Liverpool manager Arne Slot is in the spotlight in England after seeing his team suffer four straight defeats in all competitions. The results have brought talk of a 'crisis' at Anfield under the Dutchman, particularly after a big-spending summer transfer window, but the Liverpool boss is remaining calm and has plenty of experience of coming under pressure from the media.
Liverpool in crisis after Man Utd defeat
Liverpool were beaten again on Sunday as bitter rivals Manchester United earned a 2-1 win at Anfield and their first victory over the Reds on their home turf since January 2016. The defeat followed on from losses to Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Galatasaray which have seen Slot and his team come in for plenty of criticism. Liverpool's struggles come after a summer where the club spent over £450 million ($603m) on new players intended to push the squad to another level of dominance, including record buy Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.
Yet big-money buys Wirtz and Isak in particular have failed to live up to their lofty price tags, with both players yet to score in the Premier League for their new team. Club stalwarts Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have also frustratingly struggled in the early weeks of the season just months after penning lucrative new contracts to keep them at Anfield.
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Slot not bothered by media scrutiny
Slot has come in for plenty of media scrutiny but is remaining calm in the face of the criticism, according to the . The ex-Feyenoord boss "has even conceded privately that the Dutch media are much harder" than the English press, although it remains to be seen if he will change his mind if results fail to improve and difficult questions continue to arrive.
Yet Slot is not stranger to being in the spotlight. He faced plenty of criticism during his time in the Eredivisie and was called a "snake" after leaving AZ to join Feyenoord. Slot even has a tactic to deal with the current negativity which was inspired by cyclist Lance Armstrong. The Liverpool boss reportedly likes to smile at the camera when he's under pressure in the same way that Armstrong used to try and demoralise rivals when he was struggling for form.
Fans blast Slot's post-match comments
Slot admitted defeat to Manchester United was "hard to take" but went on to dub the Red Devils a "long ball team" after seeing defender Harry Maguire head home a late winner to secure a 2-1 victory at Anfield. Slot also seemed baffled that Ruben Amorim chose not to start Benjamin Sesko on Sunday, but his comments have not gone down well with supporters who have criticised his reaction to the defeat.
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Big decisions looming for Slot
Slot now faces some big calls when it comes to some of his underperforming stars as he bids to get his team back on track. The Liverpool boss has already been told to drop Salah by former defender Jamie Carragher. He said on : "I don't think Salah should be like a Virgil van Dijk where it's like 'first name on the teamsheet'. Liverpool have got two away games – in the Champions League at Frankfurt and then they go to Brentford.
"I don't think Salah should start both of those games. He should always start at Anfield because Liverpool will be on top, around the edge of the box and more often than not he scores in those situations today. But I do think in the away games and helping your full-back, I don't think Salah should be starting every game right now, certainly away from home, with the form he's in."
Slot may also be tempted to bench Isak after a disappointing start to life at Anfield following a summer move from Newcastle. Slot does also have Hugo Ekitike available, although he has not started any of the team's last three league games. Yet Ekitike boasts a record of five goals and one assist in 11 appearances for the Reds this season and will be eager to return to the starting XI.
Everton Ribeiro começou no banco de reservas no empate do Flamengo com o Internacional, no sábado (26). O meia entrou em campo aos 31 minutos, no lugar de Luiz Araújo, que saiu machucado.
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Além de ter ficado entre os reservas, Everton não foi a primeira opção para entrar na partida. Quando Arrascaeta sentiu a coxa esquerda e precisou ser substituído, era imaginado que o escolhido seria o camisa 7. Mas, Jorge Sampaoli chamou Victor Hugo e botou o jovem em campo.
Com as poucas oportunidades recentes que Everton recebe, fica evidente que o meia não está entre as preferências do treinador rubro-negro. Everton é o capitão do time e foi um dos líderes do grupo que venceu tantos títulos nos últimos anos.
É difícil entender que um jogador com o talento e a história de Everton não consiga se firmar nesse elenco do Flamengo. Em fim de contrato, o meia deve ser sondado por diversos clubes Brasil afora. Se a situação continuar assim, uma mudança de ares para o jogador não é descartável. Apesar de já estar com 34 anos, Everton parece ainda ter muita “lenha para queimar”.
Se a lesão de Arrascaeta e Luiz Araújo afastar os dois dos gramados por algum tempo, a tendência é que Everton receba mais oportunidades no time titular do Flamengo. O próximo compromisso do Rubro-Negro é contra o líder, Botafogo, neste sábado (2), e praticamente define se o clube ainda pode sonhar com o Brasileirão.
Manchester United spent big, around £207m to be exact, recruiting a brand-new front three this summer, so how are they getting on?
Well, Bryan Mbeumo scored against both Grimsby Town and Burnley in August, albeit his missed penalty that decided the EFL Cup tie at Blundell Park is what will live longest in the memory.
Meantime, Benjamin Šeško has scored in the last two matches, opening his account at Brentford before bagging his first at Old Trafford during Saturday’s victory over Sunderland.
Thus, Matheus Cunha is the only member of the trio yet to score this season, although the Red Devils’ next fixture, an away game against Liverpool at Anfield, would be a good time to change that fact.
Elsewhere, the phenomenon of players leaving Manchester United and thriving elsewhere is nothing new, but even a forward described as the “worst player” in the club’s entire history is outscoring the Šeško, Mbeumo and Cunha trident so far this season.
Man United alumni lighting it up elsewhere
As a society we’ve all become accustomed to the idea of players revitalising their careers by leaving Old Trafford.
Scott McTominay is the prime example of this, scoring 13 goals for Napoli last season, the key man as the Partenopei won only their fourth Scudetto, named Serie A’s player of the year.
This summer, the Scotland international has been joined by Rasmus Højlund at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona who, after only scoring four Premier League goals throughout the entirety of last season, has bagged four in just six games for Napoli, notching a Champions League brace against Sporting, before bagging the winner against Genoa last Sunday.
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Elsewhere, after scoring nine times during his short loan spell, Antony made his move to Real Betis permanent on deadline day, bagging his first of the season as los Verdiblancos held Nottingham Forest to a 2-2 draw at the Cartuja in the Europa League.
The Brazilian scored just 12 times in 96 appearances for the Red Devils, but has ten in 31 for Betis.
There are countless other players we could have cited for whom leaving Manchester United was the best career decision they’ve ever made, but one in particular, you may have completely forgotten about, is still scoring at a high level at the age of 33.
Manchester United's worst-ever attacker is now thriving
Let’s all enter our metaphorical DeLoreans and time travel back to November 2022.
The World Cup is about to begin in Qatar while, and this feels unthinkable now, Manchester United under Erik ten Hag were in a title race, going on to finish third that season with 75 points. For comparison, their 58 most recent Premier League matches have yielded just 68 points.
However, all was not well because, having been sidelined by Ten Hag, Cristiano Ronaldo made it clear that he felt “betrayed” and would leave the club “with immediate effect”.
Thus, in the January transfer window, the Red Devils desperately needed a new striker, but the Glazers said they simply did not have the funds available to make a permanent signing.
So, a creative solution was found, with Man United paying a reported fee of £2.6m to end Wout Weghorst’s loan move from Burnley to Beşiktaş and bring him to Old Trafford instead.
The Netherlands international had scored nine times in just 18 appearances for the İstanbul-based giants, but did not really bring that form to England, scoring only twice for United, on target against Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup and Real Betis in the Europa League.
Wout Weghorst
Thus, onlookers were not impressed, with Jamie Redknapp, speaking on Sky Sports, describing him as simply “not good enough”, while Richard Keys asserted that he is the ‘worst player I’ve ever seen in a [Manchester] United jersey’.
After finally leaving Burnley, Weghorst returned to the Netherlands by joining Ajax in August 2024.
He scored 11 goals during his first season in Amsterdam, while he has started the new Eredivisie season on fire, netting five times already, including a brace against Sparta Rotterdam at Het Kasteel on Saturday.
This means, to date, he has scored more goals than Mbeumo, Cunha and Šeško combined to start the new campaign.
Does this mean Manchester United should have kept hold of Weghorst?
Well, probably not no, but it is further evidence that the curse of players leaving the club and thriving elsewhere is real.
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Caleb Jewell celebrated his maiden century for Derbyshire who dominated the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match against Kent at Derby.The Tasmanian left-hander made an unbeaten 152 and shared a second wicket stand of 196 from 333 balls with Harry Came who was run out for 89.Jewell and David Lloyd, who scored 50, put on 99 for the first wicket to set the tone for a day of toil for the Kent bowlers with only Nathan Gilchrist taking a wicket.The home side closed on 352 for 2 and Kent, who have lost their last three games, already have a lot to do to get back into this match.Derbyshire certainly made the most of winning the toss on another sunny morning aided by some indifferent bowling. Kent’s seamers struggled to maintain a consistent line or length and only exerted a measure of control towards the end of the first session when legspinner Matt Parkinson came into the attack.By then, Jewell and Lloyd were well set with both profiting from Kent’s inability to put the ball in the right place often enough.Lloyd’s flick over midwicket for six off Gilchrist was one of a number of boundaries in a first hour containing only one maiden which summed up how poorly Kent had bowled.Derbyshire’s former captain reached his 50 from 86 balls and looked on course for a big score until Gilchrist swung one in to beat his drive with the opening stand one short of a century.That was Kent’s only success before lunch although they thought they had another after the interval when Jewell on 59 swept Parkinson to short leg where Ben Compton took the catch at the second attempt.But their celebrations were cut short when umpire Neil Pratt, presumably thinking the ball had been played into the ground, ruled not out after consulting with his colleague at square leg. Kent were clearly unhappy with the decision and at the end of the over Pratt spoke to both Parkinson and captain Daniel Bell-Drummond.It was a big moment as Jewell was batting with authority, particularly through the off side, and with Came growing in confidence after a watchful start, the hosts eased past 200 without further alarm.After Jewell pulled and drove Jake Ball for two more fours, Came swept Parkinson to long leg for three to bring up his 50 from 111 balls and at tea, Derbyshire were well on top at 231 for 1.At the break, Jewell was seven short of a century and he completed it five overs into the evening session by sweeping Parkinson for a single. It had been a disciplined and measured innings from the Australian who curbed some of his natural attacking instincts to put his team on course for a commanding total.Kent bowled spin at both ends to get to the second new ball which was taken with Derbyshire 294 for 1 and the breakthrough came immediately, aided by a slice of good fortune.Jewell straight drove Ball who got a touch to deflect it into the stumps at the bowler’s end and run out Came but that was the last success of a chastening day for the visitors.
And just like that, Arsenal have got their first win of their Champions League campaign.
The three points are ultimately what matter most, but it would be fair to say that Mikel Arteta’s side weren’t at their best against Athletic Bilbao this evening.
The North Londoners got their goals through Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, but up until the Brazilian slotted home in the 72nd minute, they underwhelmed.
Several players will have to up their game for the next match, but Arteta also has to make a few changes, notably no longer playing two specific stars together.
Arsenal's underwhelming stars
Now, it should be said that while we think several Arsenal starters didn’t put in strong performances today, none of them were terrible.
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After all, the Gunners were the better side and ultimately deserved all three points.
With that said, one of those who started the game that didn’t exactly light it up was Viktor Gyokeres.
There were moments in which the Swedish international showed his ability, be that by holding up the ball for his teammates or making a few well-timed runs, but that was pretty much it.
His job is to put the ball in the back of the net, and he ended up missing a few chances, including a header in the first half and then another in the second.
Minutes
65′
Expected Goals
0.47
Goals
0
Expected Assists
0.01
Assists
0
Shots on Target
1
Shots off Target
3
Big Chances Missed
2
Touches
18
Accurate Passes
6/7 (86%)
Dribbles
0
Moreover, his statistics don’t make for pretty reading, as he made just six passes in 65 minutes, took three shots off target for his one that was on target, and officially missed two big chances.
The Stockholm-born monster wasn’t the only attacker to have a forgettable night, though.
Eberechi Eze also struggled to have much of an impact in Bilbao, coming off in the 71st minute with an expected assists figure of 0.11, just 19 completed passes and didn’t take a single shot.
However, while the two summer signings struggled to make an impact up top, there was a more significant problem elsewhere in the team, a problem stemming from a pairing Arteta must not start again.
The Arsenal duo who must not start again
While Gabriel Magalhaes and Cristhian Mosquera once again showed Arteta why they can be an incredible pairing tonight, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino did the opposite.
Now the Englishman is an unquestionably world-class midfielder and has been one of the Gunners’ best players since joining the club in 2023.
Likewise, the Spaniard has proven his usefulness over the last year or so, but the manager needs to stop playing them in the midfield together, especially when Martin Zubimendi is at the base.
The reasons why are relatively straightforward: they don’t offer enough attacking threat, and at times can be exposed for lack of finesse.
For example, the pair produced a combined expected assist figure of 0.20 and a combined expected goals figure of just 0.05, which was all from the former Real Sociedad ace.
Minutes
96′
Expected Goals
0.05
Goals
0
Expected Assists
0.04
Assists
0
Shots on Target
1
Big Chances Created
0
Crosses (Accurate)
1 (0)
Accurate Passes
21/28 (75%)
Dribbles
0
Possession Lost
12
Duels (Won)
13 (5)
Fouls
3
Although considering there was only one shot on target between them and one big chance created, those metrics are hardly surprising.
On top of lacking creativity and attacking thrust, the pairing was frustratingly loose with possession.
Minutes
96′
Expected Goals
0.00
Goals
0
Expected Assists
0.20
Assists
0
Shots on Target
0
Ground Duels (Won)
4 (2)
Accurate Passes
47/58 (81%)
Possession Lost
13
Fouls
2
During their 96 minutes of action, they lost the ball a staggering 25 times, with the former West Ham United captain losing it 13 times and the La Roja star 12.
Unsurprisingly, given their middling performances, the pair received just a 5/10 match rating from the Sun’s Joshua Hall, which feels about right.
Ultimately, Arsenal were deserved winners tonight and can go into Wednesday’s game in good spirits, but a few changes still need to be made, and one of those is no longer playing Merino and Rice in the same midfield.
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The incredible international could make Arsenal and Eze far more dangerous in the Champions League this evening.
تحدث أيمن الرمادي المدير الفني لفريق البنك الأهلي عن تعادل فريقه أمام الزمالك، ضمن مباريات الدوري المصري الممتاز.
وكان البنك الأهلي قد تعادل بهدف لكل فريق مع الزمالك، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين مساء اليوم، في الجولة الـ12 من الدوري المصري الممتاز.
طالع.. رجل مباراة الزمالك والبنك الأهلي في الدوري المصري
وقال الرمادي في تصريحات للمؤتمر الصحفي عقب المباراة: “كانت مباراة أفضل من المتوسطة، وكان ممكن الأداء يكون أفضل لكن توتر النقطة والثلاث نقاط أدى لتراجع مستوى الفريقين، الفريقين كان من الوارد أن يقدما مباراة أفضل”.
وأضاف: “البنك الأهلي قدم مباريات أفضل من هذه المباراة، لكن اليوم كان هناك رهبة ونحتاج إلى تطوير الأداء في المباريات القادمة، وجمهور الزمالك على راسي”.
وتابع: “استقبلت هتاف جمهور الزمالك بسعاده غامره، جمهور الزمالك الأوفى في مصر وجمهور عنده أصل، قضينا مع بعض لحظات سعيدة، هتاف جمهور الزمالك فرح قلبي لشعوري أنني ابنهم، فهم جمهور راقي”.
وواصل: “جمهور الزمالك لا ينسى أبناء النادي، فقاموا بالهتاف لمصطفى شلبي والزناري، وكان هناك دربكة عقب هدف أسامة فيصل وواجهنا ضغطا قويا من الزمالك بسبب مساندة الجمهور، وواجهنا ذلك بتدوير الكرة”.
With their sights set on the January transfer window, Newcastle United have reportedly already made an early approach about signing a 2026 target for Eddie Howe.
Newcastle's January transfer targets
Even though the summer transfer window just slammed shut, rumours are already beginning to arrive regarding potential 2026 deals. That should come as no surprise for Newcastle fans, however.
The Magpies endured a tumultuous summer before eventually welcoming the strikers that they so desperately needed, but were forced to take their focus away from other areas. Now, with Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa at the club, PIF have the chance to address the other concerns that Howe may have about his squad.
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Angus Sinclair
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One of those could come in central midfield. As strong as Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton are together, there may be some concerns about the drop-off in quality when any of those three are missing. And whilst Jacob Ramsey’s arrival may help in that regard, those at St James’ Park are still eyeing improvements.
According to recent reports, Newcastle have set their sights on signing Kobbie Mainoo if the chance arrives in January. The Manchester United midfielder was denied the chance to leave Old Trafford on loan in the summer and was told by Ruben Amorim to fight for his place. Just how long he puts up with doing that is the question that Newcastle and others will have when the winter window arrives.
In a World Cup year, players who find themselves on the fringes of their current sides will be ones to watch. It’s not just Mainoo who’s struggling with that problem. Alongside him, Newcastle are also reportedly eyeing another England international.
Newcastle make approach to sign Gallagher
According to The Boot Room, Newcastle have made an approach to sign Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid in January. The Magpies have reportedly made contact asking to be kept informed about the England midfielder, who is growing frustrated by his bit-part role at the Spanish club.
If Atletico Madrid make the former Chelsea man available, then the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle and Crystal Palace are all reportedly ready to race towards his signature. Given that he just started against Liverpool in the Champions League, however, it seems as though Diego Simeone is still keen to find a place for Gallagher in his side.
A player who needs no introduction to English football, the 25-year-old once found himself at the centre of Gareth Southgate’s praise. The former England boss was pleased with how he worked his way back into the Three Lions’ set-up in a similar way to how he could now do so under Thomas Tuchel.
With Newcastle setting their sights on his arrival and the World Cup approaching, there’s no doubt that Gallagher is already one to watch for the January transfer window.
Arsenal ended up just about getting past Greek Super League champions Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday, courtesy of strikes from Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.
For all the chances, possession and clear-cut openings created by Mikel Arteta’s side, they held a tender 1-0 lead for the majority of the 90, and goalkeeper David Raya was forced into a magnificent first-half save to keep them ahead.
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos – Champions League – best performers
Match Rating
Martin Odegaard
8.1
Myles Lewis-Skelly
7.9
David Raya
7.6
Mikel Merino
7.4
Chiquinho
7.4
via WhoScored
Summer signing Viktor Gyokeres also had multiple chances to extend their advantage, but the Sweden international just couldn’t quite fire home on what was a frustrating night for him.
Arsenal’s control of the match never wavered, with club captain Martin Odegaard pulling all the strings in midfield and dictating the tempo throughout.
The Norwegian’s vision and passing range constantly stretched the visitors’ defence, creating numerous opportunities, particularly for Gyokeres, with the striker feeding off Odegaard’s excellent through balls but missing the final end product.
The £30 million star was very nearly rewarded for his efforts with a goal, but was unable to convert Bukayo Saka’s cut-back very late in the second half.
Instead, it was Saka who ended up putting the game beyond sight in added time, courtesy of another excellent threaded pass from Odegaard, with the England international slotting home through goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis’ legs.
Their routine win over Olympiacos was Odegaard’s first start after coming back from a shoulder problem, and boy did he deliver on a night where he absolutely silenced his critics.
In the build up to their Champions League clash, former Arsenal player Perry Groves suggested that Arteta should continue to bench Odegaard in order to send a message and help the ex-Real Madrid man rediscover his best form.
However, Wednesday’s heroics sent a clear message in return — the 26-year-old is still one of Arteta’s superstars.
Owen Hargreaves says Martin Odegaard has proved he's still Arsenal's star man
This is echoed by TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves, who told the panel during last night’s broadcast that Odegaard was back to his “absolute best” against Olympiacos.
The £240,000-per-week playmaker now has Eberechi Eze to compete with for a place in the centre of Arsenal’s attacking midfield, alongside Ethan Nwaneri, who the Gunners wish to deploy more centrally rather than in the wide area like last season (David Ornstein).
Odegaard will undoubtedly be mindful of the growing competition for a place in Arteta’s starting elevens, but he appears to be staking his claim as an undroppable following last night’s sumptuous display and his assist against Newcastle last weekend.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother, Dolores Aveiro, took to social media to congratulate her grandson on receiving his first call-up to the Portugal Under-16 national team. Portugal faced Turkey on Thursday in their opening game of the Federations Cup, and Ronaldo Jr came off the bench to make his debut for the Selecao U-16 side.
Ronaldo Jr gets big call up to Portugal youth team
Ronaldo Jr, affectionately known as Cristianinho in Portugal, was called up to the U16s squad for the first time ahead of the Federations Cup, which started in Turkey on Thursday and runs until November 4. Ronaldo Jr, aiming to follow in his father’s footsteps having already been part of the youth setups at Juventus, Manchester United and Al-Nassr, came off the bench in the dying stages of the tournament opener as Portugal ran out 2-0 winners.
“He’s very competitive, like me when I was young, and he doesn’t like to lose,” Cristiano Ronaldo Sr said about his son.
However, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has also been careful not to place too much pressure on his eldest child, stressing the importance of letting him grow and learn on his own. “I don’t make big pressure; I make a little. He already has pressure being the son of Cristiano. Let him make his own mistakes, but I hope that in the future he can become a professional player.”
AdvertisementGood wishes from grandma
Ahead of the game, Aveiro posted a photo of her grandson Ronaldo Jr with the caption: “Go PORTUGAL under-16s”.
AFPJunior looking to follow in iconic father's footsteps
Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal’s Under-15 team in 2001 at just 15 years old. After progressing through the youth ranks, his rapid rise at United in the Premier League earned him a senior call-up from then Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. Ronaldo impressed in the European Championship qualifiers and friendlies, eventually earning a place in Portugal’s Euro 2004 squad, where the team reached the final before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Greece.
Ronaldo has gone on to become Portugal’s all-time top scorer, netting 143 goals in 225 appearances. His crowning moment came in 2016 when he captained Portugal to their first major international trophy, winning Euro 2016 after defeating France 1-0 in the final. He later added another title in 2019, leading Portugal to victory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League, where he also finished as the tournament’s top scorer. Despite Portugal’s exit in Euro 2020, Ronaldo again demonstrated his consistency by winning the tournament’s Golden Boot.
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AFPWhat comes next?
Ronaldo Sr will hope that Ronaldo Jr can handle the pressure and expectations as he prepares to build on his debut for the national youth team. The match could mark an important step towards fulfilling both his and his father’s shared dream of seeing Ronaldo Jr become a professional footballer.
India took a six-run lead into their second innings at Headingley
Matt Roller22-Jun-2025
Harry Brook had a big part to play in shaping the Headingley Test match•Getty Images
Harry Brook threw his head back in despair after picking out long leg but his innings of 99 set up a tantalising one-innings match at his home ground. India had three first-innings centurions to England’s one and Jasprit Bumrah completed a dazzling five-for to prove he is a class above any other bowler on show, yet only six runs separated the two teams after eight sessions.Reprieved before he had scored a run on the second evening thanks to Bumrah overstepping, Brook made India pay for their profligacy. He was dropped twice – on 46, then on 80 – but played several outrageous shots as he approached his first Headingley Test hundred, only to fall into a short-ball trap by pulling Prasidh Krishna down Shardul Thakur’s throat.Related
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Bumrah shoulders heavy load to underscore what India will miss
Pope determined to deliver 'runs after runs after runs'
But England’s lower order ensured that they raced towards parity. Where India had lost their last five wickets for 24, England added 189 in 35.5 overs, with Chris Woakes pulling back-to-back sixes to reach 2000 Test runs. Bumrah cleaned up his stumps, then Josh Tongue’s, to clinch his third five-wicket haul in England and give India a slender lead.It meant the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy would be determined by both teams’ second innings, and KL Rahul batted with characteristic class to lay the early foundations for a steep England target. But Ben Stokes’ late wicket of B Sai Sudharsan, three overs before rain brought an early close, left the match in the balance heading into the final two days.After his near-miss on Saturday night, Brook made his intentions for Sunday morning clear by cutting Prasidh for four and swiping him over midwicket for six in the very first over, and then charging down to slap Bumrah’s first ball through the covers. It was audacious batting, but underpinned by Brook’s trust in the reliable bounce of his home pitch.Ollie Pope could only add six runs to his overnight 100 not out, fiddling Prasidh behind off a short, wide ball, but Jamie Smith joined Brook and matched his attacking tempo. India rotated their seamers from one end while Ravindra Jadeja kept things tight at the other, and it was Jadeja who had Brook put down first, Rishabh Pant failing to gather an outside edge.Jasprit Bumrah has three Test match five-wicket hauls in England•Alex Davidson/Getty ImagesSmith was given out in single-figures, but successfully reviewed an lbw decision after being hit on the shin by a full toss; Thakur thought he had dismissed him, but remained largely anonymous and leaked 38 runs in the six overs he bowled. After three days, Shubman Gill must rue the decision to leave Kuldeep Yadav carrying the drinks.India resolved to test England’s patience with a bouncer barrage, and Smith could not resist the temptation. He crunched Prasidh over square leg for six with a vicious pull, but miscued a wider short ball two balls later and fell to a smart relay catch as Jadeja parried the chance up to Sai Sudharsan in the deep. It was an ill-timed brain fade: the new ball was due at the end of the over.Brook resolved to use it to his advantage, blazing consecutive boundaries off a fired-up Mohammed Siraj, who let him know what he thought of his aggression. Bumrah covered his eyes in frustration when Yashasvi Jaiswal shelled Brook at gully, and Siraj soon backed off when Brook launched him over long-on for a towering straight six.On 99, Brook lined up his opportunity to reach three-figures with a boundary; instead, he was left to drag himself off the field. That prompted Woakes to become the aggressor, taking only 36 balls to add 50 for the eighth wicket with Brydon Carse before Siraj and Bumrah (twice) left the stumps splayed.5:39
Manjrekar: ‘All possibilities open’ in the last two days
Woakes held his back hip while receiving treatment during his 38, and his average speed with the new ball dipped below 80mph. But Carse cranked it up to 90mph running up the hill, and struck an early blow with a snorter to Jaiswal which angled in from around the wicket, bounced steeply and took the outside edge.To the backdrop of a boisterous Western Terrace, much livelier than it had been through the first two days, Rahul was the calmest man at Headingley. He drove Carse for two fours in three balls: the first down the ground and the second pinged through the covers, and seized on Shoaib Bashir’s early drag-down.Sai Sudharsan walked out on a pair and guided his first ball to the boundary, playing late and building a substantial partnership with Rahul for the second wicket. But he fell to Stokes for the second time in the match, chipping an inswinger to short midwicket and failing to punish Ben Duckett for a drop at gully.Light but persistent rain brought the day to an early, anticlimactic ending, but with the sense that another Headingley classic is brewing.