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Dinesh Chandimal’s poor form might prompt Sri Lanka to bring in Charith Asalanka

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Oct-2021

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Of all the matches in this qualifying round, this one seems to most have the feel of a dead rubber. Not only do Netherlands have no chance of making the Super 12s, but Sri Lanka are also highly likely to finish top of Group A thanks to their superior net run rate.For Netherlands, this is a chance to make a mark in a tournament in which they will feel they have underperformed. In the first match, their batting was blown away by Ireland’s seam bowlers, while in the second, their bowlers could not withstand David Wiese’s assault for Namibia.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have earned themselves an opportunity to find a solution to their top-order issues. Dinesh Chandimal had another failure against Ireland on Wednesday, thus finding his position at No. 3 in serious peril. The likeliest replacement may be Charith Asalanka, but Dhananjaya de Silva is also in the squad.Related

• Arthur: SL bowling attack 'almost ideal' for T20 World Cup

Their fast bowlers, meanwhile, might get a rest. Lahiru Kumara has had a particularly taxing workload over the past few weeks, although it may be Dushmantha Chameera that Sri Lanka would prefer had a night off to recharge for the Super 12s.

Form guide

Netherlands LLLTW
Sri Lanka WWLLLThis year, Max O’Dowd has hit 293 runs in just six innings, and at a strike rate of 137.•ICC via Getty

In the spotlight

One of the few bright spots for Netherlands has been the batting of opener Max O’Dowd. He hit 51 off 47 balls against Ireland while the rest of the top order blew up around him, before making a 56-ball 70 that was the backbone of Netherlands’ innings against Namibia. He has got arguably the best attack of the qualifying stage to contend with in this match, though. Can he maintain his output?Pathum Nissanka has promised a lot more in Tests than he has in the shortest format, but in hitting his first half-century against Ireland, he suggested he could find success in this World Cup yet. He was unambitious in the early overs while wickets fell around him, but never seemed bogged down either, finding a way to keep his score moving until the boundaries eventually came. After all, Sri Lanka desperately need a reliable run-scorer in their top three.

Pitch and conditions

This will be both teams’ first match in Sharjah. During the IPL, the Sharjah tracks were slow, turned a bit and had variable bounce. Temperatures are expected to hover around the low 30s Celsius range again. If the conditions in Abu Dhabi are anything to go by, dew could be an issue too.

Team news

Although No. 5 is a more familiar position for Asalanka, he may slot in at No.3, leaving Bhanuka Rajapaksa at No. 5.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Perera (wk), 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Avishka Fernando, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt.), 7 Chamika Karunaratne, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Binura Fernando, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Lahiru KumaraNetherlands may bring in Brandon Glover in place of Timm van der Gugten.Netherlands (possible): 1 Max O’Dowd, 2 Stephan Myburgh, 3 Roelof van der Merwe, 4 Colin Ackerman, 5 Ryan ten Doeschate, 6 Scott Edwards (wk), 7 Bas de Leede, 8 Pieter Seelar, 9 Logan van Beek, 10 Fred Klaassen, 11 Timm van der Gugten/Brandon Glover

Stats and trivia

• In the only previous T20I between these teams, Netherlands were bowled out for 39, a game which Sri Lanka won with 15 overs to spare. That was, however, during the World T20 in 2014, when Sri Lanka had arguably their greatest T20I side – a team which went on to lift the trophy.
• This year, O’Dowd has hit 293 runs in just six innings, and at a strike rate of 137.
• In 14 innings in 2021, Wanindu Hasaranga has 23 wickets and an economy rate of just 5.43.

For South Africa, no one apart from Quinton de Kock scored more than 20

Firdose Moonda01-Jul-2021West Indies defended 167 in the fourth T20I against South Africa to lock the five-match series at 2-2 and set up a decider for Saturday. Their big names all took responsibility: captain Kieron Pollard top-scored with 51*, Dwayne Bravo claimed career-best figures of 4 for 19, and Chris Gayle taking a wicket with his first ball to go with two catches were the icing on the cake.The home side scored 20 off their first over and 66 in the final four but their innings suffered a lull in between. They managed just 81 runs in the 15 overs from the second to the 17th as South Africa’s spinners put the brakes on. But their efforts were not enough for a batting line-up that lacks a finisher and remains over-reliant on Quinton de Kock.South Africa’s former captain scored a second successive half-century and a sixth T20I half-century in his last 15 matches, but had little support from the other end as no other South Africa batter scored more than 20. They last successfully chased a target above 160 in February 2018 when they beat India, and last won a T20I series in March 2019 against Sri Lanka, but will still have the chance to turn that around in two days’ time.Opening overload…
Aiden Markram, South Africa’s sixth bowler, was given the new ball and eyebrows would have been immediately raised over that choice. Lendl Simmons swept Markram’s first ball past short fine-leg for four, cut his third delivery, which was short and wide, for four more, and then took two sixes off the last three balls. The first was a sweep over fine leg and the second an audacious smack straight down the ground. West Indies scored 20 runs off that over, their most in the first over of a T20I and the most by any team batting first in this format. … and then the squeeze
But South Africa pulled things back impressively and took six wickets in the 15 overs that followed. As has been the case throughout the series, their spinners controlled the run rate and frustrated the West Indies line-up. George Linde was introduced after the powerplay and put in the most economical performance of his T20I career by conceding just 16 runs in four overs. He also brought up 100 wickets in the format – across both international and domestic matches – when Simmons was given out leg before after missing a sweep and being hit in front of middle and leg. Just before that, Linde had Shimron Hetmyer caught behind off an under-edge as well.Tabraiz Shamsi bowled overs in tandem with Linde initially – the pair gave away only 14 runs in five overs – and then returned for a second spell. Shamsi had Nicholas Pooran caught at deep backward square-leg off a top-edge and Andre Russell caught at short fine-leg after the latter top-edged a sweep. The left-arm wristspinner equalled his most miserly effort in T20Is with figures of 2 for 13, an identical analysis to the last match.Take it on the knee!
With West Indies on 101 for 6 after 16 overs and a par score looking distant, Pollard took matters into his own hands. He drilled the first ball of Anrich Nortje’s final over straight back to him and clattered him on the left knee. Nortje went down for several minutes, his face scrunched up in obvious pain. He received some treatment on field, got back up and bowled the remainder of his over before hobbling off for some rest to the applause of his team-mates.Dwayne Bravo finished with career-best figures of 4 for 19•AFP/Getty ImagesSouth Africa’s tight work unraveled in those last four overs, when they conceded 66 runs as Pollard and Fabian Allen took on the specialist quicks. The pair scored six sixes in that period compared to the West Indies’ five in the rest of the innings, and Pollard hit three in three balls off Kagiso Rabada, who bowled his most expensive T20 over. Rabada delivered the penultimate over of the innings, which was also the most expensive at 25 runs, and did not complete a full quota for the first time in T20Is since his debut in 2014. Also, Lungi Ngidi’s two death overs cost 30 runs as Pollard brought up a sixth T20I half-century and his highest score in seven innings.Too cool for (old) school
The combined age of West Indies’ opening bowling pair in this match was 80 years, with Fidel Edwards (39) in his second series since his Kolpak comeback and Gayle (41) sharing the new ball, though their youth appeared endless. Edwards gave little away until his last ball, but it was Gayle whose was on full display. He took on bowling duties complete with cap, sunglasses and earpiece on, lured Reeza Hendricks out of the crease, beat him on the drive and had him stumped, before cartwheeling in celebration. Gayle told the commentary team he had been dared to mimic Kevin Sinclair, who showed off some gymnastics moves earlier in the series.Take it on the shoulder now!
Nortje was not the only player to suffer an injury in the match. Allen jammed his right shoulder into the ground beyond the square-leg boundary when he tried to cut off a Temba Bavuma sweep. He didn’t save the boundary and his arm was put in a sling as he left the field before he could bowl, with what appeared to be a dislocated shoulder. Allen was the only specialist spinner in the West Indies XI. His overs were made up for by Pollard and Russell, who bowled his entire quota in a T20I for the first time since March last year.Bravo for West Indies
Allen’s absence was also mitigated by the performance of Bravo, who has been consistently excellent with the ball in this series and continued in that vein in this match. Bravo’s first spell straddled the powerplay and cost just eight runs before a second at the death was laced with slower balls. He collected 4 for 11 in 12 balls in the closing stages of the match to eventually finish with career-best figures of 4 for 19. Bravo had Linde caught at point off a slower ball, de Kock caught in the same position chasing a wide full toss, Shamsi skying a ball to Gayle at extra cover and Ngidi holing out to square leg, as he took 3 for 1 in the 18th over to shut South Africa out of the contest.

Arsenal were a tour de force in the Premier League last season, and while they couldn't quite dethrone Manchester City, they were comfortably the second-best team in the competition.

From Kai Havertz at the top of the pitch to David Raya in between the sticks, Mikel Arteta's squad was full of stars with a genuine claim to being the player of the season, and one who really kicked on was Ben White.

The Englishman was an ever-present in the team and won the Player of the Month Award in March, but based on recent reports, he could be in for a fight next season, as the latest name touted for a move to the Emirates is an incredibly impressive defender.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from journalist Gerard Romero (via Caught Offside), Arsenal are interested in Barcelona star Jules Kounde and have been in contact with the Blaugrana about the player.

The bad news for the Gunners is that the Catalans do not want to sell the talented defender lest they are made a seriously significant offer.

However, it is still early in the transfer window and with the North Londoners clearly keen on the Frenchman, this might be a transfer worth working on, even if it could impact White's place in the team.

How Kounde compares to White

Now, like White, Kounde is a versatile defender who can play as either a centre-back or a right-back, but with William Saliba and Gabriel firmly established at the heart of the Gunners' best-in-class back four, he'd likely come in as competition on the right.

So, how does he compare to the Englishman?

Well, from a pure output perspective, the Arsenal man comes out ahead. In his 51 appearances last season, he scored four goals and provided five assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 5.66 matches, which for a right-back isn't half bad.

In contrast, the "sensational" Frenchman, as dubbed by analyst Marcus Bring, scored two goals and provided four assists in 48 appearances in 2023/24, which equates to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every eight games.

What about their underlying numbers, then? Can the former Sevilla ace even things up with what's going on under the hood? In short, yes, yes, he can.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.12

0.15

Progressive Passes

6.87

5.88

Progressive Carries

1.74

1.21

Shots

0.66

0.51

Shots on Target

0.22

0.18

Passing Accuracy

89.5

84.3

Live Passes

74.0

57.2

Shot-Creating Actions

1.79

2.50

Goal-Creating Actions

0.22

0.22

Tackles

1.19

1.38

Tackles Won

0.81

0.75

Interceptions

0.95

0.97

Clearances

2.86

2.11

Successful Take-Ons

0.52

0.29

Ball Recoveries

4.83

3.51

Aerial Duels Won

2.31

1.09

According to FBref, the 25-year-old, whom former manager Xavi dubbed "one of the best defenders in the world," comes out ahead in most metrics, including progressive passes and carries, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy, live passes, tackles won, clearances, successful take-ons, ball recoveries, and aerial duels won, all per 90.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion ace does edge it in metrics like non-penalty expected goals and assists, shot-creating actions, tackles and interceptions per 90, but that is about it.

Arsenal lead race for "magic" £50m Martinelli rival

The sensational talent could help the Brazilian return to his best or replace him altogether.

2 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 28, 2024

Ultimately, with White producing more goal involvements and Kounde having the better underlying numbers, it would be fascinating to see which one would come out on top in a battle for the right-back position at the Emirates, and while he may cost a significant sum, this seems like a transfer worth pursuing for the Gunners.

Decision Day 2024 more than lived up to the hype as the MLS regular season closed on a dramatic note

Christian Benteke's face said it all.

Here was a man who sealed Major League Soccer's Golden Boot, but was covering his eyes to hide the pain he felt from missing the MLS postseason on the final day of the regular season, as D.C. United lost 3-0 to Charlotte FC Saturday night. It was raw. It was emotional. It is what MLS more of.

MLS has grown dramatically, especially over the past decade and a half, and it can certainly make a case that it is a more efficiently run league than some of its European counterparts. But one area in which it struggles to match the old continent's leagues is the week-to-week drama that appears on a consistent basis in the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga and La Liga.

Decision Day is certainly a step in the right direction.

Now the challenge for the league is to find more ways to bottle that energy and excitement and spread it more throughout the season, especially during the times where the season can feel a bit more routine.

Moving forward, there were plenty of storylines to follow on Decision Day.

Here are the top four.

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  Troy Lesesne deserves criticism after failed tactical plan

  D.C. United had one job: Draw or win and they're in. And they were at home.

  Despite a favorable setup, United failed miserably, losing 3-0 to Charlotte and extended a playoff drought that started following the 2019 season in which Wayne Rooney brought them to the postseason.

  Manager Troy Lesesne, who had a decent first season in D.C., deserves criticism for getting the tactics wrong in this match. United dominated possession with a 58.3 percent advantage, but it had no answers for Charlotte FC's counter attack and conceded three goals. In attack, the home side wasn't much better as it over relied on Benteke to create magic. Charlotte, which didn't have as much at stake, had an xG of 2-1.

  Considering everything that was at stake for D.C., focusing on a more defensive gameplan might have worked towards its favor. Unfortunately, the team's fans will spend the entire offseason wondering what if.

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• Late night thriller from both Los Angeles teams

  What a night for MLS.

  For about 30 seconds it appeared as LAFC would steal back the Western Conference from its Carson rivals in the LA Galaxy. LAFC sealed a 3-1 win over Wooden Spoon holders and the Galaxy were trailing 1-0 to the Houston Dynamo. Then insanity ensued.

  LA would draw a penalty, which was soundly converted by Newcomer of the Year favorite Gabriel Pec. The Galaxy were on top of the Western Conference summit – for about another four minutes. As broadcast cameras panned in on a devastated LAFC fanbase in Los Angeles, a defensive lapse by the Galaxy would ultimately bring joy to BMO Stadium. Ex-Galaxy man Daniel Steres would score 11 minutes into extra time to seal a 2-1 win for Houston and the West for LAFC.

  It was top-level action that would remind Premier League fans of Manchester City's title steal over Sir. Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in 2012.

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  Montreal, Atlanta United peaking at the right time

  Both CF Montreal and Atlanta United had in-season turmoil. First-year Montreal manager Laurent Courtois found himself on the hot seat after a mid-season cold spell and USMNT legend Carlos Bocanegra lost his job as United's VP and technical director.

  Then throw in the fact that Atlanta lost its three best players to transfers in Caleb Wiley, Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis while Josef Martinez publicly criticized Courtois – tronger clubs have collapsed under these circumstances.

  However, pressure forms diamonds right?

  While neither team is expected to hoist the MLS Cup this year, there will be plenty of intrigue when they meet in Stade Saputo midweek. And at the very least, the remarkable 18-year career of Dax McCarty will extend for at least one more game.

• Philly's long postseason run comes to an end

  The Philadelphia Union are a well-run organization that has a strong coach in Jim Curtin and one of the best scouting and development programs in all of North America. That makes the fact that they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017 following a 2-1 loss to FC Cincinnati standout even more. This seems like a changing of the guard for a team that just lost the MLS Cup final in 2022 on penalties.

  Longtime midfielder Alejandro Bedoya is very likely out of the door and he'll probably be joined by other veterans who no longer fit the team's plan. And the Union have arguably the best homegrown cast in the league, with Jack McGlynn, Quinn and Cavan Sullivan poised for big jumps in the years to come.

  Yet, it did feel as if something was a amiss in Philly. And if certain quotes circulating around social media are indicative of a larger issue, it could point to a need of investment in the squad.

Despite her enduring worth as a leader and batter, captain is collateral in overdue regime-change

Andrew Miller22-Mar-2025A selective list of England’s longest-reigning monarchs. Elizabeth, Victoria, Elizabeth … Clare, Charlotte, Heather.The language of sport and monarchy can often be intertwined, with talk of reigns, dynasties and eras. But the office of England women’s cricket captain takes such metaphors to the nth degree. The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen… whoever she may turn out to be.For in the space of a quarter of a century, there have been precisely three full-time England women’s captains, which is less than a third of the number that the men have appointed across formats in that same period.And it’s a measure of the lasting power, prestige and influence that each has wielded that the first of these – Clare Connor – is to this day the most powerful woman in the ECB boardroom, and was instrumental in sealing the fate of each of her successors – the first of whom, Charlotte Edwards, could, by very dint of Heather Knight’s removal, be on the verge of becoming the most powerful head coach the ECB has ever appointed.Related

Sciver-Brunt must put England back in business

Charlotte Edwards: 'I'm under no illusions, this role is about winning'

'Like the English Graeme Smith' – Grace Scrivens, future England captain?

Heather Knight's captaincy ends but her work as a leader goes on

Where it went wrong for Lewis and where to now for England

As for Knight, where she goes from here – in a purely playing capacity – only her own drive and ambition can say. But in terms of her lasting influence within English cricket circles, her impact should not, and frankly cannot, be diminished by the fact that she’s been pushed out of the job she made her own for nine proud years.The parallels with Edwards’ departure are, however, extraordinary. Just as was the case back in 2016, England looked to be going places under a powerful and in-form leader, until the precise moment – in Delhi in the World T20 [now T20 World Cup] semi-final – that the gulf between them and Australia (it’s always Australia …) was once again revealed to be a chasm.Heather Knight gives the England team talk•Getty ImagesBack then, it was England’s new head coach Mark Robinson who made the killer call. Despite Edwards having been her team’s leading run-scorer (and at the highest average) across the preceding 12 months, the subtext of his intervention was that she was simply too overbearing – in terms of stature rather than personality – for a team that was unable to evolve with her at the helm.Within months of Edwards’ removal, England had unlocked a new generation of players – not least a new opening pair in Lauren Winfield-Hill and Tammy Beaumont – whose lights had hitherto been hidden under a bushel by the previous regime, and whose march to triumph (under Knight) at the 2017 World Cup was the exact moment at which the ECB twigged that women’s cricket wasn’t simply a sideshow but a complementary means for 50% of the population to feel a part of the nation’s summer sport.It is to Knight’s eternal credit that she has shouldered such weighty matters as part of her dynastic duty throughout the past eight years – it’s worth remembering that, in 2018, she was one of just three professional cricketers, alongside her male counterpart Eoin Morgan and the PCA chairman Daryl Mitchell, to be given the inside-track on the creation of the Hundred, which epitomises the speed at which those light-bulbs had just blinked into life in the ECB boardroom.And yet, the extent to which Knight was obliged to shield her players from the enormity of their new-found status has inadvertently contributed to a repetition of Edwards’ dilemma, whereby the players beneath her were simply unable to front up without her firm hand on the tiller.Never was this more gallingly demonstrated than in their group-stage loss to West Indies at the T20 World Cup 2024 in October. Given how the draw opened up for England in that tournament, with India and Australia also faltering early, Knight’s match-ending injury, and her team’s headless-chicken response to her absence, was quite possibly the difference between their group-stage elimination and a second world title. And how different the narrative would be right now.Heather Knight’s record as captain•ESPNcricinfo LtdOr not, because even another major trophy would not have changed the underlying fragility that has contributed to Knight’s downfall. Just like Edwards before her, she has not ceased to be in the side on merit – the ‘what-if’ of her unbeaten 21 from 13 balls in that West Indies loss deserves to be one of the biggest asterisks of her career, but she also finished England’s ghastly Ashes tour as their leading run-scorer across formats.But her removal is more about literal regime-change than any sense that she is no longer worthy. As Jon Lewis discovered in his own sacking on Friday, there is only so much that can be done within the women’s nascent professional set-up, with the exponential growth of the format’s stature as yet unmatched by the requisite breadth to ensure genuine competition for places.As such, the day-to-day dynamics within the England women’s team are barely removed from the days of Rachael Heyhoe-Flint and Karen Smithies (yet more grand dames of yesteryear). Irrespective of the political machinations that Knight, as captain, has been required to factor into her role, the basic formula for on-field success is unchanged – pride in the badge, loyalty, faith in your team-mates … and ultimately a continuity of selection that, as in 2016, locks out hungry young challengers.Hence Knight’s insistence, in November, that England would not be “ripping up trees” in their bid to battle back from that T20 World Cup humiliation. Whether or not that could or should have made a difference is immaterial. In the court of Queen Heather, as with each of her predecessors, there were always invisible limits on the extent to which the selectors could get radical.And now, the deed is done. Wherever the ECB turn at this genuinely seismic moment for women’s cricket, history suggests that they won’t go in for a short-term fix … which arguably draws the spotlight away from the list of underwhelming deputies whose professional standards were called into question in the course of an ill-fated winter, and onto the pointedly forward-facing England A tour that, as timing would have it, gets underway in Sydney on Wednesday.Perhaps it’s no coincidence that no captain has yet been named for that trip. It’s never been an honour that can be conferred lightly, and especially not now.

Former Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas has explained why Lamine Yamal comparisons with Argentine GOAT Lionel Messi are “completely normal”.

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Teenager make breakthrough at 15Likened to fellow La Masia graduateConsidered to be hottest of prospectsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Fabregas spent time in Barca’s academy system alongside Messi, before being reunited at Camp Nou when returning to his Catalan roots from Arsenal in 2011. The ex-Spain international knows better than most what it takes to occupy the same talent bracket as his fellow World Cup winner.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT FABREGAS SAID

Many are suggesting that Yamal – another La Masia graduate – is heading down the same path as Messi. Fabregas has told of a discussion that can be unhelpful, but is easy to start: “I can understand it. I don’t like it because I think every player is different and we all have our own story. And now Lamine needs to follow his road and create his own pathway. But definitely there are signs that always make you go back to what Leo used to be. I think it’s completely normal, especially also the Barcelona fans coming from a difficult period of years where there have been some difficulties.

“So I think the excitement that Lamine brings to the table nowadays, it’s very important. It’s like Leo, you know, in difficult times he stepped up for the team. And I think with Lamine, the potential is there to do very, very well for many years at Barcelona.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

It is proving difficult to keep a lid on the Yamal hype, with Fabregas adding on the hottest of prospects: “I think he’s a unique talent. He’s someone that you just need to let him go out and play football. He will always make a difference when he’s pressed. When he’s not pressed, he always finds the right solution, even if it’s an individual action or a one, two, or the last ball, or give continuity to the play, whatever the game demands at that moment.

“He’s capable of reading [a game] and he’s capable of understanding what it needs. I think this is already a sign of a big player, of a very mature player. And what I like the most is that it feels like he’s playing in the street. It feels like everything has become so easy for him. He’s free in the mind.”

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL?

Yamal made a senior breakthrough at Barca when just 15 years of age, with records being broken on a regular basis since then. He is now a European Championship winner at 17 and is expected to sign a new contract when turning 18 in July 2025.

Khadija Shaw's brace secured Manchester City an unconvincing 3-0 victory at a resolute Leicester City to extend their lead at the top of the Women's Super League. The City talisman was so wasteful in front of goal before bagging two late efforts in the last 15 minutes on Sunday. And substitute Kerolin capped off a fine cameo with a smart finish in second-half stoppage time to ensure City's best-ever start to a WSL season.

Right from the off, City dominated possession and had the lion's share of the chances, while Leicester were content to get players behind the ball and soak up pressure. Shaw missed the first of many chances early on when her scuffed shot hit the side netting, before Vivianne Miedema stung the hands of inspired Foxes goalkeeper Janina Leitzig. The Jamaica international spurned multiple gilt-edged opportunities from close range, with Miedema also denied on numerous occasions.

The home side improved in an attacking sense in the second half, but once again it was Shaw who went close for the visitors when her header looped onto the roof of the net. But the 28-year-old finally broke Leicester's hearts when she pounced upon a mistake by Celeste Boureille and fired home 16 minutes from time. The contest was well and truly over when Shaw headed in her second in the 84th minute to take her tally to eight for the season. City, who added a third through the lively Kerolin in the 94th minute, are now six points clear of Chelsea in second but the Blues can cut that gap to three if they beat Everton on Sunday afternoon.

GOAL rates Manchester City's players from King Power Stadium…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Ayaka Yamashita (6/10):

  Had virtually nothing to do, other than passing the ball to her team-mates and firing long balls forward. This was a training run for the keeper.

  Kerstin Casparij (6/10):

  Was never troubled in a defensive capacity and got forward with wanton abandon but didn't do much to move the needle in the game.

  Jade Rose (6/10):

  The statistics of 29 shots to Leicester's two tell it all. The centre-back had precious little to do, in truth.

  Rebecca Knaak (7/10):

  Continues to be a right handful in the air, both in attack and defence. Is a commanding figure at the back.

  Leila Ouhabi (7/10):

  Looked comfortable in possession and whenever the ball came her way, she dealt with it.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Yui Hasegawa (6/10):

  Needed to have more style to her substance but did some nice touches to free up her team-mates.

  Laura Blindkilde Brown (6/10):

  Some of her passing in the centre of the park could have been a bit quicker but she stopped some of Leicester's rare attacks with some combative play.

  Vivianne Miedema (7/10)

  In the first half, her trickery came closest to unlocking Leicester's dogged defence. Her effectiveness waned in the second half, though.

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  Attack

  Aoba Fujino (6/10):

  Ran at Leicester's defence with wilful glee but found it hard to bypass their low block in the box. 

  Khadija Shaw (7/10):

  The division's top striker popped up with a timely goal in the 74th minute and then again 10 minutes later. But before then, she missed a hatful of chances in a frustrating display. However, you only need a second or two to have a successful game in attack.

  Lauren Hemp (6/10):

  She was well shackled as Leicester's defence repeatedly doubled up on her. But got an assist late on for Shaw's second.

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• Subs & Manager

  Grace Clinton (4/10):

  Did precious little off the bench.

  Kerolin (8/10):

  Added some extra quality and dynamism off the bench and got the crucial assist for City's opener. Scored a sublime late goal to cap off a brilliant cameo.

  Iman Beney (N/A):

  Had too little time to make an impact.

  Andree Jeglertz (6/10):

  His side didn't show enough creativity or imagination to unlock Leicester's defence for long periods but her substitutions, particularly Kerolin, helped City get the job done. They won but they weren't entirely convincing.

Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies will start their postseason on Saturday with Game 1 of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Harper has made quite a few runs through the playoffs since joining the Phillies, but is still chasing his first World Series win. If he’s going to get it this year, he and the Phillies will have to go through the reigning champions.

While taking on the Dodgers is always a tall task, Harper will have one extra, and extra special fan cheering him on through the run, as he and his wife Kayla announced the birth of their fourth child, Hayes Three Harper, just hours before first pitch on Saturday.

As some astute Phillies observers noted, Harper has had a tendency to hit homers in his first game back from the birth of a child.

Harper and his newly unlocked Level 4 Dad Strength will look to add another home run to that tally against the Dodgers.

Inter Miami’s chief business officer, Xavi Asensi, has explained how Lionel Messi helped to deliver a “wonderful miracle” for MLS and Inter Miami alongside Manchester United and England legend Sir David Beckham. Argentine GOAT Messi moved to the United States in 2023 and has helped to grow the American game at a rate few could have predicted prior to his arrival.

American dream: What Messi has achieved in Miami

When bidding farewell to European football at Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona icon Messi decided that the time had come to spread his wings. Beckham, who is now a co-owner in Miami, helped to convince the World Cup winner that he should chase the American dream.

Messi had offers to join eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League, but opted to tread his own path. Success has been enjoyed in the States, picking up an eighth Ballon d’Or while cementing his standing as the most decorated player in history.

At 38 years of age, there is no sign of Messi slowing down. He has enjoyed a Golden Boot-winning campaign in 2025 and has helped Inter Miami to the MLS Cup final. The expectation is that he will also form part of Argentina’s global title defence next summer.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALCombined forces: Messi has linked up with Beckham

Those in Florida always dreamed of such success, with an all-time great leading way, and Messi has helped to make all of that possible. Asensi has told : “All in all, I would say that it's a miracle. It's a wonderful miracle – it is daring and a dream. From ownership to everyone that is here in the club, we are really blessed to be part of it. We are five years old, we are creating history, we are living history as we are speaking. So having Lionel playing and being our captain changed us completely.”

Asensi added on the power of Beckham combining with the mass appeal of Messi: “Without David Beckham none of us would be sitting here. Everything ended up being possible. There aren't names as global as David Beckham and Leo Messi – they are combined here.

“When we arrived here in 2020-21 with owners Jorge Mas, [his brother] Jose Mas and David Beckham in charge, the main goal was to win on the pitch. I would say Lionel Messi is the greatest of all time, subjectively and objectively. So obviously having the best player possible in your roster is a no-brainer.

“This is what we've been trying to do from the very beginning. Not just bring in big-name players, but bring in the best players possible so the team on the pitch is something we can be proud of – and one that wins.”

Global brand: Inter Miami become a household name

Messi changed the landscape for MLS when arriving in America, despite the likes of Beckham, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic having previously trodden a similar path. He has shifted tickets and shirts at a remarkable rate, helping Inter Miami to become one of the most recognisable sporting brands on the planet.

Asensi said: “Overnight we went from being an MLS club to a club that I would say everybody knew. Every outlet in the world, everyone talked about it. Crazy. From Fiji to Anchorage, Patagonia to Mongolia, it put Inter Miami into the big time. We're talking about the number one sport in the world, and the US economically is the number one country in the world. It's the biggest market, and the king of sports entertainment.”

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Getty/GOALA-list guests: Messi preparing for MLS Cup final

Messi has helped to attract A-list guests to Inter Miami games, with the likes of Will Smith, Floyd Mayweather, Tom Brady, Aryna Sabalenka, LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, Eva Longoria, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos attending Herons matches.

More celebrity visitors are likely to acquire tickets for Saturday’s MLS Cup final. Said contest will take place at Chase Stadium, as Inter Miami prepare to bid farewell to that venue. They will be moving into the newly-constructed Freedom Park next season – with their opening five games taking place on the road as their new home is completed.

Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele has named two England legends among his favourite players of all-time.

Dembele announced as 2025 Ballon d'Or winner in Paris

PSG won their maiden Champions League crown in 2025, and Dembele was paramount to their success, picking up eight goals and six assists across 15 matches in the competition, while also amassing 29 goal contributions in Ligue 1.

As such, the Frenchman had been the favourite for the 2025 Ballon d’Or for quite some time, and he was crowned the winner at the ceremony in Paris on Monday evening, with Lamine Yamal, Vitinha, Mohamed Salah and Raphinha making up the top five.

Having failed to deliver at Barcelona, the 28-year-old’s career has undergone a major transformation since he returned to his home country, and the PSG talisman delivered an emotional speech after being confirmed as the 2025 winner.

Courtesy of scooping up the award, the winger joins a prestigious list of just ten players to have won the Ballon d’Or, Champions League and World Cup, having been part of the France squad that went all the way at Russia 2018.

Lionel Messi is one of the other players on that acclaimed list, and it will come as no surprise that Dembele once named the Argentina star as one of his favourite players of all time, but two England legends also make up the top three.

Sir Alex Ferguson named Liverpool star as the best player in England and as good as Keane

This could settle the debate once and for all…

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By
Ben Goodwin

May 17, 2025

Gerrard named as England's "greatest ever" player by Messi

It is a bit of a surprise to see the Liverpool fan pick Beckham over Gerrard, as Messi himself once claimed the Liverpool legend is the best player England have produced, saying: “Personally, I think Steven Gerrard is England’s greatest ever player. I wish him a happy retirement.”

The 45-year-old was arguably one of the only reasons Liverpool were successful during his era, with the former captain instigating the dramatic comeback against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League, and scoring some incredible long-range goals.

Beckham was also fantastic at striking the ball from distance, having scored the most goals from direct free kicks in the history of the Premier League.

Consequently, both Gerrard and Beckham make their way onto the 20 best midfielders in Premier League history, alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Roy Keane and more.

The former Liverpool and Man United stars are undoubtedly legends of the game, but Dembele has also now cemented his place in the history books, courtesy of his 2025 Ballon d’Or triumph.