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West Ham United have made a solid start to life in 2023/24 and are now locked in pursuit of an exciting young striker who is progressing well in his homeland, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving West Ham United?

On Wednesday evening, Tomas Soucek bundled home for West Ham away to Lincoln City in the third round of the Carabao Cup to ensure the Hammers progressed to the next phase of the competition, albeit by a narrow margin.

Speaking to media in the aftermath of the tie, West Ham assistant coach Billy McKinlay praised the Hammers' mentality to advance against a difficult opponent, as he stated via BBC Sport: "I thought we deserved the win, it was a tough night but we got through. We caused our own problems a little bit and gave them encouragement. In the second half, it was a bit better and we had some good opportunities to create a bit more."

He then added: "But we're delighted to get through. As the game goes on you're always wary that one goal might be the one that wins the game, so we had to get it. All in all we are happy and glad to be in the next round."

West Ham have been given one of their more difficult ties of the fourth round and will take on Arsenal at the London Stadium on the week commencing October 30th, as per Sky Sports.

According to 90min, free agent Jesse Lingard is in line to earn a contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq following a spell training with West Ham before David Moyes decided not to offer the former Manchester United star a deal at the London Stadium. Commenting on the situation recently, Moyes said: "We like Jesse a lot but I just don’t know if we need another player in the position he would probably play for us."

Who could West Ham United sign?

According to reports in Spain, West Ham are keen on bringing in Botafogo striker Matheus Nascimento, who is already being talked up as one of the hottest properties in South America due to his exploits in his homeland.

Sponsored by Nike, Nascimento is believed to intrigue the Hammers as somebody who could be a potential star of the future at the London Stadium and the East London-based outfit are open to bringing him to England; however, the report doesn't state whether this venture would come in January or in another upcoming transfer window.

Labelled "incredible" by Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig, Nascimento has made 81 appearances for Botafogo in all competitions, registering 11 goals and four assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Nascimento has been linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the past and it is clear to see that despite obviously being a work in progress, he has the tools necessary to develop into an established striker at the elite level.

Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest also both expressed interest in Nascimento in the summer window, and it now looks like West Ham have thrown their hat in the ring as a potential destination.

Chelsea return to Premier League action on Wednesday night, as Frank Lampard looks to ensure that the Blues don't make it five defeats from five under his tenure.

The west London outfit were treated to a weekend off due to Manchester United's involvement in the FA Cup final, although last week's 2-0 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid will still be fresh in Lampard's thinking ahead of this evening's game against Brentford.

If the former Everton boss wants to turn his fortunes around at Stamford Bridge, he must consider dropping Marc Cucurella, as the Spaniard has been a liability at the back since joining from Brighton last summer.

Should Chelsea drop Cucurella vs Brentford?

Lampard was forced to select the former Getafe man in the game against Real Madrid following Ben Chilwell's suspension, but now that the England international is available for selection, he should surely get the nod to start on the left side of Chelsea's defence.

Cucurella, who earns £175k-per-week, showed in both games against Madrid that he cannot be considered a reliable defender, as he was caught out of position for Chilwell's red card at the Santiago Bernabeu before he left Trevoh Chalobah completely exposed against Rodrygo at Stamford Bridge.

Jamie O'Hara, who works as a pundit on talkSPORT, labelled the 24-year-old a "disgrace" after his performance in Madrid, while BBC Sport contributor Raj Chohan also criticised him for his performance in the return leg.

He said: "Cucurella’s aggression is such an issue. Always mistiming his jumps out of the back 3. And doesn’t have the recovery pace to get back into position when it gets played around him. Leaves the gap for Rodrygo to run into there. Shocking."

Chelsea spent £63m to bring the Spanish defender to Stamford Bridge, but he has definitely not justified his price tag thus far, averaging a disappointing 6.65 rating from WhoScored which ranks him as the joint 14th-best performer in Lampard's squad.

Despite often featuring as a centre-back as well as a left-back, the summer signing fails to rank in the top six Chelsea players for interceptions or clearances per game, while he is the second-most dribbled past player at Stamford Bridge, which emphasises why he has established himself as a defensive liability.

Brentford may be struggling for form at the moment, but they are still ahead of Chelsea in the table and will cause real problems with the dangerous attacking duo of Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbuemo at Stamford Bridge, so Lampard must ensure that his best defenders are on the pitch tonight.

Therefore, Cucurella must be dropped to the bench, with Chilwell returning to the starting side after his recent suspension in the Champions League.

Stats preview of the 3rd Test between India and England at Mumbai

George Binoy17-Mar-2006

Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh have tormented visiting teams in Mumbai © AFP
The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is India’s most successful home venue among grounds where India have played more than two Tests. India have won nine of their 20 Tests here, drawn five and lost six. England have lost their last three Testsat this venue. Avoid batting last . Seventeen out of 20 times, the captain winning the toss has decided to bat first and in thirteen of those occasions the team has not lost the match. The average runs per wicket declines from 34.1 in the first innings to 19.8 in the fourth. In the last Test played there, the highest total was 205 and Australia were dismissed for 93 in the final innings.If England bat first, it is vital that they post a sizable first-innings score. The Wankhede’s history suggests that as the match progresses the spinners become more than a handful. Since 1995, spinners have taken 95 wickets here to the fast bowlers’ tally of 69.

Pace/Spin at the Wankhede since 1995

Innings Pace avg/Spin avg Pace SR/Spin SR

1st 27.52/36.86 63.36/72.79 2nd 26.76/22.78 52.35/50.38 3rd 26.00/14.55 57.71/33.21 4th 64.50/15.65 138.00/41.05Since 2000, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh have taken a total of 36 wickets in their last three Tests in Mumbai. Kumble averages 21.15 and Harbhajan 17.58 at the Wankhede.While none of the Indian batsmen have phenomenal records at Mumbai, three of the top four average above fifty. Sachin Tendulkar has a century and six fifties from seven Tests at his home ground. . Rahul Dravid averages 63.28 and Virender Sehwag 53.33.

The success of Premier League clubs' summer tours of America demonstrates just how popular a competitive game in the US could be.

A sold-out crowd of more than 82,000. Fans congregating hours before kick off, setting off flares and singing the same chants as in England. Fans travelling across the country and paying at least $100 for a ticket. A punch-up in the stands and then a furious on-pitch altercation between Lisandro Martinez and Gabriel Jesus. Manchester United's friendly against Arsenal showed how much appetite there is for English football in the United States.

However, it also showed the limitations of the spectacle currently on offer. The match began with the intensity and passion of a Premier League match as both teams fielded some of their best players. But in the second half, with each manager making 11 substitutes, the game began to resemble a friendly again. The fact that a penalty shootout took place after the full-time whistle despite United winning 2-0 served to underline the reality that this was not a serious event after all.

So just imagine how different things would be if a trophy was at stake, one with 115 years of history and tradition, and one that many people still see as a major honour. American fans would be even more excited and supporters in England and around the world would be tuning in too.

Imagine if the Community Shield took place in the United States every year.

Getty ImagesExploding popularity of football in the US

Football is not so much booming as exploding in the US right now. The US is co-hosting the next World Cup along with Canada and Mexico, and Lionel Messi fever is further fuelling the growth of Major League Soccer. Indeed, last month Inter Miami were the subject of 8.2 million Google searches, far more than Manchester United.

According to a poll by the , eight per cent of Americans said football was their favourite sport, compared to 11 per cent who said baseball and 12 per cent who said basketball. Other studies state that football has already overtaken ice hockey in popularity.

Interest in European football is massive too. The match between Arsenal and United set a record for a football match in the state of New Jersey. United's fixture with Real Madrid in Texas attracted 67,000 fans, while Arsenal's win over Barcelona was witnessed by 70,000. Huge attendances for European teams in the US is not a new phenomenon. In 2014, 109,000 people filled the 'Big House' in Michigan to see United play Madrid.

But how long can US audiences be sated by friendly matches? A competitive game with a trophy on the line is the next logical step for European football in the US.

AdvertisementGetty 'We would die to have a competitive game'

"I can say unequivocally, we would die to have a real competitive game anywhere in America," Phil Murphy, the governor of New Jersey and one of the organisers of the 2026 World Cup, said last month. "If it was in New York/New Jersey, you wouldn’t get near that game. It would be overwhelming. To have a Champions League game, you wouldn’t be able to get near it."

There has been interest in holding Premier League matches in the US ever since then CEO Richard Scudamore floated the idea in 2008 with the concept of a '39th game' being held abroad. But the plan provoked a huge backlash among English fans and led to questions about distorting the competition. La Liga's plans to take matches to Miami, announced in 2018, also failed to get off the ground for the same reason.

Murphy's dream of Champions League matches being held in the States is also unlikely to be realised due to the magnitude of Europe's top competition. The Community Shield, however, is the least controversial way to make it happen.

GettySpain and Italy have already done it

Spain and Italy have already taken their equivalent competitions abroad. Italy was the first to do so, playing the Supercoppa Italiana in Washington, DC as early as 1993. The competition has since been held in Libya, New Jersey, China, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

And earlier this year the Italian football association struck a deal worth approximately €23 million (£20m/$24m) per season to host an expanded Supercoppa in Saudi Arabia until 2028.

The Spanish football federation, encouraged by Gerard Pique, struck its own deal to host the revamped tournament in Saudi Arabia from 2020, earning a reported €40 million (£34m/$44m) per year.

Although the move provoked criticism from the likes of Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid and Valencia, the refreshed tournament has been a great success both on a commercial and entertainment level.

And teams are still taking it deadly seriously. Barcelona sacked coach Ernesto Valverde days after his side were knocked out by Atletico in the semi-finals in 2020. The last two finals, both between Real and Barca, have been thrilling matches watched by sell-out crowds.

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GettyNo political controversy – unlike with Saudi

Both federations did face criticism for their deals due to Saudi Arabia's repressive record on human rights and homosexuality, however. And given the outrage that has followed Jordan Henderson's move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, the English Football Association (FA) is unlikely to follow suit and send the Community Shield to the Gulf state.

There would be no political risk in taking the competition to the US, however. And even if the financial rewards would not as be as much as by cutting a deal with Saudi, the FA could still get a significant windfall from the move.

At the moment the match only generates ticket and programme sales for the FA, which it redistributes to community initiatives and charities. And there is no reason why the competition could not remain a force for good if played abroad. Indeed, the charities would stand to receive far larger amounts of money.

The celebrations belonged to Essex but the inquest will surely be felt byYorkshire as a county that imagined itself as champions a year ago took a thorough pounding

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Sep-2017Sam Cook, a complete unknown only a fee weeks ago, personified a season of excellence as he took 5 for 20 to skittle Yorkshire for 74 and round off a tumultuous season for Essex during which they have remained unbeaten in the Specsavers County Championship for the first time in their history.The champions’ 10th victory of the 14-game campaign was followed by resounding applause and sprays of champagne post-match as they received the Championship trophy for the first time in 25 years. It was the moment they had waited for since the title was claimed a fortnight ago when they still had two games to play.For Yorkshire, who were in the same celebratory mood just two summers ago, their total was their lowest since 1999 as they succumbed by a massive 376-run defeat in just 29 overs. There were still 25 overs remaining in the day when Matt Fisher was left on his back by Neil Wagner to end the season. It was as well they claimed the points required to avoid relegation on the first day otherwise their feeble effort could have been terminal.Cook, who made his first-class debut for his home county less than two months ago, had taken a career-best 5 for 18 in the second innings at Southampton in the last game. The second five-fer of his embryonic career came before he returns next week to Loughborough University for the final year of his history degree course.Cook put the skids under a Yorkshire top-order chasing an unlikely 451 to win with four wickets in 32 balls in a six-over, pre-tea burst.Adam Lyth looked surprised to be given out caught behind to Cook’s second ball, and Kraigg Brathwaite played down the wrong line to be lbw to Porter in the next over. Alex Lees’s middle stump was sent cartwheeling by Cook and Yorkshire were already on an inexorable slide at 17 for three in the sixth over.Cook claimed his third wicket for 11 runs when the Ashes-bound Gary Ballance fell lbw for just five. Jack Leaning was stuck in his crease playing forward and edging to James Foster to give Cook wicket No4.Simon Harmer joined the party when Andrew Hodd became his latest lbw victim. Thirty-five for six.Essex announced at the tea interval that Porter had signed a two-year contract extension taking him through to the end of the 2020 season. He had a double celebration first ball after the break when he had Steven Patterson caught behind to claim his 200th first-class wicket for the county.That preceded Cook’s fifth wicket with his first ball upon his return for a second spell. Jack Brooks hung out his bat and played tamely into Varun Chopra’s hands at first slip. Thirty-seven for six at tea had become 38 for eight.Karl Carver helped Matt Fisher put on 34 for the penultimate wicket in nine overs to give some respectability to the score before he departed lbw for nine. Fisher, who had taken three Essex second-innings wickets for 69, was the only batsman to make it into double figures. He was the last man to go for 25, caught behind for Foster’s eighth catch of the match, after Wagner had him flailing with a bouncer.It meant Division One’s leading wicket-takers had shared 147 Championship wickets with Porter leading the way with 75 from Harmer.At the start of the day, Essex’s overnight second-wicket century stand ended in the fourth over when Dan Lawrence went lbw to give Coad his 50th and last Championship wicket of the season. Lawrence’s 83 came from 156 balls, and with Nick Browne he put on 139 in 49 overs to lift Essex from 6 for 2 on the second afternoon.Browne followed on the same personal score when Lyth made amends for a difficult dropped catch chance when the opener was 59. This time, Lyth held on to a snick at second slip to end Browne’s 166-ball innings that including 11 boundaries. James Foster then became the 10th lbw victim of the match to give Fisher the first of three wickets.That brought together ten Doeschate and Harmer, who put on 75 in 21 overs for the sixth wicket. Ten Doeschate’s innings was full of nudges and nurdles, eight of them going to the boundary, and a ninth clearing the ropes at long leg.He was finally out straight after lunch, in Fisher’s second over with the new-ball when ten Doeschate tried to withdraw his bat and was caught behind. The partnership with Harmer was worth 75 in 21 overs with the captain departing for a 92-ball 57 with eight fours and a six.Harmer claimed his second half-century of the match, following his 64 in the first innings, when he clubbed Fisher through the covers from the 79th ball he faced. The seventh-wicket pair added 42 in eight overs with Neil Wagner, whose bright and breezy 23 came from 26.before he edged to second slip to give Fisher his third wicket at a personal cost of 69.Ten Doeschate called his batsmen in 50 minutes after lunch following the second ball of the 96th over, when Porter hit the second of two fours in a five-ball 10. Essex had reached 334 for 7 without the requirement for the injured Tom Westley to bat.

The Bangladesh batsman broke into the top ten, only the second player from the country to do so

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-2017Bangladesh batsman Sabbir Rahman has broken into the ICC’s top 10 rankings for T20I batsmen for the first time. He is currently tenth with 627 points, after the rankings were updated following the T20I series between England and South Africa.Sabbir, 25, rose in the rankings despite scoring only 117 runs in five innings this year.Sabbir is the only Bangladesh player after Shakib Al Hasan to break into the top ten rankings for T20I batsmen. Shakib, who is leading the allrounders rankings across all formats at present, achieved the feat in 2012. Mahmudullah, at No. 6, is the only other Bangladesh player among the top ten T20I allrounders.In the T20I bowling rankings, Mustafizur Rahman is at No. 6, while Shakib is ranked ninth.

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed Marquinhos' injury, which will rule the defender out of next week's Champions League clash with Newcastle.

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Marquinhos injured with BrazilHas a "small" hamstring issueWill be out for close to 10 daysWHAT HAPPENED?

The centre-back had to be replaced by Nino at half-time after he complained of muscle discomfort during Brazil's recent 1-0 defeat to Argentina in an ill-tempered 2026 World Cup qualifier. Marquinhos had admitted after the match that he felt a "strain on his hamstring" which forced him to come off. The defender returned to Paris on Thursday and after undergoing further tests the extent of the injury was ascertained.

AdvertisementWHAT PSG SAID ABOUT MARQUINHOS

PSG put out a statement that read: "Victim of a small injury to his right hamstring, Marquinhos will remain in treatment for 10 days."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

PSG find themselves in a spot of bother as they face Monaco at Parc des Princes on Friday night before hosting Newcastle on Tuesday evening. They will also miss Warren Zaire-Emery with an ankle injury and the midfielder is not expected to be back until 2024. However, Presnel Kimpembe has been training with the group and is nearing recovery which should relieve manager Luis Enrique.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR PSG?

PSG can hardly afford to drop their guard against Monaco as Adi Hutter's men are just three points behind the league leaders and have the potential to cause an upset in Paris. Whereas, the Magpies will be out to get a win to revive their European fortunes after two consecutive defeats. Eddie Howe knows that another loss could virtually put them out of contention for a spot in the knockouts and will be eager to repeat their heroics on foreign soil after they beat the Parisians 4-1 at St. James Park earlier in the season.

Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw has revealed the advice Usain Bolt gave her that inspired her goalscoring run.

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Khadija Shaw shares Usain Bolt adviceJamaican striker friends with Olympic championShaw leads WSL scoring chartsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Jamaican striker currently leads the Golden Boot race in the Women's Super League with nine goals in as many games, and was named the Player of the Month for December. Now, Shaw has explained how Olympic champion and compatriot Bolt has helped her this season.

AdvertisementWHAT SHAW SAID

Shaw said: "He's [Bolt] always been supportive. We speak about my progress. We have a good relationship. When he's in town he lets me know and we will link up. In certain aspects, if I'm struggling, whether that means strength work, I'll reach out to him. We had a really good conversation in March and he told me some things I could work on where I could get an edge over defenders, and stuff like that. It's just the little things, and he always says the little things matter the most."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Shaw has been a goalscoring machine ever since she joined City in 2021. Last season she scored 20 goals in 22 WSL games (31 in all competitions), and this year she is aiming to fire Gareth Taylor's side to a first WSL title since 2016. City currently find themselves second in the WSL table, three points behind leaders Chelsea.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR SHAW AND CITY?

After enjoying a winter break, Shaw and her City team-mates will return to action on Sunday when they take on Durham in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Their WSL title charge will resume with a home clash against Liverpool next weekend.

Arsenal star Beth Mead has made her return to the Lionesses after coming on as a substitute against Netherlands.

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Mead suffers ACL injuryReturns after one yearSparks England comebackGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Mead, 28, was brought on by Sarina Weigman at half-time during their UEFA Nations League clash, with her team down 2-0 at the break to the Netherlands.

Mead's return to the pitch in an England sparked a dramatic comeback in the must win game, with England levelling the score-line just after the hour mark, thanks to goals from Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The return arrives just over a year since her last appearance for England, which was a 4-0 victory against Japan in November 2022, after suffering a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

WHAT MEAD SAID

Speaking to last month regarding her comeback from injury, Mead opened up on her struggles throughout the last year. “In January I lost my Mum and because of the injury I couldn’t play football, which was always my escape, my happy place," she said. "Moments when people thought I was fine because of my outgoing personality, were very dark.

“It’s been a tough process to understand. Teammates, people at the club, family and friends that supported me were so important, without them I could have been in a far darker place. I want to help create an environment in which it’s totally normal to address mental health. There’s not a perfect way of dealing with it, but if you feel you’re not alone it helps so much. We need to normalise mental health and in doing so that would go a long way.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MEAD

Following the Nations League fixtures with England against Netherlands and Scotland, Mead will return to Arsenal and prepare for the upcoming clash against Chelsea on December 10. Emma Hayes' squad currently sit at the top of the Women's Super League, with a three point gap on Arsenal in second.

All affiliated with Newcastle United can look ahead to the forthcoming campaign with great zeal, considering manager Eddie Howe has navigated his outfit away from the lower echelons of the Premier League with a fourth-placed finish last term.

Indeed, Champions League football now awaits the club, and while the Magpies have taken circled flight, they are yet to consolidate their newfound stature with a continuation of the recent successes.

As momentous as the past year has been, multiple outfits fell by the wayside and the competition will ostensibly be tougher come August, but with the likes of Sandro Tonali and winger Harvey Barnes already arriving, the St. James' Park side are clearly making the right moves.

The defence has yet to have been bolstered, however, and Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi is among the candidates as Howe searches for the apt defensive move to continue the ascent.

Who could Newcastle sign?

According to Caught Offside, Guehi is on the club's list as they assess the best way to better the previous campaign.

Football Insider have claimed that a massive bid of £60m would be enough for Palace to grant negotiations with the Tyneside team.

With Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all also considering a move, reports the Evening Standard's Nizaar Kinsella, the Toon must swiftly determine whether to forge ahead with a bid and strike before their rivals.

How good is Marc Guehi?

Newcastle completed the 22/23 term with the league's joint-best defence – conceding 33, alongside Champions Manchester City – which might leave some onlookers questioning whether reassembling the current crop of defenders is a necessity.

Sven Botman arrived from Lille on a deal worth around £35m last summer and has almost been infallible, having been hailed for his "incredible impact" by pundit Leon Osman, but Fabian Schar might be deemed expendable, with the 31-year-old Switzerland international entering the final year of his contract.

Guehi, aged 23, could prove to be a superlative heir to Schar's position in the team and could complement the no-nonsense style of Botman to a tee, especially considering the £50k-per-week titan has performed so admirably for the Eagles.

Described as a “tank” of a defender by goalkeeper and former England U21 teammate Josef Bursik, the 6-foot machine recorded an average Sofascore rating of 6.94 in the Premier League last term across his 37 outings, completing 85% of his passes, making 3.6 clearances per game and succeeding in 68% of his ground duels.

For comparison, Botman averaged 3.3 clearances per game and also succeeded in 68% of his ground duels, completing 87% of his passes.

For two central defensive partners to both boast such an innate ferocity and robustness bodes very well indeed for the club's prospects of success this season, as does their progressive passing capabilities, if indeed Howe and co do succeed in getting a deal for Guehi over the line.

Having been called “incredible” by BBC Sport’s Alex Howell, the Palace titan could reinforce an already mighty Newcastle defence with an iron-clad grip, creating one of English football's most fearsome partnerships by linking up with Botman.