Chelsea haven’t been afraid to splash the cash since the arrival of wonder Todd Boehly back in 2022, with the American splashing over £1.2b on new additions in the process.

It has enabled boss Enzo Maresca to have superb squad depth this season with multiple key options across various different positions across the pitch.

Given the Europa Conference League campaign this campaign, it has allowed the 44-year-old to rest his key players, often fielding a completely different starting eleven in Europe.

One transfer window, in particular, has led to their recent success in the Premier League, edging them ever closer to securing a return to

Champions League football at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s transfer window in January 2023

Enzo Fernández moved to the Blues in January 2023, costing Boehly a whopping £106.8m – a transfer fee that would break the club’s transfer record.

The Argentine has been impressive over the last couple of months, regaining his starting position after losing his place in the starting eleven after the Italian’s appointment.

However, the 24-year-old enjoyed a run between November and December which saw him register a goal or an assist in seven consecutive matches – helping the Blues win every game in their Europa Conference League group.

Noni Madueke was another player who arrived during the aforementioned month, costing £29m from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven – becoming a key player in recent times.

The Englishman has made 72 appearances for the Blues, scoring 17 times and registering assists, with Maresca trusting him to nail down the position on the right wing.

However, the Italian boss tried to delve into the market over the last couple of weeks to land a player who could’ve featured alongside Madueke in the final third.

The player who earns nearly 2x more than Garnacho at Chelsea

Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho was a name constantly touted over a move to West London during January, but a move for the Argentine failed to materialise.

The youngster was seen as an option for the left-hand side after Mykhailo Mudryk’s ongoing suspension, but Maresca was unable to complete any deal, subsequently having to operate with the options currently at his disposal.

It would’ve been another huge investment from the hierarchy, but as well as incomings, the American needed to make some key calls on departures to reduce the bloated squad following the arrivals.

One of the players who should’ve been offloaded is centre-back Benoit Badiashile, who’s failed to make an impression under the new boss, casting doubt on his long-term future at the club after arriving in the same window as Fernandez and Madueke.

The Frenchman cost £35m two years ago, but this year has been unable to force himself into the starting eleven, starting just twice in the Premier League in 2024/25.

His lack of minutes, coupled with his huge fee should’ve seen him moved, especially to prevent the club from losing a fortune on the fee forked out for his signature.

Badiashile also pockets a small fortune despite his lack of action, earning £90k-per-week – a figure nearly two times higher than winger target Garnacho who’s only earning £50k-per-week despite his rapid rise at Old Trafford.

Chelsea first-team players who earn less than Badiashile
Player		Weekly wage	Yearly income
Axel Disasi		£80,000	£4,160,000
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall		£80,000	£4,160,000
Robert Sanchez		£60,000	£3,120,000
Noni Madueke		£50,000	£2,600,000
Marc Guiu		£50,000	£2,600,000
Filip Jorgensen		£50,000	£2,600,000
Malo Gusto		£45,000	£2,340,000
Roméo Lavia		£45,000	£2,340,000
Stats via Capology

Given his mammoth income, Maresca should’ve parted ways with the former Monaco man, which could’ve allowed for added investment during the window just gone.

With the summer transfer window opening in just a few months’ time, it gives the boss another chance to make alterations to his playing squad, with the departure of Badiashile needing to be right up there on his list of priorities.

He's now outscoring Palmer: Chelsea must regret selling "all-time great"

Chelsea sold an “all-time great” who’s now outscoring everyone at the club

1

By
Connor Holden

Feb 6, 2025

Chelsea have endured somewhat of a drop-off in recent weeks under Enzo Maresca, failing to live up to the early standards he set for himself in the early stages of his time at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian only lost two of his first 10 Premier League matches at the helm, looking as though they could be in an unexpected title battle at one stage.

However, their form has taken a turn for the worse over the last few weeks, losing four of the last eight matches, seeing them slip to sixth place and sitting behind Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth.

Injuries have undoubtedly contributed to the recent decline, with seven first-team members currently sitting on the sidelines and unable to aid the manager in his attempts to secure Champions League football.

Maresca has still been able to rely on one player who’s been the shining light in West London since his big money to the club a couple of years ago.

Cole Palmer’s stats for Chelsea in 2024/25

After his £40m move from Manchester City in the summer of 2023, Cole Palmer had an immediate impact for the Blues, registering 25 goals and 15 assists in his debut year in West London.

Such a record has made the Englishman’s task of matching such a tally this time around that little bit harder, but he’s already produced numerous moments of magic that have taken the division by storm once again.

The 22-year-old has already scored 14 times during the ongoing campaign, whilst also registering six assists for his teammates – with his combined tally the highest in the first-team squad.

His best performance undoubtedly came in the 4-2 thrashing of Brighton and Hove Albion, with Palmer scoring all four in the first half, becoming the first player in the division’s history to achieve such a feat.

Despite his excellent form under Maresca, the club may have allowed the next version of the superstar to slip through their net – making a mistake in allowing him to depart the club.

The player who could’ve been Chelsea’s next Palmer

Living up to the high standards set by Palmer is no easy feat, something which no player currently at the Bridge has managed this season given his tally of contributions.

However, the thought of having another version of the England international is a scary prospect, but one that unfortunately won’t come to reality after letting Tyler Dibling slip through their net.

The 18-year-old, who is currently starring for Southampton in the Premier League, was brought for £1.5m by the Blues back in the summer of 2022 – but it would be a move that was short-lived.

After making just two appearances for the academy, he would return to the Saints after failing to settle, with the Blues potentially living to regret their decision not to make the teenager more at home when they had the opportunity.

He’s since developed into a key member of their first team in 2024/25, making 21 appearances in the league and scoring twice – leading to journalist Eduardo Hagn labelling the talent as “outrageous”.

Dibling possesses very similar traits to Palmer, with the pair both left-footed and operating off the right-hand side and cutting onto their stronger foot after gliding past the opposition.

Games played

21

25

Goals & assists

2

20

Shot-on-target accuracy

39%

39%

Progressive carries

3.8

3.3

Carries into final third

2.8

2.1

Pass accuracy

78%

75%

Take-ons completed

2.1

1.3

As seen by their figures from 2024/25, the Saints star has matched or bettered Palmer in numerous key areas, highlighting the quality he brings, possessing the ability to become even better given his tender age.

Whilst there was not much the club could’ve done to stand in his way at such a young age, his development away from the Bridge appears to have rubbed salt into the wounds – demonstrating what they could’ve had.

Unfortunately for the fans and Maresca, Dibling will always remain a case of what could’ve been, with the hierarchy now having to pay a fee in the region of £55m if they were to bring him back to West London in the coming months.

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2 ByConnor Holden Feb 20, 2025

South Africa-born batter Sybrand Engelbrecht is also part of the 15-member squad; Fred Klaassen out with injury

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2023Colin Ackermann, Paul van Meekeren and Roelof van der Merwe have returned to Netherlands’ squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup. The trio had missed the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe earlier this year because of their county cricket commitments.South Africa-born batter Sybrand Engelbrecht was also named in the 15-member squad. Engelbrecht, who will turn 35 next week, first came into the limelight for electric fielding for South Africa during the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. He has played 58 List A games, scoring 1275 runs at an average of 45.53 and a strike rate of 78.89, and 54 first-class games and 45 T20s. The last of those matches, on the South African domestic circuit, was in 2016.From the World Cup Qualifier squad, Michael Levitt, Vivian Kingma and Clayton Floyd were left out, while Noah Croes was named as a travelling reserve, alongside Kyle Klein.ESPNcricinfo LtdTim Pringle, who was listed originally to travel with the squad for the pre-tournament camp in Bengaluru between September 19 to 28, has been withdrawn.* “There’s actually been a development with Tim Pringle: He’s picked up a couple of niggles, so he actually won’t be coming to the pre-World Cup camp in Alur,” head coach Ryan Cook said. “He’s obviously coming back from quite a big operation and we have been tracking his progress.” Pringle, 21, who played for Netherlands in the T20 World Cup last year in Australia, last played this March, turning up for Northern Districts in the Plunkett Shield. According to Cook, Pringle had suffered a fracture, but the nature of injury is not known.Left-arm seamer Fred Klaassen did not make it due to stress fracture. Klassen was also part of the set of players who missed the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe due to county commitments. Cook said that Klassen’s strengths as a new-ball bowler and left-am quick would no doubt be missed in India.”Fred Klassen’s a true performer for the Netherlands. He has shown through all the formats, whether that be one-day cricket or T20 cricket, so he’s a big one for us and would’ve formed a good part of our bowling attack there (in World Cup).Fred Klaasen misses out due to injury•Getty Images”Obviously, Fred would be gutted to miss out, but it was the right decision taken by himself. It is disappointing to not have him, but I’m pretty confident that most of the bowlers will be able to take up that slack that he probably leaves – his left-arm angle and swing and stuff up front is something that we really enjoy having in our side. Having said that, at the Qualifiers, those guys weren’t available either and the bowling attack fared well.”Asked whether it was a risk to include just four fast bowlers in the 15 during a long World Cup, Cook said he was content with the combination.”Some of the teams are obviously picking different combinations of players in their team,” he said. “I think India have also gone with that sort of four seamers plus some allrounders. I don’t want to give away too much in terms of what we’ve got up our sleeve going forward.”Cook also pointed out that it was a “fantastic initiative” by the KNCB to send Croes and Klein as development players, but they were not travelling reserves which would mean they could be drafted in as replacement for any injured player.Cook added that Netherlands’ goal was to make the semi-finals. “Any team that goes to a World Cup is looking to make the next stage of a World Cup, and in this case, that’s the semi-finals. So we are obviously looking to try and win as many games as we can to put ourselves in position to compete to get into those semi-finals. I believe that’s something that we can do and something that the guys are willing to put the work into to get that outcome.”From the Qualifier tournament held in Zimbabwe in June-July, Netherlands and Sri Lanka were the two teams to make it to the main event, ahead of the likes of West Indies, Ireland and Scotland.”Naturally, our planning and preparation for the World Cup started soon after our qualification in Zimbabwe,” head coach Ryan Cook said. “Having no bilateral fixtures after the qualifiers enabled us to plan for various scenarios for the duration of the summer. Over the past few months the players and staff have been hard at work with the full squad being very dedicated and detailed towards achieving our objective in the World Cup.”We have an exciting mixture of youth and experience and a unified, cohesive culture which allows those to express their best selves within the group.”Netherlands last played in an ODI World Cup in 2011. Wesley Barresi is the only member of the current squad to have featured in that edition. This will be their fifth appearance in the tournament.Netherlands squad for World CupScott Edwards (capt, wk), Colin Ackermann, Shariz Ahmed, Wesley Barresi, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Ryan Klein, Bas de Leede, Paul van Meekeren, Roelof van der Merwe, Teja Nidamanuru, Max O’Dowd, Vikram Singh, Saqib Zulfiqar
: Noah Croes, Kyle Klein

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now keen to win the race for an “imperious” defender, who is expected to cost over £25m, but there could be competition for his signature from rival Premier League clubs, according to a report.

Wolves eyeing centre-back signings

Wolves have managed to steer themselves six points clear of the relegation zone due to an uptick in form under Vitor Pereira, putting themselves in a strong position to avoid the drop with 10 games left to play.

However, Pereira will be keen to avoid being in a relegation dogfight again next season, and given that his side have one of the worst defensive records in the league, new defenders are now being eyed ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Old Gold are showing an interest in Everton centre-back Michael Keane, who is set to be available on a free transfer at the end of the season, with the Toffees looking unlikely to renew the Englishman’s contract.

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Keane is proven in the Premier League over a number of years, but there are also indications Wolves may take a gamble on more of an unproven quantity, with a report from GiveMeSport revealing they are keen on winning the race for Genoa’s Koni De Winter.

There is widespread interest in De Winter from the Premier League, with West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United also named as potential suitors, although the Red Devils are not expected to make a move.

The Genoa defender is expected to have a price tag of over £25m, having put in some impressive performances in the Serie A this season, and there is also a feeling he could also end up remaining in Italy, with AC Milan recently expressing an interest.

Wolves’ upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Southampton (a)

March 15th

West Ham United (h)

April 1st

Ipswich Town (a)

April 5th

Tottenham Hotspur (h)

April 12th

Manchester United (a)

April 19th

"Imperious" De Winter impressing in Italy

The 22-year-old has put in some top displays in Italy since making the move to Genoa, with journalist Sacha Tavolieri describing him as “imperious”, while also praising the way in which he was able to hold off Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Not only is the centre-back solid defensively, but he also poses a real attacking threat, ranking in the 97th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

The Belgian’s aerial ability was also on show when he scored a back-post header in his side’s 2-0 victory against Monza back in January.

As such, it is clear to see why a number of Premier League clubs are queuing up for the Genoa star, and Wolves should continue to monitor his performances between now and the end of the season.

Glasgow Rangers were in the market to sign a new central defender in the recent January transfer window to bolster their depth in that position.

Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen eyed up a player in that role, due to injuries to the likes of John Souttar, Dujon Sterling, and Leon Balogun, and eventually brought in Rafael Fernandes on loan from Lille.

He has been an unused substitute three times and his only start so far came in the embarrassing 1-0 defeat to second tier outfit Queen’s Park in the SFA Cup.

Another player who was linked with a move to Ibrox in the January window was former Rangers defender Nikola Katic, who went on to sign for Plymouth Argyle instead.

Niko Katic's current market value

The Bosnia international joined the Championship team on loan from FC Zurich and is currently valued at just €1.5m (£1.2m) by Transfermarkt.

Despite his unimpressive market value, Katic, who made 59 appearances for Rangers, has caught the eye with some impressive performances for the Pilgrims.

The former Gers titan made a whopping 17 clearances and won five of his six duels in a historic 1-0 win over Premier League giants Liverpool in the FA Cup.

Katic has also won 65% of his duels across five appearances in the Championship for Plymouth, showing that he has hit the ground running as a dominant defender.

Rangers, however, have already hit the jackpot on their own dominant, 28-year-old, centre-back in the form of Scotland international John Souttar.

Rangers hit the jackpot with John Souttar

The Light Blues signed the Scottish defender on a free transfer from Hearts in the summer of 2022, and he was valued at £1.2m by Transfermarkt at the time of that move.

Market Movers

Souttar endured a frustrating debut campaign at Ibrox as he missed 50 games for club and country with an ankle injury, which caused his value to drop to £1m. He did not allow that setback to put him down, however, and has bounced back to become an incredibly valuable member of the squad.

July 2022

£1.2m

July 2023

£1m

March 2024

£2m

May 2024

£2.5m

October 2024

£2.9m

December 2024 – present

£3.7m

As you can see in the table above, his value has since soared by millions to the point where he is now worth more than three times as much as Katic, who is the same age as the Rangers star.

In the Scottish Premiership this season, Souttar has started 16 games for the Gers and caught the eye with his dominant defensive work – winning 69% of his ground duels and 63% of his aerial battles.

The 28-year-old colossus, who was hailed as “unbelievable” by international teammate Andy Robertson, has also won a staggering 87% of his duels across seven appearances in the Europa League so far this term.

This shows that Souttar has been a rock at the heart of the Rangers defence, rarely allowing opposition players to get the better of him, which is why the club hit the jackpot when they signed him back in 2022.

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Not only did they sign an excellent defender who has performed well on the pitch, but they also signed a valuable asset whose market valuation has soared in recent years.

Teenage legspinner impressed in Antigua defeat and hopes to continue learning from England’s past master

Cameron Ponsonby04-Dec-20231:50

Miller: Judge Buttler and Mott on T20Is, not ODIs

For more than a decade, the of England’s white-ball set-up has been Adil’s wristspin.Filling the shoes of any world-class performer is almost always a doomed task. And those anointed to do so rarely appreciate the burden of expectation that is lumped on their growing shoulders. But nevertheless, step forward Rehan Ahmed.Rehan was the pick of England’s bowlers during defeat to West Indies in the first ODI, claiming 2 for 40 from his ten overs, spinning the ball sharply in both directions. His googly, which is arguably more of a stock delivery for him than his legbreak, is sensational. A modern-day legspinner in the shape of Rashid Khan as opposed to Shane Warne. And he can launch the ball out of the ground with the bat too.Related

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At a time when England are heading into the final years of Rashid’s career, the fact a readymade replacement is developing in front of our eyes is a blessing. Whether Rehan contributes the same quantity of wickets that Rashid has done across his career, it’s impossible to tell. What you can be sure of, however, is that he will provide a quality of entertainment that few across the rest of the game can.Rehan was picked for Pakistan last winter on the basis that Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum just liked it. What they liked exactly, no one was really sure. A batter who bowls? A bowler who bats? No one knew. They just felt that whatever mysterious concoction they’d been served up by the Leicestershire academy was delicious and they wanted lots more of it.”I don’t mind being hit for runs,” Rehan said the day after England’s defeat. “I just want to take wickets. The runs aren’t really part of it. I know there’s going to be a couple days where I get it wrong and I get hit around, which I’m fine with, it’s just more when I’m on top and I’m bowling well to [try to ] impact the game as much as I can.”On Sunday in Antigua, Rehan gave West Indies No. 3 Keacy Carty a living nightmare. In 17 deliveries to Carty, who has been struggling for domestic form, Rehan conceded just seven runs as he consistently turned the ball past both edges. Yes, the pitch assisted spin – but if it’s turning, you want your spinner to bowl well. And he did.”I think there was a couple of overs in there I could have maybe attacked a bit more,” Rehan said a spell that looked certain to have won England the match. “[I could have] played around with the field a little bit more. But again I’m not seeking perfection and I felt like I bowled very well. I think I challenged the stumps quite a bit. But there’s always ways to improve.”Rehan Ahmed was the pick of England’s attack in the first ODI•Getty Images

This isn’t to retire Rashid prematurely, with the sweet spot for England potentially lying in the idea of playing both of them. For just £40, you can go to a Trent Bridge ODI and watch Qui-Gon Jinn train his Padawan one over at a time. After all, in the same way that Rehan was picked for the tour of Pakistan on the basis that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough – a 39-year-old Rashid in 2027 may rock up to another World Cup on the basis that if you’re good enough, you’re young enough.”I think so,” Rehan replied when asked if he reckoned England could play with two leggies in one side. Which, admittedly, is a question it is in his interest to answer affirmatively. “You see more than one seamer in a team, so there can always be more than one legspinner.””Rash is probably the best legspinner in the world right now and whenever I’m with him I try to take as much information as I can, especially on his legspinner – he’s got about 12 so I just try to pick one of them for now. But it has offered me a lot and I’m getting a bit more sidespin than I used to.”I played a couple of T20s in the summer and the Bangladesh game [in March] as well so I think it was a nice feeling for all of us together. I feel like I can speak to Rash about bowling and it felt like a practice game even though it was an international game so it kept me very relaxed.”What’s more, if the idea of more than one legspinner in a team is cause for excitement, a team with more than one Ahmed is doubly so, with Rehan’s brother, Farhan, a 15-year-old offspinner, set to be named in England men’s Under-19 World Cup squad.”He bowls a lot of dot balls so he’ll be quite boring,” Rehan joked. “But no, I’m very happy for him. He’s very young and he’s been picked for such a big thing as well. It’s an unbelievable achievement. He’s actually at school right now doing his physics test.”Rehan is one of three brothers, and the family have a strong cricketing bond with his elder brother playing regularly for Nottinghamshire 2nd XI. The trio also regularly turn out together for their club side Cavaliers and Carrington – previously described by Rehan as the “Manchester United of cricket, the best club in England”.So invested is Rehan, he returned to play for Cavaliers the weekend before the Ireland ODI series in September began. “I play with my older brother and younger brother and dad in club cricket and it’s the best feeling ever. As many of us that can play together, it’s always going to be good. Whether it’s for England, for county, for school, for a club, anything. I think playing alongside family is always a great feeling.”

da 888： Aston Villa secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in emphatic fashion with a 3-0 win over Club Brugge in Birmingham on Wednesday night.

da poker： Two goals from Marco Asensio either side of a strike from Ian Maatsen ensured that the Villans went through 6-1 on aggregate, after the 3-1 win in Bruges last time out.

Unai Emery should be delighted with his side’s performance against the ten men of Club Brugge, who had Kyriani Sabbe sent off in the first half, and with Asensio – in particular – who starred off the bench.

Marco Asensio's performance against Club Brugge

He was named on the bench for the start of the match but was brought on for English forward Ollie Watkins by the manager at half-time with the team drawing 0-0.

The Spaniard scored his first and the opening goal for Villa shortly after his introduction when he found space in the box to finish, awkwardly, with his weaker right foot into the roof of the net.

His second, however, was a simpler finish. Marcus Rashford did brilliantly to create space for the cross down the left and cut the ball back for the PSG loanee to sweep the ball past the goalkeeper.

The 29-year-old maestro was not the only star for the Villans on the night, though, as left-back Maatsen put in his best performance for the club since his permanent move from Chelsea last summer.

Performance in Numbers

Expand Collapse Ian Maatsen's best performance from Aston Villa

The Netherlands international has only started four times in the Premier League and three times in the Champions League this season, as Lucas Digne has been preferred ahead of him, but this performance may convince Emery to hand out more game time to him.

He was just as good as Asensio on the night because of his excellent contributions in and out of possession for Villa on the left flank, playing the full 90 minutes.

Maatsen won four of his six defensive duels, making two interceptions and one tackle without being dribbled past once, and this shows that the Club Brugge players found it difficult to get the better of him.

Ian Maatsen

Vs Brugge

24/25 UCL (per game)

Pass accuracy

94%

90%

Tackles + interceptions

3

2.0

Duel success rate

67%

56%

Key passes

3

0.5

Dribbled past per game

0x

0.5x

Sofascore rating

8.4

6.99

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Dutch dynamo was also sublime with his use of the ball, creating three chances and completing 94% of his attempted passes to go along with his goal.

Maatsen, who was handed a player rating of 8/10 by both the BirminghamMail and GOAL, put in his best performance in a Villa shirt, as illustrated by his statistics in comparison to his average output in the competition this term.

It was also his first goal for Villa, his highest Sofascore rating (8.4) for Villa, his most chances created (three) in a game for Villa, and his joint-highest pass success rate (94%) as a starter in the Champions League or Premier League this season.

Overall, it was a statement performance by Maatsen, who combined defensive solidity with attacking fluidity, and it was one that may earn him more starts and minutes between now and the end of the campaign, as the defender has shown just how good he can be at his best.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Mar 12, 2025

Sri Lanka 110 for 2 (Athapaththu 55) beat England 104 (Dean 34, Fernando 2-16, Dilhari 2-17) by eight wicketsChamari Athapaththu led from the front in a stunning allround display – first with the ball and then with a rampant 26-ball fifty – as Sri Lanka secured their maiden T20I victory over England in extraordinarily emphatic style: by eight wickets, and with a crushing 40 balls remaining, as Heather Knight’s new-look team were served a dramatic reality check, only two days after cruising to victory in the series opener at Hove.After winning her second toss of the series and choosing to bowl first, Athapaththu showed her team how it needed to be done by bowling the dangerous Danni Wyatt for 1 in her first over, and never let up in her leadership thereafter, as England were hustled out for 104 in 18 overs – a far cry from the 186 for 4 that they had posted in just 17 overs in Thursday’s opening fixture.Then, sensing a chance to crush England from the outset of the chase, Athapaththu climbed onto the offensive with the bat, cracking eight fours and two sixes with similarly positive support from Harshitha Samarawickrama, who sealed the contest with a massive swipe over midwicket to finish unbeaten on 30 from 35 balls.Chamari sets the powerplay toneSpeaking at the toss, Athapaththu insisted – with some justification as things turned out – there had been some “positives” to take from a one-sided series opener at Hove, but recognised that their bowling had to improve after England had romped along at close to two a ball on that occasion.And so the skipper herself added that burden to her already broadly laden shoulders, to set the tone for an astonishingly unrelentingly display. Despite one loose ball that Maia Bouchier carved for four, Athapaththu’s remit in the contest’s first over was to keep the stumps in play as much as possible, on a hybrid wicket that offered a touch of grip for her spinners, and in sunny afternoon conditions a world away from the dank misery of Hove.The gambit paid agenda-setting dividends with the sixth ball of Athapaththu’s over. A beautifully flighted offbreak lured Danni Wyatt on the drive, but a hint of dip and spin bowled her clean through the gate for 1. Suddenly a partnership that had realised 77 from 45 balls at Hove had been broken before it had begun, and that carefree youth that had so flourished in game one had a different scenario to counter.Inoshi in on the actionAlice Capsey had made a belligerent 51 from 27 on that occasion; here she was restricted to an anxious 3 from 9 as Inoshi Fernando followed her skipper’s lead in her first outing of the series. First, her tall offbreaks pinned Capsey to the crease for five consecutive dot-balls and a single, then she snapped the trap shut in the field one over later. Itching to break the shackles, Capsey lashed through the line at Sugandika Kumari and Fernando was almost blown off her feet at mid-off as she clung on well to a flat chance.Bouchier by this stage had connected well on another cuff through the covers, but Fernando’s impact was not done yet. The first ball of her second over was flapped in ungainly fashion straight to Kavisha Dilhari at extra cover, and Bouchier attempted to bend her bat around her helmet as she traipsed off for 12 from 10. Not only were England truly in the m(aia)ire at 21 for 3, but she’d missed a golden opportunity to rebuild a faltering innings, and seize the opportunity for seniority that she’s been handed in the absence of the likes of Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver-Brunt.Old guard falter tooInstead, England’s hopes were reinvested in a familiar pair of middle-order stalwarts. Heather Knight and Amy Jones saw out a powerplay that, at 32 for 3, realised less than half the 66 for 0 that Sri Lanka had been subjected to at Hove, but neither batter really exuded an air of permanence in an uncompromising match situation – least of all Jones, who so nearly holed out to backward point as an attempted reverse-sweep off Fernando fell inches short.On 10, Knight successfully over-turned an lbw decision after her attempted reverse-sweep was shown to have flicked her glove before crashing into the pad, but one over later, Jones’ scratchy stay was ended in the opposite fashion – Ranaweera trapped her on the back pad, and after Atapaththu’s last-ditch decision to review, the ball was shown to be thumping the top of leg stump.Jones was gone for a run-a-ball 12, and if 41 for 4 in the eighth over was a dicey scenario, England’s issues were only just beginning. Freya Kemp picked off two singles off two legal deliveries, only to be stumped off a wide in Dilhari’s next over, as she galloped out of her crease for Sanjeewani to gather well down the leg-side and beat her despairing dive, and all hopes of a competitive total ended when Knight spooned a back-foot punch back to Ranaweera. At 48 for 6, England were fully braced for ignominy.Maia Bouchier grimaces after falling in the second T20I at Chelmsford•ECB via Getty Images

Dean digs for double-figuresOnly Charlie Dean, last out for a feisty 34 from 26, found anything like the requisite blend of endurance and aggression, including three fours in a row off Ranaweera – two firm sweeps and a well-dispatched full toss.At the other end, however, the progression continued. Danielle Gibson opted for aggression without endurance, as she survived a slash through deep third that flew inches wide of the fielder, before scuffing a reverse-sweep straight into the lap of backward square.Sarah Glenn, sporting a new cap to mark her 50th T20I appearance, then snicked off fourth-ball to give Dilhari her second wicket. Though Issy Wong hung around long enough to endure England wouldn’t be setting their new record low total in a women’s T20I, when she lashed through a drive at Prabhodhani to be bowled for 13, the end was not long in coming.Cross, Wong bear powerplay bruntIf England thought their day had hit its nadir, Athapaththu had further indignities to deliver. She signalled her intention to keep the hammer down with a second-ball drive for four off Kate Cross, and even though Sanjeewani fell in Gibson’s subsequent over (after two no-balls had hinted at England’s anxieties), Sri Lanka’s captain was only just getting warmed up.Cross’s second over was utterly taken to the cleaners – 21 runs in total, compromising three blazed fours in a row and a simply vast flog over square leg, off the roof off the Felsted School Stand and into the garden of a bemused lady looking on from her balcony. After some similarly rough treatment at the back-end of the first T20I, Cross’s figures for the series now read 4.2-0-55-0 – a reminder perhaps why her impeccable lines have been overlooked in this format since 2019.Nothing, however, was quite as gruesome as the public pillorying that Wong would endure in her first international over of the summer. Her absence from the firing line has been a bit of an ongoing mystery in recent months, given the excitement that surrounded her all-round game last summer, but here was public evidence of a player at war with her own technique.Her first over of the match lasted for ten deliveries, the first four of which amounted to a tragicomedy in themselves – a huge front-foot no-ball that Harshitha Samarawickrama flicked off her pads for four, followed by a flick to deep square leg off that most of the crowd failed to realise was a free hit . Another leg-side no-ball followed, then another catch off the free hit – an astounding one as it happens, as Cross at mid-off snaffled the ball in her outstretched right hand.By the end of it all, Wong could only grin in self-effacement as Glenn jogged down to give her a consoling pat on the shoulder, and as Sri Lanka blazed towards their victory target with barely a shot out of place, it was something of a surprise to see her reintroduced with 13 runs still needed and little left to be gained. Three more drilled boundaries duly drew the scores level, leaving Harshitha to heave Cross into the pavilion for the winning six.Wong’s inclusion for this match had come at the expense of England’s new young thing, Mahika Gaur, and her struggles rather underlined the importance of Knight’s pre-series warning about the youth in this team. Expecting too much too soon is a dangerous thing.

MatériaMais Notícias

da 888： Em meio ao início da temporada, o Botafogo recebeu sondagens por um jogador importante de seu elenco. Trata-se de Jeffinho, que despertou interesse depelo menos um da Inglaterra e outro da Alemanha. O atacante encerrou o último ano como titular da equipe comandada pelo português Luís Castro. A informação foi divulgada pelo portal ‘ge’.

+ Veja as novidades do Botafogo no mercado da bola

No entanto, John Textor, dono da SAF alvinegra, pretende emprestar o atacante ao Lyon, equipe que adquiriu recentemente, para não correr o risco de perder definitivamente o atleta para outro clube. O bilionário quer que o jogador continue a se desenvolver no futebol em um clube daEagle Holding, empresa do norte-americano. O interesse da equipe francesa foi divulgado pelo periódico”L’Équipe”.

RelacionadasBotafogoBotafogo divulga lista de relacionados para o clássico contra o FluminenseBotafogo28/01/2023BotafogoPiazon reconhece incômodo por cobranças da torcida do Botafogo e projeta clássico contra o FluminenseBotafogo27/01/2023BotafogoLuís Castro opta pela rodagem do elenco, e Botafogo tem dois tempos distintos na vitória sobre o MadureiraBotafogo26/01/2023

da fezbet： No momento, o Glorioso não recebeu uma oferta formal, porém a sondagem contou com os valores pedidos por um desses clubes. A diretoria alvinegra aguarda a proposta oficial para definir os próximos passos. As conversas para um possível empréstimo ao clube francês ainda não foram debatidas com o estafe do atleta, de 23 anos.
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Cabe salientar que a janela do futebol europeu fecha no dia 31 de janeiro, na próxima terça-feira. Com isso, a negociação precisa ser agilizada caso o atleta realmente deixe o Botafogo rumo ao futebol do Velho Continente.

+ Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Carioca

Segundo o portal francês, o Lyon busca alternativas para o lado esquerdo de ataque. O meio-campista Romain Faivre está acertando seu empréstimo ao Lorient e o atacante Toko Ekambi foi para o Rennes, também emprestado.

Contratado junto ao Resende para atuar no time B, Jeffinho deu conta do recado e chamou atenção de Luís Castro ao ser testado no time principal em virtude de desfalques. Dessa forma, tornou-se titular absoluto do time em 2022 e foi uma das grandes revelações do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Com a camisa do Glorioso, disputou 26 partidas, marcou dois gols e deu três assistências e ajudou a equipe a garantir uma vaga na Copa Sul-Americana. No fim do ano passado, participou do ‘Jogo das Estrelas’, organizado por Zico, e sofreu uma lesão. Ainda não conseguiu se recuperar para fazer sua estreia em 2023.

Pep Guardiola has flushed out his Manchester City coaching staff as the club have confirmed the departures of Juanma Lillo & Inigo Dominguez.

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Guardiola bids farewell to Lillo & DominguezCarlos Vicens has also left the clubMan City yet to decide on replacementsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Lillo, a close confidant and long-time collaborator of Guardiola, will not be part of City’s future plans. The 58-year-old Spanish tactician originally joined the club in 2020 and was a key figure in the technical area during a dominant spell for the team. He left briefly in 2022 to manage Qatari club Al-Sadd but returned to City in 2023 for a second term as assistant coach. His contract has now expired, and both parties have opted not to renew it.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Joining Lillo through the exit door is Dominguez. Over the past two seasons, Dominguez has contributed in various support roles, working closely with the first-team players and Guardiola on a day-to-day basis. Whereas, Carlos Vicens, another key figure in Guardiola’s setup, is also moving on – this time to pursue his own managerial ambitions.

The Spaniard, who began his tenure at City in 2017, steadily rose through the ranks, starting with the youth teams and eventually earning a spot in the first-team coaching structure. Having been responsible for set-piece strategy and gaining growing influence over the squad’s tactical details, Vicens has now been appointed the head coach of Braga in Portugal.

DID YOU KNOW?

The departure of three senior coaches is not merely coincidental but part of a broader strategy orchestrated by Guardiola himself. Renowned for continuously evolving his footballing philosophies, the City boss is believed to be keen on refreshing his staff with new thinkers who can challenge and contribute to the team’s continuous tactical refinement.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

With the Club World Cup looming in mid-June, City must make new additions to the coaching team as quickly as possible. After a disappointing domestic and European campaign, City will look to salvage their season by adding a trophy to their illustrious collection on the global stage in the United States.