Everton, on a day when a win would have propelled them up the table, instead suffered one of their worst losses of the season at home to Fulham.
Welcoming Marco Silva's struggling outfit to Goodison Park, who were without Aleksandar Mitrovic due to his suspension, it seemed like the stars might align for the Toffees to climb the Premier League with a result. After all, with the tumultuous run-in they are set to face, it marked one of their easier games on paper.
However, slow starts in each half consigned them to an embarrassing 3-1 defeat, where the visitors admittedly played them off the park.
A catalogue of errors resulted in the Cottagers first, but that seemed to spark the hosts into life, culminating in Dwight McNeil's fine equaliser. Sean Dyche's men would press on further, seeking to take advantage of their superiority, but would only go in at the break with the scores level.
Golden chances had been spurned, and it always felt like this would come back to haunt them.
demarai-gray-everton-fulham-premier-league
That was almost instantly the case, when Harry Wilson was able to power home from Willian's cutback to reinstate their lead, which they would not relinquish for a second time. Dan James added another with 20 minutes to go, and the atmosphere on Merseyside quickly turned toxic.
A fury and vitriol quickly descended upon the ground, aimed at those on the field who had caused such a mess. Whilst few covered themselves in any kind of glory, Demarai Gray was a standout passenger.
How did Demarai Gray play vs Fulham?
Returning to his preferred flank with the introduction of Neal Maupay, it was expected that the £25k-per-week wide man would play a key role in any offensive success the hosts might have enjoyed.
However, it quickly became clear that this was not to be the case.
An anonymous 90 minutes on the pitch culminated in just 40 touches, of which goalkeeper Jordan Pickford actually recorded more (45).
Such a distinct lack of involvement unsurprisingly led to dwindling influence on the game, as the 26-year-old completed zero successful crosses, recorded no key passes and even missed a big chance, via Sofascore. A torrid day at the office for the attacking asset who offered no offensive input.
Writer Peter Guy put it succinctly when summing up Gray's contribution yesterday, as he wrote on Twitter that he "never turned up".
What makes it even more frustrating is the lack of work rate from the Englishman, who would lose four of the whopping 17 duels he competed in. Dyche would likely excuse struggles up front, but this kind of work-shy behaviour cannot be allowed to stand.
Whilst most in Royal Blue let down the club yesterday, with his 6.0 rating the joint-worst of anyone on the pitch, few disappointed as heavily as the former Leicester City man.
Finance expert Kieran Maguire has stated that the Premier League changes to owner tests won’t impact a potential Manchester United takeover involving Sheikh Jassim.
What’s Maguire had to say on a new ownership update?
Jassim, alongside Sir Jim Ratcliffe, made a revised offer for the Red Devils last month and is now waiting to hear a response from the Glazers.
However, there have been some changes in the Premier League when it comes to ownership, with sides voting in favour of new rules that will see a government using a banned list to see who can own clubs. The Daily Mail highlight how there have been concerns flagged over the possibility of a Qatar-based takeover of Manchester United, but it seems as if they will be unaffected by the changes.
Maguire, who contributes to Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding the changes to the Owners’ and Directors’ Test and what it could mean for Manchester United.
The finance expert said it wouldn’t impact Jassim taking control at Old Trafford, describing it as “big news for Man United fans” who want to see the Qatari-led group in charge.
“As far as the changes to the Owners’ and Directors’ Test that have been agreed upon at the latest Premier League meeting, this will have zero impact in relation to a potential takeover of Man United.
“The changes don’t impact Sheikh Jassim or anyone from Saudi Arabia or other Middle Eastern states.
“Therefore, this is big news for Man United fans who are looking forward to the possibility of being owned by Sheikh Jassim. In terms of the proposals, there are going to be relatively few people who could previously buy a Premier League club that now can’t because of these changes.”
What happens now?
Offers on the table at Old Trafford are thought to be worth around £5bn, with the Glazers holding out for a figure closer to £6bn, although there is still no guarantee they will green-light a full sale.
Therefore, although these changes wouldn’t impact Jassim, he still needs the current owners to be willing to sell and strike a deal, something which is seemingly proving difficult at this moment in time.
Suitors are expecting to hear back from the Raine Group, who are dealing with a possible takeover for the Glazers, this week, with room for another round of bidding if required, so we could know more in the coming days.
Chelsea are now interested in signing Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, according to a report from Football Insider.
The Lowdown: Chelsea eyeing goalkeeper
With goalkeeper Edouard Mendy currently ‘not looking’ to sign a contract extension at Stamford Bridge, the Blues are eyeing a new option between the sticks, recently being linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel.
On a more long-term basis, Chelsea have been looking at a number of options with proven Premier League experience, including Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper Robert Sanchez, who at one point was deemed to be ‘high up on the list.’
At one stage, the west London club were said to have made contact with David Raya about a move across the capital, while Everton’s Jordan Pickford was also a target, but the Englishman has recently signed a new contract.
The Latest: Meslier targeted
As per a report from Football Insider, Chelsea have now joined the race to sign Meslier in the summer transfer window, amid interest in the £30m-rated goalkeeper from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
Graham Potter is said to have informed owner Todd Boehly that he would like a new goalkeeper in the summer, and the club believe they could sign the Leeds United star for a bargain fee if they are relegated from the Premier League.
Despite the high level of interest in the 23-year-old, the Blues are willing to outbid their rivals to secure his signature.
The Verdict: Get it done?
Lauded as ‘unbelievable’ by members of the media, the Frenchman is at the right age to be a long-term success at Stamford Bridge, and he has been one of Leeds’ most consistent performers in the Premier League so far this season.
With an average Sofascore mating of 6.89, the former Lorient man is the sixth-best performing player in the squad, most recently impressing by making a total of six saves from inside the box in his side’s vital 4-2 win away at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That said, it is unclear whether the 6 foot 4 colossus would be an upgrade on Kepa Arrizabalaga, ranking far lower than the Spaniard in terms of average save percentage per 90 over the course of the past year.
Given that Kepa has been putting in some very good performances in recent weeks, recently making five saves, including three from inside the box in the 3-1 victory at Leicester City, Chelsea should continue to monitor the performances of their current goalkeeper before deciding if a summer replacement is really necessary.
يرى وائل جمعة مدافع الأهلي السابق، أن لاعبي القلعة الحمراء في الوقت الحالي، يحتاجون إلى أمر هام خلال الفترة القادمة.
ويستعد الأهلي لمواجهة شباب بلوزداد الجزائري، مساء اليوم الأحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.
وقال جمعة خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت”: “فترة صعبة على الأهلي ومحبيه، تحديدًا بعد المباراة الأخيرة أمام باتشوكا، كان من الممكن أن تكون أسعد فترة في تاريخ الأهلي والتأهل للنهائي والانتقال لتحدي أعلى ومواجهة أكبر ناد في العالم”.
وأضاف: “اللاعبون أضاعوا على أنفسهم كتابة المجد والتاريخ، كلنا في حالة حزن، كانت فرصة سهلة للاعبين أهدرنا كما كبيرا من الفرص، وكان من الممكن حسم اللقاء بسهولة دون اللجوء لركلات الترجيح التي كانت بها مشاكل كثيرة تتعلق بترتيب اللاعبين”.
طالع | تشكيل الأهلي أمام شباب بلوزداد في دوري أبطال إفريقيا.. وسام أبو علي يقود الهجوم
وتابع: “لكن إن شاء الله الأهلي لا يعيش على أمجاد الماضي، ولا يعيش في الفترة السلبية مدة طويلة، وإن شاء الله الوضع يتحسن”.
وأكمل: “خلال فترتنا أتوا لنا بطبيب نفسي “محمد فكري”، لكنه لم يقدر على العمل معنا، كان اللاعبون شخصيات مختلفة، اللاعبون الآن يحتاجون هذا الأمر”.
تجدر الإشارة الى أن الأهلي كان قد خسر أمام باتشوكا المكسيكي في دور نصف نهائي بطولة كأس إنتركونتنتتيال بركلات الترجيح.
وواصل: “لا شك إن كولر مدرب جيد، لكن الفترة الأخيرة هناك شك في قراراته، وعدم قناعة ببعض اللاعبين، وقرارات متخبطة بشأن لاعبين آخرين”.
وتابع: “رضا سليم لم يحصل على فرصة حقيقية ليحكم عليه، وأفشة لاعب جيد ومهم ومطلوب في الفترة الحالية، الأهلي عندما يمر بفترة سيئة فيجب أن يلعب لاعب يجيد الاستحواذ على الكرة، لأن الثلاثي الحالي ليس عندهم ملكة إرسال الكرة للعمق والاستحواذ عليها”.
Liverpool host West Ham United on Sunday in a Premier League fixture that goes back over a century. Only three points separate them in the table, too – a result here could bring them together or create a bigger divide.
So what can we expect? Here at Football Fancast, we've gone into the historical data to find everything you want to know about this fixture at every level.
Liverpool vs West Ham: What's their head-to-head record?
As with virtually all of their head-to-head records, Liverpool come out of this one looking quite dominant. It's not exactly a small sample size, either.
Liverpool and West Ham have met 147 times in English football, dating back to an FA Cup tie in early January 1901. They wouldn't meet in the league, however, until the very end of 1923. The Reds won both games, starting a pretty incredible record against the Hammers.
Overall, Liverpool have won 80 of the 147 fixtures – so quite comfortably over half. It's quite rare to see records that dominant over a long run of games like that, something underlined by how few victories West Ham have managed.
The Hammers' 29 wins are very, very low. It's fewer than Derby County, Bolton Wanderers, both Sheffield teams, Stoke City and Middlesbrough, for a non-exhaustive list. None of those teams have faced Liverpool as often as West Ham.
And for those keeping count, there have been 38 draws between the two sides.
Liverpool wins
80
Draws
38
West Ham wins
29
Liverpool vs West Ham: What's the record at Anfield?
70 of the 147 games have been at Anfield. It is very difficult for any side to play that many home games against one team and come away with a better record than Liverpool have.
They've won 49 of them, but the real standout here is the number of wins West Ham have at Anfield – 4. That might actually be the worst record any team has at Liverpool's ground, taking the number of fixtures into count.
For a quick comparison, Brighton have won at Anfield three times but have only played there on 19 occasions, not 70.
Somehow, Liverpool don't average two goals per game at home, against them, though. They fall just shy on 136. West Ham, if you're wondering, have 41 goals in those 70 games.
Liverpool wins
49
Draws
17
West Ham wins
4
Liverpool vs West Ham: What's the record at West Ham?
Well, West Ham do fare better on their own ground than they do at Anfield. But they're also still playing catch-up.
72 fixtures have been in East London, with Liverpool coming out on top 29 times. West Ham, in response, have 25 wins and 18 draws. The best you can say about that is the Reds fail to win slightly more often than they do win. You're still more likely to see them celebrating than the hosts, however.
In terms of goals, Liverpool are comfortably on top, too. They've scored 108 in 72 games to West Ham's 95. Both manage to average well over a goal per game, then.
Liverpool wins
29
Draws
18
West Ham wins
25
Liverpool vs West Ham: What's their record in finals?
One of the strangest things about Liverpool's dominance in this fixture is that West Ham aren't a small club. That's highlighted best by the fact that these two have met four times in finals.
Two of those were in the Community Shield. Both in 1964 and 1980, the Reds went into the season-opener as First Division Champions, the Hammers as FA Cup winners.
The first ended in a 2-2 draw, with the shield shared. Liverpool then squeezed a win out of the second as Terry McDermott scored in a 1-0.
Then there was the 1981 League Cup final. This one was so close that the first game ended in a draw after extra time, forcing a replay. West Ham took a 1-0 lead in that through Paul Goddard, but Liverpool hit back to win 2-1 after Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen found the net.
And, of course, there was the 2006 FA Cup final. The two sides played out a remarkable, historic match that saw West Ham go 3-1 up. Steven Gerrard, though, carried the Reds over the line with two second-half goals – the second of which might be the best final goal the competition has ever seen. Liverpool won on penalties to win the cup.
So that's five games, two draws, three Liverpool wins. None of these were emphatic wins, however, and it does once again suggest there's a sort of mental block at West Ham against the Reds. Despite being competitive with them, they just struggle to win.
Liverpool wins
3
Draws
2
West Ham wins
0
Liverpool vs West Ham: What's their Premier League record?
Liverpool have consistently been a more competitive team than West Ham since the start of the Premier League in 1992. It leaves a record that doesn't exactly surprise – the Reds are dominant.
54 Premier League fixtures have resulted in 34 Liverpool wins. The remaining games are then split evenly, with 10 draws and 10 West Ham wins. It has become a rather predictable result, especially at Anfield.
Not that anyone will be shocked at that if you've read the stats above. Only one of those 10 West Ham wins has come on Liverpool turf.
Liverpool wins
34
Draws
10
West Ham wins
10
Liverpool vs West Ham: When did West Ham last win at Anfield?
So given there have only been four West Ham wins at Anfield, you might be wondering when it last happened. After all, it's a genuinely historic event.
2015, is the answer. It was one of Brendan Rodgers' final home games as Liverpool boss and a real sign of the end for the Northern Irishman. Manuel Lanzini, Mark Noble and Diafra Sakho all scored to humiliate the Reds.
Before that? 1963. Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters – England's goalscorers when they would win the World Cup three years later – put West Ham two up, but Liverpool could only reply through Roger Hunt (who would also start that final).
And we might as well round out the other two here for the complete four. West Ham also beat Liverpool at Anfield in 1954 and this one was particularly notable as it happened in the Second Division. 2-1 it finished, much like the result in '63.
That leaves one – a 3-1 win in February 1928, this time in the First Division. And that's your lot.
Liverpool vs West Ham: What are the recent results?
Liverpool have played West Ham 14 times since the start of Jurgen Klopp's first full season in charge. In that span, all have been in the Premier League and have seen the Reds fail to win on just three occasions.
One was a draw in December 2016, another a draw in February 2019. Then West Ham got their sole win over Klopp's Liverpool in November 2021. The Reds have won the other 11.
It's obviously an incredible record but we do think it's worth mentioning that the last four results have been very close. All have been by one goal – West Ham winning 3-2, then a couple of 1-0s for Liverpool before a 2-1. Despite the dominance in the win column, the Reds aren't exactly playing their opponents off the park here.
Last five results (All Premier League):
West Ham 1-3 Liverpool West Ham 3-2 Liverpool Liverpool 1-0 West Ham Liverpool 1-0 West Ham West Ham 1-2 Liverpool Liverpool vs West Ham: How have they started the season?
West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen.
Liverpool have been chaos since the season started. Of course, they're trying to rebound from their struggles last season – but no one can be really sure if they're doing that.
They drew 1-1 at Chelsea in what no longer looks like a particularly good result. The Reds have since gone behind early against Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Wolves but came back to win all of them. A 3-0 win over Aston Villa is their most impressive result.
West Ham are another that you can't really pin down. They've conceded in every game but have still managed an enormously impressive 3-1 win over Brighton. A 3-1 win against Chelsea, too, raised eyebrows. Of course, no one will be too harsh on losing 3-1 to Manchester City.
Things do feel positive, even if David Moyes' team lack control. They've built a very solid squad despite losing Declan Rice in the summer – that's an accomplishment in of itself, given most move backwards after losing such a key player.
Liverpool vs West Ham: When is it?
Liverpool host West Ham United at 14:00 UK time on Sunday, September 24. It'll be the 148th meeting between the two teams as the Hammers look to record an incredibly rare feat – a win at Anfield.
Doing so would be just their fifth in 71 attempts, meaning few would count on it. But with Liverpool feeling inconsistent, perhaps now is the time to make history and get number five.
That would put these two level on 13 points after six games, while Liverpool are hoping to move onto 16 and firmly cement themselves in the early fight at the top.
Once pre-season is done and dusted, players eagerly turn their attention to domestic action. A new season, a fresh chance to impress. The start of what could be a campaign of ultimate glory.So, with that said, the worst start that a player can make to a season is receiving a red card on the opening night. Unfortunately for Barcelona and Raphina, that’s exactly what happened against Getafe.The Brazilian wasn’t the only one guilty of letting tensions reach boiling point, before they spilt over, though, with manager Xavi also seeing red, as well as Getafe striker Jaime Mata.In a fiery affair to get the season underway, it was Getafe who will be the happier of the two sides, holding out for a point in a frustrating stalemate for Barcelona.Without any goals to watch, it’s Raphinha who stole the headlines, with his UFC-style elbow rightfully resulting in his dismissal.
What did Raphinha do to get a red card vs Getafe
Attempting to make a run off the ball, Raphinha was expertly marked by Getafe’s Gaston Alvarez, who received a brutal elbow to the back of the head for his troubles, before going down.
The incident was well spotted by the referee, who wasted no time in giving the Barcelona winger his marching orders.
Even so, the Getafe bench were furious and charged out of their seats, out of the technical area, and nearly onto the pitch to vent their anger – perhaps showing why the football now has stricter rules on such behaviour.
The referee wasn’t done with his red cards there, either, handing a second yellow card to Getafe’s Mata to make it 10 men apiece.
Finishing things off, the referee then handed a red card to Barcelona manager Xavi after the Spaniard reacted furiously when Abde Ezzalzouli was brought down.
The La Liga champions also got plenty of attention on Twitter after quite the hilarious blunder, as they first posted in support of Raphinha, before their next Tweet revealed his second off.
The game, itself, was full of strange moments and was perhaps best summed up when Ronald Araujo bizarrely decided to catch the ball instead of controlling it and yet still avoided a yellow card.
As far as opening nights go, it doesn’t get much more disjointed than Barcelona vs Getafe.
What is the market value of Raphinha?
Joining Barcelona for a reported £55m from Leeds United last summer, Raphinha has since gone on to show glimpses of what he’s capable of at the Nou Camp, scoring 10 goals, and assisting a further 12 in all competitions for the club.
That said, his valuation has, in fact, decreased in the year that he has been in La Liga. According to Transfermarkt, the winger is currently worth €60m (£52m), meaning that his value has gone down by £3m since Barcelona splashed out to secure his signature in 2022.
Meanwhile, Raphinha reportedly earns a staggering £199k per week at the Spanish giants, which is a hefty figure for a player who hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts this season.
From the Brazilian’s perspective, he will hope to bounce back from his sending-off in style when he returns to prove once and for all that he belongs in a Barcelona shirt.
D’Arcy Short made the highest score in BBL history and took 1 for 20 from four overs, yet it was only just enough for Hobart Hurricanes to squeeze past the Brisbane Heat by three runs
The Report by Alex Malcolm10-Jan-2018 D’Arcy Short made the highest score in BBL history and took 1 for 20 from four overs, yet it was only just enough for Hobart Hurricanes to squeeze past the Brisbane Heat by three runs.Short was magnificent. His 122 not out from just 69 balls featured eight sixes and eight fours. It accounted for 68% of the Hurricanes’ total, with no other player reaching 20.Sam Heazlett and Brendon McCullum lit up the Powerplay in the run chase before Short and Cameron Boyce changed the game with eight overs of quality wristspin. Alex Ross began to dig his team out but was given out obstructing the field in bizarre circumstances trying to avoid being run-out.It left Jimmy Peirson, Mark Steketee and Brendon Doggett to get 48 from 18 balls and they nearly did it. Doggett needed four off the last ball but Daniel Christian held his nerve to finish a well-executed final over.The Hurricanes won their four game in a row to match the Heat on four wins overall.Spin works, pace doesn’tFor as well as Short has played during the tournament, opposition teams know they can contain him with spin, particularly in the Powerplay. The Heat did that in three of the six overs. Joe Burns and Yasir Shah delivered 18 balls for just 17 runs and conceded only one boundary. The problem came in the other three. Short struck four fours and two sixes from the 13 balls he faced from Steketee and Doggett to get the Hurricanes off to a flyer at 1 for 56 after six.Getty ImagesOne man showShort’s still head is the key to his pure ball-striking. This was his third 90-plus score but this time he had no help from the other end. Alex Doolan, Matthew Wade, Ben McDermott and George Bailey scored just 48 runs from 51 balls between them. Short did give one chance on 60. A towering top edge to midwicket burst through the hands of Joe Burns. The Heat paid a mighty price. Short hit Doggett into the stands to bring up his maiden T20 century in the 19th over. In the 20th, he hit Steketee for three consecutive sixes to set a new record in the BBL, surpassing Luke Wright’s 117 in the first edition of BBL.Mills’ nightmareTymal Mills has been one of the most expensive bowlers in the tournament to date and his opening two overs in the Powerplay did nothing to help those figures. Heazlett and McCullum had already made a rapid start, after Bailey gambled again with Simon Milenko in the opening over at a cost of 16.Mills’ nightmare began without ball in hand. He dropped McCullum at short fine leg off the last ball of the third over. He was immediately introduced to the bowling crease, and McCullum thumped him twice to the boundary. He gave up two more boundaries in the last over of the Powerplay. Heazlett’s striking was audacious in the absence of Chris Lynn. He and McCullum took 62 from the first six overs to get ahead of the required rate.Spin twinsBoyce and Short changed the game. They took 3 for 34 in six straight overs of wristspin. Boyce induced a false stroke from McCullum in the seventh over, with Bailey holding a similar chance to the one Burns put down. Short dropped an easy caught and bowled chance off Burns. But he did not concede a boundary in his first two overs and Burns holed out to Boyce as a result. Short was rewarded with the wicket of Heazlett, who also became frustrated by a lack of boundaries.When Short completed his fourth over, the Heat needed 74 from 36 balls. Ben Cutting and Alex Ross were still at the crease. Jofra Archer then took the air out of the stadium with a stunning one-handed return catch. A slower ball reached the middle of Cutting’s bat at 120kph, and rocketed back at Archer quicker than that. Archer calmly stuck his right hand up above his head and, like a magic trick, the ball disappeared in the blink of an eye.Obstructing the fieldThe moment of magic gave way to a moment of madness. Ross kept pushing. He struck two boundaries off Mills to get the equation to 49 from 19 balls. Then he hit a ball to deep midwicket and pushed for two. The fielder fired wide of the stumps at the strikers end and hit Ross as he was sliding to make his ground. The ball actually ricocheted off Ross onto the stumps. The Hurricanes appealed thinking he might have been short. He made it, but replays showed he had veered off his line. If anything, he appeared to veer away from the ball to avoid being hit rather than intentionally into the line of the ball to block the throw.The third umpire adjudicated differently and Ross was given out. Post-match, the two captains held a long and terse discussion regarding the dismissal. Bailey said he simply asked the question and the umpires made the call. The Heat still needed 48 off 18. Steketee and Peirson gave it an almighty shake. Three sixes and three fours in 12 balls meant the Heat needed 13 from the last over. Christian had not batted or bowled in the match but was called upon to ice the game. Despite a wide first ball, he achieved the task with a mix of quicker and slower ball yorkers that neither Peirson or Doggett could middle.
Sri Lanka fought desperately despite a spectacular collapse lit up by a Faheem Ashraf hat-trick, and held the ascendancy right until Shadab Khan smashed a six with Pakistan needing eight from three balls
The Report by Danyal Rasool27-Oct-2017AFP
There was a hat-trick from Faheem Ashraf, and a Sri Lankan collapse that saw them lose eight wickets for 14 runs. That might suggest another rout of the hapless visitors, but nothing could be further from reality. In the game of the entire tour, Pakistan edged home with one ball to spare, with only two wickets in hand when the winning runs were struck. They were struck by none other than golden boy Shadab Khan, who smashed a six off the game’s penultimate ball to wrench victory from Sri Lanka’s desperate, clawing hands.This was a complete T20 game, beginning with intelligent batting by Sri Lanka, put in after Pakistan won the toss. That was followed by a remarkable collapse from 106 for 1 to 120 for 9. Pakistan looked like they were cruising early on, before an excellent spell by captain Thisara Perera dragged Sri Lanka back. From there, they held the ascendancy right until the last three balls. Pakistan needed eight off them. Shadab hit a straight six and a couple off the next delivery denied Sri Lanka’s valiant young side victory in an astonishing contest.It was Sri Lanka’s best game of the limited-overs tour. The batsmen early on deprived Pakistan of wickets while keeping the score ticking. A 63-run second-wicket partnership between Gunathilaka and Sadeera Samarawickrama set Thisara’s men up for a score above par, with fast bowlers Hasan Ali and Usman Khan expensive in the early overs.Shadab was the only bowler in the middle overs able to rein in Sri Lanka. At one point, they might have been eyeing 150, but a superb spell from the teenager prevented them from cutting loose. He has added another variation, a quicker one that can reach 120kph, and it removed Sri Lanka’s top scorer Gunathilaka amidst their late collapse. Shadab might not have taken heaps of wickets, but his figures of 4-0-14-1 were to prove crucial.In the madness of Sri Lanka’s final overs, Faheem Ashraf emerged as the hero with a sensational hat-trick, removing Dasun Shanaka, Isuru Udana and Mahela Udawatte off the last three balls of the 19th over. It was Pakistan’s first T20I hat-trick and, in truth, couldn’t have come from an unlikelier source.Poor running and brilliant fielding hurt Sri Lanka’s innings: there were three run outs, The wickets that crumpled in a heap towards the end crushed their hopes of a late charge, and while it was still an improvement on yesterday, they still finished with a below-par 124.Pakistan were tentative in their approach to the chase, almost as if they had forgotten what to do when a match become mildly competitive. Fakhar Zaman was run out after miscommunication with Ahmed Shehzad, before Babar Azam fell victim to an incorrect lbw decision. But skipper Perera rose to the occasion, giving his side a real chance of victory, accounting for both Shehzad and Shoaib Malik in his first two overs.For a while, Mohammad Hafeez and Sarfraz Ahmed looked in control, never letting the asking rate get out of sight. But once Hafeez holed out to long on with Pakistan still requiring 31, panic set in. Perera returned for his final over and got rid of Imad Wasim, and terrific fielding in the deep saw Pakistan’s captain run out three balls later. Twenty-one were still required off 14, and with three wickets remaining, Sri Lanka were firm favourites.Udana conceded only four in a brilliant penultimate over, but the drama all lay in the last over. Faheem was caught at long-on off the first ball of Vikum Sanjaya’s over, and with 11 needed off four, Pakistan were up against it. It looked even graver for them when Hasan sliced one straight to long-off, but was reprieved by a crucial dropped catch, allowing Pakistan to scramble three. That brought on strike Shadab, a young man whose honeymoon with cricket simply refuses to end. Two balls and eight runs later, the contest was suddenly over, and Shadab’s joy, as well as Abu Dhabi’s, was unconfined.
Glasgow Rangers remain in the hunt for another striker as Michael Beale looks to offset the departures of Antonio Colak and Alfredo Morelos.
Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers and Abdallah Sima have all arrived at the Ibrox side, yet it appears as though there is a concrete move being made to lure Feyenoord striker Danilo to the club this summer.
Have Rangers made a bid for Danilo?
At the end of June, the Gers made a bid for the Brazilian, yet this was rejected and rather than move onto other targets, Beale has since gone back in with another bid for the player.
According to Dutch outlet The Algemeen Dagblad, Rangers have now submitted a second bid for the 24-year-old which is set to be worth around €6m (£5.2m) and should he join, it would represent their biggest transfer outlay this summer following the £3m spent on Lammers and £4.5m on Dessers.
With Colak departing for Parma in a £2.5m deal and Glen Kamara attracting interest from Leeds amid a reported £4m move, Beale has the funds to complete his summer overhaul by luring Danilo to Scotland, and it will be a tense few days as they await a response.
Is Danilo better than Fashion Sakala?
The attacking department has undergone a total revamp since the end of last season. Kemar Roofe and Fashion Sakala remain the only forward options still at the club, although the Zambian could well be leaving the Gers sooner rather than later.
According to The 4th Official, an unnamed team in Saudi Arabia are prepared to spend £4m on Sakala this summer and considering Rangers brought him to Glasgow for nothing, it would be an excellent piece of business moving him on, especially if Danilo is set to arrive at Ibrox.
The 26-year-old frontman did enjoy playing under Beale.
Across 28 matches under the Englishman, he registered 11 goals and seven assists, ending up as their joint-second highest scorer throughout the campaign.
For all of his enthusiasm, however, there comes a lack of ruthlessness, which Danilo has in abundance. The former Ajax starlet scored 14 goals last season for the Eredivisie outfit, two more than Sakala.
Feyenoord striker Danilo.
He also had a better conversion rate than the Rangers forward in the league last term (16% to 13%) and also missed fewer big chances (seven to 11), clearly suggesting that he would be a more clinical option for Beale.
The "amazing instinctive finisher" – as once lauded by Eredivisie expert Melvin Dupper – did score more often last season too, netting every 134 minutes compared to the 151 minutes it took Sakala and despite his lack of positional versatility, he could certainly be a big upgrade in terms of being more effective in the final third than the current Gers player.
Danilo was hailed by current Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag when he was in charge of Ajax, saying: “Danilo is the best finisher we have in the squad” and if he can bring the form he has shown in the Dutch top-flight over the previous 12 months to Rangers, then he could be an ideal person to complete Beale’s attacking options ahead of what is set to be a crucial Premiership campaign in 2023/24.
In the lead up to the players’ draft for the inaugural T20 Global League, Cricket South Africa is in a tricky situation involving a few overseas players who have committed to play in the Bangladesh Premier League. With both tournaments set to run simultaneously in November-December, the CSA has stated that players who sign contracts will not be allowed to participate in any other tournament, and that the contracts will be binding.Chris Gayle (Rangpur), Fakhar Zaman (Comilla), Cameron Delport and Shahid Afridi (Dhaka), Darren Sammy (Rajshahi), Carlos Brathwaite, Junaid Khan and Dawid Malan (Khulna) are among several overseas players who are also in the T20 Global League draft. Some of these players have already signed contracts with their BPL franchises. ESPNcricinfo understands Afridi signed his contract with Dhaka in March this year while Delport signed his in July.In what could concern the BCB, a few players like Gayle have made their position clear: he is committed to the T20 Global League, where he is one of the icon players and will only play for Rangpur if the scheduling allows him, although the chances of that happening remain remote. Sammy, Gayle’s West Indies team-mate, has “agreed to play for the Rajshahi Kings”, according to the franchise.In a letter this week, Corrie van Zyl, the CSA general manager, has reminded players that they were entering into a “valid and binding” contract. “Kindly note that the agreement to enter the draft is a valid and binding contract entered into between you and Cricket South Africa, in terms of which you have agreed as follows,” van Zyl wrote on August 21. “[Players should not], directly or indirectly, enter into another agreement and/or arrangement subsequent to entering this agreement which would adversely affect his ability to perform his obligations under this Agreement or the Cricketer’s Playing Contract… [Players must] be available, subject to the provisions of any NOC, to participate in the full league edition period and will report to the team, unless otherwise agreed to in writing, on the commencement date of the league edition period.”Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the BCB CEO, said that the BPL franchises have every right to feel concerned. “We were aware that such an issue may come up since both tournaments are scheduled around the same time,” he said. “We will get in touch with Cricket South Africa soon. We have asked the BPL franchises for the list of cricketers. If the players say that they don’t know how their names went up in that [T20 Global draft] list, I think that’s a valid ground for the BPL franchises who have already signed them. But we will first contact CSA and then, depending on the response, think about the next course of action.”Kazi Inam Ahmed, the managing director of Khulna Titans, confirmed Malan and Junaid Khan’s signing was completed in March. Dhaka Dynamites CEO Obeid Nizam said that their players – Afridi and Delport – signed contracts a while back, and ideally there should not be any confusion. “We are concerned but we also have the legal agreement. They have told us that they have no problem to play for Dhaka in the BPL. I don’t know why this has suddenly come up since we signed them five-six months ago.”Haroon Lorgat, CSA’s chief executive, in a statement reiterated the commitment made by the players through having their names in the T20 Global League’s draft. “We have received signed confirmations from all the players who have availed themselves to participate in the draft and in the tournament later this year. These are binding commitments and therefore we do not wish to speculate on potential conflicts.”It is understood that the BCB is also concerned by the poor regulations in practice currently, with home boards openly directing players to play particular leagues or refusing them NOC for other tournaments. The board is also worried by the layers of agents that franchises have to deal with when signing a player these days.