Cristiano Ronaldo missed Anthony Joshua's heavyweight boxing match with Francis Ngannou despite having a ringside seat.
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Bukayo Saka conceded Arsenal had "luck" on their side as they narrowly edged past a "frustrating" Wolves side 2-1 courtesy of two own goals on Saturday evening. The England international was heavily involved in Sam Johnstone and Yerson Mosquera putting through their own net as the Gunners moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Chelsea saw the best and worst of striker Nicolas Jackson as he fired in the opening goal against Brentford shortly after missing an open goal.
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Former Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta achieved yet another milestone in his career as he made his 1,000th career appearance in the UAE Pro League.
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Reactions to Stuart Broad’s decision to stand his ground against an appeal on the third day of the first Ashes Test
ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2013″What Stuart Broad did amounts to the same thing as [Denesh] Ramdin. He knew he had hit the ball. The ICC fined Ramdin and suspended him for ‘actions that were contrary to the spirit of the game’. What Stuart Broad did is contrary to the spirit of the game. He played the ball and stayed there.”
“Don’t have a problem with Stuart Broad not walking its a decision which he will have to live with! #Ashes.”
“If you start banning players who don’t walk, Australia wouldn’t have a team”
So should a bowler call back the batter when he knows its a bad decision ? Of course not , I’m bored of this !
“Just saw the Broad dismissal … sorry non-dismissal. No issue with him not walking but an appalling piece of umpiring. Hard to fathom.”
By the way, you can't blame Broad for not walking, hats off I say if you nick it to 1st slip stand your ground & get given not out !
— Shane Warne (@warne888) July 12, 2013
“You can pinch the soap from a hotel without shame but you can’t rob the safe. There are many grades of grey in cricket’s spirit.”
“Once, professionalism explained walking: it was mutual respect between pros. Now, professionalism excuses not walking. Pathetic.”
“Australians have a reputation (other than Gilchrist) for not walking, not sure I’ve ever seen anything like that before with Broad’s edge!”
“I have no problem with batsmen not walking if there is 1% of doubt. But Broad 100% knew he was out, and cheated. Unacceptable.”
Thinking about the Broad-walk. Is it so wrong given the times you are given out incorrectly? Leave to umpires or self regulate a la golf?
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 12, 2013
If you find somebody's wallet and nobody (no "umpire") sees you pick it up, you don't keep it, you walk to a police station & hand it in.
— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) July 12, 2013
Roy Keane has torn apart Manchester United players for their poor showings under new boss Ruben Amorim ahead of their clash with Liverpool.
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Plays of the Day from the second ODI between Sri Lanka and South Africa, in Colombo
Andrew Fidel Fernando at the R Premadasa23-Jul-2013The nutmeg
The reverse sweep now numbers among Mahela Jayawardene’s favourite strokes, and he has become so confident at playing it, he occasionally ventures it against fast bowlers. He attempted the stroke one too many times against Robin Peterson though, and the bowler did to Jayawardene what Maradona regularly did to defenders in his heyday. As Jayawardene went down for the shot, knees asunder, Peterson darted the ball through his legs and hit the stumps behind him.The beamer
With all the armour batsmen are dressed in today, plenty have become adept at sending chest-high beamers over the leg side and into the fence. Dinesh Chandimal considered no such thing when Ryan McLaren delivered an uncommonly vicious ball in the 46th over. Coming out of the wayward hand at 125 kph, the ball headed straight towards Chandimal’s face, and having seen it late, Chandimal had to sway rapidly out of the way, losing his balance and finishing up on the turf. Slightly dazed, he looked up in time to see McLaren apologising from across the pitch.The gamble
Tillakaratne Dilshan has not been at his best with the bat in recent months, but his bowling has improved to the extent he might almost be termed an allrounder in the last 18 months. He tossed one up to AB de Villiers in the 12th over, and extracted good turn to evade the batsman’s sweep, and struck him on the front pad. A big appeal ensued, and though it was initially turned down, Dilshan implored both Kumar Sangakkara and Dinesh Chandimal to review the decision. Sri Lanka have burnt reviews on Dilshan’s insistence before, but the pair reluctantly agreed with the bowler and were soon overjoyed when South Africa’s most dangerous batsman was found to be out.The domestic dispute
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are about as thick as any two cricketers around the world, but had enough of a dispute in South Africa’s innings to leave their captain unsure of how to react. David Miller struck Jehan Mubarak for consecutive twos to wide long-on in the eighteenth over, with Jayawardene having to run around to collect the ball. After receiving the return from the second two, Sangakkara piped up in frustration, signaling to Jayawardene that he should have been squarer to begin with, and should not have allowed a second. Jayawardene yelled back dismissively, and with equal displeasure, pointing back to the place he had been standing. Both men looked towards Chandimal for a final ruling, but he wore an expression of deep discomfort at seeing the two seniors argue, and simply said nothing. It’s always tough to see your parents fight.
Much has been made of the change in regime at Old Trafford of late, although yet again Manchester United head into the final throws of the transfer window with business still to be completed, both in terms of incomings and outgoings.
A deal for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte – aided by the sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli – looks to be all but done, yet work remains to try and move on Jadon Sancho over the next 24 hours or so, with the Englishman having been left out for the first two Premier League games of the season.
While unlikely at this stage, there are murmurs that an exit for Sancho could lead to a late attacking addition for the Red Devils, with rumours rife regarding a surprise move for a certain Raheem Sterling.
The Chelsea outcast is not the only Premier League talent that Dan Ashworth and co are looking at, however, amid reports of a late swoop for another England star…
The latest suggestion is that United are in the mix for Brentford's wantaway talisman, Ivan Toney, although according to Football Insider, Erik ten Hag's side could also be ready to make a late move for Everton's number nine, Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
As per the report, both the Red Devils and Newcastle United are said to be interested in making a last-gasp swoop for the 27-year-old, with Enzo Maresca's Chelsea also keeping a keen eye on the player amid their own hunt for a striker.
The piece notes that Calvert-Lewin – who was noted as a target for Ten Hag earlier this summer by The Athletic – has rejected multiple contract offers from the Toffees, with just 12 months remaining on his existing deal.
On the face of it, any move for the Goodison hero would appear to be a strange one, particularly considering he has scored just 14 league goals since the start of 2021/22.
There will also be concern over the former Sheffield United man's injury record, yet in fact, he actually completed more minutes in the top flight than Rasmus Hojlund last season (2171 vs 2158), while scoring seven times in 32 outings.
The figurehead of a defensive-minded Everton side, Calvert-Lewin could perhaps thrive in a more attacking set-up, having previously showcased his goalscoring credentials under Carlo Ancelotti, after bagging 29 league goals across 2019/20 and 2020/21.
It is that prior experience in the division that has led talkSPORT pundit Darren Bent to claim that he would represent an "upgrade" on United's current crop of strikers, in the form of Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, with the latter man hardly an out-and-out goalscorer after netting just 12 times for Bologna last season.
|
Calvert-Lewin vs Hojlund vs Zirkzee – 2023/24 league stats |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Metric (per 90) |
DCL |
Hojlund |
Zirkzee |
|
Games (starts) |
32 (26) |
30 (25) |
34 (32) |
|
Minutes played |
2171 |
2158 |
2759 |
|
Goals |
0.29 |
0.42 |
0.36 |
|
Assists |
0.08 |
0.08 |
0.13 |
|
Progressive carries |
1.49 |
1.50 |
1.73 |
|
Progressive passes |
1.29 |
1.38 |
2.80 |
|
Touches in opposition box |
5.15 |
4.00 |
4.43 |
|
Aerial duels won |
5.68 |
1.04 |
0.94 |
|
Stats via FBref |
|||
What particularly stands out above is just how superior Calvert-Lewin is in the air to United's current pair, while also boasting a greater knack for getting into the attacking penalty area, with his young counterparts seemingly more concerned with getting involved in the build-up.
As Bent noted, on his day the Englishman can be "unplayable" – like he was under Ancelotti – offering a real focal point in attack, perhaps in the mould of what the 6 foot 3 Sebastian Haller provided under Ten Hag at Ajax.
With Zirkzee himself suggesting that he is more of a 'nine and a half' than a true centre-forward – and with Hojlund still "learning the game", as per Paul Scholes – a more experienced, orthodox option could be required.
What Calvert-Lewin – who has scored 54 top-flight goals to date – also boasts is an apparent likeness to a figure of United folklore, with ex-teammate Richarlison stating that he is "like Cristiano Ronaldo", due to his "incredible leap".
As indicated above, Ronaldo in his pomp was a true master in the air, with it some praise for Calvert-Lewin to even be mentioned in the same breath as the Portuguese icon.
That aerial prowess of the Toffees star is seen in the fact that 20 of his league goals have come from headers thus far, further showcasing the penalty-box presence that he can provide at the Theatre of Dreams.
With the likes of Bruno Fernandes – who created the most chances in the top-flight last season – providing Calvert-Lewin with a plethora of openings, perhaps he could return to the version of himself that was so deadly under Ancelotti's watch.
Talks held: Man Utd target £40m "monster" who has shades of Berbatov
The incredible goalscorer could help fire the Red Devils up the table this season.
By
Jack Salveson Holmes
Aug 29, 2024
Wolverhampton Wanderers have endured a tough start to the 2024/25 Premier League season, still awaiting their first win after two losses and a draw.
Despite this poor opening, Gary O’Neil is still the man for the job, especially with the decent transfer business he conducted during the summer.
Of course, Max Kilman and Pedro Neto departed for close to £100m combined, giving the Old Gold some flexibility in the market.
Several youngsters joined the club in the summer, with Pedro Lima among the new wave of players.
The Brazilian hasn’t made an appearance in the top flight yet, but O’Neil did unleash the 18-year-old against Burnley in the EFL Cup last week.
It was the perfect chance for the youngster to showcase his talents and he duly delivered. Not only did the South American gem grab an assist, but he also created one big chance, made two key passes and succeeded with 100% of his dribbles during the clash against the second-tier side.
|
Pedro Lima's statistics vs Burnley |
|
|---|---|
|
Assists |
1 |
|
Touches |
68 |
|
Key passes |
2 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
|
Dribble attempts (successful) |
1 (1) |
|
Balls recovered |
9 |
|
Via Sofascore |
|
Lima also recovered nine balls and made seven tackles, showing his defensive skills too. It was a stunning debut for the youngster, which will hopefully point towards a bright future.
With Nelson Semedo’s contract expiring at the end of this season, could he be a logical option to replace the Portuguese defender, or is there another player knocking on the door?
Previously, the Old Gold looked like they could struggle at right-back as Semedo was the only realistic option, but now Lima and Lembikisa could fight it out for the spot in the near future.
The 20-year-old has gained slightly more senior experience than the Brazilian, making 49 appearances during his career already for Wolves, Hearts and Rotherham.
The second half of last term saw the Jamaican defender join Hearts, where he made 18 appearances, scoring twice in the process.
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The youngster also created two big chances in the Premiership, along with averaging 0.8 key passes per game, and succeeded with 0.7 dribbles each match, demonstrating his forward-thinking abilities for the Jambos.
The 5 foot 11 gem certainly looks like a bright prospect and could go far. What he needs now is a run in the first team in order to build his confidence.
His former U18 coach Steve Davis hailed the right-back as a “top player” back in 2022, and it looks as though he is fulfilling his potential going by his decent loan spells in both Scotland and England.
This is likely to be Semedo’s final year at Molineux, especially with O’Neil signing Lima in the summer. The Brazilian has competition with the Jamacia international, however, and this battle could be good for both players as they stake a claim to become a regular in the starting XI.
Will an opportunity present itself for Lembikisa in the coming months? Only time will tell.
Time to go: O'Neil must sell Wolves man who earns more than Cunha & Gomes
He’s not made the impact many would have imagined at Molineux.
By
Ethan Lamb
Sep 6, 2024
Matthew Waite and Dillon Pennington share seven wickets after Azhar Ali’s 235
ECB Reporters Network21-May-2022Worcestershire overwhelmed Leicestershire by an innings and 259 runs with more than a day to spare in the LV=Insurance County Championship match at New Road. The home side collected a maximum haul of 24 points to secure their second Championship victory of the campaign.They established a first innings lead of 429 after plundering 120 from 20 overs before Saturday morning’s declaration half an hour before lunch on 577 for 6 – their highest ever total against Leicestershire.Then some fiery bowling from Dillon Pennington, a career Championship best return of 4 for 35 from loanee Matthew Waite and a series of superb catches saw Leicestershire crumble for a second time.”It hurts and this is the lowest point of my head coach role,” Paul Nixon said. “That wasn’t a first-class performance. We have to do some soul searching. We have to reflect and we have to be honest. Our discipline with bat and ball wasn’t good enough.”Worcestershire dominated in all departments with Azhar Ali’s double century the bedrock of their innings and taking the Pakistan batter’s run tally to 465 in the last four innings.Related
Barker's half-dozen leads Hampshire to victory as Somerset fold
They looked a side capable of mounting a promotion challenge although they will undoubtedly encounter stiffer opposition than that on offer from Leicestershire.The visitors never recovered from opting to bat on a helpful pitch after winning the toss and being bowled out for 148. They remain anchored to the foot of the table without a win heading into the break from four-day cricket and the launch of the Vitality Blast campaign.Worcestershire resumed on 456 for 3 and club captain Brett D’Oliveira added only two to his overnight 52 before he became Wiaan Mulder’s fourth scalp of the innings but Azhar, who resumed on 202, set the tone with a succession of boundaries.He eventually played on to Chris Wright to end his marathon nine-and-a-quarter-hour knock on 225 and left the arena to a standing ovation and the congratulations of several Leicestershire players.An innings full of class spanning three days and 350 balls included one six and 22 fours and was Worcestershire’s highest individual score since Moeen Ali’s 250 versus Glamorgan at New Road nine years ago.Ed Barnard made a breezy 26 as Worcestershire topped the 500 mark for the first time in nine years before the allrounder hooked Wright down long leg’s throat but the significant acceleration was provided by Ben Cox.He cleared the long Cathedral side boundary for the first of his three sixes and two more maximums off new Leicestershire red-ball captain, Callum Parkinson, hurried him to a 42-ball half century. Worcestershire surpassed their 121-year-old record score against Leicestershire of 561 before the declaration.Leicestershire needed a solid start but Rishi Patel managed only a single before he was plumb lbw to Pennington.Hassan Azad had denied Worcestershire victory in the opening day of the season at the Uptonsteel County Ground with an undefeated century so Worcestershire’s joy was understandable when the opener on 18 was brilliantly caught and bowled by Charlie Morris, who was slightly wrongfooted but adjusted to hold onto the low chance one-handed away to his left.There was no respite for Leicestershire and Colin Ackermann, deposed as captain this week, tried to work Pennington to leg and was lbw.
Pennington bowled with considerable pace but it needed a superb catch by keeper Ben Cox to provide him with his third wicket. Lewis Hill had just completed a 64-ball half-century when he tried to pull the pace bowler and top edged the ball towards fine leg but Cox running back at full tilt managed to hold onto a diving catch at full stretch.Waite, on loan from Yorkshire after Joe Leach’s injury, came into the attack and Mulder was bowled after offering no stroke. He then clung onto a return catch the equal of that by Morris away to his right to account for Harry Swindells on the brink of tea.The end came swiftly for Leicestershire with Ben Mike, Ed Barnes and Rehan Ahmed all caught behind by Cox, the first two off Waite and the last of them from the bowling of Morris.