No visiting batter got into double figures, after Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Maddy Green set the hosts up with the bat

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2022Lea Tahuhu and Hayley Jensen wreaked havoc as Bangladesh collapsed to 32 all out – their second-lowest score in women’s T20Is – to go down by 132 runs in the first T20I in Christchurch, and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Tahuhu finished with figures of 4 for 6 – second-best bowling figures among New Zealand Women – while Jansen picked 3 for 8 to help the hosts secure their biggest win in women’s T20Is.Batting first, Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Maddy Green made useful contributions to take New Zealand to 164. In defence, their bowlers did not give Bangladesh a sniff, with Tahuhu and Jensen reducing them to 12 for 5 inside the powerplay, and eventually skittling them out without any batter getting into double figures.Earlier, Bates and Devine added 84 runs for the opening wicket in less than 11 overs to get New Zealand off to a sprightly start. Devine was the aggressor out of the two, striking six fours during her knock of 45 from 34 balls, while Bates scored 41 off 33.But Bangladesh fought back, getting rid of both set batters in the space of eight balls. Nahida Akter struck first, sending Bates back, before Jahanara Alam had Devine caught behind soon after.Amelia Kerr and Green then got along, adding 42 runs for the third wicket. Kerr fell off the final ball of the 17th over to Ritu Moni before Green took over. New Zealand racked up 30 runs in the last 3.1 overs, with Green doing the bulk of the scoring. She smashed 36 off 23 balls, taking New Zealand to a competitive score.As it turned out, the target was more than enough, with Bangladesh never really getting their chase going. Jensen struck first to remove Murshida Khatun for 3. Tahuhu then picked up two wickets in her first over, and also removed Rumana Ahmed in her second.There was a 15-run stand for the sixth wicket – the highest of the innings – before a dramatic collapse ensued as Bangladesh lost their last five wickets for just as many runs. Moni’s 6 was the highest contribution in the entire line-up.The series now moves on to Dunedin, where the second T20I will be played on Sunday, with Bangladesh facing a must-win match.

Tottenham Hotspur also held talks over signing a “powerful” forward for manager Ange Postecoglou, before the Lilywhites’ successful attempts to get a deal for Mathys Tel over the line, in what is a seismic deadline day twist.

Tottenham close in on Mathys Til deal after transfer twist

While Spurs are believed to be in the market for another centre-back after Danso – who arrived on loan with the obligation to buy around £21 million from Ligue 1 side RC Lens, Postecoglou has been personally keen on acquiring another forward for his injury-ridden squad.

Fabrizio Romano – Tottenham make late approach for £120k-per-week attacker

Ange Postecoglou wants a new forward.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Feb 3, 2025

Tottenham phoned Aston Villa to ask about Leon Bailey and the Jamaica international’s availability in the build up to deadline day, according to Fabrizio Romano, and a new attacker remained among Postecoglou’s main priorities.

It is never an uneventful day for Spurs, with news now emerging that Tel has pulled a major U-turn on a transfer to north London.

The Bundesliga sensation publicly rejected Tottenham’s advances last week, snubbing chairman Daniel Levy in the process, who flew to Munich for talks and came home empty-handed (Florian Plettenberg).

In a sensational turn of events, Tel has now changed his mind and decided to sign for Spurs after all, and the 19-year-old will join on a straight season-long loan.

With a deal for Tel now in place, Postecoglou will be over the moon, especially after a few unsuccessful approaches for other forwards this month.

Tottenham held Tyler Dibling transfer talks before Mathys Tel deal

According to reliable journalist Dan Kilpatrick of Standard Sport, Tottenham also held talks over signing Tyler Dibling before they eventually pulled off a move for Tel.

Man United (home)

February 16th

Ipswich Town (home)

February 22nd

Man City (home)

February 26th

Bournemouth (home)

March 9th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

However, they decided to cool their interest after Southampton demanded a fee well in excess of the Englishman’s rumoured £55 million asking price to shake hands on a deal this month.

After Tel returns to Munich from his loan, perhaps it could be one to revisit in the summer, as it is clear the teenager is set for a very bright future.

The 18-year-old has seriously stood out for Ivan Juric’s side as one to watch for the future, racking up four goals and two assists in all competitions, and Dibling arguably suits Tottenham down to the ground in terms of being homegrown with plenty of resale value.

“He is a beautiful footballer, a really outstanding talent. He’s powerful. He possesses stuff that not every player possesses,” said former Southampton manager Russell Martin before the club’s 5-3 Carabao Cup win over Cardiff, where Dibling notched two assists.

“I love working with him. I love watching him play. I’d pay a lot of money to watch him play football.”

Arsenal are reportedly keeping tabs on Sporting CP star Francisco Trincao but face competition from other Premier League teams.

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Arsenal lead race for TrincaoSporting CP want to extend his stayPremier League sides interestedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Portuguese outlet Record, via Sport Witness, claims Arsenal are the 'stand out' in the pursuit of former Wolves loanee Trincao and have repeatedly 'sent an official' to watch the Sporting CP winger.

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The 25-year-old, who worked under head coach Ruben Amorim, is also reportedly a target for Manchester United but Record's report does not name the other two Premier League sides linked with him. Understandably, teams are pursuing the Portuguese as he has eight goals and 15 assists in 31 league games this season.

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Record state that Arsenal and the two other Premier League clubs have made contact with the player's entourage, and all three are offering Trincao a €3 million a year salary after tax.

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Transfer speculation aside, Trincao could feature for Sporting at home to Gil Vicente on Sunday.

Will Sutherland triggered a Victoria fightback to leave their Sheffield Shield clash with New South Wales nicely poised after Moises Henriques threatened to take the game away from the home team.NSW were dismissed for 260, a first innings lead of 51, but they would have hoped for a bigger advantage after being 2 for 155 just before lunch.Henriques scored 97, striking ten fours and a six in his fluent 179-ball innings, but the Blues bid to build a big first-innings lead was scuppered by two collapses.They lost two clumps of three wickets cheaply and were just four ahead when they went eight down, before the tail added 47 handy runs.Paceman Sutherland was prominent in the hosts’ resurgence. He dismissed Jason Sangha (44) just before lunch leaving NSW 3 for 156 at the break, ending a 107-run third-wicket stand with Henriques.Early in the second session Sutherland’s athletic dive and fine throw from mid on resulted in Matthew Gilkes being run out, and he then had Sean Abbott caught behind as NSW lost 3 for 7.Henriques and wicketkeeper Baxter Holt grabbed back the initiative with a seventh-wicket stand of 48.Victoria hit back late in the session taking 3-3, just after the visitors moved ahead on first innings. Holt was caught behind off Sam Elliott, Henriques was trapped lbw by spinner Todd Murphy, who also had Chris Green caught and finished with 3 for 44 off 16 overs.The tail wagged with Chris Tremain scoring a brisk 24 not out, with both he and Adam Zampa hitting a six.Victoria had Sam Harper and Jon Holland subbed out after testing positive for Covid-19. Captain Peter Handscomb performed admirably behind the stumps in place of Harper, taking four catches.Henriques was the only NSW wicket-taker, trapping Travis Dean lbw after a brisk 46 which included five fours off two wayward overs from Mickey Edwards.

It would be fair to say that for much of this season, there has been very little for Tottenham Hotspur fans to celebrate.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have struggled for the majority of the domestic campaign, languishing in the second half of the Premier League table and already being out of both cups.

However, they’ve started to see a number of injured players return and, against Ipswich Town, picked up their third league win on the bounce.

Moreover, one of the surprise stars of this season could now replace one of Antonio Conte’s signings, who has struggled this year.

Conte's most important Spurs signings

Before we get onto the Conte signing, who could see himself replaced in the coming weeks, it’s worth looking at a few of the Italian’s Spurs signings who are still key members of the first team.

The first player who comes to mind is undoubtedly Dejan Kulusevski, who completed his 18-month loan move to N17 in January 2022.

While he has endured ups and downs in the capital, he is now arguably one of the most talented players in the entire squad and is frankly undroppable.

For example, in just 41 appearances, totalling 3030 minutes, the “world-class” dynamo, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored ten goals and provided ten assists, which comes to a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 151.5 minutes, and makes him the most productive player in the squad.

During his time in the hot seat, the former Chelsea manager welcomed Rodrigo Bentancur, who joined alongside the Swede, and Yves Bissouma, who joined the club from Brighton & Hove Albion for around £25m in June 2022.

Now, while neither one has been as effective as Kulusevski, they’ve still played prominent roles within the first team this season, with the Uruguayan making 28 appearances thus far and the Malian 32.

Finally, a player who is arguably just as important to the starting lineup but has barely played this season thanks to injury is Cristian Romero, as even though he completed his loan move to the club under Nuno Espírito Santo, it was under Conte’s management that he made his move permanent.

However, there are still two more signings made by the serial winner who are still in the first team picture, although one looks like he could be set to replace the other.

The Conte signings in competition at Spurs

In terms of surprise packages for Spurs this season, the first name that probably should come to mind is Djed Spence, who has fought his way back from being left out of the Europa League squad to being one of the most critical players in the team.

In fact, the Englishman, signed under Conte’s tenure for around £20m in July 2022, has been so impressive this term in attack and defence that he looks ready to replace another of the Italian’s signings at right-back: Pedro Porro.

In fact, with Destiny Udogie back at left-back on the weekend, that is what happened, as the former Middlesbrough player started off the right of the back four, while the £40m former Sporting CP star started on the bench.

Now, the Spanish full-back is most certainly a brilliant outlet going forward, as shown by his nine-goal involvements this season, but he has been something of a liability in defence at times, with his performance against Ipswich in the reverse fixture earlier this season earning him particular ire from journalist Mitch Fretton, who described him and Radu Dragusin as “absolute horror shows” at the back.

There have also been a few occasions this season in which he has been shown up by opposition attackers, such as in the FA Cup game against Aston Villa and by Leandro Trossard away to Arsenal.

Moreover, when we compare the 25-year-old’s underlying defensive numbers to the Englishman’s, it becomes increasingly apparent who the more reliable defender is.

Tackles

3.02

2.31

Tackles Won

2.50

1.67

All Blocks

1.77

1.62

Shots Blocked

0.73

0.60

Passes Blocked

1.04

1.03

Aerial Duels Won

1.15

0.43

For example, the “unbelievable” 24-year-old ace, as dubbed by the iconic Ian Wright, comes out on top for tackles and tackles won, all blocks, shots blocked, passes blocked, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, it’s hard not to look at Spence as the better full-back at the moment, as while he might be slightly less effective going forward, he can do his primary job to a much higher standard.

So, with stories touting Porro with an exit in the past, it might be time for Daniel Levy to stick with the Englishman and cash in on the Spaniard.

Tottenham's "future £100m" star could become their biggest sale since Bale

He could be worth an awful lot of money if Spurs cash in…

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 25, 2025

Arsenal now hold a strong interest in a “lethal” £50m striker, who is seen as an ideal solution to their attacking issues, according to a report.

Doubt over Havertz's Arsenal future

Although the Gunners are still in the Premier League title race, currently sitting six points behind Liverpool, there is a feeling they could have done with bringing in some extra attacking firepower during the January transfer window.

In a recent interview with Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown revealed Mikel Arteta is set to pursue a new striker in the summer, casting doubt over Havertz’s long-term future at the Emirates Stadium.

“I don’t think their position has changed since they first started looking at options. Arteta wasn’t happy that they didn’t strengthen in January, because they needed to.

“So if Arsenal can get a top-quality replacement, I expect them to do that in the summer.”

Arsenal keen on "special" £25m ace who's now available to sign this summer

The Gunners have set their sights on a hot prospect, who is being targeted by some of Europe’s top clubs.

ByDominic Lund Feb 9, 2025

Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko are among the main strikers to be linked with a move to north London in the summer, but reports from Spain have now revealed there is another name on the list of targets.

Arsenal are said to hold a strong interest in Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui, having been impressed by his performances this season, which has attracted the attention of a number of big clubs.

Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are also ‘bidding strongly’ for Retegui, so there may be stiff competition for his signature, with Atalanta set to try and hold out for up to €60m (£50m).

With the Gunners still lacking a reliable striker, the Atalanta star is viewed as an ideal solution, but they are yet to make any concrete moves towards getting a deal done.

Retegui on fire in the Serie A

It is no surprise the Italian has attracted Arsenal’s attention, as he has been prolific in the Serie A this season, scoring 20 goals in 22 games, most recently bagging four in his side’s 5-0 victory against Hellas Verona.

Italy manager Luciano Spalletti was full of praise for the 25-year-old earlier this season, saying: “Inside the box, he is lethal. And now he has learned how to connect with the team better. He’s going to become a top player.”

If the Gunners are keen on an out-and-out striker, Retegui could be their man, given that he ranks in the 96th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

As you’d expect, Havertz outperforms the Atalanta forward on a number of key defensive metrics, while he has also provided far more assists during the same timeframe.

However, the most important thing for any striker is to find the back of the net, and the Argentina-born marksman certainly knows how to do that, so it is promising news the Gunners are considering a summer move.

Enzo Maresca labelled Chelsea’s 3-0 thrashing at Brighton & Hove Albion last month the “worst performance” of his tenure to date.

Goalkeeping misery, more so, gave Aston Villa an in one week later, but Chelsea have since defeated Southampton – and comfortably at that. Obviously, tougher tests await, but the Blues are fifth in the Premier League and just two points away from third-placed Nottingham Forest.

Meanwhile, it’s patent Chelsea need to strengthen across a number of areas this summer, with the goalkeeping department, central defence and centre-forward spots all in need of facelifts.

That said, Chelsea need to rally, overcome their tactical and injury issues and make headway over the coming months, finishing in a position that can plant seeds of success for next season.

Maresca doesn’t want the west Londoners to be branded a ‘one-man team’, but Cole Palmer is clearly a cut above most attacking players in English football, and when he’s off the boil, it’s going to be keenly felt.

Cole Palmer's recent form

The sun will shine again for Palmer, one of England’s most awe-inspiring and mercurial talents in a generation.

However, there’s no question he’s in a rut right now, dejected after the final whistle screeched at Stamford Bridge in midweek. Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Southampton made it seven matches without a goal contribution for the 22-year-old.

Cole Palmer stats v Southampton

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

90

Goals

0

Assists

0

Expected goals (xG)

1.35

Shots (on target)

7 (3)

Accurate passes

39/47 (83%)

Key passes

1

Dribbles

2/3

Duels won

3/7

Stats via Sofascore

Palmer has the mindset of a champion, though, and his missed chances rankled some, for he has been the architect and arbiter of attacking success since joining the Blues from Manchester City in a deal worth £42.5m in August 2023.

He’s still rather good, of course. The Three Lions star has racked up 14 goals and 6 assists from 27 top-flight fixtures this term, with Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher even calling him “the best player in the Premier League” at the beginning of October.

Around the same time, former Chelsea superstar Cesc Fabregas hailed Palmer as a “gamechanger,” similar yet different to his own stomping days at Stamford Bridge.

Palmer is his own player, and though he’s a playmaking genius, he operates a different realm to the Spaniard. However, another member of Maresca’s squad is stepping up right now, and might prove to be the club’s next version of their one-time midfield maestro.

Chelsea's next Cesc Fabregas

Fabregas earned his stripes at Arsenal before leaving for Barcelona in a deal worth £35m in 2011. He was 24 years old.

Chalkboard

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A deep-seated connection with London and the Premier League saw him move to Chelsea in 2014, then aged 27 and cultured as one of Europe’s most talented and intelligent deep-lying playmakers.

Since stats-led site WhoScored began collecting data in 2009/10, Fabregas has been recorded as having played out his career with an 85% pass success rate across various clubs and for his country.

Moreover, the 2010 World Cup winner averaged 2.1 key passes per game, serving as an accurate barometer for his gifts on the ball.

Fabregas played the full gamut of midfield roles throughout his playing career, thriving in a deep-lying playmaker’s role when Chelsea stormed to the Premier League title under Antonio Conte in 2016/17.

Previously, he’d been more advanced in his maiden year for the Blues, winning the Premier League for the first time for the legendary Jose Mourinho.

What never faltered was his creativity and willingness to make things happen. Anyway, what does all this pertain to? Well, Chelsea have found their new version of the Spain star in Enzo Fernandez.

Most Assists in Premier League History

Rank

Player

Apps

Assists

1.

Ryan Giggs

632

162

2.

Kevin De Bruyne

278

118

3.

Cesc Fabregas

350

111

4.

Wayne Rooney

491

103

5.

Frank Lampard

609

102

Stats via Premier League

Like Cesc, Fernandez had earned himself a World Cup winner’s badge before moving to Stamford Bridge, leaving Benfica for Chelsea in a whopping £107m deal in February 2023.

He was the talk of the town to be sure, with talent scout Jacek Kulig even hailing him a “phenomenon” in the overtures of his transfer to England.

There’s no doubting the Argentina international’s struggles throughout his two years at the club, himself acknowledging back in December it was “very difficult” to begin with.

He’s starting to come into his own this season. The 24-year-old has notched four goals and eight assists from 31 appearances – many of which coming in a flurry from November through to December – but the overall influence of his performances are shown through impressive progression metrics.

As per FBref, Fernandez ranks among the top 17% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 16% for assists, the top 5% for shot-creating actions and the top 14% for both passes attempted and progressive passes per 90.

Further, he’s averaging 2.1 tackles and 4.4 ball recoveries per Premier League match, as per Sofascore, bespeaking his tenacity and willingness to get stuck in across the park.

His skill as a dictator of play could hold the key for Chelsea’s lasting success as a European superpower. The club’s form is temporary, and Maresca has shown through early-season promise that he’s got the nous and wherewithal to lead this outfit to success.

Back in December, The Athletic’s Liam Twomey noted Fernandez’s role in Maresca’s system may be somewhat nebulous, but that he’s “too valuable not to include”.

When at the top of his game, Chelsea’s stars such as Palmer will go from strength to strength, feeding off the South American’s impetus, technique and intelligence.

Related Forget Fernandez: Chelsea's 20y/o "superstar" could be their next Lampard

Chelsea appear to have a star who could dislodge Enzo Fernandez and emulate Frank Lampard.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Mar 1, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

No duelo que encerrou o domingo do Brasileirão, o Coritiba venceu o Fortaleza por 2 a 1, com um gol salvador de Zé Hugo, aos 48 minutos do segundo tempo. Os times se enfrentaram no Couto Pereira, em jogo válido pela 15ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Com o resultado, o Tricolor amarga a lanterna do Brasileirão, enquanto o Coxa chega em 12º, com 18 pontos.

RelacionadasBrasileirãoHabraão vive misto de sensações em revés do Fortaleza contra o CoritibaBrasileirão03/07/2022Fora de CampoRoberto Cabrini diz que matéria com Luva de Pedreiro não pôde citar ex-empresário: ‘Liminar na Justiça’Fora de Campo03/07/2022Futebol NacionalClássico gaúcho e goleadas: confira o resumo dos jogos da Série D deste domingoFutebol Nacional03/07/2022

GOL RELÂMPAGO
O jogo começou atrasado por conta de um apagão no Couto Pereira. Contudo, quando a partida começou, o Coritiba mostrou que estava totalmente ligado ao duelo. Logo no primeiro minuto, Alef Manga cruzou para Léo Gamalho abrir o marcador.

FICHA TÉCNICA
CORITIBA 2×1 FORTALEZA

Local: Estádio Couto Pereira, em Curitiba (PR)
Data e hora: 03/07/2022 – 18h (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Felipe Fernandes de Lima (MG)
Assistentes: Guilherme Dias Camilo (Fifa/MG) e Celso Luiz da Silva (MG)
VAR: Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral (Fifa/SP)
Cartões amarelos: Val e Alef Manga (Coritiba); Titi, Ronald e Juninho Capixaba (Fortaleza)
Cartões vermelhos: Nathan (Coritiba)

GOLS: Léo Gamalho, aos 1’/1ºT (1-0); Habraão, aos 39’/2ºT (1-1); José Hugo, aos 48’/2ºT (2-1)

CORITIBA (Técnico: Gustavo Morínigo)

Rafael William; Matheus Alexandre, Henrique, Luciano Castán e Diego (Egídio, aos 15’/2ºT); Willian Farias, Val e Fabrício (Bernardo, aos 21’/2ºT); Alef Manga (José Hugo, aos 0’/2ºT), Léo Gamalho e Warley (Thonny Anderson, aos 30’/1ºT – Nathan, aos 21’/2ºT).

FORTALEZA (Técnico: Juan Vojvoda)

Marcelo Boeck; Habraão, Marcelo Benevenuto e Titi (Lucas Crispim, aos 33’/2ºT); Vitor Ricardo (Yago Pikachu, aos 0’/2ºT), José Welison, Ronald (Hércules, aos 0’/2ºT), Matheus Vargas (Lucas Lima, aos 0’/2ºT) e Juninho Capixaba; Romarinho e Moisés (Silvio Romero, aos 33’/2ºT).

“It’s just a small strain so normally about a one-weeker, and if you bowl you make it worse,” he says about not bowling in the final innings in Perth

Alex Malcolm04-Dec-2022

“I’ll spend the next few days rehabbing getting it right and I think it’s a pretty good chance I’ll be good for Adelaide”•Getty Images

Pat Cummins is hopeful of being fit for the second Test against West Indies, starting on Thursday in Adelaide, despite not bowling in the final innings of Australia’s win in the first Test in Perth following a minor quad strain.Cummins, who was jogging for balls in the outfield on Sunday at Perth Stadium to protect his quad, will be given right up until Thursday morning to prove his fitness. However, Australia are considering adding further pace-bowling reserves to their squad to supplement Scott Boland who is the current back-up.Western Australia tearaway Lance Morris has put his name front and centre in the selection equation after a stunning start to the Sheffield Shield season. He bagged 3 for 22 on Sunday to nearly steal an unlikely victory against Queensland at the Gabba. Michael Neser and Mark Steketee are also in the mix for call-ups but both had heavy workloads in that same Shield game, while Sean Abbott is another in the frame after taking 4 for 56 for New South Wales against Victoria this week.Related

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“I felt okay,” Cummins said. “It was more not trying to run as opposed to being restricted to run. I felt all right. If it got a bit tighter, I was going to have a bowl but pretty happy I managed not to bowl to give myself a good chance.”It’s just a small strain so normally about a one-weeker, and if you bowl you make it worse and can make it longer. I’ll spend the next few days rehabbing getting it right and I think it’s a pretty good chance I’ll be good for Adelaide.”Jhye Richardson, who played last year’s Adelaide Test against England, is unavailable as he has missed WA’s Shield game with Queensland because of a bruised heel and has only played two of their six Shield games this summer following a variety of injury issues.Cummins added that the medical staff would have a major say in whether he took the field in Adelaide or not, with Australia’s selectors mindful that the bowlers have five Test matches to play in this home summer with very short turnarounds between them.”It was definitely the thought process the last couple of days,” Cummins said. “You don’t really want to turn a one-week injury into a three or four-week injury and you potentially miss the summer. So we’ll weigh all that up. As I said, I felt pretty comfortable out there. Give it a few days. It already feels pretty good.”The physio might be less optimistic but I think I’ll be fine. I’m sure I’ll have running and a bit of bowling to make sure I’m right.”I guess I’ll have a similar prep to Joshy [Josh Hazlewood] and Starcy [Mitchell Starc] which would maybe be a light bowl the day before. Now might be a bit different. I’ve got to probably prove myself and have at least one bowl. Every Test match is always a slightly different prep. I’m not too bothered. Hopefully, I pass the fitness test and I’m good to go.”Steven Smith will take the reins in Adelaide if Pat Cummins doesn’t recover in time•Getty Images

Australia’s bowlers closed the Perth Test out with ease thanks to six wickets from Nathan Lyon. Steven Smith captained the side while Cummins was absent for the first 36 overs of the fourth innings on the fourth afternoon and will take the reins in Adelaide should Cummins not be able to play, just as he did in the last Test match during last summer’s Ashes after Cummins was ruled out on the first morning of the match due to Covid-19.Cummins did concede that the captaincy added a different weight to his decision as to whether he would push himself to play.”I think it does add a bit,” he said. “We’ve got five Tests and I want to make sure I’m available for all five. It’s always like that. But a lot of the Test matches you leave with absolutely nothing left in the tank.”

The two former MLS stars have both shared positive reactions to rumors about Weston McKennie's contract extension with the Old Lady

Meola believes McKennie deserves the new dealDoes acknowledges surprise at contract turnaround after his exileDavies highlights American midfielder's mental strengthGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Following reports that Weston McKennie is set to sign a new long-term contract with Juventus – one that could make him one of the club’s highest-paid players – Tony Meola weighed in on the move during , saying the USMNT midfielder has earned it.

“First off, good for him if the reports are true and we’re still waiting to hear some final decision on this, but it sounds like it’s getting closer,” Meola said. “I’m not so surprised based on the fact that he’s become over the course of the season one of the most important players, and he’s played everywhere outside of his normal position."

Meola acknowledged that the deal might raise eyebrows given McKennie’s past inconsistencies at Juventus, but said his performances this season justify a new contract.

“I know it looks weird on paper because he’s been kinda exiled three times from this club, but I’m happy for hi,m man, he deserves it,” Meola added. “You have to make a decision: do you want him or not? And it sounds like it’s going to be for a substantial amount of money. You look at it and go, if I can’t get another guy, a better player or a guy that’s similar—which I’m going to have to pay for—why don’t I keep the guy I have, who has been doing it year after year?”

AdvertisementWHAT CHARLIE DAVIES SAID

Former USMNT star and New England Revolution striker Charlie Davies also praised McKennie, although he emphasized how the midfielder's resilience through challenging periods has ultimately resulted in him becoming a pillar at Turin.

“I think this speaks to Weston McKennie’s maturity, resilience to rise above the occasion when things are stacked up against and his willingness to fight. What more could you ask from a player who has been in Europe his whole career and dealing with the ups and downs of trying to survive relegation, playing in the Bundesliga, coming to Juventus and taking a loan to the Premier League and that not all going well,” Davies told

“The coach getting sacked (at Leeds United), you’re coming back and dealing with different coaches and different styles all at the highest levels, playing at a World Cup, all of the above. The ins and outs of World Cup qualifying, and here he is being a pillar at one of the biggest clubs in world football. I’m so proud of him.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The extension solidifies McKennie's position as one of only a handful of American field players to establish themselves as essential contributors at traditional European powerhouses. The USMNT international arrived at Juventus in 2020 but struggled to make the first team with him being farmed out on loan multiple times. However, since his return from a spell at Leeds United in the summer of 2023, McKennie has become a key part of the squad, consistently featuring for different managers.

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Weston McKennie will continue as a key contributor for Juventus as they push toward securing Champions League qualification for next season. currently sit in fourth place on the Serie A table with 63 points, but have AS Roma(63), Lazio(63), and Bologna(62) hot on their heels for the final Champions League place. They face Lazio next on May 9 on the road before returning home to host Udinese in the Serie A on May 17.