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The PCB is yet to hear from the ICC about the questions regarding India’s unwillingness to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy next February.The PCB wrote to the ICC a week ago, asking the governing body for details and clarity on the BCCI’s decision, which was conveyed to the ICC. The PCB has asked for a written response from the BCCI as well as the date when it informed the ICC about its stance.Despite the lack of a response, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday that he retained “positive expectations” about the tournament, the first ICC event Pakistan will host since 1996.Related

• The resolution of the India-Pakistan Champions Trophy standoff was a win? Not by a long shot

• Champions Trophy saga: Blame lies with ICC leadership

• CT25: Thrilling and unpredictable (and that's just the negotiations)

“We have sent them [ICC] the questions we had,” Naqvi said at a press interaction at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. “We are still waiting for their response. I believe that sports and politics are separate and no country should mix the two. Even now I still have positive expectations about the Champions Trophy.”Naqvi also said that the PCB intended to stick to its stance – of not using a hybrid model for the tournament – and will not shift from it. But he did say he was willing to talk to the BCCI about the situation in a bid to break the deadlock.”At this moment, every team that has qualified for the Champions Trophy is ready to come,” he said. “Nobody has any issues. I will say today also, if India has any concerns, speak to us about them, we can ease those concerns. I don’t think there is any reason for them not to visit.”When asked whether the PCB would consider the option of boycotting the event should hosting rights be taken away from it, Naqvi said: “Pakistan’s pride is of primary importance.”Naqvi was asked about the event’s trophy tour, which began on Saturday in Islamabad but with an altered route after the BCCI had raised objections with the ICC.The PCB had announced the original route last week, which would have taken in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan Administered Kashmir. That destination was taken off after the BCCI’s complaint but has not yet been cancelled. The trophy tour returns to Pakistan in January, after visiting the other seven participants in the Champions Trophy.”My feeling is that the ICC will have to think about its credibility, that are they an organisation for all the world’s bodies,” Naqvi said. “And that route has been rescheduled, we haven’t been told about any cancellation.”Naqvi said he hoped the ICC would announce the tournament schedule soon so that the PCB can continue its preparations for the event.

Also: was Sikandar Raza the first Zimbabwe bowler to take seven wickets in a Test innings?

Steven Lynch04-Feb-2020India and New Zealand tied two matches in a row last week. Has this ever happened before in international cricket? asked Michael Farrant from England, among others

The consecutive T20I ties last week – both of them won by India after a Super Over – were the 55th and 56th in international cricket. No bilateral series had previously featured more than one, although there were two – both again involving New Zealand – in the World T20 in Sri Lanka in 2012-13. The result in Wellington meant New Zealand had tied three of their last five T20 internationals – and lost the Super Over in each one.England beat South Africa 3-1 after losing the first Test. Was this unique for a four-Test series? asked Amarnath Krishnasamy from India

England’s come-from-behind feat to win 3-1 in South Africa in 2019-20 had been achieved twice before. Both were famous four-match series: West Indies, powered by the Three Ws and the spinners Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine, lost the first Test of 1950, at Old Trafford, but claimed the other three, to win a series in England for the first time. Then in 2017-18, in the series overshadowed by the sandpaper controversy in Cape Town, Australia won the first Test in Durban, but South Africa took the remaining three. It’s probably worth pointing out that there haven’t been that many four-Test series – only 61 in all, nine of which finished with a 3-1 scoreline.There were over 1100 runs scored in the fourth Test between South Africa and England, but no individual centuries. Was this a record? asked Rahul from India

In all, 1105 runs were made in the fourth Test, in Johannesburg, with the highest individual score being 98, by Rassie van der Dussen. Rather surprisingly, perhaps, this comes in at only No. 21 on the list of the highest match aggregates without a century. On top is another match between South Africa and England, in Durban in 1927-28, when 1272 runs were scored in all, with 90 by Wally Hammond being the highest individual contribution. There were 1262 runs (but no hundreds) in the 1997 Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, and 1227 in Melbourne in 1960-61, in the final match of the famous series between Australia and West Indies, which started with a tie in Brisbane.Sikandar Raza took Zimbabwe’s first Test seven-for, but the best figures still remain Paul Strang’s 8 for 109 against New Zealand in 2000•AFPWas Sikandar Raza the first Zimbabwe bowler to take seven wickets in a Test innings at Harare? asked Ibrahim Kamara from Zimbabwe

Sikandar Raza’s flattish offbreaks brought him figures of 7 for 113, one of the highlights of Zimbabwe’s plucky performance in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Harare last week. Strictly speaking, it was indeed Zimbabwe’s first Test seven-for – although that ignores their best Test figures, Paul Strang’s 8 for 109 against New Zealand in Bulawayo in September 2000. In third place is Douglas Hondo’s 6 for 59 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2004-05.Both Sri Lankan openers scored 44 in the first innings of the second Test against Zimbabwe. What’s the highest identical score by openers? asked Geetha Krishnan from India

Dimuth Karunaratne and Oshada Fernando both made 44 in Sri Lanka’s first innings against Zimbabwe in Harare last week. It’s the highest such double for Sri Lanka, but there have been seven higher ones for other countries. Best of all was twin 88s, by Shane Watson and Phillip Hughes for Australia against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2011-12.The ODI record is 73, by Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes for Bangladesh against Zimbabwe in Mirpur in 2015-16. And in T20 internationals it’s 80, by Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan for India against New Zealand in Delhi in 2017-18.Use our
feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

تطرق أندريس إنييستا، النجم السابق لنادي برشلونة، للحديث عن مباراة الكلاسيكو المرتقبة يوم الأحد المقبل، ضد خصمه ريال مدريد في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويحل برشلونة ضيفًا على ريال مدريد في قمة منافسات الجولة العاشرة من الدوري الإسباني، موسم 2025/26، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

وقال إنييستا في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “مباراة الكلاسيكو دائمًا ما تكون مميزة، تتجوز توقعات كل لاعب”، موضحًا ثقته من كون انتصارات برشلونة الأخيرة عززت ثقتهم قبل مباراتهم ضد ريال مدريد.

وعندما سُئل عن انتقاد لامين يامال لـ ريال مدريد قبل ساعات قليلة من المباراة، لم يتردد إنييستا في الإشارة إلى أنه “تعليق لإضفاء بعض الإثارة على الكلاسيكو”، لكنه أوضح أن المهم هو ما يحدث على أرض الملعب، وليس التصريحات قبل المباراة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ريال مدريد يتخذ قرارًا بعد تصريحات لامين يامال “الغبية” قبل الكلاسيكو

وأوضح: “أتفهم ذلك، بغض النظر عن صحة التعليقات أم لا، ستكون مباراة رائعة، سنرى ما سيحدث، دائمًا ما تُعطى أهمية كبيرة لما يُقال، خاصة قبل مباراة كهذه”.

وواصل: “أنا أيضًا لست مطلعًا على آخر المستجدات، سيقول البعض إنها مجرد إثارة للمباراة، بينما لن يعجب البعض الآخر، لكن ما يهم حقًا هو ما يحدث خلال تلك الدقائق التسعين”.

وشدد: “الكلاسيكو يتجاوز أي تعليق من أي لاعب أو رئيس أو مدرب، بالنسبة لي الكلاسيكو هو أهم مباراة على الإطلاق، نصيحتي لـ لامين يامال؟ حسنًا، إذا رأى النادي أنه لا يقدم أداءً جيدًا، فأعتقد أن تلك الأمور ستناقش داخليًا”.

وأثنى إنيسستا على لاعب برشلونة بيدري، حيث قال: “بيدري هو بيدري، في عصرنا دائمًا ما تُعقد المقارنات، إنه يشق طريقه بموهبته وتأثيره في برشلونة والمنتخب الوطني، بالنسبة لي هو اللاعب الأكثر تميزًا، من وجهة نظري كلاعب كرة قدم، وما يمثله لاعب كرة القدم”.

واسترسل: “آمل فقط أن يواصل على هذا النحو ويمضي قدمًا في تألقه، الذي سيكون بلا شك مفيدًا جدًا لبرشلونة”، واختتم قائلًا: “لم أخفِ أبدًا رغبتي في العودة إلى برشلونة في مرحلة ما من حياتي”.

It is no secret that Arsenal are actively in the market for a new attacking player or two for Mikel Arteta this summer, with the Gunners now urged to make a move for one highly-rated forward who’s reportedly on Andrea Berta’s list.

Arsenal targeting new winger with "numerous talks" held

Bukayo Saka’s lengthy injury absence midway through 2024/2025, combined with uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of Leandro Trossard, has seemingly pushed Arsenal into considering the signing of a winger.

Arsenal talks could advance in "next few days" as Berta eyes £59m signing

The Gunners have been in contact this week.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 5, 2025

The Belgian is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract in north London, and there are even some suggestions that Arsenal would also entertain suitable bids for Gabriel Martinelli, who is valued at around £50 million, so Arteta’s wide options could look slightly different by the time we reach 2025/2026.

In terms of potential incomings, talks have been held over a deal for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, who is considered the “dream signing” by Arsenal in that position, but negotiations are proving complicated due to wage demands (Florian Plettenberg).

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

That being said, Rodrygo is by no means their only option, with Berta holding “numerous talks” over many targets, including Atalanta star Ademola Lookman.

The Nigerian is reportedly valued at around £42 million, which could prove to be a bargain considering his exploits in Serie A over the last two seasons.

Lookman’s devastating performance in the 2024 Europa League final ended Bayer Leverkusen’s historic unbeaten run, and he’s fresh off scoring 20 goals in all competitions for Atalanta over the season just gone.

Multiple reports have claimed that Arsenal have held talks over a move for Lookman, with club legend Ian Wright now urging Berta to seal a deal.

Ian Wright urges Arsenal to sign Ademola Lookman after alleged talks

Speaking on the Wrighty’s House podcast this week, the N5 icon expressed his admiration for Lookman’s journey to the top, branding him a “top” player.

Wright also urged Arsenal to sign Lookman before the start of next season, explaining exactly why he believes the African would do an excellent job under Arteta.

“I’m going to go with Ademola Lookman winning the African Player of the Year in respects of that man’s journey,” said Wright.

“I remember him from Charlton, it didn’t work out, £10 million to Everton, then moving all over the place, the journey from loan to this, then I think that’s one of the most devastating performances I’ve seen in any final with that hat-trick he scored.

“I hope we can buy him, Arsenal. I would love someone like him to come back to the Premier League and say, ‘listen, I have unfinished business here, so I am going to help Arsenal win the league’.

“But I just admire his journey, and now he’s recognised rightly as a top player, unbelievable.”

Warwickshire strike early but captain’s innings keeps rivals at bay

ECB Reporters Network09-Sep-2024Club captain Brett D’Oliveira struck his fourth successive half-century since returning from injury to inspire another Worcestershire recovery on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship derby with Warwickshire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.D’Oliveira had come to the wicket just over a week ago with Worcestershire 10 for 4 on the opening morning versus Essex at Chelmsford and his 68 helped his side rally to 266 all out on their way to a 43-run success. That followed his 97 during the home win over Kent and for good measure he hit another 51 in the second innings against Essex.Here, his side were struggling at 67 for 4 in testing conditions when he walked out to the middle and was again the cornerstone of a fightback with the top score of 76.D’Oliveira received excellent support from Adam Hose, fit again Matthew Waite and Logan van Beek in partnerships of 49, 76 and 43.He had missed the entire Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign whilst having extensive rehab to a shoulder problem which has troubled him for the past year. But the treatment seems to have paid handsome dividends for the 32-year-old who has been in prime form since the Championship programme recommenced.Waite also made his mark with a fluent half-century on his return to action after nearly two months on the sidelines with a side strain.Oliver Hannon-Dalby, the leading wicket-taker in Division One, added three more scalps to take his tally for the season to 46 and again bowled impressively.Worcestershire gave a Championship debut to young Academy pace bowler Jack Home who last week signed a three-year contract after taking 16 wickets in five games in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.Warwickshire made one change from the side which had defeated Kent with spinner Danny Briggs replacing Jacob Bethell.Warwickshire skipper Alex Davies put the home side into bat on a wicket where the bounce was variable, particularly when bowling from the New Road End, and Hannon-Dalby made the first breakthrough when Jake Libby pushed forward to a delivery which nipped away and was caught behind.Kashif Ali, who had scored two centuries in the corresponding game at Edgbaston, provided keeper Michael Burgess with another catch off former Worcestershire allrounder Ed BarnardGareth Roderick had his middle stump knocked back by Michael Rae and then Ethan Brookes, promoted to No. 4, was lbw to Hannon-Dalby on his return to the attack with a delivery which swung back in. Hose and D’Oliveira battled through to lunch at 77 for 4 from 30 overs.D’Oliveira pulled Rushworth for four to bring up the 100 in 39.3 overs. The fifth wicket pair extended their partnership to 49 but Hose, having battled for nearly two hours for 33, drove at Barnard and was pouched at second slipWaite was full of positive intent from the start and collected four boundaries at Barnard’s expense in two overs.He was the dominate figure in a half-century partnership with D’Oliveira and completed his own fifty from 71 balls with nine fours.The afternoon session produced 111 runs from 34 overs for the loss of one wicket. But Waite added only one more run before he was lbw to Rae after he switched ends to end a stand of 76.D’Oliveira reached another excellent half century from 115 balls when he late cut Briggs for his seventh boundary. He found another staunch ally in van Beek in adding 43 for the seventh wicket but on 76 was finally caught low down at first slip by Yates off Will Rhodes.The second new ball accounted for van Beek with a third scalp for Hannon-Dalby thanks to Yates again showing a safe pair of hands, this time at second slip.But Home, who hit Barnard for the first six of the game backward of square, and Tom Taylor earned Worcestershire a precious batting point before the close during an unbroken stand of 52.

Romelu Lukaku has revealed he "didn't want" to join Manchester United in 2017, amid interest from Chelsea.

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• Lukaku "didn't want" Man Utd move
• Striker reveals Jose Mourinho call
• Had interest from Chelsea

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The striker signed for United from Everton for a reported £75 million but has now opened up on the move, claiming he regrets being influenced by a phone call from then-Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT LUKAKU SAID

  Lukaku told Het Nieuwsblad: "I had already told everyone: I’m going to Chelsea. But suddenly Mourinho called me to say that Manchester United had made an offer. I came back from vacation and suddenly there was an agreement with Everton. I said to Mino [Raiola, after the move]: 'I don’t want this', and then I decided now I’m doing everything myself."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lukaku scored 42 goals in 96 appearances in two seasons at Old Trafford, also registering 12 assists, but was not part of a successful United team under Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He did eventually re-join Chelsea, signing from Inter in 2021.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LUKAKU?

  Lukaku has since found a new home at Napoli, netting 14 goals last season, and will be aiming to inspire a defence of Serie A in 2025-26 with new team-mate Kevin De Bruyne.

Kostas Tsimikas has paid tribute to former teammate Diogo Jota, in a social media post alongside a gut-wrenching image of the forward's no. 20 shirt.

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• 'Jota 20' shirt pictured at scene of tragic crash
• Diogo and brother Andre passed away on Thursday
• World continues to pay tribute

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The tragic image shows a Liverpool shirt with Jota's name on the back pictured at the scene of the fatal crash, which took place in Cernadilla, Spain, in the early hours of Thursday morning. Tsimikas captioned the Instagram post with an emotional message dedicated to his former teammate and close friend.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Tsimikas expressed in the message how himself and Jota arrived at Anfield the same year in 2020, growing at the club together and sharing some special memories. He spoke of their close relationship both on and off the pitch, between two players who may not be Scousers by birth, but who were welcomed into the Liverpool family as their own. Tsimikas is often lovingly referred to as the 'Greek Scouser' by fans, while Andy Robertson recently said Jota was "the most British foreign player he has ever met" in his own emotional tribute to the late forward.

• WHAT TSIMIKAS SAID

  Tsimikas begun his post on Instagram by quoting Jota's famous Liverpool chant: "Oh he wears the number 20 and his name is Diogo."

  He continued: "We’ve moved to the club the same period. We were the new boys in the city. We’ve shared and celebrated some of our best moments of our careers together. Before one of our last ones you’ve said to me 'You cross, I score' and that’s what happened. We laughed and we talked about lots.

  "You were a special player, a special guy, a true legend Diogo. You’ll always be remembered and always be loved. My heart and my prayers are with your Rute, your boys, your little girl, your family and everyone who loved and waited for you both to go home. You and your brother André will be missed forever."

  Tsimikas then had some powerful words in Greek: "Good paradise Diogo and Andre. May God give strength to your loved ones to endure the nightmare and may they one day see the light again," he said.

  "We love you Diogo. YNWA."

• Getty Images
  

  FURTHER TRIBUTES TO JOTA

  Friends and family will come together to celebrate the lives of Diogo and Andre at their funeral in Porto, Portugal on Saturday morning. Tsimikas and his Liverpool teammates will need some time to come to terms with their great loss, but they will no doubt play in the memory of Jota next season and forever thereafter, ensuring his memory lives on at Anfield and beyond.

The NYCFC star shined brightly in penalties against Costa Rica, but has looked shaky at times throughout the Gold Cup

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Consensus that Freese had a "nervy" Gold CupDonovan says Freese might not start in fall friendliesFreese expected to be starter in tournament finalGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Just three days after being labelled a star after his heroics against Costa Rica in the USMNT's penalty shootout win in the Gold Cup quarterfinals, goalkeeper Matt Freese is back under the microscope.

Though Mauricio Pochettino's side beat Guatemala 2-1 to advance to the tournament final, Freese had dicey moments Wednesday night. Freese's positioning was slightly off when Olger Escobar scored to cut the deficit in half in the 80th minute.

"Outside of when he was making penalty saves, I don't think we've seen Matt Freese look comfortable in this tournament – comfortable or confident in himself, and the way in which we view him.," Lalas said on FOX Sports. "For a national team goalkeeper, that's not great. Had a beautiful moment in the penalties the other day, but its nervy."

Freese had four saves in the contest, conceding the one goal.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Freese's inconsistency raises the question: who will be the USMNT starting goalkeeper? Freese started all five matches in this Gold Cup, ahead of incumbent Matt Turner, the World Cup starter in 2022. Sidelined MLS goalkeepers Zack Steffen and Patrick Schulte are expected to remain in contention.

Another U.S. legend Landon Donovan wondered if Freese will start in the upcoming September friendlies, based on current form.

"When I walked out of the tunnel [as a player] and saw Tim Howard, I was like 'He's got it.' " Donovan said. "In the last game, after the penalties, you felt his presence for the first time. You could really feel it. And [now] you're like 'Eh.' Look, he's still growing, and I'm not saying he can't be there – he's earned the right to be at least considered a third goalkeeper for the next year.

"The big question mark is going to be who starts in the September friendlies… is Matt Freese starting, if Zack Steffen is back and Matt Turner is playing? We'll find out."

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

At least eight goalkeepers have started for the U.S. since Tim Howard's retirement from the national team: Brad Guzan, Bill Hamid, Steffen, Ethan Horvath, Turner, Gabriel Slonina, Freese and Schulte.

WHAT NEXT FOR USMNT?

The USMNT have now reached their 13th Gold Cup final, and will be looking to add to their previous seven wins – the most recent coming in 2021. They will play Mexico in Sunday's final.

It’s never straightforward with Manchester United, is it?

With just seconds remaining, the Red Devils looked to have secured an invaluable first-leg win over Lyon on Thursday evening, with Joshua Zirkzee’s late header steering the visitors into a deserved 2-1 lead on the night. And then…

With almost the last kick of the game, the Ligue 1 side ensured that this Europa League tussle is very much alive heading into next week’s reverse fixture at Old Trafford, with Rayan Cherki pouncing at the death to dink home.

The French outfit had initially taken the lead courtesy of Thiago Almada’s free-kick, albeit with United hitting back in first-half stoppage time, as Leny Yoro netted his first goal for the club with an inventive, glancing header.

Zirkzee’s own bullet header at the backpost looked to have been enough to seal the win, yet as it is, the tie is certainly still finely poised – largely thanks to the impact of one man, Andre Onana…

Andre Onana's costly display

Quite what Onana was thinking prior to the match – when insisting that the Red Devils are “way better” than their opponents – is difficult to fathom, with the Cameroonian ‘keeper engaging in a war of words with ex-Old Trafford star, Nemanja Matic.

"At least I've won trophies": Onana hits back at Matic "worst 'keeper" claim

Matic had sent a brutal dig to Onana ahead of Man Utd’s Europa League clash with Lyon.

ByStephan Georgiou Apr 9, 2025

While the Serbian giant watched on from the substitutes bench, one of the “worst goalkeepers in Man Utd’s history” – as so dubbed by Matic – was very much in the thick of the action. Having talked the talk, the 28-year-old, unfortunately, couldn’t walk the walk.

In almost inevitable fashion, it was Onana’s blunder that allowed Lyon to sneak into the lead in the opening exchanges, with the former Inter man failing to deal with Almada’s relatively routine in-swinging set-piece.

The £47.5m flop – who has now made more errors since the start of last season than any other Premier League goalkeeper in all competitions – looked to have got away with one as both Yoro and Zirkzee nodded home, with the experienced stopper even taking the time to rile up the home crowd even further when taking a typically laboured goal kick late on.

Much to the delight of the hosts, however, it was they who would have the last laugh, with Onana proceeding to spill the ball into the path of the lively Cherki at the death, with the dazzling Frenchman duly converting.

From one horrow show to another then as far as United are concerned, with Ruben Amorim also likely to be deeply frustrated by the performance of a man at the other end of the pitch, in Rasmus Hojlund.

The Man Utd star who now needs to be sold

Talk is already rife that Amorim is seeking a new goalkeeper this summer, with reports also suggesting that Onana has been the subject of interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, amid the possibility of an end to his two-season stay in Manchester.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

On current evidence, the one-time Ajax star could well be joined through the exit door by young Hojlund, with the 22-year-old looking like a player who “will be up for sale” at the end of the season, in the words of journalist Tom McDermott.

Branded with a 4/10 match rating from MEN correspondent, Samuel Luckhurst, the struggling Dane was again simply lifeless in attack for the away side, having been restricted to just 11 touches, while making just two passes in total on the night.

Minutes played

63′

Touches

11

Shots on target

1

Shots off target

1

Passes completed

2/3

Key passes

2

Ground duels

0/3

Aerial duels

N/A

Possession lost

3x

Fouls

1

While those were both recognised as ‘key passes’, the former Atalanta starlet did little of any note prior to his withdrawal on the hour mark, with the misfiring striker failing to pounce on a rare opening after scuffing his attempt wide following Patrick Dorgu’s pull-back.

The £85k-per-week marksman – who also failed to win a single duel up against the Lyon backline – memorably passed the ball out of play down the right flank at one stage, having also drawn the ire of Bruno Fernandes after failing to read the Portuguese playmaker’s dummy inside the area.

Whether it be failing to beat his man when running in behind, or struggling to keep hold of possession, Hojlund simply looks lost at present, having now scored just once in all competitions since mid-December.

With only eight goals to his name across all fronts this season, United’s number nine – who has been linked with a return to Serie A – appears to be on borrowed time, not least with speculation ramping up regarding the potential addition of Ipswich Town talisman, Liam Delap.

Having seen his replacement, Zirkzee, take little time to make an impact, Hojlund must surely be second fiddle ahead of next week’s meeting at the Theatre of Dreams. Much like Onana too, this Erik ten Hag signing could find himself on the scrap heap this summer.

No longer can the Red Devils accept mediocrity at both ends of the pitch.

Amorim already has his own Matheus Cunha in Man Utd's "sensational" talent

Man Utd have been heavily linked with a summer swoop for the Wolves sensation…

1 ByRobbie Walls Apr 10, 2025

The eight-time champions have replaced the old with the new, and the changes are now bearing fruit for the title favourites

Akshay Gopalakrishnan15-Dec-2017Barring Mumbai, arguably no team in India’s domestic circuit has captured the imagination of fans quite like Karnataka in recent times. Since their historic double-treble over two successive seasons, plenty has changed in the state’s cricketing landscape. Top among them is a number of players – such as KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Stuart Binny – who were at the center of their rise earning the India cap. Several others are on the fringes of the India A team. And this, astonishingly, despite the state’s Under-23 side faltering in successive seasons.Karnataka’s inability to qualify for the semi-finals over the last two seasons may seem like a blot. But it doesn’t tell you that they dominated the group stage both times. A bad slip-up against Maharashtra, where they only needed a first-innings lead, cost them a knockouts berth in 2015-16. Last season, they were sent packing inside two days on a treacherous Visakhapatnam surface by Tamil Nadu. The results raised questions about team harmony, players’ commitment and their hunger to succeed.A year later, these seem a thing of the past. Under the captain Vinay Kumar, Karnataka are now frontrunners to win their ninth Ranji Trophy title. Their demolition of Mumbai, who suffered only their fifth innings defeat ever in the tournament, has added to their aura of invincibility ahead of their semi-final clash against Vidarbha starting on December 17 in Kolkata.Karnataka set the template for their supremacy early, starting their season with three successive outright wins. It helped them edge out Delhi in a tight finish for the top position on the Group A table. It was precisely the start Vinay had wanted. His message to the team at the start of the season had been pretty explicit: they weren’t settling for anything less than outright wins.

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In 2013-14, Rahul was Karnataka’s highest scorer with 1033 runs. The following year, it was Robin Uthappa. Those were the days when the likes of R Samarth, now a regular and one of the first names on the XI, and Mayank Agarwal were rookies. Today, Rahul has graduated to Test cricket and Uthappa has switched allegiance to Saurashtra. And with Nair and Manish Pandey, too, only sporadically available because of national commitments, it has given the two younger players a longer rope to establish themselves. And they have grabbed it to become driving forces of the batting unit.Agarwal is this season’s highest run-scorer, and should Karnataka go the distance, he even has a realistic chance of surpassing VVS Laxman’s all-time season record of 1451 runs. Agarwal and Samarth are already the third most prolific opening combination, after Mumbai’s Wasim Jaffer and Ajinkya Rahane, and Gujarat’s Priyank Panchal and Samit Gohel, in a single Ranji season in the last 12 years.K Gowtham, the offspinning allrounder, returned from a three-year hiatus last year, and has since reinvented himself. Stints with India A and notable performances at the KPL brought him back into the reckoning, and he has become a key member of the bowling group. Shreyas Gopal, the legspinner, has been groomed to become a more attacking bowler.These younger, less-heralded players have become the engine room of Karnataka’s success, and their emergence has underpinned the team’s season. “I’ll be very happy if most of them play for India,” Vinay, whose hat-trick set-up Karnataka’s quarter-final win, tells ESPNcricinfo. “It gives an opportunity for others to step up. We have so many talented cricketers. (Kaunain) Abbas is sitting out, Pavan Deshpande, Sunil Raju, KB Pawan, Amit Verma, Shishir Bhavane… these are names that can easily fill any team-sheet in the Ranji Trophy.”The success of these players has resulted in more names coming into the national reckoning. Agarwal recently returned to the India A fold for the home series against New Zealand. Samarth travelled with them to South Africa and also played a part against New Zealand A.PTI But the downside of this kind of individual success has already been felt by the team in the past, when individual goals preceded the team’s. The problem peaked in 2015-16, during the infamous CM Gautam-Uthappa wicket-keeping swap. For a team whose success was built on the virtues of a closely-knit group, that was a low.”I think last year too we weren’t gelling too well, because almost every other game we had changes, with two guys going into the Test team and two in the one-day team,” Gautam, who was vice-captain during their dominant run from 2013 to 2015, says. “It was tough for them also to get back and play. This year, we decided that we can’t say KL is coming and he has to take extra responsibility. We have some strong players waiting in the wings. So whether they come or not doesn’t make a difference to other batsmen.”Karnataka have now settled back into a harmonious group, and regained sight of the common goal. Vinay’s role in this transition, as a senior member and captain, has been significant. Since taking over as captain, Vinay has unfailingly led by example, fetching bagful of wickets season after season. Reticent by nature, he isn’t quite an in-your-face leader. But he is a quiet source of strength. He is smart about managing his bowlers’ workloads, as demonstrated when Sreenath Aravind, the injury-prone left-arm pacer, was rested midway through the season only to be brought back before the quarter-final.”Being a senior and captain, I need to be very shrewd,” Vinay said. “But I can’t keep everyone happy; if the captain is keeping everyone happy, he is not doing his job.”Quietly assisting Vinay in the background is PV Shashikanth, the coach. The former Karnataka captain, who led a severely depleted team to victory over Rest of India in the 1996-97 Irani Trophy, has often dipped into his own experience as a player to bring out the best from this team.The core of Karnataka’s pace pack, which has been their strength over the last five years, has largely remained the same. And so, when he took over as coach, finding a second line of batsmen was on top of Shashikanth’s list. So far, the pursuit has been rewarding.Abbas, who struck a half-century against Mumbai in the quarter-final, was once considered to replace Agarwal. Others such as Dega Nischal and Abhishek Reddy scored heavily in the CK Nayudu Trophy and pressed their cases for future selection. Nischal, in fact, struck 195 in just his second first-class match, against Uttar Pradesh, and shared a 354-run stand with Pandey.Though he took over from the hugely successful duo of J Arunkumar and Mansur Ali Khan, Shashikanth didn’t find it hard to impress his style of coaching upon the team. His 15-year experience in coaching age-group state teams had already made him a familiar face to several members of the squad.Coming in as coach of a team that has already recorded substantial achievements, Shashikanth set out trying to take them to the next level. The process began with introducing specific targets for players, which has given them more clarity regarding their roles.”JAK [Arunkumar] was a positive coach,” Gautam says of the former Karnataka captain. “He told us to play positive cricket and didn’t care about the number of balls or anything. He likes attacking players. PV sir, on the other hand, gave batsmen a target of playing 250 balls. But, at the same time, he encourages us to be positive. Such clear roles that are easy to follow have worked well for us.”On the bowling front, it’s about consistently delivering around the fourth-stump channel. “The important thing about this side is you give any surface to the bowlers, they are up there,” Shashikanth explains. “That’s a rare quality. Otherwise, it’s a horses-for-courses thing. If there is lot of grass, pacers come to the fore, or if it’s turning track, spinners come to the fore. But this team is unique in that whatever surface we bowl on, they are up there. That is a striking quality.”Those attributes were visible in Abhimanyu Mithun’s robust spells in Pune and Alur. On flat surfaces, Mithun steamed in with purpose to pick up successive five-fors. Hitting the deck hard, he has often made docile tracks look a lot livelier, in the process overcoming his own slump and injuries that have riddled him over the last two seasons.In the last three seasons, Karnataka have made the knockouts twice. By normal standards, that qualifies to be a more-than-decent performance for most teams. But for those that have followed this Karnataka side, especially through their ruthless, unblemished streak of six titles in two years, nothing short of winning the title would count as an acceptable result. Success does, after all, come at a price.