Moeen, who was named Man of the Match, took four wickets in the second innings, including the key scalp of Virat Kohli
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2018England captain Joe Root praised Moeen Ali for the best he has bowled at international level after the offspinner helped secure the series victory against India.Moeen, who was named Man of the Match, took four wickets in the second innings, including the key scalp of Virat Kohli to break a threatening century stand with Ajinkya Rahane, to follow his five-wicket haul on the second day which kept England in the match.It was Moeen’s first Test since he was dropped in New Zealand in March and he also contributed an important 40 to halt England’s first innings collapse, then was promoted to No. 3 in the second innings.”I think today was the best I’ve ever seen him bowl in an England shirt, that’s such a testament of how he’s gone about things and how he’s come back, his strength of character and that strength in depth we have as a squad,” Root said. “A bit of time away from this environment, I’ve spoken to him about that – having a different look at things, going to IPL and coming back performing really well for Worcester must give you a huge amount of confidence.”As Kohli and Rahane forged their stand during the afternoon session – Kohli surviving a very close lbw review when Joel Wilson, the TV umpire, ruled he had got an inside edge – it appeared India were moving into the ascendancy, but Root always retained faith they could break through.”We could be quite defensive with the field, keep the catchers in and trust there’d be one ball in there to turn the game around,” he said. “More than anything it was about keeping the guys calm, which wasn’t too difficult as captain. The way we went about and trusted our process, how we wanted to approach the day was exceptional. If we can take that forward it will stand us in good stead.”
The winger has been dropped to the bench at club level in recent weeks, and so has a point to prove against Sweden at Wembley
For any fan of England’s Lionesses, the Manchester derby was the place to be on March 23. The nation’s biggest names were on show at the Etihad Stadium as more than 40,000 packed in to watch Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp’s Manchester City defeat Mary Earps and Ella Toone’s Manchester United. But the cast for this entertaining affair was missing one big star – Chloe Kelly.
The England winger wasn’t injured, nor was she suspended. Instead, Mary Fowler’s impressive performances in a starting role have relegated Kelly to the bench for City’s last four games. Against United, she was an unused substitute for the first time in the Women’s Super League since May 2018.
"It's just basically we have good players,” head coach Gareth Taylor said afterwards, asked why Kelly has dropped out of his XI. “We put Mary into the FA Cup game, she scores. She scores against Brighton last week. Mary's a very good player. Of course, the demands are really high of what we ask for, in goals and assists from those players, without it being all about that. But Mary has taken her opportunity and now what Chloe has to do is work hard every day in training to be ready.”
Given Kelly has been a near-constant starter in the WSL since leaving Arsenal for Everton back in 2017, it's a new situation for her to be in. But as England duty looms, she has a chance to remind everyone what she is capable of.
Getty‘Good players’
Taylor isn’t wrong when he says City have plenty of good players. Fowler herself has been incredibly unlucky not to get more game time since her arrival in Manchester for that exact reason, something she has backed up with her electric displays over the last few weeks.
Jess Park is another great example, one Taylor pointed to when discussing Kelly. The England youngster had started just three games all season, all in the Continental Cup group stage, before the New Year. But then Jill Roord’s devastating ACL injury opened the door for her to get an opportunity and she has taken it with both hands.
"The levels have to be good, that's the same for all of the players, and I think Jess is probably a case in point with that one,” Taylor said. “Her attitude and her enthusiasm and her level of training performance was very good whether she played or not. I think that's a big plus for her."
AdvertisementGettyOut of form?
A player of Kelly’s calibre is always going to be measured against higher standards, but Taylor’s comments about levels and goals and assists are backed up by the stats. Having come into 2024 in flying form, the England star registered one goal and no assists in the seven games before she was benched for the FA Cup clash with Tottenham a few weeks ago. In the seven games prior to that, she’d scored twice and provided five assists.
It's not that Kelly has been dramatically out of form, at all. She’s still been a creative outlet for City and a threat for whoever the opponent is, such is her wonderful ability. Her numbers are down for most key metrics when you compare the two aforementioned periods, but even in the games leading up to her being dropped from City’s starting XI, she was still creating more than two chances a game, per 90 minute averages.
That said, City have a quality squad and if the standard slips even the slightest bit, there is going to be a fantastic player ready to capitalise. You can’t blame a coach for wanting to change things up when they have the sort of depth at their disposal that Taylor does, either.
Getty ImagesBuilding a response
A bit of time out of the starting XI does not necessarily have to be a terrible thing for Kelly, though. We’re talking about a player who has played constantly for City over the last couple of years and a lot for England as of late, too.
Rest is always beneficial and it could well help her get back to her brilliant best, both in terms of giving her a little break and motivating her to respond to Taylor’s demands. After all, the situation will no doubt give her a bit of fire in her belly.
It’s also worth noting that Kelly is about to enter the final year of her contract in Manchester. With negotiations reportedly put on hold until the end of the season, the next few months are a perfect time for the forward to show that she is worth a bumper deal.
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GettyEngland duty calls
One would imagine Kelly is absolutely itching to pull on that England shirt this week, then. The 26-year-old was a regular starter throughout the Lionesses’ Nations League campaign and will hope to build on that as the qualifying process for the 2025 Women’s Euro begins.
Kelly has had to bide her time to reach this point. She was one of Sarina Wiegman’s super-subs during the Euros in 2022, famously scoring the extra-time winner in the final against Germany, but dropped out of the starting XI during last year’s World Cup when the coach switched to a back three.
However, since then, she has worked her way back into Wiegman’s plans with the help of some strong early-season form with City.
Virat Kohli has returned to lead the side, while fast bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2018Wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant will be in line to make his ODI debut after he was picked in the 14-man squad for the first two matches against West Indies. Virat Kohli was back to lead the side after he missed the Asia Cup, but frontline quick bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah were rested.India squad for the first two ODIs against West Indies•ESPNcricinfo LtdDinesh Karthik was left out of the squad to make way for Pant, and allrounders Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya had not yet recovered from their injuries. While Pandya had injured his lower back in the Asia Cup match against Pakistan to be ruled out of the tournament, Jadhav won India the title with an injured hamstring. Jadhav will come back after the first two ODIs, and Pandya will be fit from the second week of November.Fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who last played an ODI over a year ago, was added to the pace attack. He had played all five Tests in England and the first one against West Indies in Rajkot, after being hampered with injury issues in the first half of the year. He had played the IPL with some niggles and was later dropped for the one-off Test against Afghanistan after failing a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.Fast bowlers Deepak Chahar and Siddarth Kaul, who played one match each in the Asia Cup, were left out while left-arm quick Khaleel Ahmed retained his place. Chahar and Kaul had been injury replacements for Pandya and Shardul Thakur in the Asia Cup. Thakur returned to the squad after recovering and playing a domestic one-day match for Mumbai against Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking 3 for 53 and scoring 30 off 14 balls in the match.With 13 ODIs left for India until the World Cup next year, the chairman of selectors MSK Prasad was keen on testing India’s fast-bowling bench strength.”That’s the reason why we have included Khaleel, Shardul [Thakur] and Shami in this squad now,” he said. “Now we are looking at third and fourth seamers. That’ll be among those people whom we are going to pick from now onwards, which also includes Umesh Yadav.”4:41
Dasgupta: Pant can slot in as a batsman in India side
Axar Patel had also injured himself during the Asia Cup but his place was lost because of Ravindra Jadeja’s successful comeback. The spin attack was retained, with Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal completing the trio.Karthik had played all six matches in the Asia Cup and scored 146 runs at an average of 48.66 but a strike rate of 71.21, only higher than MS Dhoni’s (62.09) among Indian batsmen who batted at least twice in the tournament. Karthik got several starts in the tournament but could not convert them into bigger scores when India lacked solidity in the middle order. He batted mainly at No. 4, but did not make own the position India have been seeking to fill ahead of the 2019 World Cup.”It’s no brainer who is our No. 1 wicketkeeper,” Prasad said. “In the search of second wicketkeeper, we have given opportunities to DK. Right now we’re giving an opportunity to Rishabh Pant. And we can take a call at appropriate time about who is the best among the two.”Since returning to the ODI side after a three-year gap in July last year, Karthik has scored 350 runs in 13 innings at an average of 50 and strike rate of 71.57. In the same period, Dhoni has made 681 runs in 24 innings at an average of 42.56 and a marginally better strike rate of 73.14. In Pant, India have a chance to not only trial a new wicketkeeper in ODIs but also an explosive batsman in the middle order.The search for a solid No. 4 continues though with Manish Pandey and Ambati Rayudu likely to get chances to stake their claim during the West Indies series. Since the end of the 2015 World Cup, India have tried 11 players at this position but Prasad said “we are very close” to finalising India’s best options in the middle order. “It’s been in the debate for some time and we have really closed in on couple of names.”The ODI series against West Indies begins on October 21 in Guwahati before moving to Visakhapatnam on October 24. The last three ODIs are scheduled to be played in Pune, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.
Two goals to the good against a hapless Copenhagen side, Manchester United looked to be putting in a statement performance on Wednesday evening in the Champions League, with hopes of progression having been momentarily boosted following a stunning opening in Denmark.
And yet, as has been the way this season for this luckless side, the Red Devils suffered a subsequent implosion – not all of their own making – to slip to a dismal 4-3 defeat to further dent any knockout stage ambitions, the Premier League side now languishing at the bottom of Group A with just two games left to play.
It had all looked so promising when Rasmus Hojlund steered Erik ten Hag's men into a two-goal lead against his prior employers, although some contentious refereeing and VAR decisions, including Marcus Rashford's early red card, made it yet another grim night in Europe for United.
One man who particularly struggled in the Danish capital was the "erratic" Diogo Dalot – as described by journalist Samuel Luckhurst – with the Portugal international looking like exactly what he was, a makeshift left-back.
Diogo Dalot's stats vs Copenhagen
With the likes of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia still sidelined – and with Sergio Reguilon enduring his own injury woes in recent weeks – Dalot has been called upon across the last two games to slot in as an unorthodox, left-sided full-back, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka reinstated on the opposite side.
Diogo Dalot
Although that tactic paid off against Fulham at the weekend as United secured a clean sheet in that 1-0 victory at Craven Cottage, the former Porto man appeared far more shaky this time around, having been particularly exposed for the home side's third of the night to draw the game level.
The 24-year-old – who was awarded a new long-term deal back in May – was caught napping at the back post as Lukas Lerager snuck in to equalise for the hosts, with that lapse in concentration undoing all the hard work that had led to Bruno Fernandes' penalty just over ten minutes earlier.
As Luckhurst noted on Twitter, the aforementioned Hojlund was one of those going "ballistic" at Dalot for his woes in the backline, with the latter man also something of a liability after losing possession on ten occasions on the night, while also failing to complete either of his two attempted crosses.
Of course, the headline-maker may be Rashford for his early dismissal, although that red card was debatable, to say the least, with Dalot forming part of a backline that rather capitulated thereafter, even despite the excuse of being a man light.
Diogo Dalot's season by numbers
It was certainly not the first time in recent weeks that Dalot has been something of a villain for the Red Devils, with the £85k-per-week asset unceremoniously hooked at half-time following an abject display in the first half of the 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United last week.
That outing saw the underfire defender lose possession 11 times from just 39 touches and record a pass accuracy rate of only 73%, with ESPN's Mark Ogden noting that he is an "example of Man United’s flawed recruitment" following that dire performance.
Ogden even went on to suggest that Dalot's lengthy contract extension was merely a "long-term reward for mediocrity", with Ten Hag and co potentially set to rue that show of faith if this season is anything to go by.
It is not even as if the one-time AC Milan loanee is making up for his defensive woes in the final third, having now scored just once and provided no assists in 16 games in all competitions so far this term, hardly warranting his place in the side on a regular basis.
With Wan-Bissaka now fit and available, Dalot could soon find himself ousted once the likes of Shaw and Malacia are also in contention, with the 16-cap international – as well as Rashford and VAR – having cost United "dearly" once again last night, as per club legend, Paul Scholes, to only heighten the scrutiny on the manager.
The England skipper will have his entire season at stake when he comes back to his old rivals' home on Tuesday
John Obi Mikel knew. After the Chelsea icon pulled out Arsenal's Champions League quarter-final opponents at the draw last month, a hint of a wry smile appeared on his face.
On paper, the Gunners should have been fairly happy with Mikel. Bayern Munich are far from the force they once were, and Arsenal managed to avoid trickier ties against Real Madrid and Manchester City.
However, as the Nigerian's priceless reaction suggested, this particular tie comes with irresistible added spice. Indeed, a sizeable proportion of Gunners fans will have broken into cold sweats when they saw Bayern's name pop out as they knew it meant that one of the club's most troublesome adversaries would be returning to his old stomping ground.
Harry Kane became synonymous with the north London derby during his lengthy spell at Tottenham, scoring against his fiercest rivals on countless occasions. Now, he has the chance to break Gunners hearts all over again when his new team visit the Emirates on Tuesday.
Getty ImagesThe King of North London?
Kane will have a long list of fond memories to draw on when he does take the field again at Arsenal's home. On his very first visit to the Emirates in a Spurs shirt, he netted a fine goal, bouncing the ball over Petr Cech's legs after being sent clean through by Danny Rose's long pass.
This display set the tone for Kane's visits to N7, with the England skipper failing to score on just two of his eights league trips to Arsenal while at Tottenham. He also notched an assist when Spurs bested the Gunners 2-0 in the EFL Cup quarter-finals away from home.
And while he couldn't replicate this in the Premier League – failing to ever inspire his side to a Premier League triumph at the Emirates – Kane had plenty of success downing Arsenal on his own patch.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesDream derby debut
This impressive knack started on his maiden north London derby appearance back in 2015. At that point, Kane had only just begun to establish himself as a Premier League player. Beginning the season playing second fiddle to Emmanuel Adebayor, Mauricio Pochettino was suitably encouraged by a string of substitute camoes to give him a run in the first team.
By the time Arsenal came to town in February, he already had 10 Premier League goals to his name, including a fine brace and assist when Chelsea visited White Hart Lane. This provided a warning as to what he would get up to against the Gunners.
Within five minutes he forced David Ospina into a world-class save with a trademark, curling shot from just outside the box. And after Mesut Ozil rather fortuitously put Arsenal ahead soon after, it was Kane who led the fightback, levelling up the scores with an instinctive finish at the back post on the hour. He would then settle the derby, rising triumphantly to nod Erik Lamela's cross into the top corner with just four minutes of normal time remaining.
Getty ImagesRecord-breaker
Reflecting on his derby debut several years later in an interview with the , Kane recalled: "The winner in the 86th minute was something that I'd never even dream of visualising before a match. It was a header – probably the best header I've ever scored – and that feeling when it hit the back of the net, I've never felt a rush like that in my whole career."
Kane would soon get used to ruining Arsenal's day, though. The following season, he would net in each of the pair's Premier League meetings, which both ended in draws. Then, in 2018, Kane avenged his first-ever north London derby defeat a few months prior by scoring the winner in the return fixture – another unstoppable header.
As the seasons dragged on, the England captain continued in this vein, with his goal in a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in 2020 being particularly special, moving him above Adebayor and Bobby Smith as the fixture's all-time top scorer. By the time he departed for Bayern a few years later, he had an outstanding 14 goals to his name against the Gunners, with only Leicester and Everton conceding more Kane strikes to date.
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Alternate timeline
That Spurs' talisman consistently raised his game against his beloved side's bitterest rivals is hardly surprising. However, there is also a personal side to Kane's spiteful relationship with the Gunners.
As a nine year old, he was released by Arsenal, something that Kane has confessed to still using as motivation to this day.
Speaking back in 2018, he said: "I remember the first time we played against Arsenal [for Tottenham's academy team] and even back then, I had a chip on my shoulder. It might sound ridiculous. I was only eight when they let me go, but every time we played them, I thought, 'Alright, we'll see who's right and who's wrong'.
"Looking back on it now, [being released by Arsenal] was probably the best thing that ever happened to me because it gave me a drive that wasn't there before. For me, the rejection is the best thing that ever happened to me."
In a not-so-inconceivable alternate timeline, Kane might have even been playing in an Arsenal shirt on Tuesday, which always adds another layer of intrigue whenever he lines up against the Gunners. And that's not the only interesting plotline ahead of this Champions League quarter-final.
Manchester United’s recent form has led them to near crisis point, as the club have only won once in four Champions League ties, while they occupy sixth spot in the Premier League table.
This has led to Erik ten Hag being placed under a lot of pressure and with a run of crucial fixtures coming up, he cant afford to slip up anymore.
The Old Trafford side play Liverpool, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich all in the coming weeks and if they can get through this tough run unscathed, there might just be hope for the Dutchman yet.
Much will depend on how his side performs, however, as they have struggled to control matches this season, while their faltering attack has failed them in the big matches.
Not only that, but their defence has been bordering on shambolic in spells this term also. The Red Devils have conceded 30 goals in just 18 matches, and it isn’t even December yet.
No wonder they are struggling both domestically and in Europe, as Ten Hag has been let down by players who arguably should have departed the club during the summer transfer window.
Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are not the defenders that the former Ajax boss requires to take his team to the next level, and they have had to play more than anticipated due to injury problems to others.
Harry Maguire's and Victor Lindelof's numbers this season
The duo earn a combined total of £370k-per-week – 9% of the weekly wage bill – yet their performances on the field simply don’t match up to earning this substantial amount.
The pair currently rank in 15th and 16th spot respectively across the United squad in the league for tackles per game (0.6 and 0.4) along with ranking fourth and 12th for interceptions per game (0.7 and 0.4) and these stats clearly show how little they are influencing the team from a defensive point of view.
Manchester United's Victor Lindelof andCasemirolook dejected after Brighton & Hove Albion's first goal
Lindelof has won just 41% of his ground duels in the league this term, while Maguire has won just 50% of his, indicating that they are struggling in one-on-one battles with opposition players.
The quicker Ten Hag has a fit Lisandro Martínez back the better. Until then, the Dutchman is going to have to use the aforementioned duo, until the January transfer window at least.
With just a few weeks to go until the window opens, it appears the 53-year-old is eyeing a move for a defender or two, and a Frenchman has emerged as a key target…
Maguire and Lindelof's potential replacement
Jean-Clair Todibo was originally a target for the club during the summer transfer window, yet no move ever materialised, but this hasn’t put Ten Hag going back in for the Nice star.
According to The Mirror, the Old Trafford side are prioritising a move for a defender in the upcoming winter window and this means they could be back in for Todibo.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe close to securing a 25% share in Utd, he also owns Nice, for whom Todibo plays which could potentially play into the hands of the Red Devils during any potential move.
Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo.
Having missed out on him during the summer, Ten Hag will be aiming to avoid a repeat of that in the next few weeks, as he is desperate to improve his options at the back.
He may need to ship a few players on for this to become a reality, however, especially as the manager doesn't quite know what sort of budget he will be working with.
Jean-Clair Todibo’s career statistics
The Frenchman started his career with Toulouse before making a switch to Barcelona in 2019, yet this didn’t exactly go to plan as he made just five appearances during his spell in Spain.
The defender has impressed having joined Nice in 2021, and he hasn’t looked back since, making over 100 appearances for the club whilst even earning two caps for France recently, showing how far he has come over the last couple of years.
Accurate passes per game
56.7
78.2
Tackles per game
2.2
2
Interceptions per game
1.2
1.4
Clearances per game
3.1
2.8
Total duels won per game
4.4
4.5
Stats via Sofascore
Talent scout Jacek Kulig lavished praise on him at the start of the year, saying: “One of the most underrated CBs in Europe at the moment. Having a really good season despite Nice underachieving quite a lot. Superb build-up and defensive attributes. Complete package.”
United clearly missed a trick not luring him to Manchester, especially with his statistics for the French club in recent times.
Indeed, the 6 foot 2 titan impressed when compared to his positional peers over the last 12 months. According to FBref, he currently ranks in the top 5% for tackles per 90 (2.47), the top 10% for attempted passes per 90 (76.4) and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.62), proving he excelled across a wide range of performance metrics.
Jean-Clair Todibo
Not only that, but he also ranks second across the Nice squad for accurate passes per game (78.2) in Ligue 1, along with ranking second for tackles per game (two) and for interceptions per game (1.4), proving that he is one of the better performers in their squad.
The 23-year-old is certainly a massive talent and the next step for him in his career is to secure a move to the Premier League, especially as he can continue his development across the channel.
The youngster has shown that he is ready to make the step up to a club like United and, with their current defensive woes, he would immediately improve their backline.
Maguire and Lindelof surely don’t have much longer left in Manchester. The Swede is out of contract at the end of the current season and it is unlikely that he will secure a new deal.
The Englishman, on the other hand, has a year longer on his contract, yet considering how close he was to joining West Ham United in the summer, he certainly won't be around by then.
This upcoming window could be Ten Hag’s most important yet, although much will depend on whether he is still actually in charge following a tough run of fixtures.
If he is and United are able to sign one or two top-class defenders, their fortunes might just change during the second half of the season.
USA men’s team defeated Kenya for the first time in history as they vaulted past Oman to the top of the tournament table by virtue of a superior net run-rate
Peter Della Penna in Muscat12-Nov-2018A half-century from Aaron Jones was followed by a searing spell of fast bowling from Man of the Match Ali Khan as USA men’s team defeated Kenya for the first time in history, to win by a whopping 154 runs, vaulting past Oman to the top of the WCL Division Three tournament table by virtue of a superior net run-rate.Prior to Monday, USA had been bowled out by Kenya in three previous losses in one-day cricket for totals of 162, 32 and most recently 63 in just 18.3 overs at Abu Dhabi last December. Kenya sent USA in at the toss hoping to do more of the same but USA capitalized on poor fielding from the opposition for the second match in a row to build up a commanding total of 254.Kenya gave away more than 100 runs in missed chances in the field to let USA off the hook. Monank Patel, who survived a missed run-out chance on the third ball of USA’s win over Uganda to make 107, was dropped on a return chance by Elijah Otieno in the third over on 9 and went on to make 25.An even more costly let-off was given to Steven Taylor, who should have been run-out for 12 at 69 for 2 but captain Shem Ngoche’s throw from 15 yards at midwicket missed by a whisker, and he went on to make 41 off 34 balls.However, the biggest reprieve of the day was given to Jones. The Barbados-based batsman had been out edging behind a cut for 4 against Uganda and gave a carbon-copy chance on 14, but on this occasion Kenya wicketkeeper Irfan Karim could not hang on.Jones battled through the rest of Ngoche’s spell, reaching 34 off 99 balls before slogging Dhiren Gondaria’s part-time spin for six over long-on for his first boundary. It began a stirring flurry in which Jones struck 35 off his next 19 balls, including two more sixes over long-on.USA were 182 for 4 after 44 overs before Hayden Walsh Jr provided a similar burst, hitting a pair of sixes and fours down the ground in the 45th off Rakep Patel to spark a sequence of 63 runs in four overs, taking USA past 200. A belated Kenya fightback resulted in USA bowled out by the final ball, though 254 was more than enough to defend behind their dynamic pace attack led by Khan.The Ohio fast bowler, who surged to stardom through the Global T20 Canada and CPL this summer, overwhelmed Kenya in his opening six-over spell. He started by inducing an edge behind from Narendra Patel, followed by a cunning inswinger that trapped Karim leg before without offering a shot and finally a top-edge to mid-on by Alex Obanda for three wickets in the Powerplay.At the opposite end, captain Saurabh Netravalkar claimed two wickets with disciplined lines and by the end of the ninth over Kenya were 21 for 5 from which they never recovered. They were eventually bowled out for 96 in just 26 overs.Aritra Dutta and Arjun Mutreja’s 140-run opening partnership in just 23 overs after being sent in at the toss gave Singapore a dominant position that they never relinquished in a 94-run win over Denmark on Monday at the Oman Cricket Academy.Dutta made just 23 runs in three matches on his 50-over debut during the Asia Cup Qualifier in Malaysia this August and followed up his 38 against Oman in Singapore’s opening match at Division Three with another impressive effort to top score with 87, including nine fours and three sixes.Denmark did not help matters by missing three chances in the field early in their innings as Singapore’s opening pair continued to heap pressure on their bowling unit. Offspinner Anique Uddin finally broke the partnership with his first ball in the 24th over to deny Dutta a century and claimed Mutreja for 57 six overs later caught at deep midwicket.Fellow spinners Saif Ahmad (3 for 46) and Nicolaj Laegsgaard (2 for 36) helped Denmark fight back further in the field as Singapore failed to last their full 50 overs, eventually being bowled out for 254.Amjad Mahboob took the first of his three wickets in the third over when Zameer Khan was beaten flicking across the line to be pinned lbw for 2. Captain Hamid Shah fought a lone battle from the top, making 85, and he was the ninth man out. He could only watch helplessly while legspinner Anantha Krishna decimated the middle-order with 4 for 37 as Denmark capitulated for 160 in 35.4 overs.
Everton will look to return to winning ways as they travel away from Goodison Park to take on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Toffees head into this match off the back of a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United last time out in the league, which was their first loss in five games in all competitions.
Sean Dyche's side racked up 2.47 xG – to their opponent's 2.22 – throughout the encounter but were unable to take their chances in front of goal.
Everton are now five points adrift of Luton Town in 17th place, having been deducted ten points, and face the uphill task of clawing their way back to safety.
They are up against a Forest team – managed by Steve Cooper – with one win in nine top-flight games and only three wins all season so far.
Dyche could look to make some changes to the starting XI that lined up against United in order to get back to winning ways. With this in mind, here is a predicted Everton team, with three possible alterations, to face the Tricky Trees…
1 Jordan Pickford
Everton's Jordan Pickford
Starting off in goal, the England international – Jordan Pickford – could continue his string of starts between the sticks. The former Sunderland man has played every minute of their 13 Premier League appearances and kept two clean sheets so far.
2 Nathan Patterson
The first change to the XI could come at right-back with Nathan Patterson being unleashed ahead of the veteran summer signing Ashley Young, who could be ditched.
Against his former club, the free transfer from Aston Villa had a mare as he looked sluggish and struggled against the movement and pace of the opposition frontline.
The 38-year-old defender lost three of his five ground duels and two of his three aerial battles, which shows that United players got the better of him more often than not in physical contests.
His lack of sharpness was evident when Young left a dangling leg out for Anthony Martial to duly trip over to win a penalty for the away side – via the help of VAR.
This could, therefore, open the door for Patterson to come in for his sixth Premier League start of the season. The Scotland international has not made an error that has led to an opposition shot or goal, or given away any penalties, in his first five starts.
At the heart of the defence, James Tarkowski could continue at centre-back. The former Burnley colossus has been dominant in the air for the Toffees this season with an aerial duel success rate of 66% across 13 starts.
4 Jarrad Branthwaite
Alongside Tarkowski, it would not be a surprise to see Jarrad Branthwaite start his 12th top-flight game of the campaign. The left-footed ace has made four tackles and interceptions and 7.5 ball recoveries per match so far this term.
5 Vitaliy Mykolenko
The Ukraine international – Vitaliy Mykolenko – could keep his place on the left side of the back four. He has scored two goals in his last three Premier League games and could provide an attacking thrust from left-back.
6 Arnaut Danjuma
Everton forward Arnaut Danjuma.
On the right side of the midfield, Jack Harrison could be ditched from the XI in order to open the door for Arnaut Danjuma to line up in attack.
The English winger played the full 90 minutes against United and struggled badly. He missed one 'big chance', completed one of his three attempted dribbles, and only created 0.08 xA throughout the game.
Danjuma has scored one goal in three starts for Everton so far this season and completed 50% of his attempted dribbles across nine appearances in total.
The versatile Dutchman, who produced 15 goals and seven assists in his last full season in English football for Bournemouth in the Championship, could be given an opportunity to showcase his quality after Harrison's poor showing last time out.
James Garner could keep his his place in the middle of the park as he has been in fine form so far this season. The 22-year-old maestro has created four 'big chances' and produced 1.3 key passes per game across 12 starts throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
8 Idrissa Gueye
idrissa-gana-gueye-everton-dyche-andre-gomes
The former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder could keep his place if Belgium international Amadou Onana does not recover from a calf injury in time to feature against Forest.
Idrissa Gueye has made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per match across ten top-flight appearances as a ball-winning anchor in front of the defence.
On the left of the midfield, Dyche could stick with former England U21 international Dwight McNeil. The 24-year-old talent has created four 'big chances' in nine Premier League starts this term, after a return of seven goals and three assists last season.
10 Abdoulaye Doucoure
Just behind the starting centre-forward, Abdoulaye Doucoure should keep his place as the former Watford man is able to offer a significant goal threat. He has scored four goals in 13 Premier League matches this season and, therefore, has the ability to be a match-winner for the Toffees.
Former Ballon d'Or winner and Lyon striker Ada Hegerberg has signed a new long-term contract with the club.
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Hegerberg extended Lyon staySigned a new three-year deal with clubBarcelona wanted to sign the forwardWHAT HAPPENED?
There were speculations over the 28-year-old's future with the French club with Barcelona reportedly interested in signing the forward in the summer but she has now put pen to paper on a new contract that keeps her at the club until 2027.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Hegerberg joined Les Fenottes in 2014 and in the last nine seasons, she has won 23 trophies with the club which include eight Division 1 titles and six Women's Champions League trophies. The Norwegian bagged the prestigious Ballon d'Or in the inaugural season of the award – 2018.
WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
The official statement on the club's star player's contract extension read, "Norway and Olympique Lyonnais superstar Ada Hegerberg continues her adventure with the French giants. Hegerberg’s future has dominated the transfer windows over the years, as the saga of a potential move to FC Barcelona kept fans and media busy on numerous occasions. It is now sorted with the 28-year-old forward extending her stay at Lyon until 2027, in a major coup from the French club. Despite the change of ownership and intense courtship from some of the best teams in the world, Hegerberg, the first Ballon d’Or and top goalscorer in UWCL history, has opted for stability. The summer of 2024 will mark her tenth year anniversary with the club.'
After signing the deal, Hegerberg said, "I’m glad we were able to make it happen. The story is yet to end. I firmly believe we have the team to win more trophies in the coming years, and the support we need to keep the team and the club at the highest level possible."
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ADA HEGERBERG?
The player will be next seen in action on Saturday as Sonia Bompastor's side take on Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final clash.
Ishan Kishan also contributed handily to the victory after fifties from Hamish Rutherford and James Neesham had helped New Zealand A post 308
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2018In a 619-run slugfest in Mount Maunganui, Vijay Shankar’s unbeaten 87 and his 116-run fifth-wicket stand with Ishan Kishan steered India A to victory with an over to spare. Shankar’s 80-ball innings, coupled with Kishan’s 47 and a half-century from Shreyas Iyer, were the highlights of a chase of 309 under lights, with five of India A’s top six going past 35.India A got off to a solid start, thanks to a 61-run opening partnership between Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill, who then fell three overs within each other. Manish Pandey, the captain, then added 85 with Iyer, who made a run-a-ball 54 in his first game on tour. Then, with India A 158 for 2 in the 26th over, the pair fell in the space of three balls to Hamish Bennett’s pace.The onus of rebuilding the innings fell on Kishan and Shankar, who proceeded to make his third 60-plus score on tour, having previously scored 62 and 71 in the two unofficial Tests he got the opportunity to bat in. Shankar hammered 12 fours and a six in his 80-ball innings. Lockie Ferguson removed Kishan in the 43rd over with India A still needing 33. India A lost their No. 7 Krunal Pandya cheaply, but Shankar dug his heels in and ensured the visitors took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.New Zealand A will, however, take heart from the fact that three of their batsmen notched up fifties after India A put them in. Openers Hamish Rutherford and George Worker added 83, before wicketkeeper Tim Seifert and James Neesham put on 82 for the fifth wicket. Rutherford’s 70 and Neesham’s 79 blunted an Indian attack in which only Shankar (4-0-12-0) conceded less than five an over. The most expensive of the bowlers was Siddarth Kaul, whose two wickets came at the cost of 74 runs off 10 overs as New Zealand A finished with 308 for 6.