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Despite slipping to a late defeat on the road at Crystal Palace on Saturday, Liverpool remain at the summit of the Premier League for the time being.

Arne Slot and Co had five straight league wins to thank for their table-topping position, but the concerning nature of their defeat at the hands of Oliver Glasner’s Palace will make those with connections to the Anfield giants worry about more crushing losses to come.

It’s too soon to be furiously pounding the panic button, but there will still be an uneasiness in the air surrounding Mohamed Salah’s poor performances of late, as the ageing winger now inevitably faces the winding down of his esteemed playing days.

Salah's poor performances in numbers

Staggeringly, if you remove his opening day strike against AFC Bournemouth from the equation, Salah only has a last-minute penalty against Burnley to shout about for his goalscoring efforts this season.

He does also have two assists next to his name, but it was a worryingly sub-par showing from the usually enigmatic Egyptian against the tough to break down Eagles, with Tyrick Mitchell managing to make the “world-class” ace – as he was once dubbed by Jurgen Klopp – look ordinary.

Salah was arguably lucky to last the full 90 minutes, with the lacklustre number 11 managing to complete none of his dribble attempts to try and catch out a resolute Palace defence, while also squandering two big chances to try and keep the Reds’ 100% record intact.

It does feel rather far-fetched that Salah will be dropped, though, even with these off-days popping up, but Slot will have one eye on the future now, surely, with the left-footed ace coming in at 33 years of age.

Thankfully, Liverpool do have some shiny starlets in the youth set-up who will be desperate to make more considerable strides in the first team picture soon, with one rising attacker maybe even aiming to become the next Salah in time.

Liverpool's up and coming Salah heir

When the day comes that Salah leaves Anfield behind, it will be an extremely tough task to try and instantly replace the Egyptian’s unmistakable star quality.

Despite visible chinks in his armour now appearing, Salah does boast an unbelievable 248 goals and 116 assists for the Reds, with two Premier League triumphs and a Champions League trophy lifted off the back of his blistering heroics.

Still, everybody has their day in the sun before they have to walk away, and with Liverpool already beginning to put the pieces together for a new-look attack with Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz in through the door this summer, there could soon be a queue of candidates wanting to take over from the modern day icon as Liverpool’s electric spark down the flanks.

Rio Ngumoha might well fancy his chances at being a long-term successor to Salah’s throne, having already lit up the Premier League this season with a Salah-like moment of quality when breaking Newcastle United hearts with a last-gasp winner at St. James’ Park.

In the right place at the right time to smash home that decisive strike, the tricky 17-year-old also managed to complete one successful dribble, despite only being present on the Tyneside turf for eight minutes.

Having also scored and assisted for fun in pre-season for Slot’s men – with two goals and two assists registered against the likes of Athletic Bilbao and AC Milan – it does feel like only a matter of time before Nguhoma enters into the Dutchman’s first team plans and remains there.

The future is immensely bright for this talented teen, with his former youth coach in Saul Isaksson-Hurst even going as far as to say he could one day make the Ballon d’Or shortlist like Salah.

Nguhoma’s current moment in the spotlight at Anfield could have well been Chelsea’s own success story in an alternate reality, with the teenage sensation lining up nine times for the Chelsea U18s before moving to Merseyside.

Liverpool U18s

10

0 + 3

Chelsea U18s

9

1 + 1

Liverpool U21s

9

2 + 0

Liverpool first team

3

1 + 0

Liverpool youth league

6

0 + 1

Of course, Salah was also once let go of prematurely by the Blues, before turning into a world beater donning Liverpool red.

With a Salah-like directness present in his game, also making him “one of the best young wingers in Europe” according to Secret Scout, there is an unbelievable level of hype already surrounding the 17-year-old’s name.

It will be up to the England U19 international and those around him to ensure he is brave enough to ride these choppy upcoming waves, but a homegrown Salah potentially being in the works is an absurd thought.

Slot has found the new Nunez in Liverpool star who's "struggling" big time

Liverpool have problems to fix after suffering their first league defeat of the season at Crystal Palace.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 28, 2025

Even though Sunday put a slight dampener on things, the outlook for Arsenal this season is a positive one.

As long as the Gunners can keep their star players from missing as many games as they did last season, they should remain in the Premier League title race until the very end.

Moreover, even if the club do suffer with more injuries, they’ve done an incredible job bolstering the squad with brilliant alternatives over the summer.

Yet, there are still some issues, including one player Mikel Arteta has to give up on, a player who is earning more than marquee signing Eberechi Eze.

What Eze brings to Arsenal

The signing of Eze in and of itself lifted the mood of the Arsenal fanbase last month, as, on top of getting one over Tottenham Hotspur, the club were addressing a few problem areas in one deal.

For example, in addition to scoring goals last season, a significant problem for the Gunners was simply creating chances.

According to data from Stats Muse, despite finishing as runners-up, Arteta’s outfit were only the fifth best team at creating goalscoring chances, chalking up just 427 compared to Liverpool’s 502.

In other words, it was crystal clear to all who watched that the Gunners were in desperate need of some ingenuity in the team, and while one player alone won’t see them create the most chances in the league, Eze will undoubtedly help.

For example, according to Stats Muse, the Englishman created 59 chances on his own in the league last year, which is all the more impressive given that he did so for a mid-table side.

The second significant benefit of signing the 27-year-old is his ability to play in multiple positions.

One week, he might be tasked with starting in the middle of the park, either to cover for or replace, should his form not improve, Martin Odegaard, and then the next week, be the starting left-winger.

At the moment, it feels more likely that the £175k-per-week “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, will start in the latter position.

After all, that is where the player who needs to be dropped and moved on is currently playing.

The Arsenal dud earning way more than Eze

If you were to ask fans what the most significant problem area in this Arsenal team is, most would probably say the left wing.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast’s Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

Leandro Trossard has not looked convincing for nearly a year now; Noni Madueke has looked uncomfortable out there on the few times he has played there, and worst of all, fans are losing patience with Gabriel Martinelli.

The Brazilian wideman was once one of the most exciting members of the Gunners’ squad, with his breakneck speed and impressive finishing ability making him a key part of the side’s first title-challenging season in 22/23.

However, it has been a long time since we’ve seen that version of the 23-year-old, and instead of picking up 15 goals and six assists in the league like he did in 22/23, he was only able to amass a tally of eight goals and four assists last season.

Moreover, what is particularly frustrating about the winger is that, time after time, he will find himself with the ball at his feet and with one defender ahead of him and, instead of beating his man or dinking the ball over their head, he’ll pass it backwards or run into them.

This was on full display on Sunday when the Guarulhos-born ace failed to have any positive attacking impact on the game whatsoever, so much so that podcaster Phil Costa labelled him “clunky and indecisive,” which is about the worst way to describe a winger.

This wouldn’t be such a problem if the former Ituano gem were a fringe squad player on a low wage who could be easily moved on, but instead, he’s a core part of the squad and making an astronomical £180k-per-week.

Martinelli vs Eze in 24/25
Players	Martinelli	Eze
Appearances	51	43
Minutes	3564′	3303′
Goals	10	14
Assists	6	11
Goal Involvements per Match	0.31	0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement	222.75′	132.12′
Stats via Transfermarkt

That comes out to a whopping £9.36m-per-year, and when you compare his output to Eze’s over the last couple of seasons, it’s impossible to ignore how poor a use of funds this is.

Now, there is, of course, a chance Martinelli could one day rediscover the form that led to him earning his current contract.

However, after two seasons of underwhelming performances and a poor start to this one, that feels very, very unlikely.

Therefore, Arteta should be dropping him from the team for the next game, and Arsenal should do what they can to move him on as soon as possible.

Arsenal could have signed Rodrygo by selling their "talent of the century"

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Matt Dawson

Sep 1, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras entra em campo nesta quarta-feira (5), a partir das 19h30 (horário de Brasília), para encarar o São Paulo, pelo primeiro jogo das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil 2023.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasSem Rony, Palmeiras segue preparação para Choque-Rei decisivo; veja provável timePalmeiras04/07/2023PalmeirasSeneme admite que Palmeiras foi prejudicado por não expulsão de Zé IvaldoPalmeiras04/07/2023PalmeirasMaior organizada do Palmeiras vai até o RJ protestar contra a CBF: ‘Seneme, cadê você?’Palmeiras04/07/2023

+ Veja tabela da Copa do Brasil-2023 clicando aqui

O jogo será uma oportunidade de revanche do elenco palmeirense que não engoliu até hoje a eliminação para o São Paulo da Copa do Brasil do ano passado.

E mesmo com poucas perdas dentro do time desde então, o Verdão que encara o tricolor hoje será bem diferente daquele que perdeu o primeiro jogo das oitavas, em 2022.

continua após a publicidade

Danilo, Gustavo Scarpa e Gabriel Veron foram titulares naquela noite e negociados recentemente pelo Verdão, não fazem mais parte do plantel alviverde.

Murilo, Zé Rafael, Marcos Rocha e Rony eram os outros quatro titulares que não estarão entre os onze hoje. O zagueiro fica como opção no banco de reservas, assim como o experiente lateral direito. Zé Rafael e Rony estão fora da partida por lesão.

continua após a publicidade

+ Olho no Brasileirão! Assine o Prime Video e acompanhe todos os jogos do seu time de coração

Mayke, Luan, Richard Rios, Gabriel Menino, Raphael Veiga, Luís Guilherme (Breno Lopes) e Endrick devem ser as novidades desse novo Verdão que busca um resultado mais favorável neste ano, para decidir a vaga no Allianz Parque, na semana que vem.

Dos titulares do Verdão que jogaram naquela noite no Morumbi, apenas quatro também jogam hoje (Weverton, Gómez, Piquerez e Dudu).

Aquela derrota foi a última do Palmeiras em um clássico paulista até hoje. De lá pra cá, o time de Abel Ferreira jogou dez vezes contra os seus três maiores rivais e não perdeu nenhuma, somando seis vitórias e quatro empates.

A bola rola para São Paulo x Palmeiras a partir das 19h30 (horário de Brasília) desta quarta-feira (5) e o jogo será transmitido apenas pelo Amazon Prime.

Surrey welcome chance to work with giants of IPL, but resolve to keep controlling stake

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2025Surrey have confirmed that they will be retaining their majority stake in Oval Invincibles, as they begin their period of exclusive negotiations with Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), the owners of Mumbai Indians, in the wake of last month’s Hundred equity sale.RIL secured a 49% stake in Invincibles, the reigning Men’s Hundred champions and the most successful team across genders in the tournament’s four-year history, after valuing the franchise at £123 million at a live auction on January 30.That means they are expected to pay just over £60 million for their equity share when the team ownership transfers from ECB to Surrey County Cricket Club at the end of 2025. This will be undertaken through negotiations with RISE Worldwide, Reliance’s subsidiary, which has been named as the club’s preferred partner from the 2026 season onwards.Mumbai Indians, five-times winners of the IPL, are widely seen as the most powerful IPL franchise, while Surrey are the richest English county club. The Invincibles’ men’s and women’s teams will become the sixth and seventh teams associated with RIL, after Mumbai Indians (in both the IPL and WPL), MI New York (MLC), MI Cape Town (SA20) and MI Emirates (ILT20).Related

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Sun Group secures 100% stake in Northern Superchargers

RIL, owned by the Ambani family, had been widely linked with buying a stake in London Spirit, but that franchise was eventually secured by a Silicon Valley tech consortium that valued the Lord’s-based franchise at £295 million.Up to five IPL teams could be involved in team ownership when the sales process is completed later this month. Last week, Sun Group – owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad – secured a 100% stake in Northern Superchargers for £100 million, while Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group – owners of Lucknow Super Giants – expected to land a 70% stake in Manchester Originals when their negotiations are complete.Southern Brave is widely expected to be secured by GMR Group, co-owners of Delhi Capitals, who last year bought a groundbreaking majority stake in host county Hampshire, while the owners of Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals are among those who are understood to have shown interest in Nottingham-based Trent Rockets.Surrey, however, have reiterated their desire to keep hold of their controlling stake in Invincibles, while welcoming the chance to work with a franchise that has won 11 league titles across the globe, including at least one in each of the competitions they have competed in.Oli Slipper, Chair of Surrey CCC, said: “We said at the outset that we wanted the best partner to ensure that Surrey continue to lead the way in English cricket and in Mumbai Indians that is what we have got.”They share our passion for cricket, they own the biggest and most successful team in the IPL, the Mumbai Indians, and we believe this partnership will bring continued success to both Surrey CCC and our Hundred team.”Beyond cricket, the huge success of RIL’s global business will help Surrey to thrive off the field too. I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Mrs. Nita Ambani, Akash and his team as our new partners.”Mrs. Nita M Ambani, Owner of Mumbai Indians, said: “Cricket is more than just a sport, it’s a passion that unites people across geographies and cultures. Welcoming Oval Invincibles into our Mumbai Indians family is a proud and special moment.””England, with its rich cricketing culture, has always been special to the game,” Akash Ambani, Owner of Mumbai Indians, added. “To have the iconic Oval, which has witnessed some of cricket’s greatest moments, as our home venue is truly special.”

There has been some concern from sections of the Celtic fanbase in recent weeks about the role that Paulo Bernardo is going to play for Brendan Rodgers this season.

The Portugal U21 international has been an unused substitute in both of the club’s Scottish Premiership matches so far this term, with Reo Hatate, Callum McGregor, Benjamin Nygren, Arne Engels, and Luke McCowan all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Bernardo played 28 times in the league for the Hoops in the 2024/25 campaign, but only started 13 of those matches, and produced two goals and three assists, per Sofascore.

Rodgers has seemingly decided that he is his last option in the middle of the park, though, as five other central midfielders have been used ahead of him in the opening two matches.

Celtic told asking price for midfield target

It could get even worse for Bernardo before the end of the summer transfer window, as the Hoops appear to be looking at signing another player in his position.

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 Claret & Hugh, West Ham United central midfielder Andy Irving is a target for Celtic, as they look to further bolster their options in the coming weeks.

The report claims that the Scotland international is not going to get regular football under Graham Potter at the London Stadium, and is on an unofficial transfer list for the Hammers.

It adds, though, that the Hoops will have to pay a fee of around £3.5m to land a deal for the left-footed maestro, who they have already turned down a bid of £2.2m for this summer.

Celtic now have to decide whether or not they want to splash the cash to bring the Scottish midfielder to Parkhead before the end of the window.

Why this is bad news for Paulo Bernardo

The news of the club’s interest in Irving, and the relatively reasonable asking price, will come as bad news to Bernardo because the arrival of another midfielder would send him even further down the pecking order.

It seems unlikely that the Hoops would want to bring in another midfielder, much less one for £3.5m, if they did not plan for the player to play a key role in the side, which means that they would be signed with the view to playing instead of the Portuguese star.

This means that the arrival of Irving could leave Bernardo as the seventh choice central midfielder for the Hoops, meaning that he would not even make the starting line-up if Rodgers switched his midfield three up completely.

Andy Irving (Austrian Bundesliga)	22/23	23/24
Appearances	31	28
Goals	5	9
Big chances missed	0	1
Big chances created	10	7
Key passes per game	1.4	1.2
Assists	6	4
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Irving played regularly in Austria in the two seasons before the 2024/25 campaign, when he only started one game for West Ham in the Premier League, as per Sofascore.

These statistics suggest that the Scottish midfielder could provide a big threat at the top end of the pitch from the middle of the park as both a scorer and a creator of goals for his side when given the chance to play week-in-week-out.

The 25-year-old, whose football journey was described as “fascinating” by reporter Barry Anderson, could be an exciting addition to the squad as a homegrown, Scottish, talent who could provide quality depth behind the starters.

However, not everyone would be delighted by his arrival at Parkhead because it could force Bernardo to consider his short-term future at Parkhead with the summer transfer window due to close at the start of next month.

Rodgers could axe Adam Idah by sealing Celtic move for "explosive" £6m star

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1

By
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The former Benfica starlet will not want to be the seventh choice in midfield for the 2025/26 campaign, as it may see him rarely feature on the pitch, and that is why the possible signing of Irving could result in the Portuguese talent moving on from Celtic.

Nottingham Forest are working hard to secure new arrivals and could be given a helping hand by claiming a sizeable windfall from one of their first-team assets, according to reports.

Nottingham Forest remain in deadlock over Morgan Gibbs-White

Truthfully, nothing of note has changed in Morgan Gibbs-White’s precarious situation at Nottingham Forest after they threatened to take legal action against Tottenham Hotspur following the latter triggering the England international’s release clause.

While it remains to be seen whether the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man stays in the Midlands, the Tricky Trees have reportedly identified Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey as a replacement.

Everton and West Ham United are also interested in the midfielder, though Ben Jacobs has also confirmed that Bilal El Khannouss is another Nottingham Forest option.

Addressing their interest in the Leicester City playmaker, he stated: “It’s buying Forest time and in the time taken, Forest are looking at Morgan Gibbs-White replacements, which tells you they still think there’s a chance he could go to Spurs.

“Bilal El Khannouss, at Leicester, is one name to watch. He has a 26m euro relegation release clause, and Forest are one of at least three Premier League clubs that have expressed an interest in the Moroccan international.”

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ByJoe Nuttall Jul 15, 2025

Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus have arrived at the City Ground from Botafogo, albeit Nuno Espirito Santo has struggled to follow up on bringing in the duo as the marketspace becomes increasingly competitive.

Nevertheless, there is plenty of time left to secure new arrivals, offering optimism that he will eventually put together the components needed for Nottingham Forest to have a successful window, though he will also need to sell players to balance the books.

Botafogo agree deal to sign Nottingham Forest star Danilo

According to Globo Esporte, Botafogo have agreed to sign Nottingham Forest star Danilo and only the final details of a deal remain to be ironed out before his transfer back to Brazil is sealed.

An agreement is in place between all parties, and it is said that the value of his move equates to around £19 million. The former Palmeiras man will sign a four-year contract after negotiations accelerated due to Gregore’s departure to Al-Rayyan.

Danilo’s record at Nottingham Forest

Appearances

62

Goals

6

Assists

4

Labelled “wonderful” by Nuno after unfortunately breaking his ankle, the Salvador-born man has struggled to get back to his best form since and now appears set to reignite his career back in familiar surroundings.

It should be noted that he was initially hesistant to commit to Botafogo amid his association with their rivals, Palmeiras, but he is now ready to take the plunge under Davide Ancelotti’s stewarship.

Nottingham Forest may be losing a talented squad player, though his exit may offer up further funds to pursue reinforcements in the engine room once all documentation is signed and sealed.

Leeds United are currently building a squad that has the quality to avoid being relegated from the Premier League at the first time of asking next season.

The Whites have already done plenty of business throughout the summer transfer window, signing Gabriel Gudmundsson, Lucas Perri, Jaka Bijol, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Lukas Nmecha, Sean Longstaff, and Anton Stach.

You can see from the profiles of the players listed there that the Championship champions have placed a clear focus on bolstering the defensive side of the squad in the first part of the window, as Nmecha is the only attacking player among them.

Daniel Farke and his recruitment staff must shift their focus towards the attacking areas of the pitch in the coming days, though, as they need to add enough quality to score goals consistently in the top-flight.

The German head coach has to be ruthless with his squad by deciding which players in his attack are not suited to make the step up to the Premier League.

One player who the West Yorkshire outfit should be looking to replace as a starter before the end of the summer transfer window is Brenden Aaronson.

Why Leeds should replace Brenden Aaronson

Leeds should be replacing the USA international ahead of next season because he did not show enough quality in the Championship to suggest that he is ready to be a key player in the Premier League.

When Aaronson played in the top-flight for the Whites in the 2022/23 campaign, the attacking midfielder managed just one goal and three assists, underperforming his xG of 3.86.

The drop down to play in the Championship last season, after a year on loan at Union Berlin, did help him to contribute more at the top end of the pitch, and there were some impressive moments from him.

Aaronson ended the season with a return of nine goals and two assists in 46 appearances in the second tier, starting 43 of those games, which was a solid, but unspectacular haul.

However, the 24-year-old flop underperformed his xG once again in a Leeds shirt, with nine goals from 11.43 xG, and struggled badly against the top teams.

Form against the 2024/25 Championship top six

Brenden Aaronson vs

Goals

Assists

Bristol City (A)

0

0

Burnley (H)

0

0

Sunderland (A)

0

0

Sheffield United (H)

0

0

Coventry (H)

0

0

Coventry (A)

0

0

Burnley (A)

0

0

Sunderland (H)

0

0

Sheffield United (A)

0

0

Bristol City (H)

0

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the American midfielder did not produce a single goal or assist in any of his ten appearances against the other five teams that made up the top six in the Championship.

Supporters should, therefore, be happy to read that the club are reportedly interested in a deal to sign an attacking midfielder who would arrive as a big upgrade on Aaronson.

Leeds make approach to sign new attacking midfielder

According to GIVEMESPORT, Leeds United have made an approach to Leicester City over a potential deal to sign 21-year-old talent Bilal El Khannouss this summer.

The report claims that the Whites are pursuing a move for the Morocco international to bolster their options in midfield, and that they have made enquiries to the Championship side.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

It adds that West Ham United and a number of unnamed clubs are also interested in signing the attacking midfielder, which means that Leeds will face plenty of competition to land his signature.

GIVEMESPORT also reveals that El Khannouss has a release clause in his contract with Leicester. He is available for a fee of around £22m (£22.5m), as the release clause was activated when the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League.

Leeds have now made contact to find out what the terms are to pay the release clause, and it now remains to be seen what their next move will be.

Why this is bad news for Brenden Aaronson

This latest report should come as bad news to Aaronson, because El Khannouss could arrive at Elland Road to be a big upgrade on the USA international.

As aforementioned, the current Leeds dud failed to produce enough quality on the pitch in the Premier League when he last played in the division, and his underwhelming performances in the Championship do not suggest that he is likely to make the step up.

El Khannouss’ performances for the Foxes, meanwhile, suggest that he could offer more to Farke’s side in the number ten position if they sign him to come in and replace Aaronson in that role.

U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed that the 21-year-old’s talent is “unquestionable”, and it is not hard to see why he is held in such high esteem when you consider that he created eight ‘big chances’ in 27 Premier League starts in a team that got relegated, in his first year in England.

Premier League *per 90

El Khannouss (24/25)

Aaronson (22/23)

Non-penalty goals*

0.08

0.04

xAG*

0.19

0.16

Progressive passes*

5.28

3.26

Progressive carries*

3.01

1.63

Passes into the final third*

3.67

1.78

Through balls*

0.45

0.30

Take-on success rate

57%

34%

Miscontrols*

1.57

2.69

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, the Leicester star’s output last season in the top-flight was significantly more impressive than what Aaronson produced two years ago.

These statistics suggest that the £22.5m-rated dynamo has the potential to offer more to Leeds in the final third and in build-up play, as he has the ability to progress attacks with passes and carries, whilst also being able to score and create chances more often.

El Khannouss is still a young player who is learning and developing, which also means that he could be a signing with the future in mind, as well as the here and now.

The Leeds target did only score two goals in 27 starts in the division, but those two goals came from an xG of 1.31. This suggests that Farke would need to find a way for the team to get him into more goalscoring positions throughout the season.

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Overall, though, the Moroccan magician’s creativity and dynamism could add a different dimension to the team’s attack that they lacked with Aaronson in the side in their last Premier League adventure, which is why this is bad news to the American, who may find himself on the bench more often than not.

Gus Atkinson produced his fifth performance worthy of the Lord’s honours boards in his debut summer as an England Test cricketer, adding a second-innings five-for to his maiden hundred as Sri Lanka’s resistance in the second Test was finally broken.The touring side, set an unlikely target of 483 to keep the series alive, put on a gutsy fourth-innings display in a bid to avoid a first Test defeat at Lord’s since 1991. There were valiant half-centuries for Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva, as well as more dogged lower-order resistance from Milan Rathnayake, in only his second Test. But in the end, they were well beaten, going down by 190 runs inside four days.There was only a sparse crowd in at Lord’s to appreciate the contest, but there were ripples of applause for Sri Lanka’s endeavour – followed by the latest ovation of Atkinson’s fledgling Test career, as he raised the ball aloft after removing Rathnayake to leave Sri Lanka nine down. It took his tally to 19 Test wickets at 10.94 in two Test appearances at Lord’s (three entries on the board for five wickets in an innings, one for ten in the match), to go alongside the first century of his professional career.Atkinson’s exploits also put him in select company as an allrounder, becoming only the third England Men’s player to score a hundred and take a five-wicket haul in the same Test.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

England returned on Sunday morning needing eight wickets to seal a 2-0 lead in the series – and their fifth consecutive Test win this summer. They were made to work hard for it, with Chris Woakes, Olly Stone and Shoaib Bashir contributing alongside Atkinson as Sri Lanka’s batters applied themselves to their task.If chasing 483 to win seemed unlikely, they certainly had a chance of taking the game into a fifth day. “Bat simple and bat long,” was the message, according to Dhananjaya, and Karunaratne’s first fifty of the series set the tone during the morning session as Sri Lanka lost just two wickets, one of them the “lightwatcher”, Prabath Jayasuriya.Karunaratne dug in for 129 balls for his 55, before being bounced out by Stone, then Chandimal changed gears to blitz a 43-ball fifty either side of lunch. Dhananjaya was typically cool in putting up the highest partnership of the innings alongside Rathnayake, notching his own fifty after tea; but when he played on against Atkinson with the second new ball, the end for Sri Lanka was nigh.Ollie Pope shuffled his hand regularly, trying out different combinations and tactics – although his success with the DRS did not improve, with three burned reviews taking his record as England’s stand-in captain to eight without managing to overturn a single on-field call.The review system also led to England’s one moment of palpable frustration, when Chandimal had an lbw decision reversed on the strength of the minutest of flickers on UltraEdge – “He’s not hit that,” Woakes could be seen to say on replay. But Chandimal’s skittish innings featuring 11 boundaries eventually came to an end via a bat-pad catch at short leg off Atkinson, who struck again in his next over as Kamindu Mendis flashed a drive to third slip.Dhananjaya and Rathnayake threw up another roadblock, as they had done in the first innings at Old Trafford, to extend the day into a third session. Rathnayake showed his bravery in taking on Stone’s short-ball attack and after being dropped by Joe Root at slip off Atkinson looked set to add a second fifty in as many Tests only to nick a pull behind, before Woakes’ slower ball finished the innings off, Lahiru Kumara chipping to mid-on.Dinesh Chandimal hits on the up in his energetic innings•Getty Images

It was a long way from an eventful start, which saw Karunaratne survive a review for lbw off the second ball of the morning – replays showing Woakes’ delivery had pitched fractionally outside leg stump. The Sri Lanka opener had another life when a slash at Atkinson evaded the diving Root, a tough, one-handed chance at slip; England then lost a second review when thought they had him caught behind off the same bowler.Woakes removed Jayasuriya after an obdurate innings of 4 from 41 balls, a thick-edged drive well held low at second slip by Harry Brook. But the fourth-wicket stand between Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews kept England at bay, with a run-out seemingly their likeliest method of a breakthrough.With just one fifty from 13 previous innings in England, Karunaratne was largely watchful in his approach, although he did take three boundaries off an over from Atkinson: a cover drive followed up with a controlled pull, before a low edge flew between slip and gully. Another steer down to deep third off Matt Potts took him to 49 before a tap to point allowed him to raise his bat for the first time on tour.Mathews looked to take on Bashir, who found some turn but was perhaps not as threatening as England would have hoped, and Pope asked Stone to go short again with lunch approaching. The move worked, Karunaratne dislodged when gloving a lifter through to Smith down the leg side.Chandimal seemed intent on counterattacking and took Woakes for back-to-back fours at the start of his spell after lunch, then hit Bashir for three boundaries in an over. A wild swipe at Woakes that flew over the slips took him to fifty, and he did the bulk of the scoring during a stand of 59 with Mathews.They were separated when Bashir tempted Mathews to try and go over the top, only to drill his shot into the hands of Woakes, going to his left at mid-off. Woakes then thought he had removed Chandimal on 55, hitting the knee roll with one coming back down the slope – only for the third umpire, Chris Gaffaney, to conclude there was bat involved, much to Woakes’ chagrin. The delay was temporary, as England closed in on a clean sweep ahead of the final Test of the summer at The Oval next week.

Middlesex 342 for 7 (Higgins 107, du Plooy 57, Roland-Jones 51*) vs DerbyshireRyan Higgins again proved the saviour of Middlesex as the hosts fought back from early trouble to post 342 for 7 against visitors Derbyshire on day one at Lord’s.The Zimbabwean-born all-rounder battled to a fourth century of the season from 152 balls, reaching his ton in the grand manner with a six into the Mound Stand as the hosts recovered from 189 for 6.Higgins and Seaxes skipper Toby Roland-Jones, whose 51 not out was his first championship half-century for 21 months, rewrote the record books with their unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 112 eclipsing that of 95 by Wilf Slack and Colin Metson set at the County Ground Derby in 1981.The late plunder was harsh on a Derbyshire attack who were excellent for much of the day, spinner Alex Thomson the pick of the bunch with 2 for 43.Middlesex’s decision to bat first on winning the toss was greeted by applause from the home faithful accustomed to seeing them insert opponents this season Ironically, it soon became clear their decision had been made on the sportiest wicket seen at Lord’s this campaign.Zak Chappell struck in the first over having Sam Robson taken at backward point, the former England opener back in the hutch without a run on the board. It set the tone for a fascinating morning’s cricket where Derbyshire’s bowlers extracted plenty of life and bounce from a green-tinged surface.Both Mark Stoneman and Max Holden had uncomfortable moments, the former nicking one from Chappell just short of slip, while the latter slashed another swinging ball from the probing Sam Connors wide of the close-catching cordon.The hosts appeared to have survived the worst when Stoneman flicked at a delivery wide down the leg-side from Anuj Dal, wicketkeeper Brooke Guest flying to his right to catch.New batter Leus du Plooy, playing against his former county, and Thomson began a gripping duel in the run-up to lunch, the batter looking fidgety and trying to give the bowler the charge, the spinner countering, mixing some tempting tossed up deliveries with others fired in short to stop his former teammate in his tracks.Holden was becalmed either side of lunch as the ball began to swing under increasing cloud cover and his patience ran out as he slashed a wide one to Aneurin Donald at slip.Again, Du Plooy and Higgins weathered a storm, the former unfurling some glorious extra-cover drives and playing a delicious late cut through third in advancing to his half-century.Thomson though proved his nemesis, when Du Plooy got too far away from one that bounced and gave Guest another catch to end a stand of 63.He’d also account for Nathan Fernandes before tea, a ball too close to cut, flying to Wayne Madsen at slip and when Jack Davies edged through to Guest five balls after the interval, Middlesex were 189 for 6.An unusually subdued Higgins, who’d been given a life on 33 when Donald grassed a chance at slip from a reverse sweep off Thomson, found sufficient rhythm to move through to 50 with five fours. Luke Hollman kept him company for a while before edging one from Daryn Pavillon to the diving Madsen at slip.With that, Higgins began to chance his arm and ride his luck, twice edging through the gap in the slip cordon to the fence at third, and with Toby Roland-Jones reviving memories of bygone days bat in hand with a couple of dreamy cover-drives the pair rattled up a 50-partnership in good time.The skipper broke his bat digging out a Connors Yorker and the change proved fruitful as he sent the next delivery over the short boundary into the Mound Stand. He later repeated the feat to raise the second batting bonus point and to compound Derbyshire’s growing frustration Higgins was reprieved a second time on 88 when a chance above head high at second slip fell to earth, Pavillon the unlucky bowler.He made the most of the let-off to reach his hundred in the death throes of the day, Roland-Jones’ landmark following shortly afterwards.

Celtic ended their season on Saturday and the attention will now turn to the summer transfer window and what they need to improve the squad to go again next term.

The Hoops already know that they might have to bolster their options out wide after Portuguese winger Jota suffered an injury that is set to keep him out for a large chunk of the 2025/26 campaign.

He was forced off with a knee injury during the first half of the 5-0 win over Dundee United and is now set for between six and nine months on the sidelines with a cruciate ligament injury.

This means that the attacker, who rejoined the Hoops from Rennes on a permanent deal in January, could miss most or all of the first half of next season.

Jota had produced four goals and two assists in seven starts in the Scottish Premiership prior to his injury blow, which illustrates the kind of quality that Brendan Rodgers has lost because of this news.

Celtic may, therefore, be in the market for a new winger in the summer transfer window, which officially opens for business next month, and one forward who is of interest to the club is Sondre Orjasaeter.

Why Sondre Orjasaeter could be a good signing for Celtic

Writing for Sky Sports on Saturday, journalist Anthony Joseph claimed that the club could go back in with a move for the Sarpsborg star this summer.

The reporter added that the Premiership champions had multiple bids turned down for the Norway youth international, before they eventually signed Jota from Rennes.

67HailHail reported during that window that the Hoops had an offer of £4.4m turned down for the 21-year-old starlet because the Norwegian side were holding out for a fee of £7m.

£7m is a significant amount of cash to splash on a young talent who has not proven himself outside of his own country, but his form for Sarpsborg does suggest that the potential is there for him to be an exciting signing for Celtic.

Sondre Orjasaeter (Eliteserien)	2024	2025
Appearances	28	7
Goals	5	1
Big chances missed	5	2
Big chances created	12	7
Key passes per game	1.9	2.0
Assists	5	2
Dribbles completed per game	2.4	2.7
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Orjasaeter has provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, mainly the latter, in the Eliteserien since the start of last year, which is why he could be an excellent signing to fill the void left by Jota’s injury.

However, the £7m price tag could be a sticking point, particularly with Jota due to return at some point next season, and that is why they could look to an alternative option to forget about Orjasaeter.

Celtic could return for Belgian star

In the aforementioned article for Sky Sports, Anthony Joseph also reported that Royal Antwerp attacker Michel-Ange Balikwisha has been a long-term transfer target for Celtic.

The journalist added that the 24-year-old wizard has been highly recommended to the club by their scouts, who have been impressed by his performances in Belgium.

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Joseph claimed that the Scottish giants could go in with a swoop for the Pro League star in the upcoming summer transfer window, and he could come cheaper than Orjasaeter would.

The Scottish Sun reported in April that the impressive winger is currently valued at £5m by Royal Antwerp, which means that he could be £2m cheaper than the Norwegian whizkid.

With this in mind, Rodgers could forget all about Orjasaeter and save the club £2m in transfer fees by pushing for the board to sign Balikwisha as an emergency replacement for Jota this summer.

Why Celtic should sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha

As per UEFA, Belgium is currently ranked the eighth best European league based on the coefficient rankings, three places above Norway in 11th. This suggests that the standard in Belgium, at least among the top clubs, is better than the standard in Norway.

You could, therefore, put more weight behind Balikwisha’s performances in the Pro League than Orjasaeter’s in the Eliteserien when judging how effective they could be at making an impact at Celtic, particularly in the Champions League, next season.

Whilst the Norwegian starlet has caught the eye with six goals and seven assists in his last 35 Eliteserien games for Sarpsborg, the Belgian ace has delivered similar levels of quality whilst playing in a more challenging league.

One scout, Emir, on X, described the £5m-rated star as a winger who “wins games on his own” and a “no-brainer” signing for top teams because he is ready to take the step to the next level.

Balikwisha’s performances in the Pro League suggest that he is a player who can be a difference-maker in the final third to win matches for his side, with goals and assists.

Michel-Ange Balikwisha (Pro League)	23/24	24/25
Starts	27	11
xG	6.46	2.26
Goals	7	4
Big chances created	6	7
Key passes per game	1.5	1.6
Assists	5	3
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Belgian gem has produced 11 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 11 starts in the Pro League this season since returning from injury, which speaks to the kind of quality he can provide at the top end of the pitch.

Balikwisha, who is a right-footed left-winger, has also outperformed his xG in each of the last two seasons in the Belgian top-flight, which shows that he can be an effective and efficient finisher in front of goal.

The Celtic target also produced one goal and one assist in two Champions League qualifiers to help his side qualify for the group stage in the 2023/24 campaign, before scoring one goal in five matches in the group stage.

This shows that, unlike Orjasaeter, he also has experience on the top stage of European football, which could be useful ahead of Celtic’s qualifiers for the competition later this year.

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Therefore, Rodgers must urge Celtic to forget about Orjasaeter by signing Balikwisha, who could provide more quality and experience whilst costing £2m less this summer.