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da imperador bet： Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold stepped up to save the day for his side on Sunday with a terrific strike to beat Leicester City 1-0 at the King Power Stadium.

da pinnacle： His second-half goal means that Arne Slot’s side are now only three points away from winning the Premier League title, which they could celebrate at Anfield against Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday.

As you can see in the highlights above, it was an emotionally charged celebration by the England international, who ripped his shirt off to passionately celebrate in front of the away supporters.

He is out of contract at the end of this season, with Real Madrid monitoring his situation, and refused to comment on his future when interviewed after the game.

One Liverpool player who has already committed his future to Anfield, however, is winger Mohamed Salah, who recently put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension.

Unfortunately, though, the former Chelsea and Roma forward’s performance against Leicester on Sunday was not one of his finest outings in red.

Mo Salah's struggles against Leicester

The Egypt international set the tone for what was to come in the opening minutes of the game when he found himself unmarked in the box and saw his low effort hit both posts and roll back out for a Leicester defender to make a clearance. It simply was not his day in front of goal.

Salah played the full 90 minutes against the Foxes and took seven shots on goal, six more after the initial effort that hit both posts, and failed to find the back of the net from any of them, only hitting the target once.

The left-footed magician missed four ”big chances’, more than any other player on the pitch, and will surely be gutted to have come off the pitch without a single goal to show for his efforts in the final third.

Vs Leicester

Mo Salah

Minutes

90

xG

1.05

Shots

7

Shots on target

1

Big chances missed

4

Key passes

3

Big chances created

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Salah did create one ‘big chance’ for his teammates, though, which was not rewarded with an assist, as he was involved in plenty of actions – without success – in the Leicester box.

Salah has scored 27 goals and provided 18 assists in the Premier League so far this season, but this showing against the Foxes was a far cry from what supporters have seen from him throughout the rest of the year.

The Liverpool superstar was not the only player who underperformed in the 1-0 win over Leicester at the King Power, though, as Conor Bradley failed to take his chance to impress.

Conor Bradley's performance against Leicester

The Northern Ireland international was given the nod at right-back ahead of Alexander-Arnold, who is still coming back from injury and was not deemed ready to start.

Liverpool’s academy graduate played the opening 71 minutes of the game before being taken off for the English defender, who then went on to win the game for the Reds.

Bradley got off to the worst possible start early on in the game, just as Salah did with his miss, after he dawdled on the ball in his own box and was tackled by Wilfred Ndidi, who then failed to get a cross in before slipping out of play. That set the tone for the rest of what turned out to be a nervy showing.

Vs Leicester

Conor Bradley

Minutes

71

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

Pass accuracy

79%

Big chances created

0

Duels won

6/14

Possession lost

17x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old defender went on to lose the majority of his physical duels, whilst he also gave the ball away 17 times without creating any of the nine ‘big chances’ that Liverpool fashioned.

These statistics show that Bradley was just as bad as Salah due to his lack of quality on the ball and his weakness defensively, as both players underperformed on the right flank.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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FSG must, now, take note of this performance from the right-back because it proves that the board must spend millions on a new right-back if Alexander-Arnold does not put pen to paper on a contract extension.

Why FSG must sign a new right-back for Liverpool

The England international provided a timely reminder of the kind of quality that he can produce at his best. He is a full-back who has the ability to win a match on his day with his use of the ball as both a scorer and a creator at the top end of the pitch.

Liverpool will lose a huge attacking outlet in their squad if he moves on this summer as a free agent, and Bradley is yet to prove that he has what it takes to fill that void.

The young full-back’s lack of quality on the ball in the win over Leicester was just the latest sign that Liverpool must have plans for another right-back to come in and offer an attacking threat next season, should Alexander-Arnold move on.

Liverpool’s attacking output from right-back

24/25 Premier League

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Conor Bradley

Appearances

29

15

Goals

3

0

Big chances created

14

1

xA

6.72

0.58

Key passes per game

1.9

0.3

Assists

6

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the English dynamo offers significantly more than Bradley does with the ball at his feet, with 14 times as many ‘big chances’ created in the Premier League.

The Reds were linked with an interest in Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong, who is valued at £34m, earlier this year, and the Dutch defender has scored 29 goals and provided 44 assists in 186 games for the German club.

He may have the kind of quality that Liverpool need to replace Alexander-Arnold with, due to his ability to score and assist goals from right-back, and that further proves that FSG will need to splash the cash and spend millions if they want to land a high-quality replacement for him.

It is now down to the board to spend the money required to bolster Slot’s squad if Alexander-Arnold decides to end his time at Anfield this summer.

Related Nunez upgrade: Liverpool likely to see £50m bid accepted for "mini-Salah"

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Darwin Nunez is expected to leave Liverpool this summer.

Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Apr 20, 2025

Michael Owen is a player who will forever live in the hearts of Liverpool supporters, emerging through the academy and making a name for himself in the first-team at Anfield.

The now-retired striker made just shy of 300 appearances during an eight-year period, notching 158 goals – sitting in the top ten for the club’s highest goalscorers.

He would win the Ballon d’Or in 2001, winning the award at the tender age of just 22, before leaving the Reds in the summer of 2004 to join Spanish giants Real Madrid.

His achievements on Merseyside have undoubtedly cemented him in the club’s history forever, with his goalscoring record a huge reason for the love he received from the fanbase.

Fast-forward 21 years on from his subsequent departure, current boss Arne Slot has the opportunity to land a new version of the England attacker.

Liverpool to plot £40m summer bid for PL star

According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are keen on making a move for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap this summer should they be relegated from the Premier League.

However, the Reds are not alone in their pursuit of the 22-year-old, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United just three other sides wanting to land the youngster.

Despite the Tractor Boys’ lowly league standing, Delap has managed to notch 12 goals in 30 league appearances – three times more than the club’s next highest goalscorer this campaign.

The report states that the striker has a £40m relegation release clause in his current contract, potentially a bargain given his recent form in England’s top flight.

Despite the interest elsewhere, it would be a superb addition, allowing the young star to follow in the footsteps of Owen at Anfield and taking his own career up a notch.

Why Delap could be the next Owen for Liverpool

Former Reds striker Owen was a freak of nature during his time on Merseyside, with the striker becoming the second-youngest player to ever claim the Ballon d’or.

Whilst Delap is already at the same age as when the 45-year-old claimed the trophy, he still has a lot of work to do before he gets anywhere near emualting such a feat, but the signs of following in Owen’s footsteps are all positive.

The Ipswich ace – who has burst onto the scene at a similar age – has already wasted no time in demonstrating his goalscoring quality at the top-level, possessing a similar skillset, with his pace in behind the backline causing constant problems – just as Owen demonstrated during his eight-year spell in the first-team on Merseyside.

He’s just six goals off the iconic striker’s tally from his own first season in the Premier League, doing so whilst featuring for a lower-quality side – highlighting how impressive he’s been for Kieran McKenna’s side.

If he is to reach the levels set by his compatriot, Delap is in desparate need of a big-money move to a top-six side this summer, but given his nationality, Slot’s side would have to pay a premium for his signature – but it would be worth every penny, especially if his figures from this season are anything to go by.

How Delap compares to Liverpool’s current striker options

Whilst sitting top of the Premier League table, Liverpool have struggled to rely on a striker, with Mohamed Salah often being the man to produce the goods within the final third.

Whilst the Egyptian has registered 54 combined goals and assists in just 45 games across all competitions, with it unthinkable to imagine where the side would be without his contributions.

Strikers Diogo Jota and Darwin Núñez have struggled to nail down the centre-forward role, often sharing the role between themselves over the past couple of months.

However, the pair have only registered 11 combined Premier League goals between them in 2024/25, a tally lower than Delap has managed on his own at Portman Road.

Whilst on the face of it, the Manchester City academy graduate has outscored the pair, his underlying stats are also better than the aforementioned pair – highlighting what a superb signing he would be this summer.

Games played

30

20

25

Goals & assists

14

9

7

Shot-on-target accuracy

45%

32%

39%

Take-ons per 90

1.4

1

0.7

Take-on success

47%

38%

38%

Aerials won

46%

44%

34%

Fouls won

1.8

1

1.3

Delap, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has also achieved a higher shot on target accuracy rate, showcasing his clinical nature within the final third.

He’s also completed more take-ons per 90 this campaign and also having a higher aerial success rate, offering an all-round presence that the club have missed in the last few months.

Given the form of the current Reds strikers, it wouldn’t be a surprise to no one to see either of them offloaded during the upcoming summer transfer window.

Should they leave, Delap has showcased that he’s a perfect option to replace either of the current forwards, improving further with higher-quality players around him.

If he moves and gets anywhere close to the levels produced by Owen, it would be a bargain deal at £40m, potentially taking Slot’s reign at Anfield to the next level.

Best signing after Van Dijk: Liverpool struck gold on "world-class" star

He’s been one of the best footballers in the world for quite a few years.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 8, 2025

Liverpool are ready to accept an offer for a £150,000-a-week player who could leave Anfield this summer with Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Alexander-Arnold set to sign for Real Madrid

It looks set to be an active few months for the Reds in the transfer market, despite Arne Slot’s side being on course to win the Premier League.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher wants to see up to six players brought in ahead of the 2025/26 season, with a replacement for Alexander-Arnold on the to-do list.

Sky Sports: Arne Slot holds talks to sign £40m+ "monster" for Liverpool

He’s a top priority for the Dutchman.

ByCharlie Smith Mar 25, 2025

“I’m excited to see where Arne Slot will take Liverpool because it looks like they’re going to win the league, but there are still so many areas to improve. He needs a centre-back as back-up to the two that we have, he’ll need a right-back with Trent Alexander-Arnold likely to leave.

“I think he needs a centre midfielder to replace Endo, someone younger and that he trusts, a centre-forward to play and a left-winger. There are at least five or six players he needs to get in – three to go straight in the team and three to be strong back-ups.”

The English full-back has been heavily linked with a move to the Bernabeu, with reports claiming a transfer is 99% done after terms were agreed.

Expert Fabrizio Romano has said that all parties are confident a deal will be done after Alexander-Arnold’s Anfield deal expires in the summer.

Jeremie Frimpong has been earmarked as a replacement for Alexander-Arnold and reports have claimed that Slot has held talks with Frimpong’s reps over a move to Liverpool.

However, Alexander-Arnold may not be the only player to depart the club. Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are also out of contract at the end of the campaign, whereas Federico Chiesa has also been linked with a Liverpool exit.

Liverpool ready to loan out Chiesa as Lazio make contact

As per reports in Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool are ready to send Chiesa out on loan for the 2025/26 season and are willing to include an option to buy of €15m.

This comes after Lazio made initial contact over a transfer, though Chiesa’s salary of £150,000-a-week appears to be too expensive for the Serie A side. Indeed, his wages are even high at Anfield, taking home more than regular starters Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate combined.

It does look as if the Reds are ready to move the Italian on over the coming months, with the 27-year-old not exactly starring at Anfield after joining last summer.

Games

11

Goals

2

Assists

2

Yellow cards

1

Minutes played

387

He’s struggled with injuries and has scored just twice, with Chiesa’s latest goal coming in the EFL Cup final defeat to Newcastle United at Wembley. Under contract until 2028, Liverpool appear to be willing to send the attacker out on a temporary basis, making this one to watch.

Rana collided with Vastrakar while fielding, but came on to bowl six more overs to finish her quota and was taken to hospital after complaining of headache

Srinidhi Ramanujam30-Dec-2023India allrounder Sneh Rana was taken for scans after “complaining of headache” post her collision with Pooja Vastrakar in the field during the second ODI against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium, the BCCI said. Former India captain Anjum Chopra, a commentator at the match, said Rana also complained of nausea.Rana will take no further part in the match. Harleen Deol has been named as her concussion replacement.”She [Rana] had a little bit of headache post the first innings,” India’s head coach Amol Muzumdar said after the match*. “We felt it was appropriate for her to do the scan. The reports have been fine and she is back in the dressing room. She is still having a little bit of a headache, but that’s normal. She is available for the third match.”Related

• Sutherland, Litchfield seal series for Australia in tight finish

• Ball-by-ball: The seven catches that India dropped

The incident happened in the 25th over of the first innings. Trying to stop a cut by left-hand batter Beth Mooney, Rana moved to her left from short third and Vastrakar to her right from backward point. In the process, Rana’s head banged into Vastrakar and both players fell onto the ground. Rana was taken off the field immediately, with the physio applying ice on her head, but returned after a couple of overs.Rana, who had bowled four overs at the time of the collision, went on to complete her quota of ten overs. She dismissed Ashleigh Gardner in the 37th over and finished with figures of 1 for 59.Rana was the Player of the Match for her seven wickets in the one-off Test played between the two teams last week. In the first ODI that India lost, she dismissed Australia opener Phoebe Litchfield.Deol, who bowls spin but is primarily a batter, was considered a like-for-like replacement for Rana, who is an offspinner primarily and a lower-order batter. Deol’s last ODI outing was against Bangladesh in Mirpur in July, when she scored 77 in a tied game and was named Player of the Match.

Heavy hitter managing expectations after learning of ECB central contract omission via social media

Cameron Ponsonby02-Dec-2023Will Jacks was not told by the ECB that he had missed out on a central contract, saying “I just ended up seeing it on Twitter like everyone else.”Jacks, 25, has played in all three formats for England over the past 12 months and was a surprise omission from the ECB’s list of 29 players to receive a contract offer.”It was a bit of a difficult one,” Jacks said on the eve of England’s ODI opener against West Indies. “I didn’t really find out at all. I knew everyone was hearing and I was waiting to hope that I would find out and then I didn’t. I just ended up seeing it on Twitter like everyone else did and that was obviously disappointing. I was hoping to get one.”Jacks is in high demand on the T20 franchise circuit, with contracts to play in the SA20 in January and the IPL in March. As a result, the omission has been a double edged sword, with Jacks now able to pick and choose his winter commitments as he builds to his number one priority: making the squad for the 2024 World Cup.”The last two World Cup years I’ve just narrowly missed out on selection, so making the World Cup squad is a massive goal of mine and playing T20 cricket in South Africa against some of the best players will be perfect for that.”Related

• Will Jacks embraces 'clarity' at No.7 as second England coming begins

• Will Jacks shows his worth after sparse England opportunities

• Chris Woakes 'at ease' with India Test omission despite Ashes heroics

• England place attributes over averages to fill spinners' void for India tour

• Ben Duckett itching for opportunity as England begin new white-ball era

The difficulty for England and Jacks, is that the SA20 clashes with England’s Test series against India where, given the explosive batters’ ability with the ball and his strong performances in Pakistan last year, he would be a likely candidate for selection in the squad, if not the playing XI.”I wouldn’t say it’s changed my motivation to play for England,” Jacks said in regards to whether the snub has led to him re-jigging his priorities. “Obviously England is the pinnacle and I want to play as much as I can, but what it has done is managed my expectations.”The India Test matches have obviously been in the back of everyone’s mind for the recent period – it’s such a massive series and there’s all the talk about spin and the need for allrounders and having a deep squad. So it’s probably just that instead of me thinking that I was going to be picked I’m now thinking okay, if they wanted to pick me then realistically, I would have been given a contract. So the fact that they haven’t given me one, probably says something.”Where Jacks is definitely wanted, however, is here and now. Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott have confirmed to him that he will open in all three ODIs alongside Phil Salt, as they look to give their high-risk, high-reward openers as much opportunity for success as possible.”That [backing] is huge for everyone,” Jacks said. “If you bring in a fear of failure or worry about if you are going to play or not, obviously that hinders your performance and you won’t be able to go out there and play with 100 percent confidence. That is really important in any team you play for and especially for England. Everyone knows how high the competition is for places.”England are not expecting the three-match ODI series to be a high-scoring encounter, with the training wickets at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium taking a lot of spin and scores in and around the 250-300 mark assumed to be closer to par.”It’s going to be a bit more – not a grind – but you’re really going to have to think your way through an innings and treat it like it is a longer format…there’s no worries of it becoming an extended T20.”Sunday’s match kicks off at 9:30am, a non-issue for a group still just about on UK time and waking up at 6am naturally. But, on Saturday, the squad had an earlier wake up call than normal when an earthquake registering 5.2 on the Richter scale struck Antigua. No major damage on the island was experienced, but for a group of lads from Shires, Manchester and Surrey, it was a new experience.”We’re all claiming that we’re earthquake survivors now,” joked Jacks, who slept through the whole thing. “I woke up at about six, saw the messages on the group and couldn’t really believe it. Some of the guys said their whole room was shaking and everything.”With England staying at a resort on the south-east corner of the island that looks straight out across the ocean, some players were more concerned than others.”Brooky [Harry Brook] messaged me saying: ‘Is there going to be a tsunami?’ Jacks quipped at his mate’s expense. “That was the first thing we thought but it’s all good now.”

The New Zealand allrounder is expected to slot in at No. 4 at least until the arrival of Nat Sciver-Brunt

Andrew McGlashan20-Oct-2023

Sophie Devine continues her association with Perth Scorchers•Getty Images

Perth Scorchers captain Sophie Devine is set to take on a middle-order role for at least the first part of the WBBL campaign.Scorchers, who missed finals last season after being champions the summer before, have stacked their top order with overseas signings through England duo Amy Jones and Lauren Winfield-Hill alongside Devine. Winfield-Hill will play the first six games before the arrival of star allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt with the duo replacing Danni Wyatt who pulled out of her deal having been an original draft pick.When Sciver-Brunt joins there will be further changes to the batting order, but to start the season Winfield-Hill is expected to open alongside Beth Mooney with Devine coming in at No. 4.Related

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It’s a role she has taken for New Zealand this year, including during the recently completed tour of South Africa where she made 61 off 37 balls in the second T20I, and believes it can help Scorchers exploit the power surge – the latter two overs of the powerplay which can be taken by the batting side after the 10th over.”That’s certainly one of the options,” Devine said. “Lauren is a world-class opener with a lot of experience. We know she can bat anywhere in the top order as well, but think certainly initially we’ll look to me to drop down the order a little bit.”Coming off the back of the New Zealand tour, batting in that No. 4 role, it’s a role I’m starting to get a lot more comfortable with. The tempo I play at, especially with the format of the Big Bash with the surge, I think it’s a really important part. We’ve seen teams really dominate last year in terms of clear tactics and think that’s an area we can expose a bit better than we did last year.”In tournament like this, you need the ability to change things. We’ve got a lot of bases covered.”The late signing of Sciver-Brunt has been controversial given she did not originally nominate for the draft due to injury. Meg Lanning has been critical of the move as Melbourne Stars would have had retention rights had she been available. When the ECB cleared her for the tournament, Scorchers had the remaining salary cap to take advantage.”It’s an interesting one around the draft and the purpose of it,” Devine said. “With Nat’s situation and her knee injury, that’s why she didn’t enter into the draft. We certainly had no contact with her before then. Every club had the opportunity to sign Nat when she became available and she chose the Scorchers which I think shows a lot about this club.”When a player like that comes around you snap her up with two hands. Think it’s vital we keep getting the best players in the world into his tournament, it’s what makes it so great.”Devine herself was at the mercy of the draft with Scorchers needing to decide between her and Marizanne Kapp, although it was always felt the likely result that she would return to Perth. Kapp went to Sydney Thunder as the No. 1 pick.”I was actually quite nervous,” she said. “Scorchers held all the cards with who they were going to retain. I probably didn’t get told too much. I had real hopes I’d come back but was also prepared if things fell the other way. I mean Marizanne Kapp is one of the best, if not the best, players in the world in this format. It’s pretty special to come back here.”

يبدو أن صفقة انتقال أحمد حسن كوكا، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي إلى قاسم باشا التركي، خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية، باءت بالفشل، بسبب عدم الاتفاق بين الناديين.

وكان نادي قاسم باشا التركي قد طلب التعاقد مع لاعب فريق النادي الأهلي، بشكل نهائي، لتدعيم صفوفه في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية.

طالع| خاص | الأهلي يحدد لـ قاسم باشا سعر بيع أحمد نبيل كوكا

وكشف مصدر بالأهلي لـ بطولات عن تعثر انتقال أحمد نبيل كوكا إلى نادي قاسم باشا التركي، بسبب الخلاف بين الناديين على تسديد قيمة الصفقة.

وتابع المصدر، أن الأهلي كان يرغب في الحصول على قيمة الصفقة على دفعتين والبالغة 800 ألف دولار، ولكن الفريق التركي تمسك بدفع الصفقة على أربع دفعات.

ومن المقرر أن ينتهي عقد أحمد نبيل كوكا، البالغ من العمر 24 عامًا، مع الأهلي في الموسم القادم 2026.

“If the shoe was on the other foot, I would have a deep think about the whole spirit of the game”

Osman Samiuddin02-Jul-20231:50

Cummins and Stokes respond to controversial Bairstow dismissal

Ben Stokes says he would have withdrawn the appeal if his side had dismissed a player in the manner that Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow on the final day of a thrilling Test at Lord’s. Australia won a see-sawing Test by 43 runs, surviving a Stokes scare along the way, but a pivotal moment came when Bairstow was dismissed shortly before lunch.England were settled, having only lost Ben Duckett in the morning session when Bairstow ducked a Cameron Green bouncer, the last ball of the 52nd over. He walked out of the crease, without having checked with either umpire whether the over had been called, as Carey collected the ball and without pause, under-armed a throw to the stumps. He hit and though Chris Gaffaney at square leg called for a TV review, Bairstow was well out of his crease at impact.Related

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The dismissal riled up the Lord’s crowd – leading to a brief fracas between Australian players and members in the Long Room – and turned up the heat on the field, with the incoming batter Stuart Broad immediately getting involved in ongoing chatter with a number of Australian players.After the game, Stokes pointed to the grey area between the time the ball went to Carey and both the umpires motioning as if to end the over, though not calling it.”When is it justified that the umpires have called over?” he said on BBC’s TMS. “Is the on-field umpires making movement, is that signifying over? I’m not sure. Jonny was in his crease then out of his crease. I am not disputing the fact it is out because it is out.”If the shoe was on the other foot I would have put more pressure on the umpires and asked whether they had called over and had a deep think about the whole spirit of the game and would I want to do something like that. For Australia it was the match-winning moment. Would I want to win a game in that manner? The answer for me is no.”Asked whether he would have withdrawn the appeal, Stokes said, “Yeah.”Pat Cummins – “I thought it was totally fair play. That’s how the rule is. Some people might disagree. That’s how I saw it”•Associated PressPat Cummins, the Australian captain, said the attempt was pre-meditated, as Carey had noticed Bairstow walk out of his crease and up the pitch several times during the over.”I think Carey saw it happen a few balls previously, three or four balls previously, and there’s no pause, catch it, straightaway and throw at the stumps,” Cummins told Sky TV during the post-match presentation, comments that prompted more boos from the remaining crowd. “I thought it was totally fair play. That’s how the rule is. Some people might disagree. That’s how I saw it.”Cummins also suggested in his post-match press conference that Bairstow had attempted the same move when keeping himself.”You see Jonny do it all the time,” Cummins said. “He did it on day one to Davey Warner. He did it in 2019 to Steve [Smith]. It’s a really common thing for keepers to do if they see about a batter keep leaving their crease. So Kez [Carey], full credit to him. He saw the opportunity. I think Jonny did it a few balls beforehand. Rolled it at the stumps. Jonny left his crease. You leave the rest to the umpires.”Brendon McCullum, England’s coach, was not happy with the dismissal either, arguing that it goes against the spirit of the game. McCullum is no stranger to such dismissals, straddling the line between the laws of the game and its spirit. He was, famously, the wicketkeeper who whipped off the bails as Muttiah Muralidaran completed a run and wandered off to celebrate Kumar Sangakkara’s hundred in a Test in Christchurch in December 2006.A year before that he had done something similar in a Test against Zimbabwe, when running out Chris Mpofu to end a comfortable victory in Bulawayo. McCullum publicly apologised to Sangakkara and Muralidaran while addressing the MCC’s Spirit of Cricket lecture in 2016, saying that while he recognised the dismissal was within the laws of the game, it was against the spirt and he regretted effecting it.Reacting to Bairstow’s dismissal, he again called for players to protect the spirit of the game. “I think firstly, it was probably more of a thing in terms of spirit of the game that developed as you become a little bit mature and you’ve been around the game for a long period of time, and you realise that the game itself is something you need to protect, and the spirit is such an important part of that,” he said on BBC’s Test Match Special.”You’ve got to make decisions in the moment. They’re not easy to make and sometimes they can have pretty big effects on not just games but also on people’s characters as well.”It’s a tough one. To the letter of the law it was out. From our point of view, Jonny felt he was certainly not trying to take a run and he felt that as far as the umpires were concerned, they had effectively called over so therefore they thought the ball was dead.”It’s one of those really difficult ones to swallow. And when you look at a small margin at the end of the day, and you think of a player like Jonny Bairstow so many times in chases, has stood up. It’s incredibly disappointing, but in the end, lots of people will have their opinion on it. They’ll sit on both sides of the fence and then probably the most disappointing aspect is probably going to be the most talked about part of what was a great Test match, and that’s pretty disappointing to have two teams who have played in front of full houses and millions around the world and it would have been great if it was for the cricket.”Asked if the incident could impact relations between the two teams, McCullum said: “I can’t imagine we’ll be having a beer anytime soon, if that’s what you’re asking. From our point of view, we’ve got three Test matches to try and land some blows and try and win the Ashes and that’s where our focus will be.”

da wazamba： Leeds United are already making significant moves in the transfer market as the brand-new Premier League season kicking off in August edges ever closer.

da 888： It’s less than two months now until the Whites get their daunting top-flight season underway with a Monday night affair against David Moyes’ Everton, with both Lukas Nmecha and Jaka Bijol – who have joined from Wolfsburg and Udinese respectively – desperate to be in Daniel Farke’s starting lineup when the Toffees come to Elland Road.

They’re unlikely to be the only fresh signings competing for a starting spot, however, with a new central midfielder clearly a priority based on the latest rumours filtering out of West Yorkshire.

Leeds make approach for £13m star

As per a report from Foot en France, Leeds have now made an approach to land Stade Brestois star Madhi Camara this summer, as their ongoing pursuit of a central midfielder drags on.

Indeed, it had previously been reported that the Whites were also chasing after another midfield ace from Ligue 1 in the form of Habib Diarra, with an alleged £24m bid even being made.

Now, however, their attention could shift towards attempting to land Camara instead, with fellow promoted outfit Sunderland also keen on snapping up the 26-year-old at Farke and Co.’s expense.

With the report ending on the fact that Leeds might be able to win the Brest number 45 for around the £13m mark, securing Camara’s signature might well be deemed as an even better purchase to make than solely going after the more expensive Senegal international, before you consider delving deeper into their comparative statistics.

Why Camara would be a better signing than Diarra

With Joe Rothwell heading back to AFC Bournemouth this summer, Leeds do look slightly depleted in the middle of the park, which is where Camara might come to the rescue.

After all, the 26-year-old will feel he’s earned his stripes enough in the top French division now to be a success story in the Premier League, with 182 appearances under his belt in Ligue 1 for both Brest and Saint-Etienne. On the contrary, Diarra has just 94 clashes next to his name.

In addition to his wealth of top-flight experience in France, Camara also has the boost of amassing ten Champions League clashes on the books of Éric Roy’s men, with a goal even coming the 5-foot-10 ace’s way in the illustrious competition this season when facing off against RB Salzburg.

Farke would surely love the “all-action” nature of Camara – as he was once labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson – if he were to arrive on English shores shortly, with his ability to pick up 26 goal contributions in total for Brest, which beats out Diarra’s own Strasbourg total by five, backed up by a second side to his wide-ranging game that can also offer up plenty of grit and determination when needed.

Camara’s FBref numbers over the last year vs Diarra’s

Stat – per 90 mins

Camara

Diarra

Total shots

1.58

0.96

Shot-creating actions

2.33

2.18

Attempted passes

38.23

37.42

Pass completion %

84.9%

83.0%

Successful take-ons

1.02

0.50

Tackles

2.46

0.84

Interceptions

1.12

0.50

Blocks

1.50

0.84

Stats by FBref

Away from trumping his 21-year-old counterpart in terms of shots averaged and shot-creating actions managed over the last year, the table above also shows off that attritional side to Camara’s game that might well have caught Farke’s eye, with more tackles, interceptions, and blocks also won in favour of the £13m midfielder.

Hailed further by Mattinson as possessing a “nice all-round midfielder profile”, this might well be a smart signing for Leeds to make if a battle against the drop is on the menu, away from gambling on Diarra to come good at a far steeper price tag.

The Whites have shown they’re ready to splash the cash, having forked out £15m on Bijol’s services, with Camara perhaps the next notable pick-up from Europe that can help Leeds stave off relegation.

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أعلنت رابطة الدوري الإسباني اليوم الأربعاء، عن موعد مباريات الجولة الـ19 من الليجا،  والتي كان من المفترض أن موعدها محدد مسبقًا.

ويتصدر نادي ريال مدريد ترتيب بطولة الدوري الإسباني برصيد 27 نقطة، وبفارق خمس نقاط عن برشلونة صاحب المركز الثاني.

وعزز ريال مدريد صدارته في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، بعدما هزم برشلونة بهدفين مقابل هدف واحد يوم الأحد الماضي، في كلاسيكو الجولة العاشرة من المسابقة المحلية.

وأكدت رابطة الدوري الإسباني، أنه حدث تغيير في موعد مباريات الجولة ال19 من البطولة، وذلك بسبب ظروف إقامة بطولة كأس السوبر الإسباني في المملكة العربية السعودية.

اقرأ أيضًا .. عملاق أوروبي قد ينقذ فينيسيوس بعد أزمته مع ألونسو في ريال مدريد

وسوف تلعب بطولة كأس السوبر الإسباني في المملكة العربية السعودية وتحديدًا في جدة بين يومي 7 يناير و11 من نفس الشهر ، على ملعب الإنماء.

وكان من المفترض أن تبدأ الجولة الـ19 يوم 11 يناير، وهو نفس موعد نهائي بطولة كأس السوبر الإسباني، حيث يشارك كلًا من ريال مدريد، وأتلتيكو مدريد، وبرشلونة وأتلتيك بلباو.

وبناءً على موعد مباريات كأس السوبر، فقد قررت رابطة الدوري الإسباني تقديم مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد في الجولة ال19 لتلعب يوم 2 ديسمبر من العام الحالي بدلًا في شهر يناير.

وعلى الجانب الآخر سوف يواجه ريال مدريد أتلتيك بلباو يوم 3 ديسمبر كذلك بدلًا من بداية العام المقبل.

وكان برشلونة قد حقق بطولة كأس السوبر الإسباني العام الماضي، عقب انتصاره الكبير على ريال مدريد 5-2 في نهائي البطولة المحلية.