KKR have their own problems, which could be the perfect time for Capitals to face them

Sruthi Ravindranath19-Apr-2023Big Picture – Capitals optimistic despite 0-5 startDelhi Capitals have had a calamitous start to their campaign this season, losing all five matches so far, but their captain David Warner still seems optimistic. “Teams have come back well from this position before and we can go on and do better,” he said after their loss against Royal Challengers Bangalore.They do still have reasons to be positive at this stage – teams have bounced back well after losing five on the trot in previous seasons – but in the five-day gap between the previous match and the upcoming one, Capitals have also had to deal with an off-field issue. A number of players lost their bats and other equipment in transit from Bengaluru. More woes indeed.Capitals have not played with the same XI in any of the five games, and their bowling unit has failed to defend totals. But their batting remains the biggest letdown. There are a number of big names in the XI but they haven’t fired so far – Warner included. He’s got three fifties but his strike rate stands at 116.92. His opening partner Prithvi Shaw has been enduring a poor run of form, with 15 being his highest individual score this season. Together, Warner and Shaw have put up a total of just 104 runs in five matches.The only other team whose openers have a worse record is Kolkata Knight Riders – a total of 70 in five. Knight Riders have lost most wickets in the powerplay and have not scored a single six in that phase. Venkatesh Iyer has been making up for their failures, and has been a real threat in the last few games. In the previous match against Mumbai Indians, behind his 104, Andre Russell’s 21 was the highest score. The rest of the line-up has blown hot and cold.Spin to win has been Knight Riders’ mantra this season, and they’ve particularly had a hard time on days when their spinners have not succeeded. Their fast bowling trio of Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur have been expensive in the last few games. Their quicks have also taken only nine wickets combined – the least among all teams this season. Form guideDelhi Capitals LLL (last three matches, most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders LLWTeam NewsAndre Russell’s recent leg troubles were due to ‘dehydration cramps’, according to Nitish Rana. Otherwise, he is match fit as are the rest of the squad members at Knight Riders.It is understood that Capitals have called up Abhimanyu Easwaran and Priyam Garg for trials, but there’s no news of any injury barring Khaleel Ahmed’s hamstring strain from last week.Related

Moody's fix for Delhi Capitals: Drop Shaw, promote Marsh, recall Rossouw

Capitals players lose bats and other equipment in transit

Toss and Impact Player strategyDelhi CapitalsIf Capitals bat first, they may name three overseas players and use the combination of Prithvi Shaw and Mustafizur Rahman for the Impact swap. Otherwise, no other changes are expected but could we see Axar Patel batting higher up? Assistant coach Shane Watson half-joked to reporters about it after the last game.Capitals XII: 1 David Warner (capt), , 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Yash Dhull, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Axar Patel, 7 Lalit Yadav, 8 Aman Khan, 9 Abishek Porel (wk), 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Anrich Nortje, Kolkata Knight RidersWith Rahmanullah Gurbaz underperforming, Knight Riders will be tempted to bring in Jason Roy. In that case, N Jagadeesan will be their wicketkeeper. Venkatesh Iyer and Suyash Sharma are the likely Impact Player swaps, depending on the toss.Knight Riders XII: 1 Jason Roy/Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 2 N Jagadeesan (wk), 4 Nitish Rana (capt), 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Varun Chakaravarthy, Pitch and conditionsIn the IPL since 2019, the teams batting second have been more successful at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, winning 10 out of 13 games. The weather is expected to be fine for the duration of the game.Stats that matter Warner has faced the most balls (195) in IPL 2023 without scoring a six. Umesh Yadav has sent Warner back five times in the IPL – the most times a bowler has dismissed him. Capitals have not lost their first five opening games in the IPL since 2013. They finished last that season. Quotes”The most pleasing thing is not the runs that I am scoring, the thing is that I am back on the field and playing. That is something that six months back I didn’t think I would do – step on the field in such a big tournament. I am really grateful for that – scoring runs and all is secondary, bit I’m grateful to the almighty that I am just able to play on the cricket field.”

Arsenal may have missed their opportunity to claim Premier League glory, but with the summer transfer window around the corner, Mikel Arteta still has plenty to be positive about.

Arsenal scale up their summer transfer plans

The Champions League is the only competition to provide silverware for the Gunners this term after enduring a wretched run of injuries during their challenge for the English top flight.

Mikel Arteta has needed to put square pegs in round holes across the forward line due to injuries involving Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Bukayo Saka. Although Mikel Merino and Ethan Nnaweri have offered substance, there is scope for improved depth at the Gunners heading into next season.

Looking to increase competition on the right-hand side, Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo has been identified as an Arsenal target and may be on the move at around £50m. Interest is said to be high in the Cameroon international, with Newcastle United and Manchester United also circling for his signature.

Juventus breakout winger Kenan Yildiz is also on the Gunners’ shortlist, lending credence to the possibility that they may strengthen the supply line for a sense of greater rotation.

Youth development has offered a chance for prodigious talent to stake their claim for first-team football at the Emirates. Either way, there is a sense the north Londoners may need to go all out if they are serious about knocking Liverpool and company off the pedestal they have occupied in recent years.

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Arteta has already played a role in pushing some statement signings over the line and could now repeat the trick if recent reports are anything to go by.

Arsenal in pole position to sign Athletic Club's Nico Williams

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are in pole position to sign Athletic Club’s Nico Williams due to the Gunners’ financial status, which could mean that neither his personal terms nor wage demands would present any issue to Arteta’s men.

Reports say that should he choose a move to north London, Arsenal would offer Williams a deal worth £10.4m per year alongside a £200,000-per-week contract over five years, meaning he would earn over £50m during the entirety of his stay.

Chelsea and Barcelona are also in pursuit, but financial limitations will likely curb their ability to find such a lucrative agreement.

Appearances

24

Goals

4

Assists

5

Chances created

37

Successful crosses

24

Completed dribbles

57

Touches in opposition box

111

Of course, nothing is final at this stage. The Gunners will likely need to continue laying the groundwork to secure his signature, which may make Liverpool, Manchester City and company sit up and take notice ahead of 2025/26. Jose Mourinho is a big fan of the attacker and labelled him ‘wonderful’ ahead of Fenerbahce’s meeting with Athletic Club in the Europa League group phase last December.

Now, the onus is on the club to push a deal over the line after encountering a frustrating combination of injuries in Williams’ area of the field.

The agent of Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has reportedly held talks regarding a move to Saudi Arabia on a £200 million ($270m) contract.

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• Busy summer ahead at Old Trafford
• Lucrative deal presented to Portuguese star
• Has 72 hours in which to make a decision

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils are readying themselves for a busy summer of transfer activity on the back of a forgettable 2024-25 campaign that delivered a 15th-place finish in the Premier League and a Europa League final defeat.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT BRUNO FERNANDES SAID

  Skipper Fernandes is among those that could be moved on as funds are raised for new additions and Ruben Amorim freshens up an underperforming squad. The Portugal international has said of his future: “If the club thinks it's time to part ways because they want to do some cashing in, it is what it is.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Fernandes could now tread a similar path to fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo, with the reporting on discussions taking place between the 30-year-old midfielder’s representatives and Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  A “take it or leave it” offer is said to have been tabled, with Fernandes having 72 hours in which to make a decision. His agent, Miguel Pinto, has been in Riyadh to talk terms – with Al-Hilal eager to have business completed before the 2025 Club World Cup gets underway.

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Rogério Ceni reconheceu que o São Paulo não fez uma boa partida na vitória por 1 a 0 sobre o América-MG nesta quinta-feira (28), no Morumbi, pelo duelo de ida das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. Nos vestiários após a partida, o comandante tricolor fez sua análise da partida. Confira:

RelacionadasSão Paulo‘Ele pode jogar mais do que mostrou até agora’, diz Rogério Ceni sobre Thiago Couto no São PauloSão Paulo29/07/2022São PauloDiego Costa vê ‘sintonia da base crescer’ no São Paulo após atuação de Thiago CoutoSão Paulo29/07/2022São PauloMiranda destaca setor defensivo e Thiago Couto em vitória do São Paulo: ‘Correspondeu a altura’São Paulo28/07/2022

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Australian pair will split duties over first block of six County Championship games

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2023

Lance Morris won his first Test call-up over the southern summer•Getty Images

Northamptonshire have announced the twin signings of Australian seamers Chris Tremain and Lance Morris for the start of the County Championship campaign.Tremain, who has been capped four times in ODIs by Australia, will be available for Northamptonshire’s first three games of the season, starting with a trip to Canterbury to face Kent later this week. Morris, the Western Australia quick who enjoyed a breakout summer in the Sheffield Shield, will then arrive for three games in May up until the start of the Vitality Blast.”Playing county cricket has always been a bucket list thing for me, so I’m really excited to play for Northamptonshire and grateful for the opportunity.” Tremain said. “It’s been a pretty quick turnaround from the end of our season, so I’m glad we could get everything sorted in time to get me on the plane.”I’m really excited to meet my team-mates and get stuck in for round one.”Both seamers are known to Northamptonshire’s other overseas signing, Sam Whiteman, who captained WA to victory in the recent Sheffield Shield final and has arrived in the UK along with Tremain ahead of the Kent game.Chris Tremain has been a consistent performer in Shield cricket•Getty Images

Northamptonshire head coach, John Sadler, said: “We’re really pleased to have Chris joining us for the first few games. He’s got a great skillset and we like his approach to the game, Sam [Whiteman] rates him highly as well which is always a good sign to have that respect from your opposition.”Morris is uncapped but received his first call-up to the Test squad during the South Africa series. Considered one of the fastest bowlers in Australia, Morris finished the Shield season with 31 wickets at 19.96.”I’m really looking forward to getting over to the UK and joining Northamptonshire for a few games.” Morris said. “You hear people talk a lot about county cricket so I’m excited for a new experience.”It’ll be great to link up with Sam [Whiteman] too and hopefully help deliver some positive results for the team while I’m there.”Northamptonshire bowling coach, Chris Liddle, added: “It’s great that we have Lance with us for a few games. He possesses express pace and has been highly talked about, I’m looking forward to seeing him charging in wearing a Northamptonshire shirt.”

The agent of Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has reportedly held talks regarding a move to Saudi Arabia on a £200 million ($270m) contract.

Article continues below

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Busy summer ahead at Old TraffordLucrative deal presented to Portuguese starHas 72 hours in which to make a decisionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils are readying themselves for a busy summer of transfer activity on the back of a forgettable 2024-25 campaign that delivered a 15th-place finish in the Premier League and a Europa League final defeat.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT BRUNO FERNANDES SAID

Skipper Fernandes is among those that could be moved on as funds are raised for new additions and Ruben Amorim freshens up an underperforming squad. The Portugal international has said of his future: “If the club thinks it's time to part ways because they want to do some cashing in, it is what it is.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Fernandes could now tread a similar path to fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo, with the reporting on discussions taking place between the 30-year-old midfielder’s representatives and Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

A “take it or leave it” offer is said to have been tabled, with Fernandes having 72 hours in which to make a decision. His agent, Miguel Pinto, has been in Riyadh to talk terms – with Al-Hilal eager to have business completed before the 2025 Club World Cup gets underway.

New England cap could be among raft of players in demand with county contract due to expire

Matt Roller01-Jun-2023

Josh Tongue is the first Worcestershire player since Moeen Ali to earn a Test call-up•Getty Images

Josh Tongue was quick to talk up Worcestershire’s role in him winning his first Test cap for England against Ireland at Lord’s this week, but it remains to be seen if he will still be at the county in 2024.Tongue is the first Worcestershire player to make a men’s Test debut for England since Moeen Ali in 2014, and said on Tuesday that his debut would be “a massive thing” for the club. “There are a lot of people at Worcester who have influenced my career,” he added.But Tongue is among a number of Worcestershire players whose deals with the county are due to end this year and June 1, the day of his debut, also marks the date when county cricketers whose contracts expire at the end of a season are free to talk to other clubs.Jack Haynes, the 22-year-old batter, is also out of contract this season, and losing either player would be a significant blow for Worcestershire. Both Haynes and Tongue are graduates of the club’s academy, and were part of England Lions’ tour to Sri Lanka earlier this year.Worcestershire have enjoyed a strong start to the 2023 season on the pitch: they are joint-third in Division Two of the County Championship with two wins from six and have won all three of their T20 Blast games to date.But off it, they are in a state of flux. The club reported an annual loss of just over £200,000 for 2022 and their financial health is dependent on ECB distributions, which account for around 60% of their annual income.The club announced an intention to appoint a director of cricket in July 2022 but the position remains vacant, with Paul Pridgeon – the head of their ‘cricket steering group’, an unpaid role – in charge of contract negotiations with players and their representatives.Related

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There are several other Worcestershire players whose existing contracts are due to expire at the end of this season including Pat Brown, Ben Cox, Dillon Pennington and Mitchell Stanley. They have already lost Moeen and Ed Barnard of late, who both joined Warwickshire last winter.Elsewhere, a number of players who have been part of recent England squads are out of contract. James Bracey and David Payne’s deals with Gloucestershire are up at the end of the year, while Dan Lawrence – who was today released from the England Test squad for T20 Blast duty – is in the final year of his Essex deal and Jordan Cox is in the same situation at Kent.Matt Parkinson, who made his Test debut a year ago this week, dropped out of Lancashire’s Championship side earlier this year and is also in the final year of his contract. He is now free to speak to other counties as he weighs up his future.Parkinson played one game on loan at Durham earlier this year, but they are understood to have lined up his twin brother Callum as their main spin-bowling target, having relied on overseas spinners in the Championship this season.The opening of county cricket’s ‘transfer window’ comes at a time when player contracts are up for discussion, with directors of cricket recently calling for an “urgent” review into the standard 12-month contract due to the proliferation of English players involved in franchise tournaments around the world.

Glasgow Rangers opted to remove Philippe Clement from his post in the Ibrox dugout earlier this year and Barry Ferguson came in to replace him as the interim boss until the end of the season.

The Light Blues, if you include penalty shootout wins, have won four of their five matches under the Scottish boss, who secured a dramatic victory against Celtic last time out in the Scottish Premiership.

Several players have caught the eye and made the most of the change in management in recent weeks, including Cyriel Dessers and Vaclav Cerny.

The Rangers players who have impressed under Barry Ferguson

The Wolfsburg loanee has been a star throughout the campaign, with 11 goals in the league, but he has scored three goals in five matches under Ferguson so far.

Cerny, who is currently valued at £7.5m by Transfermarkt, has provided a consistent threat in front of goal and his return to the Bundesliga in the summer will be a big blow for the Gers because of his goalscoring exploits.

Dessers, meanwhile, had scored one goal in six games at the end of Clement’s reign. Since Ferguson came in, the Nigerian forward has scored four goals and provided one assist in five matches, which shows that the new boss has helped him to rediscover his best form.

The experienced number nine is valued at £3.3m by Transfermarkt, which means that the two players are worth £10.8m combined, which is less than one former Gers star is currently worth.

The former Rangers star who is worth more than Cerny and Dessers

Whilst Giovanni van Bronckhorst was in charge at Ibrox, Rangers cashed in on versatile defender Calvin Bassey for a reported fee of £19.6m – selling him to Ajax in 2022.

The left-footed titan, who was once described as “explosive” by former coach Steve Beaglehole, made 65 first-team appearances for the Gers.

After just one season in the Netherlands, Ajax moved on from the Nigeria international and sold him to Fulham for £19.3m, making a small loss on the centre-back, and his value on Transfermarkt at the time was just £12.5m.

Appearances (starts)

29 (25)

28 (27)

Pass accuracy

86%

90%

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.7

2.1

Ground duel success rate

69%

67%

Aerial duel success rate

55%

54%

As you can see in the table above, Bassey has been a regular starter in the Premier League for the Cottagers since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, whilst dominating opposition players in physical duels.

His form on the pitch for Fulham in the English top-flight has caused his market value to soar to an eye-catching £20.9m, as per Transfermarkt, which is a significant increase from the £12.5m it was at in 2013 and is more than the fees Ajax and Fulham paid for his services.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

This means that his value has, although it has taken several years to happen, increased since Rangers decided to cash in on him after they made it to the Europa League final in 2022.

The Light Blues now look back and wonder if they did enough to extract as much value out of his sale as possible, as he is now worth almost twice as much as two of their current top-performing players – Cerny and Dessers.

Rangers star outshone "one of best players in the world" for his country

Plenty of first-team players at Rangers are out on international duty.

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 25, 2025

Kylian Mbappe has brutally been told he's "not in the same league as Lamine Yamal or Ousmane Dembele" despite scoring 43 goals this season.

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Mbappe brutally analysed by punditCompared to Yamal and DembeleScored 43 goals for Real Madrid in 24-25Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The France captain left PSG for Real Madrid last summer and won the European Golden Shoe in his first La Liga campaign, but his side ended the season without any silverware. Meanwhile, Dembele and Yamal have flourished at PSG and Barcelona, respectively, with pundit Jerome Rothen claiming that the pair are in a different league to Mbappe and lead the race for the Ballon d'Or.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT ROTHEN SAID

Ex-PSG midfielder Rothen told: "Mbappe again doesn't deserve to be in the discussion for the Ballon d'Or. Today, he is not in the same league as Lamine Yamal or Ousmane Dembele. We all know perfectly well that Mbappe doesn't deserve to be there."

Getty Images/GoalTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Dembele starred as PSG won the Champions League, scoring eight goals in the competition and 30 across the whole campaign. Yamal has continued to impress for Barcelona, too, with the 17-year-old scoring 18 goals and assisting 25 in 55 appearances.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

Mbappe will hope to give his Ballon d'Or chances a boost at the Club World Cup this month, where Real Madrid will initially take on Al-Hilal, Pachuca and RB Salzburg in the group stages.

Nottingham Forest are now “working” on a summer deal for a “fantastic” forward, who would be a “brilliant signing”, according to former scout Mick Brown.

Forest pursuing a Champions League level striker

Forest have surpassed all expectations to push for Champions League qualification this season, and they owe a lot of their success to striker Chris Wood, who has been prolific in front of goal, netting 18 times in the Premier League.

However, it is clear Nuno is now pursuing another top striker, and there are some extremely exciting targets in mind, not least Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, with owner Evangelos Marinakis reportedly willing to break the bank for the Nigerian.

Another option is Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, having made contact with the representatives of the Swedish striker, who has been extremely impressive this season, most notably netting a hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League.

Nottingham Forest want to sign "super" ace who could cost Marinakis £50m

Nottingham Forest have identified a new transfer target ahead of the summer.

ByBrett Worthington Mar 25, 2025

The Tricky Trees have also identified targets from within the Premier League, with talks over a deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha currently ongoing, while they may be able to sign Brentford’s Yoane Wissa for just £15m – £20m.

Football Insider have now dropped a new update on Nottingham Forest’s pursuit of Wissa, claiming the forward is their top priority for the summer transfer window, before relaying quotes from Brown, who believes he would be a fantastic addition to the squad.

“What sort of player is it Forest look for to improve their team? They’re based on the two widemen and their pace, getting in behind players on the break and getting crosses in for the big centre-forward.

“Wissa, to me, is a box player – and I don’t mean to be disrespectful when I say that – he’s not somebody who comes linking the play up and combining with people and that type of thing. Forest are working here on a brilliant signing.”

"Fantastic" Wissa impressing Nuno

Nuno is believed to be a big fan of the forward, given his ability to play across the front three, and he has proven himself as a reliable goal threat for Brentford this season, having scored 14 goals in 26 Premier League games.

The 28-year-old also scored a remarkable goal against Chelsea last season, having consistently found the back of the net for the Bees since arriving from FC Lorient in 2021, with this campaign proving to be his most prolific to date.

The DR Congo international, who has been lauded as “fantastic” by Thomas Frank, has proven he could be ready to make the step-up to a club in the Champions League, and his potential availability for just £15m – £20m is an added bonus.

The only minor concern will be the fact Wissa will turn 29 in September, with all of Forest’s other striker targets younger, although Osimhen and Gyokeres are yet to prove themselves in the Premier League.