It's fair to say that Rangers have had a frustrating start to the season in the Scottish Premiership, already sitting four points behind Celtic, having lost two of their opening four games, including the most recent Old Firm derby.

On top of the league results, Michael Beale's side were also smashed 7-3 on aggregate by PSV Eindhoven in Champions League qualifying to end their hopes of competing among Europe's elite this season.

The Gers' start has put pressure on Beale to turn things around and prevent Celtic from winning a third consecutive Scottish Premiership. Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has delivered a damning new claim on the manager, however.

What did Frank McAvennie say?

Speaking to Football Insider, when asked how many games Beale has left to turn things around at Rangers, McAvennie said: "Just a few games, if anything. People are saying they have got to get him out now because they can’t have another season winning nothing.

“They have got the League Cup to go for, that could be his saving grace, whether that is going to pacify the fans because it was not Rangers that put Celtic out. The break has come at a good time for them.

“After getting battered by PSV I thought the best game to come back in would be a big game against your rivals with 50,000 fans behind you and they put in a performance like that, that is why fans are annoyed.“

Of course, it is worth noting that, when it comes to Rangers, the opinion of a former Celtic striker is likely to be taken with a pinch of salt, rather than a serious verdict on Beale's future. But, the manager's start to the season has been poor, and there's no doubt that the pressure will begin to mount and their former rival's words hold some truth.

Should Rangers sack Michael Beale?

Just four games into the season, sacking Beale would be a harsh decision from Rangers, who may not even find themselves an adequate replacement in the current managerial market – the current trendy link is Birmingham City's John Eustace.

The former Queens Park Rangers boss has lost twice in four Scottish Premiership games, but given that one of those came against a tough Celtic side, he deserves time to turn things around.

What will disappoint those at Ibrox is the manner in which Rangers were dumped out of the Champions League, smashed 7-3. It must be said once again, though, that PSV were no easy test, and the Gers were always the underdogs in that fixture.

It is worth remembering that Beale only became the Rangers manager in November of last year, which means that he has had less than a year in charge. So, if Rangers did sack him now, they would be doing themselves no favours – they would only be restarting the process that Beale has been attempting to get going since last season.

That's not to say that he hasn't overseen some disappointing results as of late, but defeat against the champions and one of the best Dutch teams should not warrant the sack.

MatériaMais Notícias

Querendo brigar por objetivos mais ambiciosos no returno do Brasileirão, Bragantino e Goiás se enfrentam no próximo sábado (24) no estádio Nabi Abi Chedid precisando vencerem para conseguir enxergar a saída da zona de rebaixamento.

No caso dos mandantes que tem 16 pontos na 19ª colocação, além de atuar em casa, conta favoravelmente o fato de que todos os adversários mais próximos até o Vasco, 16°, estão a menos de uma rodada de distância. Logo, existe uma combinação de resultados que, agregada a vitória do Massa Bruta, tiraria o time do Z4 já na 18ª Rodada.

Por outro lado, o Esmeraldino não pode dizer que vive a mesma realidade. Em último com 11 unidades, o time que já trocou três vezes de treinador dentro da competição tem duas partidas a menos que seus concorrentes.

Pensando nas formações que Red Bull Bragantino e Goiás trarão a campo, o time visitante sabe que não pode contar com o meio-campista Breno e também provavelmente com Daniel Bessa. Enquanto o primeiro está fora por suspensão, o segundo sentiu recentemente um problema muscular e tem poucas chances de atuar. Em compensação, Rafael Moura, que não jogou no 0 a 0 diante do Botafogo no Rio de Janeiro, volta ao time por ter cumprido sua suspensão.

Apesar dos sete desfalques que compõem o departamento médico do Massa Bruta (Alerrandro, Weverson, Vitinho, Wesley, Matheus Jesus, Leo Realpe e Leandrinho), as boas notícias recebidas nessa semana por Maurício Barbieri ficaram por conta de dois meio-campistas que devem voltar a lista de opções: Lucas Evangelista e Thonny Anderson.

FICHA TÉCNICA
RED BULL BRAGANTINO x GOIÁS

Local: Nabi Abi Chedid, Bragança Paulista (SP)
Data e hora: 23/10/2020 – 17h
Árbitro: Ramon Abatti Abel (SC)
Assistentes: Kleber Lucio Gil e Thiaggo Americano Labes
VAR: Rodrigo D’Alonso Ferreira (SC)

RED BULL BRAGANTINO: Cleiton; Aderlan, Léo Ortiz, Ligger, Edimar; Ricardo Ryller, Raul, Artur e Bruno Tubarão; Claudinho e Ytalo.Técnico: Mauricio Barbieri.

GOIAS: Tadeu; Edílson, Fábio Sanches, David Duarte e Caju; Ariel Cabral, Salazar e Shaylon; Keko, Vinícius e Rafael Moura.Técnico: Enderson Moreira.

RelacionadasFutebol LatinoEx-Paraná e Bragantino, Tiago Chulapa comemora liderança invicta na TailândiaFutebol Latino22/10/2020BragantinoAtacante Claudinho fala sobre sua boa fase no Red Bull BragantinoBragantino21/10/2020Futebol NacionalGoleiro Tadeu brilha, e Botafogo não sai do empate sem gols com o GoiásFutebol Nacional19/10/2020

حقق فريق الكرة الأول بنادي الإسماعيلي التعادل مع نظيره إنبي، بهدفين لمثلهما، في مباراة مثيرة أقيمت بينهما اليوم الإثنين، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

والتقى فريقا الإسماعيلي وإنبي، في إطار مواجهات الأسبوع الـ 26 من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري، ذلك على ملعب استاد الإسماعيلية.

وسجل فريق الإسماعيلي هدفًا في الدقيقة 10 من عمر الشوط الأول عن طريق لاعبه خالد النبريصي ولكن حكم المباراة ألغاه بداعي التسلل على لاعب الدراويش.

ولكن في الدقيقة 28، استطاع مهاجم الإسماعيلي مروان حمدي أن يتقدم ويسجل هدفًا صحيحًا للدراويش، بعدما أرسل عرضية تجاه منطقة الجزاء ولكنها مرت إلى داخل مرمي الفريق البترولي لتعلن عن تقدم الإسماعيلي بهدف.

فريق إنبي أبى أن يخرج من الشوط الأول مهزومًا، ونجح في تسجيل هدف التعادل في الدقيقة 45+6 من اللحظات الأخيرة من عمر الشوط الأول عن طريق اللاعب مصطفى ياسر شكشك.

طالع | ترتيب الدوري المصري بعد هزيمة الزمالك أمام المصري

وأحرز مصطفى ياسر شكشك هدف إنبي الأول والتعادل من متابعة لكرة مرتدة من تصدي حارس الإسماعيلي عقب تسديدة من زميله مودي ناصر، لينتهي الشوط الأول من المباراة بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1 بين الفريقين.

وفي الشوط الثاني وتحديدًا في الدقيقة 69، استطاع فريق إنبي أن يتقدم على الإسماعيلي بهدف لـ محمد حمدي من تسديدة قوية سكنت مرمي الدراويش، لتصبح النتيجة 2-1 لصالح الفريق البترولي.

وكما فعل إنبي في الشوط الأول وتعادل في اللحظات الأخيرة، فعلها لاعبو الإسماعيلي وتمكنوا من تسجيل هدف التعادل والثاني للفريق في الدقيقة 90+5 من ركلة جزاء سددها محمد الدسوقي.

وبتلك النتيجة، يحتل فريق الإسماعيلي الثالث عشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 28 نقطة من 26 مباراة.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، يتواجد فريق إنبي في المركز الرابع بترتيب جدول الدوري المصري، برصيد 37 نقطة من 25 مباراة. أهداف مباراة الإسماعيلي وإنبي في الدوري المصري

As West Ham United edged League One outfit Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup third round, David Moyes reaffirmed the role entrusted to the youth, having placed six academy graduates on the bench.

The Hammers have been on the rise for a number of years now and won the Europa Conference League final last term to cherry-top the progress made under their Scottish manager's tutelage.

Declan Rice was the embodiment of the Premier League club, having ascended from the youth ranks to play a starring role before departing for Arsenal for a staggering fee of £105m in the summer.

What did Declan Rice achieve at West Ham?

Rice has been heralded as a Hammers “legend” by Ray Parlour, such is the influence of his 245-match career in east London, where he has been an arrowhead in a charge to European exploits, indeed winning European silverware on his final game.

The 45-cap international, who has also been described as a "force of nature" by journalist Rob Blanchette, the 23-year-old is one of the most tenacious, crisp and all-conquering midfielders in Europe, and had he not risen from the youth ranks, the Irons would almost certainly have failed to glean the same level of success.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for interceptions, the top 16% for pass completion, the top 19% for progressive passes, the top 17% for progressive carries and the top 22% for goals scored per 90.

Now thriving with the Gunners, the £240k-per-week phenom is a generational talent and one West Ham will cherish eternally, and while replicating his rise would be a fruitless task, there might in fact be a prospect capable of cementing a big position in Moyes' first-team plans, included in the matchday squad against the Imps on Wednesday night. Step forward Dan Chesters.

Who is Dan Chesters?

Chesters has been on West Ham's books since adolescence and is establishing himself under Moyes' stewardship, and after clinching a place on the bench against Lincoln, will now hope for a maiden appearance on the pitch of the campaign.

Now 21-years-old, the creative midfielder will be hoping to add to his two senior Hammers appearances this season, having cemented his position as a distinguished member of the academy, completing 99 appearances, scoring three goals and providing 20 assists. Different to Rice, yes, but he is shining just as bright in the youth team ranks.

Praised for his "marvellous" early displays by journalist Jack Elderton, he could be the perfect starlet to wedge his way into Moyes' plans, and while Divin Mubama is the star of the show in that regard right now, Chesters' talents could be aptly placed for inclusion over the coming months.

Mubama has been sensational at youth level and has scored a goal and an assist apiece from seven outings for the United first-team, both coming in last season's victorious Conference League campaign.

With Chesters' creativity from the centre and, in addition, the right flank, Mubama and indeed the likes of Michail Antonio, Danny Ings and Mohammed Kudus could have the perfect homegrown supplementation for years to come.

While a player of a different distinction to Rice, Chesters could yet prove to be a talent capable of thriving at the highest level, and this might indeed be a big year for the rising star.

Chelsea are in a difficult moment on the pitch and could now be set to offload one of their players in January after he held discussions with the club over his future, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Chelsea?

Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino has urged his players to mature following their difficult start to the 2023/24, which took another negative turn on Sunday against Aston Villa as Ollie Watkins condemned Chelsea to another defeat following Malo Gusto's red card at Stamford Bridge. Nicolas Jackson will also serve a suspension after picking up five yellow cards for dissent.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Pochettino stated: "We need to grow up as a team, not only in an individual way. A player like Nicolas is so young and is feeling his way into the Premier League and learning. He needs time, and in this type of game we are competing and want to win. But the players, when they are young, need to learn with experience and when they make a mistake."

Football Insider report that despite Chelsea taking just five points from their opening six matches, Argentinian boss Pochettino is under no pressure from the club hierarchy and will be given time to turn their fortunes around. Chelsea see Pochettino as someone who can restore the club back near the top of the pile in English football. However, there is an awareness from all sides that results must improve in the coming weeks.

Next up for Chelsea is a home clash against Brighton & Hove Albion in the third round of the Carabao Cup and they will be hoping to arrest their slump in form that has yielded no victories since their 2-1 triumph over AFC Wimbledon in the second round of the competition.

Nevertheless, the Blues continue to have a long injury list and will be without Reece James, Carney Chukwuemeka, Noni Madueke, Benoit Badiashile, Marcus Bettinelli, Christopher Nkunku, Trevoh Chalobah, Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana for the tie.

Who could leave Chelsea?

Marc Cucurella is believed to have held talks with Chelsea boss Pochettino about his future at the club and is now eyeing a January exit from Stamford Bridge, according to The Sun.

Manchester United were keen to take the Spain international on loan during the summer, though the deal fell through and they instead brought in Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham Hotspur. Cucurella is now weighing up his options and is keen to leave unless his minutes improve in the Premier League.

Since completing a money-spinning £63 million move to Chelsea last summer, Cucurella has struggled to make an impact at Stamford Bridge, making 34 appearances in total for the Blues, registering two assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Compared to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues across the last 365 days, Cucurella has excelled in the art of successful challenges, making around 3.83 per 90 minutes, putting him in the 99th percentile for this metric, as per FBRef.

Chelsea may need to grant the full-back more license to show his capabilities in SW6 or they run the risk of losing his services when the January window opens.

Celtic are a unique club, holding a special place in the hearts of both Scottish and Irish fans. They’re a symbol of national pride while also simply being one of the most successful clubs to come out of British football.

55 league titles and, importantly, one European Cup certainly lay the foundation for an enormous fanbase. That fanbase includes many famous names, almost always with either Scottish or Irish backgrounds.

We at Football Fancast thought we’d pick through 10 of the biggest names – but this is far from an exhaustive list. Celtic, after all, are massive.

10

Jay Baruchel

Let’s start with an unusual one. Canadian actor Jay Baruchel has been a Celtic fan for some time now – and not in that way of simply wearing a shirt once or claiming to be a big fan while promoting a film.

Baruchel has Irish ancestry, something he’s evidently very proud of. It eventually led him to supporting Celtic in the early 2000s and he even produced a documentary on the club called ‘Celtic soul’.

“What’s not to love? For me it’s a few things,” he told the Glasgow Times. “I watched Henrik Larsson on TV and it’s had not to fall in love with him and that team.

“I was a big fan of Aiden McGeady and I followed him for years. I have a real sense of my heritage – my mum’s family are predominantly Irish and Catholic. I have a deep connection to those communities”.

9

Finn Bálor

Not too much to go on here but it does add up. WWE star Finn Bálor (no, not his real name) is an Irish wrestler who was pictured at a pub in Glasgow wearing a Celtic shirt back in 2019.

Bálor now works on a TV show watched by millions every week, but did work in Scotland before he made it big. An Irishman in Scotland, it does add up that he’d have some love for Celtic.

8

Frankie Boyle

Frankie Boyle is very openly a Celtic fan, having frequently talked about the team on Twitter – be it celebrating success or bemoaning the failures.

“On the train listening to the game on the radio,” he said during an Old Firm game in 2022. “Rangers scored when I was listening. Put if aff. Celtic scored. Now can’t put it back on in case I’m a jinx”.

Boyle comes from Glasgow, of course, and still lives there.

7

Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor is about as polarising as it gets in the world of sport. The former dual UFC champion basks in his Irish roots, though, and it shouldn’t really surprise anyone that he has affection for Celtic as a result.

He raved about the fans in 2017, while also paying tribute to John Hartson just last year when the former Celtic striker turned up at his pub. And as the Daily Record points out, McGregor has quite frequently talked up the club over the years.

6

Gerard Butler

Hollywood actor Gerard Butler has been in his fair share of blockbusters but he said back in 2011 that the real highlight of his career was playing in a charity legends game for Celtic.

He grew up a fan and was able to be a part of the squad to face a Manchester United legends side.

“I’ve had some amazing things happen to me – but that was the best,” Butler told the Daily Record at the time.

“I had the biggest, silliest smile. It made all that hard work worth it to be standing there and then kicking off with Henrik Larsson”.

Butler has been to Parkhead on occasion since, though he’s also admitted that living in America makes it very difficult to follow the club as much as he wants.

5

Kevin Bridges

Kevin Bridges has talked in the past about not wanting to include football in his stand-up shows so as to not alienate anyone. He is, however, very openly a Celtic fan and has celebrated their success on his social media channels.

Most interestingly, though, a photo recently emerged of a young Celtic fan at a game back in 2004, holding up a scarf that insulted Rangers. That fan is quite unmistakably a young Kevin Bridges. He certainly didn’t worry about alienating people in the past, then.

4

James McAvoy

McAvoy is another from Glasgow who, like Butler, has represented Celtic in a charity legends game. The actor is clearly a massive fan and has even given content to the club’s social channels, be it quiz questions or an interview.

McAvoy has also told a story about shouting praise at Neil Lennon across the street while the former midfielder was Celtic boss.

“Neil was walking down the street with his family," he said, per the Scotsman.

“Just before I opened my mouth I thought, he doesn’t want to be bothered, so I shouted ‘Neil! Love what you’re doing mate’ and then got back in the car and drove away.
“I thought he must get it all the time and I didn’t want to bother him".

3

Lewis Capaldi

Lewis Capaldi, yet another massive name from Glasgow, is again openly a Celtic fan – even if he’s previously tried not to highlight that fact at gigs.

But he’s also been seen wearing a Celtic shirt fairly regularly, while he also very recently talked about the club on Hot Ones. Capaldi discussed his favourite Celtic song.

“There is a really beautiful song called Grace,” he said.

“It’s an old Irish song but Celtic fans sing it because of the connection with Ireland. It’s a beautiful tune.”

2

Billy Connolly

It was only fairly recently that Billy Connolly stopped frequenting Celtic games, but the legendary comedian has been watching the club since the 1950s.

Connolly actually gave a pretty hefty interview on Celtic and Scottish football in general back in 2020 for the Daily Mail that is worth a read. Above all, he highlights how much it means to be a patron of the Celtic foundation.

“There is more to the club than just the team,” said Connolly. “The Celtic FC Foundation is the charity wing of the club and I am fortunate to be Patron of the Foundation.

“There is more to the club than just the players. There are a host of great people who work there behind the scenes. Ultimately, the work they do reflects on the overall image of the club. I consider myself lucky to be a tiny part of that. Their work in the wider community is to be admired, especially at Christmas when they help many needy families, and especially in the East End of Glasgow.”

1

Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart is known by everyone to be a Celtic fan but he’s not actually from Glasgow. Or Scotland. His Dad was – but he wasn’t from Glasgow, nor was he a Celtic fan.

So how, exactly, did Stewart end up as one? He explained it in an interview with talkSport a few years ago about how he didn’t actually make the decision to support the club until he was 28.

“I met Jock Stein in 1973, Kenny Dalglish, Jimmy Johnstone and Harry Hood, all knocked on my door. We just did a show with The Faces in Glasgow, and they all came to wake me and Ronnie [Wood] up to get us to go training. Ronnie didn’t get out of bed, but I went and I met Jock Stein.

“He looked at me and he laughed at my shoes. And since that day, I’ve become a Celtic supporter.

"I was so enamoured by him, you know, this huge guy was just brilliant.”

50 years later, he’s dished out the Scottish League Cup to Celtic in 2015 and is famously a fan. It’s one of the more unique ways to find your support, of course, and certainly stands out on this list.

Ed Smith’s first squad as national selector includes a couple of big calls

George Dobell15-May-20183:44

Buttler selection not a snub to county cricket – Smith

Jos Buttler has earned a surprise recall to England’s Test team at the expense of James Vince, while the Somerset spinner, Dominic Bess, was the beneficiary of his team-mate Jack Leach’s misfortune, as the new national selector, Ed Smith, unveiled his squad for next week’s first Test against Pakistan.Buttler, who has not played red-ball cricket for England since the tour of India in November and December 2016, has found a rich vein of form for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL this month, with a tournament-record five consecutive half-centuries, including unbeaten scores of 95 and 94 in his last two innings.”Jos Buttler is an outstanding talent, who is already a central part of England’s white-ball teams,” Smith said. “The selection panel feels that this is the perfect moment to reintroduce Jos to Test cricket, where he has already enjoyed some success, including a stint playing as a specialist batsman at number seven. Jos is playing with great confidence and flair, and he will bring unique qualities to the Test team.”England squad for first Test v Pakistan

Joe Root (capt), Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

He will return to the middle order, with Jonny Bairstow retaining the wicketkeeper’s role and moving up the order, meaning Vince is fall guy after a winter of false dawns, in spite of a timely Championship double-century for Hampshire against Somerset on Monday. Joe Root will bat at No.3 with Dawid Malan at No. 4.Vince, who was recalled to the Test squad for the Ashes, in spite of a mediocre start to his career against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in 2016, made an attractive 83 in his first Test innings of the winter, at Brisbane in November, and signed off with 76 against New Zealand at Christchurch last month. However, in between whiles, he made just one more score of fifty in nine innings, with a propensity to get himself out when well set costing him dear.Buttler has outperformed the rest of his IPL side in May•ESPNcricinfo LtdBess, meanwhile, has leapfrogged to the front of England’s spinning options, in the wake of a cruel injury for Leach in the nets at Taunton next week. A fractured left thumb means he will be out of action for both Pakistan Tests, and so will be unable to back up the promise he showed on Test debut in Christchurch last month. Moeen Ali was dropped for the final Test in New Zealand and has played no red-ball cricket since due to his spell at the IPL.”Dom Bess has made an excellent start to his first-class career,” Smith said. “He has impressed everyone with his performances for Somerset and when he has been given opportunities with England representative teams. With Jack Leach missing out due to injury, the selection panel wanted to invest opportunity in a young spin bowler. Dom’s strong form, character and all-round abilities presented a compelling case for selection.Chris Woakes and Mark Wood, who was recalled in Christchurch, will compete for the final fast-bowling spot while Mark Stoneman has retained his place at the top of the order despite a lean start to the season. He had faced pressure from an in-form Nick Gubbins.Meanwhile, Malan and Tom Curran have been awarded incremental contracts based on their performances in the 2017-18 period. Malan was one of the few successes in the Ashes while Curran became a regular part of the one-day side.

4:25

Manjrekar: RCB left the final overs to limited bowlers

Chennai Super Kings picked up their fifth victory through thunderous performances from two heroes – Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni – in an explosive performance. They made nearly half of the 206 target with the 17 sixes they hit at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Kohli fined for slow over rate

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli has been fined INR 12 lakh (USD 18,000 approx) after his team maintained a slow over rate on Wednesday night against Chennai Super Kings. Kohli’s penalty was decided keeping in mind it was his team’s first over-rate offence of the season.

Super Kings survived an AB de Villiers onslaught to recover and chase just a little over 200 – it could’ve been much more. Then they slipped to 74 for 4 in nine overs, before coming back with blazing 101-run stand between Dhoni and Rayudu. Dwayne Bravo, then set it up for Dhoni to complete a win in his signature style – a six over long-on, thereabouts – to take them back to the top of the table.The sub-plot was a familiar one for Royal Challengers: they didn’t have the bowling to defend, again. They had seven bowling options on the night and their two best bowlers – Yuzvendra Chahal and Umesh Yadav – bowled out their overs for a combined 3 for 49. The two other spinners were given a combined four overs, the better bowler of their two allrounders – Colin de Grandhomme – didn’t have a bowl, and, yet again, a glaring lack of a death-overs plan resulted in an embarrassing collapse.The top does it again for RCBBy the time CSK had got into the third over after electing to bowl, Virat Kohli had figured out his method against the opening bowlers: short strides against Deepak Chahar’s swing and a few steps down at Shardul Thakur. He also exchanged notes with Quinton de Kock who aggressively kept gesturing about how Thakur’s knuckle ball was coming out.Thakur managed to pull it back momentarily with a quite remarkable feat – a wicket maiden off a T20 over faced by Kohli and de Villiers – but the bleeding wouldn’t stop. De Kock and de Villiers, together, put up 103 for the second wicket from there in under nine overs, starting with a 16-run punishment off three balls that took Harbhajan out for the rest of the innings.When the ball lost its shine, there did appear to be grip from the surface. But the South African duo weren’t averse to using their feet – de Villiers made 45 off his 68 runs against 17 balls of spin – to move laterally in the crease or down the pitch to open up the field. With their abilities to clear the ground in tow, that proved vital, because the spinners were forced into bowling faster than they should have been.Mighty fallThe next breakthrough, the wicket of de Kock in the 14th, also came in a maiden over. It might even have been a double-wicket maiden had CSK reviewed an lbw decision where Bravo got Corey Anderson on the back leg off a full toss. It didn’t do too much damage though as Imran Tahir claimed two: de Villiers – 68 off 30 – and Anderson, off consecutive deliveries.Suddenly, it was turning big. CSK could’ve had Mandeep Singh, but Dhoni failed to anticipate a spitting turner from Ravindra Jadeja and couldn’t get his hand on a stumping opportunity. What followed was a six over midwicket and a reverse-swept four to get Mandeep going. A missed opportunity and Royal Challengers looked like they would capitalise.But another collapse came. RCB lost seven wickets in the last five overs and played out two maiden overs in the innings. They didn’t have the bowling to afford such mishaps.How to lose a matchRCB had made the perfect start with the ball. Shane Watson, Suresh Raina and Sam Billings, who have all made winning contributions this season, were out inside seven overs and the pitch was allowing big turn. CSK seemed to have given them some help too, when they sent Jadeja ahead of Dhoni at No. 5. That move brought a 15-run fourth-wicket stand that consumed 16 balls.Umesh had bowled out his overs in a testing opening spell, though, and Chahal would be done in the 13th. The brutal effect of that reality in simple, numerical terms: CSK hit 12 sixes in 64 balls after Dhoni walked in.Rayudu didn’t exactly fly under the radar. Like he had against Sunrisers in Super Kings’ previous match, he dealt mainly in flat-batted shots. He was severe on Hyderabad Ranji team-mate Mohammed Siraj, and did not allow Washington Sundar a chance to settle.At the other end, Dhoni smashed the confidence out of Pawan Negi. Shortly after coming in to bat, he swatted the left-arm spinner over midwicket, and upon his return in the 14th, a visibly nervous Negi fired full ones flat into Dhoni’s arc. Two of RCB’s spinners had been neutralised on a spin-friendly surface.That was the beginning of an inevitable death-overs meltdown. With 70 required off 28 balls, Umesh put down a simple chance at extra cover that would have ended Rayudu’s innings. It was perhaps the only time Anderson’s plan of sliding cross-seam length balls across came close to working. By the end of that over, he was truly found out – Rayudu hit balls from the same line outside off over extra cover and then over midwicket.At 21 required off seven balls, even if Mohammed Siraj had completed the penultimate over without needing four attempts at the last ball, Anderson didn’t look like he would have defended the runs. The allrounder, had gone for 16 and 15 in his two overs before the last one, and conceded 17 runs off four balls to finish with figures of 3.4-0-58-0.De Grandhomme, brought into the XI on the night, did not feature in Kohli’s bowling plans. This meant that Royal Challengers would bowl their last six overs with two bowlers: a strategy scarcely seen in ODI cricket even, which shouldn’t have a place in T20 cricket. But it did have a place on the night. And it summed up why RCB’s economy in the death-overs this season – 13.29 – is the worst by any team in any edition of the IPL.

Arsenal are now considering a move for a new striker, with scouts watching one of their targets in action over the weekend, according to a report.

Who are Arsenal signing in January?

The Gunners are keen on strengthening in several positions this winter, having been linked with a move for Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande, although the youngster's agent has made it clear his client is happy where he is for the time being.

Mikel Arteta may also look at bringing in reinforcements in wide areas, and Ousmane Dembele has now been named as a potential target, having made a slow start since arriving at Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona for £50m in the summer.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed that Borussia Dortmund starlet Jamie Bynoe-Gittens could also emerge as an option for the north Londoners this January, although he does not believe the 19-year-old is likely to be among their main targets.

In terms of options at striker, one of Arsenal's main targets appears to be Brentford's Ivan Toney, with transfer insider Fabrizio Romano recently revealing that they have already held talks over a move for the 27-year-old.

However, the Gunners are also considering Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez, with 90min reporting scouts were sent to watch him in action during his side's fiery clash with Ajax on Sunday, which was ultimately suspended due to crowd unrest.

Scouts will have been left impressed by the Mexican's performance, as he put on a real show, providing two goals and an assist for Feyenoord before the game was halted around the hour mark.

Although his time on the pitch was limited, Gimenez most certainly caught the eye, but other scouts were also in attendance, including representatives from Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, so there is likely to be stiff competition for his signature this winter.

Back in August, the 22-year-old opted to commit his long-term future to Feyenoord, agreeing a new contract to extend his stay at De Kuip until 2027, but it appears as though he will have no shortage of offers to move elsewhere in the January transfer window.

How many goals has Santiago Gimenez scored for Feyenoord?

The Buenos Aires-born forward has been prolific in a Feyenoord shirt since making the move from Mexican side CD Cruz Azul, scoring 29 goals in 51 games for the club, and there are early signs he is going to kick on even more this season.

After the opening five games, the Mexico international has already amassed six goals, discounting the two he scored against Ajax at the weekend, having now established himself as a key player for the Dutch side.

The Feyenoord star is a constant threat in attacking positions, ranking in the 99th percentile for touches in the opposing penalty area per 90 over the past year, while he has been likened to Erling Haaland and dubbed a "machine" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

That said, it could be a risk to take a chance on Gimenez, considering he is unproven outside the Eredivisie, especially when Arteta also has Toney on his shortlist, who scored 20 Premier League goals last term.

Hoping to go one better than last season, Arsenal have got off to a solid start in the Premier League. Mikel Arteta will be well aware that it's still early days, though, especially after his side capitulated at the end of the previous campaign.

The Spaniard may even have an eye on January reinforcements to really increase the Gunners' chances of picking up some crucial silverware in the coming months. And that could include adding some defensive depth, with an offer reportedly made to sign one particular defender in the winter transfer window, who would certainly boost the North London side's title chances.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Arsenal spent a reported €235m (£205m) in the summer transfer window, welcoming the likes of Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice, in an attempt to bridge the gap with Manchester City. An added bonus on top of that has, of course, been their return to Champions League football, which saw them ease past PSV Eindhoven in an opening gameweek win.

Arteta and those at the Emirates are only looking to strengthen their side even further, too. According to Record, via Sport Witness, the Gunners, and by extension sporting director Edu Gaspar, have made a €35m (£30m) offer to sign Sporting Club defender Ousmane Diomande, which has already been rejected by the Portuguese side.

The defender may not be keen to make a departure anytime soon, either, having only arrived at Sporting in January. When the winter transfer window does come along, however, it will be interesting to see if Arsenal's offer becomes tempting enough for either the player or Sporting, although they are not the only interested side.

How good is Ousmane Diomande?

At 19 years of age, Diomande may well have the world at his feet. Considering how well William Saliba's progression has gone as an Arsenal player, it would be a fairly smart move to try and replicate the Frenchman's success. And that's where Diomande could come in. The Sporting defender has plenty of time to develop into an important asset for the majority of clubs around Europe.

Statistically speaking, meanwhile, it's fair to say that this is a player to watch. According to FBref, Diomande is in the top 96 percentile for progressive passes, the top 95 percentile for progressive carries, and the top 93 percentile for tackles per 90 over the past 12 months.

At his best, the reported Arsenal target has earned plenty of praise, too, including from Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who said on X:

"Ousmane Diomande. You rarely see a player with such high ball-playing and pure defender skills. There are some tactical improvements but I'm quite sure this kid will play for the best teams in the world. The signs of elite talent."

With that said, it's clear that Arsenal are targeting a player who may not only improve their present side, but also become a crucial part of Arteta's plans in the future, once again proving just how much they've grown as a club off the pitch in recent years.