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New Zealand veteran posts career-best 163 to set up 105-run win

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay30-Jul-2025

Suzie Bates staged a batting masterclass as Durham beat Somerset by 105 runs in a one-sided Metro Bank One Day Cup contest at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.The 37-year-old Kiwi registered a superb career-best innings of 163, eclipsing her previous highest List-A score of 151 made for New Zealand against Ireland in Dublin in 2018, as Durham raised an imposing 315 for 9 after winning the toss. At her imperious best, Bates amassed 18 fours and three sixes and shared in stands of 71 with Hollie Armitage, 66 with Beth Heath and 78 with Phoebe Turner for the second, fifth and sixth wickets respectively to make it a day to forget for Somerset’s bowlers, who conceded 38 boundaries in all.The pick of Durham’s bowlers, Phoebe Turner claimed 3 for 45, Katie Levick took 3 for 57 and Mady Villiers 3 for 30 as Somerset were dismissed for 210 in 40.2 overs, Jess Hazell top-scoring with a 55-ball 50 and Bex Odgers contributing 47 in a losing cause.There was little evidence of what was to come when Mollie Robbins had Emma Marlow held at backward point with the score on 22 in the fifth over. Initially playing and missing on a surface offering early assistance to seam, Bates had to wait six overs to post a boundary, scoring the majority of her runs in an arc between point and third man as she battled to establish herself.But Somerset’s seamers found the going tougher thereafter, Bates and Armitage posting a 50 stand in 56 balls to build momentum and advance the score to 93-1 inside 20 overs. Only when Somerset turned to spin, did they begin to make headway, Chloe Skelton bowling Armitage and Emily Windsor and Liv Barnes having Mady Villiers stumped, three wickets falling in four overs as the visitors lurched to 107 for 4.Beth Heath announced herself by plundering sixes at the expense of Alex Griffiths and Elllie Anderson as Durham quickly reasserted themselves, the fifth wicket realising 50 in just 39 balls as the pendulum swung back again. By the time the hard-hitting Heath chopped on and lost leg stump to Laura Jackson, she had contributed a run-a-ball 32 and helped force the home bowlers onto the back foot once more.Having raised 50 from 64 deliveries, Bates then moved up through the gears, dominating a partnership of 78 with Phoebe Turner, who expertly rotated the strike in contributing 25. By now hitting through the ball cleanly, Bates moved to three figures via 112 balls, raising that landmark with a leg-side single off Mollie Robbins. By the time Anderson had Turner held in the deep, Durham were 251 for 6 in the 45th and flying.Bates lifted Robbins over the rope behind square to equal the 148 she scored for Hampshire against Warwickshire at Basingstoke in 2018 – her highest score in England – and then hit the same bowler over the mid-wicket boundary to go to 150 in fine style.Having faced 140 balls and scored more than her team’s runs, Bates succumbed in the 48th over, holing out to short fine leg off the bowling of Laura Jackson with the score 290 for 7. Even then there was no respite for the hosts, lusty hitting from Katherine Fraser and Sophia Turner serving to carry Durham out of sight.Somerset made a decent start to their reply, reaching 49 for the loss of Niamh Holland in 10 overs, but their progress was slowed by spin thereafter, Katie Levick and Villiers restricting scoring to build pressure and force the required rate up above seven an over for the first time. Villiers then struck an important blow, pinning Sophie Luff in the crease for 19 with the score 75 for 2.Odgers had played nicely in raising three sixes and a brace of fours and advancing her score to 47 when she was bowled by a startling Phoebe Turner yorker. Turner struck again later in the same over, Fraser taking off to hold a brilliant diving catch at backward point and send back Fran Wilson as the home side slipped to 88 for 4 in the 18th.When Fraser found the outside edge and Griffiths was caught at the wicket, Somerset were 108 for 5 in the 23rd, requiring a further 208 to win at just under eight an over. It proved too big an ask, despite Hazell and Jackson staging a defiant sixth wicket stand of 53 to hold up Durham and deny them a bonus point.

da betway： It has been a dire start to the 2025/26 season for Aston Villa. Unai Emery’s side have picked up a single point so far this term, and are yet to score a goal, three games into the new campaign. It is a worrying sign.

da betsul： Of course, losing players like Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, who were both on loan for the second half of last season, has impacted them.

That is why, on transfer deadline day, the West Midlands side are pushing for a new attacker.

Aston Villa’s latest attacking target

With the transfer window set to slam shut at the earlier time of 7pm, it does not give Emery long to add an attacker to his squad.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Fabrizio Romano is reporting that there are ongoing ‘negotiations’ for Villa to sign Manchester United star Jadon Sancho today, amid the prospect of Emi Martinez heading in the other direction.

Both clubs are attempting to secure an ‘agreement’ on those deals.

Romano explains that the England international ‘has to decide his future today’, and a move to Villa Park could offer a viable solution. A fee of £20m was quoted for the forward earlier in the window, and that could be a fee Villa need to pay themselves.

Why Sancho would be a good signing

Described as a “maverick” in his younger days by former coach Louis Lancaster, Sancho’s career trajectory has perhaps not gone as expected. His time at Old Trafford has been far from easy, although he did impress on loan at Chelsea last season.

At 25 years of age, Sancho has bags of Premier League experience now. He’s featured 89 times in the English top flight for the Red Devils and Enzo Maresca’s Blues, with 12 goals and 11 assists coming in that time.

Of course, the London-born star became known thanks to his sensational time at Borussia Dortmund. Over two spells in Germany, Sancho played 158 games, scoring 53 times and assisting 67, helping win the DFB-Pokal in 2020/21.

Well, this would be a move similar to one Villa made in January, when they brought Asensio in on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.

The former Real Madrid star enjoyed a successful loan spell at Villa Park for the second half of last season, where he was able to get his career back on track after falling out of favour in the French capital.

Asensio only played 21 times for the club, but had a huge impact on Emery’s attack. He was deadly in front of goal, bagging eight times, and chipped in with an assist, too.

It is easy to see why Sancho could be the second coming of Asensio at Villa Park. Both players have somehow seen their careers take a bit of a downward spiral, falling out of favour at their respective clubs.

Yet, with the Spaniard able to play regular first-team football and become a key player for Villa, he bolstered his stock once more. It is easy to see how Sancho could do the same.

Their numbers from last season are similar, too. For example, Sancho averaged 1.94 key passes and 2.3 take-ons completed per 90 minutes.

In comparison, Asensio notched up an average of 2.12 key passes and 1.06 completed take-ons each game.

Sancho vs Asensio

Stat (per 90)

Sancho

Asensio

Key passes

1.94

2.12

Progressive passes

4.59

5.36

Take-ons completed

2.3

1.06

Progressive carries

5.2

2.72

Ball recoveries

5.05

3.05

Stats from FBref

Sancho could certainly become Villa’s new Asensio and really get his career back on track at Villa Park. He is clearly a talented attacker who could thrive in the pockets for Emery and help revitalise a struggling Villa attack, which is missing Asensio’s impact.

Related Next Rashford: Aston Villa exploring late deal for "special" £31m star

Aston Villa could seal a sensational last-gasp deal by snapping up this special attacker.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Sep 1, 2025

Rajasthan Royals secured their first win of IPL 2025 with Hasaranga also playing a big part

Deivarayan Muthu30-Mar-20252:02

Pujara: Dhoni and Jadeja could have gone harder

A blistering assault from Nitish Rana and Wanindu Hasaranga’s clever wristspin bowling handed Rajasthan Royals (RR) their first win and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) their second successive defeat in IPL 2025.After Rana crashed 81 off 36 balls, joining RR’s fastest half-centurions, Ruturaj Gaikwad anchored CSK’s chase of 183 with a fifty of his own. But Hasaranga’s variations, especially the wrong’un, exposed CSK’s soft underbelly and put the target beyond their reach.Though Ravindra Jadeja mounted a late charge against the seamers – he remained unbeaten on 32 off 22 balls – and the margin of victory was only six runs, RR were always ahead in the game.Sandeep Sharma, picked ahead of Jofra Archer to defend 19 off the final over, had MS Dhoni holing out for 16 off 11 balls with his first legal ball of the over and finished the job for RR.Rana aces his match-up against AshwinRiyan Parag had batted at No. 3 in RR’s first two matches this season. On the eve of this game, coach Rahul Dravid had also backed Parag at that position, but they ended up bumping Rana to No. 3, at Parag’s expense, to take advantage of a match-up with R Ashwin.Before Sunday’s fixture, Rana had hit 108 off 58 balls from Ashwin being dismissed in the IPL. By the time, Ashwin was introduced into the attack, Rana had already run away to a swift start – 27 off 13 balls. He greeted the spinner with a sequence of 6, 6, 4 and continued to attack him. By the time Ashwin dismissed Rana for the first time in the IPL, off his 71st ball to him, Rana had extended his tally to 171. Ashwin had to dip into his old trick – pause and deliver – to have an advancing Rana stumped off an off side wide.Rana made 58 of RR’s 81 runs came in the powerplay, which offset low scores for Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson.2:35

Bishop explains what makes Noor special

CSK pull it backNoor Ahmad, the left-arm wristspinner, struck in his first over when he had Samson caught at long-off for 20 off 16 balls. He proceeded to remove Dhruv Jurel for 3 off 7 balls and moved to the top of the purple cap leaderboard. Ravindra Jadeja bowled only two overs, but he did a good job himself by not conceding a single boundary.Matheesha Pathirana and Khaleel Ahmed, who had dismissed Jaiswal in the powerplay, then slowed RR down even further in the end overs.Shimron Hetmyer, who batted behind Hasaranga at No. 7, could’ve been out for 3 had IPL debutant Jamie Overton not dropped a skier. Overton’s evening only got worse after he had leaked 30 runs from his first two overs in the powerplay. His bowling stint ended right there.Hetmyer got to 19 off 16 balls before Pathirana drew another mis-hit, Ashwin hanging onto the skier this time. Pathirana and Khaleel gave away only 17 runs off the last three overs to keep RR below 190. They had looked good for a much bigger total, especially when Rana was on song.CSK’s go-slowArcher and former Super King Tushar Deshpande, however, snatched the momentum away from CSK in the powerplay. Archer kicked off RR’s defence with a wicket-maiden in which he had Rachin Ravindra nicking off a 145kph delivery that reared up off the deck for a duck. At the other end, Deshpande hit Gaikwad on his unprotected elbow.Rahul Tripathi was going nowhere. He gave up his stumps only to swish and miss. When Archer bowled a slower legcutter, though, Tripathi got going with a six over short fine. Gaikwad then picked Sandeep off for three fours in the last over of the powerplay as CSK ended the phase with a more respectable 42 for 1, having been on 5 for 1 in three overs.1:03

Bishop: Hasaranga’s googlies worked for him

Hasaranga wrecks CSK’s middle orderHasaranga struck with his very first ball, having Tripathi holing out for 23 off 19 balls. With Hasaranga bowling in tandem with Maheesh Theekshana, CSK unleashed their Impact Player, Shivam Dube, on the spinners. Dube cracked two sixes off Hasaranga before the wristspinner had him chipping a wrong’un to cover, where Guwahati’s very own Parag pulled off a spectacular, one-handed grab to cut Dube’s innings short at 18 off 10 balls.Vijay Shankar, who had replaced Deepak Hooda, failed to pick his first ball, a wrong’un from Hasaranga, which almost shaved the off stump. In his next over, though, he knocked Vijay over with a loopier wrong’un for 9 off 6 balls.Gaikwad kept CSK in it with low-risk, high-percentage batting. He brought up a 37-ball half-century, his second in three games, but the lack of power at the other end ramped up the pressure on him. When Hasaranga dangled a wide legbreak, Gaikwad could only drag it to long-on.He left CSK needing 54 off 25 balls. It became 39 off 12 balls after Theekshana bowled a boundary-less 18th over to Dhoni and Jadeja. Dhoni then started the penultimate over, bowled by Deshpande, with a ramped four and then flat-batted the seamer over his head for six in a 19-run over, but they were left with too much to do in the end.Archer, who had bowled three excellent overs in the powerplay, including a wicket-maiden, wasn’t called to bowl at the death. Sandeep stepped up to have Dhoni holing out for 16 off 11 balls with a low full-toss, which sealed the deal.

Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds.

• Gakpo signs new long-term contract
• Commits his future to Liverpool 
• Reds' attacking rebuild continues

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool formally announced that star forward Gakpo has signed a new long-term contract and extended his stay at Anfield. The official statement from the club read: "Cody Gakpo has signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool FC. The forward ensured he will extend his two-and-a-half-year association with the Reds into the future by putting pen to paper on the deal at the AXA Training Centre on Saturday."

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  WHAT GAKPO SAID

  After putting pen to paper on the new deal, Gakpo told the club's official website: "It feels amazing to extend the contract here at this beautiful club. I’m very grateful and hopefully I can give back many more beautiful moments. I feel at home, my family feels at home and that’s also a big decision always. They feel good. I’m very happy at the club, a good group, good teammates, so the life around the football itself is very good and I enjoy every moment of it. I’m very grateful that I can extend."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Since moving to Merseyside from PSV Eindhoven two-and-a-half years back, Gakpo has made 131 appearances across all competitions, where he scored 42 goals and provided 16 assists. He won the Carabao Cup in the 2023-24 campaign and was also an integral part of Slot's side that won their record-equallising 20th top-flight title last season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL

  The Reds will be back in action on Sunday as they host Arsenal in a blockbuster Premier League clash at Anfield. 

Championship side and three-time FA Cup winners Sheffield Wednesday are facing a huge 15-point deduction after failing to clear players' salaries on time. The Owls have made a nightmare start to their 2025-26 campaign as they have won just one out of their first eight league games and are currently placed third from the bottom in the Championship.

Sheffield Wednesday staring at severe sanctions

According to , Sheffield Wednesday could be slapped with a 15-point deduction for failing to clear the salaries of some of their squad members. The Owls have defaulted on salary payments in five out of the last seven months. They are likely to face severe sanctions from the EFL for breaking financial and the case will be referred to an independent disciplinary commission.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThree points for each failed payment

The 15-point deduction has been calculated on the basis of three points being deducted for failing to pay in each of the five months. Although the decision will be made on past examples of how clubs have been punished due to similar offences. In 2023, Reading were docked one point for failing to clear salaries, while in the 2023-24 campaign, Wigan Athletic faced an eight-point penalty.

Sheffield Wednesday's crisis worsens

Sheffield Wednesday have got off to a terrible start to their 2025-26 Championship campaign, collecting just one win from their opening eight games. Their only win of the new season in the Championship came against Portsmouth, as they find themselves languishing in the relegation zone.

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Getty Images SportFive transfer embargoes on Sheffield

Currently, five transfer embargoes are placed on the Owls and they won't be able to sign and register new players until they fully settle their salary dues to the players. Owner Dejphon Chansiri has already cleared the payments of junior players and admin staff, while a handful of first-team stars are yet to receive full payments. 

Liverpool's last lap under Jurgen Klopp has seen a detrimental stumble that has allowed Arsenal and Manchester City to take command in the Premier League title race, with hopes of clinching the trophy minute at this point.

To triumph against the odds would take an incredible nosedive in form from both rivals at the final stage, compounding the recent struggles that have seen Liverpool crash out of the FA Cup and the Europa League.

And while the Carabao Cup was clinched back in February, there is an unavoidable, unshakeable sense of poignancy, of regret, surrounding what teased to be a stunning ending, fitting of the dynasty that the 56-year-old created on Merseyside.

Still, Liverpool have rebuilt following the dismal efforts of the 2022/23 campaign and perhaps it's apt timing for Klopp to stand down, relinquish the reins and allow the club to enter its next phase.

Arne Slot is the man to succeed the German, and he will find the complex situation around Mohamed Salah at the forefront of his concerns when he touches down in Liverpool this summer.

Mohamed Salah's recent form

Last summer, with Liverpool losing their place among Europe's elite, Saudi side Al-Ittihad sought to secure a flagship signing by bringing Salah to the Middle East, though their eye-watering £150m advance was rejected by FSG last August.

Salah, who was respectful throughout the process, remained at Liverpool and proved exactly why keeping him in the squad was such a pivotal success, having plundered 24 goals and 13 assists across 41 appearances for the Reds this season.

The Egyptian star ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for assists and touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 21% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

He's been the linchpin of a largely excellent campaign, though this recent decline in form has been concurrent with his side's acute nosedive, with Liverpool's wastefulness in front of goal the crux of the slump.

Indeed, the £350k-per-week forward has scored just one goal across his past six Premier League outings, failing to assist a teammate and winning only two matches.

The 31-year-old still has much to offer at the apex of the great game and pointers suggest that he feels remaining at Liverpool, where he has bagged 298 goal contributions from 346 fixtures, notably winning the Premier League and the Champions League, is the best place for his remarkable career.

However, Salah's imperfections have been accentuated following the recent dip, the fatal blip, and now there is a palpable sense that Slot may not view Salah as the fulcrum of his Liverpool attack when the Dutch manager gets to work on English shores.

Slot and his tactical brand have a semblance to that of his Anfield predecessor, Klopp, but there will of course be changes and his thrash-metal style could see the prolific Egyptian lose that unwavering starting berth that has already cracked, a fissure stemming from his decline and seeing Klopp bench him twice in the past four top-flight outings – erupting in a heated touchline row.

Should Salah remain at the club, as is expected at this point, it's unlikely that a high-profile, high-cost replacement will be targeted this summer, but Dominik Szoboszlai could find himself undergoing a tactical alteration…

Why Slot must unleash Szoboszlai at right wing

Few would question that Klopp knew what he was doing when he fashioned Szoboszlai into a deeper-lying midfield position than he might be accustomed to, signing the Hungarian gem from RB Leipzig for £60m last summer.

Turbo-powered, elegant and enterprising, Szoboszlai proved to be a colossal upgrade on Henderson in the centre of the park, even being declared as an "artist" by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his early exploits in the Premier League.

But injuries and an unrelenting schedule have taken their toll on the 23-year-old, who has been one of the most noticeable strugglers throughout the recent period of inconsistency in Liverpool's campaign, starting only one of the Reds' last three league games.

Still, as per Sofascore, over the duration of the Premier League season, the £120k-per-week dynamo has completed 87% of his passes, averaging 1.7 key passes and 5.6 ball recoveries per game.

But this has all been as an operator in the heart of the midfield, a position that is not his natural placement but necessary to charge Klopp's team – the recreation of players such as Gini Wijnaldum in the past further proves this point.

Slot plays with a 4-2-3-1 formation and, as such, will probably not use Szoboszlai at the base of the engine room, where Alexis Mac Allister would thrive alongside a specialist No. 6.

Hailed as a "generational talent" by journalist Marcel Moeller during his career in Germany, Szoboszlai might just find that in a new system, playing a role that better suits his skill set, he rises to a position of prominence and sustains it under the guidance of Slot.

Last year, with Leipzig, he principally played on the right wing, reaping the lion's share of his direct goal contributions through such means. Salah will hope to hold down his long-time Liverpool position but Slot's football demands energy, movement and multi-functionality.

Salah is averaging 0.8 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season, winning 35%, as opposed to 2.2 per fixture during his historic 2017/18 term, succeeding with 63% of his forward forays. Szoboszlai, clearly, offers more energy than that declining aspect of the Egyptian game.

Ranking among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shots taken, the top 4% for progressive carries and the top 5% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, the 6 foot 1 player is patently pushing toward his favoured role in and around the final third.

He might not have the elite goalscoring ability of Salah, but this style of play could suit the new regime just perfectly, with Trent Alexander-Arnold spraying passes into the danger area that his Hungarian counterpart can latch onto with penetrative pace and power.

Who knows, perhaps Salah might find himself shaping into a new, more central position, where he can maintain his sharpening playmaking ability – no Premier League player has created more big chances than he this term (21) – and benefit from the robust creative qualities of Szoboszlai.

One thing's for certain, Slot has much to chew on when he arrives at Anfield, tasked with leading Liverpool to more glory after the brightest period in generations.

Liverpool hit the jackpot on £75m "legend" who was better than Salah

Anfield enjoyed one of its ultimate blinders by bringing this phenom to Merseyside.

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 30, 2024

علّق مهاجم بايرن ميونخ، هاري كين على إمكانية عودته إلى الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز في المستقبل.

وانضم كين إلى بايرن ميونخ من توتنهام الصيف الماضي، مقابل 100 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

وسجل كين 44 هدفًا في 45 مباراة في جميع المسابقات الموسم الماضي، وحصل على جائزة جيرد مولر مع كيليان مبابي في حفل الكرة الذهبية في وقت سابق من هذا الأسبوع، كأفضل هداف.

وفي حديثه بتصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية، قال هاري كين: “أنا أستمتع حقًا في بايرن”.

وأضاف: “أنا أتعلم اللغة وأحضر درسين في الأسبوع، لدي معلم جيد في بايرن، بالنسبة لي الأمر صعب ولكن آمل أن أبقى هناك لسنوات عديدة وفي مرحلة ما سأكون قادرًا على التحدث قليلاً باللغة الألمانية”.

وعندما سُئل عما إذا كان يخطط للعودة إلى الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، اعترف هاري كين: “ربما في يوم من الأيام”.

وسجل هاري كين 213 هدفًا في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز خلال فترة وجوده في توتنهام، ليصبح في المركز الثاني خلف آلان شيرار الذي سجل 260 هدفًا في قائمة هدافي الدوري على مر العصور.

وعندما انتقل إلى بايرن ميونخ، ذكر رقم شيرار وألمح إلى أنه سيعود إلى إنجلترا لمحاولة تجاوزه، قائلاً: “سيكون دائمًا قرارًا صعبًا؛ كنت في توتنهام لمدة 19 عامًا من حياتي، لذلك يعلم الجميع أن النادي مرتبط بي وبقلبي، سيتحدث الناس عن الرقم القياسي وشيرار، لكن لدي الكثير متبقي في مسيرتي”.

A Manchester United managerial target finds a move to Old Trafford "appealing", according to a new update.

Latest on Erik ten Hag’s future

Erik ten Hag’s second season in charge of the Red Devils hasn’t exactly gone to plan, although United are in the FA Cup final later this month. Monday evening’s 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace was the latest embarrassing moment in a disappointing Premier League campaign, which has resulted in more speculation regarding the Dutchman’s future.

Man Utd could turn Hojlund into a monster by hiring 'Manager of the Year'

He is an expert at coaching strikers

ByJoe Nuttall May 8, 2024

New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe may soon have a decision to make regarding Ten Hag, who said after the defeat at Selhurst Park when asked if he was the right person for the job: "Absolutely. If the right players are available, we have a good squad. We miss almost the whole backline and then we have problems.

"I will keep fighting. I prepared the team in the best way I could do. It was not good enough, I have to take responsibility for that but I will find energy and prepare them for Sunday's game."

Journalist Ben Jacobs has since stated that Ten Hag will remain in charge until the end of the season where there will then be an end of season review by Red Devils officials.

One manager who has been heavily linked to take over from Ten Hag is Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel, with Ratcliffe even making contact with the German recently. Now, there has been an update which is promising for those at Old Trafford.

Thomas Tuchel keen on Man Utd move

According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Tuchel finds the move to Old Trafford “appealing”, with “loose contact” ongoing with United.

As can be seen, Tuchel also seems to be keen on a return Chelsea, so United may have a battle on their hands this summer, should the Blues part ways with Mauricio Pochettino.

If United land Tuchel, they will be getting a manager who has been called “crazy” by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and “fantastic” by Jurgen Klopp in the past.

Wins

355

Draws

106

Losses

144

Goals scored

1,263

Goals conceded

695

Total points

1,171

Points per game

1.94

The 50-year-old has previous experience in the Premier League and won the Champions League with Chelsea, so Ratcliffe may feel he is the right man to turn things around.

Tottenham Hotspur will make the daunting trip northward with focus on turning their form on its head and ending a bleak run of three successive losses in the Premier League.

Ange Postecoglou's side have skewed off course over these last few weeks, with their patchy form throughout 2024 devolving into a wretched skid that adds extra emphasis on this afternoon's fixture against Liverpool at Anfield.

Whether Postecoglou will be able to stem the tide and steady the ship over these final few games of the campaign remains to be seen but it would take something herculean to close the distance on fourth-place Aston Villa, who are seven points ahead having played an extra match.

Given that Spurs host title-chasing champions Manchester City in two weeks too, it's clear that anything other than victory on Merseyside will close the door on a place among Europe's elite new season.

Still, there's plenty of room for optimism, with the seeds of success certainly planted since the Australian's arrival.

He hasn't been helped by persistent injuries – and he won't be helped in this regard later this afternoon.

Spurs team news

With Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies both ruled out for the season, Postecoglou's decision to play Emerson Royal backfired miserably during Thursday's dismal defeat against Chelsea. Micky van de Ven could play an inverted wide defensive role but it's unclear what will occur at this stage.

After fielding a new midfield at Stamford Bridge, the 58-year-old admitted it "didn't work" and Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison and Yves Bissouma could be in line for recalls.

Ryan Sessegnon, Fraser Forster and Manor Solomon all remain long-term absentees.

Richarlison earned his first starting appearance in two months in midweek but both he and Heung-min Son, who moved to left wing, were poor and the Brazilian must not play from the outset again versus Jurgen Klopp's team.

Why Richarlison shouldn't start

Richarlison started against Chelsea but he was too isolated, too ineffective, and given that Liverpool, when firing, produce stunning levels of suffocating pressure, deploying Son back as the focal frontman, where he can impress with his multi-faceted skill set, might just be the order of the day.

A patchy player, Richarlison had endured a torrid time at Tottenham after joining from Everton in a £60m transfer back in 2022, scoring just one Premier League goal in his first campaign – during the 4-3 defeat at Anfield.

And while his miserable stint at the side continued into the current campaign, groin surgery before the new year revitalised the Brazilian and saw him return to his finest goalscoring form, scoring nine goals from eight matches from December to February.

But the ferocious forward managed only 19 touches against Chelsea, unleashing one blocked shot and failing to even attempt a dribble.

The player Ange should choose to replace Richarlison

A more dynamic approach is needed this time, and given Timo Werner is injured and Son simply has to return to the spearhead, Brennan Johnson must replace Richarlison on the left wing.

Tottenham signed Johnson from Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest in a £47.5m transfer last summer, with the rising star having played a central role in the Tricky Trees' survival on their first term back in the top flight.

Across 30 fixtures for the Lilywhites, the 5 foot 10 winger has scored five goals and added seven assists, though he has also impressed with his electric pace and versatility.

Content creator Dan Cook – known by his moniker HLTCO – is among those to have picked up on Johnson's blooming quality, remarking on his physical attributes several months back.

He said: "Brennan Johnson is such an exciting player to watch. He’s got frightening pace and directness; constantly looking to make something happen, it must be an absolute nightmare to defend against him."

He's had an imperfect first campaign in the English capital but the 22-year-old certainly has plenty of room for growth and his upswing in performance after a slow start suggests that Postecoglou must unleash him at Anfield, perhaps even on the left in a move that would send Richarlison back to the bench.

Right winger

17

2

4

Left winger

9

2

1

Attacking midfield

1

0

0

Centre-forward

1

0

0

Right midfield

1

0

0

The table above emphasises Johnson's dynamism but it also speaks of his demonstrably better finishing when placed on the left. This is only natural: the Wales international is right-footed and thus uses his pace and mobility to swerve inward and strike on goal with more confidence.

As per FBref, Johnson ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 14% for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 4% for blocks per 90.

His creativity stems from the athletic imperative that makes him such an interesting prospect, having also created eight big chances from just 22 Premier League starts this season, averaging 1.1 key passes per game too, as per Sofascore.

Liverpool have been susceptible to swift transitions this season while also conceding clear chances with regularity, and this is something that Postecoglou must push to exploit.

Balance will be key, and given that Maddison must reclaim his starting spot as the chief playmaker, Dejan Kulusevski will likely move out to the right, where his work rate and defensive style will settle the equilibrium.

Where does that leave Son? Up front. The South Korean has not been at his best recently, no doubt about that, but he is one of the Premier League's superlative forwards and offers such a wonderful blend of ways to hurt his adversaries, scoring 13 goals and providing five assists from 20 matches at centre-forward this season.

Finding the right balance will indeed hold the key to victory, and with Werner and Udogie injured, a blast of electricity is needed down that left channel, and Johnson has the tools to do a job.

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Whilst the Sheffield Wednesday fans packed into the Stadium of Light rejoiced at their team pulling off an unbelievable escape from relegation at the full-time whistle, most of the hardened Sunderland supporters had scurried home already after being subjected to a dismal final day loss.

Most of the stadium was empty come the end of the Championship clash in the home sections, with Danny Rohl's men strolling to a comfortable 2-0 victory in a clash that was meant to be far more nervy and tense for the travelling Owls.

Sunderland lacked any real drive to try and make Wednesday fight for a vital three points, with the Black Cats unable to make the home fans smile briefly to see out a shocking campaign by picking up a rare win with just three shots on target from 18 efforts.

There could now be a huge summer clear-out on Wearside to try and propel Sunderland into a far more positive era next campaign, which might even see this midfielder – who was touted for a major move up to the Premier League in January – just allowed to leave after underwhelming the last few torrid weeks.

Pierre Ekwah's performance vs Sheffield Wednesday

Previously being watched by the likes of Crystal Palace and Fulham ahead of a big move, those Premier League suitors might hold off on their interest in Pierre Ekwah now based on his uninterested showing against Wednesday on the final day.

Caught out ball-watching for the Owls' opener at the Stadium of Light, with Barry Bannan given far too much freedom on the ball by Ekwah to then pick out Liam Palmer to place home, Wednesday got so much joy against the Black Cats by just displaying more energy venturing forward through the middle of the park.

The former West Ham United youngster was way off the pace throughout against the buoyed-on visitors away just from this moment in isolation, however, with a meagre one shot attempted on James Beadle's goal from the 22-year-old alongside a weak two tackles being attempted to try and disrupt the flow of Rohl's men.

Hauled off in the 71st minute by interim boss Mike Dodds, who has presumably now bowed out of being Sunderland's next cursed manager with this defeat, it wasn't a shock to see Andy Tomlinson of the Roker Report hand out a disappointing 3/10 rating to Ekwah after the dust had settled from the 2-0 loss.

Minutes played

71

Touches

53

Key passes

0

Shots on goal

1

Tackles

2

Dribbled past

1

With Tomlinson describing the 22-year-old's display as being "pretty anonymous", Ekwah's downfall in the senior ranks has been an intriguing one to watch unfold considering how promising of a gem he looked at the start of the season.

The 6 foot 2 midfielder looked like an absolute golden steal at the start of the campaign – having joined from West Ham United in January of 2023 – after a blistering performance against Southampton in September last year, bagging two strikes as the Black Cats tore the Saints to shreds in a comprehensive 5-0 victory.

Since then, the fortunes of both teams have significantly changed, as has Ekwah's standing in the Black Cats camp with the very real possibility that the Frenchman could be offloaded this coming summer if a top-flight party takes a punt on his services.

Pierre Ekwah's transfer value in 2024

Sunderland would still be able to demand a high fee for their up-and-down 22-year-old to depart, with this transfer valuation higher than that of first-team regular Dan Neil – according to Football Transfers – despite Neil being a consistent performer for the Black Cats this season throughout all of the mess.

Despite underperforming during Sunderland's terrible end to the season, Ekwah still finds himself being worth a high £4.6m, a figure the Mackems would surely only be too pleased to receive.

Neil, who has been largely everpresent this campaign and dependable with four goals and five assists from 44 total matches, surprisingly is worth £600k less than his inconsistent counterpart at £4m.

1. Anthony Patterson

£11m

2. Jack Clarke

£7.6m

3. Jobe Bellingham

£6.6m

4. Adil Aouchiche

£5.4m

5. Abdoullah Ba

£5.3m

Sourced by Football Transfers

Ekwah doesn't quite get into the top five highest valued assets at the Stadium of Light when scanning the table above, but the likes of Abdoullah Ba and Adil Aouchiche – who fit into the same bracket as Ekwah as raw and unreliable youngsters who have shown their inexperience – could also be moved on soon especially when you consider their equally hefty values.

Selling on the underperforming central midfielder could prove to be the smartest call of the three when you consider how much the 22-year-old's value has risen over the last few years despite struggling in patches.

Glancing back to 2022, when Ekwah was an unknown entity to Sunderland supporters in the Hammers youth system, Ekwah was worth just a paltry £51k – according to Football Transfers – with his value then skyrocketing all the way up to a superior £2.8m in 2023 after a move to the Stadium of Light went through.

This could make for a very interesting off-season saga in Wearside, therefore, regarding Ekwah's future with a massive temptation to cash in on the topsy-turvy midfielder now especially if a Premier League club gambles on the 22-year-old to come good making the step-up and bids a handsome amount.

There will be no such uncertainty over Neil's future, however, with the former academy product turned occasional Sunderland captain champing at the bit for the next campaign already to try and make his boyhood club promotion challengers once more.

With a new manager an absolute priority first and foremost before any incomings or outgoings are confirmed, this summer promises to be dramatic and hectic and one the powers that be at Sunderland must get spot on to make up for such a car crash of a campaign that's been finally put out of its misery.

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