Pep Guardiola is pushing Manchester City to offer one of his current players in exchange for a Real Madrid star, according to a recent report.

Cherki looking to create his own Man City legacy

The Blues have been very busy in the early part of this transfer window, bringing in four new players. They have added Marcus Bettinelli to their squad as another goalkeeper option, along with Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves, Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan and Rayan Cherki from Lyon.

City have seen Kevin de Bruyne leave the club and join Napoli this summer, and therefore, signing someone with Cherki’s creativity was crucial. However, the French attacking midfielder has stressed he is “not De Bruyne”, and he is keen to “write my own story” at the Etihad.

“I’m not Kevin De Bruyne; he is the legend. I’m here to help the team and to write my own story. I hope to win all the time with the team.

“When you see Rodri, he won the Ballon d’Or here – it’s clear that with Manchester City it’s possible, and I am here for this.

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“When I spoke with Pep, he wanted me – he was very, very clear. Pep told me, ‘when you have the ball, you are free’, which is very good for me because it’s my first quality to help the team.

“The system, the club, the city is very good. I want to win, and I think Manchester City wants to win it all.”

Pep wants Rodrygo to join Man City overhaul

Cherki may not be the last of the new attackers arriving at the Etihad in this transfer window, as according to a report from Spain, Pep wants Man City to offer Jack Grealish to Real Madrid in exchange for Rodrygo.

Grealish has been left out of City’s Club World Cup squad, as his time at the club appears to be coming to an end. Guardiola is keen for the Englishman to get another big move and sees him as someone who can help bring Rodrygo’s price down, which currently stands at £84 million.

However, this report does state that Real Madrid are not interested in signing Grealish, and Xabi Alonso has already made it clear to the Brazilian forward that he is a key part of his plans going forward.

Rodrygo

Grealish

Apps

30

20

Starts

22

7

Goals

6

1

xG

4.0

1.1

Goals per 90

0.28

0.12

Assists

6

1

xAG

3.0

1.8

Assists per 90

0.23

0.12

Progressive carries

113

69

Grealish, who earns £300,000 a week at City, is already wanted by teams such as Newcastle United and Aston Villa, with the Magpies said to be the ones leading the race to secure his transfer.

Last season, Grealish played just 20 times in the Premier League, scoring one goal and registering one assist in the process. Meanwhile, Rodrygo, who has been dubbed a “magician” by Statman Dave, scored six goals as well as assisting a further six in 30 La Liga games.

da dobrowin： When looking over their 2024/25 campaign in detail, Newcastle United will very much jot it down as an overwhelming success.

da poker： After all, the Magpies would end up lifting some much-needed silverware in the EFL Cup final to end a major trophy drought, whilst Eddie Howe’s Toon would also just about qualify for the Champions League once again when finishing inside the top five spots in the Premier League.

But, that doesn’t stop there being a slight bad taste in the mouth concerning Newcastle’s 1-0 defeat to Everton on the final day, with a number of players showing to Howe they might well struggle competing in Europe’s elite competition again.

Newcastle's key underperformers vs Everton

Thankfully, Aston Villa also lost on their travels to Manchester United, meaning the Magpies luckily secured that final coveted fifth position by one slender point.

Still, Howe won’t just completely disregard the defeat, with certain individuals having a poor day at the office to end their respective seasons on a whimper.

Anthony Gordon would only see out one half of football for the Magpies, and for good reason, with nothing working out for the ex-Toffees man whatsoever down the left flank when failing to register a single on-target shot at Jordan Pickford’s goal.

Moreover, Alexander Isak looked tired and lethargic as Newcastle’s main man up top, seen in his lack of drive and energy when completing zero successful dribbles, alongside further fluffing his lines when three efforts went astray.

Jacob Murphy also looked wasteful on the ball when giving up possession a hefty 13 times, but there was one poor display that will have irked Howe the most and made him now contemplate whether this figure will be able to cut in when Champions League nights return to Tyneside.

The 5/10 star not good enough for the Champions League

Newcastle fans will obviously be over the moon that their team clinched Champions League football, irrespective of this final-day slip-up.

But, the Magpies masses won’t feel too confident moving forward that Harvey Barnes can do the business on some grand stages in Europe next season, based on his lacklustre performance against David Moyes’ well-drilled visitors.

The former Leicester City man can boast an impressive tally of nine strikes and four assists across 40 overall games, but he did struggle to get going against the Toffees, with May in general seeing a worrying dip in form.

Much like Gordon down the opposing left wing, Barnes would also fail to register a single on-target shot to try and catch the formidable Pickford cold, alongside also displaying signs of Murphy’s rashness on the ball when completing zero accurate crosses or long balls.

Barnes’ poor performances all across May

Stat

Brighton

Chelsea

Arsenal

Everton

Minutes played

90

90

76

88

Final result

1-1 D

2-0 W

1-0 L

1-0 L

Goals scored

0

0

0

0

Assists

0

0

0

0

Touches

38

51

23

34

Accurate passes

17/21 (81%)

21/29 (72%)

13/14 (93%)

15/21 (71%)

Key passes

2

2

0

1

Accurate crosses

0/4

1/3

0/1

0/2

Accurate long balls

0

1/2

1/1

0/2

Shots

3

4

3

1

Successful dribbles

1/2

2/5

0

0/1

Total duels won

3/10

3/11

1/4

1/3

Stats by Sofascore

Looking at the table above, it’s even more clear that it’s been a rocky month for Barnes in general, as seen in the 27-year-old frustratingly ending the campaign with no goals or assists next to his name in May.

Consequently, the 5 foot 9 attacker nearly cost his team dear in their pursuit of Champions League action, with only 33 touches coming his way against Everton – actually a worse record overall than Toon goalkeeper Pope, who managed 38.

As a result, he would receive a dour 5/10 post-match rating from Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder, who stated simply that Barnes ‘didn’t deliver his best form’ against the Toffees.

Newcastle just can’t have these out-of-sorts performances popping up if they stand a chance at progressing far in the tricky competition, meaning Barnes could be warming the substitutes bench next season when fiercely contested mid-week ties are back on the Toon calendar.

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Warwickshire lose Alex Davies after being set 498 to win late on the third afternoon

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2024Warwickshire 254 and 40 for 1 need a further 458 to beat Hampshire 298 and 453 for 6 dec (Vince 166*, Dawson 120, Hannon-Dalby 3-65)James Vince and Liam Dawson harvested merciless centuries as Hampshire piled pressure on Warwickshire on the third day of their Vitality County Championship match at Edgbaston.Vince scored an unbeaten 166 off 197 balls, his 29th first-class century, and Dawson 120 (157 balls), his 15th, in a sixth-wicket partnership of 255 in 53 overs as the visitors amassed 453 for 6 declared.That set the home side a victory target of 498 in a day and 12 overs and Warwickshire reached 40 for 1 by the close. Both teams will enter the final day with a chance of victory, but a draw is much the likeliest outcome on a pitch that is flattening out by the hour.It remains to be seen whether Hampshire’s pragmatic approach on the third day proves successful. They plumped for steady accumulation, only very belatedly showing some aggression after tea when Vince and Dawson were each past 100. That policy of attrition may well transpire to have asked too much of their bowlers to force victory in such batter-friendly conditions.When Hampshire resumed on 88 for 2, Nick Gubbins and Felix Organ took no risks. They extended their partnership to 50 in 19 overs before Gubbins, having struck just three fours in 202 minutes, edged Danny Briggs to slip.Vince lifted his second ball, from former team-mate Briggs, over long-on for six, but thereafter the pattern of defending and nurdling resumed and continued throughout a turgid morning. Organ’s stubborn defiance ended when he was slickly caught at point by diving substitute Che Simmons off Olly Hannon-Dalby.The former Yorkshire seamer then trapped Ben Brown lbw and at 184 for 5 further quick wickets would have left Warwickshire scenting their first Championship victory of the season, but Vince and Dawson took full advantage of the easing conditions. They batted through the afternoon for 139 runs in 34 overs, Vince reaching his first century of the season from 185 balls, against an attack which persevered nobly but impotently.When, deep into the last session, the lead passed 450 a declaration appeared overdue, but Vince and Dawson stayed to turned the screw on a tiring attack under the broiling Birmingham sun. They passed Hampshire’s previous highest sixth-wicket stand against Warwickshire – 251 by Phil Mead and Jack Newman at Bournemouth in 1928 – before Dawson swung Dan Mousley to deep midwicket where Will Rhodes judged the catch well. After James Fuller raised the 450 with the sixth six of the innings, over long-off off Jake Bethell, the declaration at last arrived.Hampshire had 12 overs to get into Warwickshire’s top order and they struck an important blow in the ninth of them when Kyle Abbott’s first ball trapped Alex Davies lbw. The home side have a lot of batting to do to get safe on the final day – but very favourable conditions in which to do it.

The half-centuries from Kamindu and Asalanka ended up as mere footnotes in the game as WI won with five balls to spare

Andrew Fidel Fernando13-Oct-2024West Indies 180 for 5 (King 63, Lewis 50, Pathirana 2-27) beat Sri Lanka 179 for 7 (Asalanka 59, Kamindu 51, Shepherd 2-39) by five wicketsBrandon King and Evin Lewis crashed 107 off 55 balls at the top of the order, to set West Indies beautifully on course to their target of 180, in the first T20I against Sri Lanka. Although the hosts’ middle-overs bowlers slowed West Indies’ progress, they were never in serious trouble.They had plenty of batting to see the chase through, and Sherfane Rutherford finished it off with a four off the first ball of the final over.Shamar Joseph was the most economical of West Indies’ bowlers, conceding only 27 from his four overs. Though King and Lewis later outshone them, Sri Lanka had two half-centurions too, in Kamindu Mendis and Charith Asalanka, whose 82-run stand was the most substantial of the innings.

King, Lewis blast the powerplay

Lewis struck the first boundaries, launching Chamindu Wickramasinghe for a six and four at the end of the first over, but it was King who made the greatest impression while the fielding restrictions were in play. King’s standard move was to run at the bowlers and blast them down the ground. So good was his hand-eye coordination, that he did it twice against seamer Asitha Fernando in the second over, before taking aim at the spin of Maheesh Theekshana in the third over.By the end of the powerplay, King had eight fours (some of them edged, to be fair), and 39 runs off 20 balls. Lewis, who had blasted boundaries off Wickramasinghe almost exclusively, had 31 off 16 balls. And West Indies had 74 off the first six.They kept swinging, and by the end, Lewis made 50 off 28, and King 63 off 33. The requirement was fairly simple after their onslaught.Shamar Springer celebrates his maiden T20I wicket•AP Photo/Viraj Kothalawala

WI quicks strike early

By contrast, Sri Lanka’s top order had failed to prosper on a helpful surface, thanks in part to sharp bowling from West Indies’ quicks. Romario Shepherd caught the edge of Pathum Nissanka’s bat three times, conceded fours behind the wicket and then had him caught by the keeper on the third occasion, to make West Indies’ first breakthrough. Kusal Perera was then bowled by Shamar Joseph early in the following over.When Kusal Mendis was also bowled by an excellent quicker delivery from Gudakesh Motie, leaving Sri Lanka at 58 for 3, it felt as if West Indies were about to carve open the game.

Kamindu may be good at cricket

But then perhaps it’s time to admit that Kamindu appears to know what he is doing on a cricket field. Having recently become the fastest batter since 1950 to 1000 Test runs, he produced 50 off 41 here in the shortest format, outdone in his team only by Asalanka who clubbed 59 off 35, Kamindu would also bowl two overs for 14, switching arms when necessary. He took the wicket of the opposition’s top scorer, King, with his left-arm spin, and collected figures of 1 for 14.

كشف مصدر بـ منتخب مصر الأول، عن تفاصيل الجلسة المقررة بين حسام حسن المدير الفني وهاني أبو ريدة رئيس اتحاد الكرة وأحمد دياب رئيس رابطة الأندية خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وأنهى منتخب مصر مشواره في تصفيات كأس العالم متصدرًا للمجموعة الأولى برصيد 26 نقطة، جمعها من 8 انتصارات وتعادلين، ليحسم التأهل رسميًا إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026 التي ستُقام في الولايات المتحدة وكندا والمكسيك.

وقال المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات: “حسام حسن سيعقد جلسة مع هاني أبو ريدة وأحمد دياب من أجل التنسيق للمرحلة المقبلة”.

طالع أيضًا | إبراهيم حسن يكشف لغز البكاء عند سماع النشيد الوطني: أنا وحسام قلبنا ضعيف

وتابع: “حسام حسن يرغب في وضع جدول إعداد قوي لـ مصر قبل كأس العالم، وهذا يتطلب توفير المباريات الودية التي سيحددها من قبل اتحاد الكرة”.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض منتخب مصر منافسات بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا خلال شهري ديسمبر ويناير المقبلين.

India have been the best and West Indies the worst when it comes to completing their overs on time

Sidharth Monga and Shiva Jayaraman12-Feb-2019There have been 485 of them since 1992; most have been brushed aside with a gentle rap on the knuckles, some have resulted in match bans, a few of them have brought about the threat of lawsuits, and a rare one was responsible for a mid-tournament captaincy switch that has since been outlawed.We are talking about punishments for over-rate offences, for which the ICC invariably gets criticised: “too soft” when overs are lost but allowances are made, “too officious” when a captain gets banned despite allowances. The ICC finds itself in a bind over a breach-related incident again, this time being criticised heavily with West Indies playing their ongoing third Test against England without captain and talisman Jason Holder.ALSO READ: Jason Holder slow-over ban is just ICC killjoys at workThe first thing to know on the subject is that the process is subjective but not arbitrary. In a Test match, you are expected to maintain a rate of 15 overs an hour; in an ODI, you are expected to bowl your 50 overs in three-and-a-half hours or bowl the opposition out before that; a T20I innings should go no longer than 90 minutes. There are allowances made: injury timeouts, DRS reviews, sightscreen problems, longer drinks breaks in hotter weather, any external delay beyond the control of the fielding captain.In April 2003, the ICC took the drastic step of bringing the captain under the ambit of match bans. In the six years leading up to that, starting 1997, international cricket lost 73, 59, 60, 77, 78 and, in 2002, a whopping 120 overs. On the final day of the Port-of-Spain Test of 2002, a fifth-wicket stand of two hours for just 73 runs frustrated India. There was still time for both outright results, but the draw became a real possibility. Now, imagine the situation if West Indies had not been caught short by 18 overs across their two bowling innings.Such were the matches that eventually resulted in ICC getting stricter. Even as the amount of cricket has only increased since, there has never been a year since 2003 in which 60 overs have been lost. The data available – on the ICC website for all to see – is not always complete, but here are a few trends that might reinforce certain views and surprise you too.West Indies are the slowest
This is perhaps no surprise. They bowl a lot of fast bowlers, they haven’t had a great spinner since 1992 to build an attack around, and they have not been the most disciplined side. Since 2003, West Indies have been 88 overs short in a total of 45 over-rate breaches. Pakistan – 32 breaches and 69 overs lost – are a distant second.Data for over breaches and overs short•ESPNcricinfo LtdRicky Ponting, Graeme Smith and Sourav Ganguly are the captains under whose watch a high number of overs were lost. However, while Ponting and Smith captained 287 and 286 matches to be short by 36 and 34 overs respectively, Ganguly captained in only 64 matches since April 2003, but was in charge of a team that was short by 31 overs. Virat Kohli’s side has been short by only one over in 129 matches played under him.Captains with no over-rate violations•ESPNcricinfo LtdIndia’s transformation
India began to transform as they became more and more spin-oriented under MS Dhoni, and then as a disciplined bowling unit on the whole, that still had enough spin, under Kohli. It might surprise you if you have seen a lot of Indian cricket in the 2000s, but India hold the longest streak without an over-rate offence. The last time they were found short was at The Oval back in 2014. Ravindra Jadeja has never been part of a side found short on overs. India’s is a streak of 216 matches, comfortably ahead of Bangladesh’s 190 at second spot. West Indies’ best streak has been 48 matches.Longest streaks without a breach•ESPNcricinfo LtdTeam-wise data for longest streaks without a breach•Getty ImagesIt’s not always pace
As you would expect, most of the breaches happen when a high proportion of overs is bowled by the quicks – when Faf du Plessis was banned recently, he bowled no spin – but there have been a few instances when sides have failed to maintain the acceptable rate even with spinners on. Rahul Dravid once bowled only 16 overs of pace in an ODI innings, and yet fell short by two overs – against Australia in Gwalior in 2003.Captains with the most overs short per match•ESPNcricinfo LtdDo Big Three players get away with it?That is the question always asked because the last few captains to be banned have been from West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies again, Sri Lanka again, Sri Lanka yet again, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Pakistan again. This is a question difficult to answer unless you sit with a stopwatch and note every allowance made for every delay during every match. If you agree, though, with match referees – and that’s their job so there’s little point doubting them without evidence – the penalties sound about right.Since 2003, in all formats put together, West Indies have been short in 6.45% of their matches, Pakistan in 4.38% and South Africa in 3.69%.Sri Lanka are an interesting case study. Their overall rate of breaches since 2003 – 3.24% – is close to India’s and Australia’s, but they have a big variance: excellent when at home, with the vast majority of the bowling done by the spinners, but slow when using quicks.Who goes over most often•ESPNcricinfo LtdDo over-rate penalties in Tests need a rethink?
Now to the biggest gripe among fans with these over-rate penalties. When Holder was banned, his side was short by two overs, in a Test ended in three days. Is the over-rate relevant then? Once the rule is in place, you can’t ask the match referee to be subjective in its implementation based on the number of days there were in the Test. So this has to be a question for the lawmakers. Also, even in a shorter game, if one side is bowling at a prescribed rate and the other not, there is a possibility the offending side’s bowlers are taking extra time to recover between overs and between balls.

Days Taken For Result

Days Taken For Result	Over Rate Breaches
Two	1
Three	11
Four	22
Five	28

For what it is worth, this is a poser for the lawmakers: in Tests with results, since 2003, there have been 62 over-rate breaches. Only 28 – fewer than half – of those matches went into the fifth day. Shane Warne recently suggested there should probably be no over-rate penalties if a Test ends in fewer than 225 overs, which is under half of the stipulated overs. Should the ICC make some allowance for matches that don’t go the distance or end in fewer than a certain number of overs?

Former Chelsea captain Thiago Silva has delivered his verdict on Joao Pedro after the new signing helped dump Fluminense out of the Club World Cup.

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• Pedro stars on first Chelsea start
• Scores twice to send Blues into final
• Silva says he's a special talent

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pedro dazzled on his first start for Chelsea following his big-money move from Brighton. The forward scored two brilliant goals as the Blues beat Silva's Fluminense in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup on Tuesday.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pedro refused to celebrate after scoring against his former team but did admit it had been a "dream" to bag a brace. Silva spoke about Chelsea's new boy after the game and told the Blues they have a very special talent on their hands.

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• WHAT SILVA SAID

  He told : "This kid is special, I have a lot of affection for him. A while ago, I recommended him to the people who take care of my physical health. He works with my physiotherapist in Europe, who also takes care of my children.
  I faced him a few times at Chelsea, when he was still at Watford, and he had two great games against us. I said, ‘Man, this kid is special’.
  I didn’t expect him to be inspired today, he hit some great shots. One of our kids knocked us out of such an important competition, but good luck to him."

• TELL ME MORE…

  Silva also wished Chelsea well for the final where they could come up against another of his former sides in PSG. He added: "I now hope Chelsea can do well in the final, regardless of who they face. If it’s Paris Saint-Germain, my heart will be divided. If it’s Real Madrid, I’m definitely rooting for Chelsea. Now it’s time to lift our heads, wish Joao Pedro luck, and move on."

Also: why didn’t Gayle play and what exactly happened with Mujeeb’s review

Matt Roller08-Oct-20201:23

Agarkar: Kings XI need Rahul the batsman more than Rahul the captain

Why did Rahul not play with more intent?KL Rahul has been tasked with batting through the innings for Kings XI Punjab, but the effectiveness of that role was up for debate in a chase of 202. After selling Mayank Agarwal down the river with a run-out in the second over, and seeing Prabhsimran Singh crunching Khaleel Ahmed straight to cover point, Rahul ticked over in the powerplay: he was 11 off 15 balls after six overs, without playing a single attacking shot according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data.When he eventually freed his arms, it was a poor option: the left-hand batsman Nicholas Pooran had hit left-arm spinner Abishek Sharma’s first two balls for six, then taken a leg bye, and the right option for Rahul was to pinch a single to get Pooran back on strike to continue exploiting a good match-up for the batting team. Instead, he took on the sweep, and top-edged a catch to Williamson at deep backward square leg.Why did Gayle not play?Wasim Jaffer, Kings XI’s batting coach, had suggested ahead of this game that Chris Gayle and Mujeeb Ur Rahman would come into the side, so it was a surprise to see Gayle miss out when they named their side.But Anil Kumble, their head coach, clarified during the game that Gayle would have played if he had been available. “He was going to play,” he told Star Sports, “but he’s sick. He’s down with some food poisoning so last couple of days he’s not had a good time.”How did Mujeeb use a review after the third-umpire’s decision?The scorecard read: Mujeeb Ur Rahman c Bairstow b Khaleel 1. But that only tells part of the story. Mujeeb edged behind, the on-field umpire Anil Chaudhary gave it not out, but Sunrisers Hyderabad didn’t review the decision. Chaudhary, however, referred the decision to third umpire Yeshwant Barde to confirm whether it had been a bump-ball.Barde, using the spin-vision replay, confirmed that the ball had bounced only before passing the bat, and therefore decided to overrule the on-field decision and give Mujeeb out. But Mujeeb, after he had started walking back, then reviewed that decision, since UltraEdge cannot be used for an umpire review. When it eventually was, it showed that he had edged the ball.”So the umpire’s original decision, overturned by the umpire himself, is reviewed by the batsman, who is in fact, out,” wrote Varun Shetty on our ball-by-ball commentary. “At the end of it all, KXIP are a review short. Welcome to cricket.”Should Bishnoi have bowled sooner to Sunrisers’ openers?Jonny Bairstow has an intriguing record against legspin across his IPL career: coming into this game, he had scored at an impressive strike rate of 173.21 against it, but was also dismissed once every 18.67 balls. Dig into his record, and you’d notice that his overall numbers were enhanced by some particularly brutal overs against inexperienced players – 41 off 15 balls against Prayas Ray Barman, for example, but two dismissals and 16 runs in 18 balls against Yuzvendra Chahal.As a result, Ravi Bishnoi could have been a good match-up to Bairstow early on, but with so many new-ball bowlers to choose from, KL Rahul did not use him until the eighth over. By that point, both Bairstow and David Warner were set. Bairstow hit Bishnoi for three boundaries in five balls, and Rahul pulled him out of the attack. Bishnoi returned for the 16th, and then dismissed both openers within the space of four balls; it seemed like a mistake to only give him three overs, two of them late in the innings.The 16th over, and the dismissal of Warner, also brought the end of the longest wicketless streak by a team within a single IPL season, spanning 219 balls, or 36.3 overs.Kings XI Punjab’s bowling woes continued against opposition openers•ESPNcricinfo LtdSunrisers’ death-over struggles with the bat continueIt is no secret that Sunrisers’ batting is top-heavy, but that was demonstrated in dramatic fashion when they stumbled in the final five overs of their innings having been 160 for 0 after 15. Abdul Samad was promoted to No. 3, but made only 8 off seven balls, while Rashid Khan, a useful boundary-hitter against pace bowlers in particular, didn’t face a single ball.Sunrisers added 41 in the last five overs, for the loss of five wickets. It was the third time this season that they had added 45 runs or fewer in the final five overs while batting first, while the other seven teams have done it only twice among them. Even after a massive opening stand and a rejigged line-up, they fell back on Kane Williamson, who was pushed down to No. 5, to score 20* off 10 for a 200-plus finish which proved that their over-dependence on the big names continues.Why did Warner bowl spin to Pooran early on?Sunrisers’ team combination meant that Warner needed to share four overs between Sharma, Samad and Williamson. When he turned to his occasional bowlers, he was perhaps anticipating Pooran and Glenn Maxwell would look to consolidate after the powerplay. In fact, they are two of the fastest-scoring batsmen in the middle overs in IPL history, and Pooran – an exceptional player of spin, and the ball turning into him in particular – was in no mood to nudge and nurdle.ESPNcricinfo LtdAfter those two sixes off Sharma, Pooran pounded a four and four more sixes in Samad’s only over, the ninth, fulfilling the desire he expressed to ESPNcricinfo before the tournament to hit the fastest IPL fifty of the season. Perhaps, having taken three early wickets and with only Mandeep Singh and the bowlers to come, Warner could have looked to kill the game by attacking with his seamers or Khan, rather than looking to get through the fifth bowler’s overs so early.What was Cottrell’s new-ball plan?Both Bairstow and Warner have punished anything full from seamers this IPL, which must have influenced Sheldon Cottrell’s decision to bowl short and back-of-a-length early on. In his first two overs, not a single ball was classified as ‘full’ according to ESPNcricinfo’s length data. If that was Kings XI’s plan, it didn’t work: Cottrell is at his best when pitching the ball up and giving it the chance to swing or seam, and by dragging his lengths back he removed any chance of that happening.Instead, his two powerplay overs disappeared for 28 runs combined, and Sunrisers were up and running. With Kings XI front-loading – picking several new-ball specialists in Cottrell, Mujeeb and Mohammed Shami – in order to tie Bairstow and Warner down, they could not have anticipated such a poor start with the new ball.

Chelsea forward Cole Palmer found himself in the spotlight with his recent heroics in the Club World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain making waves far beyond the pitch. The 23-year-old Englishman was filmed snapping a selfie with a New York Police Department officer outside the Peninsula Hotel on Monday, a day after Chelsea’s emphatic victory over Paris Saint-Germain.

• Palmer basking in CWC glory
• Winning hearts in the USA
• Was stopped for a selfie by an NYPD officer

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Palmer’s new-found status in the Big Apple comes after his sensational performance at the MetLife Stadium, where he scored twice and assisted another in Chelsea's 3-0 dismantling of the French champions. His dazzling display earned him the prestigious Player of the Tournament accolade, an honour which was presented by none other than U.S. President Donald Trump.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Palmer paused to engage with a member of the NYPD as he exited his hotel in midtown Manhattan. Captured in a video shared by the Palmer smiled for a selfie with the officer, an interaction that symbolised his rising stardom in the U.S.

• WATCH THE CLIP

• WHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?

  Following their Club World Cup triumph, Chelsea players and staff were treated to a private celebration to toast a remarkable end to their campaign. The trophy was their second piece of silverware as they previously earned Conference League glory, beating Real Betis in the final.

Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground this afternoon was enough to secure the club Champions League football ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Levi Colwill’s strike just minutes into the second half was enough to secure all three points for Enzo Maresca’s men, ending the year in fourth during the Italian’s first season at the helm.

Such an achievement is exceptional, handing the hierarchy a needed boost in the financial department, certainly aiding the current PSR standing and easing any concerns.

The win in the East Midlands was certainly a hard-fought contest, with the side deserving of a place among Europe’s elite, having the opportunity to claim a third European Cup.

However, despite the triumph, numerous players struggled to make the desired impact on Trentside, potentially putting their place in the side at risk over the summer transfer window.

Chelsea’s poor performers against Nottingham Forest

Midfielder Enzo Fernández has been widely linked with a move away from Chelsea in recent weeks, with Real Madrid the main outfit in the race for his signature.

The Argentine struggled to produce his best display in the win, failing to win a single tackle and only managed to complete 70% of the passes that he attempted.

He wasn’t alone in failing to impress, with attacking midfielder Cole Palmer once again disappointing and needing to recapture his best form in 2025/26.

The 23-year-old failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles, and registered a measly completion rate of just 17% from the crosses he put into the box.

However, despite the showings from the aforementioned duo, one other first-team regular was unable to extract his highest performance levels, putting his long-term future at Stamford Bridge at huge risk.

The 5/10 Chelsea star who may never play for the club again

This summer is now likely to be an exciting one for Chelsea supporters, with the manager now able to have the extra funds to make the changes he desires to his playing squad.

He’s done a magnificent job in leading the side to a place in the top five, deserving the chance to land any targets he feels would improve the options at his disposal.

However, he will likely want to move players on in the process, with winger Jadon Sancho still having a huge question mark next to his future in West London over the coming months.

The 25-year-old joined on loan from Manchester United last summer, with an obligation to buy for £25m, but they could pay a fee in the region of £5m to send him back to his parent club.

However, his showing in the East Midlands was one that wouldn’t have satisfied the hierarchy, which could spell the end of his stint as a Chelsea first-team player.

Sancho featured for 62 minutes of the contest, failing to register any efforts on goal and was unable to complete any dribbles, showcasing his lack of impact in the final third.

He also only registered a measly tally of 32 touches, a figure that was lower than that of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who managed a total of 44.

Minutes played

62

Touches

32

Shots taken

0

Dribbles completed

0

Tackles won

0

Aerials lost

100%

Possession lost

6x

The loanee also failed to win a single tackle, whilst losing 100% of the aerial duels he entered, showcasing his inability to impress across all areas of the pitch.

As a result of his disappointing showing against the Reds, he was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by The Standard’s Malik Ouzia – highlighting the disappointing performance he produced.

Such a display will put doubt in Maresca’s mind over his long-term future, potentially saving them £20m to invest in other targets if they send him back to Old Trafford.

It’s safe to say that his time with the Blues has been well below the levels many expected, with the hierarchy needing to make sure that his outing today was his last for the club.

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