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أعلن تشابي ألونسو مدرب ريال مدريد، تشكيل الفريق لمباراته أمام فياريال، ببطولة الدوري الإسباني لموسم 2025-2026.

ويستقبل ريال مدريد خصمه فياريال على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة من الدوري الإسباني للموسم الجاري.

ريال مدريد يتواجد حاليًا في المركز الثاني برصيد 18 نقطة، حيث فقد الصدارة عقب خسارته في الديربي ضد أتلتيكو مدريد، بنتيجة 5/2 في الجولة الماضية، في الوقت الذي فاز فيه برشلونة على ريال سوسيداد، بهدفين لهدف.

والضيف فياريال يتواجد في المركز الثالث بجدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، ويملك في رصيده 16 نقطة. تشكيل ريال مدريد أمام فياريال في الدوري الإسباني

حراسة المرمى: تيبو كورتوا.

خط الدفاع: إيدير ميليتاو، دين هويسن، ألفارو كاريراس.

خط الوسط: أردا جولر، داني سيبايوس، تشواميني، فالفيردي.

خط الهجوم: فينيسيوس جونيور، كيليان مبابي، ماستانتونو.

البدلاء: لونين، سيرجيو ميستري، ديفيد ألابا، كامافينجا، بيلينجهام، إندريك، رودريجو، جونزالو، أسينسيو، فران جارسيا، إبراهيم دياز.

Ben Stokes, England’s captain, said he had apologised to his players for his show of frustration on the third evening in Multan, at the point that the second Test against Pakistan began to slip out of his team’s control in a spate of dropped catches and fielding lapses.Stokes, back in the side for the first time in nine weeks after a hamstring tear had ruled him out of their home series against Sri Lanka as well as last week’s first Test, told Sky Sports that he had behaved like a “tired and grumpy old man” when bawling out his players at a critical juncture of Pakistan’s second innings.The flashpoint came in the midst of a wholehearted spell of reverse-swing bowling from Brydon Carse, who had just dismissed Mohammad Rizwan for the third time in the series to raise England’s hopes of restricting Pakistan to a sub-150 second-innings total.Two overs later, however, with Salman Agha in his sights, Carse suffered two drops in the space of three balls – first as Jamie Smith spilled a regulation nick behind the stumps with Salman on 4, and then again on 6 when Joe Root, standing unusually close at first slip, couldn’t close his hands around a fenced edge off the back foot. Salman would go on to make an innings-defining 63 from 89 balls.Then, when Jack Leach fumbled at point to give away an unnecessary single in Carse’s subsequent over, Stokes let out a roar of exasperation – which, while understandable in the circumstances, was out of character for a captain who has extolled a blame-free environment in the course of his two-and-a-half year reign.Related

• Stokes finds his peace in home comforts after 'hardest trip' to Pakistan

• Brendon McCullum plays down England spin concerns as Pindi decider looms

• Jordan Cox in line for Test debut in New Zealand as Jamie Smith's paternity cover

• Pakistan savour the sweet, sweet taste of victory … as the sugar-crash can wait

• Pakistan's pitch-perfect gamble exposes England's familiar batting flaw

“I actually apologised to the group up there last night,” Stokes said afterwards. “It’s the first time in my captaincy that I’ve let my emotions show in my body language, with how I was feeling as the game was unfolding. I owned up to that, and I’m very annoyed at myself for letting that out.”It’s something that I don’t want to do, or be seen to be doing,” he added. “No one means to drop catches, but it just proves how important catches are out in these subcontinent conditions, because they don’t come along that often. So I apologised to the group and said that was poor of me. I was a tired and grumpy old man last night. You won’t see that happen again.”Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, admitted he had been surprised that Stokes had felt it necessary to speak out on the matter, but put his annoyance down to the passion that epitomises his character. Without it, he said, Stokes could not have driven himself back to full fitness so soon after suffering a serious hamstring tear.”I was a bit surprised, but we all know how passionate Ben is, and how much it means to him to play for England,” McCullum told Sky Sports. “We’ve seen that through his bloody-mindedness to get back from the injury, which was significant, and to do so in a nine-week timeframe, and in extreme conditions of 40 degrees.”I think maybe that’s where some of that frustration led to, certainly it wasn’t directed at any of the players,” he added. “It was more about trying to assess the rhythm of the game and to impact on it. But look, he’ll be better for the run. And I thought in the second innings [where he made 37 from 36 balls] he looked like he had that method where he could put pressure on the opposition. He’s at his best when he’s doing that.”Stokes himself acknowledged that the challenge of getting back to match fitness had been a tough one, having played no competitive cricket since tearing his hamstring while batting in the Hundred in August.”I’ve worked so, so hard to get fit for this Test match, but nothing can prepare you for standing out on the field in hot weather,” he said. “Training doesn’t do that, so it was great to be able to get through this Test match, it fills me up nicely going into next week, and it was nice to get some overs under the belt as well. That was the one thing which I felt like I was lacking. But obviously, when you get into the game, and you feel like it’s on the line, nothing can stop me from doing that.”In a match dominated by spinners, with Pakistan’s Sajid Khan and Noman Ali becoming the first bowling pair to share all 20 wickets since 1972, both Stokes and McCullum agreed that Carse’s luckless display had been one of the outstanding aspects of the contest. He finished with match figures of 5 for 79 across 29 overs, bowling with heart, pace and skill throughout, while also contributing a spirited innings of 27 from 32 balls on the final morning.”He’s been fantastic,” Stokes said. “He’s shown in these two games why we picked him in all formats, not just Test cricket, going forward. He just keeps charging in, ball after ball, spell after spell. Obviously, when the ball starts reverse-swinging, he comes into the game even more. Having his batting ability down the order again is massive for us. He’s been really good, and he’s going to raise his stock even higher than what it was already.”Ben Stokes disappointed after being stumped for 37•Getty Images

McCullum agreed Carse had been the “standout” of England’s attack. “I wouldn’t say he surprised me, because he came with the reputation of someone that could bowl good pace with a big heart, to keep charging in with some steepling bounce,” he said. “To be able to do it in England is one thing, to do it on a surface which didn’t offer a whole lot for fast bowlers is simply outstanding. We’re trying to build a battery of fast bowlers, and Carse has certainly put his name into that.”As a former Test wicketkeeper, McCullum also defended Smith’s display in the wake of his costly lapse on the third evening. After three sharp takes in the first innings, it was a rare blemish in what has been a fine start to Smith’s England career, while his twin scores of 21 and 6 amounted to his smallest contribution with the bat in course of eight Tests.”You will not get a tougher set of conditions to keep wicket on,” McCullum said. “Jamie’s very disappointed about dropping that catch. But you take that out, I thought his keeping was as good as I’ve seen in these conditions, particularly from a foreign wicketkeeper.”He’s just continuing to impress, and obviously in both innings, he’s trying to put pressure on the opposition on that surface, which is very difficult, but that’s his natural game. He’s turning into a really big player for us.”But that’s where you got to have the ability to turn the page pretty quickly as well, because if you ever let your mistakes dictate your attitude and your confidence, then you’re in for a hell of a time. Mistakes in this game are going to be part of it, but 99% of what Jamie has done in this Test match has been absolutely outstanding. And that’ll be the message to him.”

Rizwan will take over from Babar, who stepped down from the role recently

Danyal Rasool27-Oct-2024 • Updated on 30-Oct-2024Mohammad Rizwan has been announced as the new white-ball captain of Pakistan, and his first assignment will be the ODI and T20I series against Australia next month. The squad marks the return of Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. The trio, omitted from Pakistan’s last two Tests against England, make a return in both white-ball formats. None of them will feature in the ODI or T20I series in Zimbabwe that immediately follow.Salman Ali Agha, who is in all four white-ball squads for the away tours, has been named vice-captain. He will captain the side in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, with Rizwan sitting that series out.”I am committed to giving my absolute best in this role and look forward to working closely with the selectors, coaches and my immensely talented teammates,” a statement attributed by the PCB to Rizwan stated. “Together, we aim to meet and exceed the expectations of our fans and supporters.”Pakistan’s ODI and T20I squad for the tour of Australia•ESPNcricinfo LtdFakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, who both missed out on a central contract, do not feature in any squad, but central contracts weren’t always a reliable indicator of squad composition. Mohammad Hasnain didn’t get a central contract, but his performance in the Champions One-Day Cup – where he was Player of the Tournament – has earned him a berth in all four squads. Shadab Khan has been dropped, left-arm wristspinner Sufiyan Muqeem added to both T20I travelling parties, while offspin-bowling allrounder Qasim Akram will go to Zimbabwe for the T20Is.Related

Pat Cummins, and Pakistan: welcome back to ODI cricket

'Sometimes people need a break' – Masood backs Babar to make strong comeback

Kirsten resigns as Pakistan's white-ball coach

Shan Masood gets PCB contract 'subject to captaincy', Babar and Rizwan alone in top category

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed Fakhar’s dispute with the PCB over a tweet he posted in opposition to Babar being dropped from the Test side was a factor in his omission, though according to the chairman, it wasn’t the biggest reason. “The tweet [he posted] is an issue for us,” Naqvi said. “It doesn’t matter as much as him failing his fitness test though. We have to make a decision over his show-cause notice, and after that he has to pass his fitness test. That’s why he isn’t in. He spoke very well at the connection camp, and it was him raising his voice that has led us to reform our international department. I appreciate that. But it’s unacceptable for a player to tweet against the selection committee. That is not permitted, and it will never be permitted.”Pakistan’s white-ball squads for the Zimbabwe tour•ESPNcricinfo LtdPakistan Shaheens wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris has also fallen down the pecking order, failing to make any of the squads, with wicketkeeper Haseebullah Khan, who played a solitary T20I in New Zealand in January, included in all four. His team-mate at Peshawar Zalmi Saim Ayub, who primarily made his name as a T20 top order power-hitter, will not feature in either of the T20I series after a sustained lean run in the format, but has made the cut for both ODI squads.The ODI series against Australia, set to begin on November 4, is Pakistan’s first in the format since the World Cup in India a year earlier. It kickstarts a busy period in the 50-over format in the build-up to the Champions Trophy in February, the first ICC event Pakistan are scheduled to host since the 1996 World Cup. The Australia and Zimbabwe ODIs are followed by white-ball games in both formats against South Africa, and a tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa in Multan just before the start of the Champions Trophy.Australia tour (Nov 4-18)
Pakistan ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Irfan Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah AfridiT20I squad: Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Abbas Afridi, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan.Zimbabwe tour (Nov 24 – Dec 5)
ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Irfan Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Saim Ayub, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab TahirT20I squad: Agha Salman (capt), Abbas Afridi, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, Omair Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan11.50 GMT: This story was updated when Rizwan was confirmed as captain

Fulham have now approached the agents of an “incredible” player over a potential move to Craven Cottage, but it may take an offer of £34m to get a deal done, journalist Orazio Accomando has revealed.

Cottagers set sights on new midfielder

The Cottagers are yet to make any additions to their squad this summer, but the recent news that Kenny Tete is set to sign a new deal is a bonus, given that the Dutchman had been linked with a move to Everton.

In terms of potential new arrivals, Marco Silva appears to be particularly keen on strengthening his midfield options this summer, having identified a number of targets over the past month.

Target	Current club	Potential cost
Nadiem Amiri	Mainz	£15m
Kalvin Phillips	Manchester City	£21m
Joao Palhinha	Bayern Munich	£25m
Rocco Reitz	Borussia Monchengladbach	£17m

Having solidified themselves as a Premier League club, the west Londoners may now be in a position to be a tad more ambitious with their targets, and they have now made an approach for a 2025 Champions League finalist.

That is according to an update from Accomando on X, with the reporter stating that Fulham have now submitted an enquiry over a deal for Inter Milan star Hakan Çalhanoğlu, making contact with the midfielder’s agents.

Inter aren’t willing to let the maestro leave on the cheap, however, with the Italian club set to hold out for a fee of €40m (£34m), which may be prohibitive for fellow potential suitors Galatasaray, who are only willing to offer €15m (£13m).

Leeds leading Fulham in race to sign £8.5m defender alongside Bornauw

Leeds United are now in a race to sign a defender who has been impressing in Germany.

By
Brett Worthington

Jul 1, 2025

The 31-year-old “wants” to join Galatasaray, but the Turkish champions may find it difficult to win the race for his signature if a bidding war breaks out, with Manchester United also expressing an interest.

Çalhanoğlu could be "incredible" coup for Fulham

It would be a real statement of intent if Fulham were able to sign a 2025 Champions League finalist, particularly one who played a major role in the Italian side reaching that stage of the competition.

The Inter star was a key player throughout the campaign, regularly providing goals and assists in all competitions, despite often featuring in a deep-lying role.

Competition	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Serie A	29	5	6
Champions League	12	4	2
Italian Cup	4	2	0

The Turk is also vastly experienced at international level, scoring 21 goals in 97 outings for his country, including a remarkable effort at Euro 2024.

Turkey assistant manager Daniele Russo was subsequently left impressed by the Germany-born midfielder, saying: “It goes without saying that he is an incredible player. He is also very good at protecting his young teammates.”

As such, Çalhanoğlu could be a statement signing for Fulham this summer, but Galatasaray and Manchester United’s interest could pose a problem.

Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Arsenal and their plans to sign a new striker, amid their widely reported talks for RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal hold talks over signing Benjamin Sesko

Near the end of May, it became evident through reliable media sources that Sesko had emerged as Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta’s prime striker target.

David Ornstein: Arsenal consider deal for player as "done and signed"

Gunners chiefs are extremely confident.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 11, 2025

Arsenal entered “concrete” negotiations with Leipzig over a deal for the Slovenia international, who’s fresh off the back of a productive campaign where he scored 21 goals and six assists in all competitions.

Since then, talks have been ongoing and advancing cautiously (Fabrizio Romano), with reliable journalist Ben Jacobs sharing that the major sticking point in this potential transfer is Leipzig’s financial demands.

According to his information, Arsenal want to strike a deal for Sesko at around £60 million, whereas Leipzig want to sell for nearer £70 million.

“They have discussed whether or not there is flexibility beneath the variable release clause, set at the moment around €80 million,” said Jacobs on The Football Terrace last week.

“That’s why that one’s taking time, because Arsenal want to do Sesko for €70 million, or within that ballpark.”

Sesko is also attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, even if his priority is to stay in Europe (The Telegraph), but so far, no middle ground appears to have been found on the final price, despite some reports that the 22-year-old has already agreed personal terms.

If they cannot reach an agreement with Leipzig over Sesko, Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres apparently remains on their radar as an alternative.

Viktor Gyokeres on Arsenal list if Benjamin Sesko talks fail

That is according to Romano, who reports in his GiveMeSport newsletter that Gyokeres is on Arsenal’s target list in case talks for Sesko fall through.

“It’s an open race for Gyokeres,” said Romano.

“He remains on Arsenal list in case Sesko deal doesn’t happen, Man United have called his agents again over the weekend.”

The “underrated” and “exciting” 26-year-old bagged an incredible 54 goals and 13 assists last season, spearheading Sporting to their first domestic double win in 20 years, but it is worth noting that he might not be much cheaper than Sesko.

Sporting president Frederico Varandas poured cold water over reports that Gyokeres and the club have an agreement that he can leave for £59 million this summer, telling the Portuguese press that he will indeed cost more.

“I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that,” Varandas said.

“To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres – neither today nor last season.”

While this comes as a statement which Arsenal need to be aware of, Varandas does guarantee that Gyokeres will leave for less than his £84 million release clause.

“One of the agent’s biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause,” said Varandas.

“He wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now. For one reason: he was going to be 27 years old, and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for 100m euros or 90m euros.”

Chelsea can end the 2024/25 campaign in the perfect way on Wednesday night. They face Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final at the Stadion Wroclaw in Wroclaw, Poland, and have the opportunity to finish Enzo Maresca’s first season in charge with a trophy.

The Blues have been the dominant side in the competition this term. According to Sofascore, they have scored more goals than any other side, finding the back of the net 38 times, which is 16 more than their opponents. Their nine goals conceded were only bettered by two other sides, too.

The Blues surely go into this game as favourites, given their form in the competition so far. Indeed, Maresca seems to have much of his first-choice squad available for their final game of the campaign.

Chelsea’s team news vs. Betis

Luckily for the Blues, their final Premier League game of 2024/25 last Sunday saw them avoid any inquiries. That means star players, including Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo, will be available for the final this evening.

Further inclusions and absences have been noted, with there two first-team players who will certainly not make the squad this week. They are Wesley Fofana, who is still out with an injury, and Romeo Lavia, who is not registered in the squad.

On a more positive note, Nicolas Jackson will come back into the squad for the finale, given his Premier League suspension is not in effect in European competition. Another player who could return is Christopher Nkunku.

The Frenchman was not involved against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, but his record in the Conference League is excellent. He has five goals and three assists in nine games in the competition, so he could make a real difference.

With that in mind, it will be fascinating to see who Maresca lines up with on Wednesday. Given the importance of the game, it seems the likes of Palmer, Caicedo and club captain Reece James will start, in what will surely be a strong lineup.

Robert Sanchez

Goalkeeper

Marc Cucurella

Left-back

Levi Colwill

Centre back

Trevoh Chalobah

Centre back

Reece James

Right-back

Moises Caicedo

Central midfield

Enzo Fernandez

Central midfield

Noni Madueke

Right wing

Cole Palmer

Attacking midfield

Jadon Sancho

Left wing

Nicolas Jackson

Centre-forward

Another player who could be in line to start the game is defender Trevoh Chalobah.

Why Chalobah could start vs. Betis

It has been a curious season for Chalobah in 2024/25. After spending the first half of the campaign on loan at Crystal Palace, he was recalled to Stamford Bridge and has since been an important player under Maresca.

Since returning from his loan spell, the “outstanding” defender, as Statman Dave once called him, has featured 18 times across all competitions, with four of those games coming in the Conference League.

The 25-year-old has helped to keep two clean sheets in that time, playing a total of 245 minutes in the competition. Now, perhaps he will be in line to start the final. He is a player experienced in European finals, having helped Chelsea win the UEFA Super Cup back in 2021, a game which he started and played 120 minutes.

The defensive “monster”, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been called up to former boss Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad, although he did not start at the weekend. However, if he does come into the team for the final, potentially for Tosin, he will have the job of keeping Antony quiet.

The Manchester United loanee has been a standout player during his loan spell at Betis. In 25 games, he has nine goals and five assists. Half of those goal involvements have come in the Conference League, so he really does his best work there.

In fact, the Brazilian is similar to Palmer on FBref for this competition. For example, he averages 0.47xGA and 5.02 shot-creating actions each game. In comparison, Chelsea’s number 20 averages 0.48xGA and 4.11 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes.

It will be a tough task for Chalobah to keep Antony quiet, but it will surely be crucial for Chelsea’s success. He has proven in the past few months that he has the potential to hurt opponents when given time and space, so Chalobah’s excellent reading of the game will be crucial to preventing that.

Although the winger does operate on the right-hand side, he tends to drift inside a lot and look to cut in on his left foot to get a shot off. Thus, Chalobah may well have to come up against him directly.

However, that is a battle the Chelsea defender should be comfortable handling. His defensive stats for the Blues this season, via Sofascore, are impressive. For example, he averages 1.8 combined tackles and interceptions and wins 1.9 aerial duels per game. On top of that, he has been dribbled past just once in that famous Blue shirt this term.

If he does get the nod from the start, the boyhood Chelsea star has the chance to become a key player for the Blues as they look to win more European silverware. They could become the first side in history to win the three current European trophies. Chalobah has a huge role to play.

He's better than Joao Pedro: Chelsea hold talks to sign "the new Haaland"

Chelsea appears to be in talks to bring a new striker to the club

ByRoss Kilvington May 26, 2025

Potentially in a position to spend again at long last this summer, Newcastle United have now reportedly joined the race to sign a £51m striker who’s already received high praise from Alan Shearer.

Newcastle preparing for crucial Arsenal clash

There were stages in the first half of the season in which it seemed like Newcastle could miss out on Champions League football, as though their transfer failure was going to catch up to them. Now, however, with the Carabao Cup under their belt, the Magpies could finish as high as second in the Premier League. In fact, if they beat Arsenal this weekend, then Eddie Howe’s side will go above the Gunners and into the top two.

Newcastle battle Arsenal to sign star for less than £50m after scouts sent

What a signing he could be for the Magpies.

ByHenry Jackson May 17, 2025

Howe is well aware of the importance of his side’s trip to The Emirates this Sunday, too, as they look to take a major step towards Champions League qualification. He told reporters in his pre-match press conference: “It’s not done yet. The picture can change game to game and I think we’ve got to be really focused on our next game and trying to win it.

“We have been, our preparation has been good and the focus is there from the players. Nothing is achieved until it’s achieved. We have to be single minded in that and not get distracted.”

Liverpool (C)

83

36

Arsenal

68

36

Newcastle United

66

36

Chelsea

66

37

Aston Villa

66

37

Manchester City

65

36

Nottingham Forest

62

36

Those at St James’ Park need no reminder about the impact that Champions League football could have on their summer transfer window, either. A place among Europe’s elite could help convince Alexander Isak to stay put amid interest from the likes of Arsenal, whilst also helping to attract key upgrades for Howe in the coming months.

Newcastle join race to sign "superb" Pedro

The Magpies could even attract a Premier League rival with Champions League football to offer. According to Caught Offside, Newcastle have now joined the race to sign Joao Pedro, who Brighton & Hove Albion have valued at a hefty €60m (£51m) amid interest from Tyneside as well as Liverpool, Aston Villa and others.

Whilst a deal to sign the forward won’t come cheap, Pedro would provide Newcastle with an instant fail-safe in the event that Isak departs. The Brazilian, who has scored 10 goals and set up another six this season, has the potential and quality to replace the Swede in the long-term. What’s more, he’s also already got a fan in the form of Newcastle legend Shearer.

The iconic goalscorer sung Pedro’s praises on Match of the Day after he scored in Brighton’s 2-1 victory over Bournemouth in November, saying: “He was superb today and they just edged it in those forward positions. They are really strong with him, Rutter, Mitoma and Welbeck. Their understanding and they linked really well today in Rutter and Joao Pedro.”

The approval of Shearer certainly goes a long way in Newcastle, but whether it’s enough for PIF to make their move for Pedro remains to be seen this summer.

With no defeats from their last five Championship games, Leeds United are definitely in pole position when it comes to being crowned champions of the notoriously punishing division.

At one stage, it looked as if Daniel Farke’s Whites had fluffed their lines once more in the promotion race with defeats and draws aplenty seeping into their game, but two victories on the trot has now seen them thankfully push away from third-placed Sheffield United to the summit of the league.

Still, not every win that is being collected is the most easy-on-the-eye spectacle to watch, leading to rumours beginning to emerge that the table-toppers are looking at bringing in some new strikers.

Leeds in contact over deal for "phenomenal" star

As per a fresh report by TEAMtalk, the Whites are prioritising a number of signings ahead of potentially voyaging up to the Premier League, with the striker department one area that will likely be boosted by fresh personnel.

The report states that Leeds are especially taken aback by current West Ham United loanee Evan Ferguson, even with the Irishman’s notable struggles under Graham Potter to date.

Transfer Focus

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After all, the 20-year-old attacker has shone in the past with parent employers Brighton and Hove Albion, meaning there is a potential there for him to light up Elland Road.

Moreover, the report further elaborates that Leeds are monitoring the 6 foot forward’s situation ahead of his return to the Seagulls, with contact already being made over a deal happening in the near future.

Winning the services of a readymade Premier League striker could signal the end for Joel Piroe as Farke’s main marksman, with the Dutchman putting in one too many ineffective performances for the promotion-chasers as of late.

Why Ferguson would be a Piroe upgrade

The former Swansea City man is yet to taste any action in the top-flight across his career, but if his continued wastefulness in front of goal in the second tier is anything to go by, he would struggle to adjust to the sharp step-up in quality.

Whilst he does boast a healthy 15-goal return in the Championship this season, Piroe has also been guilty of squandering 12 big chances across his 42 league outings and counting, with three of those coming about when Leeds just narrowly beat Preston North End 2-1 last time out.

Whereas, Ferguson – at the peak of his powers for Brighton – has proven himself to be a cool and deadly finisher under pressure by notching up an impressive 17 strikes from 80 Seagulls appearances, which included a devastating hat-trick coming his way against Newcastle United way back in 2023.

The worry would be that the 20-year-old has significantly gone off the boil on loan at the Hammers – with a worrying zero strikes hitting the back of the net from six West Ham contests – but Farke will view the previously potent attacker as an upgrade on Piroe regardless, based on what has come before.

Games played

19

27

Games started

10

15

Goals scored

6

6

Assists

2

0

Big chances missed

5

4

From just 25 combined starts across the campaigns above, Ferguson would fire home a lethal 12 goals, with just nine big chances given up across those two seasons also.

Around this time, the much-talked-about Irishman was even being heralded as a potential £100m sensation, with BBC pundit Danny Murphy also weighing in on the conversation surrounding Ferguson by labelling him a “superstar” in the recent past.

Of course, it would now be ludicrous to suggest the Brighton number 28 is worth anywhere near that crazy sum.

But, with Piroe only managing to find the back of the net once from his last ten encounters for Farke’s men, Ferguson would be seen as a big upgrade, particularly if Premier League football is clinched.

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Daniel Farke may have his next Georginio Rutter in this Leeds star who is out on loan.

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Fielding brilliance underpins New Zealand’s low-key threat as they lay down a marker even in defeat

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Mar-20251:23

Manjrekar: Not seen so many brilliant fielding moments in an innings before

Betrayal. That’s the look on Virat Kohli’s face as an entire stadium goes quiet for a second, inhaling in awe, having borne witness to a little miracle.Kohli has hit hundreds of thousands of cut shots in his life. He has beaten many thousands of backward points with that shot. Most importantly, he has made enough pilgrimages to the halls of the cricket gods (what are his intense net sessions but an act of the most dutiful worship?) to know that, if you nail one that hard and place it that far away from the fielder, the gods will deliver unto you the kind of dismissive early boundary that makes millions all around the world sit up and say, “Uff, he’s looking good for another big one here”.In this moment, however, Kohli has just had his cricketing worldview shaken. He doesn’t quite know where in that universe to place himself.Glenn Phillips would never claim to be a god, but in the Champions Trophy, his catches at backward point have been the closest we have had to acts of divine intervention. At the moment the outermost skin-cells on his fingers make contact with the outermost white lacquer of the cricket ball, he has his right arm outstretched – shades of Adam, reaching out to God on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.Related

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Unlike Adam, Phillips had to throw himself both feet off the ground to close the distance. And unlike the artist Michelangelo up on that scaffolding, Phillips is working in three dimensions; he had to reach back behind him to catch up with the ball. He had already taken a mirror-image of this catch in the tournament opener, stretching every molecule of his body in the air, his arm reaching behind him again, to shake the cricketing faith of Mohammad Rizwan on that occasion. In whatever this Champions Trophy’s version of the Sistine Chapel is (the shiny new pavilion at the Lahore Stadium?), you could have Glenn Phillips reaching out to commune with the majesty that is Glenn Phillips.Phillips fields almost exclusively in what analysts call the “hot zones”, which means the areas to which the ball is most likely to travel, and in which your best fielder(s) can make the biggest difference. He roams the straight boundaries when the spinners are in operation, and also fields on the deep midwicket rope, when hitters that favour that region – such as Hardik Pandya – are swinging late in the innings.But backward point at the start of an innings is essentially the living-room mantlepiece as far as cricket fielding positions are concerned, and this is where Phillips gets his pride of place. Rachin Ravindra could probably do the job, but he’s usually rocking a boundary position. Mitchell Santner could also do the job, but he’s often at mid-off, mid-on, or the covers, chatting every now and then to his bowlers. Kane Williamson definitely could do the job, but we know why he isn’t doing it. In all their age group and regional teams, Ravindra, Santner and Williamson were likely the best fielders around. In other top national men’s teams, they would be the best in show. But there is no contest in this team – Phillips blows them all out of the water, without any shadow of a doubt.Glenn Phillips flies across from point to grab the half-chance from Virat Kohli•ICC/Getty ImagesHe is so good, he even sometimes makes you forget that others have put in an extraordinary 50 overs of effort too. In this match, it was likely Williamson who had the greater body of work. His diving one-handed catch at backward point to get rid of Ravindra Jadeja in the 46th over was a classic of Williamson cool (a stunning catch, a little toss of the ball in the air before he rolls it over to the umpire).But then there was also the running-backwards, overhead catch to dismiss Axar Patel in the 20th over. That ball went off Axar’s top edge, and it was clear that Williamson had lost this white ball in the high, white canopy that shades the stands. But if you were teaching a university course entitled “Catches running backwards 101”, Williamson’s catch could form the majority of the syllabus. Watch the ball closely enough before it disappears from view that you have a good idea of its flight path. Try to pace your run backwards so that when the ball comes down, it does so just over your back shoulder. And keep your hands low, so that on the off chance it suddenly appears somewhere you don’t expect, you can react late and have a chance of snatching it.As it happened, Williamson had judged its flight path so well, it came down right over his back shoulder. He plucked it with his right hand only, as if it were a ripe mango on a low branch. But he had been well-placed in the event the ball had made a more difficult descent too. When we break down New Zealand’s fielding, we are talking about practitioners operating in the very highest realms of their craft.In the last over of the match, Pandya hit one in the air towards Phillips at deep midwicket, and because Phillips made a misjudgement – not running hard enough at the ball, perhaps because he lost it in that canopy – he neither got to the ball on the full, nor fielded it cleanly, which should have given Pandya a chance to claim an easy two. But because Phillips was the fielder, Pandya dared not risk taking a single that would have left him off strike with No. 10 Mohammad Shami at the other end.Phillips has built up such a reputation now, that even his screw-ups do not hurt his team. When batters see him there, they think primarily about the man, and not the quality of their shot, or even the quality of Phillips’ run towards the ball.And whereas for other teams, spectacular catches such as this are moments of euphoric joy, for New Zealand’s fielders they are only more entries into a ledger that they have the most entries on. There are grins, hugs, tossings-up of the ball, and gentle rollings to the umpire. Then they get into their huddle, and seem to shoot the breeze. You wonder if they know, or even care about, exactly how many millions of minds they have just blown.

And how many times has a World Cup innings featured three centurions?

Steven Lynch10-Oct-2023India’s first three batters were all out for ducks in the World Cup match against Australia. How often has this happened? asked Rajesh Gupta from India

It looked ominous for India when Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer all departed for ducks at the start of their chase against Australia in Chennai on the weekend, although it came out all right in the end.There have been 11 previous instances of the first three batters all being out for ducks in men’s one-day internationals. Four of those have been in the World Cup: by Pakistan against New Zealand at Edgbaston in 1983; by Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka in Pietermaritzburg in 2003 (when Chaminda Vaas took a hat-trick with the first three balls of the match); by Sri Lanka vs India in Johannesburg later in the 2003 tournament (actually the first four wickets were all ducks); and by Pakistan vs West Indies in Christchurch in 2015.India were only the second team to win an ODI after losing their first three men for ducks, after Pakistan against Australia in Hobart in 1996-97. After Aamer Sohail, Zahoor Elahi and Ijaz Ahmed were out for 0, Pakistan recovered to make 149, and then skittled Australia for 120.Three South Africans scored centuries in their first match. How often has this happened in the World Cup, and overall? asked Patrick McKenzie from South Africa

South Africa’s 428 for 5 against Sri Lanka in Delhi was the first World Cup innings to contain three individual centuries – by Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen and (from just 49 balls, another World Cup record) Aiden Markram.It was also the highest total in any World Cup match, beating Australia’s 417 for 6 against Afghanistan in Perth in March 2015. And the match aggregate of 754 runs in Delhi was yet another World Cup record, beating the 714 of Australia (381 for 5) and Bangladesh (333 for 8) at Trent Bridge in 2019.There have been 18 other World Cup innings that contained two centuries. The nearest to three in one innings before was in Australia’s match against South Africa in St Lucia in 2007, when Matthew Hayden made 101, Ricky Ponting 91, and Michael Clarke 92. No other World Cup innings has included three innings of 90 or more.In all ODIs, there have been three previous instances of three individual centuries in an innings. Two of them were also by South Africa – against West Indies in Johannesburg in January 2015, and against India in Mumbai a few months later, in October. The third was by England against Netherlands in Amstelveen in 2022.Every England player reached double figures against New Zealand. How often has this happened in the World Cup? asked Ken Paine from England

Rather surprisingly perhaps, England’s innings against New Zealand in Ahmedabad in the opening match of this year’s World Cup was the first time in any one-day international – and there have been more than 4650 of them – in which all 11 batters reached double figures. Here’s the list of previous instances of most batters in an ODI innings making it to double figures.There have been 15 instances in Tests of all 11 men reaching double figures. The record for a T20 international innings is nine, by Tanzania against Uganda in Rwanda in December 2022.Chris (left) and Stuart Broad are one of seven father-and-son pairs to play in World Cups•Getty ImagesBas de Leede followed his father as a World Cup player this year. How many fathers and sons have taken part in the World Cup? asked Jamie Harper from England

The Dutch pair of Bas de Leede and his father Tim (1996, 1999 and 2003) were the seventh father and son to play matches in the World Cup. A couple of days before de Leede Jr played his first World Cup game, England’s Sam Curran followed his father Kevin, who represented Zimbabwe in 1983 and 1987.The earlier pairings were Don Pringle (for East Africa in the 1975 World Cup) and his son Derek, who appeared for England in 1987 and 1992 (when he played in the final); New Zealanders Lance Cairns (1975, 1979 and 1983) and son Chris (1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003); the England duo of Chris (1987) and Stuart Broad (2007, 2011 and 2015); another Kiwi pair, Rod (1992) and Tom Latham (2019 and 2023); and Geoff Marsh of Australia (1987 and 1992), and his two sons Mitchell (2015 and 2023) and Shaun (2019).We should also mention Sam’s brother Tom Curran, who was in England’s 2019 squad but didn’t actually play a game, and the Indian pair of Roger Binny, who was part of the winning team in 1983 and also played once in 1987, and his son Stuart, who was in the 2015 squad but did not play.Has anyone ever scored a faster century in a one-day game than Jake Fraser-McGurk the other day? asked Kris Thompson from Australia

Jake Fraser-McGurk smashed a century in just 29 balls, with 12 sixes, for South Australia in a Marsh Cup one-day match against Tasmania in Adelaide last weekend. Remarkably, his side still lost!Fraser-McGurk, who is only 21, undercut the fastest century in all List A cricket – the 31 balls needed by AB de Villiers for South Africa against West Indies in an ODI in Johannesburg in January 2015.However, I think Fraser-McGurk has broken a more significant record – the fastest authentic century by balls in any professional match. The quickest in all T20 cricket is 30 balls, by Chris Gayle for Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL game against Pune Warriors in Bengaluru in April 2013. And the fastest in competitive conditions in first-class cricket is 34 balls, by David Hookes for South Australia vs Victoria in Adelaide in October 1982. There have been two 27-ball hundreds, by Glen Chapple for Lancashire in 1993 and Mark Pettini for Essex in 2006, but both of those were scored against friendly bowling aimed at expediting a declaration.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions