The promotion of Rehan Ahmed to the Test squad might have seemed a bit last-minute. But a day after Ahmed was informed by head coach Brendon McCullum of his selection for the tour of Pakistan, men’s director of cricket Rob Key revealed that that had been the plan all along.A 15-man Test squad was picked in October without Ahmed’s name, which instead appeared in the Lions squad. A training camp in Dubai, and involvement in the ongoing warm-up match in Abu Dhabi between the Test squad and the Lions, was to be followed by a secondment on the Test tour to continue his development.And while that would not necessarily have prevented Ahmed from being selected, particularly under captain Ben Stokes whose tenure has involved changing the way things used to be done, the fact that his call-up has been made official in this manner, a week out from the first Test, is due to careful, necessary planning.”The plan for Rehan was that we always looked to bring him into the squad,” Key said in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. “This is the best way to aid his development. He is a serious talent, but he might be four or five years off being the finished product. He is nowhere near the finished article at the moment.”But we just hope that being involved with the Test squad, with McCullum and Stokes and the mentality they have … bowling at Joe Root. He becomes a full member of that squad, he’s not just a net bowler. If needed, we believe he can play and do a good job for us with bat and ball. It’s a chance to put him on a path that will get the best out of him.”Credit to the Test set-up, we feel that is the best group of people to aid his development and get him to where we think he can be quicker, by being involved with not just the captain or Brendon, but every one of those players has a part to play in his development.”Having sent down eight wicketless overs for 73 runs as the Test “XI” racked up 501 for seven on day one of this mooted three-day tune-up at the Tolerance Oval, Ahmed helped provide the exclamation mark of the Lions’ reply. His brisk 26 off 10 deliveries included three fours and two sixes, both off Liam Livingstone, who responded in the same over by feigning a run-out at the non-striker’s end, before eventually bringing about his end by more conventional means. It meant that the Lions closed day two on 411 for nine. Haseeb Hameed’s composed 145 and 82 from fellow opener Tom Haines provided the guts of the innings.Ahmed’s innings – bold, care-free, very much what you’d expect from an 18-year-old teeming with confidence – can perhaps be extrapolated to the impression he has made on McCullum, who was understood to be reticent about selecting Ahmed before he had seen or fully interacted with him. He has evidently been impressed over the last 48 hours.Nevertheless, the duty of care towards a kid with just three first-class appearances for Leicestershire, who only turned 18 in August, was always part of the consideration.Rob Key (right) and Brendon McCullum, who has evidently been impressed by Ahmed since his arrival in the UAE•Getty Images

“How we’ve done it, we wanted it to be more of a soft launch, rather than just announcing him in a squad and away you go, with all the media speculation,” Key revealed. “He has been able to come out here, we have had a look at him. Mo Bobat [ECB performance director and head coach of the Lions] knows him very well and has had a big part in his development since being a young kid. Every one of these young players has come through that pathway with Bobat, David Court [Player ID Lead]. They have a good read on these people, they have been in touch with the families and all that stuff. That was the best way we felt we could have that soft launch, so he was around a bit before he finds out he’s been picked in the squad.”There is another, intriguing element to Ahmed. Even with a century and five-wicket haul with the red ball, both picked up in a County Championship match against Derbyshire at the end of the 2022 season, his white-ball game is clearly a little further developed. So much so, that he had offers for franchise cricket this winter. Had the schedules aligned differently, he would have almost certainly played in England’s ODIs in Australia that immediately followed the T20 World Cup, having trained with the limited-overs squad during the summer.Key cedes Ahmed “is going to have decisions going forward in his career and life”, around which colour ball takes his fancy at various points of the year. And he has no qualms in admitting this exposure to Test cricket can sow a sizeable seed in Ahmed’s head.”He arguably could be thinking about franchise cricket but we’ve given him an offer he can’t refuse really – a chance to be involved in Test cricket as the pinnacle. If you can play this form, you can play anything.”That last bit is a principle Key swears by, and forms the basis of his work so far at the head of the English game, as far as on-field matters are concerned. Even from his days in the commentary box with Sky Sports and others, he has long held a view the old and new worlds can sit comfortably together, with a little give and take along the way.Jofra Archer is a more developed example of this. Having made a return to bowling in a match for the first time since July 2021, he will play in the SA20 franchise competition for MI Cape Town. The stint forms part of the gradual build-up of Archer’s workload – he will then move on to the ODI series in South Africa – and is probably the most open indication of co-operation between two entities with differing priorities, at least on the face of it. And, no doubt, it was set in motion following a chat in the summer between Key and Graeme Smith, commissioner of the SA20.Haseeb Hameed made a century for England Lions in Abu Dhabi•ECB Images

“He’s a wildcard pick,” Key said. “You talk to the franchise owners and you come up with a plan so we are aligned. They want the same thing, which is Jofra Archer not getting injured again for a long period of time. It’s handy that he can bowl four overs in two games for them, then go into the 50-over stuff, so he has competitive cricket and a build-up. The way the world works now, you have to work with these teams and all you have to be aligned and want the same thing, to make sure Jofra can play to his potential for as long as he can. The only way it works is if you all work together.”You could extend all this to include the employment of Luke Wright as England selector. Wright will begin his tenure in March 2023, once he fulfils his contractual obligations with Auckland Aces as their performance and talent coach.At 37, and having just retired from a playing career primarily with Sussex across 20 years as a professional, he is wired into the game, both with contacts and his understanding of an ever-evolving ecosystem. He has experience across the world, in a variety of domestic and franchise competitions. Beyond his undoubted personability, Key will lean on his rare nous.Related

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• Mark Wood in doubt for first Test after World Cup hip injury

• Liam Livingstone and Will Jacks in England Test squad for Pakistan tour

• Luke Wright looks the right fit as England selector after career on T20 front lines

• Jofra Archer on return to England action: 'A small day but a big day'

“Things like shaping central contract decisions, all those things he’ll be involved with, and he understands better than I do because he’s played franchise cricket and knows what it’s like to be a player, and the decisions they’ve got to make because these decisions are coming now for the players. They’re not coming in five years’ time. This is coming now. Which franchise do they want to play for? What format do they want to play? Do they want to play in that series or is it going to collide with something else? Luke Wright’s across all of that.”Of course, a lot of this is a very English luxury, be it guaranteed interests in Test cricket from participants and punters, or simply the finances to ring-fence their assets to a point. Key acknowledges all of that, especially at a time when franchise competitions are only growing in number and pull.”We are so lucky in English cricket but our summer doesn’t get decimated by all of these leagues. You can see why Rahul Dravid said how they can’t let their players play in these franchise leagues, because all these leagues would just decimate the Ranji Trophy.”We’re in a very fortunate position but we’ve got to realise that we’ve got to work these people and put ourselves in the player’s shoes and think about ‘what decision would I make here?’ You’ve got to be fair and make sure everyone benefits. As expected, it’s just come quicker than I thought.”

Though there wasn’t much cricket on the fourth day at Headingley, New Zealand’s astonishing scoring rate ensured some interesting numbers

S Rajesh01-Jun-201553.53 BJ Watling’s average in the third innings of a Test match, which is the highest among all New Zealand batsmen who have scored at least 500 runs in the third innings. In 16 innings, Watling has scored three hundreds; among New Zealand batsmen, only Martin Crowe has scored more.4.92 New Zealand’s run rate over the entire Test, which is the highest for any team which has played at least 150 overs in a match. The next-highest is 4.60, by Australia against South Africa in Adelaide in 2012.454 New Zealand’s score in their second innings, which is their second-best in the second innings of an overseas Test. Their best was also in England, 84 years ago, when they made 469 for 9 declared at Lord’s. Four of their six best second-innings totals are in England.6.12 Stuart Broad’s economy rate of the entire Test. He followed his first-innings figures of 5 for 109 from 17.1 overs with second-innings stats of 2 for 94 from 16 overs, leaking 42 runs in three overs on the fourth morning. They are the third-most expensive match figures for an England bowler who’s bowled at least 20 overs in a Test. The most expensive match figures are by his new-ball partner James Anderson, also against New Zealand, in Napier in 2008: in 24 overs, he returned figures of 1 for 153.1-9 Win-loss record at Headingley when teams have been set a fourth-innings target of 300 or more, since 1950. The only successful chase was by England against Australia in 2001, when Mark Butcher’s unbeaten 173 helped them chase down a target of 315 for the loss of just four wickets. By then, though, Australia had already wrapped up the series by winning the first three Tests. The only other successful chase of a 300-plus target was by Australia in 1948, when they made 404 for 3, with big hundreds for Arthur Morris and Don Bradman.3 Number of times England have survived more than 100 overs in the fourth innings at Headingley. The most recent instance was last year against Sri Lanka, when they batted for 116.5 overs to score 249, only to lose the Test by 100 runs with two balls remaining. The most they’ve batted in the fourth innings here is 142.1 overs, against South Africa in 1955.1-3 England’s win-loss record in their last five Tests at Headingley: they’ve lost to Sri Lanka, Australia and South Africa, but beat New Zealand by 247 runs in 2013.

Plays of the day from the World T20 game between South Africa and Afghanistan in Mumbai

Firdose Moonda20-Mar-2016The one-handed maximumSouth Africa dazzled with an array of boundaries in the first six overs but the most eye-catching one came when Faf du Plessis took on Mohammad Nabi. The offspinner dropped one short, du Plessis gave himself room by stepping outside leg stump, went deep into his crease, took his top hand off the handle of his bat and carved the ball over cover using just one hand.The mix-up Quinton de Kock knew Faf du Plessis had his dancing shoes on, so when du Plessis jabbed Amir Hamza into the covers, de Kock thought a quick run was on. Then de Kock saw Mohammad Nabi swooping in and realised it was too risky so he turned back. At the other end, du Plessis had already responded but soon saw it was wiser to turn back. He was late to undo his steps and Nabi’s throw came in quickly for Mohammad Shahzad to catch the South African captain short of his ground.The drop AB de Villiers had just started to threaten when he offered Afghanistan a chance. He sent a Samiullah Shenwari delivery straight back to him. Shenwari had to react quickly in his follow through and got his hands up in time but then it all became too much. He could not hold on as the ball burst through his hands and de Villiers got his 27th run. He would go on to score 37 more.The placementHis ability to hit the ball anywhere he wants had already been on display but to further emphasise the point, AB de Villiers bisected the gap between the stands in the middle of his assault on Rashid Khan. After hitting him through midwicket twice and straight down the ground, de Villiers smeared a short ball straight into the daylight that peeped through a gap in the stand at midwicket. That also brought up fifty for him, off 24 balls.The poser Mohammad Shahzad probably knows he is not model material but that did not stop him from striking a pose after a perfect lofted drive. As the Kyle Abbott delivery was sent cleanly over long-on, Shahzad held his stance: head down, bat straight, elbows high. And there he stood.The misfield Faf du Plessis had specifically asked for discipline from his attack but he may need to extend that to include his fielders. Mohammad Nabi sliced David Wiese to short third man, where Imran Tahir was stationed. Tahir failed to move quickly enough to his left and by the time he got there, the bounce had the better of him. Tahir could not even get a hand to the ball as it disappeared past his legs and onto the boundary. Wiese’s figures were already mangled, but that didn’t help.

da betano casino： One thing that Glasgow Rangers have lacked in recent years is a midfielder who can control games from deep and dictate play, especially during Old Firm clashes.

da roleta： Far too often since the Light Blues’ last Premiership title win, the club have been overrun in the big games against Celtic, with Callum McGregor doing much of the heavy lifting in leading his team to victory more often than not.

It is no surprise that, since the 2020/21 campaign, the Ibrox side have managed to win just two Old Firm matches in the league and something needs to change in these games if Clement aims to finally get the better of the Parkhead side.

The current midfield, which tends to feature two of either Nicolas Raskin, Mohamed Diomande or Connor Barron, has shown glimpses of their talents throughout the 2024/25 season. The question is, can they now dominate a game against Celtic in the Premiership?

If only Clement could call upon the services of a player who enjoyed two wonderful spells at Rangers. One that had the guile and ability to control games against Celtic regularly – Steven Davis.

Steven Davis’ Rangers statistics

The Northern Irishman first made the move to Glasgow midway through the 2007/08 season, arriving on a six-month loan in a bid to help Walter Smith’s side challenge on four fronts.

He scored against Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup last-16 clash, which powered the Gers to an impressive 2-0 win over the Germans, and he ended up with League Cup and Scottish Cup winners’ medals by the end of the season.

Smith splashed out £3m to sign him permanently in August 2008, and it soon proved to be money well spent.

Over the next three seasons, the Light Blues would win three domestic titles, along with a handful of cups as Smith built another excellent Rangers side.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Davis made 143 appearances in all competitions between 2008/09 and 2010/11, becoming a key player in the heart of the midfield. Due to the club entering administration in 2012, he left to join Southampton and the fans would have to wait another seven years to see him again.

In a similar scenario to 2008, Steven Gerrard signed Davis on loan in January 2019 before his deal was made permanent that summer and the midfielder enjoyed an Indian summer at the club over the next couple of years.

Steven Davis’ statistics at Rangers

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2022/23

16

2

0

2021/22

33

1

1

2020/21

49

2

3

2019/20

43

1

3

2018/19

18

0

3

2011/12

39

5

14

2010/11

53

5

12

2009/10

50

4

16

2008/09

40

6

12

2007/08

25

1

6

Via Transfermarkt

He added another league title and Scottish Cup to his collection, while helping the Gers reach another European final, 14 years after first achieving the feat.

Across his two spells at the club, Davis won 17 of his 35 games against Celtic, tasting defeat just 12 times and during his second spell, he was a regular tormentor in the heart of the midfield.

The club haven’t quite had a midfielder like him since he was forced to retire in January 2024 after suffering a serious knee injury in December 2022.

Could Clement be targeting a move for a Northern Irish midfielder next month who could perhaps finally be the next Davis for the Light Blues?

Rangers transfer news

As reported by Belgian outlet Walfoot earlier this month, Rangers are showing interest in Standard Liege midfielder Isaac Price ahead of making a potential move for the player when the winter window opens in a few days.

He could cost around £3m if Clement is serious about bolstering his midfield, although he may have to sell a player or two to raise the funds required.

It is evident that the manager needs to add some quality to his team and get rid of the deadwood. A move for Price makes perfect sense in this regard. Aged just 21, he is only going to improve, and could form a wonderful partnership with Diomande in the midfield.

What Isaac Price could bring to Rangers

This season, Diomande has tended to operate either at the base of the midfield alongside Raskin or Barron, or in an advanced role just behind the striker.

It is in the latter position where the Ivorian has proved decisive in the final third. Indeed, two of his three goals scored this season have come while playing as a number ten.

Domestically, Diomande has created three big chances, averages one key pass per game and succeeds with 62% of his dribble attempts, suggesting that a more advanced role certainly suits his attributes.

This could see Price come into the team and operate at the heart of the midfield, allowing him to link up well with the Ivorian gem. Price has made 21 appearances for the Belgian side this season and has shone across a wide range of performance metrics.

Showcasing his attacking talents, Price has created four big chances, averaging 1.1 key passes per game and succeeds with 0.5 dribbles each match in the Belgian Pro League this season.

Defensively, the midfielder recovers 4.5 balls, makes two tackles per game and wins 4.9 of his total duels per game, indicating how effective he is when his side doesn’t have the ball.

Having started his career at Everton and going on to play for the club in the Premier League, Price shouldn’t be fazed by making the move to Rangers, that’s for sure.

Former Everton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic once heaped praise on the young midfielder, saying:

Moving abroad has allowed him to improve as a player and this could stand him in good stead over the next few years.

Davis was a wonderful player for the Light Blues. Could his compatriot Price follow in his footsteps?

Only time will tell.

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Posts ByRoss Kilvington Dec 28, 2024

He is set to move to England to become the performance director at Warwickshire

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Mar-2023

File picture: Gavin Larsen served as a Cricket Operations Manager for New Zealand during the 2015 World Cup•Getty Images

Gavin Larsen has decided to step down as New Zealand selector after almost eight years in the job. The former New Zealand seamer will now move to England along with his wife Karen to take up the role of performance director at Warwickshire, subject to a visa approval. He is set to replace Paul Farbrace, who had left his job as sporting director at Warwickshire in October last year.Under Larsen, who took up the selector’s role in 2015, New Zealand enjoyed tremendous success across formats, including reaching the finals of the 2019 50-over World Cup and 2021 T20 World Cup, and winning the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021.”The past seven-and-a-half years have just flown by and I’ve relished and enjoyed every minute of it,” Larsen said in an NZC media release.”The discussions and deliberations have always been robust and challenging but my enduring memory will always be the quality of the people I’ve worked with – from high performance right through to the administration.”Larsen will be overseeing both the men’s and women’s high performance programmes at Warwickshire.”WCCC is a club with an amazing history and tradition and I’m looking forward to joining the team and helping to drive the club’s ongoing success,” Larsen said. “I have a number of great memories of playing at Edgbaston during my New Zealand playing days and the atmosphere was simply terrific.”NZC’s GM High Performance Bryan Stronach spoke highly of Larsen’s contribution to New Zealand cricket as a selector.”Gavin was part of a support team that made a key contribution to arguably the most successful period in the history of the New Zealand men’s team,” Stronach said.”His appointment at Edgbaston reflects the respect in which he’s held around the cricketing world.”Stronach added that the process to find a new selector will begin in due course.

وصف جابري فيجا، لاعب فريق بورتو، ما حدث في مباراة الأهلي فجر يوم الثلاثاء، في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، نسخة 2025، بـ”الجنون”.

وتلاقى الفريقان في خضم منافسات الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة من دور مجموعات كأس العالم للأندية، لحساب المجموعة الأولى.

وشهدت المباراة غزارة تهديفية من كلا الفريقين، حيث تعادلا بأربعة أهداف لمثلها، ولكنهم ودعا البطولة سويًا.

وقال فيجا، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “أبولا” البرتغالية: “أعتقد أننا أولًا وقبل كل شيء بذلنا قصارى جهدنا على أرض الملعب، ولكن الأمور لم تسر كما أردنا في تلك البطولة”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تحديد أول مواجهتين في دور الـ16 من كأس العالم للأندية

وأضاف: “كنا قريبين، ولكن الظروف في المباراة الأخرى (إنتر ميامي وبالميراس) لم تسر على ما يرام بالنسبة لنا، هذه هي كرة القدم”.

وواصل: “كانت مباراتنا ضد الأهلي عبارة عن أخذ وعطاء، في النهاية مع الكثير من الأهداف ذهبنا إلى حد الجنون، مع الكثير من الهجمات المرتدة والتنقلات، افتقرنا إلى الهدوء”.

وأردف: “في الشوط الثاني أردنا أن نحقق ما نرغب به (التأهل) ولكننا لم نتمكن من ذلك، كنا متفوقين عندما كانت النتيجة 3/3، وبعد ذلك شعرنا بالسوء، نحن نشعر بحالة من الحزن”.

Liverpool are flying this season. Arne Slot’s side have been the best side in the Premier League, sitting top of the table 15 games into his first campaign in charge at Anfield. It is fair to say that the transition from legendary manager Jurgen Klopp to new boss Slot has been seamless.

Statistically, they have been fantastic. As per Understat, Liverpool have the second-highest number of expected goals, with 33.91, slightly more than they have scored. They also have an excellent expected goals against record, with 14.63; incredibly, they are outperforming that stat, having conceded just 11 Premier League goals, the best in the league.

As well as the team is performing, however, one of their star players, Darwin Nunez is not having his best season.

Nunez’s stats in 2024/25

It has been a tough campaign so far for the Uruguayan striker. Nunez came with a huge weight of expectation on his shoulders, given the fee Liverpool paid for him. He cost an initial £64m to prise from Benfica, but it was a deal that could rise as high as £85m including add-ons.

Nunez has, in essence, underwhelmed at Anfield so far. He has played 115 games for the club, but has found the back of the net on just 32 different occasions and has 19 assists to his name, a total of 0.44 goals and assists per game.

It seemed like he was finding form last season. Nunez had 11 goals and eight assists in 36 Premier League games. However, he has been poor under Slot, with three goals and two assists in 19 games across all competitions.

There will surely be concern amongst Liverpool’s backroom staff at the form of their number nine. Their other attackers are not finding goals hard to come by; Mohamed Salah has 16 to his name, Luis Diaz has nine goals and Cody Gakpo has scored eight times.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

With the Reds needing a better contribution from their strikers, they could well look to bring in a new centre-forward to enhance the quality of their forward line. They have been linked with a deadly striker in recent weeks.

Liverpool's search for a striker

The player in question here is Sporting centre-forward Viktor Gyokeres. According to a report from Florian Plettenberg in November, Liverpool are “currently in the race” to sign the Sweden international.

They are competing with the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea for his signature, and the striker could cost around £57m.

There is no doubt that, from a goals point of view, Gyokeres would be an upgrade on Nunez. He has been phenomenal this term, with 25 goals and four assists in just 23 games across all competitions. He has also scored over 50 goals in 2024. It has been a year of seismic proportion for the Sporting man.

Interestingly, a statistical comparison can be drawn between Gyokeres and Liverpool legend Luis Suarez, as per FBref. Now 37, the former Barcelona star plies his trade in the MLS for Inter Miami. He scored 82 goals in 133 games for the Merseysiders, and those are numbers the Sweden striker would be hoping to hit.

According to FBref, the former Liverpool talisman averaged 0.94 goals per game last season, with Sporting striker Gyokeres impressively exceeding that number, with 1.33. Not only that, he has a better expected goals tally than Suarez, with 1.09 compared to 0.63 for the Uruguayan.

It is perhaps worth mentioning Nunez’s stats in relation to those numbers, too. In 2024/25, the Reds number nine has so far averaged 0.29 goals per game and an expected goals per game of just 0.3

Gyokeres (2024/25)

Suarez (2024)

Nunez (2024/25)

1.33

0.94

0.29

1.09xG

0.63xG

0.3xG

1.56

2.21

1.01

0.5

0.43

0.29

5.77

3.56

2.31

1.01

0.94

0.29

Ultimately, signing Gyokeres would bring goals to a Liverpool side who currently lack a clinical centre forward. As the stats show, he would certainly be a massive upgrade on Nunez in front of goal.

Gyokeres can be a “game changer” for the Reds, as football statistician Statman Dave described him. The Swede could be exactly who Liverpool need to keep their excellent momentum going.

Saved by Salah: Slot must axe 5/10 Liverpool ace who had just 50% pass rate

The Liverpool man was saved by Salah’s penalty

ByJoe Nuttall Dec 11, 2024

West Ham United chiefs have reportedly commenced early negotiations over the permanent signing of a “complete” player for 2025, with technical director Tim Steidten and the recruitment team attempting to lay early groundwork.

West Ham face Brighton as Julen Lopetegui attempts to spark winning run

On the field, manager Julen Lopetegui is currently preparing his side to face-off against Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton at the London Stadium this afternoon – as the Spaniard looks to build upon their win over Wolves and draw at Bournemouth.

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The Seagulls travel to London without a win in their last four Premier League games, so there is an opportunity for the home side to take advantage of their shift in form right now, but Lopetegui has urged outsiders not to underestimate Brighton.

“Brighton are a very good team, with very good players, a good coach and good ideas,” said Lopetegui on Brighton.

“They have carried on with similar ideas over a number of years, despite the fact they have had a few different coaches. So, we have to be ready tomorrow to have a good answer to the demands in the match. Every game in the Premier League is hard, and we don’t prepare for any to be tougher than others, and in the same way we see each fixture as an opportunity.

Match

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

#18

16/12/2024

Bournemouth (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#17

09/12/2024

Wolves (H)

Premier League

2-1 win

#16

03/12/2024

Leicester City (A)

Premier League

3-1 loss

#15

30/11/2024

Arsenal (H)

Premier League

5-2 loss

#14

26/11/2024

Newcastle United (A)

Premier League

2-0 win

#13

09/11/2024

Everton (H)

Premier League

0-0 draw

#12

02/11/2024

Nottingham Forest (A)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#11

27/10/2024

Man United (H)

Premier League

2-1 win

#10

19/10/2024

Tottenham (A)

Premier League

4-1 loss

“I’m always looking to overcome an opponent, and in this case we know they are a very good opponent. But, we have to put the focus on ourselves, and be ready to play a good match tomorrow.

“They have a good record [at London Stadium], but I don’t believe a lot in the statistics. Each match is different, and tomorrow is another opportunity and another challenge. We have to think about tomorrow, rather than looking back at the past.”

Lopetegui has demoted West Ham summer signing Guido Rodriguez in the build up to this clash, but one player who’s emerging as much more of a key man in his starting eleven is fellow new arrival Carlos Soler.

West Ham hold initial talks to sign Carlos Soler permanently

The Spaniard joined West Ham on a season-long loan deal from PSG, including an option to buy for around £17 million.

Soler has started their five league matches and is beginning to find his feet, impressing in that period, and an English source has told Le Parisien that West Ham are “delighted” by the 27-year-old’s rise to the occasion.

The French news outlet also reports that West Ham have started “first discussions” over signing Soler on a permanent basis, and they’ve planned meetings to advance the topic of his long-term future in east London.

PSG would also be happy to accept a figure in and around the initial £14 million (plus £3m in add-ons) for Soler to join West Ham indefinitely, so it appears Luis Enrique’s side are open to altering the buy-option clause so Steidten can strike an outright deal for the “complete midfielder”.

Former South Africa captain, aged 29, will still continue to play in T20 leagues

Firdose Moonda16-Mar-2023Dane van Niekerk, South Africa’s former captain, has confirmed her retirement from all forms of international cricket, but will continue to play in T20 leagues. As reported by ESPNcricinfo last week, she was set to hang up her boots amid uncertainty of whether she would get a new national contract. At the time, she had yet to discuss the situation with Cricket South Africa. She has since communicated with them through her agent to confirm that she is walking away.Van Niekerk, 29, has not played international cricket since September 2021. “It is with great sadness that I announce my retirement from international cricket,” she said in a statement issued by CSA. “It has been the greatest honour to lead and represent my country. I am incredibly blessed to have led the team through its transformative years. There is no doubt that the women’s game is in an exciting space and looking forward to seeing this beautiful game that I love grow”I look back on my career fondly and have made incredible memories and want to thank Cricket South Africa and all other stakeholders for your support. Often the journey can be lonely, painful, and emotional, but would not change it for anything. I’m grateful for what this game has given me.”It’s the last part of van Niekerk’s career that reflected the emotions she mentioned after she was struck down by a lower back injury that ruled her out of cricket for most of 2020. Then she broke her ankle while trying to prepare for the 2022 fifty-over World Cup. Van Niekerk was out of the game for more than a year and attempted a comeback for the recently completed home T20 World Cup but could not make the side after failing the two-kilometre time trial benchmark of 9:30. She fell short by 18 seconds, running on a treadmill, and described herself as “absolutely broken,” by her omission.Sune Luus was confirmed as van Niekerk’s permanent successor ahead of the tournament and led South Africa to a historic first-ever World Cup final.Van Niekerk was at the tournament in a commentary role and was picked up at the WPL auction by Royal Challengers Bangalore. She left the World Cup early to train with the team but has not played a game for her new franchise. Instead, she has been spotted supporting her wife, Marizanne Kapp, at Delhi Capitals games.