Ipswich Town hadn’t been blown away in any Premier League contest to date, with valiant displays against the likes of Aston Villa and Fulham sticking out, until their visit to West Ham United this weekend.

The Hammers, who went into this game on a poor run of form under new boss Julen Lopetegui, ended up just brushing the Tractor Boys aside, as Kieran McKenna’s side fell victim to a 4-1 bruising on their travels to London.

The popular Ipswich boss will have plenty to ponder concerning his troops after this collapse on the road, mainly whether or not he should persist with Kalvin Phillips in the middle of the park, who struggled against his former loan employers.

Phillips' performance in numbers

It was always going to be a big risk bringing the Manchester City flop in and expecting him to instantly set the world alight considering how poor he was for West Ham last season.

Phillips must have felt charitable coming up against some familiar faces this weekend, with the ex-Leeds United man inexplicably surrendering the ball within the first minute, which then allowed Michail Antonio to find the back of the net.

Moreover, after some horrible play out from the back presented an opportunity for Jarrod Bowen to run at the Tractor Boys’ defence early in the second 45 minutes, the brand new Ipswich number eight just couldn’t get tight to the ex-Hull City attacker who fired home a decisive strike to make it 3-1 on the day.

Phillips was hauled off the pitch late on consequently after failing to show to his former side his true self, as the 28-year-old continues to slip up when it comes to resurrecting his career.

Not many Ipswich players could hold their heads high after this humbling loss, in all fairness, with Omari Hutchinson notably poor too in attack for McKenna’s visitors.

Hutchinson's performance in numbers

Hutchinson isn’t quite living up to his summer price tag of £20m playing in the Premier League, after regularly coming up trumps for the Tractor Boys in the Championship.

The ex-Chelsea youngster only has a mere assist next to his name from seven top-flight games so far, with zero goals also a worrying number when looking at his output, and it was clear for all to see why he’s been so ineffective this season watching his display up against the free-flowing Hammers.

Minutes played

83

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

44

Accurate passes

21/26 (81%)

Possession lost

17x

Shots

0

Successful dribbles

3/4

Duels won

4/12

As much as Hutchinson would trouble the West Ham defence on occasion with a slaloming run, the 20-year-old lacked any end product to go with a mazey burst forward, with zero shots attempted on Alphonse Aréola’s goal.

He was also poor on the ball in patches of the contest, with the former Chelsea man squandering possession 17 times in total away at the London Stadium.

It would result in a low 5/10 match rating being dished out to Hutchinson come full-time by journalist Alex Jones, who was said he was given ‘little space’ by the Hammers defenders to strut his stuff.

McKenna will be tempted to rejig his attack now in an attempt to get more out of his underperforming number 20, with the 5 foot 9 trickster perhaps moved out to the wing – where he shone last season during his side’s promotion heroics.

He could, also, just be dropped, with Phillips no doubt worried about his starting spot too moving forward.

Hutchinson does have an audacious strike like the one above up his sleeve, but the top-flight is a different kettle of fish altogether from the Championship, as many of Ipswich players are now well aware of.

Ipswich must regret not signing £16m PL star who's better than Hutchinson

The exciting star would have been incredible under McKenna.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 3, 2024

Ipswich Town have enjoyed a meteoric rise under the guidance of Kieran McKenna over the last couple of years after the Northern Irishman took the club from League One to the Premier League with back-to-back promotions.

However, despite his success at Portman Road, the 38-year-old will face his toughest task yet in management by trying to keep the Tractor Boys in the top flight beyond this season.

This year will live long in the memories of the fanbase, spending their first season in England’s top division for the first time in 22 years.

Meetings with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United will ignite the supporters’ hopes of sustaining their Premier League status and ensuring that they don’t go another two decades without top-flight football.

As a result of their shock rise over the last two seasons, heavy investment was needed during the off-season, which led to the club signing one player with bags of Premier League experience.

Kalvin Phillips’ move to join Ipswich Town

After a failed loan move to West Ham United that saw the midfielder feature just ten times in all competitions, Kalvin Phillips had a huge choice over his next move to help ignite his once-promising career.

The 28-year-old enjoyed a successful spell with Leeds United, featuring 234 times for his boyhood club, before joining Manchester City in a £45m deal during the summer of 2022.

However, the move has been a disaster for the former England international, featuring just 31 times and failing to dislodge Rodri from his starting role in defensive midfield.

As a result, Phillips accepted a proposal to join Ipswich on a season-long loan during the transfer window, with his top-flight experience vital to McKenna’s squad.

The midfielder has made 77 appearances in the competition to date, with his skill set hopefully giving the Tractor Boys that cutting edge in those cagey affairs.

However, they are yet to see the best of the one-time £45m signing, with the 28-year-old only on the pitch for 303 minutes in the league as he looks to regain his full fitness.

Whilst he undoubtedly has the quality to be a monster hit at Portman Road, the club may have been better off pursuing a deal to re-sign a player who’s previously thrived in East Anglia.

The man who Ipswich missed out on this summer

Ipswich’s hunt for new additions took them all over Europe, but they also targeted numerous players close to home, including former Tractor Boy, Flynn Downes.

McKenna’s side made an attempt to sign the 25-year-old after he helped Southampton secure promotion back to the Premier League after their play-off final victory over Leeds United at Wembley.

However, they missed out on a permanent deal to re-sign the midfielder, with Downes securing a £18m move to join Russell Martin’s side – with Ipswich moving onto other targets including Phillips.

Games played

7

4

Pass accuracy

91%

79%

Progressive carries per 90

1.7

0.6

Passes leading to shots per 90

1.9

1.2

Tackles won per 90

1

0.9

Aerials won

70%

33%

When delving into the pair’s respective stats from the current campaign, it’s clear that the current Southampton man has outperformed the Ipswich loanee, potentially seeing McKenna’s side regret not pushing harder for his signature.

The “monstrous” Saints star, as described by his current boss, has excelled in possession, achieving a much higher pass completion rate, whilst also averaging more progressive carries per 90.

Out of possession, Downes also has the upper hand, winning more tackles per 90 whilst winning more aerial battles – demonstrating the qualities he would’ve added in regaining the ball for McKenna’s side.

Undoubtedly, Phillips will provide a solid short-term option for the club, but with the long-term also in mind, Downes would’ve certainly been a better addition for the Tractor Boys.

His quality is evident, as demonstrated by his figures this season, potentially handing the East Anglian that added edge in their battle to avoid relegation this season.

Left for £5m: Ipswich hit gold offloading star who's now without a club

Ipswich Town cashed in at the best possible time when this former star left Portman Road.

1 ByKelan Sarson Oct 8, 2024

The Ghana international will reportedly be ruled out until at least April after suffering a quad injury

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Joseph paintsil reportedly out 6-8 weeksWinger dealing with quad injuryJoins club star Riqui Puig on injury tableGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Los Angeles Galaxy star winger Joseph Paintsil is reportedly set to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks with a quad injury.

It's not known how he sustained it, but the Ghana international will now be sidelined for the start of the 2025 MLS season. He will join LA star midfielder Riqui Puig on the bench as well, with the Spaniard currently recovering from an ACL tear suffered in the 2024 MLS Playoffs.

GiveMeSport's Tom Bogert was first to report the news.

AdvertisementUSA Today ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Paintsil had a breakout year for LA in 2024 after arriving from Belgian side Genk on a $10 million transfer.

The 27-year-old winger scored 10 goals and recorded 10 assists for LA across the regular season in 2024, where he made 29 appearances — 28 of which were starts.

In their postseason run, he contributed another four goals and one assist as the Galaxy claimed their first MLS Cup since 2014.

DID YOU KNOW?

In addition to his performances on the pitch, Paintsil is a performer off it, as well. The Ghanaian release a hit single titled ahead of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, and the record spearheaded their championship run to lift the coveted trophy in December.

ImagnWHAT NEXT FOR LA?

The Galaxy are back in competitive action on Sunday, Feb. 23 against MLS expansion side San Diego FC as they kickoff their 2025 MLS season.

CA – Cricket Australia contract, R – Rookie contract

ACT

Women Angela Reakes, Katie Mack, Kayla Burton, Gabrielle Sutcliffe, Chloe Rafferty, Carly Leeson, Matilda Lugg, Olivia Porter, Rebecca Carter, Amy Yates, Zoe Cooke, Holly Ferling, Alisha Bates, Angelina Genford, Annie WikmanIn Holly Ferling (Queensland), Alisha Bates, Annie Wikman, Angelina Genford | Out Erin Osborne (retired), Madeline Penna (South Australia), Nicola Hancock, Erica Kershaw

New South Wales

Men Sean Abbott, Trent Copeland, Pat Cummins (CA), Oliver Davies, Liam Doddrell (R), Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Ryan Hackney, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Josh Hazlewood (CA), Lachlan Hearne, Moises Henriques, Baxter Holt, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Nathan Lyon (CA), Blake Nikitaras (R), Jack Nisbet (R), Kurtis Patterson, Will Salzmann (R), Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, Lachlan Shaw (R), Steven Smith (CA), Mitchell Starc (CA), Chris Tremain, Hunar Verma (R), David Warner (CA), Adam Zampa (CA)In Liam Doddrell, Ryan Hadley, Hayden Kerr, Blake Nikitaras, Lachlan Shaw, Will Salzmann | Out Josh Baraba, Harry Conway (SA), Peter Nevill (retired)Women Jade Allen, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner (CA), Rachael Haynes (CA), Alyssa Healy (CA), Saskia Horley, Emma Hughes, Sammy Jo-Johnson, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Lauren Smith, Tahlia WilsonIn Saskia Horley | Out Rachel Trenaman (Tasmania)

Queensland

Men Usman Khawaja (CA), Marnus Labuschagne (CA), Mitchell Swepson (CA),Joe Burns, Michael Neser, Sam Heazlett, Jack Wildermuth, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Jimmy Peirson, Xavier Bartlett, Bryce Street, James Bazley, Gurinder Sandhu, Matthew Kuhnemann, Jack Clayton, Kane Richardson, Max Bryant, Liam Guthrie, Sam Truloff, Connor Sully, Blake Edwards, Hugo Burdon (R), William Prestwidge (R), Jackson Sinfield (R), Matthew Willans (R)In Kane Richardson (SA), Liam Guthrie (WA), Hugo Burdon, Jackson Sinfield | Out Billy Stanlake (Tas), Jack Wood, Lachlan PfefferWomen Jess Jonassen (CA), Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Mikayla Hinkley, Ellie Johnston, Ruth Johnston, Charli Knott, Caitlin Mair, Grace Parsons, Georgia Prestwidge, Georgia Redmayne, Courtney Sippel, Georgia Voll

South Australia

Men Wes Agar, Jordan Buckingham, Kyle Brazell (R), Aiden Cahill (R), Alex Carey (CA), Bailey Capel (R), Jake Carder, Harry Conway, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, David Grant, Travis Head (CA), Isaac Higgins (R), Henry Hunt, Spencer Johnson, Thomas Kelly, Ryan King (R), Jake Lehmann, Nathan McAndrew, Nathan McSweeney, Ben Manenti, Harry Mathias (R), Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton, Jake Weatherald, Nick WinterIn Harry Conway (NSW), Spencer Johnson, Thomas Kelly, Ben Manenti, Henry Thornton | Out Ryan Gibson, Corey Kelly, Sam Kerber, Joe Mennie, Kane Richardson (Queensland), Daniel Worrall (Surrey).Women Jemma Barsby, Sam Betts, Darcie Brown (CA), Emma de Broughe, Josie Dooley, Ellie Falconer, Paris Hall, Brooke Harris, Tahlia McGrath (CA), Annie O’Neil, Bridget Patterson, Madeline Penna, Kate Peterson, Megan Schutt (CA), Courtney Webb, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Ella WilsonIn Madeline Penna, Ella Wilson, Paris Hall | Out Tegan McPharlin (retired), Alex Price, Eliza Doddridge

Tasmania

Men Tom Andrews, Gabe Bell, Jackson Bird, Iain Carlisle, Jake Doran, Nathan Ellis, Brad Hope, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Sam Rainbird, Peter Siddle, Jordan Silk, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Beau Webster, Mac Wright, Nick Davis (R), Jarrod Freeman (R), Mitch Owen (R), Nivethan Radhakrishnan (R)In Nick Davis, Billy Stanlake | Out Tim PaineWomen Nicola Carey (CA), Julia Cavanough, Maisy Gibson, Heather Graham, Emma Manix-Geeves, Sasha Moloney, Clare Scott, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Naomi Stalenberg, Molly Strano, Emma Thompson, Rachel Trenaman, Elyse Villani, Callie WilsonIn Rachel Trenaman (New South Wales), Clare Scott, Callie Wilson, Julia Cavanough | Out Corinne Hall (retired), Chloe Abel, Rachel Priest, Emily Smith, Belinda Vakarewa.

Victoria

Men Peter Handscomb, Scott Boland (CA), Travis Dean, Zak Evans, Aaron Finch (CA), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Nic Maddinson, Cameron McClure, Glenn Maxwell (CA), Jono Merlo, Todd Murphy, Tom O’Connell, Wil Parker, James Pattinson, Mitchell Perry, Will Pucovski, Matt Short, Will Sutherland, Ashley Chandrasinghe (R), Brody Couch (R), Sam Elliott (R), Campbell Kellaway (R), Fergus O’Neill (R)In Ashley Chandrasinghe, Campbell Kellaway | Out Xavier Crone, Seb Gotch (retired), James Seymour, Tom JacksonWomen Tiana Atkinson, Sam Bates, Makinley Blows, Lucy Cripps, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Ella Hayward, Olivia Henry, Meg Lanning (CA), Rhys McKenna, Sophie Molineux, Rhiann O’Donnell, Ellyse Perry (CA), Sophie Reid, Annabel Sutherland (CA), Tayla Vlaeminck (CA), Georgia Wareham (CA)In Olivia Henry, Sophie Reid | Out Anna Lanning, Lara Shannon, Amy Vine

Western Australia

Men Ashton Agar (CA), Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Hilton Cartwright, Cooper Connolly (R), Sam Fanning, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin (R), Cameron Green (CA), Sam Greer (R), Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis (CA), Bryce Jackson, Matthew Kelly, Hamish Mckenzie (R), Mitchell Marsh (CA), Shaun Marsh, David Moody, Lance Morris, Joel Paris, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, D’Arcy Short, Charlie Stobo, Marcus Stoinis (CA), Ashton Turner, Sam Whiteman, Teague Wyllie.In Sam Fanning, Bryce Jackson, Sam Greer, Hamish Mckenzie, Teague Wyllie | Out Liam Guthrie (Queensland)Women Charis Bekker, Zoe Britcliffe, Mathilda Carmichael, Piepa Cleary, Sheldyn Cooper, Maddy Darke, Ashley Day, Amy Edgar, Lisa Griffith, Alana King (CA), Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney (CA), Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Poppy Stockwell, Georgia WyllieIn Beth Mooney (Queensland), Lilly Mills (Queensland), Piepa Cleary

As it was last year, this season has already been something of a roller coaster for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lilywhites looked somewhat off the pace in their opening games, but in the last month or so, Ange Postecoglou’s men have looked like a seriously threatening side, even if there are still some issues to be resolved, as the loss to Brighton & Hove Albion made clear.

In fact, the North Londoners’ haul of 18 league goals is currently the second-best return in the competition and only one behind Manchester City, who have the frankly inhuman Erling Haaland leading the line.

Yet, it would appear that Daniel Levy and Co are looking to strengthen their already magnificent attack in the upcoming January transfer window, as according to recent reports, the club are keen on a Premier League striker who has won comparisons to Haaland and is currently outscoring Dominic Solanke.

Spurs transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham are leading the race for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims that while the Lilywhites are ahead at the moment, the Englishman’s fine form has seen the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Arsenal and his former club, Manchester City, all take notice ahead of what could be an intense battle for his services.

While this level of interest is far from ideal for the North Londoners, the good news is that 21-year-old shouldn’t cost a fortune. The report has revealed that an offer in the region of €40m, £33m, should tempt the Tractor Boys into selling.

Now, this is still a sizeable fee, but given his fine form this season, the comparison to Haaland, and the fact that he’s outscoring Solanke, it could prove to be a long-term bargain.

Delap's comparisons to Haaland and Solanke

Okay, so let’s start with the comparison to Haaland, and while some may deem it ever so slightly outrageous, it was first made by AP correspondent James Robson in September 2020, who said of the then 17-year-old forward that he had “a look of Haaland about him.”

Now, Robson based this opinion on the physical stature and goalscoring ability of the teenager at the time and considering he racked up an imposing tally of 46 goals and 16 assists in 55 appearances for City’s various youth sides, it’s not hard to see where he was coming from.

Moreover, while the Winchester-born poacher only made six first-team appearances for the club, this season has shown that he can be an effective Premier League goalscorer when given the opportunity to consistently start games.

Appearances

9

9

Minutes

634′

685′

Goals

4

3

Goals per Game

0.44

0.33

Minutes per Goal

158′

228′

For example, in his nine appearances so far this year, eight of which have come in the league, the England U21 star has scored four goals, which is one more than Soalnke has managed in as many games and in a far more dangerous team.

With that said, even if Levy and Co were able to get their hands on Ipswich’s “exceptional” talent in January, as dubbed by former professional Glenn Murray, he would likely come in as a backup for the £65m man at least for now, and given his age, that could be the best option for all involved.

It would allow Postecoglou to keep playing the former Bournemouth star while having a young, hungry, talented and reliable striker to come off the bench when needed and start in cup games, thus keeping the spotlight off of him and improving the overall quality of the squad.

Ultimately, while fans shouldn’t expect Delap to immediately come into the starting lineup and displace the talented Solanke, bringing him to N17 seems like a no-brainer if Levy and Co want to ensure Postecoglou has the best tools at his disposal – and the comparisons to Haaland are certainly a nice bonus.

Brennan Johnson is now being outperformed by a player Spurs let go for £0

Spurs may have made a mistake in allowing the talent to leave the club.

1 ByEthan Lamb Oct 23, 2024

توصل الإيطالي كارلو أنشيلوتي، إلى اتفاق شفهي مع نادي ريال مدريد الإسباني، بشأن شروط رحيله عن الفريق.

ويتولى أنشيلوتي تدريب ريال مدريد ويملك عقدًا مع النادي الملكي يمتد حتى 30 يونيو 2026.

وودع ريال مدريد دوري أبطال أوروبا هذا الموسم من دور ربع النهائي على يد آرسنال، وخسر لقب كأس ملك إسبانيا أمام غريمه برشلونة، وينافسه الآن على لقب الدوري الإسباني حيث يتصدر خصمه الترتيب.

وبحسب صحيفة “ذا أثليتك”، تم التوصل إلى اتفاق شفهي، بين أنشيلوتي وريال مدريد حول شروط رحيل المدرب، وفي انتظار الإجراءات الرسمية.

ويتعلق الشرط الأساسي بالتوصل إلى اتفاق بشأن راتب أنشيلوتي للعام المتبقي من عقده مع ريال مدريد.

اقرأ أيضًا | أنشيلوتي: الفوز على برشلونة يقربنا من لقب الدوري.. وكنت قاسيًا على جولر

من المتوقع صدور إعلان رسمي يؤكد رحيل أنشيلوتي عن ريال مدريد، قبل نهاية موسم الدوري الإسباني، وقد يتم ذلك بعد مباراة الكلاسيكو ضد برشلونة يوم الأحد القادم.

ويسعى ريال مدريد لاتخاذ قرار بشأن من سيتولى تدريب الفريق في كأس العالم للأندية الذي ينطلق يوم 14 يونيو الجاري.

ويعتبر تشابي ألونسو الخيار الأول لريال مدريد، يليه سانتياجو سولاري ثم راؤول جونزاليس أو ألفارو أربيلوا.

في الوقت نفسه من المتوقع تولي أنشيلوتي تدريب منتخب البرازيل بعد الرحيل عن ريال مدريد، حتى يكون جاهزًا لمباراتي تصفيات كأس العالم في يونيو ضد الإكوادور وباراجواي.

West Indies started the fourth day from a promising position before rain and South Africa’s bowlers combined to trigger yet another batting implosion

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town05-Jan-2015The longest second: waiting for the lift doors to open to escape a stranger’s space. The longest minute: the kettle whistling as the water reaches boiling point. The longest hour: the last on a long-haul flight. The longest session: The 48.2 overs bowled in four hours on the fourth day of the New Year’s Test between South Africa and West Indies.Only the last of those is not an exaggeration. It really was one of the longest sessions, in terms of time and overs.After rain washed out the morning and early afternoon, the umpires were allowed to extend the final session in unprecedented fashion. With the clause limiting the time for a session to no more than two-and-a-half-hours removed and the generous daylight of a Cape Town summer, play could continue past cocktails and almost encroach on dinner-time without any interruptions, in order to “maximise the playing hours”, as an ICC spokesperson put it. Lunch and tea were moved forward so the game could do the same and it would not feel like the longest day.’Just needed one massive effort from us’ – Morkel

With most of the morning and afternoon session lost to rain, South Africa were as much at risk of losing focus as West Indies but Hashim Amla made sure they knew what was expected of them.
“The captain spoke to us quite hard and said we had the whole morning off and as a unit it can be disjointed, so it’s important for us to start well,” Morkel said. “It’s part of the mental battles of Test cricket. We knew if we put in a solid session, we could have an easier day tomorrow. It just needed one massive effort from us, before we go to Bangladesh in six months’ time when we next play Test cricket. So we knew we could go out there and give it everything.”
South Africa were aware that the series they entered as over-riding favourites remained in the balance with two days left and wanted to show their best side in an attempt for success.
“We respect West Indies a lot. We know that most teams have a breaking point and it is important to push a batting team as far as they can go,” Morkel said. “The team who can sustain the pressure at that breaking point will come out on top in the end. For us, it’s to really try to break teams down. That’s key in Test cricket.”

For the first four-and-a-half hours, that’s what it was shaping up to be as rain swept through the stadium, steaming in from both sides of the grandstand in the swirling wind. The teams had seen enough of that in Port Elizabeth and did not want to resort to change-room cricket and idle chat again, so they stayed away until there was a chance of play.Dead time can kill a competitive spirit and West Indies, who would have been holed up in hotel rooms, had to guard against that. They could not.Overnight, they were in a decent position. They had two settled batsmen at the crease, had whittled down the deficit to the point of turning it into a lead and could seriously challenge South Africa for a share of the series spoils. They did not need anything to interrupt that flow, especially not a lengthy rain delay.Grey, gurgling skies over a generous gust encourage lethargy in all its forms. The legs and eyelids grow heavy, the brain foggy and the reflexes slow. The idea of waiting until tomorrow to do anything seems far more tempting than emerging from a semi-slumber to concentrate. And when the ball is coming at you at pace, 140 kmph, you need to concentrate.Everyone except Marlon Samuels and, to a lesser degree, Shivnarine Chanderpaul knew that. The rest, bar Denesh Ramdin, do not have the experience to call on for this kind of situation, which is why it was up to the three stalwarts to build West Indies a lead on which they could look for a victory. Samuels seemed the likeliest to do that.He is the type of player who rubs South Africa up the wrong way. He straddles the line between talent and arrogance a little too tightly and he talks a good game on top of all that. So South Africa did their talking with the ball. Dale Steyn banged it in short, Morne Morkel went full, and induced an edge, and Vernon Philander appealed for a catch which the umpires referred. Samuels’ response at first was to pull, drive and react so dismissively to the prospect of getting out that he almost suffered that fate off the next ball when he flayed loosely.Samuels, however, did not always get to emerge as the cooler cat. He was hit on the back by Steyn, almost on the face by Morkel and consistently tested by Philander. It’s hardly a surprise then, that the one person he felt comfortable against was Simon Harmer, who he eventually played with too much freedom. Samuels was the perfect Shakespearean character – the architect of his own demise – and the opening South Africa needed.With him gone, their longest day ended and West Indies’ began. Again. For the third time in the series, their lower order gave way in spite of a more assured showing from Shivnarine Chanderpaul. If that was his last innings in South Africa, at least he left with a half-century but he did not marshal the lower-order the way senior batsman should. He played a tentative innings and edged the fourth ball he faced to gully, but it dropped just short. He was given out on 10 but reviewed successfully. He was foxed by spin and offered a chance to AB de Villiers when he was on 33.In the middle of that struggle, West Indies lost all the rest. What started out as a day of promise, faded into another day of lost potential. They ended up with a total they may not be able to defend, because South Africa’s attack were not prepared to give their batsmen a long final day. And that is the difference between a No. 1-ranked side and a No. 8 side – one of them knows that even the longest second, the longest minute, the longest hour and the longest session will end and is willing to fight through it.

da roleta： An elite club have been criticised for allowing Arsenal and sporting director Edu Gaspar to seal a deal for one star with bags of ability, as members of the press call it “crazy”.

Arsenal target strength in depth and new striker for 2025

da pinnacle： Manager Mikel Arteta and his Premier League title hopefuls are on the up and remain unbeaten in all competitions so far this season, but a series of injuries to key players have highlighted how quickly the tables can turn on them.

Related "Terrific" player says he would re-join Arsenal in "fantastic" move for him

He’s only recently left.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Oct 16, 2024

Club captain Martin Odegaard may not return until November, as it is believed he remains out for the best part of four weeks, while the Gunners were also dealt real scares over star forwards Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka during the international break.

This has led to reports that Arsenal are targeting an alternative to Saka, with former recruitment chief Mick Brown, who’s worked for the likes of Man United and Tottenham, stating that the north Londoners are eager to strengthen their back up options.

“I’ve heard the Arsenal hierarchy have held discussions about what happens if certain players get injured, and that includes Saka,” said Brown to Football Insider.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Liverpool (home)

October 27

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

Chelsea (away)

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

“They want to get to a point where they have a solid backup for every player in their starting XI. Long-term, they’ll be planning to strengthen in every position. But that applies to Saka certainly, because a winger who’s always looking to take people on is always likely to get a whack and pick up a knock. This latest blow isn’t so serious, they hope, but with the way he plays, he’ll always pick up these little issues.

“He may always be available at the moment, but I know the club are planning for what happens if that isn’t the case any longer.“

So, despite the fine form of Havertz this season, there are claims that Arsenal are after a new striker in 2025. The likes of Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig), Jhon Duran (Aston Villa), Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting Lisbon) and Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan) have all been linked with moves to N5 in the last few weeks, so the possibility of a fresh number nine for Arteta seems very realistic.

They’ve also been monitoring defensive options, according to reports in the press this week, despite the signing of Riccardo Calafiori in a £42 million deal from Bologna over the summer.

Juventus criticised for allowing Arsenal to sign Calafiori

The Italy international has commenced life at Arsenal in excellent fashion, barring an early-season injury. Edu beat off a few big-name competitors in the race for Calafiori’s signature, including Serie A giants Juventus.

The Old Lady were heavily linked with a move for the £120,000-per-week centre-back, who is widely regarded as one of Italy’s rising stars. Juventus have now been criticised for allowing Arsenal to beat them in the race for Calafiori, with journalist Valentina Ballarini telling Sport Italia, via BianconeraNews and Sport Witness, calling it “crazy”.

“Losing Calafiori was madness. I don’t know how to define it in any other way. It was a madness in our football, the most evident in recent years,” said Ballarini.

“There have been many, it’s true, caused by the economic power that we no longer have for some time, but that of Calafiori drives me crazy in a negative way.”

Since joining Arsenal, the 22-year-old has amassed eight appearances in all competitions and got off the mark for his new club with a stunning curled effort away to title rivals Man City.

MatériaMais Notícias

da heads bet： O zagueiro equatoriano Jackson Porozo foi vendido pelo Boavista, de Portugal, ao Grupo City e repassado ao Troyes, da França, por 3,5 milhões de euros (cerca de R$ 18 milhões na cotação atual).

RelacionadasSantosLuiz Felipe perde espaço no Santos e atua apenas 180 minutos em 2022Santos23/05/2022SantosDracena critica torcida do Santos por perseguição a Maranhão e faz apelo pelo jogadorSantos23/05/2022SantosExecutivo do Santos projeta compras de Rodrigo Fernández e Vinícius ZanoceloSantos23/05/2022

da premier bet：
Com a negociação, o Santos vai ganhar uma bolada milionária. O clube ficou com 16% de uma futura venda do defensor quando negociou Porozo com os portugueses. Com isso, o Peixe vai lucrar cerca de R$ 2,9 milhões.

> Copa do Brasil já tem 15 de 16 classificados para as oitavas de final; veja os times

Porozo chegou ao Santos em 2018 em uma negociação polêmica. O contrato foi refeito após o Conselho Deliberativo indicar uma a presença de uma empresa ligada ao coordenador das categorias de base na época, Ricardo Crivelli (Lica).

Apesar de o atleta ter atuado pela Seleção Equatoriana no sub-20 e até no profissional, o defensor não ganhou espaço no Alvinegro e foi negociado sem atuar pelo profissional do Santos.

Ele possui 40 jogos pelo Boavista e 2 gols marcados. O equatoriano ainda atuou em 6 jogos pela categoria Sub-23 do time de Portugal.

A round-up of the second week of matches, which included a very dodgy umpiring decision which is under BCB review

Mohammad Isam28-Mar-2022Key takeawaysPrime Bank Cricket Club and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club continue to lead the Dhaka Premier League points table with four wins each but both clubs also dropped their first points during the second week of the tournament.The main talking point this week, though, was an umpiring decision during the Abahani Limited-Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity match on March 27. Umpire Masudur Rahman gave Khelaghar’s Hasanuzzaman lbw despite the ball clearly hitting the bat. The strangest part was that the bowler Arafat Sunny and wicketkeeper Jaker Ali didn’t appeal for the lbw decision; only Hanuma Vihari at slip made an appeal. The BCB has given a showcause notice to umpire Rahman while the video clip has gone viral on social media.Best battersLegends of Rupganj’s Naeem Islam struck two centuries in the DPL’s second week, after he got out thrice in the nineties in the first week. Naeem struck 124 against Abahani and an unbeaten 114 against Rupganj Tigers.Not too far behind in the top run-getters’ chart is Anamul Haque who made 184 this week against Shinepukur Cricket Club. It is the third highest List A score in Bangladesh, while his side Prime Bank Cricket Club’s 388 for 4 became the second-highest team score in List A matches here.Among the overseas players, Rupganj’s Chirag Jani and Shinepukur’s Sikandar Raza have also been among the big runs.Best bowlersLeft-arm quick Qazi Onik leads the top wicket-takers’ chart with a tally of 13, but there are three left-arm spinners hot on his heels – Sunzamul Islam, Rakibul Hasan and Nazmul Islam.Mohammad Ashraful’s maiden five-wicket haul included him dancing in five different styles to celebrate each wicket. But Shuvagata Hom’s 5 for 25 for Mohammedan Sporting Club beat Ashraful’s Brothers Union in this game.Best matchOnik kept Dhiman Ghosh at bay in the last over to take Gazi Group Cricketers to a six-run win against Brothers Union in a high-scoring thriller at the BKSP-3 ground on March 28. Batting first, Gazi Group reached 297 for 8 with Farhad Hossain making 92 and captain Akbar Ali hitting a 23-ball 42 with four sixes.Imtiaz Hossain struck his sixth List A hundred, but Brothers Union only picked up pace when Dhiman and Sohag Gazi added 40 runs for the seventh wicket. Dhiman struck two fours in the last over, in which they took 12 when they needed 19 to win.Points to ponderCity Club remain bottom with four losses out of four, while Khelaghar beat Prime Bank to bring them their first points. Defending champions Abahani meanwhile are in sixth place with two wins.Players to watchAnamul has been the standout performer this week, particularly with his six-hitting. He has struck 20 big ones, taking a huge lead over Naeem and Raza who have hit 11 sixes each. Anamul could be Bangladesh’s answer for their demand of a six-hitting opener in T20Is.