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Chelsea have received a major shot in the arm regarding their hunt to strengthen a problem position under Mauricio Pochettino, according to reports.

Chelsea's striker woes continue…

Despite moving to bring in big-money signing Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal in the summer, Chelsea have struggled in front of goal so far this campaign, and their profligacy in the final third continues to hinder their chances of making marked progression under Pochettino.

In the Premier League, the Blues have taken just 12 points from their opening ten fixtures, scoring a tame 13 goals in the process, ranking them firmly in the middle of the pack regarding chances converted across the division.

England international Raheem Sterling has provided the main threat in attack for Chelsea, registering four goals and one assist across all competitions this term from 12 outings.

Nevertheless, new arrival Jackson and Cobham graduate Armando Broja are the only recognised strikers on the books at Stamford Bridge and have mustered just three strikes between them from a combined 16 appearances (Chelsea squad statistics – Transfermarkt).

Broja has been unavailable for Chelsea since the last international break due to an injury sustained on duty with Albania; however, Blues boss Pochettino has confirmed that the 22-year-old could now be in contention for his matchday squad on Monday, where Chelsea will face a stiff test in the form of an away trip to Premier League high-flyers Tottenham Hotspur.

Speaking to Chelsea's official website, Pochettino stated: "It’s good because today we were talking and maybe he will be available to be on the bench for Monday. He was training today and before in the last few days, and doing well. I hope that he can be involved in the game, but still, it’s not confirmed."

Now, it looks as if the Argentinian has been given a major boost in his bid to address the Blues' striking woes come the January transfer window.

Chelsea given major Ivan Toney boost

Ivan Toney's Brentford goal record – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

124

Goals

68

Assists

21

According to a transfer update from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have been given a major boost in their pursuit of Brentford forward Ivan Toney, who is said to have told his current employers that he hopes to seek a new challenge in the January transfer window. Arsenal are also keen on the England international; however, any interested suitors would likely need to fork out a fee in the region of £80m to secure his services.

Manchester United were also believed to be in pursuit of the former Newcastle United striker, though they have since turned their focus toward alternative targets due to Financial Fair Play stringencies, scuppering the prospect of Toney moving to Old Trafford.

Described as "remarkable" by Brentford boss Thomas Frank, Toney is free to return to competitive action on January 16th 2024 following a lengthy ban for breaching FA betting rules.

Having already been back in a cycle of training for several months, it is imaginable that the 27-year-old wouldn't be too far away from being able to make his comeback in the Premier League, which has evidently piqued Chelsea's interest as they look to find a clinical edge in front of goal.

A lot has changed since the last (mis)match between the two sides, but India will be relieved at having made the final, and can worry about more pressing issues ahead of the World Cup

The Preview by Varun Shetty24-Sep-20181:43

ESPN Shorts: Mohammad Shahzad

Big pictureIt’s been a while since India have played Afghanistan in a limited-overs game. Their last meeting was also at an Asia Cup, in 2014. It was long before Afghanistan had so much as given a hint that they would transform into the exciting force they are these days. India won on that occasion, by eight wickets, in a complete mismatch, but that will hardly be the case this time around, though they will come up against a largely similar batting line-up.Afghanistan’s batsmen have fired in every match this tournament, and on the occasions they’ve won or come close to winning, their spinners have been as menacing as ever. It might not even be a stretch to say that they’ve consistently been the second-best team in the tournament without having the results to show for it.For that reason, India will be somewhat relieved that this fixture comes with their spot in the final already sealed and Afghanistan’s elimination already confirmed. In the short-term, it allows them a day to possibly stretch their roster and get their middle-order batsmen some practice ahead of the final, and in the long term, find more answers ahead of the 2019 World Cup.Form guideIndia WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan LLWWW
In the spotlightIndia’s batting order outside the top-three is still not clear. KL Rahul was among the No. 4 aspirants last year, but his non-inclusion in any of the games so far hints that he might now be seen as only a back-up opener. Ostensibly, this would mean that Ambati Rayudu, who is now batting at No. 3 in the absence of Virat Kohli, has pushed ahead of Rahul for the No. 4 race, and will tussle with the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Manish Pandey. Over the last year, India have even occasionally promoted Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni to No. 4, making it even more unclear as to who has most trust from the management. The Afghanistan game will give them another opportunity to scan middle-order candidates.3:00

Manjrekar: India should rest Dhawan and play Rahul

At No. 3, Rahmat Shah has both the technique and the numbers to back up the claim that he is Afghanistan’s best batsman. Shah got a 72 against Sri Lanka in the tournament opener, and his 36 against Pakistan on Friday stopped a potential collapse. But in both those cases, Shah couldn’t carry himself into the final stages of the innings, and when Afghanistan chased for the first time against Bangladesh on Sunday, Shah was run out for 1. In his final shot in the tournament, against one of the best sides in the world, he will look to tighten up and bat long.Team newsBoth teams chose to forego training and press conferences ahead of the game, and there are no indications of team changes as a result. But India could be tempted to shuffle their batting around and bring back Khaleel Ahmed to ease the load on some of their players.India (possible XI): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan/KL Rahul, 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 MS Dhoni/Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Siddarth Kaul, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah/Khaleel Ahmed, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalAfghanistan’s seamers haven’t had the best of times, and that could tempt them to make a few changes. Left-arm seamer Sayed Shirzad, and 18-year old right-arm fast bowler Wafadar Momand could both be in line for ODI debuts.Afghanistan (possible XI): 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Ihsanullah/Munir Ahmad, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Asghar Afghan (capt), 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Samiullah Shenwari/Najibullah Zadran, 8 Gulbadin Naib/Sayed Shirzad, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Aftab Alam/Wafadar Momand, 11 Mujeeb Ur RahmanPitch and conditionsThis will be Afghanistan’s first match in Dubai this tournament, but they won’t be greeted with conditions that will be too different from Abu Dhabi, both in terms of temperature and the surface. The average temperature is expected to be 37 degrees celsius and no rain is predicted.Stats and trivia MS Dhoni needs 95 more to complete 10,000 runs for India in ODIs, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar needs four wickets to reach 100. Among the top three run-scorers this tournament, Hashmatullah Shahidi (263 runs, 17 fours, no sixes) has hit significantly fewer boundaries than Shikhar Dhawan (327 runs, 41 fours, three sixes) and Rohit Sharma (269 runs, 22 fours, 10 sixes)

Carlo Ancelotti insists Jude Bellingham's two-match ban was "exaggerated" and confirmed Real Madrid are appealing the suspension.

Article continues below

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• Bellingham sent off for dissent
• Receives two-match La Liga ban
• Ancelotti says Madrid appealing suspension

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bellingham received a red card for dissent after his last-minute winner against Valencia was chalked off as the final whistle had already been blown earlier this month. The England international told the referee, "It's a f*cking goal", was dismissed, and then was hit with a two game-ban – something Ancelotti has confirmed the club are appealing.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  WHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID

  Ancelotti told reporters: "Bellingham's sanction? We have appealed because we think the sanction is exaggerated. It was not an insult, the minutes say it. They have evaluated the aggressive way to approach the referee. Bellingham protested, like everyone else. Many do it more exaggerated than him. And nothing else. We think that the sanction is not correct."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Madrid have reportedly appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sportafter the Spanish Football Federation rejected an appeal to reduce his suspension. Incidentally, Bellingham is currently set to miss Madrid's La Liga games against Celta Vigo on Saturday evening and Osasuna next weekend. With Barcelona winning on Friday, Los Blancos' lead at the top is down to five points but they have a game in hand. If they can win these two fixtures without Bellingham, they will be in a strong position to win the title.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  While Madrid and Bellingham await the result from CAS, Ancelotti's side host Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu looking to go eight points clear at the top of the table. They then face Osasuna before the March international break.

Celtic are back in action in the Champions League this evening as they prepare to travel to Germany to take on Bayern Munich in a defining clash.

The Hoops lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich at Parkhead last week and this means that they will need a huge result against the Bundesliga giants tonight to turn things around, or else they will be knocked out of the competition at the play-off stage.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have been in action since their loss to the Bavarian team, though, as they beat Dundee United 3-0 in Glasgow at the weekend in the Scottish Premiership.

As you can see in the highlights above, all three of Celtic’s goals were impressive as Callum McGregor, Jota, and Adam Idah produced moments of individual quality.

Idah’s strike was the pick of the bunch as he cut in from the left flank to unleash a tremendous effort into the far top corner for his 13th goal of the season in all competitions.

Last week, Celtic were on the wrong end of a stunning strike from a similar range when Michael Olise put Bayern Munich 1-0 up in the second half.

Michael Olise's Bayern brilliance

The former Reading and Crystal Palace star beautifully controlled a ball over to the right wing and cut inside of Greg Taylor with ease before unleashing a sublime shot into the top corner of Kasper Schmeichel’s near post.

It was a sensational goal from Olise and one that broke the deadlock on the night, as it had been a tense 0-0 game until he delivered that moment of brilliance.

That strike was the London-born magician’s 11th goal in all competitions for Bayern this season since he made the move from Crystal Palace last summer to try his luck in the Bundesliga.

The left-footed wizard had racked up an impressive return of ten goals and six assists in 19 appearances in the Premier League for the Eagles in the 2023/24 campaign, which attracted Bayern’s attention.

Olise has hit the ground running in Bavaria as a left-footed right winger with the ability to score and assist goals on a regular basis, cutting in on his favored foot to devastating effect at the top end of the pitch.

Starts

17

xG

4.60

Goals

6

Big chances created

13

Key passes per game

2.0

Assists

7

As you can see in the table above, the France international has been directly involved in 13 goals in 17 starts in the Bundesliga so far this term, and has been let down by the wasteful finishing of his teammates at times, as they have only scored seven times from the 13 ‘big chances’ that he has created for them.

Celtic will need to contain his threat better than they did in the first leg, but they could also cause Bayern problems by unleashing their own version of Olise on the right flank, and that is not Hyun-jun Yang.

Why Hyun-jun Yang should be dropped

The South Korean forward was selected to start on the right side of the front three in the 3-0 win over Dundee United at Parkhead in the Premiership on Saturday.

Chalkboard

Rodgers must, however, instantly drop the former Gangwon attacker from the starting line-up for this clash with Bayern Munich in the Champions League tonight, despite his assist for McGregor’s goal.

Yang’s short pass to the captain led to the midfielder’s brilliant run into the box and finish, but the winger also missed a ‘big chance’, completed one of his three attempted dribbles, and lost six of his nine duels.

These statistics show that it was far from a perfect performance from the 22-year-old forward, who has struggled for consistency in the final third throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

Appearances

5

15

Goals

0

1

Key passes per game

0.6

0.8

Big chances created

1

2

Assists

1

1

As you can see in the table above, Yang has failed to offer much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch in the Champions League or the Premiership.

This is why Rodgers must ruthlessly ditch him from the XI for this knockout clash with Bayern tonight, and Nicolas Kuhn is the man who should replace him in the line-up.

Why Nicolas Kuhn could be Celtic's own Michael Olise

The German forward has the potential to be Celtic’s own version of the game-changing Olise from last week if he can step up with a big performance this evening.

Kuhn thought he had his own moment of glory in the match after just 26 seconds when he cut in from the right flank and found the bottom corner of Manuel Neuer’s goal with an excellent left-footed strike from distance, only for VAR to ultimately rule it out for Idah being in an offside position in front of the German legend.

Unfortunately, the Celtic winger was unable to produce another moment of magic on the night, but his form this season suggests that he is very capable of being a match-winner for the Scottish giants this evening.

Like Olise, the 25-year-old star, who was once described as “magical” by Rodgers, is a left-footed forward who typically plays on the right flank and cuts in to produce goals and assists on a regular basis.

Appearances

21

9

Goals

10

2

Big chances created

8

4

Key passes per game

1.8

1.6

Assists

6

1

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn has delivered goals and ‘big chances’ created with regularity for the Hoops in both the Premiership and the Champions League this season.

These statistics show that the former Bayern youth prospect has the quality to step up and deliver a big moment for Celtic tonight, as he almost did with his disallowed goal last week.

Van Dijk 2.0: Celtic can strike gold with young gem who's dominant & pacey

Brendan Rodgers could unearth his own version of Virgil van Dijk in the young ace.

ByDan Emery Feb 11, 2025

That is why Rodgers has to drop Yang, who has lacked consistency in the final third throughout the season, in order to unleash his own version of Olise from the start on the right wing in Bavaria tonight, in the hope that he can fire Celtic through to the last 16 of the competition.

Aston Villa are leading the race to sign a new attacking superstar from overseas, and a fresh report has shared details of where the two parties currently stand in negotiations.

What's the latest transfer news at Aston Villa?

Unai Emery had a busy summer transfer window, bringing in a total of five fresh faces, with Moussa Diaby joining permanently from Bayer Leverkusen, Pau Torres from Villarreal, Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet both signing on loan and Youri Tielemans on a free transfer from Leicester City.

In terms of outgoings, Cameron Archer, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, Marvelous Nakamba, Keinan Davis, Ashley Young, Wesley, Philippe Coutinho, Morgan Sanson and Viljami Sinisalo all sealed exits on either a temporary or permanent basis, leaving room for the boss to bolster his ranks in January.

One of the players to have been linked with a move a number of times in the past is Sporting CP’s Pedro Goncalves, with the left-winger having previously been the subject of enquiries from the side in the Midlands.

Whilst reports suggested that the top-flight side walked away from a deal for the 25-year-old due to the €80m (£68m) release clause included in his contract, Correio Da Manha have since claimed that the club remain interested in a future swoop for the Portuguese sensation, with further details on the board’s pursuit having now emerged.

Are Aston Villa signing Pedro Goncalves?

According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa are “particularly” the club in pole position to sign Goncalves, despite him receiving other “approaches” from the Premier League.

NSWE, Monchi and Emery are in “ongoing” contact regarding a deal for the attacker.

Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are also “attentive” to his situation, though having seen a bid turned down over the summer, the Villa Park outfit appear to be taking a second bite of the cherry.

How many goals has Pedro Goncalves scored?

During his time at Sporting CP, Goncalves has racked up a remarkable 93 contributions (59 goals and 34 assists) in 133 appearances for Ruben Amorim’s side, so should he put pen to paper at Aston Villa in the near future, it would be a massive coup for Emery.

The Jorge Pires client has continued his impressive form this season having so far whipped a total of 24 crosses into the opposition’s box which is more than any of his fellow teammates, alongside having 12 shots himself which is the second-highest tally at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, via FBRef.

The Vidago native, who has been nicknamed the “New Bruno Fernandes” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also flexible in where he plays having been deployed in six different positions since the start of his career, including three roles in the final third and three in the midfield, so his versatility would be another fantastic attribute for the boss to have at his disposal.

Finally, Goncalves knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having won four trophies with his current club, not to mention the individual recognition he’s received on the international stage having been named Portugal’s Player of the Season in 2021.

Further action against Australia captain Steven Smith, deputy David Warner, the coach Darren Lehmann and any other implicated members of the South Africa touring party will be confirmed by Wednesday morning, enough time for replacement players and staff to be flown to Johannesburg ahead of the fourth and final Test of a series now synonymous with the ball-tampering fiasco of Cape Town.

MCC calls for cultural shift

Cricket’s leaders must be at the vanguard of a cultural shift for the game to eradicate the spiral of poor behaviour towards Australia’s calculated ball tampering offence during the Newlands Test, according to the game’s traditional law-makers, the MCC.
“Changing the condition of the ball is prohibited under Law 41 concerning Unfair Play,” the MCC chief executive John Stephenson said. “Law 41 also places upon the captains of both sides the responsibility for ensuring that play is carried out in accordance with the spirit of the game as well as within the Laws.
“The behaviour of some of the players in the current South Africa/Australia series, and other incidents in recent times in the game we all cherish, has fallen well below the standard required to inspire future generations of cricket-loving families. The time has come for a major shift in attitude and culture of all those with responsibility for leadership within the game, to give young players the kind of role models who will uphold standards, preserve cricket and, vitally, the Spirit of Cricket for future generations.”

In the face of universal outrage from Cricket Australia’s corporate sponsors and amid negotiations for the next round of broadcast rights, the chief executive James Sutherland will travel to Johannesburg to assess the findings of the integrity officer Iain Roy’s hurried investigation into the events of the Newlands Test, which commenced at the Australian team hotel in Cape Town on Monday.While the CA’s code-of-behaviour (CoB) charges likely to be brought against numerous members of the Australian team will require CoB commission hearings, with the right to natural justice and procedural fairness are also enshrined in its terms, the board will have the option of standing down any players or coaching staff found to be in breach until the hearing or hearings can be held with an independent commissioner.This means that in addition to Smith, already banned from the Wanderers Test by the ICC, Warner is almost certainly set to miss the match, with Cameron Bancroft also an unlikely participant. CA advised state associations on Monday of Roy’s investigation needing to be concluded in time to determine “at a minimum” selections for the fourth Test, which starts on Friday, and of the possibility of replacement players being flown over. Justin Langer, the Western Australia coach, is also reportedly waiting in the wings should Lehmann be removed.Sutherland’s journey to South Africa has echoes of a similar trip made on the eve of the 2013 Ashes series, when the then coach Mickey Arthur was replaced by Lehmann as a result of disciplinary problems within the team personified by Warner’s drunken punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham bar following the loss of a match at the Champions Trophy. At the time, Sutherland spoke of “grasping the nettle” in advance of public expectation, but this time he and CA have been left reacting to a far greater level of umbrage.2:28

A brief history of ball-tampering in cricket

“Iain Roy and Pat Howard arrive in Cape Town this morning local time, and Iain will immediately conduct his inquiries around the specifics of the ball-tampering incident,” Sutherland said. “I am travelling to Johannesburg this evening and will arrive Tuesday morning local time to meet Iain to understand the findings of the investigation to that point, and to determine recommended outcomes. We know Australians want answers and we will keep you updated on our findings and next steps, as a matter of urgency.”Players most likely to be added to the squad will come from the Queensland and Tasmanian teams currently contesting the Sheffield Shield final, which ends in Brisbane on Tuesday. The Bulls openers Matt Renshaw and Joe Burns, plus the Tasmanian captain George Bailey, would appear the most likely players to be called up.There has been considerable disquiet within the team about events, with the pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc particularly unhappy to be drawn into the episode via Smith’s use of the term “leadership group” to describe discussions around ball tampering. At the same time, Warner is becoming seen as the central player in the decision to try to manipulate the condition of the ball with a foreign object, leading his opening partner Bancroft to make the attempt captured on television cameras.Save for the acting captain Tim Paine’s brief appearance at the end of the Newlands Test, no member of the Australian team has spoken publicly since Smith’s initial press conference alongside Bancroft. Lehmann’s customary post-match media conference did not take place, and a call with the spin bowler Nathan Lyon was also cancelled on Monday after Sutherland’s plan to fly to South Africa emerged – he is now expected to be the next person to speak on the events of Newlands, in Johannesburg on Tuesday night local time.”The Cricket Australia Board has been fully updated on the issue and supports James travelling to South Africa to manage the response to the investigation currently underway,” the CA chairman David Peever said. “We expect to be able to fully update the Australian public on the findings on Wednesday morning. We understand that everyone wants answers, but we must follow our due diligence before any further decisions are made.”James Sutherland leaves a press conference•Getty Images

The urgency of the issue for CA was underlined on Monday by an unprecedented rush of critical comments from corporate sponsors of the governing body and individual players. Sanitarium, Qantas, Lion, Commonwealth Bank, KFC, Accenture, Magellan Financial Group and the heath insurer Bupa, all expressed disappointment in the national team and encouraged CA to take prompt action.A spokesperson for Sanitarium, which sponsors the Twenty20 Big Bash League and also Smith, said the company would consider its future relationship with the suspended captain pending the outcome of the CA investigation. “Cricket Australia updated us on this issue as the story broke yesterday and we’re continuing to follow it closely. It’s a shameful moment for Australian sport.”Regarding our sponsorship relationship with Steve Smith, we will assess our response once the management team of Cricket Australia has finalised its investigations. Like the rest of Australia, we’re incredibly disappointed. The actions taken by the team in South Africa are not aligned with our own – Sanitarium does not condone cheating in sport. We expect Cricket Australia to continue to keep us updated over the coming days and weeks.”Former England captain Michael Atherton, himself embroiled in a ball tampering scandal in a Test match against South Africa at Lord’s in 1994, said that Smith did not appear to realise the gravity of the situation when he first spoke about it. “It seemed clear to me from watching Smith’s press conference, that he had not grasped the seriousness of his situation,” he wrote in the .”He could have been talking about a dropped catch or two. When I was fined at Lord’s in 1994, the first thing I did was call Graham Gooch into the back office and ask him whether he thought I should resign. Even in those fraught hours, I was completely aware of the gravity of the situation, and that it was a possibility that I would have to stand down. Smith seemed to lack that awareness which speaks of hubris.”

Nottingham Forest have entered the running to sign Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi, but a fresh report has revealed that he’s already agreed personal terms to join another club in the Premier League.

How old is Callum Hudson-Odoi?

Hudson-Odoi is 22 years of age and an academy graduate at Stamford Bridge having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to get promoted to the first team back in 2019, but having spent last season out on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, his future is up in the air.

The Blues’ left-winger will also be out of contract in less than a year meaning that the ongoing window will be Mauricio Pochettino’s final opportunity to cash in should he not want to risk losing him for free, and The Athletic have reported that the player wants to leave.

Football Transfers previously reported that the Reds are likely to be one of the favourites to land England’s former international should he depart with Steve Cooper having managed him during his time in the Three Lions setup, and there’s a chance that a reunion could be on the cards should the following update be believed.

Are Nottingham Forest signing Callum Hudson-Odoi?

According to The Evening Standard, Nottingham Forest and Everton have "entered the race" to sign Hudson-Odoi this summer, but it would appear that Fulham are currently in pole position to secure his services.

Chelsea's attacker has already "verbally agreed terms" to join Marco Silva's side as a result of being willing to take a "significant pay cut" to cut ties with his parent club, who are demanding a fee of £8m to sanction his sale, a price which the Cottagers don't want to meet.

How good is Callum Hudson-Odoi?

Nottingham Forest will know that Chelsea have never really given Hudson-Odoi a fair chance to prove what he’s capable of at senior level, but Cooper will know the ins and outs of his potential, so therefore, he could be the perfect manager to kickstart his career at The City Ground.

The Wandsworth-born talent has posted 89 goal contributions (48 goals and 41 assists) in 208 appearances since the start of his career, and he’s not only prolific in the final third because he also last season recorded an 86.9% pass success rate, showing he has strong link-up play with his fellow teammates around the opposition’s penalty area.

Sponsored by Adidas, the attacker, who has the versatility to operate in seven different positions across the grass, additionally has a great record when visiting the Midlands outfit having won both of the two matches that he was involved in, scoring once and assisting twice, as per Transfermarkt, so imagine what he could do if he was on the home side.

Pochettino’s “incredible” player, as dubbed by his former manager Frank Lampard, also has success running through his veins having secured five first-team trophies with the Blues, including the likes of the Champions League, Europa League and UEFA Supercup, so he could bring a much-needed winning mentality to NG2, and by the looks of things, a deal could be one to keep an eye on.

Tim Southee celebrates captaincy debut with a win as West Indies wither away in steep chase to remain winless on tour

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDynamic fifties from Colin Munro and Glenn Phillips laid the base, the lower order pitched in, then a sharp New Zealand attack aided by even sharper catching, saw the hosts trounce West Indies for the sixth time on tour.The visitors were also complicit in their own demise, leaking too many runs in the second half of New Zealand’s innings, and later failing to gain any momentum in their chase of 188. In the 10th over, they were 61 for 3 – the required rate already having risen to 12. Batsmen continued to fall as the pressure mounted. The eventual margin of defeat was 47 runs, the last wicket falling in the 19th over.Getty ImagesThough the top order paced the innings intelligently, and the quicks were efficient in defence of a big score, it was New Zealand’s fielding that truly delighted. Phillips pulled off two outstanding catches from behind the stumps, first tracking a Chris Gayle top edge back from his wicket-keeping position to complete a spectacular diving take past the thirty-yard circle. Then later, he flung himself to his right to intercept an edge off Rovman Powell’s bat.Debutant Anaru Kitchen also claimed a sharp catch at cover, the ground fielding was athletic, and Phillips completed two stumpings to boot. New Zealand were missing some key players in this XI, but their peerless fielding standards did not dip on account on their absence.There was hope for West Indies in the first few overs of the match. Martin Guptill was trapped in front of the stumps by Jerome Taylor in the second over, and Samuel Badree kept the scoring on a leash through the Powerplay. It was not until the eighth over that Munro truly broke free, whipping Kesrick Williams to deep square leg for four, then slamming the two subsequent deliveries for six, in the rough direction of cow corner. With that 19-run over, the innings had come alive.Munro would go in to complete a fifty off 31 deliveries, before eventually being caught by a diving Carlos Brathwaite at long on. The 86-run stand for the second wicket was ended, but Phillips – who had cruised to only 31 off 29 balls at the time, kicked on. He cracked Brathwaite for a six and a four – one boundary either side of the wicket – next over, before meting out punishment even to Badree, who is perhaps the most indomitable operator in the T20 game. Badree did soon have his revenge, however. Having been struck for two fours in the14th over, he dipped a ball past Phillips’ defence, and took out the stumps.The remainder of New Zealand’s innings was comprised of brief-but-impactful contributions – Ross Taylor hitting 20 off 13 balls, and Mitchell Santner producing 23 off 11. Though the batsmen were clinical, it was Williams’ awful final over that propelled New Zealand’s total from competitive to commanding. Delivering three no-balls – two for overstepping and one for bowling too many bouncers – Williams also two fours and a six to Santner, giving away 25. Having also bowled the two most-expensive overs in the innings, his figures were 1 for 52.In response, West Indies never really had the measure of this chase. Openers Gayle and Walton fell to successive deliveries from debutant seamer Seth Rance, and though Shai Hope and Andre Fletcher attempted a recovery, they did not score quickly enough to worry the hosts. Fletcher appeared to be warming to his work when he ran down the pitch one too many times at Ish Sodhi, and had the ball slip past his blade. The wickets tumbled quickly after that. Jason Mohammed and Shai Hope were out in the 11th over, bowled by Doug Bracewell.Brathwaite then struck some heavy blows, before he and Powell departed in the same Tim Southee over. With five overs remaining, West Indies were seven down and required 87 – a near impossible requirement. Rance dismissed Badree to end the innings, and collected figures of 3 for 30, which were the best in the match.

واصل فريق باير ليفركوزن أرقامه القياسية في الموسم الحالي بعدما حقق فوزًا ضد بوخوم، اليوم الأحد، في بطولة الدوري الألماني.

وتلاقى الفريقان في خضم منافسات الجولة الثالثة والثلاثين من الدوري الألماني، حيث فاز باير ليفركوزن بخمسة أهداف دون رد.

كان بوخوم قد اضطر إلى اللعب بـ 10 لاعبين فقط منذ الدقيقة 15 من عمر الشوط الأول، بعدما حصل لاعب الفريق فيليكس باسلاك على بطاقة حمراء.

وجاء الهدف الأول لكتيبة تشابي ألونسو في الدقيقة 41 عن طريق اللاعب باتريك تشيك.

وحصل ليفركوزن على ضربة جزاء، في الدقيقة الثانية من الوقت المحتسب بدلَا من الضائع للشوط الأول، حيث نفذها فيكتور بونيفاس بنجاح.

وفي الدقيقة 76، أحرز أمين عدلي الهدف الثالث لفريق باير ليفركوزن، قبل أن يسجل زميله جوسيب ستاينشيتش الهدف الرابع في الدقيقة 86.

بينما أنهى أليكس جريمالدو خماسية الضيوف بعدما سجل هدفًا في الدقيقة 93.

وخاض باير ليفركوزن 5 مباراة متتالية في مختلف المسابقات دون أن يتعرض فيها للهزيمة، محققًا رقمًا قياسيًا فريدًا، حيث يُعد صاحب أطول سلسلة بلا هزيمة منذ بدأ المسابقات الأوروبية 1955/56.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد باير ليفركوزن إلى 87 نقطة في المركز الأول في الدوري الألماني، بينما تجمد رصيد بوخوم عند 33 نقطة في المركز الرابع عشر.

Chelsea have placed Crystal Palace star Michael Olise "in their list" of targets for the summer, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Michael Olise?

Olise is naturally an attacking midfielder who has played his football in the Premier League and indeed at Selhurst Park since joining from Reading back in 2021, where he was an academy graduate. He's since gone on to become a regular feature of Roy Hodgson's first-team having made 31 starts in the top-flight last season.

Despite still having another three years to run on his contract, the 21-year-old established himself as the Eagles' second best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.99 during the previous campaign and this form has already attracted interest from two clubs in particular in the form of both Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.

Mauricio Pochettino will know that he has to enter the market for central reinforcements before the end of the ongoing window having already lost the likes of Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante just to name a few, and if the following update is to be believed, the Frenchman has been highlighted as a new option.

Are Chelsea signing Michael Olise?

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Chelsea have identified Olise as a serious summer target but are currently holding back to discover the possible extent of an injury that he sustained in June. He wrote:

"Chelsea and Manchester City have both Michael Olise in their list. Understand there’s release clause into his contract — around £35m. #CFC #MCFC Both clubs are waiting for clarity about his conditions as he picked up injury last month."

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly hasn't been afraid to empty his pockets so far this summer having recruited the likes of RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku and Villarreal's Nicolas Jackson for decent fees, and with Olise being available for just £35m, he would be an absolute bargain and a player that the chief should definitely consider making a move for.

The Nike-sponsored "joy to watch", as lauded by Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison, racked up 13 goal contributions (11 assists and two goals) in 37 Premier League appearances last season, form which saw him receive five man-of-the-match awards, but he was equally a threat even when his name wasn't on the scoresheet.

The Hammersmith-born talent recorded a total of 242 crosses and 143 shot-creating actions over the course of the previous campaign, both statistics being the highest out of the whole of his squad, as per FBRef, showing his constant desire to get involved in the action and produce moments of quality for his fellow teammates in the final third.

Finally, Olise would be able to add wonderful versatility to the boss' ranks having operated in seven different positions since the start of his career, including four roles in the midfield, out wide on both the left and right flanks and even as a second striker, so should he put pen to paper, it would be a massive coup for Pochettino's new era.