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Tottenham Hotspur’s unbeaten run across all competitions has now extended to three games across all competitions after Tuesday’s Champions League win over Slavia Prague.

The Lilywhites claimed a superb 3-0 victory in Europe after penalties from Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons and an own goal from opposition defender David Zima.

Thomas Frank looks to have finally found a winning formula, as seen in recent weeks, after previously failing to win in any five matches, four of which came in the Premier League.

Some may argue that the Dane is starting to get the best out of his current playing squad, with a period of adaptation evidently needed after his summer appointment.

However, despite the three-goal triumph in North London last night, the manager will no doubt have seen some glaring flaws that will need correcting in the weeks ahead.

Spurs's biggest underperformers against Slavia Prague

After starting each of the last four games on the substitutes bench, winger Wilson Odobert was handed the chance to start from the off against Slavia Prague.

However, the Frenchman struggled to make the desired impact, as seen by his tally of 86% duels lost, leading to his withdrawal in the 76th minute of the clash.

Other figures, such as zero dribbles completed and two big chances missed in the final third, also highlight his lack of positive impact despite Frank’s faith shown in the youngster.

He wasn’t alone in struggling to deliver during the win, with Pedro Porro unable to produce the regular attacking quality the fanbase have become accustomed to in recent years.

The Spaniard only managed to complete one of his five attempted crosses, whilst completing just 66% of the passes he attempted – largely being ineffective when in possession.

He also failed to win any tackles against the Czech side, whilst failing to complete any of his attempted dribbles – showcasing his lack of quality at both ends of the pitch in North London.

Spurs star needs to be dropped after Slavia Prague

Spurs have spent heavily over the last couple of years to try and be competitive in the Premier League and try and compete for titles under Frank in the years ahead.

In the recent summer alone, the Lilywhites hierarchy backed the manager with over £120m worth of funds to make an immediate impact during his first year at the helm.

Xavi Simons was just one of the additions made by the hierarchy during the off-season, but he’s struggled to make an impact across various competitions in recent months.

He went 17 games without a goal until last week, but the Dutch star has started to find his feet – as seen by his tally of two goals in his last two games for the Lilywhites.

The same can’t be said for striker Richarlison, who has constantly struggled for consistency after his own £50m transfer from Everton back in the summer of 2022.

The Brazilian international has been Frank’s starting centre forward for the majority of 2025/26 to date, subsequently managing to net a total of seven goals across all competitions.

Whilst such a tally may seem respectable, he’s often gone missing in major moments this campaign, as seen against Slavia Prague in the meeting on Tuesday.

He was once again handed a start at the top end of the pitch, but he was unable to provide the goods in front of goal and was subsequently replaced in the 68th minute.

Richarlison was only able to register a measly tally of 22 touches, a tally fewer than goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who managed 50 – showcasing his lack of impact in North London.

He also only managed to complete nine passes and lost possession on seven separate occasions, further highlighting his lack of positive impact during the Champions League clash.

The Brazilian also missed one big chance in front of goal and won just 50% of his aerial battles, often struggling to provide the focal point Frank has massively craved.

As a result of his showing, the striker was handed a measly 6/10 match rating by Football London’s Alasdair Gold, further showcasing his struggles in North London.

After such a showing, Frank must certainly be left with no choice but to drop the forward and hand the likes of Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani the chance to stake their claim for the number nine role.

Richarlison has no doubt been a decent option for Spurs over the last couple of years, but it’s becoming increasingly evident week on week that he’s not at the level needed for success.

Frank's new Mbeumo: Paratici set to make Spurs bid to sign "world-class" CF

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to land a new talisman in the upcoming January window.

By
Ethan Lamb

3 days ago

Manchester United have certainly got a lot of work to do if they want to salvage the season. Ruben Amorim’s side sit 12th in the Premier League, with 29 points to their name. The Red Devils are currently 12 points outside of the top four, and if they are to reach that kind of level, it would be an impressive end of the campaign.

The Portuguese manager has a bit of an underwhelming record during his time at United so far, winning eight times, losing seven and drawing two in the 17 games he has managed. That is certainly going to have to improve if United want to qualify for Europe.

To help boost themselves up the table, United are targeting reinforcements in the January transfer window, including looking to strengthen in midfield.

Man United’s midfield target

The player in question here is Juventus and Brazil international midfielder Douglas Luiz. It has been a tough first season in Turin for the 26-year-old, and he has been heavily linked with a move away from the club in the winter.

According to a report from The Mail, the Red Devils are believed to be one of the sides interested in a move for Luiz. United are thought to be ‘ in the wings’ waiting to pounce and complete a deal for the Brazilian if the chance arises.

However, they will likely face tough competition from some of their Premier League rivals. Closest to home is Manchester City, who are believed to be ‘contemplating a loan’, hinting at a temporary switch to United, too. Nottingham Forest and Fulham are also keen.

Why Luiz would be a good signing

It has not quite been the season Luiz might have expected when he first put pen to paper in Turin, after his £42.35m move from Aston Villa in the summer.

The Juve man – who’s previously been dubbed “one of the best in the world” in his position by Sky Italia journalist Cristiano Giuntoli – has played just 18 times in all competitions, although did face a spell on the sideline with muscle fatigue.

However, he has certainly not played as much as he might have liked. Incredibly, the Brazil international has featured for just 566 minutes in all competitions, the equivalent of just 6.2 full 90-minute games. Given it is the end of January, that is an outrageously low number.

Yet, the midfielder is clearly an excellent player, as he showed during his time at Villa Park. In fact, football statistician Statman Dave described him as the “best box-to-box CM in the Premier League”, which is high praise indeed.

He played 204 times for the West Midlands side, scoring 22 goals and grabbing 24 assists. The Brazil international particularly excelled in the 2023/24 campaign, scoring nine times and grabbing five assists in 35 games, an excellent record in midfield.

Luiz could be a brilliant replacement for Casemiro, who is linked with a move to AS Roma. Like his countryman Luiz, he has not played much this season and has been an unused substitute in United’s last six games.

Jamie Carragher thought his time at the top level was up last season, famously telling the midfielder to “leave the football, before the football leaves you”, after a 4-0 thrashing away from home against Crystal Palace.

The stats on FBref suggest that a move for Luiz as a Casemiro replacement could be a smart piece of business for United. He is better in many metrics than the Red Devils’ number 18, implying he would be a big upgrade.

For example, over the past two seasons, the Old Lady midfielder averages 5.2 progressive passes compared to just 4.98 per 90 minutes for Casemiro. He also averages 1.99 progressive carries, with the former Real Madrid star averaging 0.48 each game.

If United can do a deal for Luiz on loan, it could be an excellent piece of business for Amorim’s side. Not only would they be able to offload Casemiro, who is a high earner and doesn’t play, but they have a replacement for him ready to go.

As far as United’s push for European qualification goes, Luiz could be the perfect player to help push them up the table.

Amazing Hojlund upgrade: £58m "monster" now wants to sign for Man Utd

Manchester United are looking to bring in this new attacker before the transfer window closes.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jan 28, 2025

Team closes in on making a second final in three years after bowling Madhya Pradesh out for 170

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2023
They were thwarted by Madhya Pradesh in the semi-finals last year, but Bengal are on course for payback this time around, with a final appearance in the 2022-23 Ranji season almost theirs. Having opened up a 268-run lead courtesy a five-wicket haul by fast bowler Akash Deep, Bengal ended day three on 59 for 2 at the Holkar Stadium.MP’s hopes of clawing back hinged on getting as close to Bengal’s first-innings score of 438, but a regular stream of wickets thwarted their progress. Three of their batting pillars – Rajat Patidar, Aditya Shrivastava and the returning Venkatesh Iyer – managed scores of 0, 7 and 7 respectively as MP slumped to 101 for 6.Allrounder Saransh Jain, who was promoted up to No. 3 held fort to carve a fighting half-century, his third in first-class cricket, but lack of support from the rest of the batting group meant MP had conceded too much ground by the time their first innings ended. Shubham Sharma’s unbeaten 44 at No. 8 was merely academic.Akash, who has shouldered the responsibility of leading Bengal’s attack in Mukesh Kumar’s absence, ended up with his third five-for of the season to take his wickets tally to 36 in 15 innings at an average of 20.08. He was complemented by left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed, who finished with 2 for 30.In their second dig, Bengal lost openers Karan Lal ans Abhimanyu Easwaran early, but will have Anustup Majumdar and Sudip Gharami, centurions from the first innings, resume in their quest to bat MP out of the match and seal their second Ranji final appearance in three seasons.

Dele Alli is being backed to make a sensational return to Tottenham despite suffering a "big dip" in his career by former Spurs ace Clive Allen.

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• Dele currently in Italy with Como
• Waiting to make debut
• Tipped for future return to Tottenham

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dele is currently with Serie A side Como and is aiming to get his career back on track in Italy after an injury-ravaged time in the Premier League with Everton. The 28-year-old is yet to make his debut for Cesc Fabregas's side but has been on the bench for the team's last two matches and is expected to make his first appearance for the club before the end of the current campaign.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Dele has signed an 18-month contract with Como, with an option for another campaign dependent on appearances. It remains to be seen if he will remain in Italy after his contract ends or head back to England. Former Tottenham striker Allen feels that there may be a role for Dele at Tottenham in the future, even if it's not on the pitch.

• WHAT ALLEN SAID

  He told : "Maybe that [a return to Tottenham] could be possible. Every football supporter will be wishing him well at Como. He’s had a big dip, which can happen. The fact that he’s bouncing back and getting back into the game, let’s hope he can do it. Maybe one day he can get back up to the level we know. A role at Tottenham maybe. I’m not sure if he’s a coach or a possible manager, an academy coach to give knowledge to young people. He may look at educating young players around depression and avoiding certain situations.“

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DELE

  Dele will be hoping to be in the squad once again on Saturday when Como take on AC Milan in Serie A. Fabregas' team are currently 13th in the table, and a win against the Rossoneri would leave them with an outside chance of securing a top-half finish.

Clubs could now try to poach a “rising” Arsenal figurehead who is absolutely “key” for manager Mikel Arteta, according to reliable Gunners journalist Charles Watts.

Arsenal bury West Ham 5-2 for second straight Premier League win by three goals

The north Londoners, still hopeful of their first Premier League title in 21 years, have certainly rediscovered their best form since returning from the international break.

Arsenal could eclipse Declan Rice fee with £112m bid for "superb" forward

It would be their most expensive ever transfer.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 3, 2024

Their 5-2 win over West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday put one more nail in the coffin of manager Julen Lopetegui, who is under increasing pressure, all the while making it their second straight league win by a three-goal margin.

Arsenal also thrashed Sporting Lisbon 5-1 in the Champions League this time last week, with Arsenal finding their mojo in front of goal once again and proving to everybody that they’re not out of this season’s title race.

Defender Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring against West Ham with a header from a set-piece, and his threat from dead-ball situations is becoming quite the reoccurring theme of his season at N5.

It was the 26-year-old’s third headed goal in the league this season – putting him level with Chris Wood and Ollie Watkins – with Arsenal set-piece coach Nicola Jover in the spotlight as a result.

Arteta was asked whether Jover should have a goal bonus, due to his contribution in making Arsenal such a threat from set plays, and reporter Watts believes that elite clubs could even come knocking on the 43-year-old’s door.

Clubs could try to poach Nicola Jover from Arsenal

Jover is a crucial figure behind the scenes at Arsenal, with Watts telling CaughtOffside that sides will be taking notice of him.

“I did laugh when Mikel Arteta was asked in his press conference after the West Ham game about whether Nicolas Jover should be getting a goal bonus,” said Watts.

“That would certainly be eating into Arsenal’s profits should that be the case, given the number of goals they have been scoring from set pieces over the past couple of seasons. Jover’s star is certainly rising at the moment and his reputation grows stronger with every goal Arsenal score from one of his carefully constructed routines.

“I’m sure other managers or clubs would love to lure him away to take advantage of his expertise, but I can’t imagine he would be looking to go elsewhere at the moment. He is such a key figure in Arteta’s coaching staff and you can see how much work he puts into making the team such a threat from dead ball situations.

“I loved the one against West Ham for Gabriel’s goal. It was just a bit different to the one that had worked so well against Sporting a few days earlier, but that made all the difference.

“Gabriel started just a bit deeper than he usually does. This time his starting point was from within the pack that always gathers beyond the far post, whereas against Sporting he started his run from a more central area and attacked the back post.

“It caught West Ham out and that allowed the Brazilian the space he needed to meet Bukayo Saka’s corner. It’s just such a potent weapon for Arsenal that works time and time again.”

Time away from the game due to a stress fracture helped Jaydev Unadkat gain physical strength and perspective and has driven his success this season

Arun Venugopal17-Feb-2016When Jaydev Unadkat tells you that ‘switching off’ is integral to his game it is easy to mistake it for the kind of jargon that spontaneously seems to roll off a modern cricketer’s tongue. He has, after all, been as ‘switched on’ as only somebody who has prised out 20 wickets in two matches can be – his destruction of Vidarbha and Assam in the knockouts saw Saurashtra make the final of the Ranji Trophy for the first time since 2012-13.But you only need to go back to August 2014 to see where Unadkat is coming from. During India A’s tour of Australia, Unadkat developed trouble in the lower back region which was eventually diagnosed as stress fracture. For four months thereon, Unadkat was forced to push the ‘pause’ button. He didn’t go anywhere close to the ground during the first two months, following which he kept bowling off short strides for four weeks before eventually bowling off a short run-up. Unadkat played only one Ranji Trophy game in the 2014-15 season, four in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament and made one appearance for Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2015.The downtime helped him indulge in luxuries he had missed – spending time at home, catching up with friends and cousins, and a family holiday. More important, however, was the perspective that kicked in. “Sometimes it happens that you take things for granted and in times like these you start counting your blessings,” Unadkat tells ESPNcricinfo. “When you are going through a season you don’t really pause to reflect where you are standing at present in life. Sometimes we just look at the negatives, don’t look at the positives of how our career is going. All of us are really blessed to pursue something which we really love.”Switching off only helped me. I was thinking a lot about my game during that period. I guess I would have become that [a cricket nut]. [Now] I don’t keep on talking about the game. Probably that has helped me overcome this. I was refreshed and eagerly waiting to start playing again so that motivated me again when I came back.”Combating negativity was the biggest challenge for Jaydev Unadkat as he made his way back to cricket after the injury•Associated PressBy his own admission he emerged a better person at the end of a phase where combating negativity was the biggest challenge. “[It was] probably the time after the injury that did that [made me a better person],” he says. “Rather than those four months the next three months were more difficult when I started bowling. I wasn’t feeling as if I was the same bowler. It was in the back of my mind, ‘What if I try to give my full effort and it occurs again?’ That can be the limit of self-belief going down. I have felt that in those two months. I wasn’t really feeling that I could really bowl at the highest level.”[I] probably [developed] a bit of control over my thoughts. I was talking to a couple of coaches – I don’t want to name them – who said the technical faults in my action – a semi-open action is probably a mixed action – won’t allow me to bowl fast and will keep giving me injuries. That has kept haunting me… if I can I manage with those technical flaws? I wanted to be clear with my thoughts [and] that’s one thing I was working on.”A welcome consequence of Unadkat’s injury and his non-selection for India or India A matches was the time he found to work on his strength and stamina and the mental aspects of bowling. He has also looked visibly quicker than he was a year or two ago. “These two-three months in between, the off season that I got, were really crucial. Because of the work I put in the period I can see the difference in my bowling [speed] and I have been able to persist with it throughout the season. Someone told me I clocked 138-139 [kmph in the Assam game]. I have increased my pace by at least 4-5 kmph.He also attributes his improved performance to a better balance between his bowling sessions and gym work. “I have bowled a lot in the off season. I wasn’t bowling this much in the past. I mean I was focusing on gym and all, but I wasn’t bowling much,” he says. “You need to have a work log for yourself where you can see it’s not going above the limit. But it’s important to keep bowling, keep pushing yourself in the nets as well.”I would say during the season [bowling in the nets] is not much. But in the off season I have really pushed it a lot. My workload has increased 20 or 30% more than in the past. I bowl probably eight to ten overs in a session and I do at least five sessions of bowling a week apart from the running and agility sessions.”Unadkat has sought to upgrade his skill quotient and in the process has acquired some valuable pointers from Wasim Akram and Zaheer Khan. “I have met a lot of good people on the way. Bharath Arun sir was in the NCA when I used to go to NCA a lot in the last couple of seasons. He has been guiding me.”Zaheer bhai used to use the angles a lot. He would always tell us that it is about going one step above the batsman. You should be knowing as a batsman what would you think if you were in his place. I have seen him do that [go round the stumps and move the ball away from the right hander]. I have practised that a lot in the nets. That angle is really difficult for a batsman.”I was also making sure [during the Ranji semi-final] that I don’t fall over at the time of delivery. I don’t want to bowl faster and in the process end up losing my bowling shape. I wanted to hold my non-bowling arm till the end. Those are a couple of things I am working on.”

“When you are going through a season you don’t really pause to reflect where you are standing at present in life.”

Unadkat also gets his adrenalin rush from movies and songs. He listened to from on the way to the ground before unleashing a fiery spell against Assam in the second innings in Vadodara. “I have my specific playlist when it comes to listening songs on match days – a couple of songs from or , and English songs like and . My favourite movies have been Lagaan, Iqbal and I like those movies related to the army as well.”All the movies which have positive vibes like conquering something and proving something to your country or yourself… I just get that sense of inspiration. When you are going through your routines this helps you to get that adrenaline high.”His biggest influences off the field are his older sister, Dheera, and team-mate Cheteshwar Pujara. “The only girl that I adore at present is my sister. I am very close to her. There was one time when I was playing for RCB and she felt that season would be the turning point for me. She would send me something in red to wish me luck before every game as it matched the colour of our team kit. She doesn’t talk cricket at home and motivates me at the right time.”Cheteshwar has been my best friend since the last five-six years now. I have gained a lot of maturity from him. I have tried to learn from him is his approach for the game and the discipline he has in all his schedules. We share rooms. Even if we get single rooms we try to stay together. That bond is something we cherish. Whatever cricket I talk about is with him.”

Ipswich Town have shown in their last two Premier League outings that there’s plenty of fight in their camp, with an unexpected home win against Chelsea being followed up with a battling 2-2 draw away at Fulham.

That draw at Craven Cottage might well have been all three points on another day if Leif Davis hadn’t clattered into Raul Jimenez for the home side’s equaliser, but a share of the spoils was still a positive result for Kieran McKenna’s men to take back to Suffolk come full-time.

Yet, McKenna and Co won’t be resting on their laurels as they do find themselves submerged in the bottom three still on goal difference, meaning this month’s busy transfer window could come in handy in boosting the underdogs’ chances of survival.

Who Ipswich could sign in January

Whilst there has been significant talk this January that Liam Delap could up and leave the relegation-threatened outfit, there have also been plenty of rumours linking Ipswich with some notable incomings.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

One recent report from journalist Alan Nixon suggests that the Tractor Boys would be willing to fork out £30m to win Botafogo striker Igor Jesus’ services this month, with Everton also reportedly keen near the foot of the division.

Whilst this could look like Ipswich are preparing for the worst regarding Delap’s fate, Jesus’ arrival would make sense as they aim to boost McKenna’s options up top, away from George Hirst and Ali Al-Hamadi already at Portman Road.

What Jesus could offer Ipswich

With reports linking the Tractor Boys with a move for Liverpool’s exciting young winger Ben Doak alongside the expensive South American, this could be a duo made in heaven as far as McKenna is concerned.

Indeed, Doak has set the Championship alight so far this season on loan from Liverpool, with two goals and six assists standing out from his league numbers to date at Middlesbrough, alongside his ability to twist and turn defences with slaloming solo surges up the pitch.

Capable of playing down either wing, McKenna might well believe the Scotsman could become his new Omari Hutchinson if he can get his hands on him, having managed to get ten goals and six assists out of the ex-Chelsea man down a division before letting him loose on the Premier League.

Whilst Doak would undoubtedly boost the Tractor Boys in midfield, with Wes Burns the only recognised option down the right owing to injuries, Jesus would also come in and give McKenna another option he could fall back on if Delap is having a rare off-day with some impressive numbers, notably at Shabab Al-Ahli.

Football journalist Zach Lowy even described the Brazilian’s heroics as “incredible” across 2024, with his rich vain of form in front of goal playing out in the Middle East seeing him win an international call-up.

Both players entering the building this January could well give McKenna the depth he craves in attack, and would make the Tractor Boys even more of a threatening prospect going forward to try and surprise more teams in their ongoing bid to beat the drop. The thought of the two linking up in attack should also be a salivating prospect for the masses at Portman Road.

Whilst it would be risky to fork out £30m on an unknown entity in the English game, Ipswich never looked back after splashing £20m on Delap who had never cut his teeth in the Premier League prior, with the hope this wild buy – alongside the added energy of Doak – can help the Suffolk side survive against all the odds.

After Godfrey: Ipswich target £16m monster who outperformed Delap last year

The experienced forward would add more goals to Ipswich’s attack.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 6, 2025

Winless on the tour, it took a century from the New Zealand captain to help turn around their fortunes in Delhi

Arun Venugopal21-Oct-20161:46

Agarkar: Once Williamson gets a start, he gets big runs

It’s easy to picture Kane Williamson as a school head boy. Like the best of them, he is extremely talented, has a fine work ethic and seen to be an ‘all-round good bloke.’As with all good head boys, Williamson finds himself at the nervecentre of every activity. Team meeting? Call Williamson. Press conference? Williamson will tackle it.

Williamson on…

Winning and getting a hundred
“It’s great that we showed some signs of improvement from the previous game which is always our focus. Although there were a lot of dots which is sort of the nature of the surface there was also boundaries which allowed us to score at a reasonably good rate. So it was nice to get that partnerships saying if we were able to perhaps get a few more in the later overs, we could have gotten an even better score.”
Boult
“Boult was extremely clever the way he tried to swing the ball early and then made the adjustment to come round the wicket just so with the low bounce not to give width. He was extremely accurate and I think a huge part or a huge reason why we got over the line today is his 10 overs.”

There is also the inevitable comparison with his predecessor – Brendon McCullum – to contend with. While McCullum had the class of 2015 rapping to the tune of fearless, attacking cricket, Williamson’s imprint is still work in progress.The class of 2016 does not comprise slackers – most of McCullum’s merry men continue with the good work – but the India tour has proved to be overwhelming for many of them. Martin Guptill has resembled an agonised drifter, while Ross Taylor seems to have gone uncomfortably numb. After the Test series whitewash, the free fall continued in the first ODI in Dharamsala. Who do they call on to arrest it? You hear a chorus, “Captain Kane!”It is not like Williamson has had it all worked out himself. While he has looked good on different occasions during the tour – never mind the bullying by R Ashwin – he had not managed a century. “That is a good place to start,” Mike Hesson, the headmaster, may possibly have told Williamson on the eve of the game. “And, for heaven’s sake, win the toss.” No pressure, Kane.Hours later, Williamson loses another toss. Minutes later, he watches Guptill’s bat stay away from the ball’s path. Seconds later, Williamson walks out. India’s new-ball pair of Umesh Yadav and Hardik Pandya has a skinny leg-side field, and they keep the off side interested by bowling well outside off. Further, the slip goes out to short cover, and a gully is in place to shut down the dab to third man, one of Williamson’s strong scoring zones.Williamson, standing on middle and leg stump, moves closer to the off stump. The counter-strategy is to enable him to connect deliveries outside off better, and also create an angle favourable for leg-side play. And so, Williamson flicks and tucks balls that remotely veer towards middle and leg, while flaunting his cover drive when the bowler overcorrects and goes too wide outside off.MS Dhoni is doing everything to seal the off side, especially in front of square on a dull track, but there is the left-hand solidity of Tom Latham to contend with as well. Like many head boys, Williamson has a geeky, loyal sidekick in Latham, who refused to abandon the crease in Dharamsala even as the rest of his mates loped off.1:46

‘Fantastic effort from our seam bowlers’ – Williamson

The pitch has by now begun misbehaving, and the balls keep low as promised. But Latham is driving and pulling smoothly, as is Williamson, who does so by going down on his knee. At the start of the 13th over, he stays low and bashes Axar Patel through midwicket, and two balls later steps out to loft him over mid-on for six. The next delivery is flat and fast. Williamson lets the ball go past him and taps it on its head past gully. When Wiliamson is not playing these strokes, he is sweeping firmly and wristily. He has scored a half-century, but there is no theatre. The celebrations can wait. New Zealand, though, are breathing more easily at 115 for 1 in 20 overs.That soon changes as Kedar Jadhav dismisses Latham with his Virender Sehwag-esque offbreaks. Jadhav’s larger contribution, however, is drawing Taylor out of the dressing room. For the next 10 overs, Taylor is swiping at everything, but mostly air. Attempted cuts are inside-edged and slower ones are missed. The bowlers are now bowling further away from off stump. When one of Taylor’s desperate swishes lands into the fielder’s hands, New Zealand have scored only 38 runs in the 10.3 overs since Latham’s dismissal.Williamson knows the momentum has been snatched away. The bowling side is on top. He merely looks downwards with one hand on his waist. There is no discernible emotion otherwise. There is Corey Anderson on the comeback trail, and together they attempt to rebuild, brick by brick. As Williamson nears his hundred, the exertions are showing. On a day of unusual injuries – Rohit Sharma later seems to have a bicep cramp – Williamson’s forearms are cramping. Massages are given and fluids are administered, literally, as he is not able to hold the bottle.But, Williamson gets back to work, drives crisply to gather the two runs needed for his century. The bat is held up momentarily and the helmet is off, more as a polite ‘thank you’ than in any sense of accomplishment. Soon, he watches Anderson depart. Not long after, he departs, too, after battling three flanks – India’s tactics, his team-mates’ inadequacies and his own body.New Zealand’s last ten overs are a laborious blur and they only just manage a par score. But, as the night comes to a close, the head boy is making his victory speech. Unlike whatever he has done on the field, it is vanilla and free of passion. The good head boy is glad to keep it this way.

Virat Kohli feels he is playing his “best T20 cricket again”, following his back-to-back IPL tons

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2023Virat Kohli feels he is playing his “best T20 cricket again”, having scored back-to-back hundreds at the end of the league stage of IPL 2023, and helped Royal Challengers Bangalore to 197 for 5 in their must-win game against Gujarat Titans. Kohli’s unbeaten 101 off 61 balls steered RCB, especially in the last six overs of the innings, after they were 133 for 5; he put together 64 runs off the last 34 balls with Anuj Rawat to give his side a formidable total.When asked by Ravi Shastri after the innings how he’d felt at the crease, Kohli said: “Ya, I felt great. A lot of people feel my T20 cricket is declining, but I don’t feel like that at all. I feel I am playing my best T20 cricket again. I’m just enjoying myself, this is how I play T20 cricket. I look to hit gaps, hit a lot of boundaries and the big ones in the end if the situation allows me to.”Strike rates, all those kind of things like I said in the past as well… You have to read the situation and rise up to the occasion when the situation demands, and that’s something I take a lot of pride in doing, and I’ve been doing it for a while now. I feel really good with my game at the moment and how I’m batting out there in the middle.”Kohli overtook his former RCB team-mate Chris Gayle for most centuries in the IPL and became the third batter to score consecutive hundreds in the IPL after Shikhar Dhawan (2020) and Jos Buttler (2022). Later in the night, Shubman Gill too joined that club.Kohli and Faf du Plessis gave RCB a rapid start with an opening stand of 67 in 7.1 overs before RCB lost three wickets – including those of du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell – to Titans’ spinners in the space of 13 balls.”Spin wasn’t easy to get away and I think the strength of a lot of our fast bowlers is also taking pace off,” Kohli said of the score they finished on and the conditions. “There’s enough in this pitch for our bowlers to make a dent through the [chase], and hitting big shots as you saw in the middle overs wasn’t as easy when the field spread out. So you have to hit a lot of gaps and run twos. If we can cut down those boundaries and now allow them to run twos from those gaps, then it’ll be a very difficult chase.”But Gill’s unbeaten 104 off 52 made sure that was not the case, knocking RCB out of the tournament as Titans chased down their target in 19.1 overs.”Obviously very disappointed,” du Plessis said after the game. “You get to the last game of the campaign, you want to make sure you get through. But we played a very strong team tonight, Shubman Gill played an amazing innings to get a hundred. We were a little bit off in one or two areas and when you are playing a team like this, they will capitalise on it.”The conditions were really wet in the second innings but I think it was also wet in the first innings with a lot of moisture from the rain [which delayed the start by 55 minutes]. So we changed the ball three times, there wasn’t a lot of grip in the second innings. But I thought 195 was a good score, Virat played an unbelievable knock to give us a chance, but we needed that wicket of Shubman to feel like we were really in the game.”One of the biggest positives for RCB this season was the opening partnership of Kohli and du Plessis. The pair added 939 runs in 14 innings, equalling Kohli and AB de Villiers’ record of most runs by a pair in a T20 tournament, set in IPL 2016.”He [Kohli] has played really good cricket throughout the season,” du Plessis said, “and as a partnership, I think there was not one game where we didn’t score 40 for the opening stand [they failed to add 40 in four out of 14 innings]. So that was really pleasing for both of us that we got the team off to a really good start. But it just shows you Virat has got a lot left in the tank in T20 cricket; he is playing really well still.”

Enzo Maresca has fully turned things around at Chelsea since his arrival, the Blues finding themselves second in the Premier League after 16 games played, and top of the UEFA Conference League after five games.

In their five Conference League games, Chelsea have scored 21 goals, including an 8-0 victory against Noah. Meanwhile, they have only conceded four goals in five games.

Maresca has shown faith in the squad options he has, including academy graduates, making 11 changes in most games, in order to keep his entire squad fresh, and competing on all fronts.

The same is expected against Shamrock Rovers in their next game, with plenty of rotation set to take place, as one eye is already on the weekend.

Chelsea team news

Wesley Fofana and Reece James both remain out through injury. Whilst neither would likely play in cup competitions, the knock-on effect on the squad means Tosin Adarabioyo is likely to start in the Premier League, meaning he is less likely to also feature against Shamrock.

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Benoit Badiashile is also unavailable due to an injury picked up last week, further adding to the centre-back issues when rotating the team, and Mykhailo Mudryk is also out for the time being through suspension, which could see minutes for Tyrique George at left-wing.

João Félix is also a doubt, whilst others such as Cole Palmer and Roméo Lavia aren’t available due to not being selected in the Conference League group stage squad.

The absence of Felix could be a big one which requires multiple rejigs to Maresca’s plans, as the Portugal international has often taken the Palmer role in this second unit.

Maresca's attacking options

Christopher Nkunku has been playing as a striker in the Conference League, with Nicolas Jackson being rested for Premier League games. The 27-year-old Frenchman has made 23 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring 12 goals and providing two assists in 903 minutes played.

But in the absence of Felix, Nkunku would likely drop slightly deeper, playing in his preferred number ten position, able to drop deep, link play, get on the ball more often, and create for others alongside himself. This would see the striker position become available, with Marc Guiu being the player who has benefited from these sparing minutes this campaign.

Guiu has made nine appearances since joining the Blues this summer for a fee of around £5m, scoring three goals, all of which have come in the Conference League, where 224 of his 382 minutes have been played.

The 18-year-old striker has shown his ability to be a nuisance in the box, willing to get his shots off (shown by his 5.17 shots per 90), and pressing with high intensity, always looking to do his part off the ball, as well as on it. Nkunku has shown his creative numbers are far superior, and by dropping him to the number ten position, he will have even more chances to impact the game in this way.

But there is another option Maresca could choose to hand those minutes to upfront, with an academy graduate who has been called “the next big thing from Cobham” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Why Shumaira Mheuka must be unleashed

Shumaira Mheuka made his debut against Astana last week, coming from the bench in the 78th minute, taking one shot (off target) and winning two of his three ground duels.

The 17-year-old has made 14 appearances for the U21 side this season, scoring two goals, providing one assist and totalling 1,003 minutes played.

The young English forward thrives in and around the box, having excellent movement to find himself in dangerous positions, having brilliant ball manipulation in order to shift it himself and find a yard to get a shot away, and also using his body well to protect the ball.

Maresca will have a tough decision on his hands, as Guiu will be knocking on the door for minutes after scoring twice against Astana last week. However, whilst Mheuka might not start the game, it should be a good chance to give him more minutes in the senior team, as he looks to gain his reps and experience this season.

And Mheuka isn’t the only academy graduate in line for some minutes against Shamrock Rovers, as two players, in particular, are even expected to start the game on Thursday night, having also started last week against Astana.

Other academy graduates who could feature

Both Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong are expected to be involved in the Conference League game this week, with Mudryk unavailable, and Jadon Sancho likely being rested ahead of the Premier League game against Everton this weekend.

This will likely see George start in his favoured left-wing position, allowing him the freedom to cut inside on his stronger right foot.

In the absence of James and Fofana (both right-side defenders), extra pressure is on the likes of Malo Gusto and Adarabioyo, which will likely mean they are also rested for the weekend’s game. This could see a second consecutive Conference League start at right-back for Acheampong.

Both George and Acheampong are highly rated by the club, with the latter even signing a new five-year contract yesterday, with Maresca stating he believes “Josh needs to stay close with us rather than going on loan”, insinuating the 18-year-old defender is a part of the plans not only for the future, but also the present.

Exciting times, indeed, in both the short-term and long-term at Stamford Bridge.

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