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The Manchester derby. A fixture that Manchester United fans dread rather than look forward to takes place this afternoon at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola has gotten the better of Erik ten Hag since the Dutch boss arrived in England, with Manchester City winning three of the four encounters since the start of last season.

Luckily, the Red Devils do go into the game during their best run of form all campaign, winning seven matches already in 2024 across all competitions.

However, the problem lies in the absence of some key players, such as Rasmus Hojlund, Luke Shaw, and Lisandro Martinez. Nonetheless, Victor Lindelof should be given the boot if United are to walk away with anything.

GK – Dean Henderson

RB – Aaron Wan-Bissaka

CB – Victor Lindelof

CB – Harry Maguire

LB – Luke Shaw

CM – Fred

CM – Scott McTominay

CM – Bruno Fernandes

RW – Dan James

LW – Marcus Rashford

ST – Anthony Martial

Why Victor Lindelof must be benched

The 29-year-old has been somewhat of a useful utility and squad player this season, stepping into the starting XI when usual first-team starters are unavailable.

Lindelof has featured in 16 Premier League matches this campaign, starting 11 of those matches, with six of them being in an unorthodox left-back role. However, Ten Hag trialled Sofyan Amrabat in that position on Wednesday in the FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest, with the Moroccan set to start in the same role against the Citizens.

This means that if the Swede were to start, he would be playing as a central defender up against Erling Haaland, who is known for his athleticism, strength, and pure goal-scoring ability.

Lindelof is a defender who isn't the most physical, as shown by his 1.6 duels won per game this season, and he has been caught out when getting tight to the opponent recently, with his two yellows in his last three games serving as evidence for that.

Chalkboard

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

Man United simply cannot afford this lack of assertiveness and dominance on the field against Man City, as the quality of Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and so on will take advantage of that.

Therefore, Ten Hag could look towards a more experienced centre half to partner Raphael Varane this afternoon.

Ten Hag must now ruthlessly bench McTominay for Man Utd's "monster"

Scott McTominay struggled at times against Nottingham Forest.

ByTom Lever Feb 29, 2024 Why Jonny Evans must start against Man City

The signing of 36-year-old Jonny Evans was both confusing and frowned upon by the United faithful at the start of the term, however, the defender has been crucial at times throughout this season, not just stepping up in absences but also performing to a high standard, with creator Liam Canning describing one of his performances last month as "immaculate."

The Northern Ireland rock has started ten games in the league this season while also being relied upon to come off the bench and secure a victory. The number 35 has already built a dominant partnership alongside Varane, with the duo's performance against Liverpool in the 0-0 draw proving that they can be effective against the very best.

Goals conceded

0

0

Clearances

15

5

Blocked shots

2

2

Duels won

4/4

3/4

Possession lost

10

5

As you can see by the table above, Evans and the French defender were a brick wall at Anfield, despite the hosts having 34 attempts at goal, 12 corners, and 68% possession. They showed their experience and incredible box-defending ability to prevent Liverpool from finding the back of the net.

The high clearances prove that their reading of the game is excellent while also showing that they can deal with crosses into the box, whether they're in the air or on the floor. This will be vital against Haaland, who has exceptional movement and thrives inside the box.

Between the centre halves, they also won seven of their eight duels, proving that they can be dominant and deal with the physicality of the Norweigan much better than Lindelof, for example, who's won four of his last ten duels.

Overall, it is quite clear that if United are to have any success this afternoon, then the centre-half pairing of Evans and Varane will play a big role.

Sunderland needed a second-half masterclass at the Stadium of Light to get the better of a valiant Plymouth Argyle, with the likes of Pierre Ekwah and Jack Clarke amongst the goals alongside substitute Jobe Bellingham.

Bellingham's fantastic strike off the post sealed the three points at 3-1, meaning the Black Cats would end the day in the Championship playoff spots.

Unsurprisingly, this game-clinching goal should see Michael Beale bring Bellingham back into the first-team fold for Sunderland's Valentine's Day away clash at Huddersfield Town.

Yet, there was another attacker in the Pilgrims' victory that shone equally as bright as Bellingham in Patrick Roberts who will hope to be on the teamsheet again versus the Terriers.

Patrick Roberts' game vs Plymouth in numbers

Roberts very much seized his opportunity to return to Beale's lineup for this one, starting his first game since Boxing Day owing to injury troubles.

The former Celtic star picked up only his second assist of the season in the eventually dominant win, rolling the ball across the floor for Pierre Ekwah to score a cleverly worked free-kick past the hapless Argyle shot-stopper.

Only misplacing two passes all game warranted Roberts having a part to play in the equalising strike, further amassing three key passes in total as a creative force against a Plymouth defence that gradually grew more and more shaky as the hosts began to smell blood.

Minutes played

69

Assists

1

Touches

58

Accurate passes

36/38 (95%)

Key passes

3

Duels won

5/8

The 27-year-old winger represents a seasoned head in attack now, especially with Alex Pritchard departing for Birmingham City in the recently closed transfer window. Could Beale utilise this experience effectively between now and the end of the season, in the pursuit of promotion glory?

The Sunderland boss will, however, want to start Bellingham as well versus Huddersfield – adding in even more youthful exuberance to his already talented Black Cats XI, the 18-year-old sensation crucial in the promotion hopefuls getting over line against the visitors from Devon.

Jobe Bellingham's game vs Plymouth in numbers

Coming onto the pitch with only 25 minutes to leave his mark, it's fair to say the teenage talent did just that.

Replacing a hit-and-miss Abdoullah Ba – who has shown glimpses of his quality this season for Sunderland – Bellingham could be viewed as the more reliable attacking presence based on his impactful cameo at the weekend.

It would only take Bellingham two minutes in total to bag his "sensational" goal – as it was called by journalist Josh Bunting, taking on a number of Plymouth shirts who all stood back and then allowed the teenage talent to fire home.

Buoyed on clearly by Clarke also scoring a peach of a strike to give Sunderland the slim 2-1 lead on the day, Bellingham will be demanding he starts next game off the back of such an important involvement.

Only misplacing one of 15 passes too on the Stadium of Light turf, the exciting Black Cats number seven – who was once described as "integral" to Sunderland by Carlton Palmer – further did his bit by winning two ground duels away from just stylishly strutting his stuff.

Beale will be delighted with what he saw from his £6.5k-per-week teenage asset, tempted to start both Bellingham and Roberts against Huddersfield as a result.

With the Terriers leaking five at the weekend to high-flying Southampton, Sunderland will hope they can further expose the West Yorkshire side's frailties at the back on Wednesday night on the way to back-to-back wins.

Bowling coach B Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar are going to retain their positions for another two years

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-20192:07

India support staff interviews done in fair manner – chief selector MSK Prasad

Former India batsman and selector Vikram Rathour is all set to replace Sanjay Bangar as the new batting coach of the senior men’s team, with only formalities left to be completed. However, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar will retain their positions for another two years. India’s selection panel, led by MSK Prasad, shortlisted three candidates each for all the support staff positions with Rathour, Arun and Sridhar leading their respective lists in “order of priority” as “unanimous” choices, and will be officially appointed after formalities, barring any conflict-of-interest possibilities.The two other candidates shortlisted in each category were Bangar and former England batsman Mark Ramprakash for batting coach, Paras Mhambrey and Venkatesh Prasad for bowling coach, and Abhay Sharma and T Dilip for fielding coach. These men, barring Ramprakash, will work with the ‘A’ team, and at times at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.The support staff will be appointed for a period of two years, starting with the home series against South Africa in September and lasting till the T20 World Cup in 2021.Prasad did not give a specific reason why only Bangar was being replaced in the support staff. “In the last five years, there is definitely some amount of improvement. Looking ahead, with the Test Championship coming up and two T20 World Cups, we thought that there should be freshness in the department,” Prasad explained. “That’s the reason why we went ahead with Vikram Rathour as first choice.”He was the director of HPCA [Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association], he was also the coach of Punjab Cricket Association, he was also an assistant coach with Kings XI Punjab, so he’s got enough experience behind him. Apart from that, he has been doing a lot of assignments with the National Cricket Academy, so we are convinced with his skill-sets and we thought that he’d be our first preference.”Associated PressThat Rathour is the brother-in-law of former India offspinner and current Under-19 selector Aashish Kapoor also came up as a possible conflict-of-interest possibility but BCCI chief executive Rahul Johri clarified that there were no such issues.”This was discussed at the CoA meeting also because the CoA was presented with the shortlist,” Johri said. “Now, his brother-in-law is the selector of the Under-19 junior committee, and this is the batting coach of the men’s senior team, so we do not think there’s any conflict of interest.”A total of 14 candidates were interviewed for batting coach, 12 for bowling coach, nine for fielding coach, 16 for physiotherapist, 12 for strength and conditioning coach, and 24 for administrative manager. All the interviews for the above positions took place in Mumbai from Monday to Thursday.When asked, Prasad said that the team management and two Cricket Advisory Committee members – Kapil Dev and Anshuman Gaekwad – were also asked for their views for the support staff positions but the selection committee took the final decisions on its own “in a fair manner”. Prasad, however, suggested that going ahead, officially involving the CAC chairman could be helpful in picking the support staff. “The CAC chairman will definitely add value because they’ve conducted the interview for the head coach so there will be continuity and consistency,” he said.Among the selectors, Prasad, Sarandeep Singh, Gagan Khoda and Jatin Paranjape were present in person, while Devang Gandhi attended via video conference from the West Indies while conducting the interviews.The candidates shortlisted for the post of physiotherapist were Nitin Patel, Andrew Leipus and Vaibhav Daga, and the three finalised for the post of administrative manager were Girish Dongre, Venkatesh Rajagopalan and Anand Yalvigi. The selection panel also decided to call the following candidates for a second round of interviews for the post of strength and conditioning coach: Luke Woodhouse, Grant Luden, Rajnikanth Sivagnanam, Nick Webb and Anand Date.The contracts of head coach Ravi Shastri and the entire support staff had expired after the World Cup before they got a temporary extension for the ongoing tour of the West Indies and the USA. Shastri was then reappointed for a two-year period earlier this month by the CAC and the selection panel was tasked with appointing the support staff.

تحدث إيمانويل أديبايور لاعب آرسنال وريال مدريد السابق، عن مباراة السوبر الإفريقي بين الأهلي والزمالك.

ويحتضن ملعب استاد الممكلة أرينا مباراة الأهلي بطل دوري أبطال إفريقيا، والزمالك حامل لقب الكونفدرالية، لحسم الفائز بكأس السوبر القاري.

وتنطلق المباراة غدًا الجمعة في تمام التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية.

طالع..جوميز: حسمت ظهير أيسر الزمالك في السوبر الإفريقي.. والأهلي قوي جدًا

وقال أديبايور، في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر 2”: “الزخم المتواجد على مباراة السوبر أمر جميل يقوم به الكاف، والأجواء هنا مثيرة لأن الكثير من الملاكمة والفنون القتالية تحدث في السعودية، فريقان عظيمان يلتقيان في الرياض، وسوف نرى الفريقين يلعبان وأتمنى لهما حظ سعيد في النهاية”.

وتابع: “منذ أن كنت في الخامسة أو السادسة من عمري وأنا أعرف الزمالك، هو فريق كبير ومن أكبر فرق إفريقيا ولديهم تاريخ عريق وانجازات ومباراة الغد هي قمة من أعلى طراز، الأهلي والزمالك فريقان جيدان جدًا في القارة وربما نزعم أنها أفضل فريقين في القارة، وهي فرصة كبيرة أن أشاهدهما”.

وأكمل ردًا على سؤال لماذا تميل للزمالك.. هل تشجعه؟: “لا أشجع فريق بعينه، ولكن أن أشاهد الزمالك الذي كنت أسمع عنه قصص كثيرة وأنا صغير أمام عيني في الملعب هو حلم تحقق”.

وواصل: “الجميع طموحه مختلف وأعرف الكثير من اللاعبين العظام، محمد صلاح اجتهد ووصل للقمة ويجلس على طاولة مع كريستانو رونالدو وميسي وعمل بدون كلل وملل ويعرف الذي يريده، هو أسطورة إفريقية ويمثل قارة ويكافح من أجل قارتنا وكل الحب له، هو الشخص الذي نتابعه جميعًا ويسجل الأهداف، ويقولون اللاعب الإفريقي وليس المصري، أتمنى التوفيق لصلاح هو مذهل، ونتمنى في يوم من الأيام يفوز بالبالون دور”.

وأتم: “أتوقع أن تكون مباراة السوبر الأفريقي رائعة، وأتوقع أنها ستكون مباراة جميلة والعالم كله سيشاهد، عليهم أن ينهوا المباراة بدون جدل، وأتمنى أن تكون مباراة نظيفة ونتحدث عنها لأعوام قادمة، سمعت أن الأهلي والزمالك يعتبران السعودية بلدهما الثاني وهذا يمنح المباراة ميزة رائعة”.

Aston Villa have been simply exceptional this season and despite their 0-0 draw with Everton on Sunday, sit third in the top-flight.

Unai Emery has crafted a perfectly balanced unit that has earned a top-four spot in the Premier League but they won't rest on their laurels heading into the second half of the campaign.

Indeed, the Spanish the boss will still look to improve his squad in January.

Aston Villa want to sign Premier League playmaker

According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook via GIVEMESPORT, Villa are still keen to sign Emile Smith Rowe.

Speaking to the publication, the reporter stated: "I'm keen to see what they [Arsenal] do with Smith Rowe because I think Aston Villa’s interest is still there.

"We know that Arsenal like Douglas Luiz, but Villa aren’t going to let him go at this moment in time because they’re competing for the top four themselves.”

The 6-foot star is seemingly surplus to requirements at Arsenal, and they could look to move him on to fund other deals.

A move this winter is likely, with the Gunners midfielder keen to get more minutes on the field.

Related January transfer window: All the deadline day deals from England and Scotland

Stay on top of all the latest transfer deals across the Premier League, EFL and SPFL as the January window closes.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Feb 1, 2024 How Emile Smith Rowe compares to Philippe Coutinho

Philippe Coutinho’s six-month loan spell at Villa in the 2021/22 season was a success, but since moving to the Midlands permanently for £17m in the next summer, the move could be described as a disaster.

The Brazilian featured 20 times last campaign, but he only scored once after a debut term where he registered eight goal involvements in 19 outings for the Villans. Fast forward to today, and he’s on loan to Al Duhail in Qatar.

The former Liverpool star's profile has yet to be replaced by Emery at Villa, however, Smith Rowe could just reignite that creative spark in the side, as coincidentally, he plays like Coutinho, as scout Jacek Kulig once referred to.

Unfortunately for Smith Rowe, he has been unable to showcase his true ability due to what seems like a never-ending injury cycle, but he could reunite with Emery at Villa, the man who handed him his Arsenal debut in 2018.

The aforementioned Kulig has labelled Smith Rowe as “prolific,” and his attacking numbers from a breakout campaign in 2021/22 where he bagged ten Premier League goals showcase that.

The England U21 star is also a creator who likes to take on responsibility in the attacking third, where he can connect the midfield to attack, using his close dribbling and ball-carrying to open up the opposition (see table below). This is extremely similar to Coutinho, who displayed those attributes during his 20-goal contribution 2016/17 Premier League campaign at Liverpool.

Smith Rowe 2021/22 PL Stats

Stats (per 90)

Smith Rowe

Ranking in the PL

Goals

0.47

Top 1%

Goals/shot

0.25

Top 2%

Progressive passes received

6.51

Top 8%

Progressive carries

3.05

Top 14%

Successful take-ons

1.50

Top 21%

Stats via FBref

Signing a goal-scoring midfielder would significantly improve Villa’s ability to score by giving them an additional threat who can crash the box. This would be particularly useful when facing a low block, which Emery has struggled against this season, as shown by the narrow 1-0 win over Middlesbrough and the 1-1 draw against Sheffield United.

Smith Rowe mainly featured as the left midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 variant during his most impressive season, and due to his technical ability, he could feature as the inverted left midfielder in the Jacob Ramsey role or as the second striker behind Ollie Watkins at Villa. Due to his intelligence and incredible link-up play, the Arsenal star could form a dangerous relationship alongside the ex-Brentford man.

The reunion between Smith Rowe and Emery could be magical, and the Spaniard would provide the 23-year-old with the perfect opportunity to revive his career.

The FA Cup final is set to be the Dutchman's final game in charge of the Red Devils but who would be his most suitable successor?

Try as he might, Erik ten Hag cannot stop the speculation about his Manchester United future from spiralling. The manager would have loved to just concentrate on the match against Manchester City in his pre-FA Cup final press conference, but inevitably the attention turned to whether he would be in charge next season.

The manager faced seven questions about his future, including how his time at the club would be judged. Despite his insistence that he was "just focusing on the job and continuing with the project", it sure felt like it might be the last time he would be previewing a game at United's Carrington training ground.

And just a few hours later multiple reports emerged that United have been selecting potential candidates in the event that he does get sacked. They were followed by another report on Friday suggesting that Ten Hag will get his marching orders after the final, regardless of the result.

Ten Hag, however, can hardly argue about the speculation as his position has become untenable due to the team's horrendous results in his second campaign. Just how can Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford justify keeping him after he presided over the club's lowest finish in the Premier League while losing a record number of games?

GOAL ranks the candidates to succeed Ten Hag if, as expected, he is relieved of his duties after the FA Cup final.

• Getty Images
  

  6Erik ten Hag

  There is still a tiny possibility that Ten Hag remains in charge, as United insist that no decision will be made before the final, stating that they will conduct a review of the season when it is over.

  The coach has been burnt by a interminable run of injuries, depriving him of any consistent defensive line throughout the season. If he can convince INEOS that this season's injury problems are a one-off and point to the progress he has made with youngsters such as Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, he may be given one more chance.

  There is also a financial motivation to keep the Dutchman around. Sacking him and his staff would cost an estimated £10m ($13m), while the club would need to hire a new manager and support staff, potentially paying more fees to free a coach from an existing contract.

  The club are already sailing close to the sun with regards to the Premier League's profitability and sustainability regulations, while money will be further squeezed by failing to get into the Champions League and likely missing out on European football altogether.

  However, keeping Ten Hag around just to save a bit of money is far from an ideal solution and there is a danger of players not giving their all as they would know he is on borrowed time.

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• Getty
  

  5Roberto De Zerbi

  The Italian is already on the market after cutting ties with Brighton and he is a fascinating option due to the thrilling football he got the Seagulls playing. Indeed, he exhibited his coaching ability to the Old Trafford faithful when Brighton dismantled United in September.

  He took Brighton into Europe for the first time and they finished top of a group full of giants of continental football including Ajax and Marseille. It is tempting to wonder what he could achieve with world class players and a club of United's ambition.

  But INEOS will be wary of De Zerbi's fiery temperament and his tendency to say and do what he wants. His desire for more signings saw him clash with Brighton chairman Tony Bloom and his touchline behaviour means he might not be the ambassador the club's hierarchy are looking for.

• Getty
  

  4Thomas Frank

  Frank has worked wonders with Brentford, taking them into the top flight for the first time ever in 2021. The Dane has gained more and more admirers for helping Brentford punch well above their weight, playing tactically shrewd football on a shoestring budget and making the most of data analysis.

  Ratcliffe has made it clear that he does not plan to fix United's problems with marquee signings and Frank has shown there is another way to get success. He knows the league and has an excellent record against the top sides, as United and Ten Hag know all too well. Indeed, Brentford were the last team in any competition to beat Manchester City away from home.

  The one concern is his lack of experience in the glare of the spotlight. David Moyes was highly respected for his work at Everton but was swallowed up by the enormity of being United manager and there is a danger the same could happen to Frank.

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• Getty
  

  3Kieran McKenna

  The Northern Irishman has been one of the most impressive coaches in English football in the past two seasons. No English team has earned more points than his Ipswich team in the last two years and only City have scored more goals. He has taken Ipswich back to the top flight for the first time in 22 years, also becoming the first manager in 12 years to achieve successive promotions from League One to the Premier League.

  McKenna would also be a romantic option after building his reputation as a coach while in United's youth ranks, climbing his way into the staff of Jose Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Norwegian called him "the most thorough and analytical, step-by-step, process-driven coach that I’ve worked with" and said "he makes it so easy for the players to see and understand what we wanted from them."

  That praise has to be balanced with criticism from players at the time that he was too much like a teacher and gave too many instructions. That gives an insight into the arrogance of some of the United squad at the time but also suggests that, rather like Frank, he might not be ready for the cauldron of pressure that comes with managing at Old Trafford.

Sri Lanka lost their ninth wicket while still 78 off their target. The left-hand batsman scored 67 of them all by himself

The Report by Liam Brickhill16-Feb-20196:08

‘Kusal Perera’s innings will be talked about for years to come’ – Russel Arnold

A see-sawing Test match reached an incredible finale on the fourth afternoon at Kingsmead as Kusal Perera and Vishwa Fernando put on a record-breaking 10th wicket stand to see their team home in an atmosphere of almost unbearable tension.Sri Lanka’s last pair came together with 78 still needed and victory virtually assured for South Africa, but as Vishwa clung limpet-like to the crease Perera slugged, slapped and swiped his way to the target. Along the way, both men reached their highest Test scores – Perera finishing on 153, while Vishwa’s more modest – but no less vital in the final analysis – contribution was 6 not out.South Africa’s bowling plans were stymied by the absence of Vernon Philander, who tweaked his hamstring in the field yesterday and sat the fourth day out. But they should have had as many options as they needed to win the Test, having played five specialist bowlers. Indeed, it looked like South Africa would not miss Philander when, in the space of six overs, Keshav Maharaj scythed through Dhananjaya de Silva, Suranga Lakmal and Kasun Rajitha, and Duanne Olivier’s bouncers quickly bullied Lasith Embuldeniya from the crease.That brought Vishwa to the middle and from the moment he got there, he was entirely focused on survival. He faced 22 balls before he got off the mark, but an otherwise shotless Vishwa knew his only job was to only survive. At the other end, with so many runs needed and so much time left in the Test, it seemed the best that Perera might hope for was to reach his hundred.He already had 86 to his name when Vishwa joined him at the crease, and a loft for six over wide long on off Maharaj took him into the 90s. A reverse sweep off the same bowler took him to 99, and a quick single brought the ton. At that point, Sri Lanka still needed 64, and Perera indicated that he clearly didn’t think the job was done yet by farming the strike superbly and picking his opportunities to attack and push the score forward.Kusal Perera showed guts in tough conditions•Getty ImagesA second pulled six, off Olivier and onto the grass banks, helped Perera to surpass his previous Test best and, with the new ball two overs away, a drive out to the cover sweeper for two brought the runs required under 50. Faf du Plessis delayed his team’s use of the new ball for five deliveries after it had become available until they had Vishwa on strike, but a hooping Steyn outswinger was too good for him to get close to. And when he was back on strike, Perera sensed his chance to keep the scoreboard ticking over against the hard, new cherry.South Africa’s nerves began to fray when Dean Elgar missed a shy that would have run Vishwa out, and Perera took the stand beyond 50 – and the target to just 23 – with a mighty mow off Steyn that sent the ball arcing into the stands beyond midwicket. A top edge off Rabada brought a fourth six, and his fifth – off Steyn – left Sri Lanka needing just seven. Some scampering took them down to just a shot away from glory, and Perera held his nerve to the last, steering a length delivery past slip and down to the vacant third-man boundary to complete one of the most remarkable Test chases of all time.Such superlatives seemed a long way away when South Africa snapped what had become a troublesome 96-run stand between Perera and Dhananjaya after lunch, Maharaj rushing one through Dhananjaya’s sweep to trap him in front of his stumps even as he looked set to reach his fifty. When Suranga Lakmal edged the very next ball to slip, Embuldeniya gloved an Olivier bouncer, and Rajitha played outside one to be given out lbw, it seemed Sri Lanka and Perera had flattered to deceive.Perera, though, had other ideas. He had also helped his team recover from an earlier stutter when they had slipped from 110 for 3 to 110 for 5 in the course of one Steyn over. Shouldering extra burden in Philander’s absence, Steyn first broke through a stubborn 56-run stand by finding Oshada Fernando’s outside edge for 37. Niroshan Dickwella chipped a return catch back to him two balls later, and South Africa’s thoughts must have turned to a push for victory on either side of the lunch interval.Perera and Dhananjaya’s stand revived the chase thereafter, but it was the historic partnership between Perera and Vishwa which took Sri Lanka home, and it is that stand for which this match will be most remembered for. This was only the third time a 300-plus total has been chased at Kingsmead, and only the second time that has happened since the turn of the millennium. Thanks to Perera’s superhuman efforts, and Vishwa’s defiance and luck, Sri Lanka will head into the second Test at Port Elizabeth with a 1-0 series lead. A draw there and they will be the first Asian side to win a Test series in South Africa.

نجح اللاعب زياد المعيوف، في تحقيق إنجاز تاريخي غير مسبوق كأول ملاكم سعودي محترف، وذلك في نزاله الاحترافي السادس التاريخي في أول حدث رياضي لموسم الرياض يُقام خارج المملكة، وذلك في لوس أنجلوس، كاليفورنيا.

نُظّم الحدث تحت رعاية المستشار تركي آل الشيخ رئيس الهيئة العامة للترفيه، وشهد الحدث مجموعة من النزالات المثيرة، كان أبرزها مواجهة المعيوف ضد المصنف الثالث في بولندا، ميشال بوليك، ليصبح أول ملاكم سعودي ينازل في الولايات المتحدة.

وقد مثل المعيوف المملكة في هذا النزال ليس كملاكم ورياضي فقط، بل كرمز وحامل لعلم المملكة العربية السعودية، ويعرفه الجمهور العالمي باسم “زيزو”، ويسعى دائماً لتحقيق أكثر من مجرد الانتصار في النزالات؛ فهو يسعى لتغيير الصورة النمطية والانطباعات عن المملكة العربية السعودية.

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وخلال مسيرته المميزة، حول المعيوف الكثير من الشكوك إلى إيمان، والكراهية إلى إعجاب، وقد حقق حتى الآن سلسلة من النجاحات التاريخية في مسيرته الاحترافية، ويخطط لمواصلة هذا النجاح بدعم رؤية 2030 التي يقودها صاحب السمو الملكي ولي العهد، وكونه أول ملاكم سعودي محترف يحظى بالدعم الكامل من معالي المستشار تركي آل الشيخ.

وقد قدم المعيوف أداءً متميزاً، أظهر فيه سرعته الكبيرة وقوة يده اليسرى الفريدة، ليبهر الجمهور العالمي ويؤكد مكانته كملاكم محترف لا يُستهان به، وفي ختام هذا النزال الشاق، نجح زياد المعيوف في إبهار الجمهور العالمي ووسائل الإعلام الدولية، إلى جانب العديد من المشجعين السعوديين الذين سافروا لدعمه في الولايات المتحدة.

وفي حين قرر اثنان من الحكام أن النزال انتهى بالتعادل، اعتبر الحكم العالمي المرموق، زكاري يونج، أن زياد المعيوف هو الفائز الواضح، بذلك، واصل المعيوف الحفاظ على سجله الاحترافي الخالي من الهزائم.

وفي إنجاز آخر يعزز نزاهة الرياضة، قررت لجنة كاليفورنيا لألعاب القتال تعديل نتيجة النزال الذي أقيم في 3 أغسطس 2024 بين زياد المعيوف والملاكم البولندي ميشال بوليك، وذلك بعد ثبوت استخدام بوليك لمواد محظورة لتحسين الأداء، وفقًا لتقرير اللجنة، أظهرت الاختبارات التي أجريت تحت إشراف وكالة فادا (VADA) أن بوليك استخدم مواد أنستروزول والتستوستيرون الخارجي، مما أدى إلى إلغاء نتيجة التعادل وإعلان فوز زياد المعيوف رسمياً في هذا النزال.

وبناءً على المادة 18842 من قانون الأعمال والمهن في كاليفورنيا، تم تعليق رخصة بوليك الاحترافية لمدة عام واحد، وذلك بأثر رجعي من تاريخ 3 أغسطس 2024، كما تسمح المادة 18843، البند (ب) للجنة بفرض غرامة تصل إلى 40 بالمائة من إجمالي محفظة بوليك لخرقه قواعد استخدام المواد المحظورة.

ويعزز هذا القرار من مكانة المعيوف، الذي يتطلع إلى تحويل المستحيل إلى ممكن، وتحقيق أول لقب بطولة العالم في الملاكمة الاحترافية للمملكة العربية السعودية والعالم العربي.

Chelsea are starting to see their staggering investments in the transfer window pay dividends on the pitch.

In the 4-1 victory over rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Nicolas Jackson plundered in a second-half hat-trick to lead his side to victory against nine men, preceding a penalty from Cole Palmer – two players who were brought to the club in the summer from Villarreal and Manchester City, respectively.

On Sunday, that duo played a pivotal role once more, getting their name on the scoresheet in an enthralling encounter with City that ended 4-4, with Palmer smashing a penalty past Ederson in the 95th minute, equalising proceedings against his former employers.

Throughout that captivating fixture, it wasn't just the new boys who starred. Chelsea's current longest-serving player, Reece James, put in a monstrous performance down the right flank for the Blues.

Reece James' statistics against Manchester City

A fully fit and firing James is arguably the best right back on the planet, as hailed on several occasions by many, including Ian Wright.

“He’s easily one of the best right-backs in the world at the minute,” Wright said on Match of the Day after James scored twice against Newcastle United in November 2021.

Since that outstanding 2021/22 campaign, in which he recorded five goals and nine assists in the Premier League – the joint most goal contributions from a full-back in the division – the Englishman has seen injuries hamper his progression further.

A series of knee and hamstring issues saw him only make 16 appearances in the top flight last term but since returning from his latest injury, which saw him miss nine games at the start of this campaign, the 23-year-old has been nothing short of phenomenal.

He's captained the side in the Carabao Cup win over Blackburn Rovers, victory against Spurs and draw with Man City, but it was the latter of those performances that impressed the most.

Not only did he assist Raheem Sterling for his goal, but he also made the most tackles in the match (5) and pocketed the dangerous Jeremy Doku, won six of his nine ground duels and accurately placed three of his four long balls, as per Sofascore.

Lauded as "sensational" for his performance against the champions by journalist Felix Johnston as Doku struggled to get past a seemingly immovable object, James provided a searing indication of his qualities.

Yet, it seems remarkable that a fellow right back, currently plying his trade in Chelsea's youth setup, has also sparkled of late and could well be a future heir to the Englishman's crown.

Josh Acheampong's statistics this season

Aspiring to break into the first team as James did, Aceampong is a 17-year-old right back who joined the development centre programme as an U8 and has the capabilities to play in multiple positions across the back line.

While he's operated as a centre-back on numerous occasions – as James can also do – the teenager boasts the explosive pace and power that has seen him flourish as an attacking wing-back.

At the age of 16, he stepped up to Chelsea's under-18's last term, making ten appearances in Premier League 2 – scoring three goals from right back – including a thunderous match-winner against rivals Tottenham in November 2022.

It's this outstanding form, especially in attack, that has seen him feature a further five times for the under-18s, grabbing one assist, while his rapid rate of development rewarded him with a call-up to the England U17 World Cup, where he played a starring role in the tournament opener.

The Young Lions demolished New Caledonia 10-0 and the Chelsea starlet, who was dubbed by journalist Antonio Mango as "sensational" for his performance, scored and assisted in a near-faultless display.

Goals

1

Assists

1

Accurate passes

98%

Key passes

2

Long balls (acc.)

3 (3)

Aerial duels (won)

2 (1)

Interceptions

2

All stats via Sofascore

With a fixture against Brazil to close out the group phase, it will be interesting to see how the youngster performs against opposition with much more quality, but on current evidence, the future is certainly bright for Chelsea's latest homegrown full-back phenomenon.

Tottenham are said to be eyeing moves for two exciting young players to bolster one area of the squad, with manager Ange Postecoglou keen on more options.

Spurs short in key areas

Ahead of the January transfer window, Spurs are reportedly looking to strengthen certain positions where they're seen as very light in numbers. One of them is at left centre-back, as an injury to star summer signing Micky van de Ven has exposed Tottenham's lack of quality alternatives to the Dutchman.

Postecoglou isn't helped by Cristian Romero's suspension either, with the Argentine and van de Ven's once budding partnership sorely missed during Spurs' recent 2-1 defeat to Wolves at Molineux.

Ben Davies and the previously out-of-favour Eric Dier filled in for the pair but couldn't quite muster their same star quality, with Spurs now targeting a host of central defensive options for the winter window. Uruguay star Sebastian Caceres, Everton's Ben Godfrey, Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah and Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly have all been linked with moves to Spurs as a result.

Elsewhere in the squad, there have been reports that the Lilywhites want to add a left-winger to their ranks. Indeed, this has lead to Tottenham holding a serious interest in signing Jota from Al-Ittihad – a player Postecoglou knows very well from his time at Celtic.

Another exciting winger linked with a move to north London is Juventus ace Samuel Iling-Junior, with journalist Pete O'Rourke sharing an update on the Englishman and another apparent attacking target.

Tottenham eyeing Nusa and Iling-Junior after Ange demand

Writing for Football Insider, the reporter claims Spurs are eyeing Illing-Junior and Antonio Nusa, as Postecoglou is very eager to add more quality on the flanks. This comes after injuries to Manor Solomon and Ivan Perisic, with Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and Bryan Gil currently their only fit options right now.

Son Heung-min has thrived in a more central role after the departure of club legend Harry Kane over the summer, so the South Korea international will be staying right where he is. To bolster their attacking options, Spurs have Illing-Junior and Club Brugge sensation Nusa, who will apparently cost around £30 million according to O'Rourke, on their transfer target list for January.

Key passes

Dribbling

Aerial duels

Defensive contribution

The 18-year-old Nusa has two goals and two assists in nine Jupiler Pro League matches for Brugge this season, while Illing-Junior has been likened to AC Milan star Rafael Leao.

“Iling Junior is a very quick player, who loves to take on opposing full-backs and attack the vertical spaces, in a very direct way,” said journalist Michele Neri to TNT Sports.

“He is a left winger who can also play as a right winger if needed. He has a great sense for dribbling and a speed from a standing start that other Juventus players do not have.

“In these qualities you can absolutely see shades of Rafael Leao when the AC Milan superstar was a bit younger. Of course he is certainly less impactful today than Leao is and has a long way to go to reach the Portuguese’s level."