The German now has even more reasons to look forward to taking charge of the Three Lions in January after a resounding win at Wembley
Lee Carsley ended his spell as England interim coach just as he had begun it – with a punishing win over Ireland. The former Ireland player began his tenure hopeful that he could land the job on a permanent basis, but from last month he already knew that he would be handing over to Thomas Tuchel. And the German has a lot to be grateful to his predecessor for.
When he officially begins his new job on January 1, Tuchel will be working with a team in rude health who are back where they belong, dining at Europe's top table after winning promotion back to UEFA Nations League A. Wherever he was watching the game, Tuchel will have been reminded of the everlasting brilliance of Harry Kane, who sparked a rampant second-half demolition with a peach of a pass to Jude Bellingham, resulting in England winning a penalty and Ireland having defender Liam Scales sent off.
It was a downhill ride for the Three Lions from then on, as four first-time scorers got in on the act over the course of their 5-0 rout. But there was a word of warning for those who chose to sit out this international camp: there are plenty of players willing to take your place.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Wembley..
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WINNER: Harry Kane
Kane responded to being dropped from the starting line-up for Thursday's win over Greece by giving England a reminder of what makes him so special. While the Three Lions have a whole host of dazzling wingers and even another fine centre-forward in Ollie Watkins, they have very few players with an ability to pick out a pass that can split an entire defence and turn a game on its head.
Kane was not having the most enjoyable outing when the half-time whistle went. He botched a promising move on the counter when he was dispossessed by Scales, and he showed his frustration when he hauled Jayson Molumby to the floor at the end of the first half, collecting a booking in the process. But he changed the game shortly after the break with his world-class ball to Bellingham, which he later admitted was the best pass he had delivered in his career.
Even though Caoimhin Kelleher has a fine penalty-saving record at Wembley, he stood no chance in the face of Kane, who scored his 23rd consecutive spot-kick since missing against France at the last World Cup. From there, Kane continued to fuel England's attacks with his long-range passes, and his performance underlined why Gareth Southgate kept on picking him during Euro 2024, despite his questionable levels of sharpness. He will not always deliver 10/10 performances, but he still has a talismanic quality which will make him an asset to Tuchel.
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LOSER: The missing players
England's players who had declared themselves not fit for the two games had already faced the wrath of Kane, who accused some members of the squad of "taking advantage" of the difficult stage of the club season. And then they were reminded that there are plenty of talented individuals ready and willing to take their place.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis showed he can compete with Levi Colwill and Jarrad Branthwaite for a back-up centre-back spot behind Marc Guehi and John Stones, while Kyle Walker gives added competition after slotting in with little fuss at the heart of the defence. Declan Rice should be assured of his place in Tuchel's plans, but Curtis Jones showed the Arsenal midfielder and the injured Kobbie Mainoo that he can give him them both a run for their money.
Jack Grealish's place has been put at risk due to his form nose-diving in the past year, and both Jarrod Bowen and Anthony Gordon now look to be ahead of him in the pecking order. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has so often struggled to feel at home in the England squad, has been given a gentle warning by Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento.
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WINNER: Thomas Tuchel
Tuchelwas nowhere to be seen at Wembley Sunday or in Athens earlier in the week, and had the Three Lions failed to win either game, he would have been left with the awkward task of negotiating a Nations League promotion play-off as his first act as coach. He would also have faced further scrutiny over his decision to not start the role until January.
As it turns out, his future team were in safe hands under Carsley, and the German can now fully focus on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and ultimately trying to win it. He has also got to see more debutants in action and he will have seen that there is a wealth of quality across the squad.
There is some doubt over how experimental Tuchel will be with picking youngsters, amid rumours that he will try to reintegrate Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount. But even if he does prioritise experienced players over fledglings, he has seen the potential of the likes of Hall and Livramento, while he has also seen that the next generation of youngsters can thrive in the Under-21s under the guidance of Carsley.
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LOSER: Liam Scales
Ireland had enjoyed the rarest of feelings in two of their last three international fixtures, having beaten Finland home and away. And they equipped themselves well in the first half at Wembley, limiting England to zero shots on target. But, sure enough, they succumbed to another painful defeat to their hated neighbours after September's loss in Dublin, and this turned out to be their heaviest defeat in 12 years, since losing 6-1 to Germany in 2012.
Scales has to take a heavy proportion of the blame. The Celtic defender clumsily fouled Bellingham seven minutes into the second half to give away the penalty and the infraction saw him sent off as he had needlessly got himself booked at the end of the first half for delaying an England free-kick. Ireland stood no chance with 10 men, and in the end they were fortunate to get away with conceding just five goals.
Bangladesh went into the second Test against West Indies with a spin-heavy attack, but two days into the game, the tactic hasn’t worked, with the home team finding themselves 105 for 4 in reply to West Indies’ 409 all out.Tamim Iqbal, who was dismissed in the last session of the second day for 44, said that the pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium hasn’t matched his side’s all-out spin plan, and although the surface couldn’t be blamed for the four wickets Bangladesh lost on the second day, the mismatch has had a bearing on their overall strategy going into this game.Related
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“The wicket is extremely good even when we went out to bat today,” Tamim said. “None of our batsmen got out to great deliveries or due to something out of the wicket. All four were errors by the batsmen. If we were two down, we would have felt that we were in a better position. Since we lost four wickets, they are on top. We will get back into the game if we can have a 100 or 150-run partnership.”Like they have done in the past five years in home Tests, Bangladesh picked an XI with three spinners and one pace bowler in this game too. But over the first two days, they have only found slow turn with a bit more bounce than the pitch at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium where the first Test was played.”Our plan wasn’t for this wicket,” Tamim said. “When a home team is picking three spinners, it is not rocket science to know that we expected from the wicket. We went ahead with a plan, but now that the wicket didn’t support the spinners, there’s bound to be talk about it. We went with the same combination against West Indies in 2018, and we were very successful.”The opener also credited West Indies’ batting, which has been on an upswing since a remarkable chase of 395 to win the first Test.”We wanted to take early wickets today but the wicket was really good,” he said. “It didn’t help our spinners. They also batted exceptionally well. (Alzarri) Joseph played well for his 80-odd, and the wicketkeeper (Joshua Da Silva) did well. Not everything happened because of our mistakes. Credit where it’s due.”They played some exceptional cricket on the last day in Chattogram, otherwise we were on top for the first four days. However, they have played better cricket than us in this Test.”The nature of the surface offered hope for Bangladesh’s middle order to rescue the team, with the team relying on the fifth-wicket pair of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Mithun to stitch a substantial partnership together.”The wicket hasn’t behaved in a way that should worry us,” Tamim said. “Our first session is very important. We have lost four wickets, and we don’t have much batting left. A lot depends on this partnership, which will have a bearing on the rest of the game for us.”You must have the belief. Liton is a very capable batsman. Mehidy had a good first Test. It is our fault that we are in this situation. We are in this position because of our errors.”Tamim, who blamed himself for playing an uppish drive off Joseph after he had been set on 44 off 51 balls, said that positive intent was the way to go for the Bangladesh batsmen.”I didn’t think I was aggressive. I had good intent,” he said. “Apart from the shot that I got out, I probably didn’t play too many false shots. I thought we shouldn’t go into this innings with a very defensive mindset. If you keep on playing to the merit of the ball, you are going to be fine. But the shot that I played, was not on.”
Jamal Musiala reveals when he plans to make a decision on his future as Bayern Munich are ready to offer him new contract.
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Musiala reveals future plansBayern ready to offer new dealWill see significant rise in his wagesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The German international's current contract with Bayern expires in June 2026 and in the past, he had hinted that could consider extending his stay in Munich. Musiala has also attracted interest from top European giants like Manchester City, however, the Bavarian side are determined to tie him down with a new deal.
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Per , the Bundesliga giants are planning to offer him wages in the region of €20 million (£16m/$21m) to €25m (£20m/$26m) if he pens a new deal, which is a significant rise from the reported €8m (£7m/$8m) is currently making. Amid all the speculation, the 21-year-old himself has now revealed when he plans to make a final call on his future.
WHAT JAMAL MUSIALA SAID
Speaking to , the Bayern star said: "It's important for me to stay fit and perform to my potential until I have a bit of time to calm down. Then I can take time to think about everything. I think we'll know more during the winter break."
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MUSIALA?
Musiala will be next seen in action for Germany in their final Nations League group game against Hungary on Tuesday before he returns to club football.
Two more Arsenal players are in ongoing talks to leave the Emirates Stadium with Emile Smith Rowe, who is said to be on the verge of a move to Fulham.
Smith Rowe close to joining Fulham from Arsenal in £35 million deal
The Hale End academy graduate, thanks partly to a knee injury last season, played just 347 minutes in the Premier League last season and started just three of his 13 top-flight appearances under Mikel Arteta.
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The north Londoners have reached out to them.
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Smith Rowe, who scored 10 league goals and registered a further two assists for Arsenal during the 2021/2022 season, his best campaign to date, also found himself competing with a host of star attackers to regain his place in Arteta's first team.
The Englishman has been heavily linked with a summer exit as a result, despite just how highly-rated he is in north London. Reliable journalist Charles Watts said earlier this week that Arsenal are reluctantly prepared to sell Smith Rowe for the right offer, and allow him to gain minutes elsewhere.
Arteta would ideally like to keep Smith Rowe at the club, but the attacking midfield ace is keen to play regular football and that is something which Arsenal cannot guarantee.
Appearances
115
Goals
18
Assists
13
Yellow cards
2
Red cards
0
Minutes played
5,846
(via Transfermarkt)
“In an ideal world, Mikel Arteta would keep Smith Rowe," said Watts.
"This time last year he made it clear that he would not be sold and I think his stance would be the same this time around if it was just down to a footballing decision. But Smith Rowe now has just two years left on his contract and has a strong desire to be playing regular football having sat on the bench for much of the last two seasons.
"So Arsenal would reluctantly let him leave should a good offer arrive from Fulham, Palace or anyone else."
Following on from that update, that desired bid appears to have arrived from Craven Cottage. As reported by The Guardian and other reliable media sources, Smith Rowe is now closer to joining Fulham in a £35 million deal, which would be a club-record fee for Marco Silva's side.
Fulham are believed to be confident of wrapping up an agreement soon, but Smith Rowe isn't the only player who could be departing London Colney in the near future.
Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson in talks to leave Arsenal
According to talkSPORT, both Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson are both actively attempting to find a new club as well.
The duo, on a combined £200,000-per-week, also found themselves struggling for consistent places in Arteta's starting lineups last season – and have been regularly tipped for the exit door before deadline day on August 30.
It is believed both Nketiah and Nelson are both in talks to leave Arsenal with Smith Rowe, but talkSPORT don't expand on which sides they are in discussions with. Nketiah has attracted serious interest from Marseille recently, with some reports claiming terms have been agreed, while Nelson has been a target for West Ham.
نجح فريق الكرة الأول بنادي المصري في تحقيق الفوز على ضيفه بلاك بولز الموزمبيقي ضمن منافسات بطولة الكونفدرالية، بنتيجة ثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف.
المباراة أقيمت على ملعب استاد الجيش ببرج العرب ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة والأخيرة من دور المجموعات ببطولة الكونفدرالية.
ويتواجد المصري في المجموعة الرابعة التي تضم إلى جواره فرق الزمالك وإنيمبا النيجيري وبلاك بولز الموزمبيقي.
فيديو | سيمبا يفوز على شباب قسنطينة بثنائية ويحسم صدارة مجموعته بـ الكونفدرالية
بدأ المصري بشكل هجومي قوي طامحًا في اقتناص نقاط الفوز من أجل الظفر ببطاقة التأهل دون انتظار نتائج الأخرين.
وترجم المصري هجومه لركلة جزاء حصل عليها في الربع ساعة الأولى من اللقاء، إلا أن حسن علي فشل في تسجيلها.
وسرعان ما عاد المصري للتسجيل بهدف أول عن طريق فخر الدين بن يوسف في الدقيقة 22 من عمر اللقاء، مستغلًا تمريرة كريم بامبو.
وواصل المصري ضغطه الهجومي واستطاع فخر الدين بن يوسف أيضًا أن يسجل الهدفين الثاني والثالث في الدقيقتين 42 و45 من عمر الشوط الأول.
ثم قلص الضيوف النتيجة بهدف في الدقيقة 57 من عمر اللقاء سجله اللاعب روم.
بتلك النتيجة يرتفع رصيد المصري إلى 9 نقاط محتلًا وصافة ترتيب المجموعة، ومتأهلًا رفقة الزمالك إلى دور الثمانية.
وفي الوقت ذاته يتجمد رصيد بلاك بولز عند 4 نقاط في المركز الأخير من المجموعة ومودعًا منافسات الكونفدرالية. أهداف مباراة المصري وبلاك بولز في الكونفدرالية
CSA director of cricket wants to “ask some hard questions of Australia and challenge them” for postponed tour
Firdose Moonda24-Feb-2021South Africa are hopeful of playing against India “a number of times” in the next cycle of bilateral series, and several exchanges between the two sides are on the verge of being signed off, according to Cricket South Africa’s director of cricket, Graeme Smith.Speaking on TV commentary during the domestic T20 cup, Smith outlined a busy international programme after this year’s IPL, while continuing to acknowledge the fallout from the indefinitely postponed three-Test series against Australia, which was scheduled for March.”Myself and Sourav [Ganguly, the BCCI president] go a long way back and we’ve had a number of conversations,” Smith said. “India have been very supportive of us. Hopefully, in the next cycle we will have a number of tours against India that are actually pretty close to being finalised.Related
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“Tom Harrison and the ECB have been brilliant as well. Even the handling of the England situation [when England left South Africa in December without playing three ODIs on their white-ball tour] was good. That has already been rescheduled. There has been a joint resolution and understanding of that.”But Australia have been the one that has stood out in terms of the difficulties, and we never found the same sense of working together as we did with the others. We’ve also got to ask some hard questions of them and challenge them as well. That’s important for world cricket.”CSA has lodged a formal complaint with the ICC, asking the game’s global governing body’s dispute resolution committee to consider whether Australia’s decision not to tour South Africa constituted unacceptable non-compliance of the FTP and the World Test Championship terms. “Even if we don’t win that – because I don’t think there is any precedent for it – the message is loud and clear,” Smith said.That message is multifold as South Africa seek financial compensation, assurances that countries would be obliged to fulfil their fixtures and not unilaterally pull out, to avoid the big three of India, England and Australia monopolising the international calendar, and for all ICC members to work together to get as much cricket played as possible.
“Our teams are going to be very busy post IPL to build up to the T20 World Cup and identify the right squad”Graeme Smith
“Each country is facing different challenges. It’s important that the members get together and support each other, and try and find ways to get as much done as we can,” Smith said. “That added to the disappointment of Australia. So far, everyone we have worked with has had that mindset and understood that, and my sense is that Australia didn’t. That’s what let us down. You work with members to try and find the safest way to get cricket played. It’s become a collaborative approach with the medical teams and operations teams and how finances will work.”South Africa were to play India in March 2020, but had to return home after only one ODI of a three-match series, as countries around the world went into lockdown because of Covid-19. But they are scheduled to host India for three Tests in the 2021-22 summer.Smith further said that India apart, South Africa are currently in talks with West Indies and Sri Lanka to play winter tours in those countries before the T20 World Cup. “Our teams are going to be very busy post IPL to build up to the T20 World Cup and identify the right squad,” he said.Before the IPL, South Africa would be hosting Pakistan for three ODIs and four T20Is between April 2 and 16, with Smith hoping that spectators would be allowed into grounds to send off this summer on a celebratory note. “We are working closely with the government. When Pakistan come, we’d love to have some element of fans in the stadium,” he said.South Africa are currently on Level 3 of a five-stage lockdown – with Level 5 being the strictest – and most sectors of the economy are open. Current restrictions include an 11pm curfew and a ban on fans in stadiums but with the Covid-19 infection rate declining, there is a possibility that by April, there will be a further easing of measures to stop the spread of Covid-19.The ongoing domestic T20 tournament is being played behind closed doors and in a bio-secure environment in Durban, but the concluding stages of the first-class competition – which will take place next month – will not be played in a bubble. That may be an indication that conditions are becoming safer for playing sport at multiple locations and with fewer limits on player movements.All nationally contracted players are obliged to make themselves available for these domestic matches as South Africa aim to accelerate their rebuilding process. “The goal is to get cricket played, to get ourselves moving forward,” Smith said. “We do need to improve our cricket standards, so these are an important four to five weeks of cricket for us.”
West Bromwich Albion fans will be somewhat apprehensive about the Championship season to come, despite having full faith that Carlos Corberan can still work his magic with a threadbare group.
Brandon Thomas-Asante and Conor Townsend both left for Coventry City and Ipswich Town in lightning-quick fashion recently, joining the likes of Okay Yokuslu and Cedric Kipre out the door as major departees.
Jayson Molumby could be the next face to exit the building this summer amid financial concerns, with Millwall reportedly keen to snap him up. However, one potential signing would immediately soften the slight blow of the 24-year-old leaving.
West Brom make offer for midfield star
According to a report by Swedish football outlet Expressen over the weekend, West Brom have made an offer to try and sign Djurgården IF star Besard Sabovic, with this attempted capture seeing the Baggies explore the Scandinavian market once more, after signing Torbjørn Heggem from the Allsvenskan.
The outlet states that a number of foreign clubs are keeping a close eye on Sabovic's services, with the 26-year-old's contract coming to a close soon at Djurgården, as less than six months remains on his current deal.
Corberan's men will be tempted to part ways with Molumby and swoop in for Sabovic even more so when you take into account the Irishman's unusual violent outburst this pre-season against RCD Mallorca, alongside the fact he had also unfortunately slipped way down the pecking order at the Hawthorns last campaign owing to injury.
As well as replacing the outgoing Baggies number eight, the Djurgården ace would also give the Championship side more options centrally with Yokuslu no longer present, as West Brom potentially gain another new player from Sweden.
What Sabovic could offer West Brom
Signing the 26-year-old would more than make up for the potential departure of Molumby to the Den, with the Macedonia-born midfielder netting nine strikes from 89 games playing for his current employers, compared to Molumby's lesser six from 149 second-tier clashes.
The Djurgården number 14 also has elements of Yokuslu's grit present in his own battling game, with 5.4 total duels won on average per Allsvenskan contest this ongoing season so far, from 15 games to date.
Games played
15
12
Goals scored
3
1
Assists
0
0
Touches*
56.7
71.6
Accurate passes*
36.5 (84%)
43.7 (83%)
Interceptions*
0.9
1.2
Tackles*
2.3
1.8
Ball recoveries*
4.5
3.3
Clearances*
0.5
4.3
Total duels won*
5.4
4.8
Glancing at the table above, both Heggem and Sabovic could become stars for the Baggies if given time to settle in their new environment, with Heggem's promising numbers from the back potentially making up for Kipre now playing out in France.
Moreover, Sabovic's three goals from 15 games playing in the Allsvenskan so far this campaign could mean West Brom have another attacking presence in the middle of the park if Molumby moves on, alongside his well-rounded game as a defensive option plugging further gaps.
West Brom midfielder Jayson Molumby.
West Brom have obviously struck gold in the past with players from Sweden in the form of Jonas Olsson, who even went on to play for Sabovic's current employers coincidentally, and so this could prove to be a fruitful avenue in the now.
The XI that lines up to face off against Queens Park Rangers this coming weekend to open the new second-tier season could be very new-look in make-up, but West Brom supporters will hope they can push for promotion again, and new signings such as Heggem and Sabovic become memorable heroes in the process.
The next Fellows: West Brom lodge new bid for “terrific” ace
West Bromwich Albion look to be shopping for more young gems.
Pressionada por conta dos últimos tropeços, a Ponte Preta visitou o Avaí na Ressacada e arrancou um empate por 1 a 1 muito valioso.
+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada
Na coletiva de imprensa do treinador Gilson Kleina, ele comemorou o resultado, principalmente pela força de reação do seu elenco.
‘Temos de comemorar esse ponto, sim. Ponto valioso. O momento do Avaí, com todo o clima. O Avaí estava falando em título, e a gente entrou para fazer o jogo. Tenho que só enaltecer o trabalho de todos os atletas. Está todo mundo de parabéns’, afirmou.
Com o empate fora de casa, a Macaca chega aos 34 pontos e fica na 15ª colocação. Agora, o time de Campinas tem quatro pontos de vantagem da zona de rebaixamento.
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Peshawar Zalmi win their third game in a row to top the points table
Matt Roller27-Feb-2021
Wahab Riaz took 4 for 17 to carve up Islamabad United’s line-up•PCB/PSL
In the Pakistan Super League, T20 cricket is a simple game: 22 men hit a ball around for three hours, and in the end, the chasing team wins.On Saturday night in Karachi, the formula of winning the toss, choosing to bowl and winning the match worked for the tenth time out of ten this season, as Peshawar Zalmi won their third game in a row by bowling Islamabad United out for 118 and chasing the target down with 17 balls to spare.United’s deep batting line-up had worked perfectly in their first two games, as they successfully chased targets of 151 and 197, but they struggled against Zalmi’s quicks Wahab Riaz and Saqib Mahmood and only briefly threatened to post a worthwhile total on a decent batting pitch. They raced to 38 for 1 after 4.2 overs thanks to a bright start from Alex Hales, and recovered from three quick wickets to reach 81 for 4 after 10, but they lost wickets too regularly and were bowled out at the start of the 18th over.Zalmi started horribly in their run chase, losing both openers inside the first two overs and struggling to score against the new ball, but Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Shoaib Malik steadied them before Haider Ali’s cameo – including an 89-metre straight six off his first ball – put the game to bed.Star of the day Riaz had returned figures of 2 for 105 across his eight overs in Zalmi’s previous two games, with head coach Daren Sammy suggesting that he had been struggling with the burden of the captaincy. But things clicked for him on Saturday night, as he struck the first blow before returning to clean up the lower-middle order.With Lewis Gregory managing an injury, Paul Stirling was brought in for his first game in the PSL less than 24 hours after being named as Ireland’s men’s player of the decade 2011-2020. But his stay lasted only two balls, as he was foxed by extra bounce from a length and chopped Riaz onto his own stumps.He returned when Iftikhar Ahmed and Asif Ali were looking to take the innings deep, and removed both in the space of six balls: Iftikhar holed out to deep midwicket, and Asif picked out long-on. His final wicket came in the 17th over, as he pinned the dangerous Hasan Ali lbw. Riaz’s method was fairly uncomplicated, hitting the pitch hard on a good length outside off stump, but the simplicity brought him his rewards.Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Shoaib Malik steadied Peshawar Zalmi’s chase•PCB/PSL
Miss of the day Did Shadab Khan err by holding back some of his bowling resources until too late? If United had a chance of winning after posting such a low total, it relied on their two best seamers taking wickets with the new ball, and Zalmi were 19 for 2 after five overs with Ali and Mohammad Wasim finding extra bounce from a length and both bowling at good pace.But instead of going for the kill, Khan held both men back, instead turning to Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Ahmed and himself. Malik and Kohler-Cadmore both looked comfortable against the legspinners, knocking the ball around with minimal pressure on the scoring rate. When Fawad struck in the 13th over to have Kohler-Cadmore edging behind, Zalmi required only 50 off 44 balls at the time of his dismissal; by the time Wasim began his third over, they needed 23 off 30.Hasan removed the dangerous Haider in his final over, the 17th, and let out a trademark roar of celebration, but Khan had let the game drift and ensured that it was effectively over by the time his strike bowler had returned.Honourable mentions Zalmi’s English contingent, Mahmood and Kohler-Cadmore, continued their fine early form in the competition. Mahmood looks to have added half a yard of pace, regularly passing 87mph/140kph, and has been able to extract movement with both the new and old ball. He bamboozled Phil Salt with a slower ball, had Hales caught off a full toss and cleaned up Wasim to finish with remarkable figures of 3 for 12 and became the season’s leading wicket-taker in the process.Kohler-Cadmore’s run-a-ball 46 was unflashy, particularly when compared to his 53 off 32 on debut against Multan Sultans, but having come in at No. 3 inside the first over with Ali breathing fire, it was a crucial knock. He soaked up the pressure early on, crawling to 5 off 16 balls as he dug in against the new ball, but accelerated well and ensured the required rate never went above seven, slog-sweeping well against the leggies.
One of the main sagas Chelsea have already been involved in this summer included Michael Olise, who decided to make the switch from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich. The Blues held a long-term interest, having tried for the player the previous summer.
Olise, who played in Chelsea's academy from 2009-2016, looked likely to become one of Enzo Maresca's first additions at the club. However, talks broke down, and the 22-year-old decided to make the move to Germany instead.
Crystal Palace player Michael Olise
The 22-year-old had a stellar campaign for Palace, making 19 appearances, scoring ten goals and providing six assists in 1,278 minutes played, so it is no surprise he was asking for a wage hike given his recent form.
That said, Chelsea's clash with Real Madrid in the early hours of Wednesday morning perhaps proved why Todd Boehly didn't sign the player.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Chelsea lost 2-1 to Real Madrid in the final game of their US tour. Despite losing the game, the Blues actually created more big chances (two) than Madrid (one) and did show some brilliant signs of progressing the ball through the lines.
However, a few defensive lapses caused Chelsea issues, still looking like they are stuck in two minds in the depth of their defensive line, when to step up and when to retreat. Maresca even attributed this to issues seen last season, as he tries to iron out the kinks.
Filip Jorgensen also made his first start for the Blues, not starting in an ideal fashion, conceding two goals, the second of which being largely down to him and the speed he got off his line, allowing Brahim Diaz to round him, before slotting it into an empty net.
Noni Madueke's performance vs Madrid
One of the standout performers in Chelsea's 2-1 loss to Madrid, was winger Noni Madueke. Playing off the right, Madueke had the responsibility of holding width to allow Christopher Nkunku the space centrally to operate, whilst also having a responsibility to drop in and form a make-shift five at the back out of possession.
The winger has been ever present this pre-season, starting four of the five games played on tour in the US, scoring three goals and providing one assist in those games. Much like Maresca's wingers at Leicester, the 23-year-old brings a direct manner in attack, beating his man 1v1, and looking to impact the game.
His stats from this game show his impact on both sides of the ball, completing two out of his three dribble attempts, often coming when he was found isolated out wide, 1v1 with the opposition full-back, allowing him to be direct and attempt to drive the team forward.
But his defensive stats also show his involvement on that end of the ball, winning 5/11 ground duels, and winning his only aerial duel. Even being involved in 12 duels shows Madueke's importance out of possession, to recover into position, and help carry out their game plan off the ball.
Madueke stats (vs Real Madrid)
Stat
Madueke
Minutes Played
90
Crosses
1/3
Dribbles
2/3
Ground Duels
5/11
Aerial Duels
1/1
Stats taken from Sofascore
Whilst Olise was high on Chelsea's priorities in the transfer market this summer, Madueke could prove to be Maresca's ideal winger, who can provide the direct 1v1 threat going forwards, but also track back, and put in the defensive shift wanted by the manager.
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