، ولم يره سوى أربعة أو خمسة مشجعين.

وراقب أولئك المنطقة التي يدخل ويخرج منها المشاهير بتكتم، معتقدين أن ميسي سيغادر من هناك، ولكن بدون مبالاة مدهشة، غادر النجم صاحب الـ38 عامًا من المدخل الرئيسي، وظهر واختلط بالناس كأي شخص عادي.

وفي ذلك المساء، تناول ليونيل ميسي العشاء مع دي بول في مطعم شهير في المدينة، معروف بأجوائه الحميمة ومكان شهير للاعبين الذين يزورون برشلونة، ثم لاحقًا سافرا إلى كامب نو.

ونزل ميسي من السيارة أمام تانايتوري دي ليس كورتيس، حيث تفقد الملعب الذي كان موطنه لأكثر من عقدين، وفي تلك اللحظة صادفه أحد مشجعي برشلونة، وهو من رواد المدينة الرياضية، ولم يستطع إلا أن ينادي اسمه.

والتقط الأرجنتيني، الذي كان ودودًا ومبتسمًا طوال الوقت، صورة مع ذلك الشخص، ثم دخل الملعب من نفس المدخل ليخطو مرة أخرى على أرض الملعب حيث كتب بعضًا من أروع فصول تاريخ كرة القدم، حيث مثلت لحظة حافلة بالعاطفة والرمزية كونها أول عودة له إلى “كامب نو” منذ رحيله المفاجئ والمؤلم في صيف 2021.

وأشارت إلى أنه بعد الزيارة، عاد ميسي ودي بول بتكتم إلى الفندق للراحة لبضع ساعات قبل أن يستقلا رحلة خاصة صباح اليوم إلى أليكانتي، حيث انضما بالفعل إلى المنتخب الأرجنتيني.

He replaces Shanto and will take over the reins from the Sri Lanka series next month

Mohammad Isam12-Jun-2025

Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been appointed Bangladesh’s ODI captain for the next 12 months. He will take over from the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka next month.Mehidy’s ODI appointment means Bangladesh now have three different captains in the three formats. Mehidy took over from Najmul Hossain Shanto, who remains the Test captain, while Litton Das is the T20I captain.”It is a huge honour for me to be entrusted with this responsibility by the board,” Mehidy said. “Leading the country is a dream for any cricketer and I am grateful for the confidence the board has shown in me. I have every faith in this team. We have the talent and the belief to play fearless cricket. I want us to perform with confidence, play without inhibition, and continue giving our best for the country.”Related

Shanto reinstated as Bangladesh Test captain until end of WTC cycle

Rebuild, resurrect, recalibrate – Mehidy has an unenviable task as ODI captain

Mehidy wants to bring hope back in ODIs for Bangladesh

Shanto banks on Bangladesh's away form, squad flexibility for fresh WTC campaign

Mehidy led Bangladesh in four ODIs last year when Shanto was injured, first against Afghanistan and then in the West Indies. Bangladesh lost all four games. Mehidy also stood in as Test captain in the series against West Indies, helping Bangladesh draw the second Test in Jamaica after they lost the first Test. He has played 105 ODIs and is the fourth Bangladesh player to do the double of 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in the format.”The board felt that Miraz’s consistent performances with the bat and ball, his ability to fight and inspire the team, and his energetic presence on and off the field make him an ideal candidate to lead the ODI side during a transitional time,” BCB’s cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedeen said. “We believe he has the temperament and maturity to take Bangladesh forward in this format.”Abedeen said that Shanto, who was appointed Bangladesh captain in all three formats in February last year, would continue to be in the leadership group.”We take this opportunity to thank Shanto for the positivity and character he has demonstrated as captain,” he said. “He remains very much a part of the leadership group and we know how important his batting is to the team.”Shanto led Bangladesh to four wins in 13 ODIs since 2023. Bangladesh won the ODI series against Sri Lanka last year but lost to New Zealand and Afghanistan. Bangladesh also exited the Champions Trophy in the first round earlier this year.Mehidy’s appointment also comes with the 2027 ODI World Cup not far away. Bangladesh are currently ranked No. 10 in the format. They need to be among the top-eight teams to earn automatic qualification for the World Cup.

Islamabad United produced a vintage performance to barnstorm into the top two, relegating Karachi Kings to the Eliminator in the process. Needing to beat Kings by about 49 runs to guarantee two bites at qualification for the final, they managed it with consummate ease as Sahibzada Farhan and Alex Hales combined for a 153-run opening stand in 69 balls to post 251 for 5. Kings’ response was restricted to a flash in the pan for the top two before United’s spinners triggered a collapse, Kings slumping from 80 for 1 to 114 for 8 as United sealed a 79-run win.United were put in to bat, and made their intentions plain from the outset. Farhan struck three fours in the opening over, with Hales going one better with two fours and a six off Khushdil Shah in the second. The two were in competition with each other more than they were with Kings’ bowlers, taking turns to flay them around the Pindi ground. The pair signed off the powerplay with 17 off Abbas Afridi to surge to 76, and if two quiet overs post powerplay gave Kings hope they were dragging the game back, the following three disabused them of that notion severely.Hales hoicked Hasan Ali over long-off for six before Farhan – having reached a 28-ball fifty – smeared him over square leg. The tenth over saw Aamer Jamal cop even worse punishment from Hales, who battered him for three sixes and a four in an over which fetched 24. United had reached 130 at the halfway mark, well on their way to the imposing total they required for a top two finish.There would be no respite as Khushdil’s third over went for a further 20 before a miscued lap from Farhan ballooned to short fine leg off Mir Hamza. He departed for 73 off 41, but Hales would motor along; by the time he ran down the stumps and yorked himself, he had blitzed his way to 88 off 35. United had enough wickets in the tank to keep slogging away, and benefitted from Kings’ largesse as they put down at least six chances amid one of the more egregious fielding displays of a tournament which has seen its fair share. Shadab Khan played the most active role in maximising United’s target towards the end, three fours and as many sixes decorating a 19-ball 42.Karachi needed 204 to secure a second place finish, and that’s what they seemed to be shaping up for at the outset. David Warner and Tim Seifert took an over to settle before they starting finding their shots, picking up a pair of boundaries each over to keep them on track. A whip off Tymal Mills at the end of the fifth over brought up the fifty stand, and though Salman Irshad yorked Seifert just before the end of the powerplay, James Vince and Warner tried to continue with the controlled aggression that marked their innings until then.But Imad Wasim, who had bowled a tight first over, dangled a carrot by dropping a quick long hop in front of Vince, who didn’t quite get the power on the heave to long-on. Salman Agha made no mistake, and thereafter the fall of wickets was a procession as Kings’ charge melted away in a wisp of smoke.A wild swing from Saad Baig brought United the third wicket before all realistic Kings hopes ended when Warner was cleaned up by Imad, who was growing into another superb spell. Shadab, meanwhile, would end up becoming the pick, taking two wickets each in two consecutive overs as he sliced through Kings’ middle order; Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Irfan Khan and Hasan Ali all neutralised within ten balls from the United captain.The victory could have been even more emphatic but United let their guard down, Shadab having his figures sullied as Abbas Afridi plundered an astonishing 24 off his final over. When Ben Dwarshuis was launched for another 15, there were brief fears United might throw away the top two finish, but they had built enough of a cushion. Irshad arrowed one into Jamal’s toes, bringing him to his knees as the umpire raised the finger. As a metaphor for how the night had gone, it was a fitting way to finish.

Tottenham have joined the list of teams keen on signing Brentford attacker Kevin Schade, with the Bees’ former boss lining up a potential switch. Frank signed Schade from Freiburg in 2023 and now wants to reunite with the Germany international.

• Rapid rise from Bundesliga to Premier League

  Schade's rise has been an impressive one. He began his career in the youth ranks at Energie Cottbus and then Freiburg, making his Bundesliga debut in August 2021. Schade then moved to Brentford in January 2023, initially on loan before making the move permanent for a club-record fee reportedly around £22 million ($29.3m), in a deal which runs until 2028. He has faced injury setbacks during his time at Brentford, including a significant abdomen injury in September 2023 which sidelined him for several months. Despite this, he has shown promising form, particularly last season where he scored 11 goals. He also earned his first call-up to the senior German national team in March 2023. 

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  Why the clamour for the young German?

  Schade has been hugely impressive since arriving in west London, demonstrating impressive talent and potential in attacking areas. His blistering pace is a significant strength, allowing him to exploit spaces behind defences and stretch opposing teams. Schade's athleticism is further highlighted by his strength in the air, making him a valuable target man and contributing to Brentford's set-piece threat. He recorded a top speed of 22.6mph while playing for Freiburg, marking him as one of the fastest players in Bundesliga history. Schade's growing goal contributions reflect his development. Beyond his attacking contributions, Schade is known for his relentless work rate and defensive intensity, a valuable attribute for Brentford's high-pressing style of play.

• High praise from Frank

  Speaking after Schade scored a brace against Manchester United last season, Frank said: "He’s grown a lot this season. Scoring 10 goals – not many players have scored 10 goals in the Premier League in their career – and he’ll most likely become even better next year. That’s the plan. With his pace going in behind, his threat in the box on headers – two fantastic headers (against United), the first one is an incredible header, the second one is just top class – but also if we go longer he’s one that can win a flick-on and, with set pieces in both boxes, he’s working hard."

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• AFP
  

  Spending spree for Spurs?

  Tottenham Hotspur have received a £100 million cash injection from their billionaire owners, the Lewis family, in what the club is calling a “statement of intent” – and could pave the way for Schade’s switch across London. In a powerful club statement released on Thursday, Tottenham confirmed the fresh equity boost was designed to “strengthen the club’s financial position” and “equip the leadership team with resources for long-term sporting success.” It read: "We are pleased to announce that our majority shareholder, the Lewis family trust, has, through ENIC Sports & Development Holdings Ltd (“ENIC”), injected £100 million of new capital into the Club. "This equity injection will further strengthen the Club’s financial position and equip the Club’s leadership team with additional resources to continue the focus on driving long-term sporting success. This additional capital is part of the Lewis family’s ongoing commitment to the Club and its future."

  Peter Charrington, Non-Executive Chairman, Tottenham added: "As I stated a few weeks ago, our focus is on stability and empowering the management team to deliver on the Club’s ambitions. I know the Lewis family are also ambitious for the future. Today’s capital commitment reflects that ambition and I would like to thank them for their ongoing support. We will continue to do all we can to ensure that Vinai Ventakesham and his team are supported in the best way possible to take this Club forward."

  Spurs face Aston Villa after the international break, before taking on Monaco in the Champions League. Brentford, by comparison, play West Ham prior to a clash with champions Liverpool.

“They have been doing that in the nets in the last seven to eight days to all our bowlers,” says Smriti Mandhana of Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja after record chase

Srinidhi Ramanujam14-Feb-2025

It wasn’t a perfect opening night for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, so captain Smriti Mandhana was “really happy” to be on the winning side. Her team, the defending champions, conceded what was the fourth-highest total in the WPL, then went one better, chasing down 202 in exhilarating fashion. They chiefly had Richa Ghosh, Kanika Ahuja and Ellyse Perry to thank for this, and Mandhana heaped praise on her middle order for delivering after an early wobble.”It was brilliant to watch,” Mandhana, who was out for 9 in the second over of the chase, said after the game. “They [Ahuja and Ghosh] have been doing that in the nets in the last seven to eight days to all our bowlers. So, really happy that things clicked on. But yeah, I think after the first innings we knew with the dew coming, it was going to be tough to bowl. So we always thought that we were in the game.”The way Richa batted and Pez [Perry] batted was amazing to watch.”Related

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RCB had been up against it after Ashleigh Gardner dented the visitors with the bat first, smashing a 37-ball 79, and then with the ball, removing Mandhana and Danni Wyatt-Hodge in the second over. But from thereon Giants had an awful time in the field with dropped catches, misfields, a missed run-out chance, overthrows and a flurry of full tosses. Perry, who was out in the 13th over, had done a repair job with 57 off 34, before Ghosh (64 not out off 27) and Ahuja (30 not out off 13) proceeded to snatch the game away.Ghosh took her time initially – she scored just 15 off her first 12 balls. A lot of match simulation before the tournament helped her deal with the high-pressure situation, she said later.”The plan was to take some time, and see how the pitch is reacting,” Ghosh said. “I wanted to take it deep, and I focused on my game. We [Ahuja and I] thought we could get to the total, and that we would play a positive game.”The preparation we did with sir [head coach Luke Williams] really helped us. We had a lot of match situation during practice matches. We kept targets that if the situation is so and so then what should we be doing. That helped me a lot.””Yes, the boundaries were uneven, but I didn’t have that in mind. I knew I could clear [the boundaries] so I was just reacting as the ball came.”Ahuja, who missed the last edition due to injury, was elated. In addition to her match-turning knock, she had returned 1 for 19 from three overs with her offspin.”It feels great. I’m really happy as I’m playing after a year,” Ahuja said. “All the visualisations and the rehab that I did seemed to have helped me mentally. I tried to become a better player.”I thought I’ll go for whatever is in my reach. We were looking at a [required] run rate of 10 or 12 runs an over, and that worked out. Thankfully, we won.”RCB had lost key players like Sophie Devine (unavailable), Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana and Sophie Molineux (all injured) ahead of the season, so they had to dig deep into their squad here. This resulted in three debutants: Prema Rawat, VJ Joshitha and Raghvi Bist. The inexperience in the bowling unit showed, and sloppiness in the field did not help. Mandhana backed her young players but said there remained “a lot of things to work on” if they are to defend their title.”I think we lost pretty much the top-three wicket-takers of last year,” Mandhana said. “And we had to start, but luckily we had good options. And whoever came in for the injured people, I think they were all brilliant replacements.”[But] I think definitely a lot of things to work on as a bowling unit and fielding unit. And we have two days off before the next match, so we’ll have good discussions around it.”

Rangers’ busy transfer window activity continues.

Over the weekend, the Light Blues confirmed the signing of teenage left-back Jayden Meghoma, arriving on a season-long loan from Brentford.

He is the tenth new player recruited by Russell Martin, with more expected to follow, as he seeks to completely overhaul the Rangers squad he inherited.

Now though, the Gers are seeking to bolster their backline even further, targeting another exciting talent…

Rangers' search for a new left-back

Ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League play-off first leg against Club Brugge, Rangers submitted a squad to UEFA that featured no out-and-out left-backs.

Rıdvan Yılmaz has not featured at all under Martin, with Beşiktaş attempting to re-sign him, while Jefté, who did start both legs against Viktoria Plzeň in the previous round, has now also been excluded, reportedly close to a £6m move to Palmeiras.

Thus, Max Aarons is expected to once again fill-in at left-back, as he did for both legs against Panathinaikos, and on the opening day of the Premiership campaign at Motherwell, but this is a far from ideal solution.

Thus, according to Il Messaggero, via the Daily Record, Rangers have revived their interest in signing Anass Salah-Eddine from Roma, with the Light Blues said to be ready to make contact regarding a potential move.

They add that newly-promoted La Liga outfit Elche are among the 23-year-old’s other suitors, with the Giallorossi willing to sell.

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Salah-Eddine only joined Roma from FC Twente in January for a reported fee of €8.5m plus €2m in add-ons, around £9m, but the full-back is not in new manager Gian Piero Gasperini’s plans, so could he soon swap the Eternal City for Ibrox?

What Anass Salah-Eddine would bring to Rangers

Born in Amsterdam, Salah-Eddine came through Ajax’s academy, representing the Dutch giants at multiple youth levels, before making just ten appearances for their first team.

He was loaned out to FC Twente for the 2022/23 season, before making the move to Enschede permanent, featuring 53 times for them overall.

His big breakthrough came this time last year, finally establishing himself as Twente’s first-choice left-back, notably starting all eight of their Europa League league phase fixtures, doing so against such high-calibre opponents as Manchester United, Lazio and others.

As already referenced, this earned him a move to Roma in January, the Giallorossi splashing up to £9m to secure his signature, but this certainly has not gone to plan.

Salah-Eddine featured in three of the first five Serie A fixtures following his arrival, starting against Parma and Empoli, but has not been seen since, an unused substitute for the final ten league matches, while a summer change of management at the Olimpico hasn’t improved his standing either.

While he was still in the Eredivisie, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labelled him a “technically gifted” full-back, adding that he was one of “the most talented” young Dutch talents at the time.

So, let’s assess his statistics from last season’s Europa League.

Minutes

709

6th

Assists per 90

0.25

2nd

Expected assists

2

1st

Completed passes

310

3rd

Key passes

8

4th

Shot-creating actions

23

4rd

Goal-creating actions

2

2nd

Tackles

23

2nd

Interceptions

14

1st

Ball recoveries

47

2nd

Attempted take-ons

23

2nd

Progressive carries

21

2nd

Touches

493

3rd

Average Sofascore rating

7.01

2nd

As the table outlines, when compared to his former Twente teammates in last season’s Europa League, Salah-Eddine ranks very highly for a wide variety of metrics.

The left-back was a key chance creator, as well as completing a lot of passes and accumulating a high number of touches, while also being solid defensively, ranked in the top two for tackles, interceptions, ball recoveries and more, despite having been sold by the time they faced Bodø/Glimt in the knockout stages, thereby featuring in two fewer fixtures.

So, why would he be a better signing than Meghoma?

Well, the Brentford loanee is very inexperienced, making just four appearances for the Bees, totalling 174 minutes, spending the second half of last season on loan at Preston North End, but only featuring 14 times for them, an unused substitute eight times.

Salah-Eddine, on the other hand, has vastly more experience, especially at European level, so would be better equipped to come in and make an instant impact, which is what Martin surely needs, while Meghoma is more of a developmental project.

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