After their win over Pakistan in UAE, New Zealand have a chance to scale Test rankings’ summit if they topple Sri Lanka

The Preview by Madushka Balasuriya13-Aug-2019

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Big PictureSri Lanka won their last Test assignment – it was a historic one too – in South Africa, but so much has happened since. New Zealand have had a different kind of high, and a heartbreak to boot, at the World Cup, but are determined to move on and make a fresh start in Sri Lanka, with the Tests part of the World Test Championship.What’s certain is they won’t underestimate the hosts, even though they are yet to emerge from their forever-rebuilding state, under another interim coach. In Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, and Henry Nicholls they have a middle order more than capable of batting Sri Lanka out of the game. To bolster their batting unit, they have also recruited former Sri Lanka batting coach Thilan Samaraweera for the duration of the series.Sri Lanka are coming into the series on the back of a comprehensive ODI series whitewash over Bangladesh. Prior to that, they finished a World Cup campaign that was nowhere near as bad as it could have been. All of it has taken place in the midst of constant backroom turmoil, culminating in head coach Chandika Hathurusingha being replaced in the interim by fast-bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake.Yet, this Sri Lanka side under Dimuth Karunaratne has shown considerable mental resolve in recent months, especially with their batting, and while most teams would be unsettled by the loss of a coach days before a series, not many sides are as practiced at compartmentalising such chaos as Sri Lanka.All things considered, though, New Zealand certainly have the edge. Yes, Sri Lanka have beaten South Africa and Australia at home in recent years, but that was with the assistance of the now retired Rangana Herath, and the injured Dilruwan Perera. Sri Lanka’s spin-bowling future in Tests still has heavy question marks around it. New Zealand meanwhile are coming on the back of five consecutive series wins, and it would take brave man to bet against them making it six.Form guideSri Lanka WWLDL (last five completed matches, most recent first)New Zealand WWWDWIn the spotlightThis will be Sri Lanka’s first Test at home since Rangana Herath’s retirement. There had been a succession plan in place in the shape of Dilruwan Perera, but with him also out injured, Sri Lanka have suddenly lost some 378 wickets worth of spin-bowling experience on home soil. This puts the pressure squarely on Akila Dananjaya to carry Sri Lanka’s spin attack on what should be a fairly accommodating Galle surface. While Dananjaya only has 27 Test wickets to his name, 17 of which have come at home, they have come in just five Tests. This will be his first outing in the longer format of the game since he remodelled his action earlier this year.Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel was instrumental in New Zealand’s away series win against Pakistan last year, and despite having just the five Tests under his belt, he impressed in the warm-up game, where he walked away with a five-for on the only day play was possible. Visiting spinners have also had a fair bit of success in Sri Lanka recently, and Patel and co. will have studied closely.Team newsSri Lanka are set to welcome back Dinesh Chandimal, dropped for the series in South Africa because of poor form, and Angelo Mathews, who missed the South Africa tour because of an injury. New Zealand, meanwhile, could field three frontline spinners, with Todd Astle missing out.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Lahiru Thirimanne, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Kusal Perera, 7 Dhananjaya De Silva, 8 Lasith Embuldeniya, 9 Akila Dananjaya 10 Lakshan Sandakan 11 Suranga LakmalNew Zealand (probable): 1 Jeet Raval, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 BJ Watling, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ajaz Patel, 9 Will Somerville, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Tim SoutheePitch and conditionsGalle pitches usually favour spin, so expect the same this time too. Given rain is forecast right through the Test, there’s every chance of a five-day affair, unlike recent Tests that have finished early. If it does go there, both sides will want to be bowling on a deteriorating deck, so winning the toss and batting first would be the obvious choice.Stats and trivia If New Zealand win this series 2-0 they will become No.1 ranked Test side in the world for the first time in their history Teams winning the toss have batted first in 27 of the 32 Tests played here Kane Williamson’s 968 runs against Sri Lanka at 80.66 is the most he has scored against a single opponent Galle is one of only four venues where a single bowler has more than 100 wickets (Lord’s the only non-Sri Lankan venue in the list). Tim Southee is six wickets from becoming the second-highest wicket taker in bilateral Tests between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Muttiah Muralitharan is the highest.Quotes”We were too attacking perhaps in our last game here. We couldn’t for example stop the flow of runs. Now we have plans to move forward and all the spinners are in good shape.”
“The guys that are here were part of a fantastic series in the UAE where spin bowling was the dominant art. They are really looking forward to the opportunity in another country where the conditions will be slightly different again.”

Last weekend, Manchester United picked up a very impressive 2-1 away victory over top-four rivals Aston Villa.

Rasmus Hojlund netted for the fifth consecutive game, taking his overall tally this season to 11 goals across all competitions, while Scott McTominay scored his seventh of the campaign to steal the three points.

This time around, Erik ten Hag's team will look to win their fourth Premier League game in a row this afternoon, as they travel to Kenilworth Road, where a motivated Luton Town will be waiting.

The reverse fixture was a frustarting and marginal 1-0 win over the Hatters at Old Trafford, but one player stood out on the day. In truth, the Red Devils faithful will hope for a much more convincing performance today.

Victor Lindelof's performance vs Luton

Over his 251-match United career, Victor Lindelof's game against Rob Edwards' side in November was arguably one of his finest, with the Red Devils badge on his chest.

The iceman was positive on the ball throughout the game and ensured that his side remained in control, which is vital when playing against a team that is solely looking for the overturn of possession to attack.

Lindelof's performance can be summed up via his 8/10 match rating by the Manchester Evening News, however, let's have a closer look at his stats from the first game against the Hatters in 2023.

Minutes

98

Goals

1

Passes completed

107/113

Touches

122

Possesion lost

6

Clearances

3

Duels won

4/6

As you can see by the stats, the Sweden defender was simply superb on the ball throughout, having 122 touches and making an incredible 107 passes, which was by far the most on the field.

The fact that the number two was so heavily involved throughout and still only gave the ball away six times proves how much of an influence he had.

The 29-year-old was also switched on defensively and dealt with the Luton attack with composure, as highlighted by his three clearances and four out of six duels won.

To top it off, he scored the only goal of the game after reacting first in the box to smash it home on the penalty spot. Without Lindelof on that day, it's fair to say that United may not have gotten over the line.

Why Lindelof must start again vs Luton

Despite Lindelof's incredible game against Luton in November, Ten Hag is still much more likely to opt for a centre-back pairing of Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane, who both stood strong against Villa.

However, there is the possibility that the Swede starts in a left-back role due to the potential absence of Luke Shaw, who Lindelof recently replaced at Villa Park after the break, with the left-back being withdrawn as a precaution.

Although this role is far from tailored to the centre-back's strengths, he has already featured in it in this campaign when United faced Brentford. During that game, Lindelof was once again excellent in possession, having 94% pass accuracy, making one key pass, and only losing possession six times.

Ten Hag may tweak his in-possession tactic against Luton today, to allow Lindelof to tuck inside as a third centre-back due to the Swede's lof's lack of attacking threat as an overlapping full-back.

Indeed, if Shaw is absent, then Lindelof is United's best replacement, and therefore, the boss must start him against the opponent he has already thrived against this season.

On Saturday lunchtime, Leeds United make the long trip to Plymouth Argyle once again, looking to continue a seven-game Championship winning streak that has seen them leapfrog Southampton and climb into one of the automatic promotion places.

Plymouth are down in 15th place in the table but made life difficult for Leeds in the FA Cup fourth round, forcing a replay by earning a 1-1 draw at Elland Road. Leeds would ultimately win 4-1 at Home Park, but the scoreline was somewhat deceiving because they required extra time to get the job done.

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Heading into the game, manager Daniel Farke has been monitoring some injury concerns in his squad. Striker Patrick Bamford was initially named in the starting line-up for the midweek trip to Swansea, but Joel Piroe had to replace him at the last minute after he sustained an issue in the warm-up. Speaking after the game, Farke said the player was optimistic that the issue wasn't "too bad", but confirmed that he would undergo specialist examination to determine whether he'd damaged any ankle ligaments.

Elsewhere, Sam Byram missed the game altogether after picking up a muscle injury in the win over Rotherham 3-0. Byram, who was enjoying an "outstanding" season in the words of his manager, was also due to undergo checks.

Bamford and Byram out vs Plymouth

Reporting from Farke's pre-Plymouth press conference, BBC Sport's Adam Pope says that Bamford will be out of action for up to 12 days, while Byram has also been ruled out of the next two.

After playing Plymouth, Leeds face a key game against table-toppers Leicester City next Friday and then head to Chelsea for the FA Cup fifth round on 28 February.

In more positive news, Jamie Shackleton is back available, and Pascal Struijk could ramp up his involvement in training if the results of scans next week are positive. Goalkeeper Karl Darlow, meanwhile, is closing in on rejoining the first-team sessions.

Mixed emotions on Bamford

Leeds were probably particularly nervous about Bamford's injury fate given his track record. As you can see in the table below, the £40k-per-week man has missed 68 games and 437 days with various issues since the 2018/19 season, including an ankle problem that kept him out for nearly six weeks.

Season

Injury

Days missed

Matches missed

18/19

Anterior cruciate ligament

91

20

18/19

Knee

40

8

21/22

Ankle

71

14

21/22

Hamstring

83

12

21/22

Foot

96

9

22/23

Groin

56

5

In that sense, it's a relief that he should be back within a maximum of three games, but it's still a blow in the sense that he'd been in excellent form, scoring four goals and providing an assist in his last six games.

The Englishman hadn't started a league game all season before that stretch, but seemed to be back in peak condition as Farke picked him in the XI for six straight matches.

Al-Ittihad have sacked manager Marcelo Gallardo due to making "significant mistakes" such as requesting the "removal" of Karim Benzema.

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• Gallardo leaves Al-Ittihad
• Saudi side say he made "unacceptable mistakes"
• Wanted key star Benzema out

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Argentine took up the role last November but could only guide his side to fifth place in the Saudi Pro League. Rumours of the former River Plate manager's sacking have gone on for weeks now and Al-Ittihad have now confirmed he has departed; with the hunt for his successor underway.

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• WHAT AL-ITTIHAD SAID

  The club's president, Louay Nazer, said, via Fabrizio Romano: "Gallardo made significant mistakes by requesting the removal of Benzema, which is unacceptable. He is an essential part of Saudi Arabia's and the club's project. We have 2/3 options for new manager."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gallardo's predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo led the Jeddah outfit to the league title last year but the 48-year-old fell well below those standards. He also had a falling out with marquee signing Benzema and it seems Al-Ittihad would rather keep hold of the French striker, rather than retain Gallardo.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Gallardo, who is reportedly set to receive an historic €30 million (£25m/$32m) severance package from Al-Ittihad, may look for a new job as the Saudi side try to find someone to replace him ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Chelsea have reportedly agreed to personal terms with Michael Olise as the Blues aim to complete the deal before their rivals.

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Chelsea have a deal in principle with OliseNegotiations are ongoing with Crystal PalaceBlues could well pay over £60m for the forwardWHAT HAPPENED?

According to the winger has given his verbal approval to Chelsea's proposed terms. Although he remains open to considering offers from other interested clubs, Chelsea's proposal appears to be particularly appealing to him. The Blues are optimistic about securing the deal, bolstered by the belief that Manchester United might not be able to match his £60 million ($76.5m) release clause financially as they are trying to sign a top-quality centre-back and are also walking a tight rope with Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR).

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea plan to pay a substantial upfront fee supplemented by structured payments spread over many years which would see the final deal be worth well over £60 million. They are already in touch with Palace and are keen to wrap the deal quickly as Newcastle United and Bayern Munich have also expressed their interest in the player.

DID YOU KNOW?

Olise's integration into Chelsea's squad could be eased by his existing relationships with several first-team players. Moreover, his brother is a Chelsea academy player and has recently signed a contract extension at Cobham, ensuring his stay at the West London club for the foreseeable future.

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Despite facing competition from top European clubs, Chelsea's proactive negotiations and attractive proposal to the player have positioned them favourably in the race to sign Olise. They are preparing for a new chapter under the management of Enzo Maresca and the club is keen to build a squad capable of competing at the highest levels in England and Europe.

Shreyas Iyer, and his India team-mates, are looking forward to a full match in Port-of-Spain after the first ODI in Guyana was washed out after only 13 overs, with more at stake than would appear following a World Cup semi-final appearance.Last month, rain had pushed India’s World Cup semi-final against New Zealand into a reserve day, and Iyer hoped the weather wouln’t wash away this series as well. It’s particularly valuable that he gets some time on the field in the remaining two ODIs on August 11 and August 14 as India continue their ongoing attempts to try to solve their No. 4 puzzle.India haven’t had a chance to discuss the spot so far with the first match rained out, but Iyer said the team would experiment and give several players a chance. That could mean KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Iyer himself, over the next two matches.”Personally, I am not thinking about batting only at No. 4,” Iyer said. “I want to be someone who is very flexible batting at any number or if you go into any situation you should be able to grab that opportunity and make the best use of it.”When asked about switching to ODIs from T20Is, Iyer said India have the momentum going into this series coming off a 3-0 sweep.”The way the team is playing currently, it’s totally amazing,” he said. “If one doesn’t perform, the next one raises his hand and he takes the responsibility to take the team through and this is what has been happening throughout the year.”Rain interrupted India’s Saturday training session in Port-of-Spain, forcing them to train indoors. But despite the lack of enough practice, Iyer drew confidence from his India A stint in the Caribbean, where he was the third-highest run-getter in the one-dayers with 187 runs in four innings.”It’s going to be another two opportunities for me to make the best use of it,” Iyer said. “Hopefully this also doesn’t rain off. We are hardly getting any net practice. I am eager to go out there and carry forward the momentum which I got from my India A matches. Looking forward to a good series finish.”

Last week's 2-0 home defeat to Brentford was an afternoon to forget for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The defeat was bad enough on its own, but the injury to Matheus Cunha made the day far worse.

Later today, the Wanderers will attempt to bounce back from their loss by beating Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur.

Gary O'Neil is unlikely to make mass changes to his starting XI despite losing last time out, but nevertheless, there may be as many as two tweaks in the potential lineup that the boss could field at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

1 GK – Jose Sa

Jose Sa has started 22 Premier League matches this campaign, and he will start in between the sticks again despite keeping just three clean sheets.

2 RCB – Max Kilman

Max Kilman is the leader of the Wolves side, and he will start this weekend wearing the captain's armband.

The 26-year-old has started every game this season.

3 CB – Craig Dawson

Craig Dawson is also a frequent starter for the Wanderers, with the boss valuing his experience.

The 33-year-old has played 22 Premier League games this campaign.

4 LCB – Toti Gomes

The final player to complete the usual back three is Toti Gomes, who has worked his way into the side this season.

5 RM – Nelson Semedo

Nelson Semedo has started all but one game this season in the league, and he will start over Matt Doherty.

The defender ranks third in the Wolves squad for interceptions and tackles per game.

6 CM – Mario Lemina

Mario Lemina has been an engine in the middle of the park this season, and he will feature from the off.

Over his 21 Premier League games, the 30-year-old has scored four goals and averaged 2.8 tackles per match.

7 CM – Tommy Doyle

The on-loan Manchester City man could come into the side having replaced Joao Gomes on the hour mark last time out, the latter man having 'struggled' against the Bees – in the words of the Express and Star's George Bennett.

In place of Gomes, Doyle won both of his ground duels and enjoyed a 90% pass accuracy rate in his 27-minute cameo, indicating that he could be deserving of the nod today.

8 LM – Rayan Ait Nouri

Rayan Ait Nouri was fantastic last weekend, making three key passes, having 99% pass accuracy, and winning 11 duels.

The Algerian is guaranteed to start.

9 RF – Pablo Sarabia

Pablo Sarabia came off the bench to hand Wolves the win over Spurs in the reverse fixture with a goal and an assist.

This time around, the Spaniard will have the opportunity to cause chaos from the off.

10 LF – Pedro Neto

Pedro Neto has been electric this season and is the main creative outlet for Wolves, as highlighted by his eight assists, the most in the squad.

His pace on the break will be vital, and he will look to score his first Premier League career goal against Spurs.

It might not have been a deadline-day signing, but Nottingham Forest's announcement of Gio Reyna's arrival from Borussia Dortmund on loan earlier this week was one of the more exciting moves from an otherwise quiet transfer window.

The Tricky Trees have not been having a good time of it lately, with their loss away to Brentford followed up with a nil-nil draw away to Bristol City and then a 2-1 loss at home to Arsenal.

While losing to a title-chasing side isn't usually a concern, the manner in which Nuno Espirito Santo's side lost was.

They managed just 27% of the possession and only came to life when chasing their second goal in the game's dying embers.

One player who failed to add much when he was brought on was Callum Hudson-Odoi, who may well be starting to sweat with the arrival of Reyna, as he could see his already minor role in the team fade entirely.

Hudson-Odoi's season in numbers

When he broke through at Chelsea, the London-born winger had the world at his feet and looked destined for greatness, especially after it was reported that Bayern Munich had made a £70m bid for him in 2020.

Since then, it just hasn't worked for the talented winger, and despite moving to Bayer Leverkusen on loan last season and making a £5m permanent move to Forest this season, he has never been able to recapture the form he showed under Frank Lampard.

This term, he has been restricted to mostly substitute appearances and has done very little to suggest that he will ever get back to his dazzling best.

He has made 13 league appearances, three in the FA Cup and one in the EFL Trophy, but has managed to score just a single goal and provide three assists in the process.

Appearances

13

Goals

1

Assists

3

Goal Involvement per game

0.30

There is certainly a chance that the 23-year-old could one day get back to his best, but with no signs of that happening this season, Reyna is primed to take his position as the go-to substitute for Nuno.

Why Reyna should usurp Hudson-Odoi

Now, while the former Chelsea man is a youngster failing to live up to his potential, it could be argued that Reyna is in the same boat.

Described as one of the USMNT's next great "leaders" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, in the last two and a half seasons, he has only played a total of 2021 minutes across all competitions for Dortmund, and while a significant reason as to why he missed games in the 2021/22 season was injury, that wasn't the case last year or this year.

That said, while he didn't get much game time under his belt last season, he was impressive when he made it onto the pitch, picking up seven goals and four assists in 30 appearances.

Moreover, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the American ranks exceptionally highly in multiple important metrics compared to other midfielders.

For example, he sits in the top 1% for non-penalty goals, non-penalty expected goals, total shots, assists, shot-creating actions, touches in the opposition's penalty area and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Goals

1%

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

1%

Total Shots

1%

Assists

1%

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

1%

Shot-Creating Actions

1%

Touched in the Opposition's Penalty Area

1%

Successful Take-Ons

5%

Progressive Carries

8%

However, just because he excels in a central position doesn't mean he can't play wide.

Across his career, his second most played position is left-winger- 40 appearances – and third is right-winger – 33 appearances – so he has the ability to take Hudson-Odoi's role without having to learn a new position.

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Ultimately, there could be more to come from the Englishman Lampard once dubbed "special", but as things stand, Reyna has more experience, better numbers to back him up, and a fresh slate to kick on at the City Ground.

أصدر لاعب فريق يوفنتوس، بول بوجبا، بيانًا رسميًا عقب قرار محكمة التحكيم الرياضية بشأنه، فيما يتعلق بالاستئناف المُقدم من جانبه ضد عقوبة إيقافه لمدة 4 سنوات.

كان بوجبا قد تعرض لعقوبة الإيقاف لمدة أربع سنوات، في أغسطس 2023، بعدما فشل في اجتياز اختبار المنشطات عقب فوز يوفنتوس ضد أودينيزي 3-0 في الدوري الإيطالي.

وتقدم بوجبا باستئناف ضد تلك العقوبة، حيث قررت محكمة التحكيم الرياضية خفضها إلى 18 شهرًا فقط (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وقال بوجبا في بيان رسمي: “انتهى الكابوس أخيرًا، بعد قرار محكمة التحكيم الرياضية، أستطيع أن أتطلع إلى اليوم الذي أستطيع فيه متابعة أحلامي مجددًا”.

وأضاف: “لقد ذكرت دائمًا أنني لم أخالف أبدًا عمدًا لوائح الوكالة العالمية لمكافحة المنشطات عندما تناولت مكملًا غذائيًا وصفه لي طبيب، والذي لا يؤثر على أداء الرياضيين الذكور أو يعززه”.

وواصل: “أنا ألعب بنزاهة، ورغم أنه يتعين أن أتقبل كون هذه جريمة تستوجب المسؤولية الصارمة، أود أن أسجل شكري لقضاة محكمة التحكيم الرياضية الذين استمعوا إلى شرحي”.

واختتم: “كانت هذه فترة مؤلمة للغاية في حياتي لأن كل ما عملت بجد من أجله قد تم إيقافه، شكرًا لكم مرة أخرى على كل الحب والدعم، لا أستطيع الانتظار للعودة إلى الملعب”.

Wolverhampton Wanderers continued their fine form of late by securing a crucial victory over Sheffield United, and it moves the Old Gold up to eighth place in the Premier League table.

Gary O’Neil has impressed during his first season in charge of the Molineux outfit and, with 12 games left, he will be determined to keep his team in the top half of the table.

Premier League: Top 8

Team

Played

GD

Points

#1 Liverpool

26

38

60

#2 Man City

26

33

59

#3 Arsenal

26

39

58

#4 Aston Villa

26

21

52

#5 Spurs

25

14

47

#6 Man Utd

26

0

44

#7 Brighton

26

8

39

#8 Wolves

26

0

38

Various players have shone throughout 2023/24, with Pedro Neto being the most notable example.

Pedro Neto’s season in numbers

The 23-year-old played only 21 times for the club last season after suffering a serious ankle injury prior to the 2022 World Cup – thus missing the showpiece event – yet he has bounced back superbly this term.

Across all competitions, the Portuguese winger has scored three times while registering a staggering 11 assists already, proving that he is mightily important for the club.

Neto ranks third for goals and assists among his teammates in the top flight this season (11), along with ranking second for big chances created (seven), first for key passes per game (2.2) and second for successful dribbles per game (1.8), proving how much of a positive influence he has had on the team in what could turn out to be a wonderful campaign.

Attacking options at Wolves have never looked so good in recent times, as Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-Chan are also shining alongside Neto this season, scoring 19 league goals between them.

Pedro Neto in the Premier League since August 2022

Stats

2022/23

2023/24

Goals

0

2

Assists

0

9

Key passes per game

1.2

2.2

Big chances created

4

7

Successful dribbles per game

1

1.8

Via Sofascore

Could it be a Julen Lopetegui signing, however, that will prove to be the most vital player for the club in the coming months?

The Wolves player who is just as important as Neto

Spaniard Pablo Srabia was lured to the Midlands from Paris Saint-Germain under the former boss last January and, despite scoring just once in 13 games for the club, his experience looked like it could be key for Wolves during the current season.

The attacking midfielder started only twice in the Premier League during the first 11 games, but it was the 12th match against Tottenham Hotspur when he came to life.

Introduced with just three minutes to go, Sarabia scored a late equaliser just a few minutes later, before providing an assist for Mario Lemina to score the winner.

Since then, he has gone on to register another four assists in the top flight, while scoring against Manchester United in their recent 4-3 defeat at Old Trafford, before netting the winner against the Blades at the weekend.

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Despite starting just 17 matches in all competitions, the Spaniard has registered 12 goal contributions – three goals and nine assists – and with Cunha out injured until the end of March, there is no doubt he could become as important, if not important, than Neto in the coming weeks.

O’Neil hailed the £90k-per-week gem recently, dubbing him as “unique” and his technical ability combined with his intelligence have given Wolves a lift this season, no doubt about it.

Between now and May, Sarabia will utilise all the experience he has gained in the game to help secure the club a wonderful top-half finish and it could set them up perfectly for the 2024/25 campaign.