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Liverpool have now set their sights on a “sensational” full-back, having already made contact with his agent, according to journalist Christian Falk.

Liverpool's plans in January

One of the Reds’ main priorities this winter will be to tie down Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold to new contracts, given that all three of their deals are set to expire at the end of the season.

However, Arne Slot may also look to bring in some reinforcements in January, with Fulham’s Antonee Robinson viewed as an ideal replacement for Andy Robertson, amid the left-back’s struggle to find his best form so far this season.

Given that Alexander-Arnold could leave in the summer, with La Liga’s Real Madrid becoming increasingly confident about completing a deal, the manager may also have to strengthen on the right side.

Liverpool are said to have registered their interest in signing Chelsea’s Malo Gusto as the doubt over Alexander-Arnold’s future continues, but the 21-year-old is not the only option they have in mind.

BILD reporter Falk has now revealed that Bayer Leverkusen winger Jeremie Frimpong is of interest to Slot, given his versatility in being able to play in a number of positions, including on the wing and at full-back.

Falk said: “True: That Jeremie Frimpong is on the shortlist at Liverpool. He’s a very special player. He can play many positions and that makes him so interesting for Liverpool. There are no concrete talks yet at the moment, but he’s in their sights.”

Falk also revealed that Frimpong has a €40m (£33m) release clause included in his contract, which the Reds will seemingly need to pay to get a deal over the line. Liverpool are said to have already spoken with the winger’s agent, going as far as inviting him to Anfield earlier in the campaign, although they are not yet at the stage of negotiating the conditions of a deal.

Liverpool offer star new contract worth £7m+ a year more than current deal

The Reds are facing a nervous wait for his response…

1 ByTom Cunningham Dec 19, 2024

Given that Alexander-Arnold is well-known for his attacking exploits, it may make sense to replace him with another attack-minded full-back, should he move to Real Madrid at the end of the campaign. Throughout his career so far, Frimpong has been utilised at both right-back and right wing, showcasing his attacking talent this season by chipping in with two goals and four assists in 14 Bundesliga outings.

Guardian columnist Dominik Diamond was particularly impressed with the Dutchman during the Netherlands’ friendly against Canada back in the summer.

As such, although Liverpool fans will not want Alexander-Arnold to leave under any circumstances, Frimpong could be a fantastic replacement.

Bayern Munich and Canada star Alphonso Davies has been diagnosed with a devastating ACL injury after getting subbed off early against the USMNT.

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Davies diagnosed with ACL injuryHad to be subbed off early against USMNTBayern also lose UpamecanoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

During Canada's CONCACAF Nations League third-place clash against the United States men's national team, which they won 2-1, Davies was forced to leave the pitch in the 12th minute after he felt discomfort in his right leg. The full-back immediately headed to the dressing room and later came back to sit on the bench with ice on his right knee. Bayern have now confirmed that Davies suffered an ACL injury that will keep him out for "several months".

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Bayern Munich have also confirmed that centre-back Dayot Upamecano has suffered a knee injury to pile more misery on head coach Vincent Kompany. The defender played the whole 120 minutes in France's second-leg Nations League quarter-final fixture against Croatia on Sunday. He even scored the winning penalty to send his team to the last-four stage after a shootout, but upon returning from international duty, the Bavarian club revealed that their star defender has loose joints in his left knee.

WHAT BAYERN SAID

The Bundesliga giants said in an official statement: "FC Bayern will be without Alphonso Davies for a lengthy period following the international break. Dayot Upamecano has also been ruled out for the coming weeks. Davies was diagnosed with a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee following his return from international duty with the Canadian national team and will undergo surgery today. The 24-year-old will not be available to play for the German record champions for several months. Upamecano was diagnosed with loose bodies in his left knee, which means he will not be available to FC Bayern for several weeks."

Bayern's director of sport Max Eberl added: "Unfortunately, there's always the risk of players returning from international breaks with injuries – this time we've been hit particularly hard. The absence of Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano weighs heavily on FC Bayern. Phonzy will get all the support he needs on his road to recovery. We'll also be keeping a close eye on Upa in the coming weeks and expect him to be available again soon. We have a strong squad and will compensate for these absences. We'll now grow even closer together. The quality is there to continue pursuing our big goals."

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Kompany will also miss the services of veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who suffered a reaction while working on his comeback from a muscle injury. The German custodian will now remain sidelined for a significant period of time.

Royal Challengers are coming off two successive wins while Kings were drubbed in their last outing

S Sudarshanan12-May-20222:25

How can Kings get the best out of Rahul Chahar?

Big pictureIt’s not just cricket anymore. It’s mathematics.At the core of it all, the equation for Punjab Kings is pretty simple – they need to win their remaining games to stay in with a chance of making the playoffs. As for Royal Challengers Bangalore, they are already in the top four with 14 points, but their poor net run rate leaves them with less room to work with. They still need two wins to be assured of qualification.Watch live in the USA

You can watch the match on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi.

In the IPL, Royal Challengers’ captain Faf du Plessis has not scored more runs against any other team than Punjab Kings; he has 702 runs in 13 innings against Kings and the next best is his 432 in 14 innings against Kolkata Knight Riders. True to the numbers, du Plessis hit a stroke-filled 88 against Kings earlier this season. As the season has progressed, Royal Challengers have fitted their jigsaw puzzle better.In their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, four of the top five batters scored 30 or more while their bowlers, led by Josh Hazlewood, put on a clinical show. One of the key players in the past few games, the usual suspects aside, has been Rajat Patidar, who was brought in belatedly as a replacement player.Patidar is fourth among the Royal Challengers players in terms of player rating score as per ESPNcricinfo’s MVP ratings, among those who have played a minimum of four matches this season, after Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga and Hazlewood. In fact, Patidar’s batting impact score of 39.75 is the best for his side – tenth overall, closely followed by Dinesh Karthik’s 34.96.Their opponents, Kings, are yet again hovering in the lower half of the table after having a strong start. They are returning after a five-day break, having lost against Rajasthan Royals in their last outing. Jonny Bairstow’s promotion to the top of the order seems to have done him good and with Jitesh Sharma finding his feet lower down, Kings would be confident of putting up a good show, irrespective of whether they are batting first or chasing.Related

Jitesh Sharma: 'The responsibility of finishing is huge and not everyone has the capability'

However, with an economy rate of 8.65 this season, Punjab Kings have been the second-most expensive bowling side behind Mumbai Indians and how they use Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh, two of their key bowlers, could well dictate how the contest flows.Likely XIsRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Rajat Patidar, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Shahbaz Ahmed, 6 Mahipal Lomror, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Josh HazlewoodPunjab Kings: 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Mayank Agarwal (capt), 4 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Rishi Dhawan, 8 Rahul Chahar, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Sandeep SharmaStrategy punt Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli have fallen to Sandeep Sharma a combined nine times and to Kagiso Rabada on six occasions in T20 cricket. That could perhaps be best new-ball combination for Kings. Both Shikhar Dhawan and Bairstow have been quiet against Wanindu Hasaranga, having a strike rate of 85 and 67 respectively in T20 cricket. With Liam Livingstone and Bhanuka Rajapaksa having superior strike rates against the legspinner, there could be a case for Royal Challengers to open the bowling with Hasaranga and Josh Hazlewood.Stats that matter Twenty-seven sixes were hit in the Royal Challengers-Kings game earlier this season – the most in a game in IPL 2022. Arshdeep has given away just five sixes off the 38 overs he has bowled this season, the least for a bowler with a minimum of 35 overs. Kohli has been dismissed in the first 15 balls on eight occasions in IPL 2022, the most by a batter batting in the top six. Rabada’s 18 wickets are the most by a pacer in IPL 2022

Madhya Pradesh coach talks up “extremely confident” Raghuwanshi, lauds captain Shrivastava for “making 50% of the match” for the team

Daya Sagar10-Jun-2022 • Updated on 17-Aug-2022The Madhya Pradesh players started preparing for their Ranji Trophy semi-final within minutes of beating Punjab in their quarter-final on Thursday. The job was done quickly on the fourth day, the MP team had lunch, attended a ten-minute meeting with coach Chandrakant Pandit, and were out for an intra-squad match in Alur, near Bengaluru, immediately after.This, even as the Uttar Pradesh team, that beat Karnataka inside three days, took a couple of days off and Mumbai, who beat Uttarakhand by a record 725-run margin in four days, also went back to their hotel. The fourth semi-finalists*, Bengal, meanwhile, opted for training of a different kind, giving their batters another go after first declaring on 773 for 7 and then bowling Jharkhand out for 298. Pandit, though, has different plans for his players.Related

Pandit: Less of a general, more of a 12th man

High-flying Kartikeya believes Madhya Pradesh have the ability to 'go all the way'

“The boys will get some time off only in the evening today,” Pandit told ESPNcricinfo on Thursday afternoon. “After that, for the next four days [before the semi-finals start on June 14], we will be back working hard in training. Yes, we have won the quarter-final, but we made some mistakes in the match, which we need to rectify before the next game.”We dropped three-four catches, and our fielding was ordinary. If we continue being sloppy in the field, we can forget about winning the Ranji Trophy. I have spoken to the boys, and told them firmly that this is not acceptable to me.”This isn’t new for players who have spent time with “Chandu Sir” over the years – he is known to be, perhaps, the strictest coach in the circuit. But it’s an approach that has yielded results, as Vidarbha’s back-to-back Ranji Trophy titles, in 2017-18 and 2018-19, prove.”People might say that I am a strict, or [stubborn], but that’s who I am. I don’t really care too much about what people think or say about me,” Pandit said. “My job, my profession, is my priority. I believe in discipline. That’s what I have learnt in my 42 years of playing and coaching. You can have good days and bad days, but discipline is not negotiable.”

“He is just 18, but he is tough. He is fearless and plays his shots freely. He never looks like he is under pressure. He is a quick-learner, and others should also learn from him. He is a unique gift for Madhya Pradesh cricket”Chandrakant Pandit on 18-year-old batter Akshat Raghuwanshi

Looking back at the ten-wicket win over a formidable Punjab side, Pandit said, “Watching and playing with people like Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sandeep Patil and Ashok Mankad in Mumbai, I have learnt that any match can be won from any situation if you have the will for it. That’s my theory. Even I didn’t expect to beat Punjab by ten wickets, but when you have talented, young players, it’s always possible for such results to come. The young have the hunger to win.”Punjab are one of the best teams in the country, they always have a number of good cricketers. This time they had Shubman Gill too. So, obviously, the pressure was on us. And we didn’t have Avesh Khan and Venkatesh Iyer.”But before the game I spoke to the players and told them that if we think about things that are not in our control, we can’t move forward. We just wanted to make sure that we put in our best and give our 100%. And all the boys did exactly that. Especially in the first innings, our performance was excellent [they scored 397]. [Before that], our bowlers had given away around 100 runs in the first 20 overs [89 for 1], but then came back well to bowl Punjab out for 219. And then Rajat Patidar [85], Shubham Sharma [102], Himanshu Mantri [89] and the young Akshat Raghuwanshi [69] batted really well.”Shubham was the top-scorer in the game, but the 18-year-old Raghuwanshi, who hit six fours and two sixes, impressed the most in his 109-ball innings. It was just his third first-class match, and he now has scores of 100 [against Meghalaya, on debut], 50 [against Kerala] and this 69. When he started his innings, Patidar was at the other end, but Raghuwanshi dominated the 99-run stand with his strokes all over the ground, and was especially impressive against spin, using his feet well against them and stepping out repeatedly.Chandrakant Pandit has been one of the most in-demand coaches in the domestic circuit since Vidarbha’s back-to-back Ranji Trophy titles•PTI “He is extremely confident, and he is an example for the others in the team. I mentioned him in the team meeting today too, and I told everyone that they should learn from him,” Pandit said. “He is just 18, but he is tough. He is fearless and plays his shots freely. He never looks like he is under pressure. He is a quick-learner, and others should also learn from him. He is a rare gift for Madhya Pradesh cricket – he got the No. 6 spot because Venkatesh Iyer is not around, but he has filled that gap very well.”Madhya Pradesh’s fast-bowling attack was led by Puneet Datey, Anubhav Agarwal and Gaurav Yadav. Datey has been around for a while, Gaurav is comparatively less experienced with just 19 games under his belt now, while Agarwal made his debut this season.”Our first-choice fast bowlers, Kuldeep Sen, Ishwar Pandey and Arshad Khan, have injuries, so our pace attack was weakened. But the three pacers we had did a very good job,” Pandit said. “They bowled to our plans. We always go out with a plan: we knew there wasn’t going to be much in the pitch on the first day, and we ended up giving away a lot of runs early on. Then, at lunch, we discussed what we could do to progress, what lines and lengths to bowl, what sort of field placements we should have. I am happy that the three fast bowlers executed the plans so well.”I must praise our captain, Aditya Shrivastava, too. He used the bowlers very well, and stuck to our plan with the field placements. I always feel that captains can make 50% of the match for you, and that’s exactly what Aditya did.”Madhya Pradesh will face Bengal in the semi-final. Bengal have a strong batting line-up, which created a new first-class record during their quarter-final against Jharkhand when their first nine batters all scored 50-plus runs. But that is not a concern for Madhya Pradesh, according to Pandit, who said that his team used to worry about results earlier, but that has changed. They believe they can win from any position against any team.

Jadon Sancho "wants" to return to Borussia Dortmund as Chelsea consider "paying millions" to get out of a purchase obligation to Manchester United.

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Sancho wants a transfer back to BVBHas struggled for form at ChelseaBlues eager to offload the wingerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho’s time at Chelsea started on a promising note after his summer loan move from United as he provided three assists in his opening three Premier League appearances. However, his form quickly dipped, and in his last 20 games, he has managed just one goal and two assists. With his struggles mounting, the 24-year-old has now requested a move back to Dortmund at the end of the season.

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Chelsea are currently obligated to sign Sancho for £25 million ($32.3m) in the next transfer window, but the club is reportedly exploring a way to opt out of the agreement. The Blues could pay a £5 million ($6.5m) penalty fee to cancel the deal and send him back to Manchester United.

WHAT HAMMAN SAID

Former Germany international Dietmar Hamann believes Dortmund wouldn't hesitate to welcome Sancho back, particularly given their current struggles in the Bundesliga.

"Borussia Dortmund might just be looking at Jadon Sancho because although it started well at Chelsea, it looks like it hasn’t worked out," he said in an interview with

"It looks like Chelsea might pay millions to send him back to Manchester United, so it looks like he might be an option for Dortmund this summer. They tried to keep him last summer but it wasn’t possible, I think he wants to go back. Dortmund wouldn’t be struggling like they are if he had stayed, he has been absolutely brilliant for them. He took Dortmund to the Champions League final last season and I think they would have him in a heartbeat."

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While speculation over his future continues, Sancho remains focused on Chelsea’s immediate goals. With the club aiming to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, the winger is expected to play a role in the crucial run-in. Chelsea’s next challenge comes against Tottenham on April 3, a match that could prove decisive in their push for Champions League qualification.

One of Arsenal’s key first-team players has now held positive talks over a move to Real Madrid, according to a report.

Arsenal still chasing down Liverpool

The Gunners continued their pursuit of Premier League leaders Liverpool yesterday evening, securing a 3-1 win at Brentford, no mean feat considering how solid the Bees have been at home so far this season.

Much of Mikel Arteta’s side’s success over the past few years can be put down to their solid defensive record, with the centre-back pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba looking solid once again on Wednesday night.

Arsenal now have the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League, having shipped just 17 goals in the first half of the season, the same amount as title rivals Liverpool.

As such, the defence remaining solid is likely to be vital to the Gunners’ chances of winning the Premier League, and Arteta will be hoping to keep hold of both Gabriel and Saliba this January and beyond.

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Arsenal have found another mega talent.

ByMatt Dawson Jan 2, 2025

That is why new reports from Spain may leave the Gunners boss a little worried, as it has been revealed that Saliba has now held positive talks with European giants Real Madrid.

The La Liga side have identified the Frenchman as one of their priority targets, so they sounded out the player’s entourage and received a positive response.

Arsenal have no plans to sanction the 23-year-old’s departure, given how important he is to the team, but they may be tempted to sell if an offer as high as €100m (£83m) is submitted.

Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Brighton & Hove Albion (a)

January 4th

Tottenham Hotspur (h)

January 15th

Aston Villa (h)

January 18th

Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)

January 25th

Manchester City (h)

February 2nd

Madrid are eager for Saliba to hand in a transfer request in order to facilitate a move to the Bernabeu, but talks are seemingly still at a very early stage, and there is no indication that he will be on the move anytime soon, particularly as he is contracted until 2027.

Saliba must stay at Arsenal at all costs

It will be concerning news that the defender has held talks with Madrid, but there are no signs that he has any plans to leave Arsenal in the near future, and a successful second half of the season could convince him to stay.

Micah Richards was full of praise for both Saliba and Gabriel after the 2-2 draw against Arsenal earlier this season:

The France international is one of the first names on the teamsheet, and it would be very difficult to find a replacement, so even if a huge offer comes in, Arsenal should hold firm.

At the moment, the Gunners are in a strong negotiating position, considering the centre-back is contracted until 2027, and they should reject any offers that Madrid make, as long as he remains happy to stay at the Emirates Stadium.

Real Madrid duo Kylian Mbappe and Antonio Rudiger are available to face Arsenal after escaping a Champions League ban.

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Mbappe and Rudiger escape Champions League banWill both be available to face ArsenalQuarter-final begins next weekFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The duo faced disciplinary action after the fall-out to Madrid's win at city rivals Atletico in the last 16 of the competition. However, the pair have been handed suspended sentences and fines of €30,000 and €40,000 respectively instead.

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Rudiger and Mbappe were joined by team-mates Dani Ceballos and Vinicius Junior in the dock, but it was decided by UEFA that Ceballos would receive a €20,000 fine and Vinicius would go unpunished. The charges related to the quartet's celebrations after their penalty shoot-out win at the Wanda Metripolitano, when Rudiger was captured making a slit-throat gesture and Mbappe was caught grabbing his crotch.

DID YOU KNOW?

The pair may have been saved by a precedent that was set in 2019 by former Real star Cristiano Ronaldo and Atletico boss Diego Simeone, report . Ronaldo made an obscene gesture after scoring a hat-trick for Juventus against Atletico in the round of 16, a response to Simeone doing the same during the first leg, and both were fined €20,000.

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Real Madrid take on Valencia in La Liga on Saturday before facing Arsenal in the first leg of the quarter-final on Tuesday.

The entire game lasted only 44 overs as Rohit built on the advantage his bowlers gave him with a fine half-century

Andrew Miller12-Jul-2022Whither the 50-over format? Or should that be wither, as far as the World Champions are concerned. On a hot and humid afternoon at the Kia Oval, not even the reunion of England’s Class of 2019 top-order could resist the extraordinary skills of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, who inflicted on Jos Buttler – in his first official match as ODI captain – a truly humbling experience.By the time England had been routed by ten wickets in a grand total of 44 overs – yes, this is nominally 50 overs a side, even though the whole match lasted barely any longer than the three T20Is that preceded it – Bumrah had racked up the staggering figures of 6 for 19, beating Ashish Nehra’s 6 for 23 at the 2003 World Cup as India’s best against England. That haul included two for none in three balls in his first over of the match, en route to 4 for 6 in his first four (only one run of which came off the bat), and two for none in seven balls at the death, as a spirited but futile bout of slogging from England’s tail was sawn off in uncompromising fashion.Shami was more expensive but no less critical in routing England’s intentions after being asked to bat first, with the huge scalp of Ben Stokes for a first-ball duck in his second over, as well as that of Buttler, whose 30 from 32 was his team’s only meaningful source of resistance, but which ended with a top-edged pull to deep square leg, a sucker-punch one ball after he’d successfully picked off the last of his six fours in the same direction.From a nadir of 26 for 5 in the eighth over, England limped to 110 all out from 25.2, and their subsequent challenge lasted about as long as it took for Bairstow, at short midwicket, to make a hash of a gimme run-out off the first ball of India’s chase, as Shikhar Dhawan was called though for a non-existent single by his captain, Rohit Sharma.That let-off didn’t exactly ignite Dhawan’s somewhat ponderous knock of 31 not out from 54 balls – one in which he could also have been run-out on 1 had Willey’s fingertips deflected a Rohit drive into the non-striker’s stumps. But Rohit at the other end grew into his own innings with familiar authority. He brought up a 49-ball half-century with the third of his five emphatic sixes over backward square, and had pressed along to an unbeaten 76 from 58 by the time Dhawan sealed the deal with a carve for four through point.Coming in the wake of India’s 2-1 series win in the T20Is – a scoreline made all the more emphatic by their quashing of a pair of “timid” England displays in the first two games – this was another statement performance from a team that is coming together in ominous fashion ahead of two World Cups in quick succession, the T20 version in Australia in four months’ time, and a home 50-over campaign in the new year.Ben Stokes was one of four England batters to fall for a duck•Associated PressEngland’s meltdown was telegraphed early – just as had been the case against South Africa at Lord’s in 2017 and against Australia in Adelaide the following winter, two previous occasions when their pedal-to-the-metal approach had come a spectacular cropper after being asked to bat first in helpful conditions and against a formidable seam attack.And with respect to Kagiso Rabada, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood et al, few are more formidable right now that Bumrah and Shami – and that’s without even mentioning the prodigious skills of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the main man of the T20I series, who remains sparingly used across the longer formats.Bumrah’s first over in particular had it all. After a first-ball sighter to Jason Roy, he bought his wicket courtesy of two wicked inswingers, the second hooping dramatically past a hard-handed drive and over the top of off stump. One ball later, sensing the likelihood that Roy would keep coming, he fired the ball out wider with a fraction less bend, and induced a flat-footed nick into the stumps as Roy trooped off for the tenth duck of his ODI career … and the first of a dramatic top-order implosion.Out strode Joe Root at No. 3, reunited with Jonny Bairstow – his partner in crime from that astonishing 378-run chase from last week’s Edgbaston Test. The pair had been inseparable for 269 runs spanning 54.3 overs in that memorable fourth innings. Now? Their stand lasted all of two balls, as Root was fatefully lured by the extra lift outside off, as he feathered the nick through to Rishabh Pant and mouthed “bounce” at his team-mate as he trooped off for a duck.At 6 for 2, England did at least have the mighty Stokes still to come – there’s no backwards step from teams that he’s a part of, after all. Shami, however, had other ideas. In his second over, he produced a pearler of an inswinger to the left-hander, shaping the ball back in from round the wicket to snag the inside edge, for Pant to leap with quick feet and a primed right glove. That was the first of his three catches behind the stumps – two of them blinders.Mohammed Shami wasn’t going to be completely overshadowed by Jasprit Bumrah•Getty ImagesAt 7 for 3, the scoreline was now rather similar to the collapses that have greeted Bairstow’s recent arrivals on the Test scene, but despite one bristling first-over four, he was for once powerless to resist. Bumrah’s three-card trick to extract England’s form batter was masterful – inswinger, outswinger, and a bulldozer on off stump, one that just kept coming on to a tentative each-way defensive push, as Pant again leapt smartly to his right to cling on in front of first slip.At 17 for 4, Liam Livingstone tried and failed to bide his time. Seven consecutive dot-balls piled up the pressure, and when he snapped for his eighth delivery – scampering down the track to intercept Bumrah’s movement – he was utterly confounded. Another pinpoint inswinger swung behind his legs into the base of his stumps, and suddenly England had lost four of their top six for ducks – a further emulation of their Adelaide catastrophe.At 26 for 5, Buttler and Moeen Ali attempted to regroup, and at the very least they managed to double the total in the next six overs as Hardik Pandya and Prasidh Krishna entered the attack. But having pumped the second of his two fours past Prasidh’s outstretched right hand, Moeen succumbed two balls later in similar fashion, as the lanky fast bowler stooped low in his followthrough to scoop up a return catch for 14. Rohit’s response, at 53 for 6, was to bring Shami back for the kill … and within three balls of his return, Buttler too was trooping back.There was at least a flicker of resistance from England’s tail. Craig Overton couldn’t emulate his brother Jamie’s 97 on debut in the Trent Bridge Test, but he did pick off two fours in three balls before Shami claimed his third, while Brydon Carse, David Willey and even the bona fide bunny, Reece Topley all outdid their top-order colleagues – the latter with a lump through the line off Yuzvendra Chahal as England’s No.11 managed the only six of their innings, a rarity on two counts for this hard-hitting line-up.But after having his peerless figures dented with two fours off Willey, Bumrah reverted to the full stump-rattling length that had started England’s slide, and that was the end of that. A day that had begun with speculation about Virat Kohli’s absence (groin injury) would be done and dusted long before the Oval floodlights had to get involved.

Nottingham Forest’s incredible start to the season is turning into something more than just a fast start. The City Ground faithful dared to dream of European football a few games into the campaign, but perhaps those dreams are well on the way to becoming reality with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side sitting third in the Premier League.

Goal difference is the only thing separating the men in Garibaldi Red from second-place Arsenal, with both sides on 40 points. Liverpool who are currently top of the Premier League, have a six-point lead.

Champions League football could become a reality for the East Midlands club at the end of the season. Nuno could look to bring in reinforcements this winter to ensure they get over the line, with Forest linked with a midfielder.

Nottingham Forest’s midfield target

The player in question here is Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz. The Brazilian has been out of favour in Turin since his summer move from Aston Villa, and could now depart the club in the January transfer window.

According to a report from the highly reputable Fabrizio Romano, Forest “are among the clubs showing interest” in a move for the midfielder this winter. He reports that the former Villa man’s “situation is open” ahead of a busy few weeks in January.

They could well face competition from other sides in the English top flight. According to Italian outlet Tutto Juve, Tottenham Hotspur are also considering doing a deal, with Manchester United and Arsenal also showing interest.

Why Douglas Luiz would be a good signing

Sadly, the Brazil international has not been a regular starter for the Turin giants this season, after his big-money £42.35m move from Villa Park. He has been out of favour under new Juve boss Thiago Motta.

In total, Luiz has managed just 13 appearances across all competitions, with nine of those coming in Serie A. He has featured for just 354 minutes altogether, which equates to a remarkably low 3.93 full 90-minute games.

With that in mind, it is no surprise that he could be searching for an exit from the Old Lady. However, there is no doubting his quality, which he showcased for Villa during his time in England.

Transfer Focus

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

In fact, football statistician Statman Dave previously described him as the “best box-to-box CM in the Premier League”, showing how highly rated he was.

The midfielder was formidable for the Villans. Over the span of five seasons in Claret and Blue, he played 204 games, scoring 22 goals and grabbing 24 assists.

Luiz’s best campaign at Villa Park came in 2023/24, where he scored nine times and registered five assists in 35 Premier League games.

Should Forest get this deal over the line, they could see a fantastic midfield partnership form between Luiz and Elliot Anderson. The Newcastle United academy graduate has been impressive for Forest so far this season, with Nuno describing him as an “amazing talent” earlier in the season.

He has been superb in Garibaldi Red since his move last summer, playing 19 times in the Premier League and registering five assists in that time. His quick feet and creativity have been a breath of fresh air for Forest.

The pair are both more than complimentary of each other in a midfield pivot, although one may have to take up more defensive responsibility. The stats on Squawka suggest it is certainly a duo that could work. It is worth considering that these are from their most recent season in the Premier League.

The Forest star trumps the £134k-per-week Brazilian in many key metrics. That includes the number of duels won per game, with 8.8 compared to 4.5, and the number of chances created per 90 minutes, with 2.1 as opposed to 1.6 for Luiz.

Stat (per 90)

Anderson 2024/25

Luiz 2023/24

Chances created

2.1

1.6

Forward passes

13.1

12.5

Take-ons completed

1.7

0.8

Duels won

8.8

4.5

Interceptions

1.2

0.7

Ball recoveries

7.1

5.6

Signing Luiz could be a fantastic piece of business this winter for Forest. He is clearly a superb player, and, as the stats suggest, could work well in a midfield pivot with Anderson.

With Forest chasing a Champions League spot, or maybe more, the Brazilian could make a big difference.

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Holland had been a chance to play the first Test but an injured finger halted that

AAP02-Jul-2022Ashton Agar’s hopes of an Australian Test recall in Sri Lanka are over after failing to recover from a side strain.Agar was ruled out of the second Test on Saturday morning with Australia bringing Jon Holland into their 17-man squad.He had been considered a serious chance of playing in the series in Sri Lanka despite not featuring in a Test since 2017. He was hurt in Australia’s opening one-day international three weeks ago.Related

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Agar’s absence means Mitchell Swepson will likely keep his spot when the second Test starts on Friday. Legspinner Swepson claimed three wickets in the first innings of the opening Test and two in the second as Australia posted a 10-wicket win.”I was really happy with Swepo,” Australia’s captain Pat Cummins said. “A couple of key breakthroughs in the first innings and then [on Friday], top order wickets. Really valuable.He controlled the tempo of the game, he had some batters come really hard at him. I thought he bowled beautifully.”Holland’s inclusion in the squad comes after a finger injury. Also rated a chance to play in Galle as part of the wider touring party, Holland was not considered as he battled discomfort. His injury has healed, leaving him some chance to play his first Test since 2018 in the series finale.