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India’s captain made 43 not out in a decisive partnership with Webb and took two wickets to dismantle the defending champions for 86

Alex Malcolm23-Oct-2023

Harmanpreet Kaur and Courtney Webb shared an unbeaten 93-run stand•Getty Images

A decisive 93-run stand between Courtney Webb and Harmanpreet Kaur followed by a crafty bowling display led by Ella Hayward and Hayley Matthews helped Melbourne Renegades to a thumping upset win over defending WBBL champions Adelaide Strikers at the Junction Oval.Webb made 49 not out and Harmanpreet remained unbeaten on 43 as the pair controlled the second half of Renegades’ innings against an impressive Strikers bowling unit to post a competitive 167 for 3 after being sent into bat.Related

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Renegades spinners, led by Hayward and Matthews in the powerplay, as well as Sarah Coyte strangled Strikers in the chase. The trio picked up two wickets each and Coyte produced a stunning direct-hit run out off her own bowling to dismiss Bridget Patterson as Strikers’ chase never gained any momentum against the disciplined bowling performance.Renegades’ batting display was steady without being spectacular. They were aided by some shoddy Strikers fielding with Jemma Barsby spilling two catches.Strikers started well with Georgia Adams removing Matthews for 12, but she strangely only bowled one over for the innings. Tammy Beaumont and Josie Dooley both made starts and threatened to break free at times during a 51-run stand but neither were able to kick on. Both fell within an over of each other to leave Renegades precariously placed at 74 for 3 in the 10th over.Harmanpreet and Webb assessed the situation and did not panic despite both scoring at less than a run-a-ball through the first 40 runs of their partnership, including only taking 14 runs off the power surge. But they scored 39 runs off the last 14 balls of the innings finding the boundary eight times against Amanda-Jade Wellington, Danielle Gibson and Megan Schutt. Webb struck five of them and Harmanpreet three.The chase never got going as Hayward bowled four of the first nine overs of the innings and picked up the key wickets of Laura Wolvaardt and Katie Mack. Hayward’s lengths and lines were superb as she rarely gave the stumps away. Wolvaardt was stumped trying to launch over long-off but was completely deceived in flight. Mack was also beaten in flight as she miscued to mid-off.Coyte dropped an easy catch in the deep off Tahlia McGrath that threatened to be costly but she more than made up for it with a stunning run out. Patterson drove a ball towards long-on and took off for a single, Coyte dived full length to her right, gathered in the right hand and threw in the one motion while laying on her stomach and produced a direct hit as Patterson tried to scramble back at the striker’s end.McGrath holed out off Matthews and the chase fell apart from there. Strikers lost their last seven wickets for just 21 runs. Harmanpreet and Georgia Wareham chimed in with two wickets each as India’s captain was named player of the match.

Harry Kane had to "calm down" Jude Bellingham when the midfielder lost his temper after England lost 3-1 to Senegal.

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• Kane forced to "calm down" Bellingham
• Midfielder "roars at linesman"
• Tempers flare after England lose to Senegal

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bellingham reacted angrily on full-time at the City Ground, with Dom Smith of the reporting that he kicked a drinks cooler and let his displeasure known to a linesman following the final whistle.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bellingham was frustrated after seeing an equalising goal ruled out by VAR for handball. The ball did strike Levi Colwill's arm in the build-up but the Three Lions complained that the action was not deliberate.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Kane himself was angry with the decision, claiming that "if you know the rules it's not handball". The defeat was manager Thomas Tuchel's first since taking over as England boss earlier this year.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KANE AND BELLINGHAM?

  Both Kane and Bellingham will now head to the Club World Cup, where they are set to compete with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid respectively.

قرر مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، برئاسة حسين لبيب، تعيين عصام عبد الحميد مديراً فنياً لفريق كرة السلة للرجال، وذلك بعد رحيل الإسبانى كورو سيجورا.

وكان الزمالك قد وجه الشكر إلى الإسبانى كورو سيجورا، المدير الفني السابق للفريق، وذلك بعدما فشل الطرفان في التوصل إلى اتفاق لاستمراره.

ومن المقرر أن تُعقد جلسة التوقيع اليوم ومن المرجح إعلان الزمالك اليوم أو غداً عن التعاقد مع المدير الفني الجديد للفريق.

طالع أيضاً.. مدحت عبد الهادي: الأهلي أضاع فرصة العمر في أسهل مجموعة.. والهلال هو من شرّف العرب

يُذكر أن الزمالك قد نجح في تحقيق الفوز على سبورتنج بنتيجة 79/71، في اللقاء الذي جمع بينهما ببطولة دوري السوبر لكرة السلة وحصد الميدالية البرونزية.  

CSK seem to have run out of gas after being the pace-setters early on, but are still in the top four on the table

Deivarayan Muthu05-May-20235:48

Can Mumbai’s in-form batters overcome resurgent Jadeja and Co?

Big picture – MI have the wood on CSK at ChepaukThe last time Chennai Super Kings lost two home games in the league stage of an IPL season was way back in 2013. After they suffered a last-ball defeat to Punjab Kings last weekend, CSK’s head coach Stephen Fleming suggested that the Impact Player rule has allowed teams to go harder at oppositions this IPL – both Adam Zampa and Prabhsimran Singh, who had been brought in as Impact Players for the two games, messed with CSK’s plans and set them up for rare home defeats.But even before the introduction of the Impact Player, Mumbai Indians had breached CSK’s fortress multiple times. In fact, MI have a dominant 6-2 win-loss record against CSK at Chepauk, and are on a six-match winning streak against CSK at the venue.Related

'It's inevitable' – Moody, Shastri on IPL taking over world cricket

Suryakumar shows why he is so difficult to bowl to

MI’s recent form is also encouraging: they’ve won five of their last seven games, with their middle order, in particular, dripping with explosive power and class. Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David and Tilak Varma have all contributed handsomely to MI becoming the first IPL team to hunt down 200-plus totals in back-to-back games. MI also have depth in their spin attack, which will be handy if Chepauk rolls out a black-soil turner.As for CSK, they seem to have run out of gas after having been the pace-setters in the first half of the season. Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu and Moeen Ali are yet to properly fire with the bat while Tushar Deshpande has leaked runs at the death although he has the knack of taking wickets in clusters. Deepak Chahar, who had pulled up injured when CSK and MI last met at the Wankhede, is fit again and could lend some experience and powerplay bite to their attack.A win for CSK on Saturday could potentially take them back to the top two, while a win for MI could see them break away from the mid-table logjam and enter the top half of the standings.The big questionTeam news – Hrithik Shokeen could return for MIMI are usually big on match-ups, so they might bring back offspinner Hrithik Shokeen against a left-hander-heavy CSK line-up. There is no official news from CSK’s camp on whether Ben Stokes is available for selection – he has been batting and bowling in the nets over the past week. Sisanda Magala has also resumed both batting and bowling in the nets, but with Matheesha Pathirana establishing himself as CSK’s go-to death bowler, there is no room for him.Form guideChennai Super Kings: NRLLWW
Mumbai Indians: WWLLWImpact Player strategyAs far as the Impact Player is concerned, CSK have followed a fairly consistent pattern, with Rayudu replacing one of the bowlers when they chase. They could start with Deshpande if they bowl first and replace him with Rayudu in the second innings, or vice versa.CSK Probable XII: 1 Devon Conway, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Shivam Dube, 5 , 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Matheesha Pathirana, 12 If the Chepauk pitch plays true to its nature, MI could consider using left-arm-all-sorts spinner Kumar Kartikeya as an Impact Player and strengthen their spin attack even further. Suryakumar might make way for Kartikeya if MI go down this route.MI Probable XII: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Cameron Green, 4 , 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Tim David, 7 Nehal Wadhera, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Hrithik Shokeen, 11 Akash Madhwal/Arshad Khan, 12 Matheesha Pathirana has been a revelation for CSK at the death•AFP/Getty Images

Stats and Trivia David has a strike rate of 199 between overs 16 and 20 this season – the highest among batters who have faced at least 60 balls in this phase. Jadeja, in comparison, has struck at only 146 in this phase. MI have the worst death-overs economy rate (13.36) in the IPL. CSK have fared much better in this phase, conceding 10.47 an over. Piyush Chawla has a good head-to-head record against Rayudu in the IPL, having dismissed him six times in 13 innings while giving up only nine boundaries in 53 balls against him. Rohit Sharma holds the unwanted record of having bagged the joint-most ducks in the IPL. Dinesh Karthik, Mandeep Singh and Sunil Narine have also collected 15 ducks each in the tournament.Pitch and conditionsWhile the Chepauk pitches in this IPL have offered some purchase for spinners, the true bounce has allowed batters to hit through the line. The overhead conditions were overcast when MI and CSK started training on the eve of the game and there’s also some rain forecast for Saturday evening.Quotes”We’ve played [Lasith] Malinga in the nets when I came here in Mumbai Indians and that gives us a lot of confidence. He was a legend and we did practice well when he was bowling, so we will just look to watch the ball and play our own game.”

Chelsea have now made contact over the signing of a defender, having stepped up their interest in recent weeks, but there may be competition for his signature from one of their London rivals, according to a report.

Blues keen to strengthen in defence

The Blues have set their sights on multiple defenders ahead of the summer transfer window, with Flamengo right-back Wesley Franca now emerging as a target, having held talks over a deal for the Brazilian in recent days.

On the opposite side of the backline, Enzo Maresca’s side could look to bring in Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin, having started to work on a deal, though there is set to be stiff competition for his signature from a number of Premier League clubs.

Maresca is clearly keen to bolster his options at full-back, and the manager is also driving a move for Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who could be brought in as a replacement for Robert Sanchez.

Related Chelsea "doing work" on signing "top-class" £20m ex-Tottenham player

The west Londoners are now interested.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Mar 8, 2025

Signing a new goalkeeper may be an important task this summer given the catalogue of errors Sanchez has made this season, but there is also a desire to strengthen in the centre-back department.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have now made contact over the signing of Feyenoord’s David Hancko, having stepped up their interest in the centre-back over the past few weeks.

However, there may be competition for Hancko’s signature, with Tottenham ramping up their interest of late, while Atlético Madrid and Juventus are also named as potential suitors – and he is said to be enticed by the idea of joining the Italian club.

Feyenoord would be willing to sanction the defender’s departure for £42m this summer, making him a relatively affordable option should the Blues choose to formalise their interest in the summer.

"Freak technician" Hancko could be a solid signing

The Feyenoord star has received high praise from freelance scout Ben Mattinson, who has lauded him for his ability to drive the ball forward from defence.

The former Sparta Prague man’s attacking ability is underlined by his impressive goal and assist record in the league over the past five seasons.

Season

League appearances

Goals

Assists

2020-21

24

5

2

2021-22

30

7

5

2022-23

34

2

4

2023-24

34

5

2

2024-25

23

3

2

Journalist Diederik de Groot has also described the Slovakia international as the “best defender” he’s ever seen at Feyenoord, and he has been in impressive form this season, emerging as one of the most consistent performers in the squad.

Hancko has certainly earned the chance to prove himself in the Premier League, and a £42m fee seems reasonable, so Chelsea should continue to monitor his performances before potentially launching a bid in the summer.

There are U.S. internationals stationed all over the continent with something to fight for over these final weeks

We've reached the final month or so of the European season, and for the U.S. men's national team players abroad, there's much on the line. Titles, European spots, relegation – it's all on the table across the top leagues.

There are Americans stationed all over the continent with something to fight for over these final weeks, giving them plenty of jeopardy even ahead of this summer's Gold Cup. All eyes will be on the USMNT this summer as they look to put the CONCACAF Nations League behind them, but before that, a substantial number of players will face big tests on the club level.

From trips to Wembley and European semifinals to the ugliest of relegation battles, GOAL looks at what is still on the line for the Americans playing overseas.

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  England

  For the Americans in the Premier League, things are essentially settled. Tyler Adams and Bournemouth will need a literal miracle to seal a European spot due to the eight-point gap between them and sixth place with three games to play. Antonee Robinson and Fulham, meanwhile, don't have much left to play for.

  That leaves Chris Richards, Matt Turner and Crystal Palace, who have the biggest games left of the bunch as they head into the FA Cup final. They'll face Manchester City at Wembley as they look to make history and win the first FA Cup in club history.

  The Championship, meanwhile, is largely done and dusted. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds are already going up as champions, having sealed promotion back to the Premier League this past weekend. Can another American join Aaronson in making the big leap up a division?

  Haji Wright and Coventry have a chance. They booked their place in the playoffs on the final day of the season and will now face Sunderland in a two-legged semifinal starting Friday, hoping to put themselves one step closer to the Premier League.

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  Italy

  The USMNT's Italian-based stars face all sorts of jeopardy over these next few weeks as all will have plenty to play for as they look to salvage somewhat-frustrating seasons.

  Starting closer to the top of the table, Juventus sit fourth, leaving Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and the team with work to do in the final three weeks of the season. Their title hopes are long gone, but are level on points with fifth-place Roma and sixth-place Lazio, with seventh-place Bologna also just one point behind. It's a dogfight with three games remaining, and Juve will likely have to be perfect if they're going to earn a Champions League spot.

  Six points behind Juve sit Milan, who will need a miracle to qualify for Europe via the league route. Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah's side has work to do as they're also six points back of sixth-place Lazio for even a Europa Conference League spot. The silver lining? Milan defeated Inter, 4-1, on aggregate to book their spot in the Coppa Italia final, and the prize for winning that tournament is a Europa League spot. That looks like their best path forward and an opportunity for this team to end the campaign with genuine hopes for next season.

  Gianluca Busio and Venezia, finally, find themselves in a relegation fight. Venezia sit one point from safety with three games remaining. Their draw with 19th-place Empoli a few weeks back could end up being a huge missed opportunity if they can't collect points from the final few matches.

  Down in Serie B, Kristoffer Lund and Palermo are in a fight for promotion and, as things stand, look set to play in the promotion playoffs.

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  Spain

  All eyes are on Johnny Cardoso's Real Betis, who are fighting on two fronts. The first is, of course, the Europa Conference League, with Betis up a goal heading into Thursday's semifinal second leg against Fiorentina. The winner of that will book a date with either Chelsea or Djurgarden for the finale.

  Real Betis are also pushing for European places in La Liga, currently occupying sixth place, and a potential Europa League spot, on 57 points. Villarreal are just one point ahead for the fifth and final Champions League position. The good news, though, is that Betis have a significant lead on seventh-place Celta Vigo, who are 11 points behind.

  Diego Kochen, meanwhile, is worth keeping an eye on with Barcelona. The young goalkeeper has been on Barcelona's bench plenty of times this season and, even with their Champions League dream dead, La Liga is still in their sights. They're up four points heading into Sunday's Clasico and, with four games remaining, a win over their rivals would keep them in the driver's seat.

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  Germany

  Both Gio Reyna and Joe Scally are with clubs scrapping for European spots, and that could come down to the final weeks of the season.

  It's been a disappointing season for Dortmund, and it could end up being Reyna's final campaign with the club. Right now, they're fifth in the league, fighting for a Champions League spot. There's ground to make up, with Dortmund sitting on 51 points, fourth-place Freiburg on 52 and third-place Eintracht Frankfurt, who may welcome back Paxten Aaronson, on 56.

  Don't count out Scally's Borussia Monchengladbach, though. They're five points out of a European spot with two games remaining so, techincally, they're still alive.

  Down at the bottom of the league, John Tolkin and Holstein Kiel are in 17th, one point away from 16th and the playoff against the 2. Bundesliga's third-best team. That seems their only chance at survival, as they're six points out of 15th with two games to play.

India could manage only 168 for 6, before the England openers took charge

Alagappan Muthu10-Nov-20222:41

Moody: ‘India lacked intent in the first half of their innings’

For all of England’s game-breaking talent, this win that takes them into the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup final was all about doing the basics right.They protected the short square boundary in Adelaide, giving away only two sixes until the start of the death overs.They saw a chance to break open a chase of 169 in the powerplay, when the ball was coming on nicely under the lights, and seized it, smashing 10 boundaries while the field was up.A score 63 for 0 in six became 170 for 0 in 16. Jos Buttler became a supernova. Alex Hales became a dream come true. became .The Hales gamble
One horrid rain-soaked night at the MCG, England played the way they swore they never would. The captain then came out and said “let it hurt”.Pain is powerful, but just as well as it disorients, it brings clarity. In that it forces people to do everything possible to never feel it again. And that’s what’s happened.Since that defeat to Ireland, where they kept second-guessing themselves, England have batted and bowled with ultimate clarity. The selection of Hales was one of ultimate clarity. He came with solid experience in Australian conditions. They needed that experience. Buttler made the call. And now here is the payoff.A player who, for a long time, came to be known as a disruptive force within the England team was given a second chance. And he’s repaid their faith with an innings that broke the biggest superpower in the world of cricket.Hales equalled India’s tally of sixes all by himself – seven – reducing their bowlers to rubble. He even backed himself to clear Adelaide’s massive 88-metre straight boundaries.India played a hand in their own undoing as ESPNcricinfo’s Karthik Krishnaswamy notes here. They had batted against a bowling attack that allowed them to score a mere 64 runs off 46 balls square of the wicket in the first 15 overs. England though had no such restrictions. Their batters were given all the room they needed to access the short boundary. Hales and Buttler amassed 98 runs off 54 balls square of the wicket in their first 15 overs.Jos Buttler and Alex Hales soak in their unbroken 170-run stand•Getty Images

Buttler’s brilliance
This is how you break a match-up. Coming into this game, Buttler had fallen to Bhuvneshwar Kumar five times in 32 balls in T20I cricket.He must have known this because first ball he charged out of his crease, intent on negating the India bowler’s biggest strength. His swing.These were the kinds of moves Buttler was making all night as he finished on 80 off 49.He front-loaded Adil Rashid against India’s right-hand heavy top-order. And the legspinner took out Suryakumar Yadav.He reaffirmed Chris Jordan’s faith in his yorkers. One of those toppled Virat Kohli off his feet.Virat Kohli stumbles trying to play a Chris Jordan yorker•AFP via Getty Images

He silenced a crowd of 40,094 – getting all revved up thanks to Hardik Pandya – with one single shot. A pull for four off Axar Patel.Buttler was at the centre of a lot of good things – but most of them probably date back to the drawing board.England won this game in the backroom. They contained a 360-degree player by taking pace off, because at least that way, you’re only defending one side of the pitch. The one in front of the batter.Buttler backed Rashid to pull off this heist, and this was even after the legspinner had been punished for a boundary first ball all because he had dared to toss it up.Rashid could easily have protected his figures tonight. Sat back and pointed people to his tournament economy rate (6.25). But no, he didn’t. He bought into the plan and picked up perhaps the most important wicket for England. Just his second of the World Cup.Suryakumar is the man India look to for acceleration through the middle and the death. With him gone for 14 off 10, the game had changed.Hardik rising
There was only one phase of play that England lost in this game. And that was when Hardik decided enough was enough.He was 13 off 15 at the start of the 17th over. India were 110 for 3. They had tried to disrupt England.Rohit Sharma hit one of the shots of the night – a one-bounce four over extra cover off a near Jordan yorker – but he fell three balls later.Suryakumar succumbed after hitting Ben Stokes for a six and a four.All of this prompted Kohli to go into anchor mode, which meant the other guy had to go big.Hardik Pandya hit five sixes in his 33-ball 63•AFP/Getty Images

And Hardik did. He brought out the helicopter shot against Jordan. He escorted a wide yorker for four past short third off Sam Curran. He flat batted short balls all around the park.India made 58 runs in their last four overs. Fifty of them came off Hardik’s bat. This was his scoring sequence from the 18th over: 6, 6, dot, 1, 1, 4, 6, 4, 1, 6, 4, out (having trodden on his stumps while whipping the ball for what would have been another four). Five of those 12 balls were attempted yorkers. Many of them landed pretty close to the perfect spot. But Hardik stands so deep in his crease and brings so much of his wrists into his strokeplay that even they became boundary-scoring opportunities.From looking like they’d be lucky to get to 140, India had 168. India had hope.And then nothing. Or maybe its worse than that because now there will be questions about the way they played their first 10 overs (62 for 2 with only seven boundaries) against a team full of power-hitters.England chasing history
They invented the game. They hosted each of the first three World Cups. They absolutely loved cricket. And there were a few nice moments.A passion-filled night in Karachi. Several glorious weeks in Australia. An unforgettable adventure in India.But there was also, “I intend… to make them grovel”. And, “We’ll have a bowl.”England + Cricket = broken-heart emojiBut then, on a fine summer’s day in 2019, they got their “I love you” back. And It. Meant. Everything.Now they want “I love you more”. Maybe even “I love you most”. Because England, through all the twists and turns and tragicomedy, are now just one win away from being the first men’s team in history to hold both World Cups at the same time.It’s taken a lot of effort to get here. A complete rewiring of DNA, in fact. Seriously, if you take one of Buttler’s cells and put it under a microscope, you’ll just see a scoop over fine leg for six.This is England now. This is the revolution that Eoin Morgan began and Buttler sustains. It got its validation at Lord’s on that fine summer’s day in 2019. But you know the thing with these things. Once is never ever enough.

GOAL has learned that the Chilean is not part of André Jardine’s plans for the Apertura 2025

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América paid $11 million for Diego Valdés in 2022 to Santos Laguna

Has recorded 38 goals and 31 assists in 135 appearances for the Coapa side

He is currently valued at $4.5 million, according to TransfermarktFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

GOAL has learned that Diego Valdés is not part of André Jardine’s plans for the upcoming Apertura 2025 season, signaling that the Chilean midfielder is likely in his final weeks at Club América. But despite growing speculation about a potential exit, Valdés' agent, Gastón González, said there has been no official communication from the club regarding a departure. Speaking to Diario AS in Chile, González emphasized that Valdés remains committed to the Águilas – at least for now.

"América hasn't told me they want to part ways with Diego. He's an attractive player because of his performance and experience in the Mexican league, but for now, there's nothing official," González said. He also acknowledged that the rumors may be fueled by the reduced minutes Valdés has seen during the Clausura 2025.

Valdés' role at Club América has diminished this year. He missed the start of the Clausura 2025 while considering his future after receiving interest from Toluca. Although he is no longer viewed as a key figure under Jardine, a wave of injuries and América’s involvement in the Champions Cup temporarily opened the door for him to rejoin the rotation.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

With a contract running through December 2025, América is reportedly looking to place Valdés with another club.

Meanwhile, are preparing for the Liguilla quarterfinals, awaiting their opponent from the Play-In match between Monterrey and Pachuca. Valdés continues training with the team and remains focused on winning another title with América.

Valdés, who has been a key player in past tournaments, has seen limited action this season, which has fueled media speculation.“The press speculates a lot because they were used to seeing Diego play 80 or 85 percent of the minutes. I think that’s where the rumors start,” his agent explained.

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

América paid $11 million for Diego Valdés in 2022 to Santos Laguna. Since then, the Chilean has become a fan favorite at the club, recording 38 goals and 31 assists in 135 appearances for the Coapa side. Valdés has also been a key presence on the field and played an important role in América’s historic three-peat championship run.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CLUB AMÉRICA?

The Águilas will be keeping a close eye on the TV this Sunday when Monterrey and Pachuca face off in the Play-In match, as the winner will go on to face América in the Quarterfinals on May 7 or 8. Meanwhile, held a friendly match this Saturday at Coapa to stay in rhythm ahead of the Liguilla.

Tottenham Hotspur fell to a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat against Leicester City this afternoon, cranking yet more pressure on under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou.

Richarlison had put the Lilywhites ahead going into the break, but two quick-fire second-half goals from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannous secured three vital points for the Foxes in their hunt for survival.

The result leaves Spurs down in 15th place in the table, just eight points clear of the relegation zone after a 13th defeat of the season – the same number as newly promoted Ipswich Town.

Injuries have certainly played their part in the recent slump in form, but far too many players failed to deliver and or make an impact, contributing to the embarrassing defeat.

Numerous players looked off the pace today, with their displays pushing Postecoglou closer to the brink of losing his job, which would bring his near two-year spell to an end.

Tottenham's disappointing performers against Leicester

Attacker Dejan Kulusevski was starting his tenth consecutive league outing against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men this afternoon, often being a reliable figure given the recent injuries.

However, the Swede looked as though the fixture list started to take its toll on him, contributing to him conceding possession 22 times – the most of any player on the pitch.

He also failed to complete any of his three attempted dribbles and was dribbled past twice on the counter, looking leggy as the hosts pushed for a late leveller.

Heung-min Son has failed to shine so far this season, failing to reach the performance levels he has done for so many years during his time as a player in North London.

Today was no different, with the winger failing to complete any of his six attempted crosses, and unable to create any clear-cut chances to put Postecoglou’s side back into a winning position.

Such displays from the aforementioned attackers highlight the need for investment in the attacking department before the end of the window, with one other player lucky to keep his starting role after his own showing.

Performance in Numbers

Tottenham's biggest underperformer against Leicester

Pape Sarr once again started at the heart of the midfield for Spurs this afternoon, partnering talented youngster Lucas Bergvall and the returning Rodrigo Bentancur.

However, his outing was one to forget, undoubtedly being the least impactful of the trio, as demonstrated by his withdrawal in the 54th minute due to his lack of positive impact.

Sarr only managed 34 touches during his time on the field, with his subsequent tally lower than that of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky who managed 35 – showcasing his lack of impact at the heart of the side.

Minutes played

54

Touches

34

Tackles won

0

Interceptions made

0

Possession lost

6x

Key passes completed

0

Fouls committed

1

The Senegalese was also just as alien out of possession, unable to complete any tackles nor make any interceptions – failing to prevent the visitors getting themselves back into the game.

If anything, the 22-year-old aided their attempts, giving the ball away in the build up to their first effort, handing them a lifeline and the added impetus which saw them eventually claim all three points.

Such a giveaway in possession was just one of six occasions Sarr gifted the ball back to the opposition, which led to him committing a foul trying to regain the ball for his side.

As a result of his dismal showing, Sarr was handed a measly 3/10 match rating by Daily Express journalist Tom Parsons, further showcasing how poor he was in North London against the Foxes.

His display has massively contributed to yet another embarrassing defeat, one that could well spell the end for Postecoglou in his tenure in charge of the club.

Regardless of the managerial situation, the youngster will be lucky to find himself in the starting lineup ahead of the clash with Elfsborg on Thursday night, leaving himself open to being dropped after such a toothless showing.

Finally replace Kane: Spurs plot bid for "machine" who's outscoring Solanke

Spurs could well be in the market for a new centre-forward

2 ByJoe Nuttall Jan 25, 2025

Manchester City have endured a disastrous season in the Premier League to date and currently sit in sixth place in the division after 20 matches.

The Cityzens have won ten, drawn four, and lost six of their games in the top-flight so far, leaving them a staggering 12 points behind Liverpool in first.

Pep Guardiola is now looking to bolster his playing squad ahead of the second half of the season by dipping into the January transfer window to add more quality to his group.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City are expected to complete a deal to sign Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt this week to improve their options at the top end of the pitch.

The Egypt international has racked up 14 goals and seven assists in 16 appearances in the Bundesliga so far this term and will look to replicate that level of output in the final third in the Premier League in the months to come.

As you can see in the clips above, the 25-year-old is a dynamic forward who can make magical things happen by coming in off the left flank or playing through the middle.

He has also thrived across all competitions with a return of 19 goals and 12 assists in 25 matches for Frankfurt, including four goals and two assists in six outings in the Europa League.

Marmoush may not be the only high-profile addition of the window, though, as the Citizens are also reportedly interested in signing a star from Real Madrid after landing the Bundesliga marksman.

Manchester City eyeing up French star

According to Football Insider, Manchester City are interested in a potential deal to sign Real Madrid defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, with Guardiola lining up a move for the versatile titan.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that City and Premier League rivals Liverpool are both eyeing up a swoop to bring the France international to England this year to bolster their respective midfield set-ups.

It states that the Manchester City board have made funds available to Guardiola to go and pursue the signing of Tchouameni, although there is no mention of how much it would take to secure the former Monaco star’s signature this month.

Football Insider adds, however, that a January transfer for the French star is unlikely because Carlo Ancelotti would prefer to keep his squad together until the end of the season, at least.

This means that City and Liverpool may have to wait until the summer transfer window to seriously pursue a deal to sign the towering midfielder, who joined the Spanish giants from Monaco in the summer of 2022 for a fee of £85.3m.

Guardiola could swoop to sign the Real Madrid star to be an upgrade on one of his current Manchester City central midfield options – Mateo Kovacic.

How Tchouameni compares to Man City midfielder Mateo Kovacic

The Croatia international has struggled with the absence of Rodri at the base of the midfield for the Citizens, as it has exposed his weaknesses out of possession.

Kovacic has been dribbled past a whopping 1.3 times per game on average by opposition players in the top flight, which shows that it has been too easy for opponents to get the better of him in transition.

The former Chelsea star, who won the Champions League with the Blues, has also only won 54% of his duels in the Premier League, barely more than half of his physical contests, and this shows that he has not been dominant in his battles.

Without Rodri, City do not have a defensive anchor in the middle of the park to hold the team together off the ball, with Kovacic’s struggles off the ball illustrating that perfectly.

Tackles

2.58

Top 42%

Interceptions

0.66

Bottom 25%

Blocks

1.11

Bottom 38%

Clearances

0.66

Bottom 18%

Aerial duels won

0.44

Bottom 27%

As you can see in the table above, the Croatian dynamo ranks lowly in the majority of the key defensive performance indicators, which shows that he offers very little to the team out of possession.

Without a fit and firing Rodri available, City need a player with the quality to step up in that role and that is why Guardiola should push for the board to get a deal done for Tchouameni this month, or in the summer, as he could come in as an upgrade on Kovacic.

Firstly, the French star only turns 25 later this month and that means that the Cityzens would be signing a player who is heading into his prime years and would have plenty of time left to be a star for the club in the long-term.

Tchouameni is also a versatile player who can play as a centre-back, a defensive midfielder, or as a central midfielder, which means that Guardiola could utilise him in a plethora of ways.

The Real Madrid star is also a technically secure and defensively dominant star who could step up to offer far more than Kovacic in midfield for City, improving their defensive work without Rodri available.

Tchouameni has won 64% of his duels in LaLiga for Real this season and made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game, which shows that he wins the majority of his physical contests and consistently looks to break up opposition attacks with his ability to make defensive interventions.

Appearances

16

15

Pass accuracy

92%

93%

Big chances created

2

2

Dribbled past per game

1.3x

0.7x

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.8

3.3

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old midfield machine has been incredibly more effective defensively in comparison to Kovacic this season, making more tackles and interceptions whilst also being dribbled past far less frequently.

Tchouameni, once described as “one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet” by analyst Raj Chohan, has the physical and technical attributes, having showcased them in a major European league for a gigantic club already, to thrive in English football.

A huge upgrade on De Bruyne: Man City chasing move for ex-Chelsea player

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ByEthan Lamb Jan 12, 2025

Therefore, Man City must ensure that they win the race with Liverpool to sign the impressive titan, this month or in the summer, to be a big upgrade on Kovacic in the middle of the park.