Category Uncategorized

Liverpool look to be coasting to the Premier League title at this moment in time, but Arne Slot’s Reds will want to guard against any complacency seeping in heading into what could be a sensational 2025.

Of course, it’s hard not to get carried away if you’re a fan of the Anfield giants currently, especially when you consider the Dutchman has steered his side to just one defeat all season long from 18 clashes to sit pretty at the top of the pile on a mammoth 45 points.

Still, January could see the ex-Feyenoord boss add some more numbers to his super-confident group in the hope some fresh blood can get his table-topping team further across the line to an unbelievable top-flight triumph.

Liverpool preparing move for "sensational" defender

As per reports from Spain, Liverpool are allegedly preparing a mega move for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi this January to bolster their options at the back.

Unfortunately for the Reds, personnel in the centre-back positions isn’t plentiful at this moment in time, with Joe Gomez coming off injured versus West Ham United last time out, alongside Ibrahima Konate remaining sidelined.

Therefore, a big money move for the Eagles captain is now said to be in the offing, with a £65m offer reportedly heading Palace’s way shortly.

With the future of Virgil Van Dijk also up in the air owing to his contract running down, it is crucial that Liverpool start looking for more bodies in the heart of defence, with Guehi looking to be their desired man once more having been linked with a switch to Merseyside back in August.

He could be ready for this step up in quality, having once been labelled as “sensational” by Palace chairman Steve Parish, on top of his many similarities to Reds colossus Konate.

Transfer Focus

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

What Guehi could offer Liverpool

England centre-back Guehi deserves all the praise that has come his way since making the switch to South London, with his appearance total at Palace now stretching to 133 games.

From those clashes, Guehi has shown off his ability to be a reliable goalscorer coming up from the back with seven goals next to his name, alongside also being a brute force in the air with 5.5 duels won on average this season in the Premier League.

The in-demand 24-year-old is just a very well-rounded presence with his composure on the ball another standout attribute from his repertoire, displayed in the clip above and in his 44.2 accurate passes averaged per top-flight game this campaign to date.

Konate is much the same for Slot’s men when he’s at the top of his game with the pair perhaps striking up an imposing partnership if a move for Guehi does take place in January.

Guehi’s over the last year vs Konate
Stat – per 90 mins	Guehi	Konate
Attempted passes	53.99	69.92
Pass completion %	83.9%	88.7%
Progressive passes	4.43	3.93
Progressive carries	0.56	0.67
Shot-creating actions	1.16	0.89
Tackles	1.58	1.48
Blocks	1.54	1.00
Clearances	4.43	3.82
Aerials won	2.38	3.30
Stats by FBref

Said to be similar players as per FBRef, it’s clear to see where the parallels lie but Guehi does actually come out on top in various different aspects of his game compared to the Frenchman, with more tackles and clearances registered over the last year on average, on top of being a competent passer out from the back.

Although it would be obviously disheartening to lose Van Dijk, Liverpool fans would certainly feel less aggrieved about their superstar defender departing if a statement move for Guehi materialised.

This move would cost Slot’s men a bumper amount, but it might well prove to be a worthwhile investment in further strengthening Liverpool’s defensive options ahead of a nervy title run-in.

He wants to leave: Liverpool must sell star earning more than Jota & Gakpo

Slot’s Liverpool ace is looking to leave the club in 2025.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 30, 2024

Following last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Fulham, Arsenal failed to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool, remaining six points behind, having played a game more.

William Saliba’s equaliser at Craven Cottage came via the Gunners’ favourite method, a set-piece, with much of the post-match discussion concerning Arsenal’s lack of open-play creativity, with James Benge succinctly noting that Arsenal rank 13th in the Premier League for open-play xG.

So, could Mikel Arteta look to the transfer market to bolster his forward options to increase his team’s attacking output?

Latest Arsenal transfer news

According to a report by Mark Brus for Caught Offside, Arsenal, as well as Manchester City and Liverpool, will attempt to sign Florian Wirtz next year, with the German international “expected to leave” Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

Christian Falk and Axel Hesse in Sport Bild believe Wirtz is valued at €150m (around £125m) by Leverkusen, having signed a new contract in June 2022, keeping him at die Werkself until 2027.

Nevertheless, the reigning Bundesliga champions are accustomed to selling key assets, with current Arsenal striker Kai Havertz’s £72m move to Chelsea their record sale, so could Wirtz be the latest superstar player to depart die Schwarzroten for London?

Arsenal's next Mesut Ozil

Back in October, Bayer manager Xabi Alonso described Wirtz as a “genius” and compared him to Italian great Roberto Baggio as well as former Arsenal hero Mesut Özil, having stated that he’s “a little like Baggio and Ozil”.

That comparison to Ozil, in particular, will bring a smile to the faces of many Gooners, but how do the two Germans compare?

Statistic

Wirtz 23/24 & 24/25

Özil 15/16 & 16/17

Appearances

87

105

Minutes

6,078

9,073

Goals

34

22

Goals per 90

0.50

0.22

Assists

27

38

Assists per 90

0.40

0.38

Shots

183

78

Shots on target %

47%

47.4%

As outlined in the table above, Wirtz’s attacking output since the start of last season exceeds what Özil produced at Arsenal.

2015/16 and 2016/17 was chosen because this is when Özil was at the peak of his powers, statistically speaking, but the playmaker, commonly known as the Assist King, actually averaged fewer assists than Wirtz, on a per-90 basis, during the sample sizes chosen.

This underlines Wirtz’s outstanding talent, suggesting it might be wise for Arsenal to break the bank to secure his services.

How Florian Wirtz compares to Arsenal's other attackers

As recorded by Transfermarkt, 132 of Wirtz’s 175 appearances for Leverkusen have come as an attacking midfielder, but he’s also been deployed as a centre-forward, out-wide on both flanks and even as part of a midfield trio.

Transfer Focus

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

So far this season, he’s almost exclusively been deployed centrally, but should Wirtz move to Arsenal, he may fit more naturally wide-left, with supporters frustrated by Gabriel Martinelli’s lack of end-product, calling for an upgrade.

So how does Wirtz compare to Arsenal’s current, first-choice attacking quartet: Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz?

Statistic

Wirtz

Martinelli

Saka

Ødegaard

Havertz

Appearances

87

69

86

72

86

Minutes

6,078

4,064

6,882

5,978

6,588

Goals

34

13

34

13

30

Goals per 90

0.50

0.29

0.44

0.20

0.41

Assists

27

7

28

15

11

Assists per 90

0.40

0.16

0.37

0.23

0.15

Goal-creating actions

41

17

55

35

26

Goal-creating actions per 90

0.76

0.40

0.86

0.68

0.42

As you can see, Saka is, by some distance, Arsenal’s most productive attacker, taking his tally to both nine goals and 12 assists for the season already during the Gunners’ 3-0 Champions League victory over Monaco on Wednesday, scoring twice before teeing up Havertz for the late third.

However, since the start of last season, Wirtz’s numbers are largely on par with Saka, scoring the same number of goals and providing just one fewer assist during this time frame, despite having played 804 fewer minutes.

Thus, if it wasn’t clear already, the addition of Wirtz would certainly take Arsenal to the next level, albeit the Gunners would surely have to smash their current transfer record, the £105m paid to West Ham for Declan Rice, to land the German’s signature.

Arsenal's "frustrating" star may have just become their new Mesut Ozil

The special talent has gone off the boil at Arsenal and perhaps resembles Mesut Ozil.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 12, 2024

Vinicius Junior's battle to fight incidents of racism in Spain has hit a roadblock, following a decision made by the Public Prosecutor's Office.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• La Liga filed report of racial abuse aimed at Vini
• Brazilian fighting ongoing battle against racism
• Public Prosecutor's Office's decision not in Madrid star's favour

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Since Vinicius Junior arrived in Madrid from Brazil at the age of 18 in 2018, he has frequently been subjected to racism both on and off the pitch. The Brazil international has been at the forefront of a long-standing battle against racism and discrimination, although a recent decision by the Public Prosecutor's Office is likely to feel like a significant setback for the 24-year-old winger.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In October 2023, during the El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona, Vinicius was allegedly racially abused, with reports claiming he was called a “f*cking monkey". La Liga reported the incident to authorities, leading to a legal case. However, the Public Prosecutor's Office has now requested to close the case, citing insufficient evidence to confirm that the offensive comments were a crime of incitement to hatred, according to EFE (via Mundo Deportivo).

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite requesting to close the case, the Public Prosecutor's Office has recommended that the investigating judge forward the matter to the Office of Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination, per the report. This is to determine whether a sanctioning process should be initiated against those involved, should it be deemed appropriate.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS?

  Having already scored a game-winning goal for Brazil against Colombia last week, the 2024 Ballon d'Or runner-up will be hoping to help the Selecao register back-to-back wins to strengthen their 2026 World Cup qualifying chances when they face arch-rivals Argentina on Wednesday, March 26.

When the result of this Test series will be read about years later, it will say South Africa 2, Bangladesh 0. Many would take it as a usual occurrence since Bangladesh have usually been below-par in Tests in South Africa. However, this time around, the hosts were without their frontline bowling attack, and had lost the preceding ODI series to Bangladesh for the first time at home. Keshav Maharaj, though, made sure the IPL stars were not missed as he helped South Africa demolish the visitors by 332 runs in the second Test in Gqeberha and complete a clean sweep.

Khaled fined for flinging ball at Verreynne

Khaled Ahmed has been fined 15% of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC’s code of conduct during the second day of the Gqeberha Test, when, in the 95th over of South Africa’s first innings, Kyle Verreynne hit the ball back towards Ahmed, the bowler, and he flung it towards the batter in “an inappropriate and dangerous manner, hitting him on the right glove”.
In addition to the fine, one demerit point has been added to Ahmed’s disciplinary record. It was his first offence in a 24-month period.

Maharaj took 7 for 40 in the fourth innings to skittle Bangladesh for a meagre 80, thus becoming the first bowler in Test history to take seven-wicket hauls in consecutive fourth innings. He had returned figures of 7 for 32 when Bangladesh were rolled over for 53 in the fourth innings of the first Test, in Durban. In the process, Maharaj also completed 150 wickets in Test cricket. Simon Harmer took three wickets in this innings, as he did in the fourth innings of the previous Test, as South Africa once again embarrassed Bangladesh by just using two bowlers.Chasing 413, Bangladesh started the fourth morning on 27 for 3 and they would have hoped that there would not be a repeat of the Durban collapse. But the Bangladesh batters wilted under pressure.Related

• Mominul concedes Bangladesh 'have to improve a lot'

• Bangladesh's shot-selection in focus

• How far can SA go with the Maharaj-Harmer partnership?

• Zondo, Stuurman come in as Covid-19 substitutes

Mushfiqur Rahim was the first to depart, edging Maharaj to Dean Elgar at slips in the second over of the day. Mominul Haque followed in Maharaj’s next over, top-edging a sweep that he couldn’t quite reach, with Ryan Rickelton completing an easy catch at square leg. Yasir Ali then top-edged Harmer in his attempted slog sweep, giving Lizaad Williams, the only fielder on the leg-side boundary, an easy catch. By the fifth over of the morning, Bangladesh had slipped to 44 for 6.Litton Das struck five fours in his 27 off 33 balls before Maharaj lured him out of the crease. Litton missed the ball by a foot and Kyle Verreynne completed an easy stumping. Maharaj then had Mehidy Hasan Miraz caught behind and Khaled Ahmed lbw, before Harmer ended Bangladesh’s misery.The day had started with South Africa making international cricket’s first two Covid substitutions after Sarel Erwee and Wiaan Mulder tested positive and were replaced by Khaya Zondo, who got a Test debut, and Glenton Stuurman.

Some goal celebrations are good. Take, for example, the classic knee slide, or ripping your shirt off. They aren’t anything special, perhaps even a bit overdone, but they get the job done.

Some, like the Griddy or sucking your thumb like a baby, are bad – no explanation needed.

Others are boring, like Alan Shearer’s trademark arm in the air, while some, like Indian footballer Peter Biaksangzuala’s failed somersault, are even fatal.

The 10 best football club logo redesigns – ranked

Tottenham could have taken tips from these guys before modernising their club emblem.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 27, 2024

Some celebrations, however, are simply iconic. We’ve listed some of them below, complete with the story behind them.

1 Facundo Sava Argentinian striker-turned-masked crusader

Former Fulham striker Facundo Sava might not be best remembered for his goalscoring abilities – he managed just seven goals in 43 appearances for the Cottagers.

What he is remembered for, however, is how he celebrated those seven goals. After finding the net, the Argentinian striker would pull out a Zorro-like mask from his sock.

Apparently, it came from his time at Gimnasia, where fans would throw masks onto the pitch every time the team scored.

2 Jimmy Bullard Midfielder pays homage to half-time rollicking

On Boxing Day in 2008, Hull City were trailing Manchester City 4-0 at half-time when Tigers manager Phil Brown decided to keep his players out on the pitch at the break, sit them in a circle, and reprimand them in front of the crowd.

The following year, Hull travelled back to the Etihad Stadium, and when midfielder Jimmy Bullard scored a late equaliser for Brown’s side from the penalty spot, he decided to emulate his coach, sitting his teammates down in a circle around him and wagging his finger at them.

“He took it well,” Bullard said of Brown after the match.

3 Roger Milla Dancing at the corner flag

At the 1990 World Cup in Italy, Cameroon surprised everyone by making it to the quarter-finals, where they were eventually beaten by England.

The star of the tournament for the Indomitable Lions was striker Roger Milla, and not just because he scored four goals. After each of his strikes, the veteran forward, who was 38 at the time, ran to the corner flag and performed a little dance in front of the fans.

His celebration appears to be nothing more than an outpouring of joy, but it is clear that it helped him become a global superstar.

4 Mario Balotelli Italian unveils "Why Always Me?" message

During his first spell in England with Manchester City between 2010 and 2013, Mario Balotelli often made headlines, more often than not for the wrong reasons.

Among other things, he crashed his car, drove into a women’s prison in Italy to ‘have a look around’, and even threw a dart at a City youth player.

In response to those stories, after scoring against Manchester United in October 2011, Balotelli lifted his shirt to reveal an undershirt that simply read: “Why Always Me?”

The Italian striker’s critics at the time saw it as a boast, but Balotelli later told Time Magazine it was his way of saying: “Just leave me alone.”

5 Cristiano Ronaldo The "siuuu"

Cristiano Ronaldo’s “SIUUU” celebration has arguably become the most iconic in football history.

For those that have been living under a rock for the last decade, the celebration involves Ronaldo running to the sidelines, jumping in the air, and landing with his hands down by his sides as he screams “SIUUU”.

But what does it actually mean? According to Ronaldo himself, who first performed the celebration in 2013 during his time at Real Madrid, the noise derives from sí, the Spanish word for yes.

“I was in the USA and we played against Chelsea and I don’t know where this is coming from, the celebration,” he once explained in an interview. “I just scored the goal, and it just came out. It was just natural, to be honest. Since that, I started to do it more often.”

6 Wayne Rooney Dealing a knockout blow

Wayne Rooney never had a trademark celebration like his former Manchester United teammate Ronaldo.

Over the years, however, he did perform his fair share of memorable one-offs, including a cartwheel after netting for England against Scotland, and standing with his arms wide as he was mobbed by his United teammates after scoring perhaps the greatest overhead kick in Premier League history.

One of his most famous celebrations came in 2015, when after scoring for United in a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, he ran to the corner flag and showed off his shadow-boxing skills – a reference to a video that had recently emerged of Rooney getting knocked out by former United teammate Phil Bardsley during a friendly sparring session.

Peter Drury's best commentary moments – ranked

Peter Drury has settled in as the voice of Premier League football on Sky Sports. Here’s a look at his moments behind the mic.

ByAlex Caple Dec 24, 2023 7 Cole Palmer "Cold" Palmer lives up to his name

A new addition to the iconic celebrations club, Cole Palmer has celebrated most of his impressive 32 goals for Chelsea since moving to Stamford Bridge last summer by rubbing his arms as if he’s cold.

The celebration is a nod to Palmer’s nickname among his Chelsea teammates – “Cold” Palmer – which was given to him because of his cool demeanour on the pitch.

He wasn’t the first to do the celebration, however. It was former Manchester City academy teammate Morgan Rogers who first did so after scoring in a game for Middlesbrough last year.

8 Diego Maradona Delirium overshadows star at World Cup

Diego Maradona’s goal celebration after scoring for Argentina against Greece at the 1994 World Cup is iconic for the wrong reasons.

After netting the third of his side’s four goals, Maradona ran to the side of the pitch and screamed into a television camera with his eyes bulging wide. The celebration raised suspicion that the forward, who had previously been banned from football for taking cocaine, was again under the influence.

Those suspicions proved to be true, as just days later, a drug test revealed he had been taking illegal stimulant ephedrine. He was subsequently kicked out of the World Cup and never played for Argentina again.

9 Peter Crouch The robot

Peter Crouch excelled at two things during his playing days: towering above defenders to score goals with his head, and dancing like an awkward, lanky robot when he did.

The former Liverpool and Stoke City star first busted out the celebration, which he claimed was invented during a party at David Beckham’s house, during England’s 6-0 friendly win over Jamaica ahead of the 2006 World Cup.

It was so loved, that he continued to do it for the rest of his career, including after he netted his 100th Premier League goal against Everton in February 2017.

10 Robbie Keane Somersaults and guns

When former Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United striker Robbie Keane used to find the net – something he did almost 400 times in his career – he’d celebrate in an extremely unique way, performing a cartwheel followed by a forward roll and some gun fingers.

Explaining the origins of the celebration during an appearance on Monday Night Football a couple of years back, the Republic of Ireland legend said it came from his childhood.

“The celebration was something I used to do as a kid,” Keane said. “Then when it came to playing football one of my mates said, ‘you have to do that if you ever make it,’ so that’s where that came from.”

Newcastle United haven’t ramped up to full gear yet this season, though perhaps that proves that there is plenty to look forward to on Tyneside over the coming months.

Every club has its problems but Newcastle had too many to overcome last year, injuries putting an insurmountable barrier in front of a top-four finish, though things are starting to look up now.

Eddie Howe still needs another player to complete his frontline though, and is eager to sign a Premier League star this winter.

Newcastle want to sign Premier League forward

As per a report relayed by the Daily Mail, Newcastle are set to tussle with Liverpool for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, with Magpies boss Eddie Howe deemed to view the Cameroonian star as a top target for January.

Mbeumo, valued at £50m, has been one of the most prolific players in the Premier League this term, and with a principally right-flanking role, seems like the perfect fit to sit on the alternate wing to Anthony Gordon at St. James’ Park.

Just imagine the impact this could have on Alexander Isak.

Imagine Bryan Mbeumo & Alexander Isak

Analyst Ben Mattinson has remarked that “Gordon, Isak and Mbeumo would be one of the best attacks in the league.”

Isak is one of the most exciting and potent goalscorers in Europe, whereas Gordon’s movements and dynamism make him a tough adversary for any top-performing defender.

Mbeumo would just inject that last bit of deadliness into what is a formidable and well-coached attack. After all, only Erling Haaland boasts more goals than him in the English top flight this season.

1.

Erling Haaland

11

12

2.

Mohamed Salah

11

8

2=

Bryan Mbeumo

11

8

2=

Chris Wood

11

8

5.

Yoane Wissa

8

7

5.

Cole Palmer

11

7

Gordon is the most creative member of this prospective attacking trio, but Isak is not just a sharpshooter at number nine, ranking among the top 18% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and progressive passes and the top 9% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

This would play right into Mbeumo’s strength as a traditional force, driving into the final third and arcing inwards to find space from where he can unleash his fine strikes. Isak has pace for days and is capable of starting from deep himself, as evidenced by his progressive passing.

Mbeumo needs only to build an understanding with the Swede to translate his form into Newcastle colours. It really could be the start of something special.

Described as an “output machine” by football producer Michael Johnston, Mbeumo has what it takes to become a major player on Tyneside, perhaps blending with Isak to ensure that Howe’s team ascend to the next level and step into Europe’s elite club competition once again.

Almiron axed for incredible £50m star in Newcastle's dream XI after January

Newcastle could make a host of changes in January, with a £50m Premier League star touted to replace Almiron.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 20, 2024

Sunderland make the trip to Queens Park Rangers in the Championship this weekend, but they will have to get by without an “amazing” player in west London.

Sunderland prepare for trip to QPR

The Blacks Cat head into another weekend of domestic action sitting top of the league by five points, having enjoyed a fantastic start to life under new manager Regis Le Bris.

On Saturday afternoon, Sunderland head to a QPR side currently 23rd in the table, having only once in the Championship in 2024/25. For that reason, another victory is to be expected for Le Bris’ men, but they must not take their opponents lightly.

While things are going extremely well under Le Bris currently, that’s not to say that everything is going their way, with a number of important players absent at different times during the campaign.

They include the likes of goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, centre-back Dan Ballard and forward Eliezer Mayenda have all struggled with injuries recently, so it is even more impressive that Sunderland are winning as relentlessly as they are. Now, a key fitness update has emerged ahead of their trip to west London on Saturday.

Sunderland dealt injury blow before QPR

Taking to X, Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie confirmed that Sunderland goalkeeper Patterson is still “missing” for the trip to QPR as he has yet to train this week, though there is hope he could play in the next fixture against Preston.

Patterson is such an important player for the Black Cats, so once again having him unavailable for their latest Championship assignment is far from ideal. The 24-year-old had started all 11 of Sunderland’s league games this season until he was absent for the 2-0 win at home to Oxford United last Saturday, with Simon Moore coming in and keeping a clean sheet.

Patterson’s return will hopefully not be far away, however, considering how key he is to his side’s promotion hopes this season, with Tony Mowbray once saying of him: “The goalkeeper…listen, he’s a top goalkeeper. I’ve been in football more than 40 years and this kid is a very talented boy who has an amazing temperament.

“Nothing fazes him, he’s very calm about everything, he’s not bouncing all over the place and losing the plot. He’s a very calm goalie who makes great saves.”

With or without Patterson in the team, though, Sunderland should be expected to be too strong for QPR this weekend, considering there are 22 places between them in the table, with the Black Cats playing with such a huge amount of confidence right now.

Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

ByStephan Georgiou Apr 22, 2025

These are the games they have to win if they are to have genuine automatic promotion aspirations in the coming months, as they look to put more pressure on the surrounding teams.

Nkrumah Bonner defied Sri Lanka for 173 balls on day five, Joshua Da Silva joined him for a 100-run, 44.4-over stand, but although the sky was swimming with dark clouds, rain did not arrive until minutes after Sri Lanka claimed the last wicket to clinch victory in Galle.Having scythed through West Indies’ top order on the fourth evening, Sri Lanka’s spinners were made to toil on day five, bowling 48.3 overs for the last four wickets. Offspinner Ramesh Mendis had begun the day with four wickets to his name, but it was left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya who finished with a five-wicket haul – the third of his 11-Test career – claiming all but one of the wickets to fall on day five. Praveen Jayawickrama took the other one. Between them, Sri Lanka’s three frontline spinners took 18 wickets in the 187-run victory.

Joshua Da Silva on…

The 100-run partnership with Nkrumah Bonner which started with WI 18 for 6
We had to rebuild. We had to think about how we were going to get ourselves out of a bit of a collapse. We had to bat balls, and we knew we had to bat until the end of the day, because the next day we’d try our best to draw the game or win the game. The pitch was turning a lot and the straighter ball was sliding on a bit. It was a difficult new-ball wicket. But once the ball got a bit softer it was a bit easier to get on top of the bowlers.
What WI did wrong with the bat
We played a bit in front of the pads I think. Not always. In the second innings when Sri Lanka were on top we just needed to fight.
How WI can improve for the second Test
I just think we need to fight. We need to believe in ourselves. We need a bit of application. You have a lot more time than you think. You have five days.

Bonner and da Silva battled hard during their morning resistance, trying few run-scoring strokes, and generally displaying a level of concentration and application unseen from West Indies’ batters so far in the match. They had contrasting styles – Da Silva more comfortable on the front foot, and the more likely of the two to sweep, and rotate strike.They each had good fortune. On a treacherous track, there were edges that fell short of slip, aerial mis-hits that landed in space, deliveries that barely missed the stumps and the outside edge, and missed chances as well. da Silva could have been run out on 19 when the pair attempted a quick single, but the cover fielder’s throw missed the stumps. He could have been caught on 23 when he inside edged a big-spinning Mendis delivery, but Pathum Nissanka could not hold on to a tough chance at leg slip, diving to his right. Later, Nissanka would grass another tough chance at short leg, this time off Bonner. But so long as the rain held off, it seemed as if Sri Lanka would continue to create chances, so rapid was the turn off the surface.With Da Silva’s dismissal in the half-hour before lunch, West Indies’ chances of securing a draw dipped substantially. He had completed a fifty off 121 balls, but was squared up by a turning Embuldeniya delivery a few overs later, with the resultant edge held by Dhananjaya de Silva at slip.Rahkeem Cornwall then joined Bonner, and put in a shift that lasted 46 balls until he ran out of patience, toe-edging a catch to mid off when he attempted to heave Jayawickrama down the ground. Warrican, the No. 10, saw out 20 balls before he gave a bat-pad catch to silly mid off. Shannon Gabriel, whom Bonner was trying desperately to shield from the strike, was also squared up and caught at slip off Embuldeniya, after a six-ball stay. Bonner remained unbeaten on 68 off 220 balls.The victory was perhaps just reward for Sri Lanka, whose top order led by Dimuth Karunaratne had dominated in both innings, and whose spinners used helpful conditions well. They earn 12 World Test Championship points in their first match this cycle. West Indies also have 12 points, but have played three matches.

England’s men will travel to Australia for the 2021-22 Ashes, “subject to several critical conditions being met”, the ECB has confirmed.Uncertainty has surrounded the series due to the stringent Covid restrictions applied by Australia’s government, but reports in recent days suggested that England’s players had largely been satisfied by assurances from Cricket Australia.A statement from the ECB said that “excellent progress” had been made, and that it had given “conditional approval” for the tour, for which a squad will now be selected. No further details were given on the conditions that are still to be satisfied, other than that the aim was to resolve them “in the coming days”.Related

• Jos Buttler commits to Ashes tour as England name squad for Australia

• Test cricket cannot flourish in the shadow of the T20 format

• Who could push their Test claims in the Sheffield Shield?

• Tim Paine: Ashes going ahead with or without Joe Root

• Stokes undergoes finger operation, Ashes involvement still in doubt

“Over recent weeks we have made excellent progress in moving forward on the England men’s Ashes tour,” the statement said.”To facilitate further progress and allow a squad to be selected, the ECB board has met today and given its approval for the tour to go ahead. This decision is subject to several critical conditions being met before we travel.”We look forward to the ongoing assistance from Cricket Australia in resolving these matters in the coming days.”Negotiations between the two boards have been ongoing for some time, amid concerns in the England camp at the length of time they could be apart from their families. Multi-format players such as Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan and Chris Woakes, as well as some members of the coaching staff, face being away from home for up to four months for the T20 World Cup, which starts next week, and the Ashes.Joe Root, England’s Test captain, had previously said he was “desperate” to tour Australia again but could not commit until the players had been fully appraised of the quarantine conditions they would face.An advance party is set to travel next month, to be joined by those players also taking part in the T20 World Cup, with the expectation of a flexible quarantine period on Brisbane’s Gold Coast that would enable them to train at the same time. Allowances are also understood to have been made for families joining the tour in December. Buttler, the Test vice-captain, is one player who had made it clear he would not be taking part in the tour unless his wife and two daughters – the youngest of whom was born last month – were permitted to travel.The differing regulations applied from state to state are a further complicating factor, with the Perth Test still thought to be at risk due to Western Australia’s hardline approach to those entering from elsewhere in the country.England have not won in Australia since 2010-11 and have already been hit by the loss of several key players. Jofra Archer was ruled out with a long-term elbow problem, Ben Stokes has not played since July and recently underwent follow-up surgery on his finger, while Moeen Ali elected to retire from Test cricket last month.The confirmation of England’s intention to tour is a significant boost for Cricket Australia, with some AU$200m believed to be at stake in broadcast revenue.England’s women are also due to contest the Ashes down under this winter. That tour, set to take place in January and February, has been considered less at risk due to rising vaccinations rates and the expectation of Australia increasingly opening up to international travel.

Hansi Flick heaped praise on Gavi for refusing to come on as a late substitute during Barcelona's 7-1 demolition of Valencia.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Barcelona thrashed Valencia 7-1Gavi refused to come on as a substituteFlick heaped praise on the midfielderFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona crossed the 100 goals tally in the 2024-25 campaign on Sunday as they blasted seven past Valencia to register a thumping win in La Liga. Fermin Lopez scored a brace, while Frenkie De Jong, Raphinha, Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski were also on target, as the Catalan giants reduced the gap to second-placed Atletico Madrid to three points.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Gavi, who has started in just four La Liga games since coming back from his ACL injury, was once again kept on the bench by manager Hansi Flick. The German coach was planning to introduce the midfielder in the final 15 minutes of the match, however, the Spain international refused to come on and instead recommended Pablo Torre, who has clocked only 373 minutes on the pitch this season.

WHAT HANSI FLICK SAID

Praising the 20-year-old's gesture, the German manager told reporters after the match: "The situation I'm most impressed with is when I spoke with Gavi. Normally I bring him on with 15 minutes to go and he said no, bring Pablo Torre in. You can see the team how they are connected. It's fantastic to see as a coach. I love Gavi for this. You know he wants to play every match and to say this in this situation, it's top."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

The Catalan side will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on Atalanta in their final league phase game of the Champions League at home.