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da imperador bet： Leeds United went through a summer of huge change as they were relegated from the Premier League and allowed a number of players to depart.

da realsbet： The likes of Jack Harrison, Max Wober, Robin Koch, Tyler Adams, and Rodrigo are just a few of the many first-team stars who were moved on, either permanently or on loan.

German manager Daniel Farke was then allowed to to snap up nine new additions to bolster his squad; including Joel Piroe, Jaidon Anthony, Joe Rodon, Ilia Gruev, Ethan Ampadu, Djed Spence, Karl Darlow, Sam Byram, and Glen Kamara.

The January transfer window is now just over a month away from opening for business and there is a chance that the ex-Norwich tactician could need to react to another first-team departure, as speculation continues to surround Wilfried Gnonto's future in Yorkshire.

TEAMtalk reported at the end of last month that Roma, Lazio, and Everton are all weighing up a possible swoop to sign the Italy international at the turn of the year, with a price tag of £25m placed on the talented dynamo.

The outlet claimed that 'sources close to the player' believe that a January exit from Elland Road is a possibility for the 20-year-old dynamo, after he failed to secure a move away in the summer.

Gnonto reportedly handed in a transfer request after Leeds declined multiple offers from the Toffees, which led to the ex-Zurich star being absent for three first-team matches before being reintegrated into the team.

The talented youngster has managed one goal and one assist in ten Championship outings this term and it remains to be seen whether or not his lack of consistent production at the top end of the pitch will convince the club to cash in on him in January amid interest from Roma, Lazio and Everton.

If they do decide to sell Gnonto for £25m, though, a replacement would be needed to bolster Farke's wide options. With this in mind, here are three former targets who could be dream heirs to his position within the squad…

1 Jonathan Paintsil

During the summer window, Leeds attempted to sign the Genk winger but the player later revealed that he turned down the opportunity as his dream is to play in the Premier League, or another major European league.

The Whites are currently third in the Championship and eight points off the top of the table as it stands. If Farke can lead the team to an automatic promotion place by January then he could possibly convince the talented forward to make the switch with the allure of a realistic chance of playing top-flight football next season.

Paintsil could be a fantastic replacement for Gnonto as his form for Genk last term was described as "sensational" by Scott Coyne of the Belgian Football Podcast, as the 25-year-old whiz racked up 17 goals and 11 assists in 36 league outings.

The Ghana international has also started this season with an excellent return of three goals and three assists in 12 Pro League appearances. He has also produced one goal and one assist in three Europa Conference League clashes for his side in recent months.

These goal contributions show that the winger has the ability to chip in with goals and assists with impressive regularity, which is something that Gnonto has not been able to do this term, and that is why the exciting hotshot could be a dream addition to the roster.

2 Grady Diangana

It was reported during the summer that Leeds were one of a number of interested clubs eyeing up West Bromwich Albion forward Grady Diangana.

If the ex-West Ham United prospect is available in January then he could be a sensible replacement for Gnonto as a player who is currently playing in the Championship and knows exactly what it takes to perform at that level.

Diangana's Championship record (via Transfermarkt)

Statistic

Performance

Appearances

113

Goals

16

Assists

14

Promotions

One

The 25-year-old whiz has racked up two goals and three assists in 11 league appearances for the Baggies this term, which also shows that the gem has outperformed the current Leeds ace as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a wide position.

Diangana, who scored four goals and assisted three in 21 second-tier starts last season, would not need any time to adapt to the division and would arrive with the experience of winning promotion, having done so in the 2019/20 campaign with West Brom.

This suggests that the Baggies star could be a quality and experienced addition to Farke's group of attacking options to bolster their hopes of making an instant return to the top-flight.

3 Ben Brereton Diaz

The Chile international could be an attainable target for the Whites come the turn of the year and the former Championship star, who has scored 53 EFL goals at that level throughout his career, would be an ideal signing to hit the ground running in the second half of the campaign.

It was reported in 2022 that Leeds were one of the clubs, alongside Villarreal, eyeing up a swoop to sign the forward on a free transfer at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. However, they were relegated from the Premier League and the Spanish top-flight outfit were able to secure his services.

The move to Spain has not worked out for Brereton Diaz, though, as TEAMtalk recently reported that the LaLiga side are prepared to send him out on loan in January, with a host of English teams – from the top two tiers – said to be keen on a deal.

Leeds should now target a swoop to land him on a temporary basis if they are in the market to find a replacement for Gnonto in the winter window.

His final two seasons with Blackburn Rovers showcased his ability to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch at Championship level.

The English-born sensation fired in an eye-catching 36 goals and assisted his teammates on seven occasions across 80 appearances between the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns combined.

This included a phenomenal return of 22 goals and three assists in 34 Championship starts for Blackburn throughout the 2021/22 season, which illustrates the immense level of production that he can provide in the second tier of English football.

It will be interesting to see what direction Leeds go for if they do decide to cash in on Gnonto in January as these three former targets all have their merits and could be dream replacements for the Italian whiz.

In a tournament of several stats highlights, the team with the best numbers deservedly lifted the cup

S Rajesh29-May-2012In the end, the best team won IPL 2012. It doesn’t always happen that way in such a long tournament which has knockout matches at the end, but in this case Kolkata Knight Riders were the deserving winners despite some stunning performances from Chennai Super Kings in the last week. Knight Riders weren’t the best batting side – three teams scored more runs than they did in the tournament, five teams had better run-rates, and they were also one of four sides to finish without a centurion. However, as a bowling unit, they were clearly the best: they finished as the joint-highest wicket-takers with 107, while their bowling average and economy rate was better than any other side in the tournament. Out of 102 fifty-plus scores in the tournament, only seven were scored against Knight Riders, which indicates how tough it was to score against them. (There were 15 such scores against Super Kings, and 13 against Delhi Daredevils.)As the table below shows, the difference between the batting and bowling averages, and the run-rates with bat and ball, were both the highest for Knight Riders, who also had by far the best win-loss ratio of 2.40 – Daredevils were next at 1.57. Super Kings, on the other hand, were fourth in terms of win-loss ratio, at 1.25. While all other teams lost at least seven matches in the tournament, Knight Riders lost only five. The only team to have lost fewer matches in an entire IPL campaign is Rajasthan Royals – they lost only three in their title-winning effort in 2008.Daredevils finished on top of the table after the round-robin matches, but let themselves down with two poor games in the knockouts, which pulled down their overall numbers considerably: their batting averages and strike rates were only slightly higher than their corresponding bowling ones.

How the top 4 teams fared in IPL 2012

TeamsW/LRuns scoredAve/ RRWkts takenAve/ ERAve diffRR diffKolkata Knight Riders12/ 5250426.63/ 7.7010722.11/ 7.164.520.54Chennai Super Kings10/ 8283128.02/ 8.0110724.49/ 7.723.530.29Delhi Daredevils11/ 7264528.13/ 8.2410127.17/ 7.940.960.30Mumbai Indians10/ 7246223.22/ 7.4310623.86/ 7.65-0.64-0.22Knight Riders’ bowling firepower
Though it was the batting that really turned it on in the final, soaking up the pressure and chasing an above-par score, Knight Riders’ bowling was their stronger suit, and it stayed consistent through all stages of the 20 overs that they spent on the field. In the Powerplay overs Jacques Kallis was among the best for them, bowling 19 overs and taking 7 for 114. Sunil Narine was obviously outstanding, with figures of 3 for 74 in 16 overs, while L Balaji, who missed out on the final, had 3 for 51 from 10 overs. The disappointment was Brett Lee: he went for 169 runs in 22 overs, and took just two wickets. Overall in the Powerplay overs, only one team – Mumbai Indians – had a better economy rate than Knight Riders.In the middle and final overs, though, Knight Riders were easily the best bowling side, taking wickets and maintaining an excellent economy rate. In the middle overs (6.1 to 15), they had a couple of unlikely heroes. Rajat Bhatia took nine wickets at an economy rate of 7.17, while Balaji was terrific again, taking 6 for 81 in 14 overs, an economy rate of 5.78. In the slog overs Narine was their go-to bowler, and he rarely let them down, taking 21 wickets for 185 runs in 157 balls – an economy rate of 7.07 and an average of 8.80. Those were the best slog-over bowling stats of the tournament, marginally better than Lasith Malinga’s 18 wickets at 10.27 and an economy rate of 7.55.(Click here for the batting and bowling stats for Knight Riders, and here for the overall IPL 2012 stats.)

Bowling performances of each team in IPL 2012

TeamPowerplay – wktsAve/ ER6.1-15 – wktsAve/ ER15.1-20 – wktsAve/ ERKolkata Knght Riders2231.90/ 6.693727.29/ 6.774813.62/ 8.26Chennai Super Kings2139.57/ 7.334128.80/ 7.364513.53/ 8.57Delhi Daredevils2728.81/ 6.983931.41/ 7.703521.20/ 9.47Mumbai Indians2428.12/ 6.383730.45/ 7.374516.17/ 9.62Royal Challengers Bangalore1739.64/ 7.243529.82/ 7.733721.27/ 10.56Kings XI Punjab2329.47/ 6.833332.72/ 7.503718.83/ 9.65Rajasthan Royals2330.30/ 6.923727.59/ 7.093221.37/ 9.86Deccan Chargers2132.19/ 7.263429.85/ 7.512825.50/ 10.73Pune Warriors1838.94/ 7.082937.37/ 7.523219.96/ 9.12Close finishes
One of the highlights of IPL season 5 was the number of games that were decided in the last over. There were seven games in which the team chasing won off the last ball – Super Kings achieved it three times, and Mumbai Indians twice. Twelve more matches were won in the last over by the team batting second, while in six more games, the team batting first won by less than ten runs. Thus, in the 74 games in which there were results – two were washed out – there were 25 where either the team batting first won by less than ten runs, or the team chasing won in the last over. As a percentage of total matches, that’s only bettered by the 2009 edition in South Africa, when 20 out of 56 matches had these results.However, compared to the last two years, many more games have produced close results. In 2011, there were only two instances when the team chasing won off the last ball, while in 2010 there were no such results.

Close games in each season of the IPL

YearMatches<10 runs*Last over#Percentage20127461933.7820117241120.8320105931123.7320095671335.7120085871131.03More matches, more runs, more sixes
Overall, IPL 2012 had more of pretty much everything – matches, runs, wickets, sixes and fifty-plus scores. (They had more than their share of controversies too, but that’s beyond the scope of this piece.) There were two fewer fours struck this year than in 2011, but that was more than compensated by the number of sixes – 731 this year, compared to 639 in 2011. There were six centuries too, which equalled the mark set in two previous seasons.In terms of overall averages and run-rates, though, IPL 2012 was very similar to its previous edition: the average and run-rate was only very marginally higher. The run-rate, though, was lower than that in 2008 and 2010.

The IPL numbers, by season

YearMatchesRunsWktsAverageRPO100s/ 50s4s/ 6s20127522,45385726.197.826/ 961911/ 73120117321,15481326.017.726/ 891913/ 63920106018,86472026.208.124/ 881709/ 58520095716,32069723.417.482/ 681316/ 50620085817,93768926.038.306/ 831702/ 622Pace v spin
Despite the outstanding performance of Narine and Muttiah Muralitharan, spinners overall didn’t have such a great time – among the top eight wicket-takers, there was only one spinner. In fact, the average for spinners slipped past 30 for the first time since the opening IPL season, and 31.35 is the highest that spinners have collectively averaged in an IPL season.Like in the 2011 edition, spinners bowled a fair bit during the Powerplay, but didn’t get the rewards they had last year. In 2011, they had bowled 23% of the total deliveries bowled in the Powerplay overs, and taken 24% of the wickets (average 27.02, economy rate 6.62). This time, they bowled 24% of the deliveries, but got only 17% of the wickets (average 46.22, economy rate 6.79). They were still more economical than the faster bowlers, who went at 7.13 in the Powerplay overs, but they lacked the ability to take wickets.

Pace and spin in each IPL

SeasonPace-wktsAve/ ERSpin-wktsAve/ ER201253127.19/ 7.8124131.35/ 7.41201147028.12/ 7.8026827.60/ 7.11201040529.64/ 8.3221028.80/ 7.34200938826.25/ 7.6522624.77/ 6.77200844529.23/ 8.0913430.38/ 8.18

Kings XI Punjab’s leading wicket-taker’s summer really took off only after it was almost over

Firdose Moonda30-Apr-2009As the sun began to set on the South African summer this year, Yusuf Abdulla was preparing to play his last cricket of the season. His schedule would see him compete in three more matches – all of them first-class four-day domestic fixtures for his franchise, the Dolphins. Thereafter, he could look forward to a mild Durban winter of rest and recovery. Little did Abdulla know that his summer would stretch on for a few weeks longer.His fine domestic Pro20 form, which saw him claim 10 wickets at an average of 17.10, earned him a call-up to the South African Twenty20 squad to face Australia. He was given just a single bite at the cherry, and only featured in one of the two matches against the Aussies, but he made sure he bit hard. His figures of 1 for 16 in three overs included the prize scalp of Ricky Ponting. That was enough to get him noticed by the people who matter.”I thought my season was going to end, but Tom Moody saw me in that game and the next day he called me up asked if I would be interested in playing for Punjab in the Indian Premier League”, Abdulla recalls. The speed at which he had gone from being just another domestic player to a part of cricket’spremier 20-over tournament still shocks him. “I still can’t believe how quickly it all happened. By that stage I knew the tournament was going to be held in South Africa, and it couldn’t have worked out any better”.The IPL has given many little-known Indian players their 15 minutes of fame but how did South Africa’s stocky swing bowler get in the frame?Abdulla is from a Muslim family and grew up in Lenasia, a largely Indian suburb in the south of Johannesburg. He spent some of his high-school career in Gauteng, before his family moved to the coal-mining town of Dundee in KwaZulu Natal (KZN). At 18 he was selected for the KZN academy and taken under the coach Yashin Ebrahim’s wing.”I always knew he had potential because of his natural ability to swing the ball,” Ebrahim says. Abdulla spent his time with the Dolphins priming himself for the big time. After a solid 2006-07 season, in which he took nine wickets at an average of 12.00 in the Pro20, Abdulla was picked as one of 20 amateur players to attend the national academy based at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria. While the academy’s only competitive cricket was against Zimbabwe A, Abdulla saw it as an opportunity to learn everything he could. “I had already been coached by Graham Ford and Phil Russel, so I had a lot of good mentorship. I still wanted to work on my weaknesses and the academy gave me the room to do that”.His performance in the season that followed was testament to his hard work. In the 2007-08 season he took 10 wickets at an average of 13.40 in the Pro20. Besides being the Dolphins’ main strike bowler in the shorter form of the game, Abdulla also refined his Twenty20 technique. He learnt to disguise his slower ball well, and to fire it in fast from a low and wide angle outside the off stump.Ebrahim says that apart from the minor adjustments to his technique, Abdulla’s success can be largely attributed to his strong will. “When he started to back himself, it came together. He worked hard on his mindset even more than his technique. It was no surprise when he was selected for the national side.”Despite his sterling performances in the shorter version of the game, he has only managed to record one five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. His fitness has also often come under question because of his rotund build. “Ideally we would want him to lose some weight, but he has passed all our tests,” says Ebrahim.While Abdulla is looking to improve his form in the longer version of the game, he has one eye on being selected for the World Twenty20 in June and has emerged as one of the few Twenty20 specialists in South African cricket. “He is immensely competitive and seems to thrive on limited-overs cricket. In that form of the game, he is the go-to man for wickets and is as good an opening bowler as anyone in the country,” says AhmedAmla, the Dolphins captain.Ultimately it was these factors and local knowledge that swung him into favour with Punjab. With the team playing six out of their 14 matches in Durban, and Jerome Taylor ruled out injured, they opted for a South African bowler to assist in leading the attack.Their first two games were rain affected, and Abdulla’s performance could hardly be judged on those lines. He was flogged for 19 runs in the solitary over he bowled to the Delhi Daredevils. That baptism of fire exposed him to batsman he rates most highly. “Even though I only bowled the one over, I can tell you that Virender Sehwag is one of the most difficult batsmen to bowl to in the world”. Punjab lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders in their second match, with Abdulla being clobbered for 20 runs in two overs.A change in the Kings XI’s fortunes has been followed up with a change in fortunes for Abdulla as well. He’s notched up figures of 4 for 31 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, among them the wickets of Kevin Pietersen and Jacques Kallis. His return of 3 for 21 against the Rajasthan Royals catapulted him into the top five leading wicket-takers in the tournament. And he went to joint second with a stellar last over in Punjab’s victory against the Mumbai Indians last night.Eager student: Abdulla is keen to learn from his more experienced Punjab team-mates•AFPMany credit his success to the softer wickets of the coast, which tend to favour swing bowlers, and say the real test will come when the IPL moves inland. Abdulla himself says it hasn’t been that easy. “Everybody says the wickets in Durban and Cape Town will suit me, but it has been tough. These wickets are being played on for anything like three matches in a row and by then they are behaving differently to what I am used to. It all depends on what happens on the day and how well I bowl.”Abdulla is still overwhelmed by the leap from provincial cricket into the IPL. He says the immense quality of players in the IPL still mesmerises him. “The main difference between the IPL and domestic cricket is that, for example, when I play against the Lions I am bowling to an opening combination of Alviro Petersen and Jean Symes, but in theIPL it’s to Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum. So even though I am not saying domestic cricket isn’t challenging, the IPL is a step higher and there’s one quality player after the next”.That exposure to players of the highest calibre is also affording Abdulla the opportunity to absorb advice from international players. “I believe in learning wherever I go. The best thing about the IPL is that I am learning from more than one guy all the time. I get advice from players like Yuvraj Singh, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and IrfanPathan.”At 26 he is not ashamed of seeking guidance. “I am quite close to Hashim Amla, not just in cricketing matters. I talk to him about all sorts of things, and I’d say we are the best of friends”.Abdullah says he couldn’t be happier about his extended summer. “There has been absolutely no strain on my body at all and I am really happy to be a part of this. I am just really enjoying it.”

يستعد المصري عمر مرموش للانضمام إلى فريق مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي في انتقالات شهر يناير الجاري.

وتؤكد تقارير الصحف العالمية أن مانشستر سيتي دخل في مفاوضات جادة مع فرانكفورت لضم مرموش.

وأوضح الصحفي فابريزو رومانو عبر حسابه على منصة “إكس” أن مانشستر سيتي توصل إلى اتفاق مع آينتراخت من أجل عمر مرموش، بعد مفاوضات طويلة.

وأشار في تغريدته عبر “إكس” إلى أن مرموش سيوقع عقدًا لمدة خمس سنوات مع مانشستر سيتي (طالع التفاصيل من خلال الرابط).

وبعد إتمام الصفقة قريبًا سيخوض مرموش مباريات حاسمة مع مانشستر سيتي، وتنتظره أيضًا مواجهة مصرية في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

طالع | فرانكفورت يصدر بيانًا رسميًا بشأن عمر مرموش مباريات مانشستر سيتي القادمةمباراة مانشستر سيتي وإيبسويتش تاون 

سيخوض مانشستر سيتي مباراة أمام إيبسويتش تاون في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

وحينها سيتلقي عمر مرموش مع مواطنه سام مرسي قائد فريق إيبسويتش تاون، وتقام مباراة مانشستر سيتي وإيبسويتش تاون يوم الأحد 19 يناير الجاري. مباراة مانشستر سيتي وباريس سان جيرمان

سيلتقي مانشستر سيتي مع باريس سان جيرمان في مباراة حاسمة بدوري أبطال أوروبا يوم الأربعاء الموافق 22 يناير الجاري.

وتأتي هذه المباراة في الجولة السابعة من مرحلة الدوري بدوري أبطال أوروبا، ويحتل مانشستر سيتي المركز 22 في الترتيب، أما باريس سان جيرمان في المركز 25.

ويمكنك متابعة مواعيد مباريات مانشستر سيتي القادمة لحظة بلحظة من هنا.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to add quality to the ranks at Parkhead in January and his side are now reportedly advancing in negotiations for a known target.

Celtic gearing up for busy January window

Despite a comfortable 3-0 victory over Dundee at Dens Park on Boxing Day, Celtic will be keen to strengthen in January and Rodgers has made his intent to bolster his squad known over the last few weeks.

Speaking earlier this month cited via Sky Sports, the Irishman signalled his intention to add a high calibre of player mid-season, as he stated: "There's no doubt now that, one, the squad will come down in numbers and obviously we need to add quality. There is no dressing it up, the group lost real quality players in the summer. That's something that over the coming windows we will look to improve on."

Boost for Rodgers as Celtic make aggressive January call on Matt O'Riley

He’s been one of Celtic’s key players this season…

BySean Markus Clifford Dec 26, 2023

Bringing in a striker has become a priority for the Hoops and their need is exacerbated by the fact that Kyogo Furuhashi, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Daizen Maeda could all head off to represent their respective nations on Asian Cup duty. Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Fabio Silva is believed to have been offered on loan as a potential short-term solution to the Scottish Premiership champions' conceivable shortage of frontmen and it remains to be seen whether the Portugal Under-21 international will move to Parkhead.

Hacken midfielder Romeo Amane, Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski and Brondby talent Mathias Kvistgaarden are all other names who have been mentioned in connection with Celtic in previous weeks. Now, comments from the manager of a known Hoops target have come to light suggesting that Celtic may be moving closer to completing a signing, as cited by a report.

Celtic "advance" in Jung negotiations

As per reports from South Korea, cited by The Daily Record, Celtic have managed to "advance" in negotiations with Gwangju midfielder Jung Ho-Yeon, who was scouted by Hoops' chiefs in the summer transfer window.

The Hoops have previously dipped into the South Korean market to recruit Yang Hyun-jun and Oh and could now be set to return to familiar territory for the 23-year-old midfielder.

Jung key statistics – K League 1 2023 (Sofascore)

Balls recovered per game

5.4

Tackles per game

2.0

Accurate passes per game

41.3 (90%)

Team of the week inclusions

5

Average match rating

6.99/10

Speaking to local media, Gwangju manager Lee Jung-Hyo detailed the latest on the situation, stating: "Jung Ho-Yeon is currently in talks to advance to Europe from Gwangju, but still have a long way to go. If you go to Europe now, you are bound to end up in a clumsy situation. It is wise to prepare well like Cho Gue-sung (who signed for Midtjylland last summer) and choose the team and league well."

Labelled a "prospect" by Asian football expert Dario Focardi, the South Korea Under-23 international has gone on to make 34 appearances in 2023, registering two goals and three assists (Jung statistics – Transfermarkt).

Celtic will need to attract quality reinforcements if they are to retain their Scottish Premiership title and Jung looks like a midfielder who could add a different dimension to Rodgers' engine room.

Everton boasted the second-best defence in the bottom half of the Premier League heading into Sunday's clash against Manchester United at Goodison Park. However, as a result of three goals flying past Jordan Pickford, the Toffees have now fallen below Brentford's ranking and moved into third.

While Everton created a lot of chances during the game, ending the proceedings with an xG of 2.5, Sean Dyche's side gave the visitors plenty of opportunities to punish them on the break, conceding an xG of 2.07, according to Understat.

Two of United's three goals came from the wide areas, with one defender in particular struggling to keep up with the youthful vibrancy of the opposition's forward line.

Ashley Young's stats this season

Ashley Young has proven himself to be a reliable fullback under Dyche ever since making the move from Aston Villa during the summer transfer window for free. This season, the former Man United wide-man has made 12 appearances in the Premier League in a blue shirt, starting in 92% of Everton's games so far.

Nevertheless, the 38-year-old had a disastrous game against his old side on Sunday and played a helping hand in United's first two goals.

While Alejandro Garnacho stunned the Gwladys Street End with a stunning bicycle kick to open the scoring, the Argentine wonderkid was Young's man at the back-post but could only stand and watch in horror and awe as the ball sailed past Pickford and into the net. Later in the game, Young conceded a penalty which was smashed home by Marcus Rashford, all but putting the tie to bed.

Young lost five of his eight defensive duels throughout the match, lost possession of the ball nine times, committed three fouls in total and was lucky to stay on the park after tripping Anthony Martial in the box to concede a spot-kick, having been booked in the first half for a reckless challenge on Garnacho. The Liverpool Echo ranked Young's performance as a dismal 3/10, calling his display "awful".

With just over 15 minutes remaining, the veteran was replaced by the man who should be given the nod in the future.

Nathan Patterson's stats this season

Nathan Patterson moved to Goodison Park in 2022 during Rafa Benitez's time at the club for £16m having won a Scottish Premiership title with Rangers the year prior.

However, since becoming a Toffee, the young defender has appeared just 37 times in all competitions, including 15 this season. Despite making 12 Premier League appearances this term, the 22-year-old has only been in Dyche's starting lineup in 38% of Everton's games.

Regardless, the manager still believes that Patterson is an excellent player, calling him "tremendous" after Everton smashed Brighton and Hove Albion 5-1 away from home at the end of last season.

Patterson will be champing at the bit to make the right-back berth his own and, after Young's display on Sunday, he may just get the nod from the boss at Nottingham Forest this weekend. The Scotland international has even been outperforming Young in a number of key metrics for a fullback.

Assists

0.13

0

Expected Assists

0.11

0.07

Progressive Passes

3.77

3.73

Progressive Carries

2.13

1.73

Progressive Passes Received

3.77

1.18

Key Passes

0.82

1

Passes To Final 1/3

3.61

3

Crosses To Penalty Area

0.66

0.45

Tackles

3.11

1.55

Tackles Won %

73.7%

64.7%

Stats via FBref & FotMob.

Statistically, Patterson is an improvement on Young offensively and defensively and while he may not have the experience of his counterpart, the Scot should be given a run of games by Sean Dyche to prove his long-term worth to the team.

Chelsea have made a decision on one of their more expensive players at Stamford Bridge as Mauricio Pochettino continues to shape his squad, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Jackson injury, Hazard retires, Chelsea target Osimhen…

Cited by Football London, a Chelsea injury update on striker Nicolas Jackson has indicated that the Senegalese striker has withdrawn from international duty with the Lions of Teranga in order to undergo a minor operation on his wrist after he wore a splint for the Blues' last two fixtures.

Rangers forward Abdallah Sima has replaced Jackson in the Senegal squad as he recovers from the procedure over the international break ahead of Chelsea's trip to Arsenal upon the resumption of the Premier League campaign.

Chelsea icon Eden Hazard has announced his retirement from football and has taken to social media platform Instagram to thank everyone involved in his career, stating via The Guardian: "You must listen to yourself and say stop at the right time. After 16 years and more than 700 matches played, I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer. I was able to realise my dream, I have played and had fun on many pitches around the world. Thank you to everyone for these great times, I will miss you all."

Former Belgium international Hazard endeared himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful as a hero over the course of his seven years at Chelsea, registering 110 goals and 92 assists in 352 appearances across all competitions (Hazard statistics)

Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed on his Substack "Si Phillips Talks Chelsea" that Pochettino sees Napoli striker Victor Osimhen as a "dream" Chelsea transfer target, while Brentford's Ivan Toney is also said to be on the radar at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea summer signings

Axel Disasi (Monaco)

£38.5m

Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal)

£30.1m

Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)

£52m

Kendry Paez (Independiente del Valle)

£17.27m (joins 2025/26)

Robert Sanchez (Brighton)

£25m

Moises Caicedo (Brighton)

£115m

Lesley Ugochukwu (Rennes)

£23.5m

Angelo Gabriel (Santos)

Undisclosed

Alex Matos (Norwich)

Undisclosed

Diego Moreira (Benfica)

Undisclosed

Ishe Samuels-Smith (Everton)

Undisclosed

Dujuan Richards (Phoenix All Stars Academy)

Undisclosed

Romeo Lavia (Southampton)

£58m

Deivid Washington (Santos)

£17.1m

Djordje Petrovic (New England Revolution)

£14m

Cole Palmer (Manchester City)

£42.5m

All fees courtesy of Sky Sports

Chelsea transfer news – Romelu Lukaku

Transfer expert Romano has delivered another Chelsea transfer update on social media platform X regarding forgotten Blues striker Romelu Lukaku, who has rediscovered his best form out on loan at Jose Mourinho's Roma.

Romano stated: "Understand Chelsea have already fixed an exit fee for Romelu Lukaku in summer 2024 — and it’s around £37m. There’s an agreement to make Romelu available for that fee next year. Lukaku, doing great on loan to Roma as he scored 7 goals."

Labelled a "beast" by former Inter Milan striker Christian Vieri, Lukaku has managed to average 2.5 shots on goal per fixture this term in the Italian top-flight, alongside gaining an average match rating of 7.31/10, as per WhoScored.

Nevertheless, he could now be set to depart Stamford Bridge for a relatively cheap fee of £37 million, which looks almost microscopic compared to the £97.5 million fee the Blues paid for Lukaku in 2021.

New Zealand women amassed 491 for 4 – the highest total in all ODI cricket – to smash records and Ireland women at YMCA Cricket Club in Dublin

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2018
New Zealand women amassed 491 for 4 – the highest total in all ODI cricket – to smash records and Ireland women at the YMCA Cricket Club in Dublin. They threatened to break the 500-run barrier when they were 471 for 4 in 49 overs. Seventeen-year-old Amelia Kerr – the fourth New Zealand batsman to cross 50 – drove the first two balls of the last over through extra cover for fours. She followed it with another four to the long-on boundary, but could manage only seven off the last three balls.In response, Ireland folded for 144 in 35.3 overs as New Zealand secured the fourth-biggest win in women’s ODIs – by 346 runs. They achieved the biggest win – by 408 runs – when they ran up 455 for 5, the previous highest total in ODIs, in Christchurch in 1997.Ireland will also be concerned about Isobel Joyce, who did not bat in the chase after bumping her head on the ground while fielding. She had bowled just one over in the first innings.It was captain Suzie Bates and No. 3 Maddy Green who set the tone for New Zealand’s mammoth score with quickfire centuries – 151 off 94 balls and 121 off 77 balls respectively. Bates and debutant Jess Watkin started with a blistering 172-run opening partnership off 18.5 overs at a run rate of 9.13. The stand ended when Rachel Delaney, a substitute fielder, pulled off a stunning one-handed catch at deep square leg to dismiss Watkin for 62 off 59 balls.Bates, who was on 89 off 59 balls then, went on to score her 10th ODI hundred, off only 71 balls. Only Australia captain Meg Lanning (11) has more ODI centuries than Bates. She reached the landmark when she tucked legspinner Gaby Lewis to the leg side for a single and got a hug from team-mate Green in the middle.In the next over, Bates was reprieved on 113 when Louise Little dropped a return catch that went high. Bates further added 38 to her tally before 17-year-old legspinner Cara Murray, also making her ODI debut, drew Bates out of her crease and had her stumped in the 30th over, and New Zealand were 288 for 2. Murray also dismissed Amy Satterthwaite, but ended up conceding 119 runs – the worst figures in all ODIs.Three other bowlers – Lewis, Little, and Lara Maritz – gave away 92 runs each while new-ball bowler Amy Kenealy went for 81 in nine overs.The loss of Bates did not slow down New Zealand. Green, whose previous best ODI score was 46, smoked her maiden international century off 62 balls, while Kerr scored an unbeaten 81 off 45 balls, including nine fours and three sixes. Kerr added 76 for the fifth wicket in 38 balls to bring her side to within 10 runs of 500.Notably, this match was played on the same pitch where New Zealand had chased down 137 in 11 overs without losing a wicket on Wednesday.Seamer Hannah Rowe made light work of Ireland’s openers before offspinner Leigh Kasperek ran through the middle and lower order with career-best figures of 4 for 17. She had dismissed captain Laura Delany (37) and Jennifer Gray (35) – the only two Ireland batsmen to pass 20. The entire Ireland side managed only 18 boundaries while Bates alone hit 26.

Victory in the Merseyside derby appears to have been a false dawn, with Liverpool’s late-season decline very much still here after an error-strewn display saw Fulham claim victory over Arne Slot in the Premier League.

It was actually the first time that Liverpool and Slot had tasted defeat on the road in this term’s top flight, but stepping into the bracing summer air feels a distance away yet, for Fulham benefitted from some elementary defensive mistakes from the away side’s experienced and successful defenders.

Virgil van Dijk’s concerning but perhaps overblown dip in form continued, rarely at ease against the Londoners’ frontline and notably turned inside out by a Bergkamp-esque touch from Rodrigo Muniz, who proved to seal the win by scoring Fulham’s decisive third goal before the break.

However, Van Dijk, 33, is still one of the – if not the – best centre-backs in Europe; tying Liverpool’s captain down to one final contract is crucial.

The same can’t be said for Andrew Robertson, whose unwavering belief in his ability is admirable, but not enough given errors and a startling drop in athleticism and creativity have put his performances under a microscope this year.

Why Andy Robertson needs to be replaced

Robertson joined Liverpool way back when. Hull City’s talented full-back couldn’t save the Tigers from relegation in 2016/17, and so Jurgen Klopp saw an opportunity, swooped in and snapped him up for a cool £8m fee.

Now, he’s entering the twilight stage of his trophy-adorned career. Aged 31, Robertson has spent many years playing expertly in a high-octane, big-expectation outfit, but he’s past his best, with the defeat at Fulham the latest game in which he’s been culpable for a “dreadful error,” as was remarked by The Athletic’s James Pearce.

The Scotland captain also ceded possession on 12 occasions despite failing to complete a single key pass to help Liverpool’s attacking fluency, as per Sofascore.

It would be unfair to rebuke Robertson too harshly. He might be something of a weak link but he’s still been an important part of Liverpool’s campaign and is heading toward his second Premier League title.

But he needs replacing, for sure.

Plans have been mapped out already, it seems like Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez is one of FSG’s most pressing transfer targets ahead of the summer window.

However, Robertson’s not the only player who showed in the capital that they need to be sold, with a ‘world-class’ star potentially having played his last.

Liverpool need to sell "world-class" star

Replacing Robertson would be for the greater good of Slot’s project, but there are one or two more regular starters on Merseyside who might also be cashed in this summer.

Caoimhin Kelleher being one of them. The goalkeeper has been brilliant as Liverpool’s back-up between the sticks, featuring 67 times in total for the first team, but his unconvincing performance against Fulham underscored the reasoning behind FSG’s decision to allow him to move away, to sign a replacement.

Fulham put three past their opponents at the weekend despite only accumulating an xG total of just 0.79, which basically means that Liverpool should really have prevented two, if not all three, of the strikes.

It’s becoming clear that Kelleher needs to be sold, having risen from Liverpool’s academy graduate to achieve a sort of cult status, so instrumental in winning domestic cups over the past few seasons.

Praised as a “world-class” shot-stopper by his skipper, Van Dijk, Kelleher cannot abide another campaign playing second fiddle and fair enough to him. A swarm of clubs were intrigued in signing the £35m-rated star last year, but he ultimately stayed put.

However, the Irishman has pulled no punches in expressing his desire to take the next step in his career and “leave and be a number one.”

However, he’s hardly failed to earn any attention at Anfield. Slot, to whom Alisson is “the best goalkeeper in the world,” has been forced to make do without his number one on many occasions this season. In fact, the 26-year-old’s skills have been called into play regularly over the past couple of years.

Caoimhin Kelleher – Liverpool Stats by Season (all comps)
Season	Apps	Clean Sheets
24/25	20	9
23/24	26	5
22/23	4	2
21/22	8	4
20/21	5	2
19/20	4	2
Stats via Transfermarkt

With Alisson unable to shake persistent injury problems, Kelleher has featured 46 times since the start of last season. His Brazilian counterpart has featured 60 times over the same period.

The Liverpool Echo certainly weren’t impressed, handing Kelleher a 5/10 match rating. While correspondent Ian Doyle noted that the Ireland international could do little about Ryan Sessegnon’s parity-restoring strike, there’s a case to be made that the following strikes could have been prevented, albeit with Iwobi’s shot taking a nicking deflection off the guilty Robertson.

With Giorgi Mamardashvili set to arrive from Valencia in the summer, it makes perfect sense to bank a fee for Kelleher before his deal expires in 2026.

Especially when the Georgian goalkeeper, still only 24, is putting in performances like that of last weekend, when Real Madrid was foiled in their own backyard.

Football is a fickle game and revisionism must be ignored as Liverpool enter this final stretch of the campaign a little sapped and disjointed.

If anything, such a dip would have told Slot more about his tools than the hitherto strength that allowed him to carve through so many of his club’s opponents for the lion’s share of the season.

Liverpool have suffered a few blots on the copybook of late, but make no mistake, this is an extraordinary feat acheived down Anfield Road. The Reds are heading toward the Premier League title, but change is sure to be afoot in the market this summer.

In west London, Kelleher, like Robertson, may well have shown why he needs to be sold this summer.

Worse than Salah: Slot must axe 5/10 Liverpool ace who made just 2 passes

Liverpool suffered just their second Premier League defeat of the season this afternoon.

2

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 6, 2025

The 31-year-old passes away after a "complex medical battle" that left him hospitalized over recent weeks

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Former SKC midfielder Kinda passes away at 31Club Maccabi Haifa announced news after "complex medical battle"Kinda spent four seasons in MLS with SportingWHAT HAPPENED?

Former Sporting Kansas City midfielder Gadi Kinda died after a "complex medical battle" had hospitalized him in recent weeks. His club, Maccabi Haifa, announced the news Tuesday.

His last game for the Israeli side was March 29.

"Maccabi Haifa Football Club mourns the death of the team's player, Gadi Raphael Kinda, who passed away at the age of 31," the club said in a statement. "The Maccabi Haifa family hugs the Kinda family and prays that they will not know any more sorrow."

Sporting shared support to Kinda on May 10, posing with his jersey prior to their MLS match against the Portland Timbers.

"For Gadi," the club posted on social media. "Please join us in showing support and love for Gadi Kinda during this difficult time."

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The midfielder played four seasons in MLS with Sporting from 2020 to 2023, scoring 14 goals and recording 16 assists across 64 regular season matches. He missed the 2022 season due to injury.

Kinda, born in Ethiopia, represented Israel internationally, earning 10 caps for the national team. Along with Maccabi Haifa, Kinda also represented Ashdod and Beitar Jerusalem at the pro levels.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Sporting Kansas City midfielder Gadi Kinda. Our hearts are with Gadi’s family, his friends, teammates and all who knew him," Sporting KC said in a statement Tuesday.

WHAT SPORTING MANAGER KERRY ZAVAGNIN SAID

"It's still a raw emotion.," said Sporting KC head coach Kerry Zavagnin. "Obviously in the club right now and the way that the group is taking it, in such a difficult way, it goes to show what he meant to all of us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this difficult time. He was such an electric figure in our club and he's going to be dearly missed."

"A pleasure to be with every day," added Zavagnin, speaking to the character of Kinda. "No matter what the day looked like, he always came in with it with an optimistic view. Everyone from the chefs, the cooks, the cleaning service, the coaches, the rest of the staff, the players, all had a good feeling when they were around him and it shows today in how everyone's taken this tragic news.

"He was quiet, he was humble, and even in training he was very unassuming. But when the lights went on and the game started, he just became a different person. Entertaining, electrifying, creative and was a great injection of spirit combined with humility."

Asked about how he processed the news, Zavagnin added:

"Another moment of compartmentalizing. It hurts down to my heart knowing him as a person, which was a much better version than what he was as a player. And he was a pretty darn good player. So that part hurts, as much as you want to admit that we can't escape change and we can't escape what the ultimate is for all of us, it's difficult on a day like today."

KANSAS CITY'S NEXT MATCH

Sporting return to the pitch on May 24 against the New England Revolution.