All posts by h716a5.icu

Mauricio Pochettino's side were sleepwalking towards another dispiriting result before their key man grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck

Cole Palmer woke Chelsea from their slumber to inspire the Blues to a 2-0 victory over bottom club Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The Blues clicked into gear after a first 45 that will go down as one of the most forgettable in Premier League history, and were rewarded inside 10 minutes of the second period as Palmer rounded off a fine passing move by side-footing home Raheem Sterling's cross.

The lead was swiftly doubled as Palmer turned provider for Nicolas Jackson, pouncing on a goalkeeping error to lay it on a plate for the striker.

Substitute Armando Broja and Jackson both missed gilt-edged chances to put further gloss on the scoreline, but the points were secure.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Djordje Petrovic (6/10):

Completely untested on his full debut in truth.

Axel Disasi (7/10):

Not a natural full-back but performed admirably, growing in confidence and bombing down the right.

Thiago Silva (6/10):

Not unduly bothered by a blunt Blades attack. Needed a strong performance after his error at Newcastle.

Benoit Badiashile (6/10):

A calm display at the back. Passed smoothly and did the basics in a fairly straightforward examination.

Levi Colwill (6/10):

Didn't get forward much which meant he wasn't really involved in the vast majority of the play at the other end.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Moises Caicedo (7/10):

Arguably his best performance in blue so far. Mopped up on the rare occasions Sheffield United countered and drove his team forwards.

Conor Gallagher (6/10):

Industrious as ever and his forward thrust was crucial to Chelsea building momentum after the break. Very harshly booked.

Cole Palmer (8/10):

Completely anonymous in the first half, game-changing in the second. Combined excellently with Sterling to open the scoring and was very smart to play to the whistle to assist Jackson.

GettyAttack

Raheem Sterling (7/10):

Worked tirelessly down the right flank and helped to get his team off the mark with a smart assist after a drop of the shoulder.

Nicolas Jackson (6/10):

Another fairly quiet performance but took the one clear opening that came his way so hard to be too critical.

Mykhailo Mudryk (6/10):

Some bright moments and a better striker might have pounced on the chances he created. Subbed with 25 to play.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettySubs & Manager

Enzo Fernandez (6/10):

Introduced with the job already done but kept things ticking over. Will be glad to have had a bit of a rest.

Armando Broja (5/10):

Ran the defence hard but will be gutted to have missed an absolute sitter.

Malo Gusto (N/A):

On to see out the game.

Ian Maatsen (N/A):

Subbed on to use up some time.

Mauricio Pochettino (7/10):

Whatever the manager said at half-time, it worked. The Argentine will have been mightily underwhelmed by the first-half display, but his players responded and they simply have to use this as a platform to achieve better things.

So far this fluctuating Test match has closely resembled the Centenary Test at Melbourne in March 1977

Steven Lynch23-Jul-2005

Will England find a player to repeat Randall’s innings of 1977? © Getty Images
So far this fluctuating Test match has closely resembled the Centenary Test at Melbourne in March 1977 – which, perhaps not coincidentally, was probably the most-hyped England-Australia encounter until this one.In that showpiece game at the MCG, staged to mark the 100th anniversary of the inaugural Test match, England were cock-a-hoop at bowling the Aussies out for 138 on the first day – until they were rolled over for 95 themselves, with Dennis Lillee taking 6 for 26.Just as in this match, the Australian batsmen then regrouped, scoring 419 to set a massive target of 463. England didn’t make it … quite. A memorable innings of 174 from Derek Randall, his first Test century, took them a tantalising 46 runs short of victory before Lillee (5 for 139) finally ended the fun to exactly replicate the result of the original game in 1877. So who’s going to do a Randall for England this time?

On the Chennai surface that offers true bounce and assists spin, Tendulkar has thrived. It’s no wonder that he has always maintained that it’s one of his favourite grounds

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan in Chennai25-Mar-2008
Sachin Tendulkar puts in some serious time in the nets © AFP
During the first Test, Sachin Tendulkar will most likely get the 12 runs he needs to go past Sunil Gavaskar’s aggregate of 5067, the most Test runs by an Indian batsman on home soil. It will be fitting if he reaches the mark at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, a ground where he has been influential in every one of the nine Tests over the last 15 years.Mumbai may claim complete ownership of Tendulkar, but it’s Chennai that has had a chance to watch him in full splendour. With four hundreds in seven Tests (two of which were almost completely washed out) he’s been near invincible.He has soared against Australia – not once but twice – with epic knocks that turned series. The first, the opening game of the series in 1998, came after India had conceded a first-innings lead and the second, in the deciding match in 2001, set up India’s response to 391. One turned the tide on the fourth day; the other set up a classic on the third.Few will forget the magnificent 136 in the final innings against Pakistan in 1999, a masterpiece which lost a bit of its lustre only because the team tripped at the final hurdle. There was also a controlled 165 against England back in 1993 that shut them out of the contest and a guarded 43 against West Indies, an innings which went a long way in India gaining the upper hand.Take out the the rain-affected match against Sri Lanka in 2005, and you have Tendulkar’s imprint in every game. Few batsmen have handled Chennai’s heat and humidity as well as him. Surprisingly, neither Rahul Dravid nor VVS Laxman have a century at this ground and Sourav Ganguly averages a paltry 16.12 in his six Tests here. On a surface that offers true bounce and assists spin, Tendulkar has thrived. It’s no wonder that he has always maintained that it’s one of his favourite grounds.As if to re-emphasise the point, he flowed freely in Tuesday’s net session, unusual for one who normally prefers to simply knock it around before the big day. Through the Tests in Australia he preferred being low key a day before the match – he would bowl some spin and stretch – but both yesterday and today he got down to some serious business. He patiently waited his turn, standing for a good ten minutes behind the netting, and watched Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rahul Dravid have a hit.Then he spent half an hour smashing the spinners. Piyush Chawla was put to some serious grilling, Harbhajan Singh was slog-swept over the manual scoreboard and out of the stadium and even Anil Kumble was cut away with some degree of violence. It was at this ground that he unleashed the famous slog-sweep back in 1998, smacking Shane Warne’s round-the-wicket ball into the stands. It was as emphatic a statement as any and one from which Warne didn’t recover for nearly six months.Despite the talk usually hovering around the Fab Four, Tendulkar remains India’s premier batsman. Dravid held the mantle for around four years and Laxman leaves a lasting impact on some series but Tendulkar continues to be the first among equals Despite the talk usually hovering around the Fab Four, Tendulkar, even after all these years, remains India’s premier batsman. Dravid held the mantle for around four years and Laxman leaves a lasting impact on some series but Tendulkar continues to be the first among equals. Even in Australia he rattled off gem after gem to allow India a winning chance in three of the four Tests and carried his form through to the one-dayers.Tendulkar will need plenty of support, though, as India prepare for one of the toughest challenges this year and Kumble was clear that it was upto the batsmen to set up wins. “I think whenever we have played at home we have been able to post big scores on the board and that will be the key. Once you do that, our spinners and fast bowlers [get the chance to] put pressure and this is how we won matches and we would like to continue that way.”The Chennai faithful, though, wouldn’t mind watching India riding on Tendulkar. Another hundred here would also fill one blank in his glittering resume – the lack of a home ton against South Africa. It would also give him 17 hundreds at home, going past Sunil Gavaskar’s tally for the most by an Indian batsmen on home soil. Going by his exploits over the last decade and a half, it will be fitting if he brought it up at this venue.

Sunderland are reportedly eyeing up a move for former Chelsea youngster Silko Thomas and have seemingly taken him on trial, with the player spotted in action over the weekend.

What’s the latest Sunderland transfer news?

The Black Cats and Tony Mowbray have been fairly busy in the transfer market this summer, looking to build on an impressive first season back in the Championship after finishing in the playoffs during the previous campaign.

The club have brought in a number of young players already, all of which are aged 20 or under. Defenders Jenson Seelt and Nectarios Triantis have arrived from PSV Eindhoven and Central Coast Mariners respectively, whereas midfielder Jobe Bellingham has made the move from Birmingham.

In attack, Luis Semedo has swapped Benfica for Sunderland, and by the looks of things, more additions could be on the cards.

Sochaux teenager Eliezer Mayenda looked like he could be the next through the door at The Stadium of Light, however, a move is reportedly being held up, whereas a move for free agent centre-back Axel Tuanzebe could be one to keep an eye on before the summer transfer window ends.

Djurgardens IF youngster Gideon Granstrom is on trial with Sunderland, and it looks as if he has now been joined on trial by another youngster in Thomas.

According to The Sunderland Echo, the club have appeared to have taken Tomas on trial, with the teenager spotted playing for the club’s under-21 side against non-league King's Lynn Town over the weekend.

The report adds that Thomas was previously on trial with newly-promoted Premier League side Sheffield United earlier in the summer but he has now moved on to a stint with the Black Cats, looking to earn a deal.

Who is Silko Thomas?

Thomas is 19 years of age and is currently a free agent after being let go by Chelsea earlier this month. An England U18 international, Thomas is represented by CAA Base Ltd, actually the same agency as Sunderland players Anthony Patterson and Patrick Roberts.

The left-footed attacker made around 60 appearances in Chelsea’s youth sides, contributing to 15 goals but is yet to get a real taste of senior football, something he could get at Sunderland in the future.

The Sunderland Echo’s recent report says that he has been described as an attacking player who is comfortable on either wing as well as through the middle and is exciting to watch whilst possessing an eye for goal, showing how he could be a versatile and direct attacking option for Mowbray in the long run.

It looks as if a move will be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks, and who knows, should he impress, Thomas could be the latest youngster to pen terms with the club. If Sunderland like what they see and offer him a contract, they could decide to put Thomas initially in their academy ranks, potentially looking to catch the eye around the U21s with a view to breaking into the first-team picture further down the line.

Newcastle United are still hoping to sign Southampton full-back Tino Livramento this summer after seeing an initial approach rejected as Eddie Howe now looks to improve his side's defensive options.

The Magpies boss has already completed deals for playmaker Sandro Tonali and winger Harvey Barnes for the first-team, taking the club's spending to just short of £100m, and looks determined to spread his attention evenly across the Toon squad to continue the club's rise.

Indeed, Newcastle finished fourth in the Premier League last year and now, with Champions League football awaiting, must ensure that the correct steps are taken to cement their stature among Europe's elite.

Is Tino Livramento joining Newcastle?

After being rebuffed the first time, Sky Sports' Mark McAdams has confirmed that the Magpies have seen a £30m offer rejected for Livramento, with Southampton holding out for £40m.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

The former Chelsea academy graduate spent the lion's share of the 22/23 campaign out injured and Saints, who were relegated from the Premier League, believe he has retained his value.

How good is Tino Livramento?

After signing from Chelsea for £5m in 2021, Livramento took to senior action like a duck to water and earned praise from England manager Gareth Southgate for his "excellent" start to the 21/22 campaign.

Across that season, the 20-year-old would forge 28 Premier League appearances, earning an average Sofascore rating of 6.85 and clinching a goal and assist apiece, also completing 79% of his passes, making 1.9 tackles, 1.7 clearances and 1.7 interceptions per match and succeeding with 62% of his ground duels.

It's clear that this varied approach would enhance Newcastle's right flank; Kieran Trippier is a remarkable player and a creative phenom but did not better Livramento across any of the aforementioned metrics last season, and given that he is approaching his 33rd birthday it is wise to identify an eventual heir.

It is also an astute move for Howe to move for a player plying his trade for a recently-relegated Premier League team, especially when considering his success previously delving into the market for a star to have faced the drop.

Namely, Nick Pope. The 31-year-old England international joined the St. James' Park project one year ago after arriving from Burnley for just £10m.

The £60k-per-week shot-stopper kept 14 clean sheets from 37 outings in the English top-flight last term and ranks among the top 8% of goalkeepers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for least goals conceded and save percentage, as per FBref.

It was a prudent purchase, and one that Howe has reaped the rewards of; what is to say the diligent recruitment team, headed by technical director Dan Ashworth, cannot repeat the feat?

Livramento saw his progress stifled last year but if his performances from the previous season are anything to go by, he was a sorely missed presence in the floundering Saints squad, and there is no question that he is a "future star" – as stated by former teammate Theo Walcott – who could grow into his role and coincide his burgeoning rise with Newcastle's over the next several years.

Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo is causing controversy in Japan after the governor of Nagasaki skipped a meeting back in July to watch him live.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Al-Nassr & Ronaldo played PSG in July in Osaka, JapanNagasaki Governor attended using government fundsControversy rising over situation, calls for resignationWHAT HAPPENED?

reports that Ronaldo's friendly with Al-Nassr against PSG in July saw the Nagasaki Governor, Kengo Oishi, attend the match using government money. The match was played in Osaka, 732.1 Kilometers from the Island off the coast of Japan by road. Oishi claims he purchased the ticket with his own money, but travel accommodation and travel funds came out of the governments pocket. To make matters worse, the governor skipped an official meeting to attend the match.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The report adds that Oishi claims the purpose of the event was to speak with Ronaldo's party about potentially playing a role in a future publicity event, while "some officials" claim no deal existed with the Portuguese forward. Demands for the resignation of Oishi are now rolling in, while many of his supporters also claim that the publicity would have benefitted the city, meaning the governor was acting in good faith.

DID YOU KNOW?

The two sides played to a 0-0 draw in the friendly in Osaka, with Neymar then playing for PSG in the match before his Saudi Arabian switch to Al-Hilal.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO AND NASSR

The Saudi Arabian side are back in action on December 22 against Al-Ettifaq, before a crucial Pro League match against Al-Ittihad on the 26th. For Ronaldo, now is a chance for some downtime until his next match, with an 11-day break before he takes the pitch again.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to bolster their attacking options before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

Bhoys boss Brendan Rodgers has been able to add six new players to his squad; including Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Hyun-jun Yang, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Maik Nawrocki, Odin Thiago Holm, and Marco Tilio.

According to The Scottish Sun, the Northern Irishman now has his eyes on another striker as he is weighing up a swoop for Brondby star Mathias Kvistgaarden.

The report claims that the Scottish giants could need to pay a fee within the region of £4m to sign the centre-forward, whose contract does not expire until 2027.

It does not, however, state how much the Bhoys are willing to pay for his services or whether they will make a firm offer for him before next month's deadline.

How good is Mathias Kvistgaarden?

Rodgers could unearth an exciting long-term heir to Kyogo Furuhashi by thrashing out a deal for the 21-year-old marksman over the coming days.

The superb youngster has burst onto the scene in recent months and showing himself to be a fantastic prospect with his ability to score and assist goals on a regular basis from a number nine position.

Since the start of the Superligaen Championship Round earlier this year, Kvistgaarden has plundered seven goals and six assists in 14 league appearances for Brondby. This means that he has been directly involved in a goal every 1.08 games on average.

He has emerged as a reliable option for the Danish outfit after his immense academy form for the club.

The 5 foot 7 finisher racked up a phenomenal 31 goals and 11 assists in 45 U19 outings prior to making the breakthrough at senior level.

Kvistgaarden, who scout Jacek Kulig hailed as being "on fire", averaged a goal contribution every 1.07 games on average for the U19 team and he is now starting to replicate that level of production on the big stage.

Kyogo, meanwhile, has registered 56 goals and 11 assists in 85 competitive games for Celtic since his move to the club in 2021, which is one goal involvement every 1.27 matches on average.

The Japan international scored 27 Scottish Premiership goals last season and 16 more than any of his teammates. He was Ange Postecoglou's outstanding attacking option and the player who was relied upon to score goals at the top end of the pitch.

Rodgers could now find a player to rival the ex-Vissel Kobe star whilst also landing an exciting eventual heir to his place in the team by signing Kvistgaarden.

At the age of 21, the Danish whiz is seven years younger than Kyogo and has plenty of time left on his hands to develop and improve over the years to come.

His sensational form for Brondby's first-team and academy suggests that he has the potential to eventually become an upgrade on the current Celtic star if he is able to translate those performances over to Scottish football.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Kvistgaarden will be able to replicate that outstanding level of production for the Hoops but his statistics indicate that it is an exciting £4m gamble that is worth taking for Rodgers.

County executives assured there will be no more compensation payments to Test-hosting counties until the issue has been discussed further

George Dobell08-Mar-2018ECB chairman Colin Graves has sought to ease the concerns of anxious county executives by assuring them there will be no more compensation payments to Test-hosting counties until the issue has been discussed further.In a chief executives’ meeting on Thursday, Graves insisted that plans for such payments had only been at draft stage and would have to have been ratified by the board before implementation. As a result of concerns raised by the counties – and most notably by the resignation from the board of Andy Nash – those plans will now be reviewed.While the mood among the counties does appear to be somewhat appeased – there is no serious talk of a vote of no confidence – there are still some awkward questions to answer. At least one club would appear to have already received a payment from the ECB, while at least two more have budgeted for it.Meanwhile, those counties concerned that the suggested compensation payments might signal a change in the long-term policy of the ECB were further alarmed by the news that the new County Partnership Agreements (the successor to Memorandums of Understanding) are likely to be bespoke to each club. While the aim of that is largely to reflect the differing needs of clubs in different parts of the country, it might also be interpreted as providing potential for a further divide between Test-hosting clubs and the rest. In the past, the ECB’s funds have been largely split on an equitable basis (with some room for performance-related bonus payments) among the counties.It has also been revealed that, at some stage in the last couple of years, Sport England expressed some concern over Graves’ position of chairman of the ECB’s new nominations committee.While the ECB has made much of the fact that its board will shortly be mostly made up of independent members, the nominations committee effectively has the opportunity to vet every prospective applicant. All other board members with affiliations to counties – the likes of Richard Thompson, the Surrey chairman, or Peter Wright, the Nottinghamshire Cricket Board chairman – are obliged to step down in May when they will be replaced by independent board members. Giles Clarke, the ECB president, is also expected to step down in May. Alan Leighton is expected, at some stage, to take over as chairman of the nominations committee.Furthermore, it has emerged that in March 2016 the ECB provided an assurance that Graves would abstain from “any vote or decision which could be deemed a conflict of duty… as is his statutory duty”.Although Graves, who was previously chairman of Yorkshire, did excuse himself from the room when the recent allocation of major matches was validated by the board, questions remain as to whether he did so on other occasions; notably when the decision to strip Durham of their Test status was approved. Graves no longer has any direct financial link to Yorkshire, though family trusts set up by him but run independently are owed £20m by the club.

Lionel Messi mania at Inter Miami remains in full swing, with the MLS franchise now said to be valued at $1 billion (£787m).

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Argentine icon moved to the States in 2023Made an immediate impact on & off the pitchOnly four MLS teams in the $1 billion clubWHAT HAPPENED?

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner moved to the United States as a free agent in 2023 after reaching the end of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain. Within weeks of his arrival, Inter Miami were celebrating a historic Leagues Cup triumph. They also reached the U.S. Open Cup final before coming unstuck against the Houston Dynamo.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Herons were unable to reach the MLS play-offs, as Messi picked up an untimely injury, but positive progress continues to be made on and off the field. They now have a marketing dream at their disposal, with co-owner David Beckham and the club’s board making the most of that.

DID YOU KNOW?

A first international tour is being taken in at the start of 2024 – which includes a meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr – and claims that the club has joined the $1 billion club. Only four MLS sides are said to have hit that mark, with the others being LAFC at $1.15billion (£903m), Atlanta United on $1.05billion (£825m) and the $1 billion (£787m) valued LA Galaxy.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT?

Nobody gets close to Inter Miami when it comes to annual value increase, as they surge by 74%, with LAFC only up by 28%. In 2023, the Florida-based franchise sat 10th on the MLS chart, but the presence of Argentine all-time great Messi at DRV PNK Stadium has seen them soar up the rankings.

A round-up of the Women’s World Cup warm-up matches played on June 21, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2017England women 132 for 3 (Beaumont 51*) beat New Zealand women 130 (Martin 36, Marsh 3-7) by seven wickets
ScorecardTammy Beaumont struck an unbeaten 51 off 76 balls•Getty ImagesEngland Women finalised their preparation for the ICC Women’s World Cup with a seven-wicket victory over New Zealand at Derby, the venue for Saturday’s opener against India.A disciplined and collective bowling performance saw New Zealand dismissed for 130 and laid the foundations for an encouraging victory, secured with Tammy Beaumont not out on 51.With Heather Knight, Sarah Taylor and Katherine Brunt rested, England picked a team of 12 (11 of whom could bat and 11 who could bowl) with offspinner Danielle Hazell once again stepping in to take the reins.She oversaw a fielding performance in which the wickets were shared around, the stand-out figures belonging to Laura Marsh who finished with 4-1-7-3.Mithali Raj scored 85 off 89 balls•Getty Images
ScorecardHalf-centuries from Punam Raut and Mithali Raj, followed by a four-wicket haul from Rajeshwari Gayakwad, led India women to a 109-run win against Sri Lanka in Chesterfield. Raut added 92 for the first wicket with Smriti Mandhana and 49 with the second with Raj as the top three set up a daunting total of 275 for 8.Four of Sri Lanka’s top five got past 20, but none of them managed a half-century, with Dilani Manodara’s 49 the top score of the lot. At 135 for 3, the chase still held some hope, only for Sri Lanka to collapse to Gayakwad’s left-arm spin, the last seven wickets falling for 31 runs.