Tag Futebol

Arsenal have been blessed with some incredible attacking players over the years.

In Mikel Arteta’s team today, you have the talismanic Bukayo Saka, who over time could become one of the greatest players the club has ever had.

Go back a couple of decades, and you reach the man with the current title in Thierry Henry, but you go back even further than that, and you hit the record-breaking Ian Wright.

The iconic forward was a force to be reckoned with during his time in North London, and while he was a unique player and character, it looks like Arsenal could be about to sign someone who could be a modern version of the Englishman.

Arsenal target attacking superstar

It’s been a brilliant summer of transfer business for Arsenal so far, with the stand-out acquisition undoubtedly being Viktor Gyokeres for around £63.5m including add-ons.

Transfer Focus

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

The Swedish international racked up an astounding 54 goals and 13 assists in just 52 games last season, and therefore could be the key to turning the defensively solid Gunners into an attacking tour de force next season.

On top of the former Coventry City star, Andrea Berta and Co have also added the likes of Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga to the side.

However, even though the club have been jam-packed in the market, they don’t appear done just yet, as they now appear keen on an international who could be their new Wright.

At least that is according to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who has revealed that Arsenal are still incredibly interested in Eberechi Eze.

The Italian journalist claims that the Crystal Palace star is now their “top target” and that they have been in talks with the player’s camp.

However, it could be a financially complicated transfer to get over the line, as reports from earlier this week claimed that the South Londoners want buying clubs to pay the Englishman’s £67.5m release clause, and that the first payment has to be a lump sum of around £30m.

While that is a lot of money to spend, it would be worth it for Eze, as he’s more than proven his ability over the years and could even be Arsenal’s new Wright.

Why Eze could be the new Wright

So, the first thing to say is that, yes, Eze plays in a very different position to the one Wright played in during his career, but this comparison is not really about that.

Instead, there are several other easy comparisons to make between the two players, with the first being that, should this deal go ahead, it would be another example of the Gunners going back to Crystal Palace and signing their most important attacking outlet.

Moreover, while he’s not an old player, like Gyokeres, the former QPR gem is older than other players the Gunners have tended to target in recent years, coming in at 27 years old, and when the former Arsenal striker moved to Highbury in 1991, he did so at 28 years old.

The next similarity is that the midfield “superstar,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is also a dangerous player in front of goal.

While he’s never going to have the goalscoring numbers of the former England international, due to his position, he’s still a genuine threat, much like the Gunners great, as over the last two campaigns for the Eagles, he’s been able to amass a seriously impressive tally of 25 goals and provided 17 assists in 79 appearances, totalling 5588 minutes.

Appearances

36

43

Minutes

2285′

3303′

Goals

11

14

Assists

6

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.47

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

134.41′

132.12′

In other words, the Greenwich-born “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, has averaged a goal involvement every 1.88 games, or every 133.04 minutes across two years for a team that is mid-table at best.

On top of that, the former Hale Ender has shown an ability to take games by the scruff of the neck like Wright used to, scoring in the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the FA Cup to deliver Palace their first ever major trophy.

Finally, while it was some time ago now, the 61-year-old goal machine was also a tremendously entertaining player to watch when he was in red and white, and while he has a different style of play due to his primary position, you can say the same thing about the Eagles star.

Ultimately, while it won’t be an easy deal to get over the line, Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign Eze this summer, as he has the potential to follow in Wright’s footsteps and help guide the club back to the glory days.

Arteta's new Saka: Berta working to sign "incredible" £86m star for Arsenal

The sensational winger could be a real game-changer for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 30, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Foi assustador como o Palmeiras complicou uma partida que se desenhava fácil quando perdeu o técnico Abel Ferreira na tarde do último sábado (15), contra o Cuiabá, pela primeira rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Já vimos o Verdão ir bem sem Abel no banco de reservas algumas vezes. Mas não podemos descartar que o elenco palmeirense para essa temporada está enfraquecido.

Peças importantes saíram e não foram repostas. E as que foram, tiveram os seus reforços contratados mais tarde e estão em período de adaptação, que é o caso do atacante Artur. Assim, o plantel do Verdão nunca esteve tão rejuvenescido nas mãos do técnico português como agora. E, naturalmente, os atletas mais novos precisam de um ponto de referência no banco: o treinador.

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+Flaco López brilha novamente em vitória do Palmeiras na estreia no Brasileirão

É impossível, também, falar da expulsão de Abel Ferreira e não entrar no mérito dela. O lance em que o português recebe o cartão vermelho é tão confuso quanto a arbitragem do mineiro Paulo César Zanovelli, no Allianz Parque, que, além de colocar para fora o comandante palmeirense, por muitas vezes enervou os jogadores do Verdão, ignorando faltas e invertendo marcações, principalmente no primeiro tempo.

Porém, uma das marcas do “Palmeiras de Abel” não pôde ser vista no jogo contra o Cuiabá: os atletas até tiveram o coração quente para vencer a partida, por 2 a 1, mas estiveram longe de possuir a cabeça fria. E isso não diz somente sobre perder as estribeiras e partir para a violência, mas, também, se perder nos próprios erros e potencializar as próprias deficiências. E aí que vem a necessidade de um volante e um elenco mais qualificado.

SOS VOLANTE

Em relação à primeira questão: Gabriel Menino na vaga deixada por Danilo, negociado com o Nottingham Forest, da Inglaterra, em janeiro foi uma alternativa que deu certo do meio para frente, mas no setor onde a lacuna ficou aberta a solução ainda precisa ser encontrada. Zé Rafael tapou o buraco do primeiro volante, mas, como não é do setor, é como se fosse uma esponja que retém por algum tempo, mas em alguns momentos solta o que está guardado.

No lance do gol do Cuiabá, marcado por Raniele no último minuto do primeiro tempo, a parte defensiva palmeirense estava completamente desorganizada. Marcos Rocha estava no meio da área, mas deveria estar no espaço onde o volante do Dourado infiltrou com total liberdade. Mas isso só aconteceu porque não tinha um volante acompanhando. E isso não foi um “acidente de percurso”: o Palmeiras tem cedido muitos lances assim, o que pode custar caro em um mata-mata ou em uma daquelas partidas importantes nos pontos corridos.

SOS ELENCO

Quanto ao elenco, a história é a mesma. Olha para o banco de reservas. Você não vê jogador capaz de mudar a partida. Richard Ríos é uma exceção, porque tem entrado bem e mostrado potencial. Todavia, ele é um volante. Segundo homem de meio-campo, com habilidade com a bola, mas, ainda assim, um volante. Então: “torcedores, calma”, já diria o letreiro de São Januário.

E com uma quantidade relativa de atletas no departamento médio ou transição física, na qual o Palmeiras não está acostumado, a necessidade de reforçar o elenco parece gritar ainda mais. Sete jogadores desfalcaram o Verdão contra o Cuiabá por conta dessas questões: Vinicius Silvestre, Mayke, Piquerez, Atuesta, Raphael Veiga, Bruno Tabata e Rony.

continua após a publicidade

Sri Lanka

The Oval win keeps Sri Lanka in contention for a top-two finish. If they win all six remaining matches, they’ll finish with 69.23, which will almost certainly take them to the final. Five out of six wins will take them to 61.54, which will still keep them in contention. Four of their six remaining Tests are at home, against New Zealand and Australia.Related

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England

England’s unexpected defeat at The Oval against Sri Lanka means they can no longer breach the 60% mark in this cycle. The maximum they can achieve now, with wins in their six remaining Tests, is 57.95. That could still be enough if other results go their way.For instance, if India run away from the rest of the pack, then England can finish second if Australia get no more than 42 points out of the 84 on offer from their seven remaining Tests, and if other teams stay below 57.95 as well. If Australia finish on top then England need India to take no more than 58 points and stay below 57.95. However, if England drop more points – five wins and a draw will reduce their percentage to 54.92 – they will need even more help from other teams.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India

India remain on top of the table with a healthy percentage of 68.52, but they still have 10 matches to go, the most for any team. To keep their percentage above 60 – they qualified for the 2023 final with 58.8 – they need 63 more points, which they can achieve with five wins and a draw. Six wins will lift the percentage to 64.03, but to match their current score they will need seven wins, which will lift their overall percentage to 69.3.

Australia

Currently in second place, Australia need 47 more points from their remaining seven Tests to finish on the right side of 60%. They can achieve that with either four wins, or three wins and three draws. To a large extent, their final standing will depend on how many points they rack up in the five-Test home series against India.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s terrific 2-0 series win in Pakistan has pushed their percentage up to 45.83 and fourth position in the points table. If they win each of their six remaining Tests, they will go up to 72.92, while four wins out of six will keep them at 56.25.

Pakistan

Pakistan not only lost 2-0 to Bangladesh, but they also dropped six points due to slow over-rates. Their percentage dropped from 36.66 at the start of the series to 19.05. From here, the maximum they can achieve is 59.52, if they win each of their seven remaining Tests.New Zealand will play three of their remaining six Tests in the cycle in India•AFP/Getty Images

New Zealand

New Zealand have played only six out of their 14 Tests in this cycle. Five of their eight remaining Tests will be in Asia. Out of the 96 points available, they need at least 65 to finish on 60%. That means five wins and a couple of draws (or six wins), but it’s a tough ask given three of those Tests will be in India.

South Africa

If South Africa win each of their next six Tests, they will finish on 69.44, which will almost certainly take them to the final. They have home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan later this year, apart from what could be a tricky two-Test series in Bangladesh.

West Indies

West Indies have already played four series and have only scored 20 points out of 108. Even if they win their last four Tests, they can only finish on 43.59%.

Celtic recently confirmed the arrival of Benjamin Nygren on a permanent deal from Danish side Nordsjælland on a permanent deal to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

The Sweden international becomes the third signing of the off-season for Brendan Rodgers, following Kieran Tierney and Ross Doohan through the door so far.

Nygren scored 15 goals in 30 Danish Superliga matches in the 2024/25 campaign, and will be looking to bring a goal threat to the flanks for the Hoops next season.

How much Celtic paid to sign Benjamin Nygren

Celtic have taken advantage of the fact that his contract with Nordsjælland was due to expire at the end of December this year, which means that they had to cash in on him now before losing the forward for nothing in January.

Because of that, the Hoops have only paid a reported fee of around £2m to bring the left-footed star to Parkhead, despite his impressive goal return in the Superliga.

This suggests that the club have struck a bargain to sign the 23-year-old talent, who has plenty of years ahead of him to develop and improve, for a fairly modest fee.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

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In fact, Celtic currently have a number of other forwards who are worth even more than the £2m the club have paid to sign Nygren, including Irish striker Adam Idah.

Celtic have hit the jackpot with Adam Idah

The Hoops opted to sign the Ireland international on a permanent deal from Norwich City last year, whilst he was valued at just £3m by Transfermarkt, after the forward had spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Parkhead.

Idah enjoyed a solid first full season in Glasgow with the Scottish Premiership champions, delivering 20 goals and one assist in all competitions for Rodgers.

The former Canaries star, whose talent was once described as “incredible” by Rodgers, was not a regular starter, with 19 league starts to his name, but still proved his worth to the team with his contributions on the pitch.

24/25 Premiership

Adam Idah per 90

Percentile rank vs STs

Non-penalty xG

0.71

Top 7%

xG on target

0.86

Top 6%

Goals

0.68

Top 7%

Shots

4.06

Top 12%

Shots on target

1.90

Top 8%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Idah ranked very highly among forwards in the division in a host of key attacking metrics, despite his lack of starts, which shows the kind of quality he can provide when called upon.

His haul of 20 goals in all competitions for Celtic has led to his market value soaring. At the time of writing, the 24-year-old centre-forward is currently valued at £5.5m, which is £2.5m more than it was last summer and £3.5m more than the club have just paid for Nygren.

This shows that the Hoops have hit the jackpot with the Irish marksman because they have signed a young player who is growing in value whilst contributing with plenty of goals on the pitch.

The Scottish giants will now be hoping that he can take that next step to become a regular starter in the number nine position, to add even more goals to his name, and increase his value by millions more.

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jun 29, 2025

Arsenal’s most significant weakness this season is not a big secret; it’s a lack of goals.

Now, did the Mikel Arteta’s side face some questionable refereeing decisions early on and a torrent of injuries later? Yes, yes, they did.

However, even then, it would be hard to describe the club’s attack – bar Bukayo Saka – as anything other than disappointing this year. After all, they scored 17 goals fewer than Liverpool.

So, news that the club are closing in on a new attacking star should excite fans, especially as this is a player who could become world-class with Saka to his right.

Arsenal's attacker search

Given their blunt attack, it’s hardly been a surprise to see Arsenal linked with a plethora of forward talent in recent weeks and months, such as Leroy Sané and Nico Williams.

Transfer Focus

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

The former could be available for free this summer, as his contract with Bayern Munich expires at the end of the month, and given his tally of 13 goals and six assists in 45 games this season, he’d certainly be a wise acquisition.

Williams, on the other hand, would cost around £50m, but at 22 years old and with a tally of 11 goals and seven assists in 45 games this year, he too would likely be a wise addition to the team.

However, what most fans would tell you, and rightly so, is that the Gunners are in need of a new striker more than anything else, someone like Benjamin Sesko.

Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the RB Leipzig star.

In fact, the journalist claims that the deal is now on and that talks between the clubs and the player himself are progressing, with outside reports claiming that the final fee could be somewhere in the region of £70m.

It’s certainly a lot of money to spend on a young forward, but his talent and potential are undeniable, and he could be incredible alongside Saka.

Why Sesko would be unreal with Saka

So, while there are likely a plethora of reasons why Saka could help turn Sesko into a world-class striker, from his work off the field to leadership on the pitch, there is one reason that stands above all others: his output.

The Hale End superstar has turned into a lean, mean output machine in the last year and a bit, as even though he missed almost four months of action with injury this season, the 23-year-old phenom racked up a superb tally of 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 appearances, which comes out to one every 1.42 games.

Moreover, per Understat, he would have had at least one more assist had his teammates been better at finishing, as his ten league assists came from an expected assist figure of 11.58.

Now, let’s look at the Leipzig star’s numbers.

In just 45 appearances this season, the 22-year-old “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 21 goals and provided six assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.66, which for someone of his age, is sensational.

Appearances

45

37

Minutes

3258′

2619′

Goals

21

12

Assists

6

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.60

0.70

Minutes per Goal Involvement

120.66′

100.73′

Yet, it gets better, as the Slovenian “diamond,” as dubbed by Mattinson, is also able to turn middling chances into goals; according to Understat, his 13 Bundesliga goals came from 10.84 expected goals, and last season, he scored 14 from an expected goals figure of 8.60.

The fact he is consistently finishing at a higher standard than would be expected of him should delight fans and Arteta, as that ability, combined with the Gunners’ talismanic number seven, could be a match made in heaven.

And, just to make the former Salzburg gem even more exciting, he happens to be a mammoth 6 foot 5, and yet, per the respected Mattinson, is blessed with “rapid speed,” “good dribbling”, and “good mobility.”

Ultimately, while he isn’t going to be cheap, Sesko appears to have everything a striker needs to become a world-class goalscorer, and when you consider he’d be playing alongside Saka, it feels more like a matter of when and not if that happens.

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Manchester United are now considering a move to sign an “incredible” Bayern Munich midfielder for just £25 million, according to a recent report.

Bruno Fernandes set to stay at Man Utd after Nations League triumph

International duty has taken centre stage in the last week or so, and like nearly every Premier League team, United have players all over the globe representing their countries.

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But not many will have had a better time with their country than Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, who were part of the Portugal squad that won the Nations League. Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties on Sunday following a 2-2 draw after 120 minutes.

Fernandes played the entire 120 minutes and even netted in the penalty shootout win, while Dalot was an unused substitute, as he was in the semi-final win over Germany.

This is Fernandes’ second trophy with his country, and after the game, the Red Devils skipper revealed “winning with Portugal is different”.

“I’m going to celebrate with my teammates and my family. It’s a special moment for everyone. Winning for Portugal is different. It’s for our family, for our people, for the country, for our people.

“Once again, the wave of red that I saw so much on social media was there and made us feel like we were playing at home. Thank you very much for all the support; it was excellent. We felt it, from start to finish, from the moment we got to the end.

“Everything we did during the game helped us win. We knew we were going up against a great team, and at the same time, we knew we were a team of the same level. We knew Spain’s qualities; we were very aggressive when losing the ball, which was very important.”

Man Utd considering move to sign "incredible" £25m Bayern Munich ace

As Fernandes continues celebrating, the Red Devils now have their eye on one of his international teammates. According to Mirror Football, relayed by Simply Utd on X, Man United are weighing up a move to sign Joao Palhinha.

The 29-year-old only joined Bayern Munich from Fulham last summer, but it was a very underwhelming first campaign for the Portuguese enforcer – he only played 17 games in the Bundesliga, as his season was hampered by injuries and competition in the midfield area.

It’s been reported that Palhinha, who has been dubbed “incredible” in the past, may leave Munich this summer, given his struggles, but it is unlikely they are going to get near the £44 million they paid Fulham in 2024. In fact, this report states that United could sign the midfielder for just £25 million.

Palhinha

Casemiro

Apps

17

24

Starts

6

18

Progressive passes

32

84

Progressive carries

3

4

Passes attempted

552

990

Passes completed

510

780

Tackles (won)

20 (14)

83 (50)

Interceptions

4

14

Blocks

13

39

Clearances

9

51

His arrival at Old Trafford could see him be the man to replace Casemiro, who, while he performed very well towards the end of the season, could be a player who is allowed to leave, given his hefty wages. Talk of an exit has gone quiet in recent months, but Amorim will want to trim his squad down given no European football, and given Casemiro’s age, he could be one that is on the chopping block.

Real Madrid are being repeatedly linked with Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, and a report has now claimed the tactician is already making transfer demands ahead of a switch to the Bernabeu, which could end up scuppering Arsenal.

Arsenal targeting new centre-back for Mikel Arteta

With Riccardo Calafiori preferred at left-back by Mikel Arteta, and some uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of Jakub Kiwior, Arsenal are believed to be in the market for another central defender this summer.

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Arteta will also be minus Kieran Tierney, who has agreed a pre-contract to join Celtic in July, while Oleksandr Zinchenko is widely expected to be sold by Arsenal this summer after falling down the pecking order.

Arsenal’s final Premier League games	Date
Bournemouth (home)	May 3rd
Liverpool (away)	May 11th
Newcastle United (home)	May 18th
Southampton (away)	May 25th

Myles Lewis-Skelly and Calafiori appear likely to be Arteta’s two first-choice left-backs next season, so if Kiwior does leave the Emirates, Arsenal will have a scarce lack of defensive options behind Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.

This has prompted them to look into a summer deal for highly-rated Bournemouth starlet Dean Huijsen.

According to the reliable David Ornstein, Arsenal have held talks with Huijsen’s camp already, and are willing to pay the £50 million release clause into his contract.

“They [Arsenal] are among the clubs (with Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham) who have met his representatives, with Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta keen to sign the Spain international,” wrote Ornstein in a Q&A recently.

“Whether or not Arsenal win the race is unclear because it’s still open and I’m not aware of a front-runner between them, Chelsea and Liverpool to date.

“Either way, Huijsen would play a lot of football at Arsenal, and they can now show him many examples of how, under Arteta, players have developed extremely well and become top-level talents. Now, this doesn’t mean he will opt for them; there are pros and cons to each of the suitors, all of whom are ready to pay the release clause.”

It has also been reported by talkSPORT that Huijsen favours a move to Arsenal after these discussions, so this could be a real one to watch, with Bournemouth standing to make a major profit off his £16 million signing last summer.

Xabi Alonso asks Real Madrid to sign Dean Huijsen

While the Gunners are clearly very keen, the same can now be said of Real Madrid’s prospective new manager.

Alonso is Real’s top priority to replace Carlo Ancelotti, according to Fabrizio Romano, and the former Liverpool midfielder is equally keen to swap Leverkusen for La Liga.

The move appears like a very real possibility, with Spanish media sources now reporting that the tactician is already making transfer demands to Real president Florentino Perez and the Whites’ board.

Indeed, it is now believed Alonso has asked Real to consider signing Huijsen, as the 43-year-old holds a real desire to reinforce the club’s central defensive options before his potential first full season in charge.

The former Juventus starlet has started every single Premier League game under Andoni Iraola since early December, becoming a reliable mainstay for the Cherries, which is made all the more impressive by his young age.

Newcastle United have now joined the race to sign a “future Ballon D’or winner”, who has 18 assists to his name already this season, but there could be fierce competition for his signature, according to a report.

Newcastle keen to strengthen in attack

A new striker may be required at St. James’ Park this summer, should Alexander Isak make it clear he wants to leave, with recent reports suggesting the forward wants to sign for Arsenal.

Fiorentina’s Moise Kean and Lille’s Jonathan David are among the targets at centre-forward, but in truth Newcastle will be hoping a new top striker is not required, given that it would be very difficult to replace Isak.

That said, Eddie Howe may feel some more options are required in wide areas, with the Magpies recently joining the race for Southampton’s Tyler Dibling, although the winger will not come cheap, as the Saints are set to demand as much as £100m.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Apr 1, 2025

Contact has also been made over a deal for AFC Bournemouth winger Dango Outattara, with a number of options from within the Premier League being considered.

However, there are also some targets from further afield, with a report from The Boot Room revealing Newcastle are now interested in signing Lyon winger Rayan Cherki, who is set to be available for a bargain fee this summer.

Lyon are set to sanction Cherki’s departure for less than £25m, and there is no shortage of interest in his signature, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Aston Villa also keen.

The 21-year-old is viewed as one of the most talented youngsters in Europe, and his performances this season mean he could be in line for a big move to the Premier League this summer.

Cherki wowing for Lyon this season

The Frenchman has been in simply incredible form for Lyon this term, collecting eight goals and 18 assists in all competitions, having shown serious signs of development.

Given his ability to set up his teammates, the starlet ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for assists per 90 over the past year, while also placing very highly on some other key metrics.

Statistic

Average per 90

Assists

0.68 (99th percentile)

Shot-creating actions

7.26 (99th percentile)

Progressive passes

9.75 (99th percentile)

Successful take-ons

3.17 (96th percentile)

Such is the Lyon star’s ability, The Athletic’s Alex Barker has made the bold claim he could win the Ballon D’or at some point in the future.

If Cherki is able to replicate his current numbers in the Premier League, Barker’s bold prediction is not completely out of the question, so it is very exciting news that Newcastle are in the race for his signature.

With the ball turning square, the RCB openers brought their experience into play to provide a platform for others to launch

Ashish Pant19-May-20243:12

Why did the ball turn and grip so much after the rain break?

Faf du Plessis’ reaction to the fourth ball he faced after the 40-minute rain break on Saturday evening told a story. On seeing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain make room for himself, Maheesh Theekshana pulled his length back keeping the line outside off. Du Plessis, who was a few steps outside leg stump, went for an across-the-line mow, only to see the ball spitting and bouncing sharply and crashing into his midriff.He looked towards his batting partner Virat Kohli in shock, his lips pushed up and out, signalling with his right hand how much the ball bounced. Even Theekshana was surprised. It was a sign of things to come.After Chennai Super Kings opted to bowl on what looked like a dry surface bereft of much grass, the RCB openers smashed two fours and three sixes in the first three overs. A typical Chinnaswamy surface is what most assumed. Then came a sudden downpour, which meant some water seeped into the pitch before the covers were brought on. And the moisture on the surface seemed to help the spinners get the ball to grip and turn and bounce. As if someone had transported the Chepauk surface to Bengaluru in that 40-minute break.Related

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• CSK knocked out as RCB win six in a row to make playoffs

• Stats – RCB do six in a row, and Kohli does it in sixes

In the next over, the fifth of the game, Mitchell Santner conceded two singles getting the ball to turn square before Theekshana ended the powerplay with a five-run over. Having scored 31 runs in the first three overs, Kohli and du Plessis managed just 11 in the next three as RCB finished on 42 for 0 after six overs, their joint-lowest powerplay score of the season.”I thought batting first, that was the hardest pitch I’ve ever played on in T20 cricket,” du Plessis said after the game. “After that rain, it just made it wet. Myself and Virat were talking about a score of 140-150, it felt that hard in the beginning.”At that stage, the communication to the umpires was that there was a lot of rain falling on the pitch and you don’t want that moisture. So from their [CSK’s] side, they probably wanted to push the game as well, which makes sense, but when we came back, my goodness, it was tough. It felt like a day-five Test match in Ranchi. I’ve never played on something like that.”The frustration was apparent. With RCB needing to win the match by 18 runs to make it to the playoffs, having to face Santner, Theekshana and Ravindra Jadeja on a turning track was the last thing Kohli and du Plessis would have expected. But this is where the two brought their experience into play.Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli gave RCB a strong start•AFP/Getty ImagesEven as run-scoring became tough, neither batter lost patience and threw away his wicket. A new batter coming in with the surface spinning like a top could have led to a collapse. They looked to rotate the strike and attacked only when the ball was in their arc like the two slog sweeps Kohli nailed against Jadeja and Santner in consecutive overs. By the time Kohli fell in the tenth over to Santner, not only had they seen off the tricky phase, but also faced close to seven overs of spin.At 78 for 1 after ten overs, and with the pitch easing out a touch, du Plessis knew it was go-time. On 30 off 29 at this point, he targeted Jadeja taking him for a four and two back-to-back sixes. The run rate jumped from 7.80 to 8.90 in the span of an over, and RCB were back on track.Du Plessis reached his fifty off 35 balls and while he fell soon, the platform was set for Cameron Green and Rajat Patidar to launch. “It was pretty crazy out there [the turn after the rain],” Green said during the innings break. “I think Faf and Virat batted beautifully. They assessed the conditions really well, gave us a platform to explode from.”And explode the duo did. Simarjeet Singh, CSK’s best bowler from their previous game against Rajasthan Royals, was smashed for a four and six by Patidar, an over which went for 19 runs. Patidar then walloped Tushar Deshpande for two sixes while Green went back-to-back against Shardul Thakur. The two got together at the end of the 13th over and by the time they split, they had put on 71 runs off just 28 balls.At the end of the 16th over, ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster predicted RCB finishing on 202, but the Green-Patidar assault meant RCB managed 16 runs more, a score which looked improbable when Kohli and du Plessis were battling against spin early on. RCB hammered 80 runs in the last five overs to finish on 218 which was enough not just to beat CSK by 27 runs but also to ensure that RCB’s resurgent run of six wins on the bounce ended with a place in the top four, something which felt next to impossible just a few weeks back.

England opener focussed on fightback after grim campaign in Australia

Matt Roller31-Mar-2022It was hard not to be drawn into the romance of Haseeb Hameed’s England recall last year. His rise as a teenager – a thousand-run season, a fifty on Test debut, praise from Virat Kohli – preceded a dramatic fall, which saw him released by his home county, Lancashire, at 22 after his form had vanished.Reinvigorated by a move to Nottinghamshire, he started the 2021 season with twin hundreds against Worcestershire before making 112 for a County Select XI against an India attack led by Jasprit Bumrah. That was enough for him to win back his Test spot and after a false start via a first-baller on his return at Lord’s, he made half-centuries at Leeds and The Oval to earn his place on the winter’s Ashes tour.But the shine soon wore off. Before he had even arrived in Australia there were doubts as to whether Hameed’s game – in particular, his strength against spin, rather than high pace – would be suited to the conditions. He batted for nearly four hours across the first Test in making 25 and 27 but as England’s tour began to disintegrate, so did he: scores of 6, 0, 0, 7, 6 and 9 saw him dropped for the final Test, and then again for the “red-ball reset” trip to the Caribbean.Now, Hameed is back on the outside, looking out on a snowy Trent Bridge from the pavilion long room and reflecting on a tough winter. He only turned 25 in January, but his career has already had more ups and downs than the price of bitcoin.

Broad to miss Notts’ Championship opener

Stuart Broad will not play in Nottinghamshire’s opening game of the County Championship season away at Sussex next week as the club look to manage his return to cricket after a break from the game.
“He certainly won’t start, then we’ll see where we go after that,” Peter Moores, Notts’ head coach, told ESPNcricinfo. “We’re always careful with bowlers, especially after breaks. He was a real influence for us last year and having Stuart around is always positive for us.”
“I’m very hopeful that we’ll see him for the second or third game and hopefully we’ll have a full squad to pick from,” Steven Mullaney, the club captain, added. “If it was my decision, he’d have been on that tour, but it’s not. It would not surprise me one bit if he’s England’s leading wicket-taker by the end of the summer.”

“I’ve had a lot of setbacks in my short career – and even growing up as a junior I had setbacks – but one thing I’ve always been able to count on, thankfully, is finding a way to get back up from rock bottom,” Hameed says. “I guess this is another opportunity to do that.”Of course, getting dropped out of the team, and not getting selected for this most recent tour is difficult but hopefully I can count on those experiences to come back again. In my head, there is no doubt that, being 25 years old, I have got so much more to give and I’m looking forward to the future.”Hameed’s technique – and specifically his low hands, which appear better suited to low, slow pitches than those found in Australia – came under the scanner as the series wore on. He retreated further and further into his shell, repeatedly edging through to Alex Carey behind the stumps.Mark Ramprakash, who was England’s batting coach when Hameed first broke into the side, hinted in a newspaper column this week that they had picked the wrong horse for the wrong course, saying he was “absolutely convinced he would have been successful in the West Indies – certainly in Antigua and Barbados”. Hameed’s own appraisal is that the pitches in Australia were “extremely challenging”, and that his lean returns should be viewed within that context.”A lot of people speak about games being suited to certain conditions and we saw there were a couple of pretty good wickets – in the first Test matches in particular – in the West Indies,” he says. “Do I feel like I could’ve done well there? I do. As a player, of course you do. But they made that decision and it was not in my control.”I ended up speaking to Mike Hussey [who was working on the series as a broadcaster] when I didn’t play in the last Test match and he was saying he’d never seen conditions like it. I think that’s been neglected a little bit, actually – how challenging the conditions were. It was like being in England, but with an extra 10kph in the wickets… because it was nipping and seaming off the deck quite considerably.Hameed scored 80 runs in eight innings in the Ashes•Getty Images”You’ve got to add a bit of realism to it. That’s not excuses, that’s just pure facts. At the same time, do I feel like I could have done better? Of course. There were a few mistakes made, individually and as a group. We went into our shells a little bit after the first two Test matches and focused a little bit more on surviving or batting time as opposed to looking to score runs. Looking back now, I don’t think that was the right mindset, either for me or for the team.”Peter Moores, head coach at Notts, agrees with Hameed’s assessment. “It was about as tough as it gets. [He was playing on] pitches that had a bit in them for the bowlers, against one of the best attacks that’s been around for a long time, so it was tough to go in first. He learned a huge amount. I’ve said to him that it won’t get much tougher than that.”A lot of the England players, they got exposed in certain ways. No-one will ever question Has’ commitment to want to do well. Often it’s more of a technical thing that they’re getting exposed at that level, and they’ve got to come away and adjust but I’ve been really pleased with his approach. He’s a student of a game and a craftsman. He wants to master the craft of batting and he’s thrown himself right back into it and taken those lessons from that tour.”Related

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England are in transition, looking for a new managing director, head coach (or two) and potentially a captain, too, ahead of their next Test against New Zealand in June. Hameed knows that a strong start to this Championship season is the only way he can present a case for selection, and insists his focus is on the here and now.”The way I see it is that I’ve now had the opportunity to play against India and Australia in their home countries and most people would say it doesn’t get much tougher than that,” he says. “That’s a great experience for me to have in my first ten games. To have seven of those away from home, in the opposition’s backyard, will mean that I can count on those experiences to propel me forward.”There’s a series against New Zealand in June and then India are coming for that one Test they missed last year, and the likelihood is with the new people coming in, there might be a few changes again. But I’m focused now on doing as well as I can for Notts. Keeping things simple is important; you can’t aim to get into teams or put timelines on things.”It’s been good just being back. Of course it was difficult straight after [Australia] with everything that happened but I’m lucky that I’ve got good people around me and I’ve got to a place now where I’m just looking to the immediate future. I can’t think about June right now, even though I’ve obviously got that ambition to be there. I’m just trying to keep everything as simple as I can.”