Ireland went toe-to-toe for most of the chase but lost the last four wickets in their last ten deliveries

Sreshth Shah14-Feb-2025Brian Bennett delivered a Valentine Day’s gift to all the cricket lovers at Harare Sports Club with a sublime 169 to set up Zimbabwe’s 49-run win in the first ODI against Ireland on Friday.Promoted to opener for the first time in ODI cricket, Bennett struck 56.52% of Zimbabwe’s total to give Ireland a target of 300 to chase. Along the way, he also became the fourth-youngest to score 150-plus in a men’s ODI and posted the fifth-highest ODI score by a Zimbabwe men’s batter.The target, though, on a docile surface, was quite gettable, and Ireland went toe-to-toe for most of the chase. But they ran out of wickets – including four dismissals in their last ten deliveries of their innings – to fold for 250. Blessing Muzarabani (4 for 51) and Richard Ngarava (3 for 56) shared seven wickets, and Zimbabwe arrested their four-match losing streak to take the hosts 1-0 up.A 9.30am start with rain in the air, and Harare historically favouring chasing sides, Ireland captain Paul Stirling made the logical call of bowling first. But Josh Little, the left-arm swing bowler, had a rough return to the ODI line-up as he conceded 35 runs in his first three overs. Bennett was the chief aggressor, pumping him for six fours in his first three overs, while Ben Curran carved another couple. He would eventually finish on 1 for 75 in nine overs with an economy of 8.33, conceding 11 fours and five wides in all.The prolific start, and the lack of incision from the Ireland new-ball bowlers, allowed the Zimbabwe opening partnership to grow. They put on 95 for the first wicket before offspinner Andy McBrine (1 for 53) broke the stand.There was no respite, though, as Bennett and the No. 3 Craig Ervine then added 136 in 134 balls in a second-wicket stand that was constructed masterfully. They were watchful through the middle overs with some turn in the pitch and the pair of Matthew Humphreys and McBrine appeared to strangle the pair.Craig Ervine and Brian Bennett added 136 off 134 balls•Zimbabwe Cricket

While Bennett took an affinity towards point, extra cover, deep midwicket and deep square leg with his 20 fours and three sixes, Ervine was more adventurous by moving across and trying to find empty pockets over fine leg. As the stand grew and Zimbabwe’s run-rate got a boost, Bennett too played with the Ireland bowlers by using the width of his crease to create boundary-scoring opportunities.The pair capitalised on three dropped catches and one missed stumping to bring up Zimbabwe’s 200 in the 38th over, and a big target was very much on before Ervine fell against the run of play to medium-pacer Graham Hume in the 41st over. Sikandar Raza and Wessly Madhevere, though, failed to keep the momentum up, and the big shots came from only Bennett’s end in the final ten. After batting for 216 minutes, Bennett perished in the final over trying to find a big shot, and his effort ensured Zimbabwe finished on 299 for 5.”I was pushing them for a while to get up [to open], and happy to get that opportunity,” Bennett said after the game. “I just wanted to watch the ball and hit the ball. It’s a very good sign, and I hope to do that again on Sunday. I wanted to take it deep as one of the set batters among the top four.”The chase began inauspiciously for Ireland as Andrew Balbirnie was caught behind off Ngarava in the first ball but the rest of Ireland’s batting unit showed enough promise that the chase could be pulled off, only to lose their wicket when the tide appeared to turn. Stirling was deceived by a Muzarabani short ball to fall for 32, Curtis Campher edged a wide ball from Raza to the keeper on 44, Harry Tector scooped Madhevere to fine leg on 39 and Lorcan Tucker inside-edged Muzarabani onto his stumps on 31.At 169 for 6 in 35.2 overs, Ireland’s chase appeared to lose its fizz, but an eighth-wicket stand of 73 in 9.1 overs between George Dockrell (34) and McBrine (36) brought life into the game and started to make the home crowd nervous.However, Ervine turned to Muzarabani for the 45th over, and he picked off both set batters in the space of four balls, and Ngarava wrapped up the tail in the 46th for a tame finish to a high-octane game.”We gave Bennett a chance or two and he made us pay,” Stirling said after the defeat. “We were rusty [in the field] when we shouldn’t have been. I felt 50 runs was the difference between the two sides and the result reflects that. [A target of] 300 was chaseable, and at 30 overs we were in the hunt. But we lost our way. We bat pretty deep and hopefully we do well with the bat next game.”

Perry strikes first-ball on debut for Hampshire but is unable to prevent 37-run defeat

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-Jul-2025The Blaze reasserted their Women’s Vitality Blast qualification charge with a rock-solid 37-run victory over Hampshire at Queen’s Park, Chesterfield.Kirstie Gordon’s side bounced back from their defeat to Warwickshire by recovering from a scrappy start to reach 188 for six thanks to Heather Graham (73, 47 balls) and Ella Claridge (51 not out, 36) who added 76 from 51 balls for the fifth wicket. Ellyse Perry, on her debut, took a wicket with her first ball for Hampshire on the way to two for 23.Hampshire replied with 151 all out, only Rhianna Southby’s classy T20-best 64 (42) defying for long against a Blaze attack led by Kathryn Bryce (four for 13). The Hawks’ defeat means they, or any other side, have a great deal to do in the remaining games to reel in top three Blaze, Surrey and Warwickshire.Put in, Blaze were given a brisk start by Marie Kelly (16 from seven balls) but then lost three wickets in nine balls. Kelly’s off-stump was uprooted by Freya Davies who two balls later took a simple catch at mid on, offered by Georgia Elwiss off Rebecca Tyson. Kathryn Bryce then edged Perry’s first ball to wicketkeeper Southby.Graham was immediately fluent and, though Davies returned to trap Sarah Bryce lbw with a yorker, Claridge supplied vital support. Claridge contributed only eight of the first 50 added by the fifth-wicket pair but was the perfect foil for the Australian who exploited a reprieve on six, when she was dropped at short third man by Tyson off Daisy Gibb, to reach 50 from 34 balls.Graham was threatening to take the game right away from Hampshire when she drove a low full toss from Perry back to the bowler. Michaela Kirk walked across one from Georgia Adams and was bowled but Claridge closed the innings with a flurry of fours to reach a 36-ball half-century and, with Sarah Glenn, plunder 37 from the last 14 balls of the innings.Perry launched Hampshire’s reply with three fours from her first nine balls but perished in pursuit of a fourth when she lifted Kathryn Bryce to mid on. Gordon accepted that catch and inflicted further damage with her first ball which she flighted past Freya Kemp’s charge to hit leg-stump.Adams clipped Kathryn Bryce to mid-wicket and, as the required rate climbed, Southby carried the fight to Blaze, passing a boundary-laden half-century from 36 balls. Southby and Abi Norgrove added 54 from 32 balls but fell in successive overs as the pressure grew.Both were bowled, Southby slogging at Graham and Norgrove beaten in the flight by Kathryn Bryce. Hampshire’s chase disintegrated with Megan Sturge suffering the rotten luck of being run out without facing a ball on her Hawks debut.

England assistant coach Trescothick feels KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant will be the two batters who could determine the third Test’s fate

Nagraj Gollapudi13-Jul-20251:20

Manjrekar: Lord’s Test 70-30 in England’s favour

Can England get early wickets and push their way past India in their quest to take a 2-1 lead in the series? Can India stay positive and get the 135 runs required to win consecutive Tests after losing the series opener?According to Marcus Trescothick, England’s assistant coach, both teams are “desperate” to win, which will only add to the excitement to this gripping Lord’s Test, which has been drama-filled over the weekend.”Well, if I knew that, I could probably relax a little bit easier coming into tomorrow,” Trescothick said at the post-match media briefing when asked which team had the edge going into day five. “But of course, both teams are desperate to win.Related

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• Brook's shot selection under scrutiny as counterattack goes awry

• Washington and Carse light up Lord's as gripping finish looms

• The day India's bowlers rose in unison

“It’s going to be amazing, isn’t it? Already we’ve seen four good days of cricket and two games, which have been well supported, but that last sort of hour or half-an-hour, the support and the energy around the ground made it amazing really, didn’t it? Everybody was invested into it.”From an England point of view, obviously brilliant – we love those sorts of situations when the crowd is really up behind the team. Hopefully we can get a bit more of that tomorrow and we can sort of push forward to winning the game. So it will revolve around the first hour of the day tomorrow, how positive India can be, how dominant we can be with the ball, and how many earlier wickets we can get.”Lord’s has been a sellout over the weekend and the crowd had been on the edge of their seats for most of Sunday. which was bookended by a lot of drama. If the morning session started with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj delivering probing spells to strangle England, Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes took back control from India by picking three late wickets to leave them at 58 for 4.Still England will be wary of the remaining India batters. KL Rahul, who is unbeaten on 33, still has Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar left to come in. Trescothick agreed that Rahul and Pant were the two “dangerous” batters who could hurt England on Monday if they found their footing.Rahul, who scored his second century of this series on Saturday, has found success with his old-school approach to Test batting, which relies on defence, and Trescothick said dismissing him early would be key to prising open the India batting.”KL’s been classical old-school style of Test cricket and he’s left the ball really well. His judgment of the length is good, looked to bat for a long period of time and he’s done it well,” he said. “Obviously [Rahul got] a hundred in the first innings. Hopefully we can get him out early and we can start getting into the rest of the tail as they come along. But he’s been pretty dominant in a few of the games that he’s played and he’s pretty much got a score in most innings that he’s played.”2:02

Manjrekar: ‘Lion-hearted’ effort from Siraj

India remain confident of claiming another Lord’s win after their thrilling victory in 2021, which ended on the final hour of the fifth day. Washington, who enjoyed one of his “best” days in Test cricket after picking 4 for 22, said India were positive and it would be “amazing” to win a Test at Lord’s. The allrounder said there was no particular “approach” India would take in scaling the target, barring playing to the situation. “We know it’s going to go really well for us,” he said.All through, fans of both teams were completely immersed in the run of play, especially the India supporters who – based on the noise levels – seemed to have outnumbered those backing Stokes’ side. That the fans could be a catalyst was evident when Joe Root, standing in slips, started to bring his hands together asking the home fans to get behind England.Trescothick agreed the electric atmosphere was an important element and would once again play a role on Monday.”It might take a wicket [early on day five] to sort of get it going,” he said. “We might need Joe to wind them [the fans] up again. But the support has been brilliant throughout because obviously we know both teams are really well supported and it’s great that we have that. And of course, tomorrow will be no different, because everyone loves their cricket and we’ll get another full house where both sets of supporters will get to see a finale of amazing Test.”

Having last played for Zimbabwe in 2018, he recently returned to domestic cricket and could be in contention for the T20 World Cup Qualifiers

Firdose Moonda08-Aug-2025Former Zimbabwe captain and legspinner Graeme Cremer has returned to the country’s domestic cricket structure and is available for international selection. Cremer, who is 38 and led Zimbabwe between 2016 and 2018, gave up cricket for golf and then moved with his family to the UAE, where his wife Merna works as an airline pilot. He has now made his return in Zimbabwe’s National Premier League, the 45-over club competition.ESPNcricinfo has confirmed he is eligible for selection for the national side and could be in contention for September’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers, which will be played in Zimbabwe.Cremer last played international cricket in March 2018 and has been involved in coaching roles in Dubai, including with the Rajasthan Royals Academy. He is now playing for the defending champions, Takashinga Patriots 1 Cricket Club, and is the leading wicket-taker after two matches.Related

• Cremer temporarily puts cricket career on hold for family

• 'A debut-like feeling' – Taylor grateful for second chance

“It’s amazing being back,” Cremer told about his return after the match against Queens Sports Club in Kwekwe. “Kwekwe was my home ground for many years, so it was great walking out and being part of Takashinga, which is such a prestigious club. They welcomed me into the team and it was an amazing team environment. I’m really happy with the start.”Cremer took 4 for 43 as Takashinga defended 263 for 6 and won by 134 runs. That match, played on August 3, also featured Brendan Taylor, who has subsequently made his return to the Test side after serving a three-and-a-half-year ban for breaching the ICC’s anti-corruption code. Taylor scored 61 in that match as he tuned up ahead of his international comeback.”We are close friends, myself and Brendan, so it was an amazing feeling being on the field with him again and nice to see him score some runs,” Cremer said. “It’s great watching him bat, and then walking out onto the field with him, just how we communicate because we have played so much cricket together. It really helps someone like that out with me.”Taylor and Cremer are two of Zimbabwe’s most experienced players, and their return to the set-up with two ICC tournaments (T20 World Cup 2026 and ODI World Cup 2027, which Zimbabwe will co-host) speaks to Zimbabwe Cricket’s seriousness to ensure they qualify. Zimbabwe missed out on the last T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean after losing to Uganda in qualifiers and have not played a 50-over World Cup since 2015 after missing out on both the 2019 and 2023 editions.Zimbabwe will host the Africa Regional Qualifier for the upcoming T20 World Cup from September 26 to October 4. The tournament consists of eight teams, and the top two will progress to the main event.

Victoria allrounder Will Sutherland will join the four-day squad for the second of the two matches in Lucknow

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2025Allrounder Aaron Hardie has been ruled out of the Australia A tour of India due to a shoulder injury to add to the list of pace-bowling options to be sidelined.Hardie will be replaced by Victoria allrounder Will Sutherland, who was already part of the one-day squad for the tour and will fly out to India in time for the second four-day game in Lucknow. A replacement for Hardie in the one-day squad will be named at a later date.It is hoped that Hardie will be able to recover in time for the early rounds of Sheffield Shield matches – Western Australia’s opening game is against New South Wales at the WACA on October 4.Related

• Maxwell named for 50-over return for Victoria despite ODI retirement

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• Vidler ruled out of Australia A tour of India with a partial stress fracture

• No regrets for Konstas as he prepares to fight for Ashes berth

Hardie featured in the recent T20I and ODI series against West Indies and South Africa but he struggled against the latter and had not been selected for the short New Zealand trip for three T20Is, instead being included in the A squad. Depending on how his recovery tracks, he may come into consideration for the white-ball series against India.Though an allrounder rather than a specialist bowler, Hardie’s injury adds to a growing list of players sidelined heading into the season. Pat Cummins is the most significant with question marks over whether he will recover from his back injury in time for the Ashes.Lance Morris, a team-mate of Hardie’s at WA, has been ruled out for 12 months having undergone back surgery, while promising quick Callum Vidler has been diagnosed with a stress fracture. Morris had been due to feature in the four-day leg of the A tour and Vidler the one-dayers. Brody Couch had initially been Morris’ replacement but he suffered a side injury during the Top End T20 final with South Australia’s Henry Thornton subsequently called up.The first four-day game against India A starts on September 16 followed by the second on September 23. The three one-dayers, which will all be in Kanpur, are on September 30, October 3 and 5.

Updated Australia A four-day squad

Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Liam Scott, Will Sutherland (second game only), Henry Thornton

Updated Australia A one-day squad

Cooper Connolly, Harry Dixon, Jack Edwards, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Todd Murphy, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland, Henry Thornton (one to be added)

Not quite a year on from the disappointing 2-1 reversal to Swansea City, Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal presided over an opening day victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

Barely a classic, the Old Trafford side ground out a victory, with a host of new signings making their Premier League bows. Morgan Schneiderlin, Matteo Darmain and Sergio Romero impressed during the game, with Bastian Schweinsteiger coming on to become the first German to play for the club.

It was £25million man Memphis Depay, latest incumbent of the famous Number 7, who was under most scrutiny during the game. Operating just behind Wayne Rooney in the ‘Number 10’ role, the man who scored 25 goals with PSV last season showed some of his famous skills, but lacked the know-how to break Tottenham’s stubborn defensive lines. Ashley Young and Juan Mata were deployed in the wide positions of a 4-2-3-1, with captain Rooney the spearhead in the attack.

Despite linking nicely to force a Kyle Walker own goal, the Red Devils front line looked somewhat disjointed.

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Deploying Depay centrally, with Young and Mata either side, has been the plan for the majority of pre-season, but the system can actually prize the best away from both the Spaniard and the Flying Dutchman.

On his 64th birthday, Red Devils chief van Gaal appeared to blow out his candles and wish for a Gareth Bale-like-‘Number 10’ in his new signing. While at Spurs, Bale would utilise his pace and power into bulldozing teams, either running past defenders to slot past the opposition ‘keeper, or unleashing a trademark wonder strike from 25+ yards.

The new man may one day get to that level, he certainly has the attributes. Clearly, van Gaal is a huge fan of Bale, having been heavily linked with him all summer, so perhaps he is moulding Depay in a similar style. But to pay such a large fee for a prolific goal scorer from the wing, then move him centrally seems rather odd.

With Mata in the side, the £37.1m signing have one of the best Number 10’s in the world shunted to the wing. The former Chelsea man can of course perform well in the role, as shown by his performance at Anfield last year, but both players appear to be playing out of position.

What made Memphis such a sort-after property this summer was his ability to cut inside from the left wing and shoot. What makes Mata such a successful player is his vision, neat passes and quick thinking.

So, taking their best attributes into account, both men seem more suited to each other’s roles, rather than their own. With a single game gone it is unfair to label a tactic as a failure, and United ultimately won the contest – they must be doing something right.

Still, at times during the match, the Old Trafford side looked out of ideas after some neat passing in their own half. Dutch international Depay was slow in possession on occasion, where someone like Mata or substitute Ander Herrera may have upped the tempo.

With Wayne Rooney being the only notable striker likely to stay at the club this year, surely van Gaal will want to get the best out of the attacking unit behind his captain. Perhaps Memphis can be moulded into Gareth Bale mark II.

But as he beds in, selecting a World Cup and Champions League winning ‘Number 10’ in his favoured role may be beneficial.

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League leaders Manchester City were dismantled by an energetic Tottenham Hotspur, who came from behind to crush the travelling table toppers 4-1.Despite £55m man Kevin De Bruyne slotting home to put the visitors ahead, a long range Eric Dier effort levelled the scores on the stroke of half time.Spurs then raced to a 4-1 victory after Toby Alderweireld, Harry Kane and Erik Lamela completed the rout.The game was marred by a succession of controversial offside decisions, with only Alderweireld’s header not a contentious decision.However, Mauricio Pochettino’s side grew throughout the game, with their front line wreaking havoc to a City defence that looked slow and lumbering.With Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany and David Silva out of today’s clash, the Manchester side were without a strong core of usual first team players.Sergio Aguero was lively up front, but failed to regularly trouble Hugo Lloris in the Spurs goal.Here are three other things we learned during the clash.

Man City cannot handle pace

Granted, Vincent Kompany was unable to feature today with a reported illness. However, the remaining defenders looked helpless against the powerful running of the opposition

Argentine pair Nicolas Otamendi and Martin Demichelis really struggled to deal with the pace of Lamela, Kane and Son Heung-Min, as well as Clinton N’Jie when he appeared late in the second half.

The direct running and high pressing nature of Pochettino’s side seemed to have the City back line shaking in their boots whenever it was in full flow.

Kane is back

The hyperbole surrounding Harry Kane following his return to the scoresheet may be somewhat tongue in cheek, but the England man impressed today.

He ran himself into the ground, and deserved his goal – despite it clearly being offside. The 22-year old worked the channels, buzzed around the outside of the box and tested stand in ‘keeper Willy Caballero a few times.

The hitman possess the energy to cause real problems to opposing defenders.

He took his goal well, though the goal was gaping. Reacting first to a loose ball, he controlled an awkwardly bouncing ball and fired into the roof the net.

Dier & Alli for England

Tottenham’s young, English midfield partnership provided the defensive solidarity in order to allow the forward players to flourish.

The young midfielders stood strong against the likes Yaya Toure, Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne, calmly breaking up attacks in their half.

They acted with an assurance beyond their years, and have the technique to start attacks from the back.

Alli in particular looks like the kind of player Roy Hodgson requires, someone to sit back and scheme, allowing the faster players on the wings to push forward and hit teams on the counter.

Over half-an-hour played at the Etihad and Liverpool lead 3-0. Mental, eh!?

After Manchester City’s Mangala bundled the ball in to his own net from a Firmino cross in the eighth minute, many thought the hosts might begin to go in search for an equaliser.

Liverpool fully deserved their lead, and they fully deserved their next two goals as well after Firmino found Coutinho with a wonderful cross to send the travelling Reds fans in to raptures at the Etihad. And then to top it off, Coutinho returned the favour as he squared a lovely little pass to Firmino for his Brazilian compatriot to slide in to an empty net.

Jurgen Klopp’s side came out of the blocks here in devastating fashion and City have struggled to contain Liverpool in the opening 30 minutes.

And again, as expected, Liverpool fans took to Twitter to celebrate their surprise THREE goal lead! It was the Brazilian duo of Firmino and Coutinho who made the opening three goals, and that fact wasn’t lost on the delirious Liverpool faithful…

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Hats off to Manuel Pellegrini. Sometimes you have to play ugly and come away with the result you need. Over the last few seasons, you can’t fault Manchester City’s attitude towards the game, they’ve attacked and attacked and attacked. Last weekend away to Manchester United, however, that attitude changed significantly.

Setting up to defend against Manchester United at Old Trafford is hardly a new-fangled tactic, nor is it really that bad an idea. Over the last 30 years or so it’s really been the best way of getting something out of the game.

With United back in the Premier League title reckoning this season and with City missing key attacking stars such as David Silva and Sergio Aguero, it seems to make sense to try to keep the opposition from scoring and maybe try to nick a goal on the counter with the pace of Sterling and Navas, for example. And that’s how City played.

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We’ll never know how Pellegrini would have lined up if it weren’t for the injuries to his key players, of course.

Maybe with Aguero and Silva fit, City would have tried to control the game more themselves and look to attack United in a more ‘Pellegrini’ performance.

But they came away with a point, and it suits City down to the ground.

Last season, at the Etihad stadium in January, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal came into the game like all the other times they came into games against the big teams – fearing a heavy defeat. But instead of playing the silky attacking and frankly suicidal game that Arsenal sometimes play against the big sides, they sat back and defended like heroes and had Francis Coquelin to thank for a sterling performance.

The reason I mention this is because it looks like a watershed moment in Arsene Wenger’s time at Arsenal. The Gunners have gone on to beat Chelsea (albeit in the Community Shield), Manchester United and Liverpool as well as City since the turn of the year. Arsenal have discovered a backbone.

It’s not that City have lacked a ‘backbone’ over the years. City won the title in 2011-12 on goal difference, but when you score the most and concede the fewest – 29 goals conceded, fewer than Chelsea last season – no one can begrudge you a goal difference victory.

What is interesting, though, is that Pellegrini has changed when there has been no obvious reason for him to change. City were, perhaps, overrun by United in last season’s game at Old Trafford and missing some key players this time around, but it’s not as if City, like Arsenal, have a habit of disintegrating in big top-of-the-table clashes. A 5-1 win over Crystal Palace only days after shutting out United in such a defensive display shows normal service is resumed.

Instead, where City have consistently fallen apart is in Europe. So maybe that’s the reason. Maybe, with big European games coming up – away to Sevilla where a win would see City put one foot into the first knockout round and then a possible showdown for top spot with Juventus in Turin – Pellegrini is going to take a different approach in Europe this season. Where his 4-4-2 failed to make inroads over the last few seasons, his new-found defensive solidity may allow City to cause big European clubs more problems.

The Manchester derby may just have been a chance to try out a few new things and test out a new approach in what is probably the Premier League game most like a Champions League game these days. Louis van Gaal’s possession-based approach is the most like a Champions League approach that you’ll find in the Premier League.

And so pushing Yaya Toure forward relieves him of the defensive duties and, since City were sitting deep, still gave him the opportunity to bring the ball forward with his trademark marauding runs from deep on the counter attack.

Meanwhile, the inclusion of Fernandinho and Fernando playing together in the midfield shored up the defence behind it. They’re the most solid partnership City have in the middle of the park, and even though they’re certainly not the best in the league, you’d be hard pushed to find a stronger, more robust double anchor in front of a back four.

Bringing Martin Demichelis into the game late on adds an experience – especially in Europe – and even more solidity in front of a central defence made up of Otamendi and Kompany.

Add Eliaquim Mangala and Wilfried Bony into the mix and Pellegrini has surely created the hulkiest spine in the league.

Against Sevilla, Juventus and Monchengladbach, City might just play a more defensive game with or without Silva and Aguero. So hats off to Manuel Pellegrini. He has adapted his squad, and he’s done it quietly. He’s had success in England, winning the Premier League and the League Cup, and now he’s adapting for success in Europe.

He may not need to play so defensively in order to win the Premier League, but in Europe it’s a different story. If Arsene Wenger is adapting in order to win the league, then Pellegrini deserves the same credit for adapting in order to compete in Europe – his pact with the devil of defending may just bear forbidden fruit.

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After 73% possession and 21 shots on goal, it takes a special kind of failure to manage only two shots on target and absolutely no goals. It was a failure of Louis van Gaal proportions, and one which, despite the point the take from the game, cements Swansea’s place in the bottom three on Christmas day. Despite all of their fancy football in the middle of the park, the Liberty Stadium outfit are seemingly unable to breach their opposition’s goal during games. It’s unclear as to whether the system isn’t working, or the players are suffering a complete lack of confidence. However, what is clear, is that club lack the firepower to lift them out of this relegation scrap at the moment. For West Ham, the injury crisis has seen the East London side deliver a different kind of performance. Their away form has often been marvelled this term, taking scalps at Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal already under Slaven Bilic. Unfortunately for the Hammers, key injuries to the likes of Dimitri Payet, Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini have severely depleted the options available in recent weeks. Still, they were solid enough and may have nabbed a result in the dying embers of the game, though a draw may have been they could hope for considering the utter domination of the ball Swansea had. Here are FIVE things we learned during Swansea 0-0 West Ham.

SWANS LACK CUTTING EDGE

Today showed us that, even though Swansea look like a technically proficient team who are adept at passing the ball around with aplomb, they lack that most important of characteristics: a cutting edge.

We all know that if you don’t score, you won’t win, and without a cutting edge, stats live we’ve seen from Swansea today are a certainty. With all the possession, they managed almost double West Ham’s shot count, but with only two on target, it’s the lack of a real cutting edge that means they don’t get into the positions necessary to get their shots on target.

Or maybe they’re just terrible at shooting….

GOMIS LACKS FIGHT

Before today’s game, Bafetimbi Gomis had scored four goals in his first 10 shots in the Premier League this season, starting like a house on fire and propelling Swansea to victory. But then he managed just one goal from his next 21 shots as his form slid off the radar and into the doldrums.

Today’s game showed that he’s not at all up for the fight.

Swansea will now have to face the reality that they find themselves in a relegation scrap, and in order to get out of that, you need players who can score goals. And whilst Gomis has proven that he can score goals for Swansea, his lack of fight is worrying. After all, a relegation battle is a street fight, and if you’re not up for it, you’re going down. Literally.

WILLIAMS BACK TO HIS BEST

In stark contrast to his failing teammate at the other end of the pitch, Ashley Williams was truly stoic. The Welshman proved he can still be the beating heart of this Swansea team, putting out fires all over the shop with his stunning ability to read the game.

There were no last-ditch tackles, more a tactical nous to be marvelled. When Nikica Jelavic was through on goal, the Welsh captain stood his ground and proved an immovable object when many would have dived and left the goal at the Croat’s mercy.

ANTONIO WORTH THE WAIT

Ok, so it wasn’t a vintage winger performance where he dazzled the Swansea defence or turned them inside. However, Michail Antonio proved what a good player he is on a rainy miserable night in South Wales. The former Nottingham Forest man has had to bide his time from the sidelines, but an injury to Victor Moses was afforded him a starting berth.

The 25-year old was everywhere this evening, marauding up and down the right flank to bomb forward, as well as taking his defensive duties very seriously. If he can add some the creativity he showed in the Championship to his game, he’s some prospect.

REFS CAN BE CONNED

Unfortunately for the home side, they were denied a goal by James Collins’ hand, and a penalty by referee Lee Mason. The Welsh defender appeared to block Ki’s effort on goal with his hand, whether it was on purpose or not, as the ball sailed over the bar with just the ‘keeper or not.

Either way, a clear goalscoring chance was blocked by the use of his hand. The defender then held his head, think Rivaldo vs Turkey in 2002, rolling around on the floor to divert attention from his felony and playact his way out of trouble.

It’s a shame for Swansea, with goals at such a premium for the side at the present moment.