No Chelsea supporter could have envisioned the immediate impact Enzo Maresca would have had during his opening months in charge at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian raised some eyebrows after his summer appointment from Leicester City, with many questioning the appointment after the dismissal of Mauricio Pochettino at the end of last season.

However, he’s exceeded all expectations during the first few months at the helm, leading the Blues to second place in the Premier League after 15 matches, just four points off current leaders Liverpool.

He’s also led the club to a 100% start to the Europa Conference League campaign, remaining as just one of two sides winning every one of their matches on the European stage.

Todd Boehly has massively backed the club since his takeover, with the summer window of 2024 no different after bringing the 44-year-old in and tasking him with the challenge of leading the club back to the top of the English top division.

Chelsea’s transfer window in the summer of 2024

After his failed stint with Manchester United, winger Jadon Sancho was given a lifeline to resurrect his once-promising career after completing a move to join the Blues.

The Englishman arrived on loan with an obligation to buy, already making an impact in West London after his summer move to the club.

Sancho has already registered two goals and four assists in his first ten matches for the Blues, starring at the top end of the pitch, helping them reach the early heights during Maresca’s reign.

Pedro Neto was another attacker who joined the club, aiming to bring added firepower to the squad to supercharge their top-four ambitions – something which now looks like a real possibility after their recent form.

The Portuguese has registered the same number of goal contributions as fellow forward Sancho, catching the eye with his direct dribbling ability and pace off either flank.

However, the same can’t be said for another summer addition, who has simply been unable to transfer his skill set onto the current side, with his future already up in the air just months after his big-money move.

The £80k-p/w player Chelsea need to cut their losses on

Boss Maresca wasn’t the only person to arrive in London from Leicester during the off-season, with midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also swapping the East Midlands for the capital.

The 26-year-old moved in a £30m deal after helping secure promotion last season, registering 12 goals and 15 assists in the process – winning the Foxes’ Player of the Year award.

However, despite all the promise of playing a starring role under the Italian, Dewsbury-Hall has barely had the chance to flourish, making the big-money fee now look like a complete waste of money.

As a result, reports have suggested that Aston Villa are interested in making a move for the Englishman in the upcoming January transfer window, with former side Leicester also targeting a surprise return for the ace.

Given the fact the midfielder, who earns £80k-per-week at the Bridge, has only featured for a total of 56 minutes in the league to date, it could be the right call to allow him to leave and cut their losses.

Games played

6

Minutes played

301

Pass accuracy

91%

Successful dribbles

5

Goals scored

1

Tackle success rate

67%

Chances created

7

It’s a real shame that he’s yet to impress for the Blues, especially after receiving huge praise from the manager, who dubbed him as “fantastic” after their time together at the King Power last season.

However, ultimately, given his age, he’s coming into the prime years as a professional, desperately needing regular game time to progress after his stellar campaign in the Championship throughout 2023/24.

Villa could be a great opportunity for him to feature in England’s top flight whilst also featuring in the Champions League this season, something which he’s currently unable to do at Chelsea.

There’s no denying Dewsbury-Hall is a hugely talented player, as seen from his time at Leicester, but the move hasn’t worked out, with Maresca and Boehly needing to cash in to prevent losing millions on their recent investment.

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A round-up of the second week of matches, which included a very dodgy umpiring decision which is under BCB review

Mohammad Isam28-Mar-2022Key takeawaysPrime Bank Cricket Club and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club continue to lead the Dhaka Premier League points table with four wins each but both clubs also dropped their first points during the second week of the tournament.The main talking point this week, though, was an umpiring decision during the Abahani Limited-Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity match on March 27. Umpire Masudur Rahman gave Khelaghar’s Hasanuzzaman lbw despite the ball clearly hitting the bat. The strangest part was that the bowler Arafat Sunny and wicketkeeper Jaker Ali didn’t appeal for the lbw decision; only Hanuma Vihari at slip made an appeal. The BCB has given a showcause notice to umpire Rahman while the video clip has gone viral on social media.Best battersLegends of Rupganj’s Naeem Islam struck two centuries in the DPL’s second week, after he got out thrice in the nineties in the first week. Naeem struck 124 against Abahani and an unbeaten 114 against Rupganj Tigers.Not too far behind in the top run-getters’ chart is Anamul Haque who made 184 this week against Shinepukur Cricket Club. It is the third highest List A score in Bangladesh, while his side Prime Bank Cricket Club’s 388 for 4 became the second-highest team score in List A matches here.Among the overseas players, Rupganj’s Chirag Jani and Shinepukur’s Sikandar Raza have also been among the big runs.Best bowlersLeft-arm quick Qazi Onik leads the top wicket-takers’ chart with a tally of 13, but there are three left-arm spinners hot on his heels – Sunzamul Islam, Rakibul Hasan and Nazmul Islam.Mohammad Ashraful’s maiden five-wicket haul included him dancing in five different styles to celebrate each wicket. But Shuvagata Hom’s 5 for 25 for Mohammedan Sporting Club beat Ashraful’s Brothers Union in this game.Best matchOnik kept Dhiman Ghosh at bay in the last over to take Gazi Group Cricketers to a six-run win against Brothers Union in a high-scoring thriller at the BKSP-3 ground on March 28. Batting first, Gazi Group reached 297 for 8 with Farhad Hossain making 92 and captain Akbar Ali hitting a 23-ball 42 with four sixes.Imtiaz Hossain struck his sixth List A hundred, but Brothers Union only picked up pace when Dhiman and Sohag Gazi added 40 runs for the seventh wicket. Dhiman struck two fours in the last over, in which they took 12 when they needed 19 to win.Points to ponderCity Club remain bottom with four losses out of four, while Khelaghar beat Prime Bank to bring them their first points. Defending champions Abahani meanwhile are in sixth place with two wins.Players to watchAnamul has been the standout performer this week, particularly with his six-hitting. He has struck 20 big ones, taking a huge lead over Naeem and Raza who have hit 11 sixes each. Anamul could be Bangladesh’s answer for their demand of a six-hitting opener in T20Is.

New Zealand captain stroked 140* before bowlers rallied to bowl Netherlands out cheaply

Himanshu Agrawal02-Apr-2022

Tom Latham cracked a career-best 140*, producing a batting masterclass in a near single-handed effort to take his side to 264 – and eventually a comfortable win – after they were 32 for 5 at one stage. New Zealand collapsed from 22 without loss to lose 5 for 10 inside six overs, as Netherlands sniffed a miracle only for the opposition captain to spoil their party.On a day when his team-mates should have rather given him a gift, it was instead birthday boy Latham himself who was forced to do some favour to them. But his bowlers, led by allrounder Michael Bracewell, ensured that the total was safely defended, with all six of them taking at least a wicket each.Netherlands’ reply started with both openers gone inside the first two overs itself, after which Vikramjit Singh and Bas de Leede steadied the ship. The 77-run stand that followed looked like the only while during which the visitors were in the chase, as the pair kept finding the fence with repeated boundaries.Related

Meet Logan van Beek, New Zealand's Dutch export, who is back down under again

Vikramjit hit seven in his knock of 31, displaying an array of shots in the process: from the punch to the pull, from the slice to the slash. But once he deposited a Colin de Grandhomme full toss – a slower delivery bowled at 98kph – to long-on, the wheels soon started to come off for Netherlands.What was 81 for 2 at one stage became 146 all out, with Michael Bracewell grabbing three of the wickets to fall, two of those with an offspinner’s dream deliveries. He looped one up wide outside off to lure Pieter Seelaar to drive, as the Netherlands captain got forward only to see the ball turn back in sharply to hit off stump.Michael Bracewell continued dealing with flight, dip and turn when he had Michael Rippon stumped off an identical delivery, with Latham behind having all the time in the world to whip the bails off.But it was earlier in the day that Latham gradually dragged the game away from the bowling side. Watching from the dressing room, he saw Logan van Beek and Fred Klaassen rule with the ball after Netherlands had elected to bowl first on a brown-looking pitch.Despite his side being in trouble, Latham kept ticking the scoreboard by rotating the strike as well as striking the occasional boundary in the company of de Grandhomme, who played a more sedate role. By the 23rd over, when the latter departed after a brief recovery for a 40-ball 16, Latham had already reached 37 off 42 balls, never allowing the Netherlands’ bowlers to capitalise on the momentum by being content to just see them off and holding one end up.He next got an able partner in Michael’s cousin Doug Bracewell, who took after a quiet start of 9 from 23 deliveries. When he fell for a more-than-handy 41 off 51 balls in the 40th over, New Zealand still had only 179 on the board with just three wickets remaining.But Latham was in no mood to give up. After having added 90 with Doug Bracewell, he put on 42 with Ish Sodhi, racing to his sixth ODI hundred on the way, which came from his 101st delivery. The last six overs yielded 61 for the hosts, with their captain pressing the accelerator by clobbering five sixes and a four.All those maximums went over the leg-side boundaries, with three of those – where he fell on his back while smashing – a tribute to the modern expert Rishabh Pant’s methods: the one off van Beek in the 48th over saw Latham step across to a wide delivery outside off, and swipe him over deep square leg; and when Brandon Glover was called upon to bowl the last over, Latham refused singles off the first three deliveries before ramping successive sixes past the short boundary over fine leg and jamming his bat down for four between short third man and point.Who knew what kind of day his 30th birthday would turn out to be?

Al-Hilal boss Jorge Jesus hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as he explained why the Al-Nassr star is 'an example for all players in the world'.

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Jesus hailed Al-Nassr's RonaldoCites Portuguese star to inspire Al-Hilal playersCR7 and Portugal face Denmark on ThursdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Despite Ronaldo plying his trade at Al-Hilal's rival club Al-Nassr, Jesus spoke highly of his compatriot as he stressed on the 40-year-old's fitness and work ethic. The manager also revealed that he often cites the Portugal icon as an example to motivate his own players.

AdvertisementWHAT JOGE JESUS SAID

Speaking at the Forum of the National Association of Football Coaches, the 70-year-old said: "I don’t know, but I would like it to happen. Because Ronaldo is an example. Ronaldo is an example at 40 years old. You see some Al Nassr games now, but I am there. He is still a young player, given his performance in the game. And, honestly, I don’t know how long he will continue. Because he is a 100 per cent professional, he takes care of himself like no other player in the world, and that is why he is 40 years old and still going."

He added: "I often give his example to my players. Ronaldo is an example for all players in the world. What makes an athlete’s career last longer is not just the training process, it is the entire development of the player’s recovery. And today, the player’s recovery is fundamental."

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Even at 40, the ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid star continues to dazzle in one of the top leagues in Asia. Ronaldo has scored 28 goals in 33 matches across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign, including 19 Saudi Pro League goals. He is once again the front-runner to win the Golden Boot award.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO?

Ronaldo now shifts his focus to international football as Portugal are all set to face Denmark in a two-legged Nations League quarter-final clash on March 20 and 23.

Attempting to make his mark, Ruben Amorim could reportedly get the chance to turn towards a familiar face, with Manchester United now leading the pack in pursuit of one big-money defender.

Man Utd transfer news

Recent rumours have unsurprisingly been coming thick and fast with Amorim set to take charge of his first Manchester United game this weekend. It’s clear that INEOS must find the funds to back another manager after keeping hold of Erik ten Hag during the summer proved a costly error. Just who those reinforcements are remains to be seen, but reports have already indicated several options.

The likes of Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez and Barcelona defender Jules Kounde have both emerged as reported targets in recent days with the former certainly a player who’d steal plenty of headlines at Old Trafford.

The World Cup winner has become the main man at Inter Milan over the years, but as Rasmus Hoijlund and new man Joshua Zirkzee continue to struggle, he could solve the Red Devils’ attacking issues. Meanwhile, those at Old Trafford could also welcome a defensive solution.

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United are now the frontrunners in the race to sign Ousmane Diomande from Sporting Club. The central defender won’t come cheap though, given his hefty €80m (£67m) release clause.

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Away from the transfer fee, however, United may not have any trouble in convincing Diomande to complete a move and are the main candidates ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Newcastle. In fact, Amorim could be the key to unlocking the deal, given that he worked with the defender during his time at Sporting.

Still just 20 years old, Diomande may solve the Red Devils’ defensive problems for years to come amid previous reports he prefers Man Utd over Man City.

"Fantastic" Diomande would lead Amorim's backline

Likely changing to a back three, Amorim may need a wealth of patience when it comes to transitioning the current Manchester United backline. Whilst Harry Maguire has been successful at the heart of a back three in the past with England, question marks still remain over Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro; questions that Amorim may not have time to answer.

Instead, the former Sporting boss should reunite with Diomande and build the Red Devils’ backline around the talented 20-year-old, who can become both the present and future of the club. Dubbed “fantastic” alongside fellow impressive defender Antonio Silva by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, Diomande’s rise is unlikely to come to a crashing halt anytime soon.

The one obstacle in the way will undoubtedly be his price tag, but if INEOS can raise the funds then reuniting Amorim with Diomande should certainly be on their list of priorities next summer.

Arsenal are ready to rival Aston Villa boss Unai Emery for a £33 million striker who’s “in the mould” of Man City legend Sergio Aguero, as reports continue to link Mikel Arteta with a new centre-forward.

Arsenal targeting Kai Havertz alternative with Gabriel Jesus out of form

Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday was much-needed for Arteta after their disappointing draw to Fulham last weekend, but it was yet another evening to forget for striker Gabriel Jesus overall.

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The former Man City forward did assist Bukayo Saka with a flash ball across the box for Arsenal’s opening goal of the game last night, but Jesus also missed two gaping one-on-one opportunities in the first half, with Monaco keeper Radoslaw Majecki denying him on both occasions.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Everton (home)

December 14

Crystal Palace (away)

December 21

Ipswich Town (home)

December 27

Brentford (away)

January 1

Brighton (away)

January 4

The Brazilian’s poor form continues, and he is still waiting to add to his tally of just one goal in all competitions so far this season, meaning Arteta is quite reliant on makeshift centre-forward Kai Havertz to deliver on a consistent-enough basis.

This has also led to constant rumours that the club’s interim sporting director Jason Ayto, working in tandem with managing director Richard Garlick, could look at new striker options as early as the January transfer window.

There are suggestions that Arsenal are targeting Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic as one of the few options on their shortlist, with the Serbian enjoying an exceptional campaign in Turin and attracting interest as his contract is set to expire in 2026.

As well as Vlahovic, Arsenal continue to monitor Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig after failing with an offer to bring him to north London in the summer window.

Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres is on Arsenal’s radar as well, following another sensational few months in the Primeira Liga for Coventry City’s ex-star striker, but it appears they also have a fairly new, more astute option financially to consider – in the form of Bologna’s Santiago Castro.

Arsenal "ready to rival" Aston Villa for Santiago Castro

According to CaughtOffside, the young Argentine is attracting admiring glances from within the Emirates Stadium, so much so that Arsenal are “ready to rival” Aston Villa for Castro next year.

The £33 million centre-forward is also garnering interest from the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Everton, with Serie A champions Inter Milan and Juve also keeping tabs on Castro with a view to potentially moving for him.

The 20-year-old has scored five goals and provided six assists in all competitions this term, with Castro’s most impressive performance this term coming in the Coppa Italia, where his three assists and sole strike helped to knock Monza out with a dominant 4-0 win.

It is worth noting that some media outlets have called Castro a striker “in the mould” of Aguero (Arsenal Insider), and if he’s anything like City’s all-time record goalscorer, the Argentine Under-23 international could prove a snip at £33m.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be looking to make it three wins from as many games under the leadership of Vitor Pereira as they face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this afternoon.

Wins over Leicester City and Manchester United have moved the Old Gold out of the relegation zone and hopes are high the club can maintain their top-flight status under the new manager.

Against the Old Trafford side, the majority of the starting XI played rather well as they secured all three points, but there were a couple of players who underperformed.

Goncalo Guedes was deployed alongside Matheus Cunha as an attacking midfielder but didn’t have the same impact as the Brazilian.

Goncalo Guedes’ game in numbers vs Man Utd

The 28-year-old has scored five goals and grabbed four assists in all competitions for the Molineux outfit this season, but his display on Boxing Day wasn’t his best of the campaign.

The Portuguese star failed with both of his dribble attempts, registered just one shot on goal and failed to make a key pass or create a big chance in the final third.

Stat

Highest Ranked

Accurate passes

Matt Doherty and Andre (59)

Key passes

Kobbie Mainoo (3)

Shots on target

Matheus Cunha (2)

Ground duels won

Matheus Cunha (13)

Tackles

Toti Gomes (5)

Guedes also lost nine of the 13 ground duels he contested during his time on the pitch, along with losing possession a staggering 16 times and it is clear Pereira must make a change ahead of the clash against Spurs.

He was replaced by Hwang Hee-chan with just 15 minutes remaining and the South Korean star scored the decisive second goal which wrapped up a 2-0 win for the home side.

With this in mind, Hwang should be unleashed in place of Guedes this afternoon as he could cause the Spurs’ defence plenty of damage.

Pereira must unleash Hwang Hee-chan against Spurs

The forward hasn’t exactly enjoyed the most productive of seasons throughout 2024/25, with his goal against United his first of the season.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

He has only started three games all campaign, but this should change today, as Pereira looks to continue the club’s impressive momentum of late.

Hwang was hailed by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright back in 2021, who said: “He has got everything [Hwang], he has got pace, skill, touch and awareness and he’s always driving to get into the box.”

These attributes were on show last term, as the South Korean maestro ended up scoring 13 goals for the Old Gold while also creating four big chances, averaging 0.6 key passes per game and succeeding with 1.2 dribbles each match in the Premier League.

When compared to his positional peers in the top flight last season, Hwang even ranked in the top 9% for successful take-on percentage (52.2%) per 90, showcasing his dribbling skills.

If unleashed against Spurs, he will be keen to carry on where he left off against the Red Devils. Another goal or assist would certainly give him a great chance of forcing his way into Pereira’s starting XI, and he might just help move Wolves further away from the drop zone.

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The captain of the Mexican national team chose the best players to have worn the team's jersey

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• Javier Hernández Mexico's all-time top scorer

• The Chivas player also played in Europe

• Álvarez chose one of Mexico's best goalscorers

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  In a TikTok challenge, current Mexican National Team captain Edson Álvarez ranked the best players to have worn jersey. Everything seemed fine until the West Ham player placed Chicharito at the bottom of his 10-player ranking.

  Javier Hernández remains Mexico’s all-time top scorer with 52 goals in 109 matches. The former América player punished Chicharito, the current Chivas striker – archrival of in Liga MX. The midfielder reserved the top spot for Hugo Sánchez, a five-time top scorer in LaLiga.

  However, Sánchez's performances with the Mexican National Team have been questioned, as many believe he fell short of expectations. It's important to highlight that the names of historic players such as Rafael Márquez and Carlos Vela were not included.

  Here is Álvarez's ranking:

  1. Hugo Sánchez

  2. Claudio Suárez

  3. Jorge Campos

  4. Cuauhtémoc Blanco

  5. Guillermo Ochoa

  6. Luis Hernández

  7. Jared Borgetti

  8. Pavel Pardo

  9. Andrés Guardado

  10. Chicharito Hernández

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the final hours before facing Canada, the Mexican national team has appeared to be under no pressure, even taking the opportunity to share challenges on social media.

  Rafael Márquez, assistant to Javier Aguirre, also took part in a TikTok challenge. Meanwhile, Santiago Giménez posted a meme on his social media featuring himself and Jesús Gallardo, both wearing the new jersey.

  Mexico is aiming for its first Nations League title.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Álvarez assumed the captaincy of the Mexican national team in May 2024, with an eye on the Copa América. He has worn the captain's armband four times.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ÁLVAREZ AND MEXICO'S NATIONAL TEAM?

  El Tri faces Canada in the semifinals of the Nation's League. Edson Álvarez will play his 84th match with the Mexican national team.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah among the premier players rested for the series

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-202211:36

Shastri: On current form, India might just play Malik against SA

Rohit Sharma, the designated all-format captain, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are among the senior players to be rested for India’s five-match T20I series at home against South Africa next month. KL Rahul has been named the captain of the 18-man side, which welcomes back Hardik Pandya, and has maiden call-ups for Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh.Also missing from the squad are Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja and Suryakumar Yadav, who are all carrying injuries. Chahar, of Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, has a back injury, and played no part in the tournament. Jadeja, also of Super Kings, left the IPL with a bruised rib that he picked up earlier this month, while Mumbai Indians’ Suryakumar also left the IPL earlier this month because of a left-forearm injury.Related

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From the squad that took on Sri Lanka in their T20I series, also in India, in February this year, Mohammed Siraj and Sanju Samson have been left out. Kohli, who last played a T20I in February, against West Indies, had been rested for the Sri Lanka series as well. In fact, since stepping down as India’s T20I captain after the 2021 T20 World Cup, Kohli has played only two T20Is.As such, both Kohli and Rohit have been in patchy form at the IPL. Rohit, whose Mumbai Indians finished last on the points table, had a best score of 48 and tallied 268 runs overall from 14 innings, scoring at an average of 19.14 and a strike rate of 120.17. Kohli’s run was arguably even poorer, but he has shown signs of returning to form of late, hitting 73 in 54 balls in Royal Challengers’ last game, against Titans, which gave them an eight-wicket win and helped them stay in contention for the playoffs. Overall, Kohli has 309 runs from 14 innings, at an average of 23.76 and a strike rate of 117.93.IPL form is likely to have played a part in the Hardik and Dinesh Karthik recalls too.ESPNcricinfo LtdKarthik, one of the top finishers in the competition this year, last played a T20I – or a match in any format for India – in 2019, but forced the selectors to turn to him after hitting 287 runs at a strike rate of 191.33 in the IPL 2022 league stage. He has also been the best Indian batter in the death overs this season [min 30 balls faced], striking at 226.37.Hardik, meanwhile, last turned out for India at the 2021 T20 World Cup, but played primarily as a batter, bowling only in a couple of games in the group stage. But he has bowled a lot more in IPL 2022 – 24.3 overs across eight innings – where he has led Titans to the top of the points table. With the bat, he had an excellent start to the tournament, but then tapered off before smashing 62 not out in 47 balls in their last match, against Royal Challengers Bangalore.His international appearances have been sporadic of late, especially since back problems, which necessitated a surgery, cropped up in 2019. But Hardik has always remained a part of India’s plans, which was evident when he was asked by the BCCI to take the fitness tests at NCA days before the IPL began. It is understood that the national selectors wanted to be sure that Hardik can consistently bowl at least a couple of overs in every match.Arshdeep and Malik, meanwhile, have been among the most exciting young Indian quicks at the IPL. Malik has consistently bowled at speeds upwards of 150kph, and has 21 wickets to show for his efforts even while he has, at times, been expensive. Arshdeep has been the go-to bowler for Punjab Kings at the death, his yorkers reaping great rewards for him on most occasions. He hasn’t always been a big wicket-taker, though, with ten strikes in 13 outings, but has an overall economy rate of 7.82 this season, and an impressive death-overs economy of 7.31, the best among all bowlers to have sent down at least 50 balls in that phase.The players to retain their places in the squad were Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda and Shreyas Iyer in the batting line-up, wicketkeeper-batters Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan, allrounder Venkatesh Iyer, spinners Yuzvendra Chahal, the Purple-Cap holder at the IPL at this stage, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi, and seamers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan.But two of the names that had been discussed during IPL 2022 after making big impressions – batter Rahul Tripathi and quick bowler Mohsin Khan – didn’t get a look-in.

Manchester City’s miserable run of form continued on Saturday afternoon, with Crystal Palace claiming a point against the four-in-a-row Premier League champions.

It means that Pep Guardiola’s typically imperious outfit have secured just one win from nine matches in all competitions, and hands first-placed Liverpool an eight-point lead – with Arne Slot’s side holding a game in hand.

It’s patent that the Cityzens need to complete a rebuild across the coming transfer windows, and there’s one man above all else who is facing a pile of detractors after a spate of wretched performances.

Kyle Walker struggles once again

One of the greatest right-backs in Premier League history, it would appear that Father Time is starting to catch up with Kyle Walker, whose pace has deserted him as he continues to move toward his 35th birthday.

He’s been singled out for criticism on numerous occasions across the past few months, and rightly so. The Manchester Evening News could only provide the veteran with a 4/10 match rating, correspondent Simon Bajkowski noting that ‘the miserable season continues.’

Though the Three Lions star managed to make three tackles and win three of his four ground duels, as per Sofascore, his positional sense, or lack of it, played Daniel Munoz onside for the opening goal of the game. Moreover, he was easily beaten for the Eagles’ second.

You’d imagine that when Guardiola turns to address his side’s need for incomings, signing a new right-back will be the first port of call.

Honestly, though, the entire right flank failed to produce against a voluble Selhurst Park that proved well worth the point gained. Savinho is a talented young winger with plenty of room for growth, but it’s hard to argue that he’s at the requisite level for Guardiola’s project as things stand.

Why Pep must brutally drop Savinho

Savinho is electric-paced and creative too, but he’s yet to find his feet in Manchester. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of wingers in the English top flight this season for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90, so there’s clearly some wonderful quality there.

The 20-year-old Brazilian joined the Sky Blues from French club Troyes this summer for about £31m, but he’s struggling to get to grips with the rigorous Premier League and lacks bite in key moments.

Premier League

12

0

3

Champions League

4

0

1

Carabao Cup

2

0

1

Community Shield

1

0

0

This was certainly the case against Palace, for he was hooked after 79 minutes having failed to stamp his authority on the match, taking just 34 touches – less than shot-stopper Stefan Ortega (42) – losing four duels and registering only one key pass.

It’s hardly surprising that MEN gave him a 5/10 match rating and rebuked his ‘anonymous’ showing. Given that he’d been reduced to cameos across City’s previous two top-flight clashes, it’s done him no favours as Guardiola desperately plots for a revival.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Whichever way you look at it, Man City have got problems, and need to turn the ship around quickly if they are to salvage their season.

Pep must finally sell Man City star whose "decline has been insane"

Having lost 6 of their last 8 matches, Man City will need to ask big questions of their established stars, including Kyle Walker

Dec 6, 2024