Tag Futebol

Wolverhampton Wanderers could finally make their efforts in the summer transfer window count, as the club eye a market move in what would be Gary O’Neil’s first signing.

The Englishman has got off to a less desired, but somewhat expected start to life at Molineux, still waiting to get his first point on the board after two games played in the 2023/24 Premier League season.

The Old Gold’s prognosis was negative before the campaign got underway, after suffering a trialling summer due to increased pressures of Financial Fair Play (FFP), leading to the departure of former manager Julen Lopetegui just five days before the opening fixture.

Things could be on the up at Wolves under O’Neil, with reference to a potential signing that the club could finally make after a testing time financially.

Who could Wolves sign this summer?

From failed bids for midfielder Alex Scott, who eventually captured by Bournemouth, to directionless interest for players that were way beyond the club’s financial reach, Wolves have been put to the test this summer.

However, there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for O’Neil, with a new update linking Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill to Molineux.

As reported by TEAMtalk, Wolves have made an approach to sign Brownhill from the newly promoted side, who was purchased at Turf Moor in 2020 from Bristol City for a fee of £9m.

The speculation has been reinforced by transfer insider Dean Jones, who spoke exclusively to GIVEMESPORT about the “interesting” prospect of the 27-year-old joining Wolves.

“Wolves’ interest in Brownhill is interesting, and while I have seen some fans suggesting that he would likely just be a backup option, I don’t get the feeling that is so much the plan.

This is a player O’Neil knows well from his playing days, and further than that, he looked into signing him when he was Bournemouth manager.

When a new manager comes in, he wants to make his mark on the squad, and one way to do that is to add players with a certain character that reflects what you are looking for in the overall squad.

So, I think it’s an interesting link and makes sense as we see this latest version of Wolves' first-team squad emerge.”

What is Josh Brownhill’s playing style?

Described by former Wolves striker Steve Bull as a “top-class” talent back in 2021, Brownhill could solve a lot of questions regarding the club’s midfield.

Deployed as a central midfielder, the Englishman is versatile in his positioning in the heart of the squad, with the ability to play in both defensive and offensive roles in the middle.

Last term in the Championship, the Warrington-born machine registered 15 goal contributions, scoring seven and assisting eight in 41 appearances for the Clarets, highlighting his strengths in the final third.

For Wolves, his introduction could come at the perfect time, following the club’s farewell to midfield duo Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, who had graced the field of Molineux through the highs of the Nuno Espirito Santo era.

At 36-years-old, Moutinho had built up a stellar reputation in the Midlands, seeing him dubbed “wonderful” by journalist Liam Keen for his passing ability, an area that will be missed in his absence.

In signing Brownhill, O’Neil could bring a sense of the Portuguese veteran back to Wolverhampton, with the player possessing a very similar skill set to the classy midfielder.

Renowned for his strengths in playing the pivot in the engine room with a balance between defensive and offensive duties, Moutinho averaged 2.58 tackles and 6.67 progressive passes per 90 for Wolves last term, as well as averaging 1.82 key passes per 90 to showcase his edge in the final third, via FBref.

Such numbers were followed closely by the averages recorded by the Burnley whiz during the club’s journey to the top-flight, with him averaging 2.29 tackles, 4.78 progressive passes and an impressive 1.81 key passes per 90 in the Championship.

With 79 Premier League appearances already under his belt in his career, O’Neil could equip his side with his own version of Moutinho by signing Brownhill, who could be the missing piece to rebuilding the squad tarnished by heavyweight exits over the summer.

Manchester United stand a 'very realistic chance' of being able to bring in Fiorentina defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat this window, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is Sofyan Amrabat moving to Manchester United?

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the state of play surrounding Amrabat's prospective move to Manchester United on Twitter X, stating: "Sofyan Amrabat, not called up for next Fiorentina game. Manchester United, expected to open formal talks for Amrabat soon as Fred and Donny Van de Beek are close to leaving the club. Amrabat wants Manchester United, this has never changed."

According to La Repubblica (print edition) via Man Utd News, Fiorentina are demanding a fee of €30 million for Amrabat; however, they would be willing to sanction his exit for €25 million with add-ons built into the structure of a potential deal.

Fred and Donny van de Beek look likely to leave Manchester United this window according to Italian journalist Romano, which could in theory clear the way for Amrabat to join Erik Ten Hag's project at Old Trafford.

Last season, £31k-a-week earner Amrabat, who has been hailed as a "monster", made 49 appearances in all competitions for Fiorentina, notching a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.

Young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo sustained an injury in pre-season, highlighting the need for Manchester United to enter the market to bolster the engine room between now and the end of the window, as per Telegraph Sport.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jacobs has indicated that Manchester United will be 'optimistic' that they can seal a deal for Fiorentina enforcer Amrabat.

Jacobs stated: “Amrabat has had plenty of options throughout the window. There is a desire from Saudi Arabia, as there is with lots of players available in the market, but it's not his preference.

“And obviously, we've heard of interest from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid throughout the transfer window in the player. But at this stage, nothing is decided.

“If they do, they will be optimistic that they can strike a deal with Fiorentina and the player.”

What other business could occur at Manchester United this window?

According to The Independent, Manchester United are in the process of performing a minor clearout as Ten Hag looks to trim his squad and raise funds for reinforcements.

Dean Henderson, Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Eric Bailly, Van de Beek and Fred have all been linked with moves away from Old Trafford this window and could leave if the right offer comes along.

Anthony Martial could also be set for a shock move to West Ham United and he has been placed on a shortlist of potential targets at the London Stadium, according to Caught Offside.

Transfer guru Romano has provided some information that suggests that Manchester United are in the market for another central defender, stating on Twitter X: "Manchester United had contacts to be informed on the conditions of Jean Clair Todibo deal. No bid or talks at this stage as the option could only be activated if Harry Maguire leaves. Juventus already left the race for Todibo last week."

Life at Manchester United does not seem to be getting any easier for former skipper, Harry Maguire, with the struggling Englishman seemingly in need of a fresh start amid his mounting woes at Old Trafford.

Having recently been stripped of the captaincy by manager Erik ten Hag, the 30-year-old – who started just eight Premier League games last season – was also on the receiving end of a visible rant from new signing Andre Onana during the recent 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in pre-season.

It would appear that the former Leicester City man – who has been the subject of a £20m offer from West Ham United – has fallen way down the defensive pecking order of late, with rumours rife that he could be on his way before the September deadline.

Read the latest Manchester United transfer news HERE…

If the £80m signing is to find a new home over the coming weeks, Ten Hag will likely be keen to find a suitable replacement to help bolster his centre-back options ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Who could replace Maguire at Man United?

The Red Devils had been heavily linked with a move for Monaco star, Axel Disasi, in recent months, although as journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed, despite showing an "interest" in the Frenchman, it would appear that he is on his way to rivals Chelsea on a €45m (£38m) deal.

Amid that potential setback, reports in Spain have indicated in recent days that United are among the clubs to have made an offer for RB Leipzig sensation, Josko Gvardiol, with both Manchester City and Liverpool also keen on signing the exciting 21-year-old.

Although valued at a rather steep €100m (£86m), as per the report, the signing of the Croatian international could allow the Old Trafford outfit to forget all about the Stamford Bridge-bound, Disasi.

Should Man United sign Josko Gvardiol?

A player currently "at the beginning of something very special" in his career – according to talent scout Jacek Kulig – Gvardiol could prove to be a dream fit for Ten Hag due to his ability to feature as a natural, left-sided defender, unlike Disasi, with the former Ajax boss having previously outlined his preference to have a left-footer in that role.

With Lisandro Martinez currently the only other left-footed option at the heart of the defence – excluding usual full-back Luke Shaw – it would make sense to bring Gvardiol into the fold to provide further competition and cover, with Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane to be deployed on the opposite side.

The Leipzig rock's quality on the ball would make him a particularly astute option for United as the youngster regularly looks to play out from the back, notably ranking in the top 1% among his European peers for attempted passes, as well as in the top 4% for successful take-ons.

Disasi, by contrast, ranks in just the top 46% and the top 7% for those same two metrics, respectively, thus indicating that Gvardiol would be a worthy alternative in the search to find a replacement for Maguire.

Also able to offer the benefit of his ability to feature at left-back, the versatile, Zagreb native also showcased his defensive class in the Bundesliga last term after averaging 1.9 tackles and interceptions per game, with Disasi only just ahead after averaging 2.3 in that regard in Ligue 1 – as both men performed better than Maguire (1.3 tackles and interceptions per game in 2022/23).

Those similarities between the pair with regard to their ball-playing and ball-winning quality would suggest that even if United are forced to watch Disasi head to west London, they could forget all about the former Reims ace by snapping up a younger option, like Gvardiol, instead.

England 258 for 5 (Roy 84, Moeen 48*, Joseph 5-56) beat West Indies 356 for 5 (Lewis 176*, Holder 77, Woakes 3-71) by six runs (DLS method)
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA late ram-raid of a sixth-wicket partnership between Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali enabled England to overcome a sensational innings from West Indies’ next big thing, Evin Lewis, and a maiden five-wicket haul from their thrusting speedster, Alzarri Joseph, to wrap up the one-day series with a game to spare in a rain-decided thriller at the Kia Oval.Set an improbable 357 to win, after Lewis’ astonishing innings of 176 from 130 balls had powered West Indies to their highest ODI total in this country, England were given a flying start by the returning Jason Roy, who made 82 from 66 balls, only for Joseph to rip out each of their first five wickets in the space of 9.4 overs.It was a misjudgement from Roy that clicked Joseph’s evening into gear. Moments after pasting a Joseph no-ball over long-on for his second six of the night, Roy attempted to run a boundary through third man but succeeded only in feathering a nick to the keeper. Two overs later, Bairstow fell in identical fashion to depart for 39 from 51, and when Joe Root toe-ended an attempted pull to give Shai Hope his third catch in a row, England had slumped to 157 for 3.Eoin Morgan, in need of some runs for his own peace of mind if nothing else, looked as busy as he has been in recent weeks in picking off three fours in a 17-ball 19. But then he climbed into a pull that seemed to be hurtling clean through fine leg for six, only for Kyle Hope, the substitute fielder, to cling onto a blinder, high and to his right just five metres the rope. And if that was good, then the identity of the next catcher arguably made Sam Billings’ departure even more spectator, as Chris Gayle defied his creaking hamstrings to stretch low to his right at a solitary slip, and complete for his young team-mate a memorable milestone.From an invidious position of 181 for 5, however, Moeen and Buttler paced their chase to near-perfection, reeling in a DLS par score that had at one stage been 37 runs in West Indies’ favour – first with measured accumulation and then with that familiar turn of timing and guile that characterises both men at their very best.We’ve seen plenty of the best of Moeen in recent times, and he was at it once again today, picking up where he left off at Bristol with another telling contribution of 48 not out from 25 balls. The first signs of a coup came in Ashley Nurse’s third and final over, a volley of six, four, six, each fiercely walloped back down the ground, and with Buttler dinking the angles and battering the drives, England’s charge was well and truly on.And, had England been able to call up the rain on cue, they could not have timed their chase any more perfectly, with Moeen drilling a pair of drives in Jerome Taylor’s final over – the second as the rain was already falling – to reach their par score of 252, and leave the field two runs later with a 3-0 series win all but mopped up.It was a cruel end to a valiant performance for West Indies, and made all the more cruel in light of the incident that brought a premature end to Lewis’ bombastic display. With 17 fours and seven sixes already to his name, he would surely have taken West Indies to even greater heights had he not inside-edged a Jake Ball yorker onto his right ankle and been forced to retire hurt with 22 balls remaining. X-rays subsequently revealed a hairline fracture and he will miss the final match at the Ageas Bowl on Friday.That injury, however, cannot detract from a truly memorable innings. Lewis, who has been spoken of in hushed tones since bursting on the scene, first in the Caribbean Premier League and more recently with a brilliant pair of T20 centuries against India, has, by and large, built his reputation on power rather than longevity. But, faced with a scoreline of 33 for 3 after Woakes had capitalised on some early life under hazy skies, he displayed another aspect of his batting character in a hugely responsible rebuilding effort.With Jason Mohammed alongside him, he set about adding 117 for the fourth wicket to reinflate his team’s prospects, but the fun really started when Liam Plunkett returned to the attack for the 40th over of the innings. West Indies, at that stage, were steadily placed on 212 for 4, but Lewis, who hitherto had barely played a single shot out of his comfort zone in amassing 109 from 105 balls with 14 fours, climbed into a steepling pull that just had the legs to plop over the head of Adil Rashid at backward square of his first six of the day.A miss is as good as a mile in such circumstances, and emboldened by the end result, Lewis planted his front foot to dump Plunkett’s next delivery straight down the ground for another six. A googly from Rashid’s next over might have ended the fun but Roy in the covers couldn’t cling on, and the upshot was another volley of six and four – a powerful strike over midwicket followed by a tickle through fine leg.Holder took his cue in the next over, from Moeen, thundering two long-levered blows straight down the ground, and thereafter it was tin-hat time for a packed Oval crowd, as the pair matched each other swing for swing in a gleeful rampage to the finish line.England’s bowlers might not agree, but West Indies’ onslaught was precisely the tonic that this match had needed, given that its build-up had been so comprehensively overshadowed by the aftermath of the last meeting of these two teams, in Bristol on Sunday. And it couldn’t have seemed further from the cards with Woakes tearing in from the Vauxhall End to claim 3 for 16 in his first 19 balls.Gayle, fresh from his 94 from 78 balls at Bristol, lasted just four deliveries before edging to second slip. Shai Hope was caught behind soon afterwards. And when Marlon Samuels’ dismal series continued – pinned lbw for 1 from seven balls to a Woakes delivery that would have trimmed his bails, the contest seemed as good as over. Instead, it turned into quite the sinecure for a series that has been so comprehensively overshadowed.

Newcastle United "remain in talks" with Monaco centre-back Axel Disasi over a summer move to the club, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

How much does Axel Disasi earn?

The 25-year-old is currently earning £18,000 per week at Monaco and has matured into an important player who generally walks into the starting lineup week in, week out. Last season, he started an impressive 37 out of 38 Ligue 1 matches, highlighting both his influence at the back, and also his fitness levels and consistency.

Disasi could feel that now is the right time for him to enjoy a fresh challenge, however, and there is plenty of interest in him from Premier League clubs. Newcastle are one of them, seeing the Frenchman as a strong to bring in and make them even more formidable defensively, having only conceded 33 goals in the league in 2022/23.

He still has two years left on his current Monaco deal, but there could well be a temptation from the French side to sell him this summer, in order to receive a big amount of money, rather than a smaller fee in 2024, or even worse, losing him for free 12 months after that.

What's the latest on Axel Disasi to Newcastle?

Taking to Twitter, Romano dropped a brief update on Newcastle's interested in Disasi, claiming that talks are ongoing over the signing, although Manchester United are also in the picture:

"Newcastle and Man United remain in talks for Axel Disasi deal, as reported two weeks ago."

Disasi may not necessarily be a household name compared to some centre-backs across Europe, but he is someone who could be a superb addition at Newcastle, having impressed so much more Monaco.

At 25, he is still relatively young, especially for a player in his position, and he could be viewed as Sven Botman's centre-back partner for the next five or six years, assuming the Dutchman stays put at St James' Park.

Disasi averaged 2.9 clearances per game in Ligue 1 last season, and also completed 84.7% of his passes across eight Europa League appearances, showing that he can impress both in and out of possession. He won 2.6 aerial duels per match in the former, too, with such dominance in the air something that is needed in what is a physical Premier League.

The fact that United are also competing for Disasi's signature is a potential issue, considering their continued reputation as one of the world's biggest clubs, but the days are gone of them having such a big advantage of Newcastle when it comes to signing players, with the Magpies now back in the Champions League and only going from strength to strength.

Joining this exciting project at St James' could appeal to the Monaco ace even more than a switch to Old Trafford, and he arguably has more chance of being a regular for the Magpies, too. Manager Jean-Luc Vasseur has said that the player's "great quality is his intelligence" in the past, further showing what a shrewd addition he could be to Newcastle's back-line.

Ben Stokes has branded criticism of England’s performance in the Trent Bridge Test as “harsh” and “unfair”

George Dobell25-Jul-2017Ben Stokes has branded criticism of England’s performance in the Trent Bridge Test as “harsh” and “unfair”.England were defeated by 340 runs in the second Investec Test leading some well-known former players to dismiss their performance as “appalling” (Michael Vaughan), “rubbish” (Nasser Hussain) and “tripe” (Geoff Boycott). And while Stokes admitted that England had failed to adapt to either the match conditions or pitch in Nottingham, he took exception to any suggestion that the side lacked commitment.”The whole fight and desire [question] and everything like that that’s been thrown at us I think is very, very unfair,” Stokes told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s almost like people are saying that we don’t have the desire or the fight to play for England but everyone who takes part in the game – not just the 11 but everyone in the squad, coaches – the desire, the commitment, the fight to represent your country and do well is always there. So I think that kind of criticism is harsh, yes.”Whether anyone in the media did question England’s “desire”, “commitment” or “fight” is debatable. While Vaughan said England’s batting hinted at “a lack of respect” for the values or Test cricket, the context of his comments suggested he was referring to a lack of sophistication rather than effort.Indeed, the one man who did bring up any lack of fight was England’s assistant coach, Paul Farbrace. Almost immediately after Stokes had given his interview, Farbrace told reporters that “everyone” in the dressing room accepted the team “lacked some fight” at Trent Bridge.”Everyone put their hands up after the Trent Bridge performance and said it lacked some fight, certainly in the second innings, and there were some disappointing dismissals in both innings,” Farbrace said.While it would be stretching a point to suggest such conflicting comments hint at any unrest within the England camp – there is no indication of that at all – it is possible they reveal a lack of direction coming from the dressing room and team management.Certainly both Stokes and Farbrace accepted England’s batting had been below par in Nottingham. Stokes talked of a failure to “assess” the situation, while Farbrace suggested some dismissals were “reckless” and others were “disappointing defensive dismissals”.”The big thing is just for us is to be able to adapt quicker,” Stokes said. “We didn’t adapt whatsoever in that second innings at Trent Bridge to what we needed to do, which was just to bat. But unfortunately it didn’t happen. The only way we can give ourselves the best chance is just assessing the situations better.”Farbrace agreed: “There is a fine line between being positive and being reckless. We had some reckless dismissals, and we also had some disappointing defensive dismissals in the last game.”Not all of them were people playing big shots and getting caught on the rope; we had people caught around the crease, and being bowled, through perhaps being not quite as positive with their footwork and clinical as they could have been in defence. It unfortunately wasn’t a one-off – it’s happened a few times before.”It appears the balance of England’s side will be unchanged at The Oval. While Tom Westley – who had a nervous first session in which he was bowled by a net bowler – will replace the injured Gary Ballance at No. 3, it seems the flat pitch expected for the ground’s 100th Test renders it unlikely that England will drop either of their spinners. “We know what [our best team] is. We play two spinners who are attacking bowlers,” Stokes said.”We have the option to play two spinners or bring another batsman in,” Farbrace added. “But I think the one thing our selectors have done well in the last few years is be very consistent. Players have sometimes been given one game more rather than one game too few and I think that’s the way we should be.”When you pick people, you want them to know they’re going to get a run of games. We’re trying to build confidence in the team. Yes, we know it was not a great performance at Trent Bridge by any means, but chopping and changing doesn’t tend to solve anything.”The only question, then, will focus on the fitness of Mark Wood. He has never previously played three successive Tests in the same series and it emerged at the end of the Trent Bridge Test that he had a heel injury – though he bowled with impressive pace in the Oval nets, knocking Joe Root off his feet. If he is not deemed to be fully fit, Toby Roland-Jones will come into the side in his place.It was also interesting to note the presence of Ben Foakes and George Garton in the England net session. Garton, an unusually quick left-arm seamer who plays for Sussex, has represented the Lions recently and is clearly seen as an outside option for the Ashes in Australia – he is only 20 and has played just seven first-class matches – while Foakes, the Surrey keeper, might well be emerging as England’s second choice behind the stumps.Matt Walker and Anthony McGrath, coaches at Kent and Essex respectively, were also at the training session as part of England’s attempts to involve more county coaches within the set-up.Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For Out of the Ordinary thinking visit investec.com/cricket

Pune’s bowlers have been the reason for their 3-0 head-to-head against Mumbai. They have only allowed one half-century to the most prolific middle-order in the tournament

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu20-May-2017Match factsFinal, Mumbai Indians v Rising Pune Supergiant
Hyderabad, May 21, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)2:45

Agarkar: Mumbai have gained from lesser-known players

Form guide

Rising Pune Supergiant: beat Mumbai by 20 runs; beat Kings XI by 9 wickets; lost to Daredevils by 7 runs.

Mumbai Indians: beat KKR by six wickets; lost to Rising Pune by 20 runs; beat KKR by 9 runs.

Head-to-headOverall: It’s 4-1 to Rising Pune Supergiant. Mumbai Indians’ most recent win against their opponents in the final came last year.This season: Rising Pune won home and away in the league stage, and then shocked Mumbai again at the Wankhede in the first qualifier.Big pictureIt’s groundhog day in the IPL, and Mumbai have gone to great lengths to make it happen. Now all they have to do is figure out a way to end the loop and get the girl. But if not that, then at least the trophy.Twice in the league, and again in the first qualifier earlier this week, Rohit Sharma and his men have come up against Rising Pune, done everything they can, only to wake up and see its still February 2. Bill Murray’s character – spoiler alert – eventually escaped his fate by accepting his curse. While that makes rom-com fans go “aww”, those that frequent the Wankhede would go “&^%$*”. Mumbai are two-time champions. Rising Pune won’t even exist in the IPL after Sunday. They want a win before this rivalry ends.Krunal Pandya was seen receiving treatment to his groin during the second qualifier but Rohit has said he should be okay to play. Mitchell McClenaghan, who did not play that game, will be assessed on the morning of the final in Hyderabad.The likely XIsMumbai Indians 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Rohit Sharma (capt), 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Karn Sharma, 9 Mitchell Johnson/Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Jasprit BumrahRising Pune Supergiant 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Manoj Tiwary, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Dan Christian, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Adam ZampaStrategy puntThere are statistics to suggest the legspinner Karn Sharma, Mumbai’s unexpected trump card, and left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya, should be saved for the Rising Pune middle order. They have been hit for 20 runs off nine balls by Rahul Tripathi and 25 runs off 13 balls by Steven Smith. But they have managed five dots in nine balls to MS Dhoni and 11 dots in 22 balls to Manoj Tiwary, at an economy rate of six or less.Stats that matter Rising Pune have kept a lid on Mumbai’s power players. Rohit and Kieron Pollard average 20.66 and 14.33 against them this season. In three matches, Rising Pune have only allowed Mumbai to hit 23 sixes and 35 fours. In comparison, Mumbai thrashed 29 sixes against Kings XI after only two meetings, and 47 fours after three rounds against Knight Riders. One of Rising Pune’s biggest strengths is their ability to strangle teams in the middle overs. They have taken the most wickets – 41 – established the lowest run-rate – 7.16 – and accumulated the most dots – 321 – between overs seven and 15 this IPL. Mumbai, with 10, have the record for the most fifty-plus scores from the middle order in 2017. But only one of them has come against Rising Pune. Rohit’s batsmen from No. 3 to No. 7 average only 13.86 and strike at 113 against Smith’s bowlers. Dhoni, who will be playing his seventh final in ten IPLs, averages 64.66 and strikes at 161.66 against Mumbai in IPL playoff and knockout matches. Among those who have bowled at least six overs against Mumbai in this IPL, offspinner Washington Sundar’s economy-rate of 5.25 is the second best, behind Rashid Khan’s 5.12. Ajinkya Rahane has struggled all season, but he has contributed two of the four fifties Rising Pune have against Mumbai. No other team has managed more than two 50-plus scores against Mumbai. These statistics indicate how Rising Pune have kept the head-to-head in their favour so far, but Mumbai are big-match specialists. Lendl Simmons had three successive fifties in IPL play-off and knockout games before this year. Jasprit Bumrah has bowled more deliveries (152) in the last five overs than anyone else, and was resplendent when he bowled the first Super Over of his career earlier this season. He will go into the final on the high of recording his best figures in T20s – 3-1-7-3 – in the second qualifier against KKR on Friday. Pollard has faced 273 balls in the 2017 season – his second-highest tally in 10 IPLs. Nine more and he’ll eclipse his personal best. But here’s the kicker: Mumbai have won the title in two out of three previous seasons that he has batted more than 200 balls. In 12 innings this season, Krunal has conceded runs at only 6.72 per over. Here are the strike-rates of batsmen who have faced at least 10 balls from him. Tiwary (83), Manish Pandey (117), AB de Villiers (118), Hashim Amla (133), Rahane (135) and Suryakumar Yadav (161).

The Brazilian striker was a class act as Mikel Arteta's men got the win in Spain, even though their captain was again not at his best

Gabriel Jesus put in a fantastic performance to inspire Arsenal to a 2-1 win against Sevilla in the Champions League on Tuesday. A sublime piece of skill and an excellent pass sent Gabriel Martinelli through to open the score and give the Gunners the lead right at the end of the first half, and Jesus then smashed in his team's second early in the second period, cutting inside from the left and curling it into the net.

Sevilla pulled a goal back with a Nemanja Gudelj header from a corner – the relatively diminutive Jesus was, inexplicably, the man tasked with marking the tall Serb – and the Spanish side looked up for the fight. With William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Takehiro Tomiyasu looking strong at the back, however, the north London side were able to hold on for the win.

Coach Mikel Arteta will have some concerns with the way captain Martin Odegaard once again was kept quiet and ineffective, while Bukayo Saka was bullied too easily and was too wasteful on the ball before he was substituted near the end.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan…

• Getty
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  David Raya (6/10):

  One typically awful pass gifted Sevilla a slight chance but was sound otherwise.

  Ben White (5/10):

  Poor marking when defending set-pieces.

  William Saliba (7/10):

  Strong and reliable as ever. Nothing got by him.

  Gabriel Magalhaes (6/10):

  Composed on the ball and looked solid beside Saliba.

  Takehiro Tomiyasu (7/10):

  Pushed high up to get involved in attack but did a good job tracking runs defensively, too.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Midfield

  Martin Odegaard (5/10):

  Missed a great chance in the second half and had another tame shot. Not good enough on the ball.

  Jorginho (6/10):

  Stable in possession and helped keep Rakitic quiet for most of the game.

  Declan Rice (7/10):

  Excellent in possession as he pushed up to create danger for Sevilla and was there to sweep up at the back.

• Getty
  

  Attack

  Bukayo Saka (6/10):

  A bit of a dead end, he struggled up against Sevilla's muscle as he kept on getting knocked down.

  Gabriel Jesus (8/10):

  A brilliant performance! Amazing turn and perfect pass to set up Martinelli, then a gorgeous finish to make it 2-0.

  Gabriel Martinelli (8/10):

  Raced forward to get a great early chance but squandered it. Made up for it with his excellent goal on his full debut in the Champions League and was busy defensively.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Subs & Manager

  Kai Havertz (5/10):

  Replaced Odegaard with under 20 minutes left but barely got on the ball.

  Eddie Nketiah (5/10):

  A late introduction but did not get much time on the ball as Sevilla pushed up the other end.

  Leandro Trossard (5/10):

  Had to act more as a defender than a winger after his late arrival.

  Jakub Kiwior (N/A):

  Came on right at the end as Arsenal resorted to pure defence.

  Mikel Arteta (7/10):

  Set his team up well to dominate early on and create big chances, but they gave away control halfway through the second half and were scrambling to save the result.

England eased to a 117-run victory in their first warm-up match in West Indies, but the batting was more impressive than the bowling

George Dobell in St Kitts25-Feb-2017
ScorecardBen Stokes was in the runs, but the bowling wasn’t quite so successful•Getty Images

What a great leveller this game can be.A few days after becoming the most expensive overseas player in the IPL’s history, Ben Stokes saw his only complete over of England’s first warm-up match in St Kitts thrashed for 23 by a 20-year-old playing only his eighth List A game.To be fair to Stokes, who had earlier made a half-century, the 20-year-old is some talent. Shimron Hetmyer, the former captain of the West Indies side that won the Under-19 World Cup, timed the ball beautifully and, having clipped Stokes’ first ball for six over square leg, laced a couple of boundaries through the off side before finishing the over with a pull over mid-wicket for another six. Two wides and a no-ball completed the picture and meant that, at that stage, Stokes’ last 10 deliveries in an England shirt against Caribbean opposition – going back to Carlos Braithwaite’s four sixes – had cost an eye-watering 47 runs.Under normal circumstances, none of this would warrant much attention. Even the best endure bad days, after all, and warm-up days like this exist to help brush off the rust. All recent evidence suggests that, come the big occasion, Stokes will be the man England rely upon.But coming, as it did, a few days after Stokes’ auction success, it demonstrated the pressure that he will be under every time he steps on to a pitch these days. He can no longer be considered a promising allrounder in the developmental stage of his career; he is a world star whose every move will be studied and followed. There will always be great expectation; there will always be scrutiny. His life has changed and it may not all be for the better.Still, with four of their top five making half-centuries and a final victory margin of 117 runs, Stokes’ tough over was a minor blip in a generally satisfactory day for England.It showed how far they had come since they last visited St Kitts. At that time, less than two years ago, they were still reeling in the aftermath of their wretched 2015 World Cup performance. During their match against a St Kitts Invitational XI, it was announced that Paul Downton, the managing director of the England teams, had been sacked and the coaching staff were informed, ominously as it transpired, there would be no further changes “while they were on tour.” Peter Moores was subsequently sacked the moment England returned.They are a much-changed white ball side now. It’s not just the personnel that is different, though the absence of the top run-scorer and wicket-taker in their ODI history (Ian Bell and James Anderson respectively) is notable, but that the mentality has changed. Remarkably, given how poorly they performed in the most recent global ODI event, several bookies make them favourites for the Champions Trophy to be played in June. It seemed unthinkable in April 2015.Chadwick Walton made 121 in the run chase•Getty Images

It’s not hard to see what their resurgence has been built upon. Their uncompromisingly aggressive batting helped them race to 239 for 2 at the 30-over mark here and, with Joe Root and Eoin Morgan well set, it appeared a world record List A score might be achievable. Only one side in history (Surrey against Gloucestershire at The Oval in 2007) have ever reached 450 in a List A game and there seemed every chance England could become the second.As it was, they scored a relatively modest 140 from the final 20 overs of the innings despite nearly 100 in the final 10. With the balls softer and the pitch slowing, timing the ball became more difficult and it took some muscular late hitting from Stokes, who was dropped three times in an innings that become more fluent as it progressed, and Liam Dawson to take them above 350.Still, with Jason Roy looking in sublime form – he did not field due to a hand bruised by a succession of tough fielding drills but is not a serious injury concern – and runs for Root and Morgan, England could be well satisfied with this work out for their batsmen.Only Sam Billings, who was brilliantly caught at point, and Jos Buttler, who played-on attempting to force the pace, missed out but both are likely to have another chance on Monday. Billings, in particular, probably needs to take every chance with Alex Hales potentially returning imminently.The bowling was less impressive. While Steven Finn, who had not taken a wicket in any form of cricket since September despite having racked up some air miles, all but ended the match as a contest with wickets from the second and fourth balls of the second over of University of West Indies Vice-Chancellor’s XI reply, there were times when Morgan seemed to lack the options required to stem the flow of runs.Not for the first time, the edge offered to the side by the extra pace of Mark Wood was sorely missed. Chris Woakes (rested) and David Willey (injured) were also missed, but it may be upon Wood’s seemingly fragile ankle that England’s Champions Trophy hopes rest.That the UWI side made over 250 was largely due to the excellence of Chadwick Walton. A good enough player to have represented West Indies in two Tests – albeit during the Floyd Reifer period of captaincy when the best players were unavailable due to a disagreement with the board – he was also part of a record Caribbean List A score only a couple of weeks ago when he made a century as Jamaica amassed 434 against Trinidad and Tobago in the Super 50 competition. He has played a few ODIs, too, and made it into a full strength Test squad as a reserve keeper.At one stage, he thrashed Dawson (who was otherwise admirably frugal) for three successive sixes, while Liam Plunkett was hit for the shot of the day: a straight driven six that thundered back over the bowler’s head.Such things will happen in limited-overs cricket. As Jermaine Levy, the latest man to concede 100 in a List A match, will tell you: modern white-ball cricket is very much a batsman’s game.

England captain Eoin Morgan says his bowlers were badly let down by their batsmen after a collapse of 8 for 8 sealed a 75-run defeat to India in the third T20I at Bangalore

Deivarayan Muthu in Bangalore01-Feb-20171:30

‘We fell away terribly towards the end’ – Morgan

England lost 10 for 83 in the last innings in the second Test in Visakhapatnam. They lost 5 for 70 in the first innings in the third Test in Mohali. They lost 7 for 54 in their second innings in the fourth Test in Mumbai. The visitors then suffered a more cataclysmic fall in their second innings in the fifth Test in Chennai, losing 10 for 104 after piling on 477 in their first dig.The limited-overs players then roused the side from its gloom after Christmas, pushing India in 50-over cricket and proceeded to go 1-0 up in the subsequent T20 series. England were then at the receiving end of two incorrect umpiring decisions and lost the second T20. In the series decider in Bangalore, they unravelled dramatically against legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and left to head home empty-handed.England experienced a fair share of collapses on this gruelling tour, but losing 8 for 8 on Wednesday night was as chaotic as it could get. Their breezy start to the chase – they were 119 for 2 in the 14th over in pursuit of 203 – starkly contrasted with what was to follow. The two set batsmen – Joe Root and captain Eoin Morgan – were dismissed by Chahal in successive balls and England eventually suffered the second-worst eight-wicket collapse in international cricket to be rolled over for 127 with 21 balls to spare in their innings.England captain Eoin Morgan cut a sorry figure at the post-match press conference, but did not mince any words about his team’s batting performance.”It does hurt. Very disappointing,” Morgan said. “Maybe 60% of the game we were competitive and right in amongst it but fell away terribly in the end. Committed a cardinal sin of losing two in-players in one over and allowed India to build a little bit of pressure and we weren’t up to it at all.”So what really went wrong in the middle?”I can’t put a finger on it. We haven’t produced a batting performance as bad as that in two or two-and-a-half years,” Morgan said. “We pride ourselves on our batting, it has been a strong suit for a long time but this series our bowlers have outperformed our batsmen I think.”Morgan, who had played for Royal Challengers Bangalore for a season in the IPL in 2010, believed that England were on track to exploit the flat surface and the short boundaries at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium at the halfway mark of the chase. Root bedded himself in, and Morgan himself hinted at hitting full tilt with three sixes from Suresh Raina’s part-time offbreaks in three balls during the 12th over.”I thought we were going quite well,” Morgan said. “A majority of the runs at this ground are always scored in the last 10 overs. Bangalore have done it extremely well for a long period of time and India did well today. So, I think we needed 110 [sic 117] off the last 10 maybe with eight wickets in the shed.”Morgan said that England could have chased the target down had he or Root kicked on with contributions from the lower-middle order.”If a better performance from either me or Joe – a 70 or 80 from me or him and if the two of us seeing off – and a couple of guys batting around us could have made a huge difference,” Morgan said.England’s sharp nosedive began with Morgan galloping down the track, fetching a slog-sweep from outside off and skying a wrong’un to deep midwicket. He backed his intent but blamed the execution for the dismissal.”It wasn’t necessarily a big shot,” Morgan said. “It wasn’t executed that well, I didn’t mean to hit it in the air. The ball – it was a googly – held up a little bit. I wanted to hit down the ground, but hit it squarer.”Morgan also conceded that losing a close ODI series “hurt” more than losing the T20 series, but was confident of recovering from the setbacks.”We had performances in the one-day series that were potentially worthy of winning,” he said. “In this series probably the last game [in Nagpur] hurt us more. The game got away from us, we should have won. Today we underperformed and we weren’t good enough.”I don’t think [there will be a lingering feeling]. If there was a consistent run of performances like that it would hurt to fail again. But like I said, our batting has been outstanding for a long time and tonight it wasn’t anywhere near as it should be.”