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Stats highlights from the fourth day’s play in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG

Sampath Bandarupalli29-Dec-20242 – Sunil Gavaskar and Harry Brook were the only two players to top-score in four of their first six Test innings before Nitish Kumar Reddy. He is also the first batter to top-score in four of his first six innings at No. 7 or lower. Dattu Phadkar, Wayne Phillips and Kamindu Mendis did it three times each, while Reggie Duff was the top-scorer on all three occasions when he batted at No. 7 or below.3912 – Runs conceded by Jasprit Bumrah before taking his 200th Test wicket – the fewest among the 85 bowlers to reach the milestone. The previous fewest conceded by a bowler at the time of their 200th Test wicket was 4067 runs by Joel Garner, and among Indians, it was 4840 by Ravindra Jadeja.Bumrah needed 8484 deliveries for his 200th wicket, the fourth fastest in terms of balls bowled and the quickest among Indians.ESPNcricinfo Ltd23 – Number of wickets for Bumrah in three Tests at the MCG, the most for an Indian bowler at an away venue. The previous highest was 20 wickets by Anil Kumble at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).5 – Total runs scored by Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh in Melbourne – the lowest by No. 5 and 6 batters for Australia in a men’s Test (where the same two batters have played at No. 5 or 6 in both innings).10.42 – Marsh’s batting average in this series – the second lowest for a top-seven Australia batter in a Test series at home, for a minimum of seven innings. The lowest is 10.12 by Kim Hughes against West Indies in 1984-85.5 – Previous instances of an Australian batter scoring 40-plus runs in both innings of a Test match at No. 8 or lower. The last Australian before Pat Cummins at the MCG was Peter Siddle against India in the 2013 Delhi Test, where he scored fifties in both innings.Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon kept the Indian bowlers at bay for 110 balls•Quinn Rooney/Getty Images2 – Number of tenth-wicket partnerships against India to have lasted 100-plus balls in Tests since the start of 2015. Both have come in this series – 18 overs between Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in Perth and 17.5 overs between Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland in Melbourne.744 – Number of balls faced by batters at No. 8 and lower in the Melbourne Test – the highest across the 248 Tests played in Australia since 1980. It is also the sixth highest for a Test match anywhere since 1998.

Could Scott Boland be forced out of the team? Where does Marcus Harris stand after a summer as a reserve?

Alex Malcolm01-Jan-20233:27

McDonald on Green: ‘Challenge will be to be creative in the way that he trains’

Australia can book a spot in the World Test Championship final with a win over South Africa in Sydney. But for one of the rare times during this WTC cycle, Australia’s selection is very much an unknown. They have added Matt Renshaw and Ashton Agar to the squad in place of the injured pair Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc, but what the XI will look like will remain unclear until they see the pitch at the SCG, which is expected to offer turn.”One thing I’ve learned around wickets recently is never assume anything,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said. “I think we’ll just wait and see what unfolds from the ground staff in terms of the wicket they prepare. But what I will say around that is that we feel as though we’ve got a squad for whatever that surface may be. We’ve got pretty much all bases covered.”Green’s injury is what makes the selection complex. Pat Cummins described him as irreplaceable, and Australia haven’t opted for an allrounder to replace him. They need to decide whether they pick seven batters or five bowlers.The case for Ashton Agar
Firstly, the decision to include Agar as the second spinner in the squad has raised eyebrows. Agar’s first-class average and strike-rate are significantly inferior to a host of Australia’s domestic spinners including Mitchell Swepson, Todd Murphy, Jon Holland and Matthew Kuhnemann. Even South Australia’s Ben Manenti and Western Australia understudy Corey Rocchiccioli have better records from small sample sizes. But McDonald confirmed Australia’s selectors wanted a left-arm orthodox to complement the right-arm offspin of Nathan Lyon.Related

• Pat Cummins expects 'traditional' SCG pitch to be similar to Indian conditions

• Australia look to lock in World Test Championship final with series whitewash

• Hazlewood vs Boland: is Australia's bowling hierarchy about to change?

• Agar and Renshaw earn Australia call-ups for Sydney Test

• Theunis de Bruyn to miss Sydney Test for birth of first child

“We feel as though the complementing type of spinner that we’ve picked here with the left-arm orthodox is the way that we wanted to go,” McDonald said. “Sometimes the second spinner isn’t necessarily the best next spinner if that makes sense. It’s the one that complements what you have and we feel like the left-arm orthodox can be successful in Sydney and also as we venture the subcontinent.”The control of a left-arm orthodox spinner, as opposed to a right-arm legspinner, seems to be the preference. However, Agar has a higher career economy rate, average and strike-rate in first-class cricket than the other two left-arm orthodox options in Holland and Kuhnemann. Agar has been focusing on his white-ball bowling in recent years, with great success, and has only played three first-class games since October 2020 including two in the last five weeks. Crucially, though, he also averages 28 with the bat with three first-class centuries, which is a major reason why he has got the nod and it gives the selectors two ways of picking him for Sydney and India.”It could be two spinners, two quicks,” McDonald said. “It could be we could play a slightly more aggressive team with Alex Carey going into six and play five bowlers [with Agar at No.7]. We feel pretty comfortable that Ash has got that skill set and he’s a very mature player now and we feel that if he was to get that opportunity in India, or firstly here, that he’ll be able to step up.”Ashton Agar’s batting has tilted things his way in the race to be the second spinner•Getty ImagesThe case for Matt Renshaw
Renshaw has returned to opening for Queensland this year with success. He also opened for Australia A in Sri Lanka in the winter and for the Prime Minister’s XI against West Indies where he made 81 and 101 not out. However, Renshaw is clearly being looked at as a middle-order option because of his skill against both the new ball and spin bowling and his experience from Test tours of India and Bangladesh in 2017.It seems Renshaw would likely play if it was going to be an old-school big spinning pitch in Sydney, like the Sheffield Shield pitch between New South Wales and Western Australia earlier this summer, where Australia would only need four bowlers, including two spinners, and then an extra batter at six with good skill against spin who could play a vital role in a low scoring game.”We feel with Matt in particular, he’s got the flexibility to bat anywhere in the order from the top through the middle as well and we’ve seen over time his spin play has improved,” McDonald said. “We feel as though he could potentially fill that middle-order position.”McDonald noted that Peter Handscomb, one of Australia’s best players of spin and the leading Shield runscorer in the past two summers, could consider himself unlucky not to be called up for Sydney and remains in the frame for India.The case for Marcus Harris
Harris has been the spare batter in the squad all summer and last played in the Sydney Ashes Test 12 months ago. Harris’ best chance to feature is if the SCG pitch is a batting-friendly, non-spinning track, similar to the modern Test pitches in Sydney. In which case, Australia could pick seven batters, three quicks, and one spinner. Harris would come in as the next batting cab off the rank and he could open, with Usman Khawaja sliding to No. 5 as a one-off, the position he batted on his recall last year where he made twin hundreds.”With Marcus Harris, we feel he’s an opening batter or top three,” McDonald said. “We’ve seen him bat at three at times across his career. We don’t want to give too much away. The Khawaja one, yeah, he could bat in the middle. But we do like the combination of him and David [Warner] at the top and that’s probably where we’ll head in the future as well unless things shifted significantly on us.”The case for Lance Morris or Josh Hazlewood
There is a scenario where Morris, the fastest bowler in Australia, could play in front of Hazlewood, who has declared himself fit after a side strain, or even Scott Boland (Test average 12.21). It would likely come if Australia picked a five-pronged attack and felt the third quick needed to be a short-burst strike bowler with high pace, given Cummins, Boland or Hazlewood, and two spinners would be able to shoulder the majority of the overs and control the run-rate.”All scenarios are on the table,” McDonald said. “If we feel as though we need some airspeed then no doubt Lance is the obvious one. The conditions will determine that. I’d love to be able to speak in more depth around it. In two days’ time, I’ll probably be better positioned to be able to discuss and talk about that. I think that’s one that’s possible if the conditions present that way.”

And who opens with David Warner? Our panelists put their heads together to pick a powerhouse combined XI from the two sides

Sreshth Shah16-Dec-2020With India and Australia set to face off for the first Test of their series this week, this time on Dream Team we’re picking the best current Test XI from the two teams. Australia and India are the top two teams in the World Test Championship rankings, and so we’re looking to pick a team that can beat the rest of the world in a one-off Test if played today. Which country will have more players in the XI? What’s the best combination? Our panelists, Raunak Kapoor, Andrew McGlashan, Shamya Dasgupta and Shashank Kishore have a crack at it.The openers: Warner… and who?
Neither team has had set openers, with both units trying different combinations over the last 18 months. David Warner has not had a regular partner, and the India openers, Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma and Prithvi Shaw have shown sparks of brilliance but still have a lot to prove. Will the panelists go with one of the these choices, or will they shoehorn in a makeshift opener from all the brilliant middle-order options that both teams have?Plenty of pace options, but no space for all
Six quicks stand out. Australia have Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. India have Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma. But not all can make it. Who misses out? Which combination provides the most variety? Three fast bowlers or four?What does the middle order look like?
Virat Kohli and Steven Smith are two of Test cricket’s greats. Cheteshwar Pujara can really get stuck in. Marnus Labuschagne has been the most prolific Test batsman since his debut. At first glance, all four should make it to the XI but it also means Nos. 3 to 6 are full up, leaving no space for a wicketkeeper and allrounder. Will the panelists sacrifice one of them? Or will they find a solution to play all four while also making a perfectly balanced XI?

Top Manchester United target Harry Kane has now surpassed both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi by setting an “incredible” new record.

Man Utd identify Kane as key transfer target

Last week, it emerged that Kane has been identified as a key transfer target for Man United, despite the signing of Benjamin Sesko in the summer, with Ruben Amorim’s side set to do battle with Tottenham Hotspur for his signature.

It is revealed the striker would only be interested in a move to Old Trafford if United are able to improve their current league standing, and Amorim will be hoping his side can now kick on after the surprise 2-1 victory against Liverpool at Anfield last Sunday.

The former Tottenham man is just 48 goals away from breaking Alan Shearer’s record as the all-time leading goalscorer in the Premier League, which suggests a return to England could be tempting.

Player

Premier League goals

Alan Shearer

260

Harry Kane

213

Wayne Rooney

208

Mohamed Salah

188

Andy Cole

187

That said, Bayern will undoubtedly want to keep hold of their talisman, who is currently under contract until 2027, and it was recently widely reported that he is open to extending his stay at the Allianz Arena.

The Tottenham legend, who is regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, is arguably in the form of his life at the moment, having recently surpassed both Ronaldo and Messi by setting an “incredible” new goalscoring record.

As revealed by Opta, the Bayern star has now reached the 20-goal mark in all competitions in just 12 games for the Bundesliga side this season, eclipsing two players widely regarded as being the greatest of all time.

Kane will be key to England's chances of World Cup glory

The 32-year-old is clearly showing no signs of slowing down, given his goalscoring exploits this season, having already found the back of the net 12 times in the Bundesliga, which means at his current rate he could break the league record of 41 set by Robert Lewandowski.

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1 ByDominic Lund Oct 23, 2025

Given his age, the 2026 World Cup may be the Englishman’s last chance to lead his side to glory, but if he continues his current form, the Three Lions certainly have a fighting chance.

It would be a real coup if Man United were able to sign Kane, but in truth it seems very unlikely, given that a player of his quality needs to be competing for league titles on a regular basis.

The Champions League remains the pinnacle of the European game, showcasing the very best that the continent has to offer, both collectively and on an individual basis.

Paris Saint-Germain romped to the title in emphatic fashion last time around, yet with talisman – and Ballon d’Or winner – Ousmane Dembele seeing his impact limited this time around due to injury, who else is now leading the way instead?

Ranking factors Current form Importance to team Reputation and honours 50-41

50. Xavi Simons

Spurs

49. Desire Doue

PSG

48. Phil Foden

Man City

47. Ivan Perisic

PSV

46. Carlos Forbs

Club Brugge

45. Rayan Cherki

Man City

44. De Ketelaere

Atalanta

43. Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool

42. Noni Madueke

Arsenal

41. Couhaib Driouech

PSV

A fair few new entrants to our top 50 this week, with Xavi Simons notably securing that final spot following his standout display against Slavia Prague, while Rayan Cherki also gets a nod following his stellar performance as Man City saw off Real Madrid.

Perhaps the performance of the week, at least from a Premier League perspective, came from Arsenal’s Noni Madueke, however, with the Englishman’s first of the night against Club Brugge an early contender for goal of the competition.

40-31

40. Serhou Guirassy

Dortmund

39. Eberechi Eze

Arsenal

38. Harvey Barnes

Newcastle

37. Scott McTominay

Napoli

36. Trincao

Sporting

35. Goncalo Ramos

PSG

34. Lennart Karl

Bayern

33. David Raya

Arsenal

32. Lamine Yamal

Barcelona

31. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Marseille

A fresh face also emerges in this next batch of names, with Bayern Munich’s teen sensation, Lennart Karl, deserving of a first inclusion, having now scored in three Champions League games in a row – the youngest player to have achieved that feat.

Elsewhere, Madueke’s ever-reliable teammate, David Raya, also surges up our list, having kept yet another clean sheet away at Brugge – his fifth in just six outings in this year’s edition.

30-21

30. Kenan Yildiz

Juventus

29. Gabriel

Arsenal

28. Marc Cucurella

Chelsea

27. Hakan Calhanoglu

Inter

26. Marcus Thuram

Inter

25. Estevao

Chelsea

24. Jeremy Doku

Man City

23. Micky van de Ven

Spurs

22. Alejandro Grimaldo

Leverkusen

21. Gabriel Martinelli

Arsenal

It’s a bit of an Arsenal theme this week, with a word also needing to be said for Gabriel Martinelli, following his stunning second-half effort. The Brazilian speedster already has five goals in this season’s Champions League, despite making just three starts.

It also proved to be another positive outing for Bayer Leverkusen’s talisman, Alejandro Grimaldo, with the in-form left-footer denying Newcastle all three points late on in the BayArena.

20-11

20. Marquinhos

PSG

19. Anthony Gordon

Newcastle

18. Dean Huijsen

Real Madrid

17. Denzel Dumfries

Inter

16. Julian Alvarez

Atleti

15. Lautaro Martinez

Inter

14. Achraf Hakimi

PSG

13. Kvicha Kvaratskhelia

PSG

12. Enzo Fernandez

Chelsea

11. Nuno Mendes

PSG

The top 20 sees Anthony Gordon retain his place, having now scored five times himself this season, while Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez also deserves his own surge up this list after netting the opener against PSV Eindhoven.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s shock defeat away to Atalanta sees Enzo Fernandez drop out of the top ten, with the Serie A side coming from behind to win 2-1 in Bergamo.

So, who is included in the top ten after match week five?

10 Pedri

Taking Enzo’s place in this top ten is Barcelona genius, Pedri, with the Spaniard again putting on a midfield clinic in the 2-1 triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt.

108 touches. 100% of his dribbles successfully completed. 100% of his tackles won. Need we say more?

9 Jurrien Timber

Heralded by some as the best right-back in the world after helping Arsenal beat Bayern at the end of November, Timber has showcased himself to be a phenomenal signing by the Gunners.

The Dutchman may have missed the clash with Brugge, but it would be harsh to dislodge him from his place in this top ten.

8 Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen has stormed into the top ten following his stunning hat-trick away at Ajax in match week four.

He didn’t play in game week five, and failed to fire this time around against Monaco, but still sits second in the scoring charts, now up to six goals from just four appearances in 2025/26.

7 Marcus Rashford

There can be a perceived lack of interest or importance placed on these league phase fixtures, although Marcus Rashford has already served up reasons to be entertained, notably lashing home that stunner at St James’ Park, while producing an early contender for assist of the season after picking out Ferran Torres against PSG.

With two more goals under his belt against Olympiacos, having also picked out Jules Kounde in stunning fashion in midweek, the 27-year-old is finally looking back to his brilliant best.

6 Michael Olise

Bayern Munich must be rubbing their hands with glee at having prised Michael Olise from Crystal Palace for ‘just’ £50m, with the France international going to new heights at the Allianz Arena.

With four goals and assists already in this year’s competition, the fleet-footed winger is already looking deadly again.

5 Declan Rice

Last season, Rice powered Arsenal to the Champions League semi-finals courtesy of two remarkable free-kicks against Real Madrid, deserving of the Puskas award. If you didn’t think he couldn’t get any better, think again.

He may have sat out Brugge through illness, although he memorably rocked up against Bayern Munich in match week five to deliver a virtuoso man-of-the-match display.

Is there a better midfielder in world football? Perhaps there’s one.

4 Vitinha

From struggling against Chorley in the FA Cup for Wolves, the Portuguese midfielder has come a long way since. He’s a Champions League winner and arguably delivered his finest performance in the competition to date against Tottenham in match week five, scoring a stunning hat-trick which included a cracking equaliser in the first half.

Thomas Frank remarked after the game that he is “the next Ballon d’Or winner”. Any complaints? Very few.

3 Harry Kane

The fastest player this century to reach 100 goals for one club, the England skipper is in the form of his life right now, notching up five goals already to kickstart his – and Bayern’s – bid for an elusive Champions League crown.

He was the finest player in the competition to date until he came up against Arsenal in match week five, having also failed to fire against Sporting in Bayern’s comeback 3-1 win.

2 Erling Haaland

Excluding the obvious duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the modern era hasn’t witnessed such a prolific presence as Erling Haaland, with the Norwegian already ripping it up in the new campaign.

A star for club and country, the 25-year-old arguably only ranks behind a certain Harry Kane as the continent’s finest number nine, scoring for the sixth time in the Champions League this season against Madrid.

1 Kylian Mbappe

Having somewhat upset the apple cart after joining then-holders Real Madrid last summer, Kylian Mbappe is back in the groove again under Xabi Alonso.

He may have missed the Man City clash through injury, but with nine goals in just five games, there’s no one better for the top spot.

Yamal this, Yamal that. The Frenchman is the greatest in the world right now.

Ballon d'Or 2026 Power Rankings

Who will be lifting the individual honour in 2026?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 6, 2025

Rangers are heading into their most hectic period of the season with a depleted squad, making Danny Röhl’s already difficult task even more daunting.

During the international break, first-choice centre-back duo John Souttar and Derek Cornelius both suffered long-term injuries, while Mikey Moore and Youssef Chermiti also missed Saturday’s narrow 2-1 victory over Livingston.

On Thursday night, the Gers will welcome Braga to Ibrox in the Europa League, very much in need of a victory, considering they sit rock bottom of the gigantic table, without a point to their name.

Given all the injury issues, which “colossus” will be starting this pivotal European tie, hoping to replicate a recent Rangers legend?

Connor Goldson's Rangers career

Plenty of figures have been key to the success Rangers have enjoyed in the last decade.

Steven Gerrard delivered the only Premiership title since 2011, Giovanni van Bronckhorst led the Gers to the Europa League Final while, in terms of players, captain James Tavernier as well as Connor Goldson were central figures for many seasons.

When the then-26-year-old defender arrived in 2018, he was not very well-known and had hardly any top-level experience.

Goldson’s time at Brighton & Hove Albion was derailed by a heart defect detected during a routine screening, requiring preventative surgery, eliciting fears that he may never play again, thereby making just three Premier League appearances for the Seagulls.

Nevertheless, after making the move north of the border, he would become a rock at the heart of the Light Blues’ defence, representing the club 309 times, winning all three domestic trophies.

The centre-back scored plenty of crucial goals, bagging both during a 2-0 victory at Celtic Park towards the start of the title-winning campaign, before departing to join Aris Limassol in the summer of 2024.

Given that Wes Foderingham, Leon Balogun and Ross McCausland also now ply their trade at the Alphamega Stadium, whoever is Aris Limassol’s head of recruitment must enjoy watching Rangers season review DVDs.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Fast-forward to the present day, Rangers have not had a dominant, reliable centre-half since Goldson’s move to Cyprus, but could that be about to change?

Rangers' new Connor Goldson

With Souttar and Cornelius sidelined until Christmas at least, this has presented opportunities for others, with forgotten man Emmanuel Fernandez at the front of the queue.

On Saturday, the man who joined from Peterborough United in the summer for a reported fee of £3.5m started for the first time since August, marking the occasion by breaking the deadlock inside nine minutes; his towering header did not give Livingston goalkeeper Jérôme Prior a chance.

Overall, Fernandez’s statistics at the weekend made for impressive reading.

Fernandez’s stats vs Livingston
Stats	Fernandez	Match rank
Goals	1	1st
Accurate passes	80	2nd
Passing accuracy %	90%	3rd
Defensive actions	15	1st
Clearances	10	2nd
Blocks	2	1st
Interceptions	2	3rd
Duels contested	14	3rd
Duels won	9	1st
Aerial duels won	7	1st
Touches	110	3rd
SofaScore rating	8.3	1st
Stats via SofaScore

As the table documents, Fernandez put in a dominant display against Livingston, ranked first for defensive actions, blocks, duels won and aerial duels won, while only Nicolas Raskin completed more passes.

As already alluded to, this was just the centre-back’s third start for the club, scoring on debut against Alloa and then in the lineup at St Mirren the following weekend, but he had seen just a solitary minute of action since 24 August beforehand.

Nevertheless, he certainly staked a claim for more involvement in Röhl’s team and, well, considering the scarcity of alternatives, the German coach does not have much choice.

The Englishman was certainly popular at his former club, with Peterborough Chairman Darragh MacAnthony labelling him a “colossus” and a “gentle giant”, also adding that he is a “great organiser and talker”.

Like Goldson, the majority of Fernandez’s experience prior to arriving at Rangers has come in the EFL, even representing non-league clubs Sheppey United, Margate and Spalding United.

Thus, joining the Glasgow giants is the 24-year-old’s massive move, now looking to take a gigantic step forward in his career – just as Goldson did before him.

So, after seeing very limited opportunities up until this point, he will be thrust into the limelight, poised to make his European debut when Braga visit Govan on Thursday night.

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By
Ben Gray

Nov 21, 2025

One of the standouts for Manchester City this season has been Phil Foden. Last term wasn’t the easiest for the versatile midfielder, but he has shone under Pep Guardiola in the 2025/26 campaign so far and has seen a real resurgence when it comes to his form.

His newfound role in midfield, operating slightly deeper as a number eight, has really helped him rediscover his best form. That was followed by his deserved recall into the England squad by Thomas Tuchel for the Three Lions’ final two World Cup qualifiers, a testament to his resurgence.

In a season where Foden looks back to his best, it is perhaps no coincidence that Erling Haaland is also firing.

Foden and Haaland’s connection in numbers

The connection between Foden and Haaland has been excellent over the last few seasons. According to Transfermarkt, the Stockport-born star has only linked up for a goal more times with Kevin De Bruyne than Haaland, 18 with the Belgian compared to 14 with the City number nine.

One of those came this season, against Napoli in the Champions League. It was a superb assist from Foden, taking the ball on the half turn and lofting it from close range into the path of his teammate.

Haaland did the rest, heading home inside the box.

The City academy graduate has spoken this season about his relationship with the Premier League’s top goalscorer. Foden said the pair are “definitely building that relationship,” explaining that he is “finding him more in behind and where he needs the ball to score.”

Well, that is certainly an exciting prospect for City fans. They might well be able to look forward to even more assists from their number 47, teeing up Haaland, especially given Foden’s performances are improving week by week.

Incredibly, the Citizens are linked with another attacking midfielder who could replicate Foden’s impact.

Man City now targeting another Foden

The January transfer window is almost upon us, and City are seemingly chasing a particular expensive attacking target. Real Madrid star Arda Guler is said to be a name they are looking at, in a deal which could cost the club upwards of £88m.

Should Guardiola’s side get a deal for the Turkish international over the line, it would represent another wonderful attacking acquisition. The 20-year-old has impressed for Los Blancos this term after being given a key role by new manager Xabi Alonso.

In 16 games across all competitions, the former Fenerbahce star has scored three goals and assisted six. Interestingly, all of those assists have been for Kylian Mbappe, as per Transfermarkt.

He has the creativity to provide goals for the world’s best attackers, which Haaland certainly is.

The 20-year-old has already made a great impression despite being a short way into his career. In fact, analyst Ben Mattinson said he can be a “Ballon d’Or level” player back in 2023, and with the form he is putting up now, it is hard to argue that could one day be the case.

There are certainly similarities between Guler and Foden. One of those, of course, is their playstyles, which mirror each other in many ways. They are both left-footed creative midfielders who excel between the lines and offer a big creative outlet for their sides’ attackers.

The pair are also noted as statistically similar players among their midfield European peers, as per FBref.

That has been seen this season, with Turkey star Guler averaging 3.68 key passes per 90 minutes, compared to the City number 47’s tally of 2.66 key passes each game.

Guler & Foden key stats compared

Stat (per 90)

Guler

Foden

Key passes

3.68

2.66

Progressive passes

7.7

4.56

Goal-creating actions

0.8

0.51

Progressive carries

2.07

1.65

Ball recoveries

4.25

4.68

Stats from FBref

It is easy to see how Foden and Guler are quite similar players. With the creative force they possess in the final third, plus the fact that they excel in central zones, Guardiola could have two exciting creative midfielders to choose from.

If Guler can recreate with Haaland the partnership he has with Mbappe, the Citizens could become even more of a threat in attacking areas than they already are.

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علق مجيد بو قرة، المدير الفني لمنتخب الجزائر المشارك في كأس العرب، على الخسارة أمام مصر، في مباراة ودية أقيمت اليوم، الجمعة.

وكان منتخب مصر المشارك في كأس العرب قد حقق الفوز على الجزائر بنتيجة 3-2 في الودية الأولى التي أقيمت ضمن برنامج الإعداد للبطولة.

وقال بو قرة في تصريحات لقناة “أون سبورت”: “كل شيء كان ممتازًا، من الجيد جدًا أن أعود لاستاد القاهرة، لدينا ذكريات جميلة هنا، المباراة كانت جيدة جدًا للفريقين، المستوى كان مرتفعًا خاصة من الجانب المصري”.

طالع | تعديل موعد مباراة مصر والجزائر الودية بسبب المنتخب الأول

وتابع: “كان من المهم أن أواجه المنتخب المصري قبل بطولة كأس العرب، لأن مصر لديها فريق جماعي ممتاز ويتحركون بشكل جيد كما أنهم أقوياء للغاية وذوي مهارات عالية”.

وأضاف: “التجربة كانت مثالية، ولنرى ما هي نقاط الضعف المتواجدة لدينا، المباراة كانت صعبة على الفريقين”.

وكشف: “أغلب المنتخبات ستشارك بالفريق الأول مثل السعودية وقطر والإمارات والعراق والبحرين، فقط المنتخبات الإفريقية لن تشارك بالمنتخب الأول مثل مصر والجزائر وتونس والمغرب وليبيا إذا تأهلت، علينا أن نضم اللاعبين الذين لم يذهبوا لكأس أمم إفريقيا”.

واختتم: “الأمور تحتاج إلى الكثير من التحضير، عندما تكون حامل اللقب يصبح الأمر صعبًا، لأن كل المنتخبات تريد التفوق عليك وكل الفرق ستكون أكثر تركيزًا أمامنا لمحاولة التفوق علينا”.

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Mesmo ainda sem o Brasileirão finalizado, o Grêmio já começa a projetar a temporada de 2024. O Tricolor faz uma avaliação do elenco e analisa quais contratos devem ser renovados para o próximo ano.

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Do time gremista atual, além do técnico Renato Portaluppi, o Tricolor tem nove jogadores com vínculo se encerrado em dezembro: Caíque, João Pedro, Bruno Alves, Bruno Uvini, Geromel, Iturbe, Luan, Galdino e André Henrique.

Os jogadores ainda estão em avaliação da comissão técnica e do departamento de futebol. O lateral-direito João Pedro já começou as conversas por sua sequência. Geromel também projetou sua sequência em Porto Alegre. A intenção é se aposentar na Capital. “É sentar e conversar”. Os demais ainda não começaram tratativas para continuar na Capital.

Everton timidly exited the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.

There’s been an overarching feeling of progressiveness since David Moyes returned to the club in January, but the Merseysiders reverted to their former type against Wolves.

There has been a collective drive at Everton to attack domestic cup competitions, and so this one will sting for the Toffees, with Wolves having started the Premier League season off dismally, losing all five of their opening fixtures.

It was an uncharacteristically shoddy defensive performance from the away side, and James Tarkowski was at the epicentre.

James Tarkowski let Moyes down at Molineux

Tarkowski has been a pillar of strength for Everton since joining from Burnley on a free transfer in 2022, but the skipper endured a tough showing last night.

Moyes, it must be said, wasn’t best pleased with the performance. But then, the weakened team the Scotsman put out were always going to be up against it.

While it wasn’t a terrible showing from the 32-year-old, he lost both of his ground duels, as per Sofascore, and ceded possession 12 times, seemingly hesitant to engage with the hulking Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.

The return of Jarrad Branthwaite from injury cannot come soon enough, and unless Tarkowski recovers his aggressive, solid nature in central defence, it may be Michael Keane – one of the better performers against the Old Gold – who keeps his starting spot.

However, while Everton flattered to deceive in defence, they were toothless in attack, and Dwight McNeil was among the worst performers. It’s quite likely the 25-year-old will be making a swift return to the bench.

Dwight McNeil has already lost his starting spot

McNeil battled against injury for much of the 2024/25 campaign, with his absence for most of the start of this new Moyes era especially frustrating given his emphatic form under Sean Dyche’s wing at the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

He offers a potent threat when firing on all cylinders, but none of the playmaker’s vim and vigour was on display against a spirited Wolves side, and Moyes hooked him before the hour mark.

Given that McNeil has sat as an unused substitute across four of Everton’s five Premier League matches so far this season, he will be concerned about his playing time going forward, with Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye both in inspired form down the flanks.

25/26

1

0 (0)

24/25

21

4 (8)

23/24

35

3 (6)

22/23

36

7 (3)

Statistician Tactically Matt put in no uncertain terms after the Englishman was hooked before the hour mark, saying, “Dwight McNeil has been a difficult watch for a while now.”

Chris Beesley of the Liverpool Echo branded McNeil with a 5/10 match score and drew attention to the fact that the overload of addition to the attacking midfield will have left the former Burnley man frustrated, having blown a good chance to stake his claim.

He completed only eight passes across the evening at a success rate of 62%, and that having failed to create a chance or complete a cross.

Moreover, McNeil lost four of his five duels, drifting out to the left to try and collect the ball and funnel it on through to the danger area – to no avail.

Moyes is almost certainly going to take the player’s starting place away from him, and it’s going to take a big effort for McNeil to make his way back into the ascendancy at Everton.

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