Best signing since Ndiaye: 9/10 star is Everton’s “most important” player

Everton’s good form continued with an impressive 3-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium over Nottingham Forest.

The Toffees move into fifth in the Premier League, taking their record since the start of November to four wins, one draw and one loss.

It was a fast start for David Moyes’ side. Just two minutes into the clash with the East Midlands outfit, Forest centre-back Nikola Milenkovic headed a cross into the back of his own net, to give Everton the lead almost immediately.

Then, in the third minute of stoppage time before half-time, the Evertonians doubled their lead. It was a significant moment for Thierno Barry, who got off the mark in that famous Blue shirt after some impressive performances of late.

Iliman Ndiaye carried the ball to the edge of the Forest box before laying it into the path of Barry, who slotted home.

The perfect day for Moyes’ side was capped off in the 80th minute when another summer signing, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, drilled home a volley after the ball bounced to him from a corner. Everton ran out deserved winners to continue their excellent form.

It was a day to remember for the Toffees, with some standout performances.

Everton’s standout players vs. Forest

This will certainly be a day that Thierno Barry remembers. The Frenchman bagged his very first goal in an Everton shirt, showing the sort of quality in front of goal that earned him the big move to the Premier League from Villarreal in the summer.

What a tidy finish it was from the Toffees’ number 11, too. Ndiaye drove towards the penalty box, with Barry making a good diagonal run to find space.

The finish was composed, slotting it past Matz Sels.

Speaking of Ndiaye, the Senegalese attacker was in imperious form once again. So often the source of everything the Merseysiders do well in attack, he was a handful for the Forest defence and, of course, set Barry up.

One person who was impressed by Ndiaye’s efforts was Chris Beesley, Everton reporter for the Liverpool Echo. He gave the attacker a 7/10 rating, praising him for ‘always providing an outlet for his side’ throughout the night.

However, neither Barry nor Ndiaye were the stars of the show for Moyes’ side in a fantastic win.

Everton’s best player in their 3-0 win

What a performance it was from another of the Everton summer signings, Dewsbury-Hall.

The Englishman was at the heart of the Toffees’ midfield today, scoring his excellent goal late on, putting in the cross for the own goal, and offering plenty more on the ball.

The stats reflect just how well Dewsbury-Hall performed against the East Midlands outfit. He had 56 touches and 86% of his passes.

Off the ball, it was a masterclass from the former Leicester City star. He won an exceptional 8/13 ground duels and made five ball recoveries.

Touches

56

Pass accuracy

86%

Opposition half passes

16/20

Ground duels won

8/13

Ball recoveries

5

Tackles won

3/4

Goals

1

Dewsbury-Hall left thousands of Toffees fans impressed with his performance against Forest. Well, the same can be said for journalists, with Beesley giving him a 9/10 for his efforts, explaining he was ‘bright from the start’.

There is a case to be made that Dewsbury-Hall, described as the club’s “most important and best” player by journalist John Merro, is their best signing since Ndiaye.

The Senegalese attacker has been sensational since moving to Merseyside last summer, racking up 17 goals and assists in 54 games.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

As for the English midfielder, he has brought creativity and final third threat to Moyes’ side in just 15 games, with four goals and two assists so far.

However, the tenacity off the ball, on full show against Sean Dyche’s side, has been crucial this season too. It is certainly easy to see why Merro is of that opinion.

After paying just £28m for him this summer from Chelsea, it is looking like one of the biggest bargains in 2025. The all-action midfielder has shone so far, just like Ndiaye has on Merseyside.

£47m spent; CF "monster" replaces Beto: Everton's dream XI after January

Everton manager David Moyes will be looking to strengthen his team in the January transfer window.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 15, 2025

Ex-West Ham chief shares the "big" changes Nuno "wants to make" to his squad

West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo is a planning a serious overhaul of his squad as he makes ‘big plans’, according to a former Hammers employee.

West Ham battling relegation with January crucial

The Hammers find themselves embroiled in a desperate fight for Premier League survival following one of their most turbulent campaigns in recent memory, with the January transfer window representing a potential lifeline for Nuno’s struggling side.

Currently languishing in 18th with just 11 points, they’ve endured a nightmare start that saw Graham Potter dismissed after recording the second-worst win percentage of any West Ham boss in Premier League history.

Worst West Ham managers in the Premier League

Win percentage

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12 Graham Potter

26.1%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

Recent form under Nuno has offered some encouragement, but the Portuguese faces an uphill battle to drag his squad away from the relegation zone.

West Ham play Man United in a vital clash tonight, which has been made all the more important by Leeds United and Nottingham Forest’s victories this week, with Nuno desperate not to let the points gap at the bottom grow any further.

Securing a striker has also emerged as the club’s absolute priority ahead of the winter window.

Niclas Füllkrug’s disastrous spell appears destined to end after just 18 months, with the German international managing only three goals since his £27 million arrival from Borussia Dortmund.

His agent publicly admitted a January departure “makes sense,” and West Ham have already begun identifying replacements.

Union Saint-Gilloise forward Promise David is a very solid candidate in this regard.

West Ham hold talks with £20m star who has the same agent as Kyle Walker-Peters

The Hammers already have a productive relationship with his representatives.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 3, 2025

The imposing 6 foot 5 striker has notched 34 goals in 63 appearances for the Belgian champions and could be available for just £17.5 million, representing excellent value for the east Londoners, who are reportedly in pole position after making contact.

West Ham also want a new defender and midfielder, according to insiders like ExWHUemployee, and this has been backed up by another former worker of the club.

Nuno making 'big plans' at West Ham in transfer revelation

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-West Ham senior scout Mick Brown has claimed that Nuno is making ‘big plans’ for the transfer market and wants to bolster an array of key positions.

Brown went on to claim that West Ham also have their eyes on a centre-half, midfielder and a top goalscorer, so there is a lot of work for David Sullivan to contemplate if they manage to stay in the top flight.

In terms of the budget for January to pull off this overhaul, West Ham may not have much to play with, as reports suggest they’re set to operate with limited spending power.

For Nuno to realistically get his wish, it’ll likely be over multiple windows, but that will again be dependent on West Ham’s standing come May.

Pep’s a big fan: Man City leading race for “superstar” and ready to bid £65m+

Manchester City have now moved into pole position in the race for a “superstar”, and they are now ready to make a bid of over £65m.

Pep eyeing long-term additions to his defence

Pep Guardiola has made it clear he is a huge admirer of Matheus Nunes this season, saying: “He can be an incredible right-back,”

“Matheus is a holding midfielder with incredible physicality and as much as he is focused, he can become one of the best [right-backs].

“He has special attributions to play in the sides, and in the last two or three games he has played unbelievable.”

Nunes has remained a key player for Man City in recent weeks, starting the last three games, with Abdukhodir Khusanov also capable of slotting in at right-back, doing so in the Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen back in November, while also impressing against Arsenal.

Despite Pep being blessed with a number of options in defence, the City boss remains keen on making long-term additions to his backline, according to a new report from TEAMtalk, which states he views Newcastle United defender Tino Livramento as the complete package.

The Blues have now moved into pole position in the race for Livramento’s signature, despite interest from a number of Premier League clubs, and they are ready to make a bid of more than £65m, which could include add-ons, while summer signing James Trafford may also be used as part of a swap deal.

"Superstar" Livramento may find it difficult to dislodge Nunes

Lauded as a “superstar” by Newcastle content creator Kendall Rowan, there are signs the right-back could be a good fit in a Guardiola system, with his passing ability particularly impressive over the course of the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90 (past year)

Pass completion %

85.9% (90th percentile)

Progressive passes

5.17 (87th percentile)

Pep has been keen on signing the full-back for quite some time, and he is now vastly experienced in the Premier League, having made 103 appearances in the competition, while he has also tested himself in the Champions League for the second time this season.

The 23-year-old could be able to push for Nunes’ place in the starting XI before too long, but it will be difficult to dislodge the Portugal international, given that the City star is arguably a more well-rounded right-back at the moment.

Man City offer Real Madrid shock swap deal to sign "the next De Bruyne"

He’s impressed under Xabi Alonso.

ByTom Cunningham 7 days ago

The 27-year-old has displayed a keen eye for creating chances this season, chipping in with one goal and three assists in the Premier League, while Livramento has just four goal contributions in 93 games for Newcastle.

As such, the Engand international may have to improve the attacking side of his game if he is going to take Nunes’ shirt.

رد حاسم من بايرن ميونخ على اهتمام ريال مدريد بضم أوباميكانو

رد نادي بايرن ميونخ على الشائعات التي تحوم حول رحيل دايوت أوباميكانو عن صفوف الفريق خلال الفترة المقبلة، وسط اهتمام ريال مدريد بضم الدولي الفرنسي.

أوباميكانو سوف ينتهي عقده مع نادي بايرن ميونخ بنهاية الموسم الجاري، ولم يتم التوصل إلى اتفاق بين الطرفين حتى الآن حول توقيع عقد جديد.

وورد أن نادي ريال مدريد على رأس المهتمين بالتعاقد مع أوباميكانو خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي المقبل، وذلك كوكيل حر بالفعل.

ويتبع ريال مدريد سياسة التعاقد مع اللاعبين الذين تنتهي عقودهم مع الأندية مجانًا خلال السنوات الأخيرة، ومن بينها تم التعاقد مع عدد من الأسماء الكبيرة كأنطونيو روديجر، وديفيد ألابا، وكيليان مبابي.

لكن أولي هونيس، الرئيس الفخري لنادي بايرن ميونخ، قد أشار إلى أن أوباميكانو سوف يستمر مع الفريق البافاري.

أقرأ أيضًا .. أسينسيو عن رحيله من ريال مدريد: لست نادمًا ولم أغادر بسبب المال

وقال هونيس في تصريحات لشبكة سكاي سبورتس: ”أعتقد أن أوباميكانو سيجدد عقده”.

ووضع ريال مدريد أوباميكانو على رأس أولوياته لتدعيم خط الدفاع خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي المقبل، بحسب ما ورد في التقارير الصحفية والإعلامية الأخيرة.

وأفادت الأنباء أن ريال مدريد استبعد فكرة التعاقد مع إبراهيما كوناتي، لاعب نادي ليفربول، والذي تنطبق عليه نفس حالة أوباميكانو ، حيث ينتهي عقد اللاعب مع الريدز بنهاية هذا الموسم.

Spurs gem who's "like the old Lennon" could end Johnson’s Tottenham career

It is not controversial to say that Tottenham Hotspur have struggled in the Premier League this season, though, adopting a glass-half-full mentality, it could also be suggested that Thomas Frank’s project, in its infancy, has the potential to be a success.

However, we need to see a more synergised frontline and a sharper overall build-up strategy. Spurs have struggled for stable home form and fluency in their creativity this season, and that has formed the crux of their struggles.

Many players have flattered to deceive, but Johnson’s poor performances have perhaps gone somewhat under the radar as Frank continues to hand the Wales international a second-string role.

Brennan Johnson's struggles at Spurs

In keeping with the wider narrative at Tottenham, Johnson has ebbed and flowed since joining the club from Nottingham Forest for around £47.5m in 2023. However, he will be desperate for an uptick in form after a tough start to the Frank era, peripheral after scoring 17 goals across all competitions last year.

Johnson may have an eye for goal, but Frank clearly doesn’t fancy him as a regular starting option for the Lilywhites at the moment, with the Welshman only starting three of the past 11 fixtures in the Premier League.

Despite scoring in both of Tottenham’s opening league outings, he has offered very little in regard to ball-carrying and creative metrics, clinical when afforded space in the danger area but offering very little else for an outfit desperate for more dynamism.

See below for how Johnson’s data from the top-flight terms matches up against the form of Mohamed Kudus, and you’ll get a sense of why Frank is loath to give him a starting berth.

Matches (starts)

13 (13)

13 (6)

Goals

2

2

Assists

5

0

Touches*

52.4

17.8

Shots (on target)*

1.5 (0.5)

0.4 (0.2)

Accurate passes*

20.9 (87%)

6.7 (70%)

Chances created*

1.6

0.4

Succ. dribbles*

3.1

0.2

Ball recoveries*

5.1

0.9

Tackles + interceptions*

1.9

1.1

Duels won*

6.5

1.8

This isn’t good enough. Johnson has the physicality and electric nature to provide much more. After all, he has been hailed by content creator HLTCO in the past for his “frightening” pace and directness down the flank, right or left.

But time is surely running out for him to nail down a regular starting berth. He’s unlikely to displace Kudus, and while most Lilywhites have left something to be desired this season, there’s a lot of quality there.

And there’s more still to come, with an out-on-loan star sure to be eyeing a place above Johnson in the north London pecking order next season.

The Spurs star who could replace Johnson

Analyst Ben Mattinson has described Mikey Moore as a prospect with “superstar potential”, having taken his first steps in Tottenham’s first team last season, scoring his first senior goal in the Europa League and racking up two assists besides across 19 matches in all competitions.

Moore is currently sidelined with a muscular injury, approaching one month since last playing in the Scottish Premiership, and though he struggled to impose himself throughout the early weeks of the campaign, Rangers’ abject form made it difficult for the youngster to hit the ground running.

His natural potency in the final third and underlying athleticism suggest that he might be the perfect Johnson heir, especially since he is comfortable playing across both flanks.

Spurs writer James Harris has even said that he could “bring back the old Aaron Lennon” to north London, so dangerous and dynamic when running with the ball.

aaron-lennon-transfer-gossip-tottenham-hotspur-postecoglou-leeds-united-tyler-adams

Lennon racked up 364 appearances as a right winger for Tottenham, and pace and potency were staples of his game. Like Moore, he was an incredibly direct winger; though he offered far more from a creative standpoint than, say, Johnson, there’s a sense that Moore might share the retired England star’s protean threat.

Though it hasn’t been plain sailing for Moore in the highlands this season, it’s probably fair to say that the experience has toughened him up some, and that could prove instrumental in nailing down a starting spot down the line at Tottenham.

Already, he is showing that he has more in his locker than Johnson, a wider and more threatening array of skills.

Expect big things from this kid in the future, even if that comes at Johnson’s expense, it will help elevate Frank’s project.

The new Son: Spurs prepared to pay £65m to sign "world-class" talent

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to fork out a hefty sum to land a new attacker for Thomas Frank.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

Botafogo-SP vence o Santos e sai da zona de rebaixamento na Série B

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo-SP venceu o Santos na oitava rodada da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro e saiu da zona de rebaixamento na competição. Os gols da equipe de Ribeirão Preto na noite desta segunda-feira (3), no Estádio do Café, foram marcados por Douglas Baggio e João Costa. Joaquim descontou para o Peixe.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasOnde AssistirSantos e Botafogo-SP: onde assistir, escalações e horário do jogo pela Série BOnde Assistir03/06/2024SantosSantos tem novidade entre os relacionados para enfrentar o Botafogo-SP; veja provável escalaçãoSantos03/06/2024SantosSantos define estratégia para contratação de novo goleiro; saiba nomesSantos01/06/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Santos

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
SANTOS 1 X 2 BOTAFOGO-SP
8ª RODADA – SÉRIE B DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO
🗓️ Data e horário: segunda-feira, 3 de junho de 2024, às 18h;
🏟️ Local: Estádio do Café, em Londrina (PR);
🟨 Árbitro: Gustavo Ervino Bauermann (SC);
🚩 Assistentes: Alex dos Santos (SC) e Luciane Rodrigues (SC);
🖥️ VAR: Rodrigo Nunes de Sá (RJ).

SANTOS (Técnico: Fábio Carille)
Gabriel Brazão; JP Chermont (Hayner), Gil, Joaquim, Escobar; Rincón (Cazares), Diego Pituca e Giuliano; Otero, Willian, Weslley Patati (Rodrigo Ferreira).

continua após a publicidade

BOTAFOGO-SP (Técnico: Paulo Gomes)
João Carlos; Wallison, Lucas Dias, Fábio Sanches, Patrick Brey (Jean Victor); João Costa, Matheus Barbosa (João Maranini), Gustavo Bochecha (Fillipe Soutto), Douglas Baggio (Carlos Manuel) e Emerson Ramon; Alex Sandro (Toró).

Tudo sobre

Botafogo-SPFutebol NacionalSantosSérie B

Jansen too hot for India as SA start dreaming of series sweep

Jaiswal’s 58 and Washington’s 48 the only bright spots for India, with Jansen’s short-ball brilliance causing trouble

Sidharth Monga24-Nov-20253:59

Karim: India’s ultra-aggressive approach flummoxed me

Marco Jansen all but ensured the world Test champions South Africa a rare series win in India by bowling the hosts out for 201 and securing a first-innings lead of 288 on day three. On a pitch still hard to beat the defensive bat on, India collapsed from 95 for 1 to 122 for 7, losing all hopes of coming back to win and level the series. They were on the back-foot anyway after conceding 489 to South Africa, who also hold an unassailable 1-0 lead in the series.Things happened quickly in the second hour of the day as the odd ball turned or bounced more than usual for spinners Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj. Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav then batted together for nearly 35 overs without trouble to show it was just the early moisture that helped the odd ball turn.But Jansen rose above the pitch with aggressive short-pitched bowling to take his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests to go with his momentum-shifting 93 and an excellent catch to get rid of India’s only half-centurion in the series, Yashasvi Jaiswal.3:51

‘SA might set 470 target and keep 120 overs’

Nobody has ever taken as many wickets with bouncers in a single innings in India since the advent of ball-by-ball records. Those nasty bouncers took out Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Jasprit Bumrah on an otherwise placid surface. On Ian Botham’s birthday, Jansen’s six-for went a long way towards emulating the greatest all-round performance by a visiting player in India: a century and 13 wickets in 1980 in the Jubilee Test.Before Jansen broke the game open with a spell of 8-1-18-4 with a fairly old ball either side of the first session break, South Africa benefitted from some luck and possible panic in the young Indian batting line-up. Not since the 1960s have India had Nos. 3 and 4 with just one hundred and fewer than 1000 career runs between them. That this is being played in the east, that we have lost 10 overs on the first two days because of the early sunset, might have had something to do with some of the frenetic batting from India, who need a win in this match to prevent a second home series defeat in 12 months after 12 years of none.Only four balls jumped or turned more than usual in more than an hour after the fast bowlers operated for the first half hour. India looked solid in getting to 65 without any loss, but then two of those four balls that did more than usual ended up in the wickets of openers. One long hop settled with short midwicket, and two batters fell trying to force the pace when only one batter has been able to dominate the bowling in this Test: Jansen.5:17

Best Test allrounders: Jadeja, Stokes, and… Jansen?

KL Rahul got the first of the good ones, bowled by Maharaj at 79kmph, well slower than any of India’s fingerspinners. Harmer, who has been excellent – sharp turn or not – then bowled the second one. Jaiswal had looked in control both when defending and attacking, but he checked a back-foot shot when this delivery stopped and stood up. Jansen, who had already denied him six runs on the cut with his long levers at backward point, took the catch diving forward. Not many could have even got to this on the full.B Sai Sudharsan, back as the No. 3 after being left out in Kolkata, was conscious to not get caught back to full deliveries, which has been his undoing in the past. He played two lovely cover-drives, but ended up pulling a short ball from Harmer to the left of short midwicket, where Ryan Rickelton took a rebound while diving.It was all Jansen after this – plus a little bit of chasing the game. Jurel was kept runless for 10 balls when he tried to hook a wide bouncer from Jansen. It was too high and too wide for him to be able to control. That this came about in the last over before tea made it worse.Post-tea, captain Rishabh Pant tried to counterattack by charging at Jansen. All he managed was an edge to the keeper. Reddy and Jadeja got brutes. Reddy had to throw his hands in front of his face in self defence, and Aiden Markram took a catch to match the earlier two, diving from second slip to gully. Jadeja tried to sway out of one’s line, but it followed him, hit the shoulder and then took the periscope on the way to second slip. On average, Jansen could bowl a metre fuller than Siraj for the ball to be a bouncer, giving them less time to adjust. He also bowled when the pitch had lost pace and bounce.With Jansen done, the moisture drying out and the push for a comeback win dissipating for India, Washington and Kuldeep defended with ease. No. 3 in the last Test, Washington came close to scoring only the second half-century for India this series, but was outdone by a lovely offbreak from Harmer just before the second new ball became available. Kuldeep registered his longest Test innings, turned down a single to protect Jasprit Bumrah, but couldn’t keep Jansen out. Not that Bumrah could be protected anyway: Jansen ended the innings with another nasty bouncer.Without even a full day’s rest, India’s bowlers were back on the park again. Bumrah created a chance in the first over of the third innings, but it flew wide of second slip. South Africa went into stumps 314 ahead, only a couple of sessions away from batting India out of the series.

Jaiswal, Rohit, Kohli lead India to 2-1 series win

Kuldeep and Prasidh set up the victory by sharing eight wickets between them

Sidharth Monga06-Dec-2025 • Updated on 08-Dec-2025KL Rahul resorted to spinning the coin with his left hand and finally won India a toss for the first time in their last 21 ODIs. They followed it up with a nine-wicket win to show what a challenge it had been for them to stay competitive and force a decider against South Africa, despite losing both the earlier tosses in this series.The beleaguered Prasidh Krishna began India’s turnaround, bowling Quinton de Kock after a sensational century. Kuldeep Yadav – playing with the dry ball for the first time in the series – then ran through the lower middle order to restrict South Africa to 270, after they would have entertained thoughts of 350 at various points in the innings.India penalised for slow over-rate

India’s players have been fined 10% of their match fees for their slow over-rate against South Africa in the second ODI in Raipur on December 3.

KL Rahul’s team was ruled to be two overs behind the target in match referee Richie Richardson’s estimation, and the team was penalised in accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC’s code of conduct for players.

The charge against India was levelled by on-field umpires Rod Tucker and Rohan Pandit, third umpire Sam Nogajski, and fourth umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal.

The low target allowed Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal to be measured in the initial overs, as the ball moved for longer and the dew appeared later than in the first two matches. Rohit shepherded Jaiswal in the early parts of his innings as the youngster found his tempo in a new format. However, Rohit didn’t stay long enough to watch him cruise to a maiden ODI hundred.In the end, the match wasn’t as simplistic as “win the toss, win the match” – it ebbed and flowed with a variety of conditions presenting themselves.Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana used the early moisture – perhaps a touch extra, to stop the pitch from drying out in the first innings – beautifully to tie South Africa down. Ryan Rickleton was opening, with Aiden Markram pushed down the order – to No. 5 – in Tony de Zorzi’s absence. Arshdeep took Rickleton’s edge in the first over. Rana followed it up with a maiden. India bowled three maidens in the first eight overs and only two edged boundaries from de Kock’s bat took South Africa to 25 for 1.Quinton de Kock brought up his seventh ODI ton against India•BCCIThe introduction of Prasidh, already under fire in this series, brought South Africa an opportunity to break free. De Kock took a special liking to him, pulling him for two sixes in his first two overs and playing the two shots of the day: an aerial extra-cover drive on the up for a six and one along the ground for four. Prasidh went for 27 in his first two, and runs started to flow in a 113-run stand between de Kock and Bavuma. The latter scored only 48 of those in 67 balls, which was more indicative of the conditions and the quality of bowling. De Kock, on the other hand, was already 63 off 55 at this point.The pitch had settled by now, and Matthew Breetzke took down the part-time spin of Tilak Varma, playing in place of Washington Sundar. By the end of the 26th over, the fifth-bowler combination of Prasidh and Tilak had leaked 56 runs from their five overs. De Kock was well on his way to a seventh century against India in just 23 innings. No one has scored more against India. Nor has any visiting batter scored more than his seven centuries in India.Related

Rohit and Kohli take centre stage before leaving the scene

Conrad hopes SA's young batters learn from Kohli, Rohit

Grovel trouble – Conrad 'could have chosen a better word'

Kohli: I've not played at this level for two-three years

This is when, at 158 for 2, Prasidh started his second spell. His first over went for just two. Rana came on at the other end, with India desperate for a wicket. De Kock hit a four to take South Africa past a run a ball for the first time. In Prasidh’s next, Breetzke tried to get back to dominating him and made an error in judging length. He was out plumb lbw playing back and across the line to a ball hitting top of off. In the same over, Markram ended up chipping one to Virat Kohli, fielding close at short cover.Given the depth in their batting and the need to capitalise on the overs before the extra fielder went out for the last 10 overs, South Africa kept going. The run rate stayed up, but de Kock ended up playing all around a long half-volley from Prasidh, dismissed for 106 off 89 out of a score of 199 for 5 in 32.5 overs.Dewald Brevis and Marco Jansen kept attacking, but the return of Kuldeep brought new challenges. India needed to bowl five overs of spin in the last 14, which could have been tricky. However, Kuldeep was cherishing the dry ball for the first time this series as well as the older ball for the first time in his career, since the bowling side is now allowed to bowl with only one of the two balls after the 34th over.Brevis and Jansen were bullish in their response. They were not willing to play out Kuldeep, the leading wicket-taker in the series despite a predominantly wet ball in hand. When Kuldeep started the second over of this new spell, there had been 19 balls without a boundary. The extra fielder would go out in two overs as well. Aware of a big shot around the corner, Kuldeep kept tossing the ball wide and taking it away. Both of the batters holed out in the same over.Rohit Sharma celebrates with Kuldeep Yadav, who took four wickets•Associated PressKuldeep’s wizardry picked up two more wickets – only Adam Zampa has taken more hauls of four or more since Kuldeep’s debut – and Prasidh wiped off the last man.If South Africa had to compete in this defence, they needed early wickets. The ball moved around for Jansen and Lungi Ngidi, but seven wides in the first two overs and the occasional calculated strike from Rohit kept India in touch with the asking rate.Even as Jaiswal struggled, Rohit took the game on, charging and pulling Ngidi for a six and chipping Keshav Maharaj for a four against the turn. His trademark imperious pull made an appearance soon enough. While Jaiswal’s strike rate hovered around 50, Rohit got to his 94th score of 50 or more at a run a ball, buying Jaiswal time.It hasn’t been an ideal scenario for Jaiswal, filling in for the injured captain Shubman Gill. He was obligated to hit out in the first two ODIs as India strived for above-par scored to counter the toss disadvantage, but here, he could use the extra time and post a big score before Gill takes over again.The innings flowed smoothly after he reached 50 off 75 balls. He reached his hundred in just 36 more balls, becoming the sixth batter to be a centurion for India in all three formats. He batted with the two others in this chase. After Rohit fell 25 short of what would have been a 34th ODI hundred, Kohli displayed yet another upgrade to his game: he took his sixes tally to 12 – more than he has ever hit in a series before. He finished unbeaten on 65 off 45, as India won with more than 10 overs to spare.

Rib injury rules Kagiso Rabada out of second Test too

Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the second India vs South Africa Test match, in Guwahati from Saturday, after not recovering sufficiently from the rib bone stress injury that had kept him out of the opening Test of the series in Kolkata.”The injury has been closely monitored by the Proteas medical team, and due to ongoing discomfort in the affected area, Rabada has been withdrawn from the remainder of the tour,” Cricket South Africa said in a statement on Friday morning, a day off from the start of the game. “He will continue the initial phase of his four-week rehabilitation program with the Proteas medical team before returning to South Africa at the conclusion of the second Test.”This will put him out of the white-ball series in India that will follow the Tests.As reported by ESPNcricinfo, Rabada had not bowled since sustaining the injury in training last Tuesday in Kolkata and did not train on Wednesday in Guwahati.Simon Harmer, with an eight-wicket match haul, was South Africa’s bowling star in Kolkata, and they had Keshav Maharaj as the second spinner there with Marco Jansen the fast-bowling frontman and Wiaan Mulder and Corbin Bosch chipping in. Mulder, though, bowled just five overs in the Test, and while Bosch bowled more, he had just the one wicket – of Rishabh Pant in the first innings – to show for his efforts. Bosch made a valuable contribution of 25 runs from No. 9 in South Africa’s second innings, though.Lungi Ngidi is the other fast bowler in South Africa’s line-up.

Alejandro Garnacho calls Chelsea transfer a 'step forward' & insists he has no regrets about acrimonious end to Man Utd career

Alejandro Garnacho has described his £40 million ($53m) transfer to Chelsea as a "step forward" while insisting he has no regrets about the acrimonious end to his Manchester United career. The 21-year-old, who was once regarded as one of the brightest prospects at Old Trafford, was allowed to leave in August after falling out of favour under head coach Ruben Amorim.

  • Man Utd's negotiations with Chelsea

    Chelsea initially attempted to structure the transfer as a player-plus-cash deal, offering Romeo Lavia as part of the package. While the Blues were willing to reduce the overall fee if United accepted the 21-year-old midfielder in return, the proposal was rejected. United, aware of Lavia’s persistent fitness problems since joining Chelsea from Southampton, felt he could not be relied upon to strengthen a midfield already low on durability. They instead pushed for a straight cash agreement and eventually bid farewell to Garnacho, as revealed by

  • Advertisement

  • AFP

    Garnacho speaks ahead of Champions League clash

    Garnacho addressed reporters in Bergamo ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League meeting with Atalanta. Calm, composed and unapologetic, the Argentine winger made it clear that the decision to move was deliberate and necessary.

    Asked if he regretted how his United story ended, with public criticism of Amorim leading to his exile from the first team squad, he responded with a blunt "No". When pressed on whether he felt sadness, he again replied: "No."

    Expanding on his switch to Chelsea, he said: "I came here to play my football, to show people the player I am. Sometimes in life, you have to change things to maybe take a step forward or to improve as a player. It was the right moment, and also the right club, so it was an easy decision.

    "The most important thing is confidence. He (Enzo Maresca) speaks with me every week. We are going to get better, me as a player and the team together, with time. We started the season three months ago, so it’s building confidence."

    Chelsea boss Maresca went on to offer his assessment of Garnacho's first few months at Stamford Bridge: "He can give much more, but not only Alejandro. I think all the players, we try to work every day with them, just to try to improve them. It's been quite easy to work with him, in terms of he wants to learn, he's open-minded, he's working good on the ball and off the ball. And then again, some games he's better, some games he tries a little bit more. But overall he's doing well with us."

  • Maresca wary of Atalanta's rigorous man-marking

    Maresca also delivered a stern warning to his players about Atalanta's intense defensive system. 

    He said: "You can see most of the teams play five at the back, most of the teams try to play man-to-man everywhere. If you go to the toilet, they follow you everywhere."

    Cole Palmer did not travel with the squad, with the club mindful of his delicate fitness situation. The England international has managed just six appearances this season after battling multiple setbacks. Chelsea are determined not to rush him into a congested schedule he is currently ill-equipped to handle.

    "We need to protect Cole for sure, 100%. Not only Cole in my personal view because as I said now because of the Club World Cup or because we never stop, we need to manage and protect different players," Maresca added. "He's not available. He can’t play two games in a row in three days so we've planned this and it's a way to protect him. [He] played half an hour the other day, played one hour today. So now it's important that he can build the physical condition."

  • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

    Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

  • AFP

    Chelsea face demanding fixture run after Atalanta test

    Chelsea’s schedule only gets busier after their trip to Italy. They host Everton in the Premier League on Saturday and then take on League One side Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals three days later. However, Maresca has been boosted with the availability of Wesley Fofana and captain Reece James. 

Game
Register
Service
Bonus