Category Uncategorized

Sri Lanka do their bit to save Test cricket, the way only Sri Lanka can

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Their win at The Oval is a reminder that conversations about saving the game can begin with recognition that there is a great world out there

Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Sep-2024If Test cricket is constantly on the therapist’s couch trying to work through its never-ending existential crises, Sri Lanka are the 11 trishaws outside, incensed that Test cricket’s SUV is blocking half the lane, honking up a storm.This, at least, tends to be the Sri Lanka men’s Test side’s vision of itself, forever outsiders, forever straining against bigger powers than they could ever meaningfully have sway over.They are often justified in feeling this way. Their schedule is largely dictated by when other teams would like to play them. They would like more Test cricket but their board has genuine trouble organising a busy schedule for them. (Their own board doesn’t merely schedule the profitable tours, by the way; Sri Lanka have hosted both Afghanistan and Ireland for Tests in the last 18 months.)Related

  • Pathum Nissanka, fast bowlers script famous win for Sri Lanka

  • Ollie Pope admits to 'frustration' after Test summer sweep goes begging

  • Classy Nissanka leaves England as the best version of himself

But this is an island of 22 million whose economy has crashed since 2021, and as such has limited financial clout, as far as brodcasters are concerned. It is also a team that fans in the biggest cricket economies – England, Australia, India – do not necessarily believe are particularly serious rivals.And so every big tour becomes a de-facto referendum on their invite-ability. Are they up to adapting to these conditions? If they won’t beat an imperious England, can they at least sufficiently resist them? Will they compete? For the first time ever, Sri Lanka were in England for the fancy part of the English summer – their August/September fixtures. For the first time in almost six years, they were playing a three-Test series.There is the pressure you feel when you go out to bat and the ball is hooping, and the slips are licking their lips. Then there is this pressure: don’t let your team down here, because if you do, no team from Sri Lanka may ever get the chance again.Sri Lanka lost day one at The Oval, their bowlers fruitless in many spells, England easing to 221 for 3 in 44.1 overs by stumps. They closed down England’s innings quickly early on day two, but still were themselves 93 for 5 in response to England’s 325, in serious danger of crashing to a 3-0 defeat.And yet there Sri Lanka are, on so many of these fighting-for-their-lives tours, finding startling comebacks, discovering bright new gems, raging against the mere idea that there should be a dying of the light. On day three, their seam-bowling demolition of England was so spectacular, and so conseqential to the outcome, it gains immediate entry to the highest halls of the nation’s Test-cricket lore. Pathum Nissanka’s ice-cold 127 off 124, bears comparison to some of the greatest Sri Lanka innings in England – particularly those played by Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva in that 1998 Test at the same venue.Asitha Fernando finished as the top wicket-taker of the series•Getty ImagesAnd do Tests really want to sideline, or shunt into a second tier, the likes of Asitha Fernando, who would never get called up to a Test side merely on the basis of his height and his pace – as Josh Hull sort of has for England – and yet has blasted out 17 batters to sit atop the wicket-takers list in an away series?Can it really do without the likes of Kamindu Mendis, who has struck two fiftes and a hundred across five innings in his first series in England, averaging 53.40 and striking at almost 63?How about Nissanka, who began his international career as Sri Lanka’s premiere first-class batting talent, before taking a long detour through white-ball formats to return to Tests as a fearless, and dynamic opener?There is only so much a single Sri Lanka victory can achieve. But with luck, this will be some reminder that what is good about Test cricket isn’t only a conversation about scoring at more than four runs an over. It’s not just about reverse-sweeps, reversing pressure, scooping over the shoulder, bludgeoning the bouncers, never letting the bowlers settle.Perhaps it is a reminder that conversations about saving Test cricket can begin with recognition that there is a great world out there, in which teams concoct all sorts of mad new narratives. That there is a world beyond The Ashes, or the Border-Gavaskar, or England vs India series, that is full of life and vibrance that is worth taking more seriously than cricket currently seems to be.

Festive season comes alive as cricket's most abrasive rivalry resumes

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

They’re like oil and water, they’re the top two teams on the WTC table, and their meetings usually fill both ends of the newspaper. What more can you ask for?

Firdose Moonda13-Dec-20224:29

Elgar: T20 World Cup is water under the bridge

In the home corner, in the off-white with yellow trim, with the leading two batters and top-ranked bowler in the long format, the World Test Championship table-toppers Australia, await their next bout.In the away corner, with pristine white shirts and no team sponsor, with only one superstar in their squad whose shine has dimmed somewhat, are second-placed South Africa, tiptoeing into the ring.Related

In-form Australia hold the edge in battle of bowling heavyweights

'Hopefully there's a bit more left in the journey' – Mitchell Starc wants to keep those magic deliveries coming

Australia vs South Africa: Top order vs top order, bowling depth and South Africa's combination

Labuschagne: 'I am who I am because I am obsessed and I am obsessive'

Smith hopes to 'get into a nice groove' for South Africa Tests

The three-Test series has all the makings of a heavyweight fight, with the trash-talk to match. Words like “cowards” and “confrontation” have been used before any mention of cricket and there’ll be as many sports fans’ eyes scanning the front pages as the back ones from December 17. Meetings between these two teams, especially over the last decade, have usually been worth writing about on both ends of the newspaper.This is their first meeting in Test cricket since the biggest of their scandals: Sandpapergate in 2018. In Australia, it was an event that shook the game to its core as characters were scrutinised and sanctioned and a culture shift propagated. South Africans have never really understood any of this. Why would they?Prior to Sandpapergate, South African players had been caught tampering three times in as many years, Faf du Plessis twice (in 2013 and 2016, the latter as captain) and Vernon Philander in 2014, and were defended, not punished, by their board. In du Plessis’ cases, CSA mounted the everybody-does-it-defence strongly; in Philander’s, they threatened the broadcaster not to air footage of him gouging the ball with his thumbnail. It was shown anyway and Philander was fined 75% of his match fee but there was no contrition from South Africa. To see the Australians launch an investigation, to hear their prime minister speak on the matter and to discover the sentences handed out to the guilty was bemusing for South Africans. There are actual criminals in this country that get off lighter.Steven Smith will face South Africa in a Test match for the first time since the events of Newlands 2018•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesNow, four years and a global pandemic later, to find Australians still talking – no, handwringing – about Sandpapergate and how it will affect the mood ahead of this series has left South Africa, as Rassie van der Dussen put it, “amazed”. It returned to the forefront in recent days with David Warner’s shock statement about withdrawing his appeal against his leadership ban.When pressed, Test captain Dean Elgar and interim coach Malibongwe Maketa have called Sandpapergate “unfortunate”, but listen to the tone and the totality of their answers and what they’re really saying is that it’s just not such a big deal to South Africans. A bit like the debates over run-outs at the non-striker’s end, it’s a cultural difference.That may seem surprising because, on the face of it, Australians and South Africans would appear to be quite similar. They’re both from sunny, outdoorsy places with the best beaches the world has to offer, and they both regard the ceremony of cooking meat over open coals (the Aussies say barbecue, the Saffers say braai) as a social occasion. Their cricket teams are built on big, bad fast bowlers and a crew of steady batters, with the occasional sensational one. They are the teams that made fielding as much a discipline of the game as batting and bowling and put emphasis on fitness before others did. But, like oil and water, though South Africa and Australia’s cricket teams have obvious similarities in structure and consistency, there’s some things about them that just don’t mix.Australia have always had more bite and bark than South Africa. They are the inventors and masters of the sledge. Over the years, South Africa have tried to match them but until they started beating Australia, their words had little effect. And then in 2018, they had maximum effect, but we’ve already covered that ground. Similarly, South Africa have attempted to match Australia’s body language, and again, in 2018 it went too far.Kagiso Rabada’s shoulder brush against Steven Smith in Gqeberha earned him sufficient demerit points to result in a ban, although he was able to get it overturned on appeal. Rabada has since acknowledged “some sort of feud between South Africa and Australia”, but also prefers to view this series as an opportunity to “just focus on cricket.”In essence, that sums up South Africa. Despite Elgar all but baiting Australia to bring the fight to them, they actually prefer to keep the cricket on the field, often tunnel-visioning themselves as sportspeople only and it’s as much as a strength as it is a shortcoming. Unlike Australia, whose captain Pat Cummins was vocal in his opposition to an energy company sponsoring the team because their business is in conflict with his climate consciousness, South Africa have yet to utter a word against their own power regulator, who have plunged the country into a record year of rolling blackouts. Cricket is only inconvenienced in a very minor way – with the occasional domestic day-night match being rescheduled as a day game – and cricketers are among the privileged classes who can secure a back-up system but it is precisely that kind of silence that can make the team appear disconnected from the people they play for. And that was never more evident than when the team tried to confront racism.Dean Elgar has promised plenty of chitchat with Marnus Labuschagne in Afrikaans•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesIt was against Australia at the 2021 World Cup that South Africa’s disjointed approach towards showing support for anti-racism was at its starkest. While the entire Australia team took a knee, only some South Africans did as others raised a fist and the rest stood to attention. Cricket South Africa’s board was understood to be angered by this image and went on to issue a directive compelling the team to collectively take a knee for the rest of the summer. Initially, Quinton de Kock refused and sat out the next match but then apologised and joined his team-mates in making the gesture, only to retire from Test cricket less than three months later.There’s some irony in all this because Australia is a place where South African cricketers have reported being racially abused, and a place that became a popular immigration destination for mostly white South Africans as Apartheid was being dismantled. Australia are also a step ahead when it comes to recognising indigenous rights. Australia’s players stand in a barefoot circle before all home matches, in acknowledgment of the indigenous land which they occupy. In South Africa, discussions around the recognition of the Khoi and San people (the First Nations’ people of the geographic areas of the Western and Northern Cape) remain in their infancy.All that may sound like too much intellectualising, but take it as a palate-cleanser before what we could see plenty of over the next few weeks: emotion. This series is going to be full of it. Recent history means it’s unavoidable and the current context makes it inevitable. On paper, this is Test cricket’s closest rivalry – No.1 plays No.2 in a championship race – and even though in reality, the Ashes and series involving India could be considered bigger for both sides, the context to this series means it will be the headline act of the summer.One of the most anticipated match-ups will be between Elgar, who is also South Africa’s most experienced player, and his opposite number Cummins, who is recovering from a quadriceps injury. Of South Africa’s batters, only Elgar and his deputy Temba Bavuma have played Test cricket in Australia before. Many eyes will be on Bavuma, who endured a torrid T20 World Cup and has yet to add a three-figure score to the Test century he celebrated at Newlands in 2016 but has been South Africa’s best long-format batter in the last two years. The only other batter to have played against Australia is Theunis de Bruyn, who featured in two of the four Tests in 2018, and is not guaranteed to start this series.Contrastingly, the only batter of Australia’s top four who has not played against South Africa is South African: Marnus Labuschagne, and he is also the top-ranked batter in the format at the moment. Labuschagne has played against South Africa in ODIs and gone from the lows of a first-ball duck to the highs of a first international 50-overs hundred. He knows what it feels like to play against people he could have been playing with, but that doesn’t make it any less of a talking point. Elgar even expects some of it could be done in Labuschagne’s mother tongue. “My last encounter with him was in a county game, and he spoke Afrikaans to me,” Elgar said.Labuschagne against Rabada and Anrich Nortje is the kind of story that could define the series. And there will be others. Smith and Warner’s comeback against the team who witnessed their lowest moment nearly five years ago is a must-watch; the contest between Cameron Green and Marco Jansen is as much about height as allrounder ability; and whether the spinners on either side, Nathan Lyon and Keshav Maharaj, will have a say is an interesting subplot. Whatever you’re doing this festive season, this series must be on your to-do list.

Babar Azam, KL Rahul, Shaheen Afridi and Beth Mooney make it to our teams of the year

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

ESPNcricinfo’s staff picked their Test, ODI, T20 and women’s T20I teams of the year. Do they resemble yours?

Matt Roller30-Dec-2020Even including the three Boxing Day fixtures, there have been fewer men’s Test matches played in 2020 than in any year since 1991, and the same is true of men’s ODIs. Even still, that hasn’t stopped ESPNcricinfo’s staff from completing an annual ritual: testing our ability as selectors and picking our teams of the year. Don’t forget to let us know where we’ve got it wrong.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdOnly four teams played more than three men’s Tests in 2020 before our Christmas cut-off date, so it is no surprise that their players dominate the team of the year. England lead the way with four players included, and three New Zealanders, two Pakistanis, a West Indian and an Australian join them.
Dom Sibley is an automatic selection, having scored more than twice as many runs as any other opener in the year, while Shan Masood joins him at the top thanks to hundreds at home against Bangladesh and away in England. Kane Williamson slots in behind them, following his masterful 251 against West Indies, while Babar Azam and Ben Stokes, who had prolific years, are in at No. 4 and 5. Zak Crawley, whose 267 against Pakistan was the biggest innings of the year, is a notable omission.Jos Buttler’s place in the England side was under immense scrutiny back in January, but he put doubts over his Test credentials to bed with a superb series with the bat against Pakistan. He also led the way for most dismissals behind the stumps, helping him earn selection ahead of Quinton de Kock in this side. Jermaine Blackwood would have seemed an unlikely candidate for this XI at the start of the year but he earned a West Indies recall thanks to four-day runs for Jamaica, and played two of the most entertaining innings of the year: a match-winning 95 in England, and a counter-punching 104 in New Zealand.The three front-line seamers were easy picks, all averaging around 15: Stuart Broad passed the 500-wicket mark in Tests, dominating the English summer after being left out at its start, while Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson tore India and Pakistan to shreds. In a year dominated by seamers, Nathan Lyon takes the spinner’s berth despite only playing two Tests.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdAfter losing series to India and South Africa at the start of the year, Australia have been dominant in post-lockdown ODIs, winning both in England and at home against India. As a result, their players make up the majority of this team, with Aaron Finch and David Warner in as openers.It speaks volumes about Virat Kohli’s lofty standards that even in a year in which he has seemed to underachieve, he still managed five half-centuries in nine ODI innings and averaged a shade under 50 to slide in at No. 3 in this side, while Steven Smith and KL Rahul were both popular selections in the middle order. Glenn Maxwell brings his power-hitting to the No. 6 role, with a strike rate of 145.26 and an average above 70 in 2020, while Ravindra Jadeja slides in at No. 7 to balance the XI.Adam Zampa is the leggie to complement Jadeja and Maxwell’s fingerspin, leading the wicket charts for the calendar year with 27, and he is joined by his two closest competitors on that front in Alzarri Joseph and Josh Hazlewood. Jofra Archer played only three ODIs, but terrorised Warner sufficiently to earn a place in this side.Several players’ cases would have been stronger if the pandemic had allowed them to play more games, with South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen, Bangladesh’s Liton Das and Oman’s Aqib Ilyas all impressing with the bat in their limited number of games.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdWhile there was a Covid-induced pause in the otherwise relentless calendar of T20 tournaments, almost all major leagues were held at some stage in the year, meaning this XI did not suffer from a small sample size to the same extent as the others.Look away now, Pakistan fans: there is no place for Babar Azam in our side. He was beaten to the opening slots by only a couple of votes. In his place, de Kock takes the gloves after a stellar year for both South Africa and the Mumbai Indians, while Buttler made up for his hit-and-miss IPL with some belligerent innings at the top of the England batting order.Rahul’s orange-cap-winning IPL and consistency for India pushed him ahead of Mohammad Hafeez for the No. 3 slot, while AB de Villiers, Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard’s middle-order fireworks form the side’s engine room, from No. 4-6.Shadab Khan’s breakthrough year with the bat combined with his wicket-taking threat sees him picked at No. 7, forming a mouth-watering legspinning partnership with Rashid Khan, the year’s standout spinner as usual. Haris Rauf may have been the leading wicket-taker for 2020, but his relatively high economy rate means he misses out to three seamers who form a compelling trio: Shaheen Afridi and Archer take the new ball, with Jasprit Bumrah doing the heavy lifting at the death.Andre Russell, Mushfiqur Rahim, Marcus Stoinis and Dawid Malan are among the honourable mentions with the bat, while Sandeep Lamichhane, Samit Patel and Kagiso Rabada had successful years with the ball.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdWith a T20 World Cup at the start of the year and most nations frustrated by a lack of playing opportunities since, performances in that tournament, unsurprisingly, carry plenty of weight among these selections. Six Australians from their World Cup-winning side make it to this team, with three of them – Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney and Meg Lanning – forming the top of our batting order.Sophie Devine averaged 54.66 and scored 492 runs in the year – comfortably twice as many as any of her New Zealand team-mates – but she moves into the middle order thanks to the quality of Australia’s top three. Heather Knight, a transformed T20 batter in recent times, slots in at No. 5, following her best year in the format by a huge margin, and the middle-order batting is rounded off by Ashleigh Gardner, who edged out Nat Sciver by a single vote.With the ball, Katherine Brunt and Megan Schutt form an enticing new-ball partnership after leading the wicket-taking charts among seamers for the year, while Sophie Ecclestone and Jess Jonassen with 19 wickets apiece, are both picked as left-arm spinners. Poonam Yadav’s beguiling start to the T20 World Cup – and her four-wicket haul against Australia – earned her inclusion as the main legspinner.Fellow leggies Sarah Glenn and Amelia Kerr are both unfortunate to miss out, after finishing the year with 18 and 14 wickets respectively and economy rates below 5.5. Despite India’s run to the final, Yadav is their only representative in the XI, with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma both overlooked.More in our look back at 2020

Bumrah gets to 200 wickets with the best average in Test cricket

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

No bowler before Jasprit Bumrah has got to 200 wickets with an average of less than 20

Shubh Agarwal29-Dec-2024For a bowler whose Test career is laden with breathtaking dismissals, Jasprit Bumrah’s 200th wicket was relatively tame – Travis Head flicking straight to midwicket. Bumrah, however, got to the landmark with incredible numbers, reiterating his status as one of the greatest bowlers.Of the 85 bowlers to have taken 200-plus Test wickets, 12 got there in fewer games than Bumrah, who was playing his 44th Test at the MCG.

In terms of bowling average, though, Bumrah is right on top of the list with 19.56 per wicket – he’s the first bowler to concede fewer than 4000 runs for his first 200 wickets.ESPNcricinfo LtdBumrah’s strike rate of 42.4 – a wicket every seven overs – is only behind Waqar Younis, Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada, all masters with both new and old ball.ESPNcricinfo LtdBumrah’s record in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia also stands out. He has the highest percentage of wickets for an Indian fast bowler in these nations.

Sixty-four of Bumrah’s first 200 wickets were of top three batters. He has dismissed openers 50 times (25%) and the number three 14 times (7%). Number four is often the most reputed batter in the team and Bumrah has dismissed the No. 4 30 times (15%). Bumrah’s percentage of top-four wickets (47%) is the seventh best overall and the best for India.

Among all batters, Bumrah has dismissed Joe Root most often (nine dismissals). Cummins comes second with eight, followed by Travis Head (six) whom Bumrah dismissed twice in the MCG Test.Bumrah’s excellence in all formats has meant India have had to manage his workload. Since his debut in 2018, he has missed 18 out of 30 home Tests due to injuries or workload management, but only eight away Tests, mainly due to injury. As a result, 153 of his first 200 Test wickets have come away from home. His bowling average at home is better than his away numbers, which are also astonishing.

India’s aim to keep Bumrah fit for high-profile games has meant more matches for him against Australia and England, two nations against whom he has the most wickets. The one team he has struggled against is New Zealand: an average of 45.44 against them with just nine wickets from five Tests.

Bumrah averages a breathtaking 14.4 for his 110 wickets in 20 Test wins for India. The next three Indian bowlers on this list with a minimum of 100 wickets are all spinners – Anil Kumble (18.75), R Ashwin (18.99) and Ravindra Jadeja (19.65).

Cunha 2.0: INEOS to fast-track Man Utd bid for ‘best winger in England’

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Splashing the cash in the transfer market hasn’t been alien to Manchester United over the last couple of years, with INEOS massively backing various managers at Old Trafford.

Since the summer of 2022 alone, the hierarchy have spent upwards of £800m on new additions, but it’s safe to say they’ve failed to have the desired effect in the Premier League.

Ruben Amorim could only direct the side to 15th place last time around, with the 40-year-old’s men now sat in eighth in 2025/26, but it could be about to get tricky for the manager.

Many of his key starters are set to go away with their respective nations for AFCON at the end of December, which could leave the squad bare in numerous areas.

As a result, the board have drawn up a plan, which could see numerous big-money talents make their own move to Old Trafford during the January transfer window.

United’s hunt for new signings in January

Over the last couple of days, Real Madrid star Rodrygo has once again appeared on United’s radar, but it seems a deal for the forward’s signature could prove to be a tricky one.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are all said to be monitoring the progress of the Brazilian international, which could lead to a bidding war in the winter window.

He’s fallen down the pecking order of Xabi Alonso over the last couple of months, which could see him depart the Bernabeu in a deal worth around the £70m mark.

However, he’s not the only player mentioned with a potential switch to Old Trafford, with Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo another player seemingly on their radar.

According to Football Insider, INEOS have identified the 25-year-old as the perfect player to come into the club in January to bolster the frontline during AFCON.

The report also states that the player has a £65m release clause that becomes active in the new year, with such a fee one the board are looking to activate and fast-track a deal for.

Why United’s £65m target would be Cunha 2.0

Investing big on Premier League players who have caught the eye in recent times is another thing United have done, as seen by the deal to land Matheus Cunha from Wolves during the summer.

The Brazilian scored 15 times in England’s top-flight last season, which massively attracted the interest of the Red Devils and Amorim during the recent summer window.

As a result, the board forked out a reported £62.5m for the attacker’s signature, with Cunha just one of three forwards signed to make a difference in the final third.

During the opening months of his career in Manchester, the 26-year-old has struggled to replicate his best form, as seen by his tally of one goal in his first 11 outings.

However, there’s still bags of time for the big-money addition to resurrect his career at Old Trafford, especially if Semenyo makes the move in the coming months.

They could star together, or the Ghanaian international could overtake him in the pecking order – something which could come to fruition when comparing their figures.

In 2025/26, Semenyo has massively outperformed Cunha in numerous key areas, with the Cherries star the perfect man to improve the frontline in 2026 and beyond.

The 25-year-old, who’s been dubbed the “best winger in the country” by Chris Waddle, has already posted more combined goals and assists this season – showcasing his incredible ability in front of goal.

Semenyo has also completed more carries into the final third, whilst achieving a higher take-on success rate, with such numbers making him a much better ball-carrier than the Brazilian.

Games played

13

11

Goals & assists

9

1

Shot on target accuracy

52%

40%

Progressive carries

3.5

2.8

Progressive passes

3.7

3.6

Take-ons completed

1.9

1.7

Take-on success

53%

52%

Crosses completed

1.7

1.6

Aerials won

2.3

0.8

His dominance over the United star is further reflected in his higher tally of crosses completed per 90, with such a tally showcasing his ability to add an end product to his mazy runs.

Other numbers, such as a higher shot on target accuracy rate and a better pass accuracy rate, highlight his all-round dominance in attacking areas.

£65m for a player of Semenyo’s quality would be an excellent piece of business, with such a move softening the blow of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo’s absence at AFCON.

However, given the money spent during the summer, it would be another huge investment, with the backing certainly there – but it’s down to Amorim to get a tune out of the current crop of players at his disposal.

Fewer touches than Lammens & 100% duels lost: Man Utd flop must be dropped

Ruben Amorim has multiple changes to make after his side’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 5, 2025

Farke’s new Buendia: Leeds lining up move for “sensational” UCL star

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Leeds United reportedly submitted a late offer in an attempt to sign Aston Villa attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia at the end of the summer transfer window, only to be blocked by their Premier League rivals.

The Argentina international scored 24 goals and provided 41 assists in 121 matches for Norwich under Daniel Farke, per Transfermarkt, and the German was looking for a reunion with him at Elland Road.

Unfortunately, Villa decided to keep hold of the 28-year-old star, which turned out to be a brilliant decision. Per Sofascore, Buendia has delivered five goals and three assists in all competitions for the Villans this season, recently scoring the winner against Arsenal.

Whilst the former Norwich star is now out of their reach, due to his fantastic form for Villa, the Whites could land their own version of him next month.

Leeds eyeing move for Champions League forward

The January transfer window is only a matter of weeks away from opening for business, and the West Yorkshire outfit have their eye on a potential target to add more quality to their squad.

Transfer Focus

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

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs lining up a move to sign Bodo/Glimt star Jens Petter Hauge in the winter window.

The report claims that Crystal Palace, Brentford, Leeds, and Brighton are all interested in signing the former AC Milan attacking midfielder, as they look to bolster their respective squads ahead of the second half of the season.

It adds that the Whites were keen on signing the Norwegian talent back in 2020, before his move to Milan, and they are looking to finally snap him up, five years later.

TEAMtalk, however, does not reveal how much money Bodo/Glimt are set to demand from any of the interested Premier League teams, should offers come in for his services.

Why Leeds should sign Jens Petter Hauge

Leeds should test the Norwegian side’s resolve with an offer for Hauge when the January transfer window opens for business, because he has the quality to be Farke’s new Buendia.

Like the Villa star, the attacking midfielder is a versatile playmaker who can play on the left, through the middle, or off the right to provide goals and assists on a regular basis.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him as a “sensational” player who had lost his way, and the 26-year-old star is seemingly back to his ‘sensational’ ways in Norway.

Since returning to Bodo/Glimt in January 2024, Hauge has been in impressive form that suggests that he could be an exciting addition to Farke’s squad ahead of the second half of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Norway international, who has been the most prolific dribbler in the competition, has scored three goals in six matches in the Champions League this season, after delivering four assists in two Champions League qualifiers, per Transfermarkt.

Since his return to Bodo/Glimt, Hauge has produced 24 goals and 22 assists in 93 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has provided goals and assists on a regular basis from attacking midfield positions.

2025 Eliteserien

Hauge

Appearances

28

Goals

8

Minutes per goal

279

Key passes per game

2.1

Big chances created

8

Assists

4

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Leeds transfer target ended the 2025 Eliteserien campaign with 16 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 28 outings for Bodo/Glimt.

This shows that, like Buendia, Hauge is another right-footed attacking midfielder who can provide quality in the final third as both a scorer and a creator in equal measure, which makes him an incredibly valuable player.

Of course, he is unproven in the Premier League and it remains to be seen whether or not he can translate his current performances over to English football, but a return of three goals in six Champions League matches, including a goal against Borussia Dortmund this week, shows that he can perform at a high level.

This suggests that Hauge is a player who is worth taking a gamble on in the January transfer window in an attempt to add more quality to the side at the top end of the pitch.

A Viduka repeat: Leeds open initial talks to sign midfield "machine"

Leeds United are eyeing up a player from Scotland who could be their next Mark Viduka-type signing.

By
Dan Emery

5 days ago

Leeds were unable to sign Buendia from Villa in the summer to reunite him with Farke, but the German head coach may see shades of the Argentine magician in this Bodo/Glimt star.

Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki Had Awkward Moment Thanks to Athletics’ Embarrassing New Stadium

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The Athletics are in their first season of playing all of their home games at a minor league stadium in Sacramento as they wait to make the move to Las Vegas in three years. They had their home opener on Monday night and it didn't take long for fans to rip the team and MLB over the lackluster setup.

Between innings Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki had to get to the clubhouse for something. While in every other MLB stadium that's a simple walk down a tunnel from the dugout, in Sacramento the clubhouse is behind the wall in left center which means if you need anything, inlcuding maybe even a bathroom break, you have to run through the field of play to get there.

Suzuki probably didn't enjoy this but his teammates sure did:

Fans were not impressed:

'Sent my head to Mars' – Arsenal fans left livid as Gabriel limps off with groin issue during Brazil's international friendly with Senegal at the Emirates

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Arsenal have been handed another blow in their pursuit of the Premier League crown after star defender Gabriel hobbled off with an apparent groin issue for Brazil. The centre-back was playing on home soil at the Emirates, in an international friendly against Senegal. In the second half, he went down in some discomfort and was subsequently taken off, looking furious.

  • Gabriel added to Arsenal injury list

    The Gunners already have a lengthy injury list, with the likes of Martin Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli all missing in recent weeks. Riccardo Calafiori has reportedly returned to north London after picking up an injury while training with the Italian national team, he will miss their upcoming World Cup qualifier against Norway as a result. 

    Gabriel looks to be the latest player heading for the treatment table, which is terrible news for the north London club ahead of three crucial games after the international break.

    • Advertisement

  • Arsenal fans react to Gabriel injury

    The sight of their most valuable defender exiting the pitch during an international friendly in their ground inevitably drew fiery reactions from the Arsenal faithful son social media. 

    One non-plussed fan, Jadinho97, wrote on X: "Gabriel getting injured on international duty at the Emirates has sent my head to Mars."

    Edduizy posted: "Gabriel off injured for Brazil in yet another useless friendly." 

    Another X user, @sakamvent asked: "What is the point of international breaks?  Calafiori and Gabriel are now injured, just when we thought we would catch a bit of break with injuries they start to pile up again." 

    LongJeff called the incident, "horrific horrible news." 

    BiancaKG had a more selfish reaction when she posted: "Gabriel getting injured doesn't bode well for my FPL Team."

  • Ever-present Gabriel the foundation of Arsenal's success

    The handwringing of angry Arsenal fans is understandable. Gabriel has played every minute of the Gunners' Premier League campaign so far this season, and has appeared in all four of their Champions League fixtures too. When Gabriel has featured this term, Arsenal have conceded just five times, while the Brazilian has also chipped in two goals of his own going forward.  

    • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

  • AFP

    Arsenal's upcoming fixtures — Gabriel out for north London derby?

    The suspected injury could not come at a worse time for Mikel Arteta's side. First up after the international break, the Gunners take on their north London rivals Tottenham on November 23. That hellacious affair is quickly followed by a marquee matchup against Harry Kane's Bayern Munich. The Bavarian giants are undefeated this term, winning sixteen straight games to kick off their 2025/26 term. A massive week for the title hopeful's season concludes with another London derby, this time against third-placed Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge. 

    With a lengthening injury list, no player will be more crucial to these tricky fixtures than the totemic Brazilian. Arsenal fans will be hoping against hope that Gabriel was taken off as a precaution, and that he can feature in this upcoming gauntlet of games. 

Man City now rivalling Real Madrid to sign "tremendous" South American defender

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Manchester City are now rivalling Real Madrid for the signature of a “tremendous” South American defender, who just made his international debut.

Man City keen to strengthen at centre-back

Man City have started to find their form over the past few weeks, with the 2-0 victory against Everton on Saturday making it three wins on the spin in the Premier League, in what was an improved performance from a defensive point of view.

The Blues limited the visitors to an xG of just 0.81, with the Toffees only managing to create one big chance in the entire match, which meant goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was left with very little to do, being forced to make just one save.

Aside from Erling Haaland, who scored a brace to continue his fantastic start to the season, Nathan Ake was one of City’s best-performing players, receiving an 8.1 SofaScore match rating after winning all seven of the duels he contested, while also making one last-man tackle.

Pep Guardiola is blessed with options at centre-back, with the likes of Rúben Dias, Abdukodir Khusanov and Josko Gvardiol also on the books, but there has now been a suggestion that the manager could look at bringing in another defender.

According to a report from Defensa Central, Man City are now rivalling Real Madrid for the signature of River Plate centre-back Lautaro Rivero, whose recent performances have started to attract the attention of some of Europe’s top clubs.

During the most recent international break, Rivero received his first call-up to the Argentina national side, making his debut in a 6-0 victory against Puerto Rico, having caught manager Lionel Scaloni’s eye after emerging as one of River Plate’s most exciting players.

Man City eye South American star who may follow in Julian Alvarez's footsteps

The Citizens could follow a familiar trend in their latest pursuit.

BySean Markus Clifford Oct 19, 2025

Alongside City and Madrid, RB Leipzig and Juventus have also sent scouts to watch the youngster in action, so Guardiola’s side may need to fend off interest from a number of Europe’s biggest clubs.

"Tremendous" Rivero could become future star

Having now made his debut for Argentina, the young centre-back will be hoping to kick on, and there are indications he could become a top centre-back, having put in some solid performances from a defensive point of view over the past year, while also proving himself as a regular goal threat.

Statistic

Average per 90 (past year)

Tackles

2.39 (95th percentile)

Blocks

1.46 (81st percentile)

Non-penalty goals

0.07 (79th percentile)

Journalist Juan Patricio Balbi has also been left impressed by the one-time Argentina international’s performances at club level, lauding him for his “tremendous” performances at the end of last month.

Rivero is showing signs he could become a future star, so it is promising news that Man City have now joined the race for his signature, but it could be very difficult to compete with 15-time European champions Real Madrid.

Worse than Van Dijk & Konate: Liverpool must instantly drop 4/10 flop

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Liverpool’s emphatic win over Eintracht Frankfurt was a false dawn. On Saturday evening, the Reds slumped to a fourth successive Premier League defeat against Brentford.

It’s a sad thing to suggest, but it very much seems like Liverpool are struggling to do the basics. This is a side whose cool and calculated football allowed Arne Slot to romp to the league title last season. This group couldn’t be further away from that indomitable outfit.

Who does that boil down to? The manager? The upheaval? The tactical imbalances sparked by a combination of facets? It’s all so difficult to define, and Slot is the only one who can conjure up the answers to placate the masses.

However, we must start with the backline. So much isn’t right, but Liverpool’s defence is painfully poor. Despite their world-renowned reputations, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have flattered to deceive.

Liverpool's defensive struggles continue

Liverpool are in a crisis. It is a saving grace that the season is young enough for a four-game losing streak to not be detrimental, but this does not sugarcoat the severity of the Reds’ woes.

At the epicentre is the skipper Van Dijk, and Konate besides. The centre-backs lack any morsel of their typical security and confidence in the backline, between them winning 20 duels at the Gtech but still failing to keep a clean sheet or produce the kind of convincing display needed to stem the flow.

Defensively, the Reds are a mess. But the problems run far deeper. Van Dijk lacks his typical grace and brilliance; Konate has been below par all year.

The plain truth is the excuses are running out, and while he’s among the most talented footballers in the world, Florian Wirtz continues to be a disappointment in a Liverpool shirt, and he must be dropped from the line-up once again.

Slot must drop Florian Wirtz

When Florian Wirtz joined Liverpool this summer in a record-breaking £116m deal, most anticipated the Reds would add one of the most devastating playmakers in the world to their ranks.

And they did, but Liverpool are a team in disrepair right now, and Wirtz has failed to acclimatise to life in Slot’s squad. And against Andrews’ Bees, the fleet-footed star’s struggles continued.

He racked up two assists against Frankfurt in midweek, but the 22-year-old flattered to deceive against Brentford, with the Liverpool Echo even seeing it fit to brand him with a 4/10 match rating after an inconsequential display in red.

Perhaps most concerning is the fact that the German faded without having taken his foot off the pedal from a work-rate standpoint. To put that another way, the quality on the evening simply wasn’t there.

Minutes played

83′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

54

Shots (on target)

1 (0)

Accurate passes

33/43 (77%)

Chances created

1

Dribbles

1/2

Recoveries

4

Tackles

1/1

Duels won

2/5

While the fact remains that he is among the most talented players in the Premier League, there is a bluntness about his output in Slot’s Liverpool side. The solution comes down to Slot, and Slot does not have the answer. For now, Liverpool and Wirtz’s wait for success rages on.

Indeed, Wirtz is one of the best footballers in the world, but he’s not performing, and Liverpool have got to reach beyond the box and search for left-field solutions to their current problems.

Because Slot’s solutions are falling short, so frustratingly short.

Where now? Liverpool host Aston Villa next week in the Premier League, and then they travel to Manchester City. There is much to ponder, and on the basis of the evidence, it’s unlikely that keeping an under-performing player like Wirtz in the line-up would prove the solution.

Sure, he’s got a show-stopping ability, but this hasn’t been channelled. All told, Liverpool need to make some big changes, perhaps even reverting to type. If that is the case, Wirtz does not feature in Slot’s best 11.

Liverpool have signed a Salah-type player who's got the "pace of Torres"

Liverpool are watching before their eyes the birth of a superstar.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 24, 2025

Game
Register
Service
Bonus