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Two players each from Manchester City, Everton and Leicester help make up an evenly spread XI

Getty Images1Bernard | Everton

Bernard scored one and created two chances in Everton's away win at West Ham.

AdvertisementGetty Images2Marcus Rashford | Manchester United

Rashford netted with his only shot on target against Watford, opening the scoring for the Red Devils.

Getty Images3Bernardo Silva | Manchester City

Bernardo Silva was directly involved in both of Man City's goals against Fulham, scoring one and assisting another.

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Getty Images4Abdoulaye Doucoure | Watford

Doucoure made more passes (61) and more passes in the opposition half (45) than any Watford player at Old Trafford.

Australia fast bowler John Hastings has been ruled out of the upcoming one-day tri-series in the West Indies due to an ankle injury

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2016Australia fast bowler John Hastings has been ruled out of the upcoming one-day tri-series in the West Indies due to an ankle injury.His Victoria team-mate Scott Boland, who made his ODI debut against India during the home summer, has been called into the squad as a replacement. Hastings flew home from the IPL earlier this month after sustaining the injury to his left ankle while warming up for a match for Kolkata Knight Riders.”John experienced pain in his left ankle during his recent stint in the IPL and had scans upon returning home which have confirmed early stage bone stress of his fibula bone near his ankle,” Cricket Australia’s sports science and sports medicine manager, Alex Kountouris, said.”While laid off with this injury we have taken this opportunity to undertake arthrosporic surgery to remove bone spurs in his left ankle which have been causing him concern for some time and were possibility contributing to the cause of the bone stress.”John had this surgery over the weekend and now requires a period of rest to resolve the bone stress and recover from surgery before he will resume bowling.”The 2015-16 summer had been a renaissance of sorts for Hastings, who returned to the side during the ODI series in England in 2015 after four years out of the team. He went on to be the leading wicket taker from either side in the home ODI series with India and was then named in Australia’s squad for the World T20 in India.

Brenden Aaronson's late missed header proved costly as Union Berlin fell to Braga in stoppage-time.

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Aaronson comes on in 81'Misses golden chanceBraga win in stoppage-timeGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Braga came out on top in a wild 3-2 victory over Union Berlin. The Bundesliga side's Sheraldo Becker notched a brace, but a stoppage-time winner from Braga's Andre Castro stole the show.

Becker scored twice in minutes 30' and 37' to put the home side up 2-0 up, but Braga capitalized on a defensive mistake four minutes after the double to get one back before the break. Portuguese winger Bruma equalized just after half-time and then set up Castro at the death to take home the glory.

USMNT midfielder Aaronson was subbed on in the 81st minute, but failed to leave a lasting impact on the match, spurning a headed chance late on. The miss proved costly, as Union lost their second group-stage match of the campaign.

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Aaronson's loan has been nothing but disappointing so far, and Tuesday was just an amplification of that. He was benched for the second-straight match and for the second time this UCL campaign. He was their last substitute used in the match and only played a total of 14 minutes, and it appears his confidence is drained.

He had a great opportunity to put the German side ahead minutes after entering the match, but missed a point-blank header.

For Union Berlin, it's a second-successive heartbreaking loss in stoppage-time loss in the Champions League. On matchday one, the Bundesliga side fell to Real Madrid 1-0 due to a 94th-minute winner from Jude Bellingham.

Getty ImagesUSMNT IMPACT

Aaronson not starting nor getting regular minutes for Union Berlin has to be a worry for Gregg Berhalter and the USMNT.

With upcoming October friendlies against both Ghana and Germany on the horizon, it's important that the 22-year-old finds both his confidence and his shooting boots as the two matches ahead are their toughest international opponents yet.

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GOAL'S RATINGS

Brenden Aaronson (5/10):

Despite coming on late in the 81st minute, Aaronson nearly set up a goal immediately and then missed a point-blank header late; one would argue he has to score in that moment.

Srinath Silva, 66, died of a heart attack in his sleep on Tuesday morning

Sa'adi Thawfeeq30-Sep-2014Srinath Silva, 66, died of a heart attack in his sleep on Tuesday morning.Silva, a right-handed opening batsman, was less than five feet in height but was one of the hardest hitters of his time. A former Sri Lanka poolist, Silva played domestic cricket at the highest level for three decades from the mid-sixties. He represented Moratuwa SC, Colts, Saracens and Bloomfield.Silva was a member of the Sri Lanka Cricket Executive Committee, chairman of the SLC umpires committee and president of Catamarans SC.Silva represented his alma mater Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa for four years from 1962. His first college captain Vernon de Mel recalled Silva’s debut against Wesley College and said the spectators had hooted at Silva because of his small stature.”Srinath quickly silenced the agitated spectators by scoring a hard-hit 30 runs turning boos into cheers,” said de Mel.”However, I was unable to play him in any of the matches for the rest of the season because the master-in-charge said that he was too small to play in a first-eleven team,” De Mel said.Silva and his contemporaries Wirantha Fernando, Sripal Silva, Pemlal Fernando, Ransiri Peiris and Jayantha Perera left Moratuwa SC and joined Colts over a captaincy issue.”He was such a kind-hearted person that when a disciplinary matter came up concerning Sri Lanka cricketer Lahiru Thirmanne he left the committee saying, ‘I hate questioning people you finish it off’,” said de Mel.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is taking inspiration from a fellow Manchester City rival to learn the tricks following positional change at club and country.

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Alexander-Arnold studies Stones' midfield successSouthgate eyes Alexander-Arnold as a midfielderLiverpool's hybrid role propels him to follow the sameWHAT HAPPENED?

The England full-back has been deployed as a defensive midfielder by Jurgen Klopp at Anfield which has forced him to watch and learn closely from John Stones who has also adapted to playing in an advanced role from being a centre back.

Gareth Southgate believes in the potential of Alexander-Arnold and envisions the Liverpool star's future in midfield amid stiff competition in the right-back position from Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Reece James.

Getty ImagesAdvertisementWHAT TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD SAID

Alexander-Arnold revealed that he keenly follows the game of Stones, is an admirer of Rodri and watches legends from the past like Steven Gerrard to get a grip on his position.

"I think as someone who plays the inverted role, or whatever people want to call it, then obviously John Stones is the example of who to watch," he said.

"He is exceptional and I’ve admired his game for a long time. I look at a lot of his clips and even when I’m watching City play, I will sit and focus on him. I admire Rodri. He is pivotal to City and massively underrated. They are not the same without him. l’ll also watch midfielders from the past to learn from; Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Andrea Pirlo, Stevie G. They are players I have always enjoyed."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Alexander-Arnold was labelled a midfielder by The FA and the player revealed he has held extensive talks with the team management about his new role and the classification isn't just for show.

"The conversations I’ve had with the England manager and staff, I go there as a midfielder," he said.

"That is where I train and where I try and play on the pitch, barring the last Australia game. It helps me because I’m not playing midfield every week with Liverpool. Being in midfield is a lot different to at the side of the pitch. I am learning how to receive the ball in central areas."

While talking about his role at Liverpool he added: "The way I see it and has been explained to me, it is almost when we have the ball I am a midfielder, and when we don’t I am a right-back. Sixty per cent of the game, I am in midfield. It’s about playing with freedom to get on the ball and try and create and make things happen, to progress us up the pitch. And when the ball advances towards us, it becomes more about protection and stopping counter attacks."

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR FOR TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?

Alexander-Arnold will be eager to put his best foot forward when England host Malta on Friday in a Euro 2024 Qualifier before taking on North Macedonia two days later away from home.

Ian Bell has called on his team-mates to be “fearless” in their attempts to build momentum for the World Cup, suggesting the public would rather see them “be aggressive and lose” if the alternative was another tame exit from the tournament

Alan Gardner17-Nov-2014England’s one-day batting has long been on the diffident side but Ian Bell has called on his team-mates to be “fearless” in their attempts to build momentum for the World Cup, suggesting the public would rather see them “be aggressive and lose” if the alternative was another tame exit from a tournament they have underperformed in for more than 20 years.The England players landed in Sri Lanka on Sunday evening, ahead of a seven-ODI series that will form an important part of their preparation for the World Cup. It has taken Bell a good deal of time to shed his own reputation for hesitancy but, as one of only two players in the squad aged over 30 and having appeared in two previous World Cups, he appears ready to set a more combative example.Since reaching the final of the Champions Trophy in home conditions last year, England’s one-day form has been insipid, with four series defeats out of five. The captain, Alastair Cook, has insisted there won’t be a “radical change” to their gameplan but Bell believes the team is capable of a more attacking mindset in the 50-over format, which will occupy England’s schedule until the end of the World Cup – however soon that comes.”In this country so much is built around Test cricket and Ashes cricket, but we’ve never won a 50-over tournament so the incentive is there to be the first English team to win a World Cup, you don’t need any more motivation than that,” Bell said.”We’re lucky to be able to pull on the England shirt and go and have a crack. There is a lot of hard work to be done but when we get out there we’ve got to be aggressive, we’ve got to be fearless and give it everything. I think people would rather see us be aggressive and lose instead of be timid and come away with nothing. Everyone’s mindset is to play aggressively.”England’s pursuit of a more dynamic style of play has actually had implications for Bell, who will be aiming to secure himself a new berth at No. 3 in Sri Lanka. With the belligerent Alex Hales brought in to partner Alastair Cook for the recent series against India, Bell was forced down the order – and then out of the side with a fractured toe.After returning to the ODI side as an opener in 2012, Bell averaged 45.65 in the position, scoring two of his three hundreds, but he now faces competition from the likes of Moeen Ali and Joe Root to come in at first drop.”Hopefully I still see myself batting at number three where I was moved to at the end of the summer,” he said. “I will bat wherever I am asked, I love opening the batting but three is not much different and I just have to go and do it. In the last couple of years in one-day cricket, apart from the little bit of inconsistency in the summer I couldn’t have argued about how it’s gone since I got back in the side, consistently scoring runs at a good rate. So hopefully I can get back to that and kick on.”It’s exciting for all the guys, to compete for places and get in the squad. That’s what we need, I don’t think you want 11 guys knowing they are in the 11, you want that little bit of edge, people playing for places. We are playing for England, it’s not a club side on a Saturday, we need that competition and the England teams I have played in at our best, when you know there is someone right behind you pushing for your place, that gets the best out of players.”A show of aggression from the ever-stylish Bell would doubtless be welcomed, as England seek to bring their critics on side. Scores of 300 or more – never an England forte – will be anticipated at the World Cup, although Rohit Sharma’s dazzling, individual 264 in Kolkata last week was proof that the limits of one-day cricket can be pushed further still. For Bell, however, there was also a lesson dear to the heart of the England set-up: bat long, build an innings.”The thing is, it is amazing watching him play because he doesn’t slog, they are proper cricket shots,” he said. “I didn’t see it all but the facts are there: India didn’t get off to an absolute flying start, what he did really well is what we have talked about before, he batted the 50 overs and that was the important thing. The way he scored at the end, that is possible for all our players, but you have to bat that time.”England will still be focused on hundreds – rather than doubles – from the top order, which is probably sensible, given they have been hard enough to come by as it is.”The stats of English cricket, Marcus Trescothick still has the most hundreds and he is probably the one guy you would say has the amount he should have,” Bell said. “Going back we have had some great one-day players, but we haven’t stacked up a lot of hundreds. Whether that is to do with the conditions we play in in England, I don’t know, but if we can do that in Australia, we can have somebody scoring a hundred and guys playing cameos around that, we can get our reward.”

Chadd Sayers bowled South Australia to victory over Western Australia with a spell of 3 for 1 from seven overs on the final day in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2013
ScorecardChadd Sayers finished the match with seven wickets•Getty ImagesChadd Sayers bowled South Australia to victory over Western Australia with a spell of 3 for 1 from seven overs on the final day in Perth. Set 319 to win, the Warriors had made a solid start and were 2 for 109 when Sayers began to cause problems, removing John Rogers for 31, Will Bosisto for a duck and Cameron Bancroft for 35 in his pre-lunch spell.That left Western Australia wobbling at 5 for 114 and although Sam Whiteman added an unbeaten 47 from 40 deliveries, the Warriors never recovered from the mini-collapse. Sayers returned to claim the final wicket, that of Michael Hogan for 15, to dismiss Western Australia for 210 and wrap up a 108-run South Australian victory.Sayers, who played for Australia A during the year and could be an outside chance for a call-up at some point during the Ashes, finished the innings with 4 for 34 and seven wickets for the match. The debutant fast bowler Trent Lawford collected 3 for 41 to add to his two wickets from the first innings.

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Crystal Palace fans may think that Andros Townsend is an excellent foil for Wilfried Zaha’s talents on the opposing wing, and whilst the England international is a tremendous player, there is something missing that still sees Zaha get doubled, even tripled up on by the opposition.

The last piece of the jigsaw

The Eagles are finally looking like a very competent Premier League side with quality littered almost throughout their entire squad. Roy Hodgson has an excellent ‘keeper in Vicente Guaita in goal, and ahead of the Spaniard, the 71-year-old boss has Aaron Wan-Bissaka, James Tomkins, Mamadou Sakho and Patrick van Aanholt at his disposal.

That quartet makes up what is currently the fifth best defence in the Premier League with nine clean sheets, behind only Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

In midfield, the south Londoners are fairly overstocked, with even Max Meyer struggling for game time. Luka Milivojevic and Cheikhou Kouyate play at the base of the midfield, with either James McArthur or utility man Jeffrey Schlupp alongside them.

It is in attack where times have been tough, and whilst they have improved slightly with the arrival of Michy Batshuayi, Palace still lack someone with as much swagger and flair as Zaha.

Who could be the answer?

The Ivorian excelled in the Championship when playing close to another flair player in Yannick Bolasie, and seemed to always have space to work in as defenders were fearful of leaving one of them isolated.

Nowadays, defenders know they can put two or three men on Zaha and instantly nullify the Eagles’ attack.

One man who has just as much confidence as Zaha – shown by his outrageous decision to wear a Gucci headband in a match – is Nice’s mercurial forward Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Frenchman has hit six goals and recorded two assists in Ligue 1 this season, and can play either on the flanks or in the centre.

Palace must sign him and play him as close to Zaha as possible – if they do that, they’ll have a perfectly oiled machine and perhaps one of the trickiest duets in the Premier League.

Graeme White took four wickets as Northamptonshire saw offGloucestershire to claim their first home win in the Friends Life t20in almost three years.

28-Jun-2013
ScorecardGraeme White, on loan from Notts, took 4 for 14•PA PhotosGraeme White took four wickets as Northamptonshire saw offGloucestershire to claim their first home win in the Friends Life t20in almost three years.After the weather saw the match reduced to 12 overs-a-side, Northantsbatted well in making 124 for 4 with Scotland captain Kyle Coetzertop-scoring by smashing 39 off 25 balls.Gloucestershire never looked like reaching their target as they collapsed to 83for 9 with Nottinghamshire loanee Graeme White taking a brilliant 4 for 14from three overs with Muhammad Azharullah claiming 2 for 23.This was the hosts’ first victory in this competition at Wantage Road sincethey defeated Lancashire in July 2010 and it gets this year’s campaign off to aflyer.Several rain delays meant proceedings eventually began at 8:10pm after thevisitors won the toss and chose to field. Dan Christian then dismissed Richard Levi for 2 in the second over when he chased a wide delivery and was taken by wicketkeeperGareth Roderick.Coetzer departed when he chipped Benny Howell to Gloucester captain MichaelKlinger at extra cover before the same bowler castled Cameron White after he hadclubbed 28 off 20 balls. Alex Wakely bludgeoned 36 off only 19 deliveries beforesmashing David Payne to Ian Cockbain at long-off with the last ball of theinnings.Chasing 125, Gloucestershire lost Hamish Marshall from the second ball whenhe got a leading edge from David Willey to Cameron White at midwicket before Chris Dent dragged Azharullah on to his stumps. The visitors then lost two wickets in consecutive balls in the eighth over, bowled by Graeme White, when Christian picked out Willey at long on. Klinger was taken at long-off by Matthew Spriegel after plundering 27 as thegame slipped away from the Gladiators.Five wickets then tumbled for just three runs as Howell was superbly runout by Willey at long-on before White caught and bowled Alex Gidman with the very next ball. White then bowled James Fuller before Azharullah repeated the doseto Cockbain and Gareth Roderick in the penultimate over to compound thevisitors’ misery.

Bilawal Bhatti, the Pakistan allrounder , was detained at Dubai Airport for several hours for using an invalid visa before being released to join the Pakistan squad

Umar Farooq05-Dec-2013Bilawal Bhatti, the Pakistan allrounder , was detained at Dubai Airport for several hours for using an invalid visa before being released* to join the Pakistan squad.According to the PCB, Bhatti had inadvertently used his single-entry visa, administered by the UAE, to enter Dubai on his way back to Pakistan on December 2, following the South Africa tour. When Bhatti tried to use the same visa on Thursday in order to re-enter Dubai ahead of the series against Sri Lanka, the authorities detained him.The PCB has applied for a fresh visa on his behalf, and he was put up in an airport hotel till he was granted a visa. He was part of the squad which were to play Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in the UAE, for a series set to start on December 8.”Bilawal had failed to report this act to the PCB and hence could not enter Dubai,” PCB said, earlier in the day. “The PCB has made arrangements for Bilawal to stay at a hotel inside the Dubai airport and has applied for a new visa.”Bhatti made his international debut in a T20 against South Africa in November 2013, and has gone on to play three ODIs and two T20s.