Club football in Uruguay has been put on hold with Nacional star Juan Izquierdo still in critical care after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch.
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Jofra Archer has suggested that crowd noises should be played over the public address system if England play international cricket behind closed doors this summer to compensate for the lack of spectators.England hope to return to some form of training before the end of the month, ahead of a potential start date of July 8 for a three-match Test series against West Indies. There are also Tests and T20Is scheduled against Pakistan, plus white-ball series against Ireland and Australia, but any fixtures are likely to be staged in ‘bio-secure’ conditions with no fans permitted.ALSO READ: ECB Test plans boosted by latest government strategyWriting in his column, Archer suggested that the noise of a crowd is “one of those things you don’t realise how much you need until it’s gone”, and said that playing sounds and music in the ground could help “make it as normal as possible”.”Playing in complete silence will take some getting used to, I would imagine,” he said, “so I think it might be useful to play some music, some simulations of a crowd, something to create an atmosphere.”The best solution, if we do have to play behind closed doors, might be to have cheers and clapping when someone hits the ball for four or a wicket falls. These are the little things that will make it as normal as possible even though it won’t be a normal occasion.”Archer said that his injured elbow – which ruled him out of all of England’s South Africa tour except the first Test, the scheduled tour of Sri Lanka and the planned window for the IPL – “feels fine”, but that he would “have to bowl seriously to really find out”.With England expected to name squads of around 30 players to cover for potential illnesses and to allow for intra-squad practice games, Archer is certain to be called up, fitness permitting. That leaves open the prospect of nine weeks staying in an on-site hotel at Emirates Old Trafford or the Ageas Bowl, but Archer said there was nothing in a squad Zoom call with team medical staff that concerned him.”I don’t want to get my hopes up too high, too soon, and won’t do until dates are actually penned in but personally there was nothing within what we were told that concerns me, really,” he said.”While we have yet to be given a provisional date, we know that any anticipated start we do receive could be pushed back further into the summer and it has been stressed that the most important thing is the health of the players.”So, I’d be very happy to undergo coronavirus and temperature tests daily. Obviously, if you got infected, you would have to leave the group. And the prospect of being all together in a hotel for several weeks does not bother me at all. I haven’t seen the guys in a while and I am sure it will feel more like a reunion than a term in prison.”
Few would argue that Tottenham Hotspur haven't made progress under Ange Postecoglou's management, but there's no doubt that this talented team has so much room for growth.
While Tottenham are a work in progress and have seen an exciting first campaign under new management marred by inconsistencies, a return to European competition (in some format) looks like a formality at this late stage of the year.
So, what serves as an accurate measure of success down at N17? Maybe it's a return to Europe's elite, currently six points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa in the Premier League with two games in hand.
But stifling title-chasing arch-rivals Arsenal in the North London Derby this afternoon would likely go down a treat for the supporters, who would revel more in the demise of their nemesis than the knowledge that the distance to Villa had been halved – this is, honestly, fair enough.
Arsenal have been sensational under Mikel Arteta this season but any slip-up in the closing weeks of the campaign could be fatal with Manchester City looming inches behind, and Tottenham will indeed relish the chance to swipe from points away from their neighbours.
Spurs team news
Destiny Udogie will not feature again this season after having surgery on an unspecified injury earlier this week. The 21-year-old left-back is also expected to miss Italy's Euro 2024 campaign.
With Pedro Porro and Richarlison both set to play a part, however, the hosts boast a near-full-strength squad to face the Gunners, with just Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon and Fraser Forster remaining long-term absentees.
Struggling to hit a vein of consistency in recent months, Tottenham have shuffled the pack multiple times and while he hasn't started the past three Premier League fixtures, Dejan Kulusevski will be crucial against the Gunners
Why Spurs must unleash Dejan Kulusevski
Kulusevski has been described as Tottenham's "unsung hero" by The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare in the past and has served a crucial role in Postecoglou's first-season project, scoring six goals and supplying three assists across 30 Premier League appearances, starting 26 times.
As per Sofascore, the Sweden international has complemented that direct return with some crisp metrics, completing 82% of his passes, creating 12 big chances and averaging1.9 key passes, 1.6 dribbles, 4.2 duels, 3.9 ball recoveries and 1.8 tackles per game.
Moreover, the 23-year-old ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 13% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.
This only serves to further emphasise the dynamism and depth that Kulusevski brings down the right channel, and given that Arsenal turn over possession and barrel forward with frightening fluency, it would be a good thing to bring him back into the starting mix.
Richarlison will likely start from the bench, so Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson will tussle it out for a starting berth on the left flank – which is probably necessary given the loss of pace that Udogie's injury has beset the Lilywhites with.
Kulusevski needs to start on the alternate flank, though his success marauding the touchline could come down to Porro – who could be the linchpin for Tottenham's success.
Pedro Porro could be key vs Arsenal
Porro's first foray into English football was marked by inconsistency following his initial loan move from Sporting Lisbon in January 2023 – made permanent for £39m last summer – but he has now established himself as one of Postecoglou's most important players.
This season, in all competitions, the 24-year-old has chalked up 31 fixtures for the Lilywhites and has scored twice and added seven assists, with his strike against Burnley in the FA Cup back in January speaking of the invaluable extra dimension he brings to the field.
So robust in his performances, tough in the tackle and boasting immense attacking qualities, the Spaniard ranks among the top 17% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 3% for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 14% for passes attempted, the top 11% for tackles and the top 2% for blocks per 90.
With elite playmaking abilities and an inborn aggression, Arsenal's chances of succeeding down N17 will be more than just diminished, providing the Spurs backline with both the steel and style to score a momentous result this afternoon.
1.
Tyrick Mitchell
Crystal Palace
96
1.
Emerson Palmieri
West Ham United
96
3.
Antonee Robinson
Fulham
83
4.
Pedro Porro
Tottenham Hotspur
82
5.
Diogo Dalot
Manchester United
72
The £85k-per-week Porro has posted one goal and seven assists across 29 top-flight outings this season, as per Sofascore, creating ten big chances, averaging 1.6 key passes, 2.8 tackles and 5.7 ball recoveries per game.
Moreover, he's been hailed for his "titanic" performances by Eccleshare and has the fire in his belly to rise to the occasion against a slick side in Arsenal.
Speaking of Kulusevski's qualities and how this could be used to spark technical success down the right flank is all well and good but without the sturdy, multi-faceted base that Porro would provide, there is no hope that the home team will find the fizz and cohesion needed.
While Porro has been recovering from a hamstring strain since losing to Newcastle two weeks back, his return might just hold the key to sending the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into ecstasy against Arsenal.
Ange must boldly drop 3/10 Spurs star who Rice would dominate
Ange’s side will have a heightened desire to see their rivals toppled in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
ByAngus Sinclair Apr 27, 2024
Two major sponsors – Vivo and Paytm – have Chinese ownership or links
Nagraj Gollapudi19-Jun-2020The IPL has convened a meeting of its Governing Council next week to “review various sponsorship deals” for the tournament following tensions this week on the India-China border. The move reflects the fact that the IPL’s main sponsors, including title sponsor Vivo, have Chinese ownership or links.While there has been tension at the border in the Indian region of Leh for some days, the flashpoint was an incident on the night of June 15; though details are scarce, the Indian government has said that its army lost 20 soldiers, including one senior officer, in the incident.Vivo, a Chinese mobile handset manufacturer, first bagged the IPL title sponsorship for two years in 2015. In 2017 Vivo retained the rights signing a five-year contract, paying about USD 341 million. Soon after, IPL also roped Paytm, the mobile wallet company, as the official Umpires Partner (an on-ground sponsor) between 2018-22 for an undisclosed amount. One of the main investors in Paytm is Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce company.Posting a late tweet on Friday, the BCCI just said it would review the IPL sponsorship deals but did not name exactly which ones.
Taking note of the border skirmish that resulted in the martyrdom of our brave jawans, the IPL Governing Council has convened a meeting next week to review IPL’s various sponsorship deals
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) June 19, 2020
The development comes a day after BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal said that although the board was open to reviewing any future deals (post 2022), the current contract with Vivo was not likely to be scrapped. “When you talk emotionally, you tend to leave the rationale behind,” Dhumal told on Thursday. “We have to understand the difference between supporting a Chinese company for a Chinese cause or taking help from Chinese company to support India’s cause.”When we are allowing Chinese companies to sell their products in India, whatever money they are taking from Indian consumer, they are paying part of it to the BCCI (as brand promotion) and the board is paying 42 percent tax on that money to the Indian government. So, that is supporting India’s cause and not China’s.”The BCCI had recently postponed the IPL indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It has already been stressed about losing close to INR 4000 crore (USD 0.53 billion approximately) in case the IPL does not take place this year. The BCCI has been waiting for the ICC to make up its mind on the men’s T20 World Cup, which is scheduled for October-November, in Australia but is likely to be postponed with the Cricket Australia preferring to host the tournament in 2021.
Newcastle United are reportedly believed to be interested in completing an audacious triple signing of three players from the same club this summer.
Big summer ahead at Newcastle
After a disappointing season overall, Eddie Howe is under no illusions as to how important it is to nail their summer transfer business, in order to mount a genuine top-four challenge in the Premier League next term. Newcastle certainly aren't shy when it comes to being linked with various players, with additions required at the back, in midfield and in the attacking third.
One of the most recent reports has claimed that Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo and Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly could both head to St James' Park on free transfers at the end of the season. That would help ease Newcastle's injury woes at the back, with both Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles still expected to be out for many months with serious knee issues.
Another Cherries player, Dominic Solanke, has also emerged as a transfer target for Newcastle this summer, having enjoyed an excellent season that has seen him score 19 goals in 37 league appearances, as well as winning 2.6 aerial duels per game.
Morgan Gibbs-White has stood out as arguably Nottingham Forest's star man in 2023/24, helping them pull just clear of the relegation zone, and he is believed to be an ideal replacement for Bruno Guimaraes at St James', should the Brazilian seal a move away.
Newcastle eyeing audacious triple Crystal Palace signing
According to an exciting claim from Football Insider, Newcastle are keen on signing Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise this summer, eyeing a triple swoop for the Crystal Palace trio.
It is thought that the Magpies have a "strong interest" in them, and the report also says that they are "close to appointing Palace technical director Dougie Freedman to replace Dan Ashworth", perhaps explaining why this rumour has emerged.
This is such an encouraging update, in terms of seeing the level of ambition on show from PIF, even though they will also have to be aware of financial regulations and not risk punishments moving forward, as has been the case with Forest and Everton this season.
Guehi, Eze and Olise all stand out as fantastic options in their respective positions, with the former a consistently strong performer at the heart of Palace's defence alongside Joachim Andersen. He has averaged 3.6 clearances per match throughout the current campaign, and could well feel that this summer is the time to enjoy a new challenge.
Meanwhile, Eze is a brilliant player to watch, finding another gear in recent times and scoring nine goals in the Premier League this season, while Olise is similarly gifted in his wide role, netting on 10 occasions in only 13 league starts, including an excellent brace against Manchester United earlier this month.
Appearances
24
26
18
Starts
22
23
13
Goals
0
9
10
Assists
1
3
5
Tackles per game
1.1
1.2
1.1
Key passes per game
0.3
2.0
1.9
Pass completion rate
86.9%
83.4%
83%
The Freedman factor could put Newcastle in a strong position, assuming he comes in as the new sporting director, and managing to sign all three would be incredible, even if it feels unlikely.
MatériaMais Notícias
A fase do Botafogo não é boa tanto dentro, quanto fora de campo. No entanto, um dos poucos jogadores que se “salvam” dessa situação é Chay. Com moral com a torcida, o atacante, pelas redes sociais, mostrou gratidão por jogar no clube de Garrincha e Nilton Santos e garantiu que dará a vida pelo acesso para a primeira divisão.
> ATUAÇÕES: Chay recebe a maior nota do Botafogo no empate com o Cruzeiro
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– Jogar no clube em que Garrincha e Nilton Santos atuaram é para poucos. Fui escolhido e, aqui, darei a minha vida pelo acesso. A estrela solitária voltará a brilhar na elite – disse o atacante.
> Veja a tabela da Série B
Depois do hat-trick no empate contra o Cruzeiro, no último sábado,Chay, inclusive, se tornou o artilheiro do Botafogo na Série B, com seis gols marcados.Ele ultrapassou o centroavante Rafael Navarro, que vem atrás, com quatro. Vale lembrar que foi a primeira vez que um jogador do Alvinegro marcou pelo menos três gols em uma partida na competição.
O Botafogo volta a campo no próximo sábado, contra o Brusque, no Estádio Augusto Bauer, em Santa Catarina, às 19h. A partida é válida pela 12ª rodada da Série B do Brasileirão
The BCCI is believed to have cleared the former India allrounder’s request
ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2020
Getty Images
Former India allrounder Irfan Pathan is among 70 foreign players to have shown interest in playing the Lanka Premier League (LPL), proposed to start in the third week of August. The BCCI is believed to have cleared Pathan’s request to be allowed to play. The Indian board doesn’t allow active players to participate in other Twenty20 leagues but Pathan, who last played official cricket in February 2019, announced his retirement in January this year.Pathan will now be put in a player draft unless one of the five franchises choose him to be a marquee player. The details of the draft, and the franchise owners, are yet to be finalised and announced. SLC is also waiting on some government clearances even as it decides on franchise owners. The five franchises will represent Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna.Pathan’s entry into the draft came about as a result of banter between him and Faveez Maharoof, former Sri Lanka allrounder and his friend. Pathan had posted a video of himself training on social media to which Maharoof responded with a masters tournament jibe. Maharoof then proceeded to offer to have Pathan added to the draft, which Pathan accepted.If everything goes to plan, the SLC is hopeful the tournament will be played in front of small crowds. It is hoped that the Colombo airport will be opened up to traffic in the coming couple of weeks. Sri Lanka has reported under 3000 Covid-19 positive cases. The lockdown was lifted in June, but the airport has been receiving only repatriation flights.
Rangers manager Philippe Clement has confirmed that one of his key men has picked up a season-ending injury, in what is described by the Gers boss as a "big blow".
The Gers really are now into the business end of the season, with the Scottish Premiership title race potentially set to go right until the final day of the campaign.
Next up for Rangers is Sunday's home clash with Kilmarnock at Ibrox, at which point they could find themselves six points adrift of Celtic at the top of the table, assuming their rivals win at home to Hearts on Saturday afternoon. Clement's men would have a game in hand, but it would certainly crank up the pressure on them, in what would become a must-win game if it wasn't already.
There is no question that the Gers are the current underdogs to win the title, but there have been twists already this season, and they make the trip to Parkhead next weekend for what could be a truly defining fixture between the two adversaries.
Injuries have affected Rangers throughout the season, with left-back Ridvan Yilmaz one of those who has been absent since March, for example. Now, another significant fitness blow has emerged – one that supporters will be devastated to hear.
Speaking to the press before Sunday's clash with Kilmarnock, Clement confirmed that Rangers ace Connor Goldson won't play again this season due to injury: "Wednesday in training, Connor hurt his knee bad, he will be out for the rest of the season after a scan.
"It is a big blow, he has played 48 games this season, one of the leaders. He said to me, he wanted to be in the dressing room to support the boys."
This is a massive setback for Rangers at such an important point in the season, with Goldson such an experienced head whose nous in big games could have been so key in these remaining matches in 2023/24.
This season, the 31-year-old has featured prominently again for the Scottish giants, starting 30 matches in the league, averaging 3.4 aerial duel wins and 2.8 clearances per game in the competition. His longevity is outlined by the fact that Steven Gerrard lauded him back in 2019 during his time in charge at Ibrox, saying: "I must give him a special mention tonight and I can't think of a word to Connor.
"He's had one session, or half a session because of how light it was and to come in having not played since Celtic and trained ever so little, he was a mountain for this club tonight."
|
Connor Goldson's Scottish Premiership stats this season |
Total |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
30 |
|
Starts |
30 |
|
Aerial duel wins per game |
3.4 |
|
Clearances per game |
2.8 |
|
Tackles per game |
1.5 |
|
Blocks per game |
0.6 |
|
Pass completion rate |
86% |
The hope is that others can now fill the void left by Goldson, starting this weekend, but it is hard to shake the thought that his absence for the remainder of the season could end up being a big moment in the title race.
Nottingham Forest will be looking to end the season on a high and avoid a huge upset in suffering relegation when they face relegated Burnley this afternoon.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side currently sit three points clear of the drop zone ahead of the final outing of the season, with the club all but safe from relegation.
The Reds would need to lose, and Luton Town beat Fulham at Kenilworth Road, with a 12-goal swing needing to occur between the two matches for Forest to return to the Championship for next season.
Forest come into the meeting following their seventh 3-2 defeat of the campaign against Chelsea, with the Reds throwing away a one-goal lead with less than 15 minutes remaining at the City Ground.
With the club travelling to face an already relegated side, Nuno will want to right the wrongs of last weekend and complete the job he was brought in to do in the East Midlands.
However, if his side are to claim all three points, he needs to drop one player from the starting lineup with one player deserving of a recall following his return to action from his latest injury setback.
Why Chris Wood should be dropped against Burnley
Whilst he may be the club’s top scorer in the Premier League this campaign with 12 goals, experienced striker Chris Wood has been very disappointing in recent matches – failing to find the back of the net in any of his last five games.
The New Zealand international, who will be returning to Turf Moor following his time with the Clarets, has been wasteful in his recent outings, with his missed opportunities potentially securing the Reds’ survival long before now.
Big chances missed by Wood in the last six matches
Opponent
Big chances missed
Chelsea (H)
3
Sheffield United (A)
2
Manchester City (H)
2
Everton (A)
1
Wolves (H)
0
Tottenham (A)
2
Stats via FotMob
The shocking misses against Manchester City and Chelsea come to mind, with Wood failing to add to his goalscoring tally in any of the matches despite the golden opportunities he was presented with.
The 32-year-old has started the last ten Premier League matches in a row, with the striker having to deputise following injuries in the final third to Forest’s other attacking options.
However, one other striker has recently returned to first-team action, with Nuno needing to recall him to the starting XI to give his side the best possible chance of winning against Vincent Kompany’s men.
The man to replace Chris Wood against Burnley
Having missed seven matches through injury, Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi returned to action in the closing stages of the victory away at Sheffield United a couple of weeks ago.
The 26-year-old "monster", as dubbed by journalist David Hundeyin, also appeared off the bench during the defeat against Chelsea, but unsurprisingly he was unable to make any impact in the four minutes he was on the pitch.
However, given his recent return to action, coupled with Wood’s alarming drop in form, Nuno should look to spoil the Kiwi's return to face his former side and recall Awoniyi to the starting lineup, with his physical hold-up play potentially being the key over the Clarets this weekend.
Awoniyi enjoyed a brilliant run at the end of the previous campaign, scoring six times in the last four matches, with the fans hoping he can replicate that form at Turf Moor and make sure of the club’s Premier League status for the 2024/25 season.
Nuno must unleash Nottingham Forest star who causes "all sorts of problems"
The Reds could secure their Premier League status this weekend.
ByEthan Lamb May 11, 2024
One of the most exciting projects in the Premier League at the moment is that of Wolves. Gary O’Neil’s side have been one of the surprise packages in the competition this season, having been tipped by many to get relegated at the start of the campaign.
However, they are currently in 12th, on 46 points, but are just three points behind ninth place West Ham United. In 36 matches so far this season, Wolves have won 13, drawn seven, and lost 16.
O’Neil has turned them into a very tricky side to come up against. At Molineux, they have won eight of their 18 matches, whilst away from home, they have won five times, according to Understat.
They also have some deadly players in transition, who O’Neil has certainly got the best out of. Namely, they are Hwang Hee-chan, who has 12 goals and three assists in the Premier League, Pedro Neto who has scored twice and has nine assists, and Matheus Cunha who has a superb 11 goals and seven assists in the top flight.
No doubt, Wolves are one of the deadliest sides in transition, with Cunha and Neto wonderful ball carriers and superb creators, whilst Hwang has superb instinct in the penalty area and is clinical in front of goal.
However, Wolves did previously have another excellent transitional player on their books, who they let go of last season.
Morgan Gibbs-White's season in numbers
The player in question here is Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. The 24-year-old joined Forest for £42.5m in the summer of 2022, and is a key player at the club, under former Steve Cooper and current manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
It is fair to say there is no love lost between Gibbs-White and the fans of his former side. In a Carabao Cup tie last season, he scored a penalty in a shootout which he celebrated by putting his fingers in his ears right in front of the Wolves fans. This season, he antagonised them further, by repeating his celebration and kissing the Forest badge.
Ironically, Gibbs-White could have been superb under O’Neil, had he stayed at Wolves last season. He has been Forest’s best player this season, having scored five goals and registering eight assists.
Not only that, he has created the most chances, with 15, averages the most key passes per 90 minutes, with two, and completes the third most dribbles per 90 minutes, with 1.2, as per Sofascore.
Goals & assists
13
=1st
Chances created per 90
15
1st
Key passes per 90
2
1st
Dribbles per 90
1.2
3rd
Stats from SofaScore
Gibbs-White’s superb carrying ability would have been excellent for Wolves in 2023/24, potentially slotting in perfectly into this current Wolves side, helping them move further up the table.
With that being said, he made his decision to leave in the summer of 2022, before O’Neil’s tenure. Whilst he would have been excellent under the Englishman, they may have someone else coming through into the first team who could be just as good as Gibbs-White.
Luke Cundle's season in numbers
Wolves midfielder Luke Cundle is currently on loan at Stoke City, as well as being at Plymouth Argyle in the first half of the season. He is an exciting academy product who could well break into Gary O’Neil’s first team next season.
He has five goals and seven assists in the Championship this season for both clubs and has certainly impressed on loan so far.
In one particular game for Stoke, a 4-0 victory over Bristol City, Cundle was given a 9/10 rating by Stoke On Trent Live journalist Peter Smith. He explained the Wolves man played with “energy, skill and commitment”, with his “one-touch play and movement” being “integral” to the way the Potters played.
Indeed, Cundle is a very creative force, this season averaging 1.88 key passes per 90 minutes, as per Fbref, which ranks him in the top 10%. This is just slightly less than Gibbs-White’s two key passes per 90 minutes.
The youngster is highly thought about, with his former manager Rusell Martin at Swansea, a club he was previously on loan at, explaining that he is “a player to be excited about, he is technically gifted, and intelligent."
There is no doubt that, in Cundle, Wolves have an exciting attacking midfielder coming through. He has already played four times in the Premier League, and after a successful 2023/24 season in the Championship – a division Gibbs-White thrived in prior to his Forest move with 12 goals and ten assists for Sheffield United – he could well get another shot in the top flight next season.
Wolves made a bigger mistake than Gibbs-White by selling "incredible" star
Wolves made a big mistake selling a player last summer…
ByRoss Kilvington Apr 15, 2024