08-May-2016Shikhar Dhawan at the other end made a sedate start and was happy to just rotate the strike•BCCIHarbhajan Singh broke through for Mumbai Indians, getting Warner to skew a drive to Kieron Pollard at long-off•BCCIHarbhajan sent Kane Williamson back in his next over to leave Sunrisers 91 for 2 in 11.3 overs•BCCIYuvraj Singh put behind a forgettable Sunrisers debut and biffed 39 off 23 balls, adding 85 for the third wicket with Dhawan•BCCIThe duo blasted 68 runs between overs 15 and 19 as Mumbai struggled to stem the run flow•BCCIThat was until Yuvraj, stuck deep in his crease, unwittingly chopped his own stumps off Mitchell McClenaghan in the final over•BCCIDhawan, meanwhile, had grown in confidence and unfurled his range of strokes to finish unbeaten on 82 off 57 balls•BCCIMumbai’s fielders were sharp and saved quite a few runs, but Sunrisers raced away to 177 for 3 nonetheless•BCCIMumbai received an early jolt when Bhuvneshwar Kumar trapped Parthiv Patel lbw in the first over of the chase•BCCIAshish Nehra struck off his first ball, getting Rohit Sharma to chop an inswinger onto his stumps•BCCINehra got Ambati Rayudu to hole out to Kane Williamson at backward point, before sending Jos Buttler back two deliveries later to flatten Mumbai•BCCIWhen Kieron Pollard was caught by Barinder Sran at long-on, Mumbai were 49 for 6 in the ninth over•BCCIThe stage was set for Mustafizur Rahman to weave his magic and he sent Hardik Pandya packing with his first ball•BCCIHarbhajan resisted with an unbeaten 21, but it was scant compensation as Mumbai were shot out for 92 and lost by 85 runs•BCCISunrisers’ bowlers hunted in a pack, but it was Nehra who finished as the pick of the lot with 3 for 15 in three overs that earned him the Man-of-the-Match award•BCCI
Everton star Abdoulaye Doucoure has spoken out on the racist abuse he received after February's fiery draw with Liverpool at Goodison Park.
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Doucoure celebrations riled LiverpoolEverton star racially abused after gameWants to take a stand and set an exampleFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Doucoure was involved in a brawl at the end of the clash with Liverpool after the Reds took exception to the Everton star celebrating James Tarkowski's late equaliser in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park. The midfielder was subsequently subjected to racist abuse on social media which was swiftly condemned by both Liverpool and Everton.
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Doucoure is sadly not the only player to have suffered racial abuse this season. Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana, Fulham's Calvin Bassey and Manchester City star women's star Khadija Shaw are among a host of other players to have been targeted. Doucoure has now spoken out on the issue, as part of the Premier League’s No Room For Racism education resources, and wants to stand up and set an example to the next generation.
WHAT DOUCOURE SAID
Doucoure said: "Players have to deal with comments on social media but after the Liverpool game [at Goodison Park] it was a lot. I understand the frustration about the celebration I had in front of the Liverpool fans and I accept that they can criticise and say that wasn’t appropriate, but I’m surprised people use discrimination to hurt you. I received death threats as well as my family, which is going too far. “You need to be strong to not respond to those people and I want to set an example for the next generation. I was supported a lot by my family and the club. The Premier League was behind me as well. We know this happens every weekend for a lot of players and I want to be an example on how to stand against this and send a strong message to people. They got in touch with the police and also the emotional support of checking on me and my family. To see they were behind me was very important. It’s important to talk to people when you face discrimination. “Education is key. Young people access social media so easily and some of the negative comments I received was even from young people. The children have a huge responsibility to change the future, which is why education is important. Footballers are role models and idols for young people so when they speak on these topics, the message is stronger. Players should recognise the responsibility they have to positively influence the young generation. “I never used to speak on racism. I just tried to cope and ignore it but sometimes you need to speak on these topics and spread the message. It’s hard because people can hide behind fake accounts. There should be stricter rules. The Premier League have very good investigators and does a very good job behind the scenes. I was very impressed with their support. “Be responsible for what you say. They try to hurt players like me because they think we play football, we have money so it’s ok but we are human beings first. We have families too, so I hope discrimination is no longer used against people.”
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR DOUCOURE
Doucoure and Everton are back in Premier League action on Saturday when they take on high-flying Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
The San Diego Wave captain delivered a rousing pre-game speech that set the tone for home opener win
Sheridan's motivational team talk energized the WaveSan Diego secured 3-2 win against Utah Royals FCVictory Wave's first of the 2025 NWSL seasonDenis Poroy-Imagn ImagesWHAT HAPPENED
Prior to San Diego Wave FC's home opener against Utah Royals FC last weekend, captain and goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan gathered her teammates for an impassioned pre-game speech.
Her pep talk proved effective as the Wave went on to secure a 3-2 victory over the Royals. Sheridan urged her teammates to show the crowd exactly what they could do in their home opener.
“These people, they’re here for you guys. They want to see you perform at your best. That’s all you got to give them, is your best today and we’ll bring that energy today,” Sheridan said in a video captured by the San Diego Wave’s social media team.
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San Diego Wave FC secured the win in their home opener at Snapdragon Stadium. The Wave took an early lead with goals from María Sánchez and Adriana Leon.
Utah Royals fought back in the second half, equalizing with strikes from Mia Fishel and Scarlett Camberos. However, Gia Corley's late goal sealed the win for San Diego.
Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?
San Diego Wave FC moved up to fourth on the NWSL table with four points. They sit two points behind league leaders Orlando Pride after two league games and face them next on the road on March 28.
Legspinner explains his thought process after picking up the first hat-trick of the 2022 T20 World Cup
Alex Malcolm18-Oct-2022It’s not often that you find a player beaming after his side has been thumped by 79 runs in a T20 World Cup game, but nothing could wipe the smile off Karthik Meiyappan’s face following his hat-trick against Sri Lanka.Karthik, the 22-year-old UAE legspinner who was born in Chennai and has trained with both Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings in the past, put his name up in lights in Geelong with three magical deliveries in three balls to join Brett Lee, Curtis Campher, Wanindu Hasaranga and Kagiso Rabada as just the fifth man to take a hat-trick at a T20 World Cup.”It still hasn’t sunk in, the fact that I’ve got a hat-trick in a T20 World Cup, and to become the fifth bowler to do so,” Karthik said after the match. “It is really a proud moment and feels amazing. But, like I said, it would have been much greater and much better for me if we had won the game tonight.”He was genuine in his disappointment with the result. But Karthik, who moved to the UAE in 2007 when his father began working there, could not have done any more to help his team. He bowled a superb spell of four overs for just 19 runs, including 12 dots. His hat-trick came in his third over, the 15th of the innings, to stall Sri Lanka’s momentum after they had cruised to 117 for 2 with more than five overs to go on a difficult batting surface.
“That is something I don’t know about. But I hope they do”Karthik Meiyappan on the possibility of a call-up from Chennai Super Kings
Even more impressive than the three deliveries he bowled to dismiss Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka was the clarity of his plans in the moment, and his execution. He was happy to talk everyone through the plans, too.”First up against Rajapaksa, the leg side was the long boundary for him,” Karthik said. “I thought he would take me down the deck as I think he was 5 or something that and… I tried to push it away bowling a wrong’un and he tried to go over covers but he sliced it.”When Asalanka walked in, that was a no-brainer for me: I was going to bowl a wrong’un straight up and Vriitya [Aravind, the wicketkeeper] took an amazing catch.”And then Dasun walked in, again I was just going through my motions being the hat-trick, but all I wanted to do was bowl on the stumps and whatever happens after that it is out of my hands. But, again, I just bowled a wrong’un and I think he picked it as a leggie.”He was asked after the match if he thought he might get a call from Chennai Super Kings again, this time for a bit more than bowling in the nets.”That is something I don’t know about,” Karthik said with a smile. “But I hope they do.”
Former Manchester United defender Steve Bruce has sympathy for Andre Onana amid his woeful form for the club.
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Onana dropped at the weekendDropped two howlers against LyonBruce has sympathyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Speaking on talkSPORT, former United defender Bruce suggested that the club’s goalkeepers would always struggle given the defensive issues at Old Trafford, and has claimed that he has sympathy for the Cameroon international, who made two high-profile mistakes against Lyon last week.
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Manager Ruben Amorim dropped Onana for their clash with Newcastle at the weekend. Without him, the Red Devils lost 4-1. Now, Onana is set to be restored to the starting XI for their encounter with the Ligue 1 side.
WHAT BRUCE SAID
Bruce told talkSPORT: "You would hope it's going to be a quiet night but I think we've watched United for a while now and you think 'can the lad have a quiet night'? Are they defensively good enough? Not just the goalkeeper, we're talking about them defensively now, are they good enough to go and keep a clean sheet to give yourself the platform that everybody wants to see?
"It was a big call to leave him out, obviously he's brought him back in, let's hope it's freshened him up and brought a bit of an edge to him. Undoubtedly he's a talented goalkeeper but he's like all the rest of them at the minute, they're all having a tough time, and there's nowhere more difficult to have a tough time than playing at Man United."
GettyWHAT NEXT?
Onana will hope to avoid any splashy, negative headlines with his performance against Lyon on Thursday evening.
Despite falling out of favour, Wrexham's all-time top goalscorer Paul Mullin was elated at the club's promotion to the Championship.
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Wrexham earn promotion to the ChampionshipMullin does not hold back celebrationsRed Dragons to undergo summer revampFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Wrexham stormed to the Championship with a 3-0 thrashing of promotion rivals Charlton Athletic on Saturday evening. Celebrating their third promotion in as many seasons, Mullin could not hold back his emotion and argued his controversial move to the club in 2021 has been justified by their meteoric rise up the English divisions. While his future may lie away from the Red Dragons, Mullin's role in propelling Phil Parkinson's side up the leagues will not be forgotten anytime soon at the Racecourse Ground.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT MULLIN SAID
Speaking to after the game, Mullin said: "It's not just about me. It's a real team effort. When I first joined, Rob McElhenney told me: 'Championship in five years'. We've done it a year early. It's been some journey, unbelievable. These fans f*cking deserve it. Sorry for the language. [It's an] unbelievable feeling. I'm so happy for everyone involved. Phenomenal.
"I've found it hard not being involved as much this season, but I will enjoy this one just as much. The question I got asked when I signed here was: 'Why Wrexham? Why Wrexham?' Here's your answer for the third time in a row. It has been phenomenal; we've created history yet again. Back-to-back-to-back, never been done, it has now and it belongs to Wrexham. I'm so happy for all the fans."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Mullin has not featured in a match-day squad in League One since being an unused substitute against Mansfield in February. His last minutes in the league came in a 3-2 defeat to Stevenage at the end of January. He has been all-but-frozen out of the squad, but still takes pride in the role he has played in helping the Red Dragons get to where they are now – and the Championship.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MULLIN?
With Wrexham adding Jay Rodriguez and Sam Smith to their striking options in January, Mullin saw his game time drop massively. With the club's promotion to the Championship now sealed, rumours linking the club with other top forwards, including Jamie Vardy, have already started flying and Mullin appears destined for the exit door. However how unceremonious his departure may be, Mullin will leave a Wrexham legend.
Aston Villa and NSWE have submitted a proposal to sign a “superb” star who Unai Emery knows well, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Aston Villa transfer news
The Villans have already brought in two new players this month in the form of Donyell Malen and Andres Garcia, and in the process, they have also said goodbye to Diego Carlos, who has joined Turkish giants Fenerbahce on a permanent basis.
As Carlos has now left, Villa have been linked with a move for Loic Bade, but while a potential deal has hit a snag in recent days, reports have emerged that they could be about to make a new offer.
Sky Sports: Club in talks to sign £75k-p/w Aston Villa player open to exit
Before the transfer window closes, there could be a big departure from Villa Park.
ByBrett Worthington Jan 26, 2025
Carlos may not be the only departure from Villa Park this month, as Jhon Duran is continuing to be linked with a move away. Paris Saint-Germain are the latest team to show a significant interest in the forward, and given they are only willing to offer as much as £59 million, they are now willing to throw Marco Asensio in the mix to sweeten the deal.
The exit talk doesn’t stop there for the Premier League side, as Florian Plettenberg has reported that Bayer Leverkusen are working on a deal to sign Emiliano Buendia. The Argentine has fallen down the pecking order at Villa Park, and Xabi Alonso is keen to bring him to Germany.
However, David Ornstein has reported that Buendia has reached an agreement with Villa to extend his contract by one year, as the Villans are not willing to sanction a permanent exit this month.
Aston Villa submit proposal to sign "superb" star
Bade is not the only defender on Villa’s radar, as according to Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa are in talks to sign a new defender, and Juan Foyth is one of their main targets.
Romano reports that Villa have sent their initial proposal to La Liga side Villarreal already, and he is someone who knows the Premier League, as he played for Tottenham Hotspur between 2017 and 2021. It is unclear how much Foyth would cost the Midlands side, but he is under contract until 2026, so the Spanish side could be open to a possible sale this month.
Foyth, who has been dubbed “superb” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, is someone Emery knows very well, as the defender and manager worked together during Emery’s time at Villarreal. The 27-year-old’s arrival at Villa Park would see him join a side that already has a wealth of options in the heart of defence, as Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, and Pau Torres fight for a regular starting spot in Emery’s team.
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But Foyth’s ability to play as a right-back as well as a centre-back means he would give the Villa boss more of an option when it comes to putting him into his team. Furthermore, his versatility could be a key reason why Villa are pushing to land his signature in this transfer window, as they continue to fight in the Premier League and the Champions League.
Chelsea’s academy has been up there with one of the very best in the country over the last few years, helping the club win nine FA Youth Cup trophies – the most in the competition’s history.
Endless players have made the jump from Cobham into the first-team setup, having a huge impact on the club and cementing their place as a regular under various different managers.
Enzo Maresca’s current side possesses multiple academy graduates, including the likes of Reece James, Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah as the trio look to fire the Blues back to Premier League success.
Chelsea manager EnzoMarescalooks dejected after the match
Numerous others have been sacrificed to raise funds for the managers to make their own stamp on the squad, including Mason Mount who moved to Manchester United for £60m last summer – a great deal considering his tally of 33 games in the last 18 months.
Such a move undoubtedly softens the blow of the big money spent by owner Todd Boehly, with the American forking out huge money to secure the services of one star back in January 2023.
Mykhailo Mudyrk’s time at Chelsea so far
After a bidding war with London rivals Arsenal, Chelsea secured a huge £88.5m move for Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk in January 2023, joining the Blues from Shakhtar Donetsk.
His first appearance came as a substitute against Liverpool at Anfield, making an immediate impression with his pace and direct nature with the ball at his feet.
However, it would be an audition that sold the supporters a dream, with the 24-year-old unable to sustain such a level of performance, only registering 10 goals in his 73 appearances to date.
The winger hasn’t featured since the end of November due to a provisional suspension after he tested positive for a banned substance, with his return date or outcome of the decision yet to be announced.
Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk
His lack of form, coupled with his current absence, has seen a drastic decrease in market value, with one former first-team star massively overtaking him in value after his form away from Stamford Bridge.
The former Chelsea player now worth more than Mudryk
English attacker Callum Hudson-Odoi emerged out of the club’s academy as a teenager, looking to be the next big thing to make his mark on the first team in West London.
The now 24-year-old first showcased his talents on a consistent basis in 2018/19, making 24 appearances, scoring five times and registering five assists – looking way beyond his tender age.
Such a run of form would see interest from European giants Bayern Munich, but the Blues would stand firm, rejecting a loan with an option to buy for £70m – highlighting his importance to the club, with the hierarchy showing faith in his development.
However, an achilles injury in April 2019 would halt his progress at his boyhood side, sidelining him for an extended period and dropping him down the pecking order as a result.
Hudson-Odoi would move on loan to Bayer Leverkusen in 2022/23 to try and resurrect his promising career, before ending his spell with the Blues and joining Nottingham Forest for just £3m two years ago.
The move would allow the winger to thrive in the Premier League once again, registering eight goals and two assists in his debut campaign in the East Midlands – leading to talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbing him as “superb”.
He’s once again continued his stellar form during this campaign, scoring the only goal in the Reds’ victory against Liverpool at Anfield, remaining as the only side to defeat Arne Slot’s side in the league.
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27
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59
As a result of his displays, Forest have valued the forward at £40m, an increase of 1235% from the fee the Blues sold him for less than two years ago, subsequently seeing him worth more than Mudryk, who’s now valued at just £25m by Transfermarkt.
Given the re-emergence of Hudson-Odoi, the decision to allow him to leave for such a minimal fee is now one that looks to be a huge mistake, potentially offloading a player who could have played a vital role under Maresca.
Mudyrk has ultimately failed to match the expectations of his big-money transfer fee, with the hierarchy now facing a similar situation in taking the risk of offloading the Ukrainian and suffering a repeat of Hudson-Odoi.
Chelsea already have their next Kante in "magnificent" 20-year-old prodigy
The new N’Golo Kante could be set to emerge at Chelsea.
It’s not clear which formats he would be in charge of, with S Sriram understood to be at the helm of the T20I side
Mohammad Isam31-Jan-2023Chandika Hathurusingha has returned to the Bangladesh men’s national team as its head coach.Not long after Cricket New South Wales confirmed that Hathurusingha had parted ways with them, the BCB announced a two-year deal starting next month. It has, however, not been confirmed which formats Hathurusingha would be in charge of, with S Sriram also around and at the helm of the T20I side.ESPNcricinfo understands that discussions about the roadmap between Sriram and the BCB in Dhaka earlier this month didn’t provide clear answers. But the board had said in December last year that it wants Sriram to be the long-term T20I head coach. If that remains true, Hathurusingha might only be connected with the Test and ODI sides.Related
Hathurusingha: 'No tension' between senior Bangladesh players and me
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“It’s an honour to have been given this opportunity to coach the Bangladesh national team once again,” Hathurusingha said in a statement. “I really loved the warmth of the people and the culture of Bangladesh. I’m looking forward to working with the players once again and enjoying their successes.”This is 54-year-old Hathurusingha’s second stint with Bangladesh after he had served as the head coach from 2014 to 2017. That included Bangladesh’s famous ODI series-winning streak at home, that included beating Pakistan, India and South Africa in consecutive months. Under Hathurusingha, the team also made the knockout stages of ICC events at the ODI World Cup in 2015 and the Champions Trophy in 2017, and also recorded their first Test wins against England, Australia and Sri Lanka.BCB: Hathurusingha ‘a proven tactician’During Hathurusingha’s time with the team, Bangladesh had a 40.20% success rate in 102 matches across formats. For the record, that’s lower than what his successors – and now predecessors – Steve Rhodes (51.11) and Russell Domingo (42.34) achieved.”Chandika’s experience and knowledge of Bangladesh cricket will be an advantage for him and will benefit the players,” BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said. “He is a proven tactician and we have seen his impact on the national team during his first assignment.”Following his time with Bangladesh, Hathurusingha went back to Sri Lanka, his home country, and took charge as the head coach of the national men’s team there, before moving to New South Wales in July 2020.
Two clubs have made a move to sign a £2.5 million Celtic player who the Hoops don’t want to sell this month, according to a Sky Sports reporter.
Celtic transfer news
The Hoops will be looking to continue their assault on the Scottish Premiership and the Champions League in the second half of the season. Therefore, Brendan Rodgers may want to make a few changes to his squad this month to improve their chances of success.
Celtic closing in on agreement for "great" goalkeeper to rival Schmeichel
He could be allowed to leave his current club.
2 ByTom Cunningham Jan 4, 2025
The Scottish champions look to be closing in on the signing of defender Kieran Tierney. It has been reported by Fabrizio Romano that negotiations have now begun in terms of Celtic re-signing Tierney. The left-back is out of contract at the end of this season, but talks are underway for an agreement to be reached this month, with Tierney keen on a move back to Celtic Park.
As well as looking to sign Tierney this month, it has also been reported that Celtic are closing in on the signing of Altay Bayindir from Manchester United. The Turkish international is currently the second-choice goalkeeper at Old Trafford, behind Andre Onana, and with him keen on playing more minutes, a move could be on the cards this month, as United look to freshen up their goalkeeper department and Celtic look to replace the ageing Kasper Schmeichel.
Two clubs move to sign £3.5m Celtic player
As Rodgers and co have their eyes on arrivals, they may also have to be prepared for one or two departures, as according to Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph, Genoa and Olympiacos have expressed an interest in Celtic winger Luis Palma.
The 24-year-old joined the Hoops in August 2023 for a reported £3.5 million, and it was an impressive first season at the club for the Honduras international, as he scored six goals and registered nine assists in 24 Scottish Premiership games.
Palma, who can operate anywhere across the frontline, has struggled to have the same impact in this 2024/25 season, as he’s hardly featured under Rodgers. Palma has started just two of the eight games he has played in all competitions, starting just one game in the league, and that came against Dundee in October.
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Joseph now reports that Genoa and Olympiacos have made a move to sign Palma from Celtic this month. Palma is under contract until the summer of 2028, and with that, the Hoops are not interested in letting the forward leave, especially as James Forrest is still out with an injury. The Scottish champions are in the market for a new winger, and should one arrive, that may change their stance on Palma.