The India captain said that the runs and records have been a byproduct of focusing on the team
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-20183:22
Can Kohli beat Tendulkar’s 18K runs?
After smashing Sachin Tendulkar’s record to become the fastest to 10,000 ODI runs, Virat Kohli has said that his method remains the same: work hard for every run and never take things for granted.”Even after playing for 10 years, I don’t feel like I’m entitled for anything here,” Kohli told . “You still have to work hard for every run you score at the international level while playing for your country because they’re many people who want this very badly and when you’re in that position yourself, you should have that same hunger and passion. You should never take things for granted, never take it easy at any stage.”Captaining India is a tough task, especially as the No.1 batsman in the world – as Tendulkar found out – but to have simultaneously scaled unprecedented heights as a batsman is a tribute to Kohli’s mental resolve as well as physical fitness. Additionally, despite the constant glare of the spotlight, Kohli’s focus has rarely deviated, highlighted by the 20 ODI hundreds in successful chases.1:58
Simmons: Kohli has taken over from where Sachin left off
“I’ve been able to push my physical abilities and my mental abilities on just focusing on what the team needs, and in that process more runs have been scored than maybe I would have otherwise if I was thinking about my own batting or anything like that,” he said. “So I’ve just focused on the situation, and I’m glad that I’ve been able to help the team by contributing with the bat. My duty is to score runs and having done that for a long period now, everything has collected together for this moment but the intention always should be every game, every situation to look for what the team needs and just score as many runs as possible.”But above all, his greatest source of joy remains more homespun in nature – to have been able to play the game this long, with a few years left in the tank.”To understand you’ve come so far in your career playing for 10 years is something quite special to me because I love the sport so much and you want to play it more and more, and that for me is the most important thing, so I’m just happy that I’m able to play for this long and hopefully many more years to come,” he said. “I never thought I could achieve this feat or I would get to this stage. I always thought I just want to play for India, I never thought that this day would arrive and it just tells me that if you’re focused on the process and the right things then these things become irrelevant after a while.”
There was some initial worry about Newcastle United this season, especially after they suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion. Since then, however, Eddie Howe's side have put an end to any doubts by defeating Brentford, putting eight past Sheffield United and knocking Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup.
That's not to say the Magpies couldn't do with further reinforcements, though, which could result in a busy January transfer window for those at St James' Park despite some FFP constraints, with reports they could sell several players to fund signings.
And that could see them complete a move for one particular player that they already had a go for, having failed in their pursuit during the summer.
What's the latest Newcastle United transfer news?
Spending a reported €153m (£133m) during the summer transfer window, Newcastle welcomed the likes of Harvey Barnes, Tino Livramento, and Sandro Tonali to hand Howe a squad capable of potentially making it back-to-back top four finishes in the Premier League. And after a slow start, the Magpies now look back on track to compete alongside the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Liverpool, who are all gunning for Champions League qualification.
The January transfer window could yet make all the difference, too, especially if Newcastle secure the arrival of Carlos Alcaraz. According to Football Transfers, those at St James' Park are eyeing a move for the Southampton star, who they reportedly approached in the summer, only to be put off by the Saints' £30m price-tag.
Whilst Howe remains an admirer, AC Milan and Benfica also reportedly made an approach for the midfielder in the summer, handing Newcastle plenty of competition if they are to pursue his signature come the winter transfer window.
Considering their spending power, if Newcastle are keen on Alcaraz, then it will be interesting to see how Southampton fare when it comes to the battle to keep hold of their star.
Should Newcastle United sign Carlos Alcaraz?
Southampton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz.
At 20-years-old, Alcaraz opted to stay put at Southampton despite their relegation to the Championship, and a solid start by Russell Martin's new side has quickly turned disastrous, with a run of four straight defeats in the Championship.
If that form continues, Alcaraz, who, it must be said, has played his part in what has been a dismal run, may start to consider his immediate future, especially if the right offer comes in during the January window from Newcastle.
Statistically speaking, the midfielder was certainly a standout in a poor Saints side last season. According to FBref, in 13 starts, Alcaraz made 20 progressive carries and 28 progressive passes, whilst also making 14 blocks and 11 clearances in a showing of great potential in a short period in the Premier League.
He has earned deserved praise during his time at St Mary's, too, including from former manager Ruben Selles, who said, via the official Southampton website: "That was the idea – to put him in that position as a 10 or as a striker, to be more aggressive in the pressure, to understand the triggers and to have some situations in front of the centre-backs but also in behind, as [with] the goal.
“That was the game plan, Carlos played good. He understands everything – I am helping him also, giving him some instructions so it’s easier for him to understand. He did really well, unfortunately for only 45, 46 minutes."
An opening stand of 189 inflicted Glamorgan’s fifth defeat in five Royal London Cup games this season and put Essex back into contention to move through to the knockout stage
ECB Reporters Network30-May-2018 ScorecardVarun Chopra and Adam Wheater put on a swashbuckling stand of 189 to inflict Glamorgan’s fifth defeat in five Royal London Cup games this season and put Essex back into contention to move through to the knockout stage.Until Wheater was stumped for 88 off 99 balls, it had looked like a race to see who would reach their century first. However, Chopra was left stranded on 98 when Essex passed the target of 201 with 18 and a half overs to spare.Chopra’s 84-ball innings, with nine fours and four sixes, took his season’s tally to 445 runs from five innings.Essex’s victory was set up by some accurate and parsimonious bowling, led by Jamie Porter, and supported by Matt Coles’s 3 for 41 in his first one-day outing since moving from Kent.Porter, who had been rested for the last three games, bowled his 10 overs straight through to record best List A figures of 4 for 27.By reaching their target so quickly, Essex improved their run-rate significantly, which could prove crucial if they win their remaining group matches against Sussex on Sunday and Kent next Wednesday and qualification goes to the wire.For Glamorgan, Chris Cooke marked his 32nd birthday with sixes off successive balls in a 75-ball 59, and shared a 64-run seventh-wicket stand in 12 overs with Andrew Salter that lifted the general lethargy surrounding the Glamorgan innings.Glamorgan, put in on a blameless wicket posted just 34 from the first 10 overs for the loss of their openers. Nick Selman epitomised the delusory pace with 10 from 22 balls before he nicked Porter low to Chopra at first slip. Aneurin Donald had already gone to the first ball he faced, edging a straight one behind in Porter’s second over.Ingram should have followed when he had 4 to another edge off Porter, but Chopra dived to his left, getting both hands to the ball but unable to hang on.However, the first time Porter went around the wicket he ended Ingram’s sequence of five successive one-day centuries against Essex. The left-hander was pinned on his crease as the ball slanted in, and he was out for 13.David Lloyd did not last long, driving Wagner forcefully square to cover point where Simon Harmer took a spectacular catch. Connor Brown, who had managed four fours in a debut 31, departed to a one-handed catch by Adam Wheater in front of first slip to give Porter his fourth wicket.Cooke and Wagg put on 42 for the sixth wicket in 16 overs before Wagg played all around one from Ravi Bopara and was bowled. Andrew Salter helped Cooke increase the rate and lifted Wagner over mid-on to put up Glamorgan’s 150 as late as the 43rd over.Salter hammered a second six over cow corner to dent Coles’s otherwise parsimonious figures, but when he went for another next ball, he was caught on the boundary. He had hit 43 from 47 balls, and shared in a 64-run stand with Cooke in 12 overs.Cooke passed fifty from 72 balls with a six flicked off his legs during the most expensive over of the innings which cost 17 runs. Bopara thought he had Cooke, on 59, caught off a head-high no-ball by Cook, but the South African swung at the next ball and Bopara took the return catch above his head.Coles wrapped up the innings with wickets in successive balls for figures of 3 for 41.Chopra showed the Essex intent. Ruaidhru Smith was twice deposited over the leg-side boundary ropes for six in his first two overs.With Wheater finding the gaps, the opening pair had 50 on the board inside eight overs, 100 up in the 16th. The wicketkeeper was first to his personal fifty from his 55th ball.Chopra’s half-century came from 45 balls and contained five fours and those two sixes.When he was 63, Wheater had a reprieve as a lofted drive flew through van der Gugten’s hands at midwicket. The 150 partnership came up in 26 overs before Chopra clouted Salter for a straight six, and then helped himself to four and another six in successive balls off the spinner.
How ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary called the 28-run over by Avesh Khan, courtesy Jake Fraser-McGurk
ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-2024
****
3.1 Avesh Khan to J Fraser-McGurk,
More fortune goes Fraser-McGurk and DC’s way! He goes driving at this fullish ball angling in to finish outside leg, and the ball takes the inside edge to roll past and even beat a diving Samson to his right.3.2 Avesh Khan to J Fraser-McGurk,
Thumped dangerously to deep extra cover! Avesh goes shorter this time, and around off, as Fraser-McGurk swats back forcefully to beat extra cover.3.3 Avesh Khan to J Fraser-McGurk,
Sliced to a wide-ish deep third! Avesh had that groan after delivering – that potentially meant more effort, but it hardly mattered! Fullish and in the channel, as Fraser-McGurk opened the face of the bat to loft over point.3.4 Avesh Khan to J Fraser-McGurk,
Rammed over mid-off! Avesh is hammered all around, and Samson offers him some comfort now. Short of a length just outside off, and belted back over the short boundary.3.5 Avesh Khan to J Fraser-McGurk,
You can have all the conferences and discussions, but the result will hardly change. The third umpire confirms that the ball just dropped short of the deep-point boundary. Shorter side of a length from Avesh outside off, and hammered through the line.3.6 Avesh Khan to J Fraser-McGurk,
Fraser-McGurk gets to fifty off 19 balls! This time he gets a full toss, which is dipping to finish at a comfortable, lowish height on leg, as he hoicks it over wide long-on to make the over read 4, 4, 4, 6, 4, 6!From 31 for no loss in three overs, DC moved to 59 for no loss in six balls. Fraser-McGurk was eventually dismissed in the fifth over by R Ashwin for 50 in 20 balls. DC finished the powerplay at 78 for 2.
Liverpool enjoyed a successful first leg of the League Cup semi-finals as they came from behind to secure a 2-1 win over Fulham at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Willian's first-half goal gave the visitors the advantage at half time but substitutes Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo changed the game with key contributions off the bench.
The former set up Curtis Jones for the goal to make it 1-1 and then provided the assist for Gakpo to put the Reds 2-1 in front and in charge of the tie ahead of their trip to Craven Cottage later this month.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Despite the win, Jurgen Klopp may not be too impressed with some of the individual performances on display from players who were supposed to be fighting to show the boss that they deserve more game time in the Premier League.
Harvey Elliott did not fully grasp his opportunity on the right wing in the absence of Mohamed Salah but it was Ryan Gravenberch who truly flopped with a poor performance.
Harvey Elliott's performance against Fulham in numbers
The England U21 international started out on the right and did not influence the game at the top end of the pitch, with Liverpool losing 1-0 when he was substituted in the 56th minute.
Elliott failed to register a single shot on or off target throughout his time on the pitch, with one blocked effort, and did not create any 'big chances' for his teammates.
Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott.
The young whiz did, however, complete two of his three attempted dribbles and 85% (46/54) of his attempted passes, which suggests that he was solid but unspectacular on the wing.
Whereas, Gravenberch was noticeably poor in the middle of the park and Klopp may have second thoughts about naming him in the starting line up moving forward.
Gravenberch's performance against Fulham in numbers
The summer signing from Bayern Munich left a lot to be desired with his display in midfield as he failed to impress alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Jones.
Gravenberch recorded a Sofascore rating of 6.3, which was the lowest rating in the Liverpool squad, and that was because of his struggles in and out of possession.
Minutes played
56
Duels contested
12
Duels won
Two
Tackles won
One
Interceptions
Zero
Blocks
Zero
Clearances
Zero
As you can see in the table above, Klopp's lightweight did not do enough in his physical contests to assert control in the middle of the park.
Fulham players found it far too easy to get the better of him in 50/50 duels and the Dutch midfielder must do far better in the future to retain the ball and provide a strong defensive presence.
Klopp hooked him, alongside Elliott, in the 56th minute but he still lost possession a whopping 16 times in less than an hour on the pitch. For a point of reference, Jones only lost possession 11 times in 90 minutes on the pitch, which illustrates how poor Gravenberch was on the ball.
Overall, the 21-year-old dud failed to take his opportunity to impress and flopped badly against Fulham, and this could hinder and limit his opportunities moving forward until he is able to prove himself as a reliable option for the boss.
Aside from the League Cup, Arsenal are currently fighting on all fronts this year, and while they might not be quite as free-flowing and easy on the eye as they were last season, Mikel Arteta's men have looked more defensively astute, mature and intentional in their matches this campaign.
However, a defeat to Aston Villa last time out in the Premier League has slowed them down somewhat following their last-gasp winner against Luton Town last week.
The Gunners didn't deserve to win at Villa Park on Saturday, but they might've claimed at least a point with a clinical finisher in the team, as they had registered an expected goal value of 1.47 to their hosts' 0.66 – but they just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net.
So fans should be delighted with the latest player linked to the Emirates, a striker who could turn Bukayo Saka into an assist machine, and someone who has already expressed his desire to join the club, Ivan Toney.
Arsenal transfer news – Ivan Toney
According to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Brentford's star striker is keen to move to a top club in 2024 and has expressed his excitement and desire to join Arsenal specifically.
Talking on Kick, the Italian journalist said:“From what I’m hearing, this is one more detail on Ivan Toney, this is a rumour I’m hearing that his preference in terms of a top club move in January or the summer would be to go to Arsenal.
"From what I’m hearing Ivan Toney could be really excited by the possibility of joining Arsenal.”
Ivan Toney competing against Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa.
The former Newcastle United forward has been linked to the club in the past, but this development is a massive boost for the Gunners should they choose to pursue Toney.
However, the most significant barrier to signing the 27-year-old "monster", as described by his manager Thomas Frank, will be the price, as Sky Sports report that it will take at least £100m to secure his signature – although, for a player who scored 20 league goals last season, he might just be worth it.
Ivan Toney could supercharge Bukayo Saka
Now, the addition of Toney into this Arsenal team would instantly make them a far more worrying proposition for opposing teams, as the one-cap Englishman would likely craft his own chances with the sheer level of talent around him.
However, his clinical finishing and poacher sensibilities would help turn his teammates into assist machines, especially someone like Saka.
Arsenal could sign a £53m "special talent" instead of Douglas Luiz
The young Spaniard could be a better fit for Arsenal.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 11, 2023
The Hale End graduate racked up 11 league assists last season – despite Gabriel Jesus missing chunks of the campaign through injury – and he has already registered six in the league this season, so just imagine the numbers he could produce with a number nine solely focused on finding space and finishing chances.
Furthermore, the underlying numbers of the "future icon", as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, all point towards a player calling out for more efficient players around him.
Expected Assists
0.30
Progressive Passes
3.45
Progressive Carries
4.41
Shot-Creating Actions
5.32
Successful Take-Ons
1.66
Crosses
5.93
All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Season
Ultimately, if Arsenal want to reach that next level and win the Premier League and Champions League, they will need an out-and-out goalscorer in the team, and Toney would be precisely that.
It also helps that his presence would likely unlock another level to Saka's game and truly set him on the path to becoming one of the best players in the world.
Chelsea's prodigious academy is one of the greatest in world football at churning out some of the most promising young talents on the planet.
The Blues have forged this legacy by investing in state-of-the-art facilities and the best equipment to ensure that youngsters have all the tools they need to become stars.
This was particularly prevalent in the 1990s as the west London giants watched arguably their greatest-ever defender, John Terry, come through their academy, assert his dominance at the heart of their defence and rack up an incredible 717 appearances across a 19-year association with the club.
Across his glittering career at Stamford Bridge, he became a rarity among the world of defenders at the time through his ability with the ball at his feet, underscored by the fact he's the highest-scoring defender in Premier League history with 41 goals.
These days, being comfortable with the ball is imperative for any modern centre-back and Levi Colwill, who has been dubbed as the "next John Terry", is certainly that in abundance.
How much Chelsea paid for Levi Colwill
Much like Terry, Colwill is a graduate of Chelsea's academy, joining at the age of 9 through their development centre programme.
Initially, his introduction to football came with Sunday league side City Central, where he intriguingly played alongside Jamal Musiala.
Levi Colwill
If that wasn't an indication of his quality, Colwill's composure from an early age as well as his steady physical presence with growth, more than made up for it.
A physical specimen off the ball and a calming presence on it, the youngster had the requisite tools to become the next star to blossom from the club's underage groups, but he just needed a regular taste of senior football so he could develop in skill and stature.
With this in mind, after three outings in the Papa John's Trophy, Colwill was loaned to Huddersfield Town in the 2021/22 campaign, inspiring the Terriers to the Championship play-off final.
Despite scoring an own goal that saw his side crumble at the final hurdle, the Englishman impressed across 29 appearances while watching his expected transfer value (xTV) shoot up to €7.3m (£6.3m) in July 2022.
Levi Colwill's transfer value at Brighton & Hove Albion
After an excellent campaign under the stewardship of Carlos Corberan in the Championship, plaudits continued to rain down on Colwill during his spell at Brighton & Hove Albion last term.
In an exciting and youthful Seagulls side with an average age of 23.64, the 6 foot 2 titan fit into the progressive style deployed by Roberto De Zerbi like a glove.
A commanding presence at the back and an expert at spraying passes through the thirds, Colwill showcased glimpses of his unerring traits on the South Coast as he featured in 17 matches in the top flight and helped his side record a sensational sixth-place finish.
Not only that, but he also saw his xTV rise even further, from €7.3m in July 2022 to €10.8m (£9.3m) in May this year, with the 20-year-old looking ready to become a first-team regular at Chelsea.
Levi Colwill's value now
As soon as he arrived at Stamford Bridge, Mauricio Pochettino made it known that Colwill was going to play a huge part in his plans, with the Argentine describing him as a "big talent" and a "great character".
In 11 appearances this term, Colwill – who has been dubbed by Antonio Mango as "insane technically" – has shown how good he is with the ball at his feet while operating as a centre back or left back.
This is demonstrated by the fact he's been thrown into the same bracket of ball-playing defenders as Jules Kounde, Alessandro Bastoni and David Alaba by FBref for his exceptional ball-playing attributes and calmness in possession.
Despite being only 20 and the youngest on that list, he ranks within the top 9% across Europe's top five leagues in the past year for passes attempted, top 6% for shot-creating actions and top 16% for progressive carries per 90.
Progressive passes
4.26
Passes attempted
76.48
Shot creating actions
1.36
Progressive carries
1.05
Progressive passes received
0.79
All stats via FBref
Whilst he's near faultless with the ball at his feet and displays an exquisite passing range beyond his years, he does need to improve defensively, as implied by his ranking in the bottom 24% for tackles and bottom 29% for interceptions.
However, considering his value has skyrocketed to a whopping €60m (£52m), as per CIES Football Observatory, Colwill is developing rapidly under Pochettino and has played a major role in their strong defence this term.
Chelsea's season in numbers
Whilst Chelsea's attack has come alive in recent weeks, scoring four in both fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, the Blues have been hard to beat this term.
As the saying goes, you should always build from the back and with the summer additions of Robert Sanchez, Axel Disasi and Moises Caicedo, in particular, Pochettino has successfully solidified the spine of their team and this is reflected by their impressive defensive metrics.
According to Understat, only five teams have conceded more expected goals (xG) than the Blues, with a total of 16.63 placing them just behind the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Manchester City.
Contrary to the previous statement about Colwill's defensive abilities, the Englishman has made a colossal impact in helping preserve a strong rearguard that has only been breached 16 times, five of which arrived in the last two matches.
Despite being deployed as a left back on five occasions, the Englishman – who the Argentine said could become one of the greatest defenders in England – has still thrived alongside the veteran Thiago Silva.
The Brazilian has helped refine the defensive side of his game, having placed in the top 23% among defenders in the Premier League for tackles this season (1.83), which is a vast improvement from only recording 0.59 per game during his spell at Brighton last term.
If Colwill can continue his upward trajectory, as demonstrated by his exceptional statistics and current transfer value, he has the opportunity to become a generational defender for the Blues, as Terry did.
He said team officials had failed to mediate a simmering dispute between him and other senior players that boiled during the recent ICC World T20 Sub Regional Americas Qualifier
Peter Della Penna06-Oct-2018Former USA captain Ibrahim Khaleel has laid stinging criticism on the USA team management after being dropped from the squad on Tuesday. He said officials had failed to mediate a simmering dispute between him and other senior players that boiled over while the team was in North Carolina during their recent championship run at the ICC World T20 Sub Regional Americas Qualifier.”I was probably blindsided,” Khaleel told ESPNcricinfo, reacting to his sacking which was communicated to him in a video conference on Monday by USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake and USA Cricket project officer Wade Edwards. “I told them you should have given me the opportunity to sit with the players when you knew there was something going on. I should at least have that option of talking to players one-on-one, face-to-face.”This is not like a school team or a club team where you just sit in a different room and [I] sit in a different room. There’s always conflict and misunderstanding in teams. It was yours and Wade’s responsibility to call me and talk to me and figure this thing out or call the players also. Whoever has spoken to you about x, y and z things, you should have called them and be a mediator to solve this thing. That’s how a professional team behaves, to me at least. If they think this is professional to them, then I’m okay with it.”According to Khaleel, he was told by Dassanayake and Edwards that the main reason he was dropped – not just from the captaincy but entirely from the squad – was because of “personal issues with players”. It contradicted a USA Cricket press release that stated Khaleel was left out due to performance.When asked if he felt he merited a spot in the team based on his batting, Khaleel said his scoring output was “average” and that it had come up during his video conference with Dassanayake and Edwards, but that it was not the primary factor in his removal.Khaleel claimed he first sensed trouble after the team’s dramatic two-wicket win over Canada on September 25. While the team was celebrating after Steven Taylor hit 22 runs off the final over to clinch victory, Khaleel said the mood around the squad was different by the time everyone got back to the hotel.”Nobody told me anything but I could sense something was wrong,” Khaleel said. “I told coach I think there’s something going on but it’s better if you check and he said we’ll talk about it after the tournament.”Khaleel also said he was informed by officials this week that his decision to under bowl certain players caused him to lose support within the team, though he refused to name anyone when asked who had raised complaints against him.”In Canada vs USA, [Canada spinner] Saad [Bin Zafar] also didn’t get bowling,” Khaleel said. “He only bowled one over the whole match. It doesn’t mean Saad is a bad bowler. I probably feel because of that, things got aggravated.”As a captain, you have to take some hard decisions on the ground. You cannot be biased to anybody. So I did whatever was best for the team in my knowledge and if something wrong was happening on the field then we wouldn’t have been No. 1.”Khaleel was rested from the XI a day later when USA beat Belize to clinch first place, but said he was called to a meeting with Dassanayake, Edwards and team manager Kerk Higgins later at the team hotel, where he was first told of concerns raised by other senior players.”They said, ‘Somebody has to go because we cannot move forward like this,'” according to Khaleel. “‘This thing cannot go on like this if your captaincy is not effective on the ground.'”Just because a few players don’t bind into roles, how will that effect things on the ground? If you think this was happening for a long time, even if there were misunderstandings or conflict, we still got results.”ESPNcricinfo made multiple attempts to speak with Dassanayake, Edwards and chairman of selectors Ricardo Powell regarding Khaleel’s sacking but USA Cricket did not make anyone available for comment.
USMNT fans weighed in on Christian Pulisic's exploits for AC Milan, claiming he should "stop stealing goals" after his effort against Slavia Prague.
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Pulisic on scoresheet in Europa League winAmerican gets toe on Leao's late effortFans have their say in Instagram commentsGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
Pulisic got himself on the scoresheet in a chaotic Europa League encounter at San Siro on Thursday evening. Following some impressive work by Milan team-mate Rafael Leao, which saw the Portuguese glide past numerous challenges before shooting goalward, Pulisic stuck out a toe to turn home from close range. While the effort was certainly going on target it may have been blocked on the line, meaning his touch was necessary, but that didn't stop USMNT fans teasing their Hershey-born forward for "stealing" the effort.
AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING
In an Instagram post from the official USMNT page celebrating Pulisic's goal, fans couldn't hold back pointing out that he had some help in that effort.
Instagram user @kbeastiii_disc_dyes summarised it well, writing "Good goal, but ngl bro stole it from Leao". And @mohaalba11 echoed those thoughts, joking "Leao must be fuming". Some were more harsh in their assessment, such as @calebm_, who simply put "Stop stealing goals".
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GettyWHAT PULISIC SAID
The USMNT forward will no doubt be unfazed by such chat and appeared happy with this achievements after the full-time whistle, as he told : "Of course it’s nice to get a goal, this is my job and I have to continue to put pressure on their defenders and cause problems and help us to try and score goals. I can be happy, but we would like to win with more goals.”
Agents have told Tottenham Hotspur exactly what they need to sign their "very talented" player who's become open to making the move.
Spurs make transfer plans for January
As already announced publicly by manager Ange Postecoglou, the Lilywhites are pushing hard to make new signings in January. Some reports suggest that Postecoglou is eager to bring in as many as three new faces next month, with the addition of a new defender, midfielder and forward (The Mail).
Levy could meet asking price to sign star new centre-back target for Spurs
He’s one of the most aggressive defenders in his league.
ByEmilio Galantini Dec 21, 2023
Spurs have enjoyed an excellent start to the Premier League season overall, and would arguably be even higher up the table if not for a plethora of key player absences.
James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, who started the campaign in electric form, were sidelined from November 4th onwards with serious injuries. Their lack of presence was seriously felt, with Spurs going on to lose four of their next five top flight matches.
Van de Ven's time-out has been particularly detrimental. A suspension for Cristian Romero at one point meant Postecoglou was often forced to play full-backs Emerson Royal and Ben Davies at the heart of his defence.
Nice defenderJean-Clair Todibo.
As a result, Tottenham prioritising a centre-back signing in January. It's thought to be their main goal for the January transfer window, and one man who's been very heavily-linked is Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo.
The 23-year-old, who's been in fine form for the Ligue 1 side as they contend near the top with PSG. is a top target for Spurs and Fabrizio Romano has even backed the club's serious interest.
Agents send Todibo message to Spurs
Club-to-club talks have apparently been held, as well as with agents. Now, 90min have an update on this, and they claim the defender's representatives have told Tottenham what they need to sign Todibo in January.
Intermediaries have apparently explained to Postecoglou's side that a package of £35 million could be enough to prise the France international away from Nice mid-season.
Nice defenderJean-Clair Todibo.
Todibo's employees, and the player himself, are becoming open to joining Tottenham as they currently pursue a deal for him. The centre-half's £35m price in particular is seen as a huge draw for the club.
Amid his brilliant performances for Nice, former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey is among the players to have heaped praise on Todibo and his serious potential.
“Jean-Clair is a very interesting character; he’s very confident and he’s a great guy around the dressing room and he’s a very, very talented player, who can go all the way to the top. For him, it is important to keep his feet on the ground, strive for more, and take in as much information as possible,” said Ramsey (via Get French Football News).
He continued: “He’s playing alongside one of the most experienced players in Dante, who has played at the very highest level now for a number of years. For Jean-Clair to have that experience next to him is invaluable. He’s a great guy, a great player and very ambitious."