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Head and bowlers will not feature while Carey, Konstas, Webster and Marsh are fully available prior to Sri Lanka tour

Alex Malcolm07-Jan-2025Steven Smith is set to play three BBL games prior to the Sri Lanka tour while Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja will only be allowed to play one, as part of individual plans worked out with Cricket Australia’s high-performance team. Travis Head and Australia’s bowlers, meanwhile, are all set to rest before heading overseas.While Smith, Labuschagne and Khawaja will be restricted in their appearances, Alex Carey, Sam Konstas, Beau Webster, Mitchell Marsh and Jhye Richardson have all been cleared to play in the remainder of the BBL.Head, along with Scott Boland, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc will not play any part in the BBL season despite all being contracted.Australia are likely to announce a 16-man touring party for two Tests in Sri Lanka in the coming days and the squad is set to depart for the UAE for a pre-tour camp on January 19 or 20 meaning none of the touring party will be available for the BBL finals series which runs from January 21-27.Related

• What did victory over India tell us about Australia's present and future?

• Cummins likely to miss Sri Lanka tour but no end in sight for captaincy

• Marsh set for BBL return after losing Test place

It remains to be seen whether all of the squad members from the Sydney Test against India are taken to Sri Lanka, with Josh Inglis, Peter Handscomb, Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann all coming into the mix. Glenn Maxwell is also a chance to head to Sri Lanka but with Australia already securing a spot in the World Test Championship, the need for his subcontinental experience has diminished and there is a chance the selectors might look towards the 2027 tour of India with how they shape the squad.Smith will miss Sydney Sixers clash with Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Thursday but is set to be available to play against Perth Scorches at the SCG on Saturday, with Marsh and Richardson also set to feature after they were included in Scorchers squad to face Renegades at home on Tuesday night.Smith will then be available to play against Adelaide Strikers on January 15 and Sydney Thunder on January 17, where Konstas will also play. Despite the fifth Test finishing a few days ago, Konstas is set to play for Thunder against Hobart Hurricanes in Sydney tomorrow night and in Thunder’s last four games.Khawaja and Labuschagne will only be made available for Brisbane Heat’s home clash with Hurricanes on January 16 after having 10 days off. They will not be made available for Heat’s last clash in Melbourne against Renegades on January 18 given they will likely head overseas the next day.Curiously, Carey has been made available for Adelaide Strikers’ last three matches, including a match in Perth on January 18. Webster is supposedly available for Stars on January 19 at this stage. It is understood that those players could make a staggered departure to the UAE in order to play in those BBL games if required.Head is contracted to Strikers but spoke of his need for a rest in the immediate aftermath of the Sydney Test and will not play any of those matches. Head also has an IPL contract and looks set for a near non-stop touring schedule from Sri Lanka onwards with trips to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, India for the IPL, England for the WTC final and the Caribbean for three Tests and some white-ball matches set to keep him on the road until July.Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins are staring at a similar schedule in the face although Cummins is likely to miss both Sri Lanka Tests for the birth of his second child while Hazlewood might be ruled out due to a calf injury.Lyon has been rested from the BBL despite a very light workload during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But at 37, having had a major calf injury in 2023, he is being managed ahead of two Tests in Galle where he looks likely to be Australia’s most relied-upon bowler.CA’s high-performance team and the BBL have long been discussing the availability of the Test stars during this short window between the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the Sri Lanka tour, with the BBL keen to have all players available for as many games as possible while the national selectors, coaches and medical staff were very keen to have as many of their stars rest during this precious window without international cricket. CA’s head of National Teams Ben Oliver said the decision on each player’s BBL availability had been made based on each individual program.”A five-Test match series is gruelling, and this was amplified by the intensity of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” Oliver said. “The players and staff deserve great credit for their preparation and management which has enabled sustained performance through what is a full international schedule.”We have worked with each player to form individualised plans which will best support recovery from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and preparation for upcoming international commitments including the tour of Sri Lanka and ICC Champions Trophy. Wherever possible, this includes players representing their clubs in the ongoing BBL season over the coming fortnight.”BBL general manager Alistair Dobson was pleased to get some of the Test stars playing in the competition over the next fortnight.”We are delighted to have number of Australian Test players entering the competition from tonight off the back of their historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory, and thank them for their commitment to the BBL,” Dobson said.

The outfield was rated average after the Afghanistan-Bangladesh match with the ICC independent pitch consultant “comfortable” with its state

Matt Roller08-Oct-2023England’s boundary fielders are bracing for a challenging day in Dharamsala on Tuesday, after being warned about the condition of the outfield at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium by their former batter and current Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott.The grass on the sand-based outfield is patchy and uneven, and several players slipped or lost their footing while fielding in the deep during Bangladesh’s six-wicket win over Afghanistan on Saturday. The outfield is a long-standing problem at the venue, and had caused an India-Australia Test to be moved to Indore at short notice in February.Trott had said that Mujeeb Ur Rahman was “lucky” to escape “a serious knee injury” when his knee dug into the turf as he attempted to make a boundary save. It is understood that he has contacted England players to warn them about its condition ahead of their fixture against Bangladesh.Related

• Shakib the bowler a '10/10' in his craft and handling pressure

• Chastened England need to make a noise, but Bangladesh can be loud too

• Sandy outfield raises concerns about remaining matches in Dharamsala

• For England's seamer-heavy squad, the WC is an endurance game

The match officials’ report for Saturday’s game described the condition of the outfield as “average”, while Andy Atkinson, the ICC independent pitch consultant, inspected it on Sunday and was described as “comfortable” with its state.”The process for assessing the condition of the pitch and outfield lies with the match officials under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, and the outfield at Dharamsala was rated as average after the Afghanistan vs Bangladesh match,” an ICC spokesperson said. “Additionally, the ICC independent pitch consultant has taken a look at the outfield today, and is comfortable with the conditions – as is Javagal Srinath, the Match Referee for the next game.”The HPCA ground staff watered the outfield immediately after the game, and did so again on Sunday afternoon – particularly the areas around the bowlers’ run-ups. Tuesday’s match will be played on a fresh pitch, two strips across from the unusually slow surface for Saturday’s.In the worst-case scenario, the umpires could – after consultation with the match referee – deem the condition of the ground as “dangerous or unreasonable”, causing the game to be suspended in the first instance, and then abandoned. In that event, the teams would share the points. On Tuesday, Ahsan Raza and Paul Wilson will be the standing umpires, with Srinath as the match referee.Jonny Bairstow, who spent eight months out of the game with an ankle injury last year, said that it would be difficult for fielders to fight their inclination to dive for balls, but that he expects England will be “clever and smart” as they hope to avoid any serious injuries.”There’s been a lot of chat about it, hasn’t there?” Bairstow said. “The last thing you want is two guys going off with knee injuries or something. It can contribute to shoulders as well, if you’re diving and your elbows get stuck in the ground. It will be very difficult to hold someone back if they see a ball and they try to stop it: it’s a natural reaction to go for it.”Bairstow’s ankle is still “getting better as time goes on”. He said: “It’s still relatively fresh. But, touch wood, there hasn’t been any adverse reaction to different surfaces. Your calves and Achilles and anything… people need to make sure you do everything possible to make sure those areas are loose and able to cope with the stress of a sand-based outfield.”The outfield was slow during Sunday’s match, and Bairstow said that England will have to adapt accordingly. “It might also affect your angles and where you stand: when the ball hits the sandy outfield, it might not fly off as much. It just affects different things. It’s like a pitch being different [from] one venue to another: you’ve just got to adapt to it. Touch wood, we don’t have any major incidents.”The state of the outfield could be a contributing factor in England being unlikely to pick Ben Stokes, who missed their nine-wicket defeat to New Zealand with a left-hip injury. Stokes spent half an hour batting in their nets session on Sunday, but only faced sidearm throws rather than bowlers, and moved gingerly throughout.He then briefly went through some running drills on the main square. Stokes did not feature in either of England’s warm-up matches – the first was washed out but he was not due to play – and had only batted once previously since arriving in India, in a training session in Guwahati.

Lisa Keightley’s assistant to return home for role with Perth Scorchers and Western Australia men’s teams

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2022Tim Macdonald will leave his job as England Women’s Senior Assistant Coach after the Commonwealth Games to take up an assistant coaching post with the Perth Scorchers and Western Australian men’s teams.Macdonald played first-class cricket for Western Australia and Tasmania. His family has continued to live Australia since he was appointed full-time assistant to Lisa Keightley – with whom he previously worked at Perth Scorchers and Western Fury – in August 2020. He had initially joined the England Women’s set-up on an interim basis during the T20 World Cup in Australia earlier that year.Macdonald will return home after the Commonwealth Games end in August to take up the role of Senior Assistant Coach – Bowling across the BBL and State competitions.”I’ve loved every minute of working with such an amazing group of players and staff,” Macdonald said. “I’ve learned a great deal and made some life-long friends, but I couldn’t turn down this amazing opportunity to return home to Perth and be closer to my family.”With my family living in Australia, and the ability to travel being heavily impacted by COVID-19, it has been a challenging yet rewarding time to be in this job, but in that time I believe I’ve seen our team improve and our pool of talent get deeper. Had the rain not intervened at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup we could easily have made two global finals in that time. The future is very bright for the England Women’s team.”The stars have aligned for me, and I’m so excited to return home to my new role with WA and the Perth Scorchers and I absolutely can’t wait to get going following our quest for Commonwealth games gold.”England missed out on reaching the T20 World Cup title decider after rain washed out their semi-final against India, who advanced on points from the group stage. England then turned around a three-match losing streak at the start of this year’s 50-over World Cup to finish runners-up to Australia.Jonathan Finch, Director England Women’s Cricket, said: “Tim has played a vital role in continuing to improve the England Women’s team over the last two years, and will continue to do so as we prepare for the summer match programme.”Tim’s departure coincides with the start of the ICC Women’s Championship and there is no doubt his positive influence will be felt over the coming years. We wish Tim all the best in his new role and thank him for the commitment and passion he has given to England Women’s cricket.”

Gujarat also make semis after captain Panchal’s ton flattens Andhra

Saurabh Somani08-Mar-2021Gujarat and Karnataka became the first teams to qualify for the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2020-21 semi-finals, with convincing wins against Andhra and Kerala respectively on Monday. Both victories were fashioned by opening batsmen.While Priyank Panchal made 134 off 131 to power Gujarat to 299 for 7, Karnataka’s opening duo of R Samarth and Devdutt Padikkal continued their irresistible form during the tournament as the side piled on 338 for 3. Samarth, the new Karnataka captain, smashed a career-best 192 (off 158 balls), while Padikkal made a 119-ball 101. Kerala mounted a challenge of sorts but subsided to 258 all out in 43.4 overs with seamer Ronit More taking 5 for 36 in nine overs, as Karnataka wrapped up an 80-run win.Gujarat’s victory was even bigger, as Andhra were bowled out for 182 in 41.2 overs. Left-arm pacer Arzan Nagwaswalla took 4 for 28.Karnataka and Gujarat now await the winners of the quarter-finals between Mumbai-Saurashtra and Uttar Pradesh-Delhi, which will both take place on Tuesday.Related

• Record-breaking Prithvi Shaw launches Mumbai into final

• Panchal and Easwaran: Working together, fighting for same spot

• Padikkal: 'Kohli makes your game easier'

Karnataka v Kerala

Samarth and Padikkal have both piled on runs in the tournament, and they proved unstoppable once again. Padikkal made his fourth consecutive century – having hit 152 against Odisha, 126* against Kerala in the league game, and 145* against Railways coming into the game. He thus became the first Indian player to hit four consecutive List A centuries. Only two other players have hit four consecutive centuries in one-dayers: Kumar Sangakkara for Sri Lanka in the 2015 World Cup, and Alviro Petersen later that year in the Momentum One-Day Cup 2015-16 for the Lions.Samarth, meanwhile, pressed on, and was in sight of a double-hundred when he fell with ten balls remaining in the innings. He hit three sixes and 22 fours, while accelerating at pace during his innings. His first fifty took 59 balls, and he reached a century in 112 balls. He then plundered 91 runs off his last 46 balls. Samarth has been only marginally less prolific than Padikkal, having not scored below 60 in his last five innings, which include two scores of 150-plus.Both Padikkal (673 runs) and Samarth (605 runs) sit comfortably atop the run-getters list for the tournament, with no other batsman having crossed even 450 yet.All of Kerala’s bowlers came in for heavy punishment barring Jalaj Saxena, who took the new ball against Karnataka’s marauding openers but ended up conceding a mere 34 runs in ten overs, finishing the tournament with an economy rate below 3.75. Nedumankuzhy Basil, the right-arm medium pacer playing only his fifth List A game, took all the wickets to fall, ending with 3 for 57 in eight overs.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kerala’s reply suffered an early jolt when the in-form Robin Uthappa was lbw for 2 against his home state, More making his first breakthrough. Vathsal Govind, the 21-year-old left-hand batsman playing his debut one-day season, made 92 off 96 while Mohammed Azharuddeen smashed 52 off 34, but with none of the rest of the top order crossing 30 and More striking regularly, Kerala’s task was always a difficult one. Saxena added to a good all-round day with a 23-ball 24 from No.8, until he was the last man out.More, who had not been picked in the XI for Karnataka’s last three games, got his opportunity due to a niggle to Abhimanyu Mithun, and made the most of it.

Gujarat v Andhra

Panchal joined Samarth in both captains being the top run-scorers in their matches, holding Gujarat’s innings together till he fell in the 49th over. Panchal maintained a brisk pace throughout his innings, accelerating after his century, which took 114 balls. He hit 10 fours and two sixes during his innings, and was the fulcrum around which Gujarat built their total. The rest of the top order all got into double figures, but Gujarat’s second highest score was 36, by No.3 Rahul Shah.Priyank Panchal’s 134 off 131 balls was too much for Andhra•PTI

Ripal Patel, the hard-hitting pace-bowling allrounder who was signed by Delhi Capitals at the IPL 2021 auctions, provided some ballast in the second half with a 24-ball 35 that pushed Gujarat along, but it was Panchal who carried the innings on his bat.Andhra’s most successful bowler was right-arm medium pacer Harishankar Reddy, snapped up by Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2021 auctions, who took 3 for 60 in ten overs including the wicket of Panchal. KV Sasikanth and debutant Lalith Mohan both took 2 for 55, though Mohan bowled only nine overs.Andhra’s reply was derailed early by Nagwaswalla, who has now become the top wicket-taker in the competition. Nagwaswalla has 19 scalps from six games at an average of 12.00. He struck in the second, fourth and sixth overs – his third wicket being that of Hanuma Vihari for a duck.Ricky Bhui continued his good form with 67 off 76 from No.5, but with the rest of the top order falling cheaply, Andhra were always behind. Some lower-order runs meant they recovered briefly from 58 for 5 in the 16th over, but that only narrowed the margin of defeat.

South Australia legspinner thumped 35 not out off 15 balls to secure a last-over win

Alex Malcolm23-Oct-2019A staggering cameo from legspinner Adam Zampa helped South Australia steal a three-wicket win over Queensland at the Gabba with just two balls to spare.Zampa walked to the crease with the Redbacks needing 49 from 27 balls with just three wickets in hand and he clubbed 35 not out from 15 deliveries in a dazzling, scarcely believable display of batting to completely overshadow Marnus Labuschagne’s maiden List A century from earlier in the day.Jake Lehmann made 54 not out from 64 balls but he was truly a support act to Zampa and had struggled to find the boundary throughout his innings.Zampa launched the last ball off the 47th over from Billy Stanlake over long-on for six, but Michael Neser conceded just six runs from the 48th, leaving Zampa and Lehmann to score 27 off 12 balls to win the game. Zampa crunched Stanlake on the up wide of mid-off and then hooked him for six but Lehmann played and missed off the last ball of the penultimate over giving Neser 15 runs to defend off the last six balls.He couldn’t defend them in four. Zampa scooped the first ball for six over fine leg, cover drove an attempted wide yorked for four, pulled a short ball behind square to the boundary and crunched a straight drive to finish it with two balls to spare.Zampa was named player of the match after earlier taking 2 for 66 with the ball, trumping Wes Agar’s maiden five-wicket haul, Callum Ferguson’s 91, Alex Carey’s 79 and Labuschagne’s magnificent century.Just two days after steering Queensland home from a precarious position in a fourth-innings run chase in the Sheffield Shield against the Redbacks, Labuschagne conjured another superb counter-attack following a top-order collapse making a career-high 135 in Queensland’s total of 9 for 295.The Bulls slumped to 4 for 24 in the eighth over with Agar claiming all four wickets. Max Bryant was clean bowled playing across the line while Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns both chopped on. Matt Renshaw was hit on the toe and adjudged lbw first ball in between.Labuschagne, having made 72 not out after the Bulls slumped to 5 for 54 in the Shield game, picked up where he left off playing with a dominance that belies his overall record. He put together a 110-run stand with Jimmy Peirson to dig his team out of trouble and then found further allies in Neser and Ben Cutting.Labuschagne had failed to convert his nine previous List A half-centuries, and his last seven first-class half-centuries, into three figures but finally broke the drought launching a towering six off Zampa to go from 94 to 100 in style.South Australia’s chase started poorly with Jake Weatherald and Travis Head both falling in the opening five overs to Jack Wildermuth. Carey and Ferguson then resurrected the chase with a 117-run stand. Carey put on a masterclass scoring 79 of them as the Redbacks appeared on track but when he ran himself out trying to steal an unnecessary single to Bryant at cover the chase stumbled. The in-form Tom Cooper was cleaned bowled through the gate for 2 by Neser.Ferguson and Lehmann rebuilt but the required run-rate began to climb. With 86 needed from 54 balls, Lehmann was dropped at long-off by Neser off Matt Kuhnemann. Two balls later Ferguson fell for 91, top-edging a sweep to short fine leg. All looked lost when Luke Robins and Cam Valente holed out. But Zampa stole the show.

The Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi debate has been settled by Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel, as he revealed how the Blues used to prepare in training.

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Mikel emphasized the unmatched difficulty facing MessiChelsea's tactical plan to stop forward revealedInsisted on Messi being superior to Ronaldo WHAT HAPPENED?

The former Blues midfielder weighed in on the Messi-Ronaldo debate and shared unique insights about facing the two legends in their prime. Mikel admitted that he is a fan of Messi and revealed Chelsea's tactical preparations, emphasizing the need for a collective effort to contain the Argentine, as defending one-on-one seemed impossible against the eight-time Ballon d'Or.

AdvertisementWHAT MIKEL SAID ABOUT MESSI & RONALDO

While speaking toRio Ferdinand Presents FIVE, Mikel said: "I’m a Messi fan. When we played against [Manchester] United when Cristiano was there we knew Ash (Ashley Cole) would deal with him. He is capable of dealing with him. I know the comparison is there but because I've played against both and Messi was close to me when we played against them. But for me, and I'm not going to say miles because of what Cristiano has done as well, but for me, I really don't see the comparison. I just think Messi is from a different planet. I just think he is that good."

WHAT MIKEL SAID ABOUT CHELSEA TRAINING

Mikel revealed that since Barcelona's gameplan was to get the ball to Messi, they would resort to kicking him and the whole week would be planned on how to stop the forward from getting into advanced areas. He said: "Every time it was against Barcelona, of my god, training the whole week was about Messi. We have to have two, or three players with him, you can't defend one-v-one against him. It's impossible. You're dead. And the way they play, the way they move the ball around with the sole purpose of getting the ball to him and all he's doing is watching the game. I know we all talk about how he walks around but it's just to find the space. Once that ball gets to him, the movement everybody is running and moving, it's so difficult [to play against].

"The game plan was just to kick him because we can't get the ball off him or get close enough. If you think he is there, he is gone. You can watch our games when we play them. JT (John Terry) is tackling, Frankie's (Frank Lampard) tackling, I'm tackling, everybody's putting in tackles. That's the only way we could stop him."

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WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI & RONALDO?

Mikel's assertion that Messi is from a "different planet" adds a distinctive viewpoint to the ongoing debate. However, it is unlikely that it will be settled anytime in the future as the two legends of the game continue to conquer new milestones.

The Angel City sensation is heading to her first major tournament, with team-mate Julie Ertz also in after her shock international return in April

There are always surprises when a nation names its World Cup roster – and that was no different on Wednesday, when Vlatko Andonovski named the 23 players that will represent the U.S. women's national team, the reigning world champion, in Australia and New Zealand this summer.

Sadly, injuries in recent months to several key players meant it was already known that a few big names were not going to be on this list. But, as the old saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens, and several players have been presented with huge opportunities on the biggest stage.

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from the USWNT roster announcement…

GettyWINNER: Alyssa Thompson

What an insane 12 months it has been for Alyssa Thompson. Last summer, ahead of the Under-20 Women's World Cup, she told GOAL she had her eye on a call-up to the senior national team. Since then, she's not only done that, she's also made the 2023 Women's World Cup roster.

Still only 18 years old, Thompson has been on the fringes of the squad since making her debut against England at Wembley last October. But then an injury to Mallory Swanson in April saw her called-up as a replacement mid-camp and probably forced Andonovski to take an even closer look at her than he already was.

Thompson is absolutely here on her own merit though. Her coach spoke in March about how she would absolutely "make a case" to be on this roster and she has. The forward might be young and raw but that's not a bad thing. She's already shown in her first few months in the NWSL for Angel City that she is ready to impact games, and she could be the USWNT's joker in the pack this summer.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Tierna Davidson

One of the most surprising omissions on this roster has to be that of Tierna Davidson. When Becky Sauerbrunn announced that she would miss the World Cup through injury last week, it felt like it increased Davidson's chances of making the roster, in order to add depth and experience to the back line.

But despite returning from her own ACL injury back in March, and playing plenty of meaningful minutes since, the Chicago Red Stars defender hasn't made the cut. There is a lot of competition in that area of the squad, but Davidson, who was the USWNT's best player at its underwhelming Olympic Games in 2021, will be massively disappointed to be left out.

WINNER: Rose Lavelle

There has been cause for concern around Rose Lavelle in recent months. She has not featured for club or country since picking up an injury during the April international break, and OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey fears that she won't play in the NWSL again before the World Cup.

That she was included on the roster on Wednesday was a positive sign, then. To be without Lavelle and Catarina Macario, another playmaking midfielder who misses out due to injury, could've seriously limited the creativity in the central areas of this team.

Now, it's about making sure Lavelle is back to full fitness properly – especially for that second group game, against the Netherlands.

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GettyLOSER: Adrianna Franch

Another unexpected omission on this roster is certainly Adrianna Franch, who had been included by Andonovski in each of the last four camps. The 32-year-old was part of the team that lifted the World Cup trophy four years ago, but has recently found herself on the bench for her club, the Kansas City Current.

That appears to have had an impact on her international career as Andonovski has chosen to alter his goalkeeper group for the first time since October by instead selecting Aubrey Kingsbury, the Washington Spirit shot-stopper whose sole appearance for the USWNT came in a 9-0 win over Uzbekistan in April 2022.

The Premier League's top scorer was shutout for the first time since August as Liverpool ended the champions' unbeaten start to the season

Manchester City suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season against Liverpool as their brilliant start to their title came to a dramatic halt.

Anfield has never been a happy place to go for City, having won there just twice in the past 40 years, so it's perhaps not a surprise that City were beaten by their closest rivals of recent seasons.

The defeat did, though, come in controversial circumstances, with a Phil Foden goal ruled out by VAR in an incident that Pep Guardiola said ignited the home fans.

Mohammed Salah then scored the only goal of the game after an individual error from Joao Cancelo when he misjudged Alisson's clearance.

But who came out of the game with any credit for City? And for whom was it a day to forget? GOAL breaks it down…

The Winners

The title race:

In the build-up to Sunday's game, Jurgen Klopp claimed Liverpool were no longer challenging for the title. Of course, Guardiola dismissed those suggestions as rubbish, knowing exactly how difficult it is to win the Premier League, having done so four times in the last five years. Exciting title races have been one of English football's greatest selling points in recent years and it looks like we're set for another one all over again. Arsenal are four points clear of both City and Tottenham, with Chelsea just a further four points behind with a game in hand. And of course, Liverpool are now firmly back in the shake-up.

Ederson:

So often the focus is on Ederson's brilliant footwork while questions are asked as to whether he is a good shot-stopper. But on Sunday, he made one huge save with Salah bearing down on goal that could have had huge implications on the Premier League season. At first, it looked like the Egyptian had got his angles wrong as his shot rolled just the wrong side of the post and referee Anthony Taylor pointed for a goal kick. Only from the replays was the brilliant save from Ederson perceptible, as his outstretched fingertips diverted the ball inches off target. Unfortunately for City, he couldn't pull off the same trick twice.

City's fixture schedule:

Guardiola was set to take his side to Arsenal in midweek, but that game was postponed with the Gunners facing a rescheduled Europa League game against PSV. Perhaps that will play to City's benefit, as the squad can take a couple of days off before returning to training after a painful defeat. Anfield was electric, and the Emirates Stadium would have been the same with Mikel Arteta's side four points clear and sensing blood. Getting back on the pitch is often the best way to get a response, but a firing Arsenal would have been a major test at this stage of the season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

Joao Cancelo:

Cancelo has been outstanding all season, but he made City's key contribution for all the wrong reasons at Anfield. Isolated with Salah following a City corner, Cancelo misjudged Alisson's long clearance, allowing the Liverpool forward a free run at goal that he took full advantage of. The defender looked rattled by the mistake and it affected the rest of his match as City tried to chase an equaliser. He must put it behind him quickly and get back to the brilliant performances which have been so important to Guardiola's side this season, and Phil Foden could be seen reminding him of that shortly after full-time.

Erling Haaland:

Jamie Vardy's record of scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League matches is safe – for now – after Haaland's blank at Anfield. Only 10 games into his City career, the Norwegian was threatening it already with goals in seven successive matches, but Liverpool shut him down for the second time this season, following the Community Shield curtain-raiser. Haaland had a couple of sights of goal in the first half, clipping a shot wide and sending a header straight into Alisson's arms. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez were mostly successful in keeping him away from the width of the six-yard box, but when he got one big chance in that position, Alisson denied him again with a smart save.

VAR luck:

It's rare for City to fail to score and they've done it twice in a week, following their goalless draw in Copenhagen. Except they scored goals in both games, only for them to both be chalked off by VAR. Rodri's super strike in Denmark was cancelled after a slight handball in the build-up, and this time Foden's goal was ruled out for a perceived Haaland tug on Fabinho. Guardiola wouldn't be drawn into criticising either decision, but he's probably had enough of seeing referees called over to the monitor for a while.

Man City Ratings: Defence

Ederson (8/10):

Made one huge save but couldn't pull off two when he was twice exposed into facing Salah.

Joao Cancelo (4/10):

Huge error defined his performance and he will want to forget it in a hurry.

Manuel Akanji (6/10):

Biggest game of his early City career and found it tough in the red-hot Anfield atmosphere.

Ruben Dias (6/10):

Strong first-half but a slip in the second let in Salah and it could have been costly.

Nathan Ake (7/10):

Tasked with stopping a reinvigorated Salah after his midweek hat-trick and worked hard to keep him away from goal as much as possible.

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Midfield

Rodri (7/10):

Screened the defence with his expert reading of the game in a congested area of the pitch.

Bernardo Silva (8/10):

Started in a deeper role almost as a second holding midfielder and worked hard as a disruptor before moving further forward.

Ilkay Gundogan (6/10):

Tried to take up dangerous positions in the half-space behind the forwards and forced one good save from Alisson.

MatériaMais Notícias

Depois de vencer o Corinthians, o Botafogo passará por um teste crítico pela luta contra a zona de rebaixamento do Campeonato Brasileiro. Nesta quarta-feira, a equipe de Alberto Valentim tentará conquistar a primeira vitória fora de casa no returno diante da Chapecoense, às 19h30, na Arena Condá, pela 35ª rodada. A partida será transmitida em tempo real pelo site do LANCE!.

O Botafogo é o segundo pior time do returno, com nove pontos conquistados. Muito deste cenário se explica porque o Alvinegro não conquistou nenhum ponto sendo visitante. Em sete partidas, sete derrotas. Contra a Chapecoense, um resultado positivo será fundamental para colocar o Glorioso ainda mais acima da briga pela zona de rebaixamento.

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– A expectativa boa, a gente vem de vitória boa sobre o Corinthians, precisa dar uma resposta, não vai ser fácil, principalmente nessa reta final. Vai ser muito importante para alcançarmos o quando antes os números para permanência na Série A – analisou Alberto Valentim, ao programa “Seleção SporTV”.

A última vez que o Botafogo voltou para o Rio de Janeiro com algum ponto na bagagem no Brasileirão foi no empate em 0 a 0 com o Ceará, em 14 de setembro. O triunfo fora de casa, consequentemente, foi mais distante ainda. Coincidentemente, foi em uma partida em Santa Catarina: contra o Avaí, por 2 a 0, com gols de Alex Santana e Marcelo Benevenuto, no dia 4 de agosto.

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Com 39 pontos, a distância para o Cruzeiro, primeiro time na degola, é de três. Por mais que o Alvinegro leve vantagem na quantidade de vitórias, critério de desempate no confronto direto, com a Raposa, o risco ainda é existente. A comissão técnica traça a partida como chave para a sequência da equipe no Campeonato Brasileiro e Valentim projetou uma vitória.

Se o cenário em 2019 não é dos melhores, o histórico do Botafogo sobre o rival é animador. O Alvinegro não perde para a Chapecoense desde 2017 – nesta sequência, foram quatro vitórias e um empate para a equipe carioca. Na Arena Condá, o Glorioso acumula resultados positivos nos últimos dois anos: 1 a 0 em 2018 e 2 a 0 no ano anterior.

O objetivo do Botafogo é se afastar ainda mais da zona de rebaixamento, mas o da Chapecoense é lutar por sua sobrevivência na primeira divisão. Em caso de derrota, o Verdão D’Oeste será a segunda equipe rebaixada para a Série B do ano que vem, acompanhando os passos do rival Avaí.

Michael Vaughan believes it is time to replace Moeen Ali with Adil Rashid in the England Test side and for Gary Ballance and Ian Bell to swap the places in the batting order as England prepare for the start of the Investec Ashes.Vaughan, England captain when they won the 2005 Ashes, feels that Rashid’s legspin can help England cut through Australia’s tail and fears Moeen is not bowling with the confidence required to withstand the likely assault he will face. While Vaughan accepted that Australia would also target Rashid, he feels he is bowling with such confidence following the ODI series against New Zealand that he can come through such a challenge.”I certainly would have Rashid in the squad and I’d be looking to play him,” Vaughan said. “I just think it would be something that Australia wouldn’t expect. I think they’re expecting to face Moeen. “If England can surprise them and play just a little bit above the level they did against New Zealand, I think it will surprise Australia.”I just look at Rashid the other day flicking them out at Durham. If he does well in the four-day game at Durham as well, I’d just throw him straight in as a young chap who’s confident. He is on the crest of that one-day wave, so I’d just play him.”With the way that he bowls and the way England have really struggled to get rid of tails, it is something different that England might surprise Australia with.”Moeen Ali is the incumbent spinner in England’s Test side•Getty Images

Vaughan admitted that Rashid is not the finished article, though. He cautioned against too much expectation in him and suggested that Alastair Cook, as captain, would have to find a way to assist him, in first innings especially.”I wouldn’t expect him to whip through the Smiths and Clarkes in the first innings,” Vaughan said. “Any top-order player will probably attack him. And in the first innings, on good pitches, you would have to manage him very well. But with careful management and careful field settings he certainly can play a big part.”Vaughan suggested Moeen can still perform an important role for England in the future. “I think Moeen is terrific, I really do,” Vaughan said. “I think he’s going to have years and years with the England side. But he has had a difficult time of it of late. He has not quite been as consistent and he has not been having the long spells as he has not been taking wickets.”When you go into an Ashes series you have to be so confident in your own ability and you have to be on top of that confidence level to compete. I just don’t know if he’s got the confidence level. He’s not bowling enough overs for me to suggest that he’s bowling with that fizz like he did last year.”He bowled great against India. But you don’t pick someone for what was happening last year. And if they go one-nil down it’s going be a long series.”Vaughan believes Bell would benefit from the demonstration of confidence a promotion to No. 3 in the batting order would provide. Bell currently bats at No. 4, with Vaughan suggesting he could swap places with Ballance.”The way Ballance played against New Zealand was a concern but he’s tough,” Vaughan said. “He got good balls, but his feet weren’t moving as well as he can. So I’d make the change. I’d put Gary at No. 4 and Bell at No. 3. I just think that every now and again Bell needs a prod and a poke. He should gain a lot of confidence by someone telling him he’s No. 3.”That could knock Gary’s confidence, but I just think he’s better suited at four. I look at the whole order and you can have left hand, right hand down the order. At the moment, we have three lefties at the top of the order. If you have three of one suit in any position of the order, you can get used to captaining against it.”Hardys of Australia are proud sponsors of England cricket. Show your support this summer with #HardysENG or #HardysAUS to win prizes