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Arsenal could be set to add another midfield general to their ranks, following on from the expected capture of their top target.

What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Arsenal?

That's according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter to issue an update on the Gunners' pursuit of Romeo Lavia.

Having been relegated with Southampton, the young star showed more than enough in his first year in senior football to merit widespread interest.

With the Premier League runners-up one of the teams interested, the Italian journalist expanded upon this:

"Understand Arsenal are advancing in talks to sign Roméo Lavia. Negotiations ongoing with Southampton and player’s camp, still no official bid."

Manchester City, his former club, do retain a £40m buy-back clause which would expire should he make the switch to north London.

Would Romeo Lavia be a success at Arsenal?

The 19-year-old "diamond" – as dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig – may have suffered the drop in just his first campaign in the top flight, but many would argue that his performances did not deserve such a fate.

He was the ever-present heartbeat of a struggling Saints side, forming a fine partnership with James Ward-Prowse in the engine room.

His workmanlike exploits allowed the English maestro to push on and shine in a more advanced role, and in the end, the 28-year-old recorded 16 goal contributions with Lavia as the catalyst for such success.

Should the £25k-per-week Belgian now opt to move to the Emirates, he could once again strike up a similar partnership if Mikel Arteta manages to get his hands on Declan Rice too.

After all, recording 1.1 interceptions and 2.1 tackles per game in the league offer this defensive foundation, whilst Lavia marries this with an 86% pass accuracy and 68% dribble success rate too, via Sofascore.

He is as press resistant as he is solid, and is only set to grow with age too. This makes for a scary prospect, given that journalist, Benjy Nurick already views him as a "monster".

He could soon be one of the best defensive midfielders in the division, which could allow West Ham United's captain to flourish into a true creative threat too, something Ward-Prowse was able to do for the Saints despite their relegation.

The West Ham skipper did manage to record four goals and two assists last term, alongside his 2.1 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and one key pass per game in the league, via Sofascore.

It is the former figures that Arteta will be keen to help stand out, given he is set to lose the 14 goal contributions that Granit Xhaka offered with his expected exit.

To think that Rice did all this beside Tomas Soucek, with someone like Lavia in his place and the qualities of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and more to supplement him, this midfield hero could soon be set to explode into an imperative cog that helps to topple Pep Guardiola's current monopoly on English football.

Offspinner Morna Nielsen, pacer Hannah Rowe and batsman Samantha Curtis, who were in the squad for the home series against Pakistan, have been left out

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2017Legspinner Erin Bermingham and offspinner Leigh Kasperek have returned to the New Zealand women’s limited-overs squads for the upcoming home and away series against Australia women, after recovering from their injuries. Maddy Green, who missed the home series against Pakistan women in November, has also been included for the ODIs and T20 internationals.Bermingham had missed the series against Pakistan due to a fractured thumb, while a fracture of the right index finger in October had sidelined Kasperek for eight weeks.Offspinner Morna Nielsen, pacer Hannah Rowe and batsman Samantha Curtis, who were in the squad for the Pakistan series, have been left out, although coach Haidee Tiffen stated that all three players will remain in contention for spots in the Women’s World Cup squad. New Zealand have already confirmed their place in the competition, which will be held in June-July in England.Tiffen said hard choices had to be made while selecting the squads, highlighting the depth and competition for spots in the side. She said the selections were based on the performance of the players in New Zealand’s own domestic tournaments and the Women’s Big Bash League, which featured players like Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu and Rachel Priest.”Good players have missed out because the competition for spots in our world-class side is now more intense than ever,” Tiffen said. “We have improved depth, so we have hard choices to make – and that is exactly the situation we want to be in building up to the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017.”We have seen some very special performances – from Amy Satterthwaite’s hat-trick to Sophie Devine’s fastest century, and it’s been an added bonus for us having two White Ferns in Suzie Bates and Rachel Priest captaining WBBL teams in high-intensity T20 cricket.”I’ve watched every single delivery of the WBBL and it’s been a timely insight. It has provided a litmus test for a number of our players against Australia’s top cricketers whom we will be facing very soon in both the T20 and one-day international formats.”New Zealand will travel to Australia for three T20Is, which will be played between February 17 and 22 in Melbourne, South Geelong and Adelaide. Australia will then visit New Zealand for three ODIs, which will be played in Mount Maunganui between February 26 and March 5.New Zealand women’s ODI squad: Suzie Bates (capt), Erin Bermingham, Sophie Devine, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Katey Martin, Thamsyn Newton, Katie Perkins, Liz Perry, Rachel Priest, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea TahuhuNew Zealand women’s T20I squad: Suzie Bates (capt), Erin Bermingham, Sophie Devine, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Leigh Kasperek, Katey Martin, Thamsyn Newton, Katie Perkins, Liz Perry, Rachel Priest, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Turning up on a Sunday morning, maybe a bit worse for wear – at least that’s the excuse you give – before putting in a performance worthy of the Hall of Shame.We’re talking ball rolling under your foot bad, open goal misses kind of bad. The type of performances that really make you think, is this it? Is it time to bring an illustrious career of games on what we somehow call football pitches to an end? The answer, by the way, is definitely a yes. Hang those 20-year-old boots up.If only professional footballers could forget about a disasterclass so easily. Instead, their mistakes are thrown into compilations, to be forever remembered, and eventually thrown into lists such as this.With that said, after fans took to Twitter to name the worst performances in Premier League history, we at Football FanCast have ranked them.

5 Dejan Lovren vs Tottenham Hotspur, 2017

Ironically, without this performance from Dejan Lovren, Liverpool may not have gone on to win every trophy possible in club football in the six years that followed. This October day to forget was the final straw for Jurgen Klopp, who welcomed Virgil van Dijk in January. And the rest is history.

Nonetheless, the performance still deserves a place on this list after the defender was at fault for two of Tottenham Hotspur’s first goals, before being hooked in the 31st minute.

4 Romelu Lukaku vs Crystal Palace, 2022

You have to feel for Romelu Lukaku here, in a way. He started life back at Chelsea so well, practically bullying Arsenal on his debut, finding the back of the net as the Blues won 2-0.

It went downhill from there, however, culminating in an embarrassing afternoon for the Belgian against Crystal Palace, as he touched the ball just seven times – a Premier League record – as Chelsea avoided a narrow escape to seal all three points.

His time at Stamford Bridge is summed up by that game.

3 Tiemoue Bakayoko vs Watford, 2018

When Tiemoue Bakayoko first joined Chelsea, the immediate partnership that he formed with N’Golo Kante was one of the best in the Premier League as the London club won the league title under Antonio Conte.

That was as good as it got for the Frenchman, though, in a short peak of form in England’s top flight.

The midfielder’s display against Watford in 2018 was the nail in the coffin, as the Hornets smashed Chelsea 4-1 after Bakayoko was sent off just 30 minutes in, having looked way off the pace throughout.

Here’s a brilliant Twitter compilation showing just had bad he was:

2 Steven Gerrard vs Manchester United, 2015

When Brendan Rodgers benched Steven Gerrard against Manchester United back in 2015, he would have done so with the thought in the back of his mind of lighting a fire underneath the Liverpool captain.

This would mean that when Rodgers did need to turn to the Reds legend, he would have himself a player ready to turn the game around. Benching Gerrard didn’t just light a fire, however, it lit a raging, destructive inferno.

Indeed, the captain stepped from the bench at half-time, before launching into challengers, and receiving an instant red card just 38 seconds after coming on – the third-fastest dismissal in PL history.

Speaking in his book which was serialised by the Daily Mail, Gerrard said of the incident: As I left the pitch I asked myself: “What have you just done? Are you f****** stupid?”

1 Jonathan Walters vs Chelsea, 2013

You’d have thought it can’t get much worse than scoring two own goals in a Premier League game, but Jonathan Walters somehow took things another level further by then missing a penalty at the other end against Chelsea.

We’re not just talking any penalty miss here, either. No. We’re talking, the ball is likely still travelling high into the sky type of missed penalty. It simply cannot get worse than the game Walters had.

First came the own goals, which, to his credit, were two inch-perfect headers – albeit at the wrong end – to give Chelsea a two-goal advantage. The Blues then went on to score twice more to make it 4-0 against Stoke City, before their top goalscorer for the day had a chance to restore face, only to blast his penalty over the bar.

It doesn’t get any worse than that.

A round-up of the ICC Women’s World Cup qualifier matches in Colombo on February 19, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2017Pakistan Women qualified for the upcoming Women’s World Cup in England despite being demolished by India Women by seven wickets at Colombo’s P Sara Oval. Ekta Bisht’s career-best returns of 5 for 8 in 10 overs toppled Pakistan for 67. India required just 22.3 overs to chase down the target, with seven wickets in hand, and finished the Super Six stage as table toppers.Before Bisht, it was Shikha Pandey, the new-ball bowler, who set the tone for Pakistan’s slide after Mithali Raj decided to bowl under overcast conditions. Pandey removed the in-form Nahida Khan and Javeria Khan for single-digit scores. Pakistan were 30 for 2 after 10 overs when Bisht struck for the first time, off her very first ball, trapping Ayesha Zafar lbw for her 50th ODI scalp. Zafar had made 19.Apart from Zafar, only Bismah Maroof got into double figures before Pakistan folded in the 44th over. Bisht had ample support. Pandey took 2 for 9 from her seven overs, while spinners Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma and Devika Vaidya picked up a wicket apiece.India’s innings began in bright fashion, with a boundary off the very first ball, but they quickly stuttered with Sana Mir and Sadia Yousuf reducing them to 23 for 2. Opening batsman Deepti Sharma then steered the chase with a 42-run third-wicket stand with Kaur, who became Yousuf’s second victim when she was caught by Zafar with just three needed. Five balls later, Veda Krishnamurthy closed out the game with a four off left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu as India’s innings ended the same way it began.Sri Lanka Women also secured their spot in the World Cup after a 42-run win via the Duckworth-Lewis method in their last Super Six tie against Bangladesh Women in a rain-affected tie in Colombo. Chamari Atapattu hit 84 at the top to help Sri Lanka to 197 for 9 in their 50 overs. In reply, Bangladesh, chasing a revised target of 111, could only reach 68 for 5 in their allotted 21 overs.Atapattu walked out with Sri Lanka 39 for 1 in the 11th over and started off with a half-century stand with Hasini Perera. After Perera’s dismissal for 32, the onus fell on Atapattu to build Sri Lanka’s innings. Atapattu nearly hung around till the end of the innings, before Salma Khatun took her out in the first ball of the 49th over. Sri Lanka could only collect four runs from the 11 remaining balls as they fell short of the 200-mark.Bangaldesh used seven bowlers, six of whom were among the wickets. Khatun was the pick of the lot, striking thrice and giving away just 18 runs in nine overs.Bangladesh began poorly in the chase, with Udeshika Prabodhani and Inoka Ranaweera reducing them to 25 for 3 in the eighth over. Nigar Sultana (24) and Shaila Sharmin (21) made contributions, but a double strike from Inoshi Priyadharshani in the 15th over hurt Bangladesh and they finished well short of the target.Rain affected proceedings at the Colombo Cricket Ground too where South Africa Women came out on top by 36 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method against Ireland Women. South Africa’s win was set up by a strong bowling performance that helped them bowl out Ireland for 166 in 49.5 overs. South Africa were 82 for 1 in 21 overs in their reply when rain stopped play. South Africa needed to be 47 for 1 at that stage, and with play never resuming, they emerged comfortable winners and secured second spot in the Super Six table.All seven of the bowlers used by South Africa chipped in with wickets as Ireland’s innings never got going. Cecilia Joyce struck 29 at the top of the order. Isobel Joyce and Gaby Lewis got off to starts with knocks of 30 and 21 respectively, but most of the rest largely failed to impress. That Ireland got to 166 was down to wicketkeeper Mary Waldron’s unbeaten 33 at No. 8, and her last-wicket partnership of 43 with Ciara Metcalfe, who contributed just 10.Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus and Dane van Niekerk took two wickets each for South Africa.Kim Garth snuffed out Lee for 14 in the third over, after which Laura Wolvaardt and Mignon du Preez got together for an unbroken second-wicket stand of 59. When the rain came down, Wolvaardt was unbeaten on 32 and du Preez was not out on 29.The four qualifying teams – India, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan – will be joined by England, Australia, New Zealand and West Indies in the World Cup which begins in June in England.

ESPNcricinfo’s wrap of the fourth day’s play between New South Wales and South Australia in Sydney

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2017
ScorecardIn his first Sheffield Shield game for nearly six years, Pat Cummins finished with match figures of 8 for 104•Getty ImagesNew South Wales cruised to an eight-wicket win on the fourth day of their Sheffield Shield clash against South Australia at the SCG, where they were set a modest target of 100 for victory. The Blues reached their goal with only two wickets down, with Ed Cowan striking a brisk unbeaten 48 to add to his 125 from the first innings, while Kurtis Patterson finished on 33 not out.The chase had started badly for the Blues when Daniel Hughes was bowled by Daniel Worrall from the first ball of the innings, but the Redbacks managed only one further wicket when Nic Maddinson fell for 18 off the bowling of Adam Zampa. South Australia needed more runs on the final morning to set a tougher target, but having resumed on 5 for 228 lost their last five wickets for 82.The key moment was when Tom Cooper, the last of the specialist batsmen, fell in unusual circumstances when he was stumped off the bowling of Trent Copeland. Batting out of his crease, Cooper shouldered arms to a delivery which was pouched by Peter Nevill, standing back; Nevill then threw the ball at the stumps from a distance and Cooper dropped his bat while casually walking back towards his ground.Copeland picked up two wickets on the fourth day, while Pat Cummins also claimed two to finish with innings figures of 4 for 47 and a match analysis of 8 for 104 in his first Sheffield Shield game for nearly six years. English legspinner Mason Crane, playing for New South Wales for the first time, collected 3 for 66 in the second innings to end up with match figures of 5 for 116.

Burnley have been given some good news in their pursuit of Jack Clarke, with reliable journalist Alan Nixon reporting that only the Clarets are bidding for the player despite interest from elsewhere.

How many goals has Jack Clarke scored for Sunderland?

The winger finally managed to get regular first-team football after his move to Sunderland, and played in nearly every single Championship game over the course of last season.

Having struggled to start games with Leeds and then had to make do with loan spells after being snatched up by Tottenham, his permanent switch to the Stadium of Light has led to a lot more minutes. That, in turn, has led to an increased output. Playing 45 times for them in the second tier – the first time he has ever managed more than 25 games in a season – he bagged nine goals and a further eleven assists.

It meant that Clarke led the entire league for assists and he also ranked eighth for his goal contribution tally – and when you consider who else plays in that league and the fact it is his first real season in the first-team, it makes for impressive reading.

Are Burnley signing Jack Clarke?

Those performances have now led to interest from elsewhere, with Burnley keen to take him into the Premier League with them ahead of the next campaign. Everton are amongst the other clubs that have also been linked with a deal for the player but it appears that the Clarets are firmly in pole position – and have a great chance to land the winger.

That's because according to a report from reliable journalist Alan Nixon, Burnley are the only team that are making actual bids to bring Clarke to Turf Moor.

No other interested side – such Crystal Palace, Brentford or the Toffees – have launched a concrete offer and that means Burnley are currently clear to bid as they please for him. They've already seen two bids rejected though – the latest being for £10m – and it appears as though the Black Cats won't budge until there is more on the table for the player.

The forward may only have really bagged regular first-team action for the first time in 2022/23, but he is already drawing high praise from those who have watched him. Football journalist and SAFC supporter Josh Bunting for example stated that Clarke was "excellent" for Sunderland this season because of his goals and consistency.

Burnley then would be a good next step for the player – but as yet, they are yet to convince the Black Cats to part ways with the youngster.

It looks as if Mason Mount may not be the only midfield addition at Manchester United this summer, with the Red Devils reportedly eyeing a move for Southampton sensation, Romeo Lavia.

What's the latest on Lavia to Man United?

According to 90min, the Old Trafford outfit are still seemingly keen on strengthening in the centre of the park despite the recent £60m capture of Mount, with young Lavia said to be among the options being considered by Erik ten Hag.

While the report suggests that the signing of a new striker and goalkeeper remains the 'priority' for the former Ajax boss ahead of next season, a move for a player like the Belgian teenager – who has been valued at around £50m – could also be considered.

This comes amid a similar piece from Manchester Evening News which also revealed that Ten Hag is contemplating whether to make a second midfield signing, with the 19-year-old maestro believed to be being 'monitored' at present.

Who is Romeo Lavia?

The former Manchester City youth star – who made the move to St Mary's on a £14m deal last summer – was arguably one of the breakout stars of the 2022/23 campaign despite his side's eventual relegation, having been tipped to be a "top player" in the future by international colleague, Kevin De Bruyne.

Also regarded as a potential "leader" for his country and for a top Premier League club in the years to come – in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig – Lavia has already made a strong impression during his embryonic senior career, having also earned notable praise from United legend Paul Scholes last season:

"He has got a pass in his locker and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in-front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there."

As has previously been suggested, Ten Hag is believed to view the youngster as a potential successor to experienced Brazilian, Casemiro, in that defensive midfield role at the Theatre of Dreams, with further midfield depth also needed amid the uncertainty surrounding the futures of both Fred and Scott McTominay.

To be able to bring in such a highly-regarded wonderkid could have the adverse effect of harming one of United's own teenage gems, however, in the form of Kobbie Mainoo, with the 18-year-old Englishman potentially set to see his chances of game time hampered as a result of Lavia's possible arrival.

The "exceptional" talent – as described by MEN journalist Steven Railston – enjoyed a handful of outings in Ten Hag's senior set-up last term, with the expectation being that he will earn a permanent promotion to the first-team ranks moving forward.

A midfielder by trade – who operated in a deeper role in front of the back four during the club's glorious FA Youth Cup run in the 2021/22 season – Mainoo may then find that pathway blocked by the addition of Lavia, with it likely that the United boss would be more prone to handing minutes to a £50m, marquee signing, rather than a promising academy talent.

Of course, there may be hope for the Stockport native to ply his trade in a more advanced midfield berth, although the increased competition that would be provided by the Southampton star's arrival could prove to be bad news for his development.

The hosts shocked Pakistan with a record chase in the first ODI and are on the brink of a series win – something they haven’t managed against Pakistan since 1991

The Preview by Danyal Rasool08-Apr-2017Match factsApril 9, 2017
Start time 09:30 local (13:30 GMT)
1:06

‘Need to be even stronger on Sunday’ – Ashley Nurse

Big PictureWest Indies will barely have recovered from the high of a record-breaking win in the first ODI against Pakistan when they go at it again in the second game on Sunday. It had looked every inch the average game you would expect against a depleted West Indies side before lesser-known Jason Mohammed dismantled Pakistan’s fabled fast-bowling attack, sealing a chase of 309 with an over to spare. As a result, they prepare for the second game in the knowledge that they have the opportunity to wrap up a long-awaited series win against a top side.Pakistan’s shock at losing the first ODI was written large across each of their faces, none more so than captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who seemed to run out of ideas and composure in equal measure as Mohammed began his brutal onslaught in the last ten overs. His leadership will be tested right away, as he faces the responsibility of lifting his team after a morale-sapping defeat.There was much scrutiny on the pace of Pakistan’s innings during the middle overs, especially the sluggish way Mohammad Hafeez went about his innings, even though he did make up for it in the closing overs. However, Mickey Arthur also made plain his disappointment at the bowlers not being able to execute their plans at the back end. While there may be plenty of soul-searching for the visitors to do, they don’t have much time to do it.Form guide
West Indies WLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLLW
In the spotlightChadwick Walton was chosen ahead of Kraigg Brathwaite because West Indies coach Stuart Law felt he could take better advantage of the first Powerplay. But Walton’s ODI strike rate of 52.17 and average of 4.80 suggest Law’s faith stems from what he may have seen in practice or domestic cricket. While six ODIs isn’t a large sample size, those numbers are desperately disappointing by any standards, especially for an opener. As such, he may already be feeling the pressure to justify his coach’s faith, particularly if he is to make a case for inclusion in the upcoming Tests, a format where his average reads an even more forlorn 3.25 in four innings.Chadwick Walton is yet to deliver on the expectation of quick runs in the Powerplay for West Indies•AFPNo one splits opinion in Pakistan quite like Wahab Riaz, a true specimen of raw Pakistani fast bowling in all his bouncer-bowling, reverse-swinging, toe-crushing glory. But the other side of the left-armer is becoming impossible to ignore too. He has days – too many to be mentioned in the same breath as true fast bowling greats – when he is wildly inaccurate, struggles to keep his foot the right side of the crease or away from the danger zone down the middle of the pitch. With the criticism growing all the time, Wahab’s career may be at a crossroads and the upcoming months, starting with Sunday, could shape the mercurial cricketer’s future.Team newsThe result on Friday papered over what was a largely insipid performance from West Indies with both bat and ball for much of the contest, but the feel-good factor the win generated might tempt them to stick with the same eleven.West Indies XI (possible): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Chadwick Walton (wk), 3 Kieran Powell, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Jason Mohammad, 6 Jonathan Carter, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Shannon GabrielPakistan have more pressing selection quandaries than the hosts. Hafeez top-scored, but didn’t seem to convince many, even if his contribution with the ball should see him retain his place. Mohammad Amir and Wahab were both poor at the death, and Junaid Khan could get his chance at the expense of one of them.Pakistan XI (possible): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Kamran Akmal, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Junaid KhanPitch and conditionsThe newly-laid surface at the Providence Stadium played much better than its predecessor had established a reputation for. A mockery was made of the wisdom that a low-scoring series was expected, as the ground record for an ODI innings was broken twice in four hours. Going purely off the first game, fans can expect another run-fest. Some cloud cover is expected, but rain is unlikely.Stats and trivia West Indies have not won an ODI series since August 2014, when they beat Bangladesh 3-0 at home. The last time they beat Pakistan in a bilateral ODI series was back in 1991, when Richie Richardson captained them to a 2-0 win against Imran Khan’s Pakistan In his last seven innings in 50-overs cricket, Jason Mohammed has failed to go past fifty only twiceQuotes”The team morale is really good. The boys believe in sticking together and being a family. We have to come back even stronger on Sunday. We can’t rest on the victory. The important thing is to close out the series.”

The season’s best opening pair versus the tournament’s fastest team in the Powerplay. It’s boom or bust in the Eliminator

The Preview by Nikhil Kalro16-May-2017Match factsEliminator, Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kolkata Knight Riders
Bengaluru, May 17, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Head-to-headThis season: Sunrisers and KKR split their games in the group stages. KKR defended 172 at Eden Gardens in the first meeting. David Warner’s response was a sensational 59-ball 126 in Hyderabad.Overall: Sunrisers have won just four of 11 games against KKR. They won the Eliminator last season at the Feroz Shah Kotla, though.Form guide

Sunrisers Hyderabad: beat Lions by eight wickets, beat Mumbai by seven wickets, lost to Rising Pune by 12 runs

Kolkata Knight Riders: lost to Mumbai by 9 runs, lost to Kings XI by 14 runs, beat RCB by six wickets

Big picturePeaking early and losing momentum are results of various factors: fatigue, unavailability of key personnel, morale and even losing tosses. Going into the playoffs, those issues can hinder confidence, one of the most influential traits in professional sport. Sunrisers won six of their first 10 games. KKR won seven in the same period. In eight games since, both teams won three in total.Sunrisers have managed change effectively. Having had to alter their combination and personnel, Sunrisers had reserves – Kane Williamson, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Siraj, Vijay Shankar and Bipul Sharma – who made telling contributions. They may be called on again – Ashish Nehra will play no further part this season with a hamstring injury and Yuvraj Singh will undergo a fitness test on Tuesday evening. Nabi, with a finger injury, is also doubtful.KKR, on the other hand, have not found the right combination for their top order. Opening with Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn has cut Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan’s roles to cameos. The uncontrollables – Chris Woakes and Shakib Al Hasan’s departure for national duty, and Suryakumar Yadav and Nathan Coulter-Nile’s injuries – damaged their balance.Still, plenty has gone right for both teams. Either, or both, of David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan have performed for Sunrisers. Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been potent weapons at any stage of an innings. For KKR, their opening combination has put them ahead of games, leaving their finishers to execute their new roles. Bowlers from both sides have stepped up and delivered too.In T20s, any player can break a game open, but under the pressure of a knockout, who will?The likely XIsSunrisers Hyderabad 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Moises Henriques, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Vijay Shankar, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Naman Ojha (wk), 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Mohammad Siraj, 11 Siddarth KaulKolkata Knight Riders 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Chris Lynn, 3 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 4 Robin Uthappa (wk), 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Ankit RajpootStrategy puntStart with a spin-pace combination against Narine and Lynn. Narine has struggled against short-pitched bowling this season. He has scored 214 runs in 120 balls, but just 18 off 18 short-pitched deliveries and has been dismissed four times. That length may not work against Lynn though; he has scored 77 runs off 28 short balls, a strike rate of 275.Although Lynn hasn’t been terrible against spin, slower bowling could be used to stall him. He has scored 178 runs off 85 balls against pace, but 107 runs off 68 balls against spin. Rashid or Nabi are plausible options against Lynn’s pyrotechnics.Stats that matter Warner and Dhawan have scored 50.07% of Sunrisers’ runs (1072 of 2141). In the previous season, they contributed 53% of the team’s runs. No other team has had two players who contributed even 40%. Narine is the only batsman to have been dismissed four times to short balls this season. Sunrisers’ top-three batsmen have averaged 45.06, the best for any team. KKR have the next-best average with 36.83. KKR’s bowlers have all made significant contributions. Their top two wicket-takers – Chris Woakes (17) and Umesh Yadav (14) – have taken 38.75% of their wickets, the lowest contributions from the top-two bowlers for any team. Kuldeep Yadav has taken seven wickets in the last five overs of an innings – the joint most for a spinner. KKR’s batting power is at the top of their innings. They have scored the most runs in the Powerplay, with an average of 58.74 per game. They have the highest run-rate in the middle overs too – 1079 runs at 8.57 runs per over. They fade away towards the end overs though, scoring just 427 runs at 8.45 runs per over, the least among all teams.

West Ham United's search for a striker has led them to Habib Diallo, with Football Insider reporting that they have firmed up their interest in the 28-year-old.

Who is Habib Diallo?

The forward currently plays his football for Strasbourg in Ligue 1 and has impressed for them in attack over the last three seasons. He has improved year on year in the league for the French outfit, with his goal tallies only increasing with each passing campaign.

In 2022/23 for example, he produced 20 goals and one assist in just 32 starts. That led to an average of 0.66 goals or assists per 90 on average, an impressive return for a club fighting relegation.

Prior to that, he managed totals of eleven and nine goals in Ligue 1 for the club. It means that his overall tally for the side stands at 40 goals in 75 starts for the French outfit – a very solid return.

Before joining up with his current outfit, he was equally as impressive in Ligue 2 for Metz, helping them to earn promotion to the top flight. His 26 goals in the second tier helped them to claim the title and despite having to adapt to a new league upon their promotion in 2019/20, his first season in Ligue 1 saw him hit the back of the net on 12 occasions there.

Are West Ham signing Habib Diallo?

Now, according to a report from Football Insider, the star striker is being lined up for a switch to the Premier League. West Ham have a firm interest in signing him this summer it seems, with David Moyes eager to add another striker to their ranks this transfer window.

Diallo is firmly on the wish list, as Irons chiefs have formally registered their interest with an approach to Strasbourg. It won't be easy for them to get a deal done though, with other top flight clubs interested in the 28-year-old – both Brentford and Crystal Palace also have Diallo on their transfer radar.

Right now, it appears that there is just interest from West Ham rather than a formal offer, but the report claims a mystery unnamed English club has made a bid, so perhaps that could be Moyes and Co.

He's clearly a talented player, with those who have worked with him lavishing praise on his ability – Diallo has been labelled a "reliable" option for Strasbourg by former boss Frederic Antonetti, who also stated after a two-goal game for the French outfit that he was confirming "all the good things everyone thinks of him".

He's highly regarded then as an option in attack and if West Ham want to better their strikeforce, then the 28-year-old could be a solid and proven option for them to add to their squad this summer window. Gianluca Scamacca is expected to leave London this summer, and with Michail Antonio ageing and Danny Ings not always a fit, a move for a player who so consistently hits the back of the net makes perfect sense.