Gary Lineker is set to front a new game show on ITV but has seen plenty of celebrities already turn down the chance to appear on The Box.
Lineker to host new game showHas been hit by several rejectionsShow's challenges seen as too difficultFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Lineker is preparing for his latest TV role following his departure from the BBC. The former striker will be back on screens hosting new show The Box but has met with some early disappointments. Celebrities have been turning down the chance to appear as the show's challenges are seen as being too hard, putting potential contestants off, according to .
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A source told the tabloid: "Casting for The Box is under way but it sounds like a number of stars have turned it down as they don’t fancy how hard it sounds. With I’m A Celeb, the Bushtucker Trials are awful but the pay-off is appearing on one of TV’s biggest shows. Unlike other shows, The Box isn’t about facing fears and phobias, it’s about stepping into the unknown. When the boxes open they’ll be launched into a variety of unexpected, fast-paced daring, comedic and mischievous challenges.”
Hulton ArchiveTHE GOSSIP
Contestants on the show will be taken in boxes to mystery locations and will then take part in challenging games. The Box has been a big hit in Norway already and Lineker has said he's excited by the prospect of hosting the show.
He said in a statement: "I can't wait to host The Box. I've always felt right at home in the box on a football pitch, and whilst this is a different proposition, the fundamentals are similar. The contestants will have to quickly and masterfully work out how each game works, whilst also trying to get ahead of the competition to take control. It's going to be unpredictable and thrilling to watch, and I'm excited that I get to have a front row seat to all the action!"
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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LINEKER?
Lineker will be hoping that producers can go on and convince celebrities to join the former England striker and make the show a success. The Box is currently scheduled to be broadcast in spring 2026.
The Blues are facing having to find a way to shoehorn another supremely talented young forward into a frontline that is almost at full capacity
It's been another breathless summer of spending for Chelsea, with those behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge hell-bent on building on the progress made under Enzo Maresca last season. The attack, in particular, was clearly marked down as an area for significant improvement, with no fewer than four new forward signings already through the door, and more look set to follow.
Having added Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian to their ranks, RB Leipzig wantaway Xavi Simons is now in the Blues' sights in a deal that could cost around £60 million ($81m) to pull off.
Despite arguably being Chelsea's most exciting potential incoming signing for some time, on paper at least, questions have been raised over how exactly the Dutchman will fit into an already jam-packed attack and just how much collateral damage there could be.
GOAL, then, breaks down the winners and losers from the Simons' impending arrival at Stamford Bridge…
Getty Images SportWINNER: Enzo Maresca
It was widely believed that Chelsea's days of signing established, elite players were behind them as they pivoted to the more cost-effective approach of pursuing the best, high-potential young talent around. Simons, though, falls into both categories, and his capture is a serious statement of intent.
Despite still being just 22 years old, Simons has been around the block – bringing serious pedigree having shone in Barcelona's famed La Masia academy before joining Paris Saint-Germain and later Leipzig, where he's racked up 44 goal contributions in 76 appearances. Meanwhile, he's closing in on 30 senior caps at international level with the Netherlands.
For Maresca, this could be the first sign of the slight shift in transfer strategy that success will bring, with highly-rated young players who still have high ceilings arriving rather than those who will still need time to develop. Indeed, it has reported that Chelsea's Club World Cup success has made many sit up and take notice.
The head coach will have wanted to improve the level of his attack this summer, and Simons certainly raises the calibre compared to many of those who have come before.
AdvertisementAFPLOSER: Estevao Willian
Simons' arrival and the potential purchase of yet another winger in Alejandro Garnacho all-but confirms that much-heralded wonderkid Estevao Willian – himself a new signing as he completes his £56m ($71m) transfer from Palmeiras having turned 18 in April – will probably have to bide his time for regular opportunities.
Even if Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku and Raheem Sterling leave, Chelsea's attack is still absolutely loaded, with Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Pedro, Delap, Gittens and, in the No.10 role, Enzo Fernandez all effectively vying for four forward positions.
When you add Simons to the mix – another attacking midfielder who can play off the wings – then it becomes very difficult to see how Estevao will make himself a regular starter, at least initially, as it's also clear he is going to need a period of adaptation to the rigours of Premier League football.
Getty Images SportWINNER: Cole Palmer
Some might place Palmer among the potential losers of this transfer given the positional clashes with Simons, but the Dutchman might just be the man to unlock his new team-mate and help him recapture his very best form in a Chelsea shirt.
Although he has often been deployed as a No.10, many of Palmer's best moments have come while operating in the right half-space, where the pitch tends to be less congested and he is able to roam menacingly without getting caught in midfield traffic or marked out of the game, which was a more regular occurrence last season.
Maresca may have felt that he didn't have the personnel to use anyone else in the attacking midfield role behind the striker, with Joao Felix and Nkunku underperforming badly and Fernandez more of a No.8, but someone like Simons can give the attack another dimension.
The Dutchman could slot in as an out-and-out attacking midfielder, freeing Palmer to play as play as a half-winger – a position from which he has 21 goal contributions in 25 appearances for Chelsea, including three in his outrageous individual display in the Club World Cup final demolition of PSG. It's a fearsome prospect.
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Getty Images SportLOSER: Romeo Lavia
There will, though, be some collateral damage when Simons completes his big-money move to Stamford Bridge, and Romeo Lavia may well be one who suffers as a result of the new signing. The midfielder is already somewhat on the back foot after an injury-plagued two seasons at Stamford Bridge, and now he faces even more competition for places.
Dario Essugo's arrival was one thing, although the Belgian will consider himself ahead of the Portuguese enforcer in the pecking order, but Simons is pretty certain to take up a midfield place and therefore force Lavia to the bench, with Moises Caicedo and Fernandez guaranteed starters in defensive and centre-midfield respectively.
The one saving grace is that Maresca has proven himself to be a real tinkerer, adapting his line up and tactical approach on a game-by-game basis based on the opponent. A midfield base of Lavia and Caicedo has proven to be very solid, or even a setup with the latter inverting from right-back. Chelsea's return to the Champions League and the new 'league phase' format will mean there are plenty of challenging games that require a more defensive approach, and Lavia could be invaluable in those scenarios.
The spin trio shared six wickets as India were bundled out for 80
Srinidhi Ramanujam09-Dec-2023England spinners ran through India’s batting line-up to hand the visitors a series-clinching four-wicket victory in the second T20I at the Wankhede Stadium. India, clueless and all over the place after being sent in, were bowled out for 80 – their third-lowest T20I total – in 16.2 overs. England chased it down in the 12th over to go 2-0 up in the series with the final game to be played on Sunday.In an attack that boasts of variety in the spin department, offspinner Charlie Dean, who missed the first T20I due to a stomach bug, left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, and legspinner Sarah Glenn scalped two wickets each and conceded just 42 runs in their combined 10.2 overs to dominate India.India’s horror startIndia looked indecisive with the bat from the beginning, and it reflected immediately on the scoreboard. Dean struck with the second ball of the match, trapping Shafali Verma lbw as the batter got stuck in the crease against a full delivery. Smriti Mandhana, too, was lbw, trying to play another full ball from Dean from the back foot.Harmanpreet Kaur paddled Nat Sciver-Brunt for two back-to-back fours but then missed a straight ball and was lbw. When Deepti Sharma, playing her 100th T20I, edged Lauren Bell behind, India were 29 for 4.Renuka Singh struck twice in one over but India didn’t have enough runs•BCCIEcclestone’s sensational, low catch off her own bowling in the following over sent Richa Ghosh back. But there was some resistance from Jemimah Rodrigues, who was one of the two India batters to get to double digits. She played 33 balls and scored 30, mostly using the sweep shot against spinners to find runs. She eventually fell to Glenn in the 13th over, as the eighth wicket.Ecclestone could have added one more wicket to her tally but England failed to review an lbw chance in the 14th over. She had pinged Titas Sadhu on the boot but there was hardly any appeal. Replays showed there was no bat involved and Sadhu was plumb.India fight back, brieflyPlaying her second match after returning from a stress injury, Renuka Singh once again found swing with the new ball. She was wayward in her first over but gave India some hope by castling Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt in the second.Alice Capsey and Sciver-Brunt put on 42 off 29 balls for the third wicket, but it wasn’t smooth sailing for England. In a space of 17 balls, they slipped from 61 for 2 to 73 for 6. It started with Pooja Vastrakar cleaning up Sciver-Brunt for 16 when she exposed her stumps while looking to go big. Substitute fielder Amanjot Kaur’s brilliant catch gave left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque her first wicket. In the next over, Deepti struck twice in two balls, removing Amy Jones and Freya Kemp.But India didn’t have enough runs to make a match out of it; England needed just five after Deepti’s over. After a couple of runs, Ecclestone got an outside edge off Shreyanka Patil that ran way for four and sealed the series.
Sunday night was chaotic, to put it lightly, but the shootout victory ended with the U.S. booking their spot in the semifinals
This game will be remembered by U.S. men's national team fans for all its chaotic energy, the tension of a sensational shootout and a death-defying ride on the Max Arfsten rollercoaster. Dips, turns, highs, lows, and everything in between, it was a rollercoaster Arfsten will never to repeat.
Such was the madness of it all. This ride was not for the faint of heart.
In fact, nothing on Sunday was, all the way through to the shootout. In the end, though, the U.S. rode the highest peak of that rollercoaster, and with a Gold Cup semifinal spot on the line, emerged with a shootout win over Costa Rica, seemingly against all odds.
The game finished 2-2 through 90, with Arfsten playing a direct part in all four goals – good and bad. He conceded a penalty on the first and assisted the second. He then went out and scored the game's third. But then, seemingly in the clear, he and Luca de la Torre were dribbled past on the fourth, setting up a shootout that – perhaps in the ultimate irony – Arfsten wouldn't get to participate in.
The chaos continued even without him, though. Standing tall at the end of it all was Matt Freese, who stopped three of Costa Rica's six shots from the spot to send the U.S. through, 4-3, in penalties. He, ultimately, was the hero, but he wasn't the only one. For the U.S., this was a test of resilience, and Freese, like several of his teammates, showed that ability to bounce back.
So, too, did Arfsten. Malik Tillman did as well, missing a penalty in the first half before making one in the shootout. Diego Luna scored a master-class goal that gave Mauricio Pochettino's side a needed boost at a critical time. Overall, the U.S. rolled with the punches, and that's why they're still in the competition.
"Today, they showed great character," Pochettino said. "I think it's good for this group of players to have this type of experience. I always said it's really important because the reality is, when you're in a big tournament, these things can happen, and it's important that they experience them
"OK, we give a penalty, we get a penalty, we miss a penalty. But the team kept going and kept believing in the way we play."
Now, Pochettino will hope the semifinal against Guatemala on Wednesday night isn't quite as chaotic. This particular ride is over, but the USMNT – winners of four straight now in this Gold Cup, having lost four in a row entering the tournament – have at least one more coming.
GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from U.S. Bank Stadium.
Getty Images
WINNER: Matt Freese
Freese could not have been more prepared for this moment. Most goalkeepers spend hours studying how penalty shootouts could go. The Harvard-educated Freese took things a step further.
"I actually did a very long research project in college about penalty kicks," said Freese, who recently told GOAL about two other soccer-related projects he did in college. "To be able to rely on that type of thing and deal with statistics, reading their hips, things like that, it's all massive."
It sure was. Freese stopped three of Costa Rica's six penalty kicks. He even guessed right on two that he didn't save. Freese was clearly prepared in the closing minues, and it was largely based on data and analytics.
Ultimately, though, shootouts are defined by mentality. Which players can keep it together? Which crack? In the moments when he wasn't in goal, Freese made sure to keep his head, turning the focus within and not to the chaos around him.
"After the first save, I went over to the corner and just kept repeating to myself, 'I want another, I want another.' " Freese said. "Then, after the second, I did the same thing. I just kept telling myself that I wanted another. You can't get too happy with yourself. You can't get complacent in the middle of a shootout."
He didn't and the U.S. won as a result. On Sunday, Freese was the ultimate star, and it doesn't take any numbers, data or research projects to prove it.
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Getty Images
WINNER/LOSER: Max Arfsten
What can you even say about Arfsten's game on Sunday? Was it good? Was it bad? It's really hard to say. What can be said, though, is that Arfsten's fingerprints were all over this one.
"Football has its ups and downs," Arfsten said. "Everybody knows that. For me, it was all about making my mark on this game."
It easily could have unraveled for Arfsten. Just minutes into Sunday's match, he conceded a back-breaking penalty, one that threatened to derail the USMNT's knockout round campaign before it ever got going.
Throughout the tournament, Pochettino has often said that the most important action is the next one. Arfsten seemingly took that to heart, shaking off his early mistake to provide a goal and an assist to help lead the U.S. to victory. His first action was a disaster, but Arfsten didn't let that stop him from finding a way to make up for it.
"I wanted to get my get-back, as some would say," Arfsten said, "and really make my mark on this game. I feel like I did that."
There was no fairytale ending, though. After contributing to the USMNT goals, Arfsten was directly involved in Costa Rica's second, too, getting dribbled past en route to Alonso Martinez's goal. It was a night of extraordinary highs and extraordinary lows. Arfsten, somehow, was involved in most of them.
"Obviously, though, there's always room to improve," he said, "but I'm happy with how I showed resiliency."
Getty Images Sport
WINNER: Diego Luna
It wasn't just the goal, but the timing of it. Moments before Luna hit the back of the net, the USMNT were about as low as could be. Down a goal and fresh off a missed penalty, the U.S. needed a pick-me-up.
And so Luna, as he so often does, put the team on his shoulders and made something happen. It required a generous deflection, yes, but fortune favors the bold, and Luna remains the USMNT's boldest star.
So much unfolded after it that it will likely get overlooked. Luna was long gone by the time the shootout started, and his goal was, in some ways, a distant memory given all of the chaos that happened after. That doesn't diminish Luna's impact, though, nor the impact his finish had on uplifting a young team that desperately needed it.
"A lot of ups and downs," Luna said postgame, "but that's soccer, right? I think the biggest thing is to stay mentally strong and stay positive through those tough times. Then, if it doesn't go your way, it doesn't but staying positive gives you the benefit of the doubt sometimes."
Luna continues to make a positive impact, which is why he remains such a crucial piece of this team.
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LOSER: Costa Rica
After the match, the USMNT's players didn't mince words. There was no sympathy for Costa Rica, and that mindset stemmed from one particular incident.
Following Tillman's missed penalty, the American midfielder was surrounded by celebrating Costa Rican players. It's a bit of he-said, he-said, of course. But whatever happened in that moment led to a very angry USMNT group. A scuffle started from that, in some ways, woke the USMNT up.
"All these teams love mind games," said Tyler Adams, who buried the USMNT's first penalty in the shootout. "It's fun. It's part of it for me. I wasn't involved in it because I know better at this point! I knew if I got a yellow, I would miss the next one but, trust me, I wanted to be more involved. In the end, we're moving on, and that's all that matters."
When the night was over and the U.S. were victorious in their own shootout, they didn't feel particularly bad for the team whose night ended with their own missed penalties. Costa Rica had their chance, particularly with the U.S. missing two of their spot kicks in extra time. They were unable to take it. According to Luna, there's a reason why.
"It's bad sportsmanship to do that to an opposition player," said Luna. "You can say it now and look at it all as karma, right? That's just something you don't do."
It is fair to say that Chelsea have been reliant on England international Cole Palmer to step up with vital goals and assists since his move to Stamford Bridge in 2023.
The left-footed attacking midfielder currently leads the team in goals (14) and assists (six) in the Premier League this season, which shows that he has been the main man for Enzo Maresca at the top end of the pitch.
The former Manchester City man also led the way in the squad for goals (22) and assists (11) in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, in what was his first year of regular football at senior level.
Palmer has, however, failed to register a goal or an assist in his last ten appearances in all competitions, resulting in four losses, and these dry spells are where Maresca needs other forwards to step up.
Chelsea'sColePalmerreacts
Unfortunately, Chelsea do not have any world-class wingers in their squad to provide quality when Palmer is not at his best, as they have lacked an elite talent in that area of the pitch since Eden Hazard’s move to Real Madrid in 2019.
Why Chelsea miss Eden Hazard
No winger has registered more than seven assists in a single Premier League campaign for Chelsea since the Belgian wizard’s exit from Stamford Bridge at the end of the 2018/19 season.
Hazard racked up 16 goals and 15 assists in that campaign, as he delivered a constant supply of goals and assists to help his side, and the best tally of assists from a winger since that term was Willian’s haul of seven in the following year.
The now-retired star had the ability to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch to decide matches for the Blues with goals and assists, which is what Palmer has been doing in a number ten position since the start of last season.
Hazard, as you can see in the clips above, could produce moments of magic in the final third to get his team out of bad situations by scoring a brilliant goal out of nothing.
He was an electric winger who consistently delivered quality for Chelsea, with 110 goals and 85 assists in all competitions, and it was always going to be difficult to find a player to replace his level of production on the flank.
2018/19
37
16
15
2017/18
34
12
4
2016/17
36
16
5
2015/16
31
4
3
2014/15
38
14
9
2013/14
35
14
7
2012/13
34
9
11
But for the club to be almost six years on from his exit and yet to find a winger who can deliver more than seven assists in a league season is disappointing from a recruitment perspective.
Chelsea, however, could finally land the winger they have been looking for and their best wide player since Hazard by winning the race for one of their reported transfer targets.
Chelsea open talks to sign LaLiga star
According to The Boot Room, Chelsea have opened talks to sign Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams in the upcoming summer transfer window.
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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 the Premier League giants have entered into discussions with the player’s representatives to make them aware of the interest in their client, whilst seeing how viable a move in the summer would be.
It states that LaLiga side Barcelona are also interested in the forward but that they are not making a wide addition a priority for them this summer, which could open the door to teams from England.
Athletic Bilbao'sNicoWilliamscelebrates scoring their third goal
The Boot Room adds that Williams is open to making the switch to the Premier League, which has caused Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea to pay attention to his situation.
It also reveals that the Spain international has a release clause of just under £50m, which it claims Blues would have no problem paying, and Maresca must now push the board to win the race for his signature this summer.
Why Chelsea must sign Nico Williams
Chelsea must swoop to sign Williams from Athletic Bilbao for roughly £50m at the end of this season because he is a winger with the quality to be the club’s best wide man since Hazard.
As aforementioned, no Blues winger has registered more than seven assists in a single league season since his move to Real Madrid in 2019, which speaks to the lack of creativity that has come from that area of the pitch at Stamford Bridge over the past six years.
Williams, who was described as a “scary” talent by analyst Ben Mattinson, is a player who has the potential to come in and offer Maresca the wing presence that his team have been missing this season.
Since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, the 22-year-old dynamo has racked up 17 goals and 23 assists in all competitions for Athletic Bilbao, which shows that he can provide a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the left flank.
In that time, Williams also scored two goals, created four ‘big chances’, and registered one assist in six matches to help Spain win the European Championship ahead of England.
Starts
29
Goals
5
Dribbles completed
87
Big chances created
10
Key passes
47
Assists
11
As you can see in the table above, the electric whiz hit 11 assists in his last full league campaign for Bilbao, who are not one of the main challengers in LaLiga, last term.
This shows that the European champion has the skillset, the consistency, and the quality to offer a huge creative threat at the top end of the pitch for Chelsea, which is something that has been missing on the flank this term.
As aforementioned, no Blues winger has more than seven assists in a season since Hazard, which suggests that signing Williams could result in the club landing their best wide man since the Belgian magician.
Of course, it would then be down to the Spanish whiz to prove that he can deliver goals and assists as regular for Chelsea as he has done for Bilbao, but his form in his home country suggests that all the tools are there for him to be an exceptional addition to Maresca’s squad.
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Therefore, the club must push to beat Liverpool and Arsenal to the signing of Williams in the summer transfer window because his attacking threat alongside Palmer’s brilliance in midfield could create a lethal partnership next season.
Júnior Santos estreou com gol pelo Botafogo. O camisa 37 balançou as redes no empate em 2 a 2 com o Juventude, no último domingo, pelo Brasileirão.
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+’Construído aos poucos’, Botafogo tem problemas graves a resolver logo para não olhar ‘para baixo’
O atacante valorizou o gol, mas lamentou o resultado. De qualquer forma, o atleta enxerga um potencial de evolução na equipe comandada por Luís Castro.
– Muito feliz de estrear fazendo gol. Falta melhorar bastante ainda, é muito difícil a readaptação, fico feliz pelo gol, mas triste pelo resultado. Poderíamos ter buscado a vitória… Ao mesmo tempo, fico feliz pela determinação do time em buscar o resultado, fomos um time guerreiro. Daqui para frente vamos nos entrosar mais e o time só tem a crescer – afirmou, em entrevista à “BotafogoTV”.
O Botafogo volta em campo no próximo domingo para enfrentar o Flamengo no Estádio Nilton Santos.
– O sabor (do gol) não é igual se fosse uma vitória. Fiquei feliz de poder ajudar com o gol, mas temos que seguir trabalhando, focados no objetivo para conseguir mais pontos – completou.
The reasons for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz snubbing Manchester City in favour of a transfer to Liverpool have been revealed.
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Playmaker ready to leave LeverkusenCould replace De Bruyne at the EtihadReady to make move to MerseysideFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The 22-year-old Germany international has become one of the hottest properties in world football. He is ready to take on a new challenge in the summer of 2025 after becoming a Bundesliga title winner and gracing the Champions League at Leverkusen.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Big-spending sides in the Premier League have been scrambling to put a deal in place for the £126 million-rated ($170m) playmaker. With Kevin De Bruyne leaving City as a free agent, many viewed Wirtz as the perfect replacement in Manchester.
DID YOU KNOW?
He is, however, reported to be edging closer to sealing a switch to Anfield. According to , that is because Wirtz has concerns over the long-term future of City boss Pep Guardiola – who has said that he will leave the Etihad Stadium when his contract expires in 2027.
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Wirtz wants more stable surroundings as he unlocks further potential in his game, which has led to him leaning towards newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool. Arne Slot is also working on a deal until 2027 there, but is expected to agree an extension if more major silverware makes its way to Merseyside.
Turning their attention towards reinforcements and the summer transfer window, Liverpool are now reportedly plotting a move to sign a midfield talent as part of a triple La Liga swoop.
Liverpool transfer news
The Premier League leaders could have it all to do when the summer arrives with Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk all on course to leave as free agents as things stand. Of course, that could still change but the lack of contract news is certainly a growing concern for all those at Anfield in what is a cloud threatening to rain down on an otherwise excellent season.
As that concern does grow, so does the potential preparation over summer replacements for the big three – if replacing players of such calibre is even possible at all. And that has seen the Reds turn their attention towards La Liga, with reports in Spain suggesting that they’re already eyeing moves for both winger Takefusa Kubo and defender Cristhian Mosquera.
Takefusa Kubo for Real Sociedad.
They’re not the only La Liga talents on their radar, however. According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are now plotting a move to sign Oihan Sancet as part of a triple swoop this summer.
The attacking midfielder could be the final piece to Arne Slot’s midfield to finally complete the rebuild there which initially commenced under Jurgen Klopp. The Spaniard – still just 24 years old – has enjoyed an excellent campaign for Athletic Bilbao and has undoubtedly earned his way onto Liverpool’s radar.
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When the summer arrives, Sancet, Kubo and Mosquera will be ones to watch – particularly if Liverpool lose their big three.
"Underrated" Sancet would inject goals into Liverpool midfield
As efficient as Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have been throughout the current campaign both on and off the ball, one thing that midfield three has lacked is goals. Sancet, on the other hand, has lacked anything but.
The Athletic Bilbao man has been at the centre of his side’s excellent attacking work adds an extra element of threat from the middle of the park – something the Reds lack at times.
League stats 24/25 (via FBref)
Oihan Sancet
Dominik Szoboszlai
Alexis Mac Allister
Starts
16
18
22
Goals
12
3
2
Assists
1
2
3
Key Passes
16
33
32
Add Gravenberch’s two goal involvements – both assists – and Liverpool’s midfield trio have been involved in just 12 goals so far this season, one less than Sancet has managed on his own in La Liga.
It shouldn’t be Slot’s greatest concern, but it should be something that he aims to solve in the summer if he wants to end Liverpool’s reliance on the likes of Salah and Cody Gakpo. Dubbed “underrated” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Sancet could quickly become an ideal solution at Anfield this summer.
“It was not an even contest between bat and ball,” says Richie Richardson, the match referee for the Test
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2022The Gabba pitch has been given a “below average” rating and handed one demerit point from the ICC after the first Test between Australia and South Africa ended inside two days.In total, only 866 balls were bowled in the match, which makes it the second-shortest Test ever played in Australia, and 34 wickets fell in that time. Bowlers took a wicket every 25.5 balls, the second-best strike rate in a Test match ever (with a minimum of 30 wickets), and South Africa captain Dean Elgar said afterwards that the surface did not facilitate a “fair contest,” between bat and ball. The ICC agreed.Related
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South Africa put their best and their worst on show at Gabba
'Potentially unsafe' Gabba pitch under scrutiny
“Overall, the Gabba pitch for this Test match was too much in favour of the bowlers,” Richie Richardson, the match referee for the Test, said. “There was extra bounce and occasional excessive seam movement. The odd delivery also kept low on the second day, making it very difficult for batters to build partnerships.”I found the pitch to be ‘below average’ as per the ICC guidelines since it was not an even contest between bat and ball.”Richardson, however, did not go as far as Elgar and suggest the surface could have posed a danger to batters.Elgar had posed the question to Chris Gaffney and Rod Tucker, the on-field umpires, during Australia’s second innings when “KG [Kagiso Rabada] got [Travis] Head out down leg… and then [Anrich] Nortje was bowling those short ones that were flying over our heads”. But he did not receive an answer on-field.Australia captain Pat Cummins said there was “no way” the surface was dangerous but acknowledged it was “tricky” to bat on. “Two days probably isn’t ideal… personally, I don’t mind it if the groundsman err on the greener side occasionally; [I’ve] played a lot of Tests where they’ve erred on the flatter side. Think it was the same for both teams,” he said after the game.This is the second time that an Australian pitch has been given a negative rating by the ICC in the last four years. In January 2018, the MCG pitch was rated poor after a draw between Australia and England, in which only 24 wickets fell in five days.The next Test between Australia and South Africa will start at the MCG on Boxing Day.
England, Pakistan commit to going for the win after three tough days for bowlers
Andrew Miller03-Dec-2022England and Pakistan have promised a fight to the finish in the first Test at Rawalpindi, in spite of the turgid nature of the pitch, with both Joe Root and Abdullah Shafique insisting that their teams will be pushing for victory over the final two days of the game.England reached the close on day three with the edge in terms of scoreboard position, leading by 158 runs with three Pakistan wickets still to claim. And following two tough days in the field, they returned to the pavilion with a sense of satisfaction after an excellent final session, in which they claimed four wickets including the key scalp of Babar Azam for 136.”It was a brilliant day,” Root told Sky Sports. “That last session … all the hard work we were putting into it came to fruition really. It was very attritional. We had to be very creative throughout the day, had to try a number of different things, keep searching for wickets, and we got our rewards on the back end from some real hard work.”A notable feature of England’s innings was their determination to post attacking fields throughout, with Stokes ringing the changes to keep the batters on their toes, with up to four men around the bat for the spinners, and close catchers in front of the wicket. And as Root admitted, the hunt for breakthroughs had the dual effect of keeping the team’s spirits high in adversity.”That is the most important thing,” Root said. “If you feel like you’ve got no chance it makes it extremely hard, but the way that we stuck to our task, we tried different things, tried to keep it fun and interesting, and I suppose get them to think a bit outside the box as well, and ask questions of what we were trying to do. To be sat here with them so far behind the game, still gives us a really good opportunity to go and win the Test match.”Nevertheless, Pakistan remain very much in the contest after a fine day’s batting, in which Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq both completed their centuries in an opening stand of 225.”Firstly, congratulations to the team England, they have played wonderfully,” Shafique told Sky Sports. “To make 506 [in a single day] is a special total from them. We just kept in mind that we have to play well, because the openers set the tone for the rest of the team. And we set a nice partnership there, which gives our side a good confidence as well.Related
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“It was a good day for the Pakistan side because we have played well,” he added. “And yeah, we have lost some wickets here. But we are in a good position. In the first two days, the wicket is good to bat on but the ball is spinning now, so we’ll get some favour with the wicket in the third and fourth day, so it will be a good contest.”England’s first challenge on day four will be to round up Pakistan’s tail cheaply, but Root was in no doubt about how their own second innings would pan out, given everything this Test team has achieved already under Stokes’ captaincy.”With our team and the way that we play our cricket now, we’ll be making sure we give ourselves a chance of winning the game,” he said. “We’re not really interested in drawing the match. We want to make sure that we give ourselves the best chance of winning it.”If Pakistan are good enough to beat us then so be it, but we’ve got three big wickets to take tomorrow. And then we’ll try and crash a few around and get ourselves to a reasonable total, but I’m sure there’s still a lot of entertaining cricket to be played in the next couple of days.”Shafique, likewise, knows what’s in store, and was adamant that Pakistan are ready to respond in kind when the time comes. “We have also a positive approach about that,” he said. “There is no approach of going for the draw, because the way England play, they will play attacking again. It will give us a good total, so we will fight it out.”