Liverpool ceded ground in the Premier League title race in midweek, with Caoimhin Kelleher’s late error allowing Fabian Schar to score from an acute angle and give Newcastle United a point at St. James’ Park.

The hosts were well worth their point, truth be told, but Liverpool will be frustrated by the manner in which their winning streak was sliced, for Mohamed Salah had swept the visitors into a lead with two goals and an assist for Curtis Jones.

Having previously won seven on the trot in all competitions and secured successive Anfield victories over Real Madrid and Manchester City last week, Liverpool have established a commanding position in the Premier League and the Champions League, at the summit of both tables.

However, Arsenal and Chelsea are snapping at their feet in joint-second-place (albeit from a seven-point distance) while Pep Guardiola’s City are masters at putting together imperious runs of form toward the business end of the campaign.

Liverpool cannot afford to lose more ground in the Premier League. They must defeat Sean Dyche’s men. It won’t be easy: this is the Toffees’ final season at Goodison Park, and oh how they’d love to silence the Redmen one last time on their fabled home soil.

Liverpool team news

Slot and his squad will of course be confident in their quality and chances of defeating their neighbours, but Liverpool do have a host of frustrating injuries to contend with.

Alisson Becker is on the cusp of a comeback, but is not quite ready. Kelleher has been brilliant between the sticks in the Brazilian’s absence, and will be desperate to put Wednesday’s blunder behind him.

Further issues abound across the outfield ranks, with defenders Kostas Tsimikas, Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley all out of contention.

Moreover, Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa are still sidelined up front in a damaging blow; in particular, Jota’s clinical edge would be greatly appreciated. Even though the Portuguese is not yet ready to return, Darwin Nunez must not reprise his starting berth at the front of the attack.

Why Darwin Nunez must be dropped

Nunez has some particular qualities that make him an interesting asset to have up front. He’s lively, energetic and tenacious, but the Uruguay international also struggles to produce clinical results.

Across 18 matches under Slot’s wing, the 25-year-old has posted three goals and two assists. Not great. Against Newcastle, Nunez’s predatory sense (or lack thereof), proved to be Liverpool’s undoing, for he squandered opportunities and failed to produce the fluent football required for the system to purr.

The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle branded him with a 5/10 match rating after a troubled St. James’ Park showing, criticising Liverpool’s record signing for his lack of influence and missed chances, albeit acknowledging his work rate and determination.

This forthcoming fixture is so important, and it’s for that season that Slot must push him back to the bench.

While several key options are sidelined, there are several choices to pick from. The answer to the quandary has to be unleashing Luis Diaz as the focal frontman to terrorise Jarrad Branthwaite and co.

Why Luis Diaz must start up front

With Nunez still erratic and Jota still injured (typical cases both), Slot must indeed unleash his Colombian menace at number nine.

The highly-charged Diaz has been in fine fettle this season, starting with a bang. It’s true that he’s fizzled out across the past couple of months, having gone nine Premier League matches without a goal, but he still carries a significant threat and scored a hat-trick from centre-forward against Bayer Leverkusen last month.

He’s got the shifty movement and electric pace to cause problems at the front of the ship, emulating, in a way, the role that Nunez plays so well for Liverpool.

The thing is, Diaz’s hat-trick matches Nunez’s total haul across the current term, with his bluntness in the final third starting to see Reds supporters’ frustrations boil over.

With Cody Gakpo thriving on the left flank, it makes perfect sense to play Diaz in the middle, where he can act as a kind of roving focal point to create opportunity for overlaps, namely from Gakpo and Salah.

As per FBref, the Colombia international also ranks among the top 4% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90, highlighting the technical skill and link-up quality that he will bring to the Goodison grass.

Left winger

15

8

2

Centre-forward

2

3

0

Right winger

3

1

0

It goes without saying that Liverpool will see more of the ball than their counter-attacking neighbours, but this does not mean Everton cannot win. They will look for openings and seek to break Liverpool’s high line apart. Then charge. Then pounce.

Liverpool, as funny as it sounds, will need to ensure they succeed when presented with counter-counter transitions, which would be when, say, Virgil van Dijk dispossesses Dominic Calvert-Lewin on the break and looks to reorient the flow of the play toward Jordan Pickford’s goal.

The £55k-per-week Diaz will be essential in making the most of such patterns, for he is crisp on the ball and immensely creative besides. The 27-year-old also carried a deceptive strength, and won’t be easily outhustled by the likes of the heavyset Branthwaite.

Harking back to Nunez a moment, take a look at the clip below. It’s great that Liverpool scored and all that, but Nunez’s sloppy side pass almost broke down a promising passage.

Given that the Uruguayan only completed eight passes across 90 minutes on Tyneside, there’s a case to be made that he might prove ineffective against a Toffees team that will need to be outstyled in Liverpool’s final third, broken down and breached.

Branthwaite – who notably diverted Marcus Rashford’s effort into the net at Old Trafford last week – has yet to recover last season’s imperious defensive level, but he’s still a titanic young centre-back and will be tasked with nullifying whoever Slot deploys at centre-forward. Would Nunez really have greater success than Diaz in open play?

Described as a “livewire” by journalist Peter Hall, Diaz’s fleet-footed style, his tricks and slipperiness, could be what Liverpool need to leave Goodison Park one final time with three points in the bag.

Branthwaite – who Liverpool have been linked with in recent times – could well be in for a tough afternoon…

Ignored by Klopp: £32m Liverpool flop is now outscoring Salah in 2024

Klopp sold a star at the beginning of his Liverpool era, and now that very flop is outscoring Mohamed Salah in 2024.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 6, 2024

After four straight draws in the Championship, West Bromwich Albion finally broke out of this poor run of form with a straightforward 2-0 victory over Coventry City on Wednesday night.

Subsequently, the Baggies are now occupying that final coveted playoff spot in the difficult division, knowing that their resolve in the promotion places will be significantly tested the more December drags on.

Carlos Corberan will just want more from his players in matches to come to continue tallying up victories over falling victim to more draws, with the likes of Mikey Johnston arguably needing up to their game down the left flank for the promotion hopefuls.

Johnston's return to West Brom

After an explosive loan stint last campaign, it was always going to be tricky for Johnston to return and pick back up from where he left off, after only linking back up with Corberan’s camp on a permanent deal right at the tail-end of August.

The full-throttle winger’s first spell would see him pick up a phenomenal seven strikes from 18 league contests, as his heroics enabled the Baggies to pick up a playoff position with ease, due to his devastating attacking displays turning second-tier defenders inside and out.

No such strikes like this one that was hammered home versus Queen Park Rangers last campaign have occurred this season, however, as the former Celtic man remains goalless from 16 league contests.

He has only started seven of these named games though, with Corberan hopeful that more consistent game time for the electric winger in a congested fixture period could reawaken his best for the promotion candidates.

The Spaniard will also want Fellows to reach the heights he knows he’s capable of moving forward, having started the season like a runaway train with three assists picked up from three, only to amass four after.

But, both Fellows and Johnston certainly have enough in their ongoing bank to justify their inclusions in Corberan’s main XI.

Whereas, it could be up for debate whether this soon-to-be out-of-contract face is one he should be striving to keep around, as a decision on his future becomes more paramount by the day.

Molumby's future at West Brom

A regular in the treatment room last season, Jayson Molumby will just be pleased – when thinking about his situation short-term – that he is getting way more minutes in the here and now when injury-free.

The Republic of Ireland international has started 13 contests for his playoff-chasing team so far in the Championship, with his display in the aforementioned Coventry success somewhat standing out, considering the Baggies number eight only misplaced three of his 63 passes alongside winning four duels.

Player

League games played

Contract expiry date

Semi Ajayi

12

June 2025

Kyle Bartley

14

June 2025

John Swift

19

June 2025

Jayson Molumby

17

June 2025

Grady Diangana

12

June 2025

Sourced by Transfermarkt

But, as West Brom know all too well when losing the likes of Okay Yokuslu at the end of the 2023/24 season, nobody in the Baggies ranks is irreplaceable, with a growing possibility that the ex-Brighton and Hove Albion man could just walk away for nothing this summer.

This wouldn’t be the end of the world for West Brom, who made do without their Irishman for large spells of last campaign, with Corberan also well accustomed to this situation of having to be quick on his feet when losing individuals who have had their contracts run out.

Corberan certainly values his “animal” – as he’s described him in the past – which saw him win an impressive eight duels versus Sheffield United in the middle of the month, but his excessive wage could also be a stumbling block as to whether he sticks around past this coming summer.

Amazingly, his excessive £17.3k-per-week salary seems him earn just a fraction more than Josh Maja, whilst also bettering both Johnston and Fellows on weekly income too, who earn a lesser £10k-per-week and £6k-per-week respectively.

It wouldn’t be the best-case scenario for West Brom to lose another presence for zilch, but the Baggies have been here before and managed to dress their wounds appropriately, with Molumby one that might head for the exit door very soon if talks don’t speed up.

Perhaps cashing in in January would be a wiser approach, rather than risk losing him on a free next summer…

West Brom must finally ditch £7m dud who Ismael said had “everything”

West Bromwich Albion will have to consider shifting on this dud soon.

1 ByKelan Sarson Dec 12, 2024

Ghulam Fatima’s maiden ODI five-wicket haul backed up by half-centuries from Sadaf Shamas and Bismah Maroof helped Pakistan secure a comfortable five-wicket win over Ireland and complete a 3-0 series sweep in Lahore.Batting first, Ireland started strongly with Leah Paul and Gaby Lewis adding 84 runs for the opening wicket. Fatima removed Lewis, but Paul recorded her third ODI fifty to keep Ireland going. She got good support from Amy Hunter with the duo adding a 65-run stand for the second wicket.It was Fatima who once again broke the stand, getting rid of Hunter, whose wicket signalled an Irish collapse. Paul fell soon after for 65 while Orla Prendergast too did not last long as Ireland slipped from 149 for 1 to 161 for 4. There was brief resistance from Eimear Richardson, but once she fell in the 44th over to Fatima, the visitors lost their way again.They lost their last six wickets for 23 runs to be bowled out for 225 in 49.5 overs. Fatima with 5 for 34 was the star of the show with the ball.Pakistan’s chase then got off the wrong foot with both openers falling cheaply. Prendergast castled Muneeba Ali for 12 before Jane Maguire sent back the in-form Sidra Ameen for 10. However, Maroof and Shamas made sure the chase never got out of hand. Shamas, playing just her second ODI innings, recorded her maiden fifty while Maroof too chugged along.The duo added 124 runs for the third wicket in quick time before both fell in quick succession, but their stand had ensured the chase was on solid ground. While Shamas was stumped off Richardson for 72 off 80, Rachel Delaney brought about the downfall of Maroof for 57.There were no alarm bells for Pakistan though as Omaima Sohail, Aliya Riaz and Sidra Nawaz all chipped in to take their team over the line in 47.1 overs.Fatima was named Player of the Match while Ameen, having scored 277 runs in the three-match series, was named Player of the Tournament.

da 888casino： Tottenham Hotspur’s poor run of form got even worse last night.

da bet7k： Ange Postecoglou returned to Glasgow to take on Rangers in the Europa League, but instead of getting one over his old rivals, he oversaw a rather dismal 1-1 draw.

However, while it ended a point a piece, the hosts were undoubtedly the better team and, on another night, could and probably should have been two or three goals up before the Lilywhites equalised.

That said, while it was a night to forget for Spurs, there was at least one starter who could hold his head high, a starter Lionel Messi thought could have joined him at Barcelona in the past.

Spurs' poor performers

Before we get to the player in question, we have to look at some of Spurs’ worst performers from last night, as while they got out with a point, it was an abysmal showing from one of the Premier League’s ‘big six.’

The starter who has been getting the most stick is Timo Werner, who was hooked at halftime for what might have been his worst game for the club since his arrival mid-way through last season.

That’s an opinion likely shared by Postecoglou, as in his post-match press conference, he slammed the German, saying his display “wasn’t acceptable,” which might even be too kind, as in just 46 minutes he lost the ball 16 times and received a 2/10 match rating from journalist Alasdair Gold.

Other than the former Chelsea ace, Pedro Porro was a disaster in attack and defence; Brennan Johnson went from ineffective off the right to anonymous off the left when Dejan Kulusevski came on, and the midfield duo of Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur might as well have sat on the bench all game as they were so easily bypassed.

Overall, it was the sort of showing that can get a manager the sack.

However, aside from Kulusevski, who scored but still looked somewhat off his best, there was one starter from last night who almost single-handedly kept Spurs in the game, a player lauded by Messi over a decade ago.

The Spurs star who proved Messi right

So, to get straight to the point, the player in question is, of course, goalkeeping veteran Fraser Forster.

The six-capped Englishman spent a significant period of his career playing for Celtic, and it was with the Hoops that he left a seriously good impression on the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner following a 2-1 Champions League victory against Barcelona in 2012.

The 36-year-old was an immovable object for those 90 minutes, facing 14 shots on target and keeping the Catalans out until Messi finally scored a consolation goal in the 91st minute.

It was such an incredible showing from the Hexam-born shot-stopper that the Argentine megastar later told the press that it was the “best goalkeeping performance I have seen” and that the team “even talked about him playing here.”

Unfortunately for the Englishman, that path never presented itself to him, but last night, against Rangers, he rolled back the years once more and ensured that Spurs came away with a point from Ibrox.

In his 93 minutes of action, the “magnificent” veteran, as dubbed by former manager Neil Lennon, made five saves, four of which were inside the box, prevented 0.73 goals, made one punch and high claim, took 41 touches, maintained a passing accuracy of 85%, and made one clearance.

Unsurprisingly, it was a showing that impressed the watching press, with Gold awarding him an 8/10 match rating at full-time and crediting him for his ‘crucial’ save against Cyriel Dessers just five minutes from time.

Forster’s game in numbers

Minutes

93′

Saves

5

Saves inside the Area

4

Goals Prevented

0.73

Punches

1

High Claims

1

Touches

41

Passing Accuracy

23/27 (85%)

Clearances

1

All Stats via Sofascore

Ultimately, the majority of the Spurs team were utterly dire against Rangers, but Forster put in another strong showing against his old rivals and, in turn, justified Messi’s high praise from all those years ago.

Related 4/10 Spurs star was just as bad as Werner vs Rangers

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Kohli is not part of the T20Is against Sri Lanka, while Dhawan does not find a place in the ODI squad

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Dec-2022

Hardik Pandya will lead India in the three-match T20I series at home against Sri Lanka starting on January 3, with Suryakumar Yadav as his deputy, while Rohit Sharma is set to return for the three ODIs that follow.Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are also not part of the T20I squad; and Shikhar Dhawan has been left out of the ODI set-up after a poor run in Bangladesh, where he scored only 18 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 51.42.Rishabh Pant has not been included in either the ODI or the T20I squad against Sri Lanka after he was given a break from the ODI series in Bangladesh. Pant subsequently returned for the two Tests and scored a rapid 93 in the victory in Mirpur.Related

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The BCCI release that followed the selection meeting chaired by Chetan Sharma did not specify which players had been rested, dropped or injured.While Rahul is part of the ODI squad, he hasn’t been named vice-captain, with Hardik taking over as Rohit’s deputy in his first 50-over series since the tour of England in July. Rahul had recently led India in the third ODI in Bangladesh after Rohit was ruled out with a thumb injury.Jadeja’s recovery taking longer than expected
Ravindra Jadeja did not feature in either squad as he continues his recovery from a knee injury. He last played for India at the Asia Cup in UAE in August-September, and subsequently underwent surgery. Jadeja’s inclusion for the Bangladesh tour was provisional and he was later withdrawn after NCA medical staff deemed him “not fully fit”.ESPNcricinfo understands Jadeja’s recovery is taking longer than expected, and while an exact date for his return isn’t known, the team is keen to have him back for the four-Test series against Australia starting in February. Jadeja could play in a Ranji Trophy game for Saurashtra, subject to permission, to prove his match fitness ahead of that series.The selectors chose a young pace attack for the T20Is against Sri Lanka with both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami, who were part of the 2022 T20 World Cup squad, missing. Shami, however, is back in the ODI set up for the first time since the tour of England in June-July, after being withdrawn from the recent tour of Bangladesh because of a shoulder injury.Rishabh Pant is not part of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka•Getty Images

Mavi, Mukesh get maiden T20I call-ups
After fetching big money at the IPL 2023 auction last week, Uttar Pradesh’s Shivam Mavi and Bengal’s Mukesh Kumar earned maiden T20I call-ups. In the latest Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Mavi had picked up ten wickets in seven games at an economy of 6.64; Mukesh six in six at 7.04.The T20I squad also features Harshal Patel and Umran Malik, whose most-recent T20I was in June against England. ESPNcricinfo understands Harshal had contracted Covid upon his return from New Zealand and was asked to rest from the first two rounds of the Ranji Trophy as a precautionary measure. He was subsequently given a fitness clearance ahead of the selection meeting.Arshdeep Singh is back in the ODI squad after making his debut on the recent tour of New Zealand but missing the subsequent trip to Bangladesh. He is yet to take a wicket in ODIs after going wicketless in two matches in New Zealand.Middle-order batter Rajat Patidar and spin allrounder Shahbaz Ahmed are the other omissions from the ODI squad after the recent series in Bangladesh, where neither played a game. Deepak Chahar, who had pulled out of the tour of Bangladesh with a hamstring strain, was also not part of either squad.At the start of an ODI World Cup year, India begin their home season by hosting Sri Lanka for three T20Is in Mumbai (January 3), Pune (January 5) and Rajkot (January 7), and three ODIs in Guwahati (January 10), Kolkata (January 12) and Thiruvananthapuram (January 15), after which they will also host New Zealand and Australia before the IPL.India’s squad for Sri Lanka T20Is: Hardik Pandya (capt), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (vice-capt), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh KumarIndia’s quad for Sri Lanka ODIs: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-capt), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh

تتجه أنظار عشاق كرة القدم حول العالم اليوم الأحد 15-6-2025، إلى النسخة الجديدة من بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، التي تقام للمرة الأولى بمشاركة 32 فريقًا، وتستضيفها الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية في نسخة استثنائية من البطولة العالمية.

ويفتتح نادي بورتو البرتغالي مشواره في البطولة بمواجهة قوية أمام بالميراس البرازيلي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الأولى للمجموعة الأولى. وتُقام المباراة على ملعب ميتلايف، في نفس المجموعة التي تضم أيضًا الأهلي وإنتر ميامي الأمريكي، واللذان تعادلا سلبيًا في لقاء الافتتاح.

وفي قمة أوروبية مرتقبة، يلتقي باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي مع أتلتيكو مدريد الإسباني، ضمن منافسات المجموعة الرابعة، التي تضم إلى جانبهما بوتافوجو البرازيلي وسياتل ساوندرز الأمريكي. وتقام المباراة المنتظرة على ملعب روز بول بولاية كاليفورنيا.

من ناحية أخرى، يستعد بايرن ميونخ الألماني لقص شريط مشاركته في البطولة، عندما يواجه أوكلاند سيتي النيوزيلندي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الأولى من المجموعة الثالثة. وتُقام المباراة على ملعب تي كيو إل. ويضم نفس المجموعة كل من بنفيكا البرتغالي وبوكا جونيورز الأرجنتيني، في مجموعة تعد من بين الأقوى في البطولة.

وتتواصل منافسات دور المجموعات على مدار الأيام المقبلة، وسط ترقب جماهيري وإعلامي كبير لأداء الأندية الكبرى في البطولة التي تقام لأول مرة بنظام يشبه كأس العالم للمنتخبات.

طالع أيضًا | الأهلي يعلن حجم إصابة إمام عاشور أمام إنتر ميامي وغيابه عن باقي مباريات كأس العالم للأندية مواعيد مباريات اليوم الأحد 15-6-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات كأس العالم للأندية اليوم

بايرن ميونخ ضد أوكلاند سيتي، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة “DAZN”، و”mbc action”.

باريس سان جيرمان ضد أتلتيكو مدريد، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة “DAZN”.

بورتو ضد بالميراس، الساعة 1 بعد منتصف الليل بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة “DAZN”، و”mbc action”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الليبي اليوم

الصداقة ضد النصر، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “الرياضية الليبية”.

الأخضر ضد التحدي، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “الرياضية الليبية”.

الهلال ضد أهلي بنغازي، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “الرياضية الليبية”.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

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.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• 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.“

• Getty Images Entertainment
  

  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.

In Jasprit Bumrah and Manish Pandey, there might be a lesson for the selectors to back winners, and perhaps punt a little less

Sidharth Monga23-Jan-20161:23

‘Manish paced his innings well’ – Dhoni

MS Dhoni likes to take the game into the last over. He did at the SCG. Dhoni likes to hit the first ball of the said last over for a six. He did at the SCG. Much as we would like to console ourselves that Dhoni helped India finish their only win of the series, he was a pale shadow of himself. That he was there to take the match to the deep end was indeed the difference between Canberra and Sydney, but the old Dhoni would have done so with much more deliberation. Here, he did play a panicked shot, and was dropped. He did play across the line, and survived a plumb lbw decision.We don’t know when Dhoni’s next ODI will be, or if there will be one (can’t bank on a farewell tour for Dhoni), but more than thinking about whether he nearly botched up a fourth chase in the last five chances he will be extremely pleased that two youngsters helped India cross the line they have been finding so difficult to chase. Manish Pandey, in his fourth ODI, and Jasprit Bumrah, on debut, finally provided the support Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli so badly needed.When playing against a superior opponent, you need to scrap until the end. In Canberra, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav conceded 29 in the last two overs, in Sydney Bumrah bowled the rare Indian yorker to help India concede just seven after the 48th over. In Canberra batsmen other than top three choked, in Sydney, Pandey remained cool. Not to mention the 10 or so runs he saved in the field.There might be a lesson in here for the selectors to back winners, and perhaps punt a little less.Talk to anyone familiar with the Indian domestic circuit about Pandey, they will tell you he might not be the best technically but he scores on big occasions. In the 2009-10 Ranji final, he scored 144 as Karnataka fell six heart-breaking runs shy of a chase of 338. He became the first Indian centurion in IPL in a must-win game for his team in 2009, and followed it up with a Man of the Match in the semi-final. He went on to add a double-century in the Duleep Trophy semi-final in the 2010-11, and a half-century in the final. He won an IPL final off his own bat, with a 94 in a chase of 200 in 2014.Bumrah, with his unorthodox action that creates an illusion of extra pace, with the ability to bowl the yorker, and with the improvement made through the addition of the ball that holds its line, was part of the Gujarat team that won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2014-15. In the next season he was the leading wicket-taker in the domestic 50-over competition, the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He bowled Dhoni with a yorker in the league stages and picked up five in the final.Pandey, though, had to sit out for no fault of his because he doesn’t bowl and because India don’t have other allrounders. Bumrah somehow didn’t make it to the original squad, and unconfirmed reports say they couldn’t get him a visa fast enough when Mohammed Shami got injured. Lucky they were playing because of more injuries, and under pressure in the dying moments, both of them delivered.

“The kind of innings Manish Pandey has played, it gives you extra 15 games to settle in and start to do what you need to do. And adapt to the demands of the game. Because a lot will also change when you play in the subcontinent. As of now he looks good at No. 5.”

An instructive moment was when Dhoni asked Ishant at the start of an over at the death what field he wanted, and you could hear: “Bumrah wali [the one that Bumrah had].” Here was a veteran trying to emulate what a debutant was doing, and he went on to find success. When it comes to finishing it off with the bat, the coolest cat with the bat could trust Pandey. The rookie might even have helped the veteran out.That Pandey knew what he was doing was evident from how he didn’t try the desperate shot, relied on his legs and his placement to get the couples, resisted the temptation of manufacturing shots to the shorter boundary, and then produced the masterful steer off a yorker in the final over to bring up his hundred and take India to within two of a win.Tangibly Dhoni’s 34 off 42 took the asking rate past 12, but intangibly he might have just imparted the invaluable wisdom you gain only by finishing games off again and again. Sample what Dhoni told Pandey: “The difference [between runs required and balls left] was 15-20 runs. Whatever happens we will get at least at least two boundaries. And also both of us are quick between the wickets, which means we will put pressure on the slower fielders or the ones that don’t have good arms. Ultimately we will get those extra runs rather than looking for the big six.”One of the biggest mistakes inexperienced batsmen make is feel they are running out of time. Dhoni might have taught him the most valuable lesson: there is more time than you think. Perhaps Pandey knew it himself?Dhoni is not one to get carried away with early success. He spoke well of the two youngsters, but remained guarded too. “Bumrah was fantastic playing in his first game,” Dhoni said. “It becomes slightly easy for you when youngsters come and perform in the first five games that they play. You see a glimpse of what they may become in the coming years if they don’t get injured. He bowled well with the semi-new ball, he bowled well in the middle overs, then he bowled well at the death. That is the kind of bowlers we are looking for. He has the variations, he has the slightly awkward action.”About Pandey he said: “Manish paced his innings really well. You have to realise it is not always about big hits. Over here the ground are big. If you mistime you can get out, but at the same time if you hit a good yorker, more often than not you get two. You rely a lot on your running. This innings will help him but what he needs to keep in is how he calculated the run chase. The kind of innings he has played, it gives you extra 15 games to settle in and start to do what you need to do. And adapt to the demands of the game. Because a lot will also change when you play in the subcontinent. As of now he looks good at No. 5.”When asked if this gave him reason to change his mind about lack of ready-made talent coming through from the system, Dhoni said it is important is to not get “high on individual performances”, and also said he can only judge by what the selectors give him, that it is their job to find the best talent and push it through to international cricket.In typical Dhoni fashion he remained noncommittal about what future held for Dhoni the ODI player, joking you might need a public-interest litigation to find out, but the wistfulness you might have felt looking at his diminished striking ability disappeared a little when you heard him talk with joy about a youngster who planned a chase as well as he wanted him to do.

Paul Pogba has, amid his search for a new club, enjoyed an “unforgettable” birthday party alongside wife Zulay and tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz.

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Doping suspension has been completedWorld Cup winner available as a free agentRelaxing with friends in search for new clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Manchester United midfielder is currently a free agent. He has completed an 18-month doping ban, with the 32-year-old now cleared to resume his professional career. Pogba was released by Serie A giants Juventus while serving a worldwide suspension.

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He has been linked with clubs around the world, from Saudi Arabia to the Premier League, but is yet to decide where his next port of call will be. Plenty of time is being spent in the United States, which is considered by some to be a nod towards landing a deal in MLS.

THE GOSSIP

Pogba has been in Florida celebrating his latest birthday, with a star-studded bash organised by his partner Zulay. Said event was attended by Spanish tennis sensation Alcaraz, who recently took part in the Miami Open.

WHAT NEXT FOR PAUL POGBA?

Pogba has said on social media: “Surprised by love. Thank you to my amazing wife and friends for this unforgettable birthday celebration. Truly blessed!” The World Cup winner is now free to focus on kick-starting a career that stalled back in September 2023.

Leeds United centre-forward Mateo Joseph is a good example of how difficult it is to translate regular goalscoring from academy level to the first team.

The 21-year-old ace, who joined from Espanyol at the start of 2022, scored an eye-catching 19 goals in 33 games for the Whites at U21 level.

However, the Spain U21 international has only found the back of the net five times in 47 appearances for the club since his rise to the first-team, with two goals in 15 Championship games this season.

He has made the step to the senior team, though, and has time on his hands to fulfil his potential, which was not the case for one former Leeds youngster who initially arrived with plenty of hype around him.

Leeds' mini Luis Suarez

Leeds swooped to sign a teenage centre-forward from Barcelona in the summer of 2017 after he had scored 30 goals in 30 league games for the Spanish giants at academy level in the 2016/17 campaign.

If you haven’t guessed already, that player was none other than Kun Temenuzhkov.

The Guardian named him as one of the 60 best young talents in world football in 2017 and wrote that the striker had ‘the same predator’s instinct’ as former Barcelona and Liverpool sensation Luis Suarez, who was idolised by the youngster and scored 195 goals in 283 games for the LaLiga outfit.

It is not hard to understand why that comparison was made after such an incredible year of goalscoring for the Spanish side in the previous season.

After playing for the Leeds’ U18 side for 18 months, Temenuzhkov made his first-team debut for Leeds against Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup in January 2019, with an 11-minute cameo off the bench under Marcelo Bielsa.

Given his extraordinary goal record for Barcelona’s youth teams, his comparison to Suarez, and his senior bow under Bielsa, you could forgive the Whites for thinking that they had their own version of the Uruguayan hero on their hands.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Unfortunately, though, after loan spells with CF La Nucía and Real Union during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns, the Bulgarian centre-forward was released by the Whites in the summer of 2022, having failed to live up to the hype.

How Kun Temenuzhkov is performing in 2024

The young marksman made the move to join Navalcarnero in the fourth tier of Spanish football and scored eight goals in 29 league games during the 2023/24 campaign.

He then spent six months with Zamora CF, scoring just one goal in ten games, before moving to Lincoln FC in Gibraltar at the start of 2023.

Temenuzhkov produced six goals and three assists in 15 appearances for Lincoln during the second half of last season, before a free transfer to Moscardó in the summer transfer window earlier this year.

It was the fourth free transfer since the start of 2022 for the 24-year-old attacker, who has been unable to enjoy more than one season with a club since his exit from Leeds.

Moscardó currently play in the fourth tier of Spanish football and the ex-Whites and Barcelona man has had a difficult start to the campaign, with zero goals and one assist in eight league matches.

Temenuzhkov is yet to replicate his sensational goalscoring output at academy level in his first-team career and Leeds will now be hoping that Joseph, who has already played 46 more times for Leeds than the Bulgarian forward did, fares better in his development over the coming years.

Leeds can replace Firpo by signing "best full-back in the Championship"

Leeds United are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Championship star.

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