فاز فريق الهلال على نظيره الأهلي، بهدفين مقابل هدف، محققًا ريمونتادا مثيرة خلال مباراة الكلاسيكو التي جمعتهما اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري السعودي.
وتواجه الهلال مع الأهلي، في إطار منافسات الجولة السادسة من بطولة الدوري السعودي “دوري روشن”.
وتقدم أولاً، الأهلي، عن طريق لاعبه الإسباني جابرييل فيجا وذلك في الدقيقة 12 من عمر الشوط الأول للمباراة، بعد تمريرة رائعة من زميله إيفان تونى جعلته منفردًا بمرمى ياسين بونو ليراوغه ويسدد في المرمى.
وكان الهلال سجل هدفًا عن طريق المهاجم الصربي ميتروفيتش ولكن تم إلغاءه بداعي وجود تسلل على زميله جواو كانسيلو في بداية اللعبة، في الدقائق الأخيرة من عمر الشوط الأول.
طالع | ترتيب الدوري السعودي بعد نهاية الجولة السادسة
وعاد ميتروفيتش من جديد، وسجل هدف تعادل في الدقيقة 56، برأسية رائعة من داخل منطقة الجزاء عقب استقباله لعرضية مرسلة من الجانب الأيسر.
وفي الدقيقة 76، تحصل لاعب الهلال، البرازيلي مالكوم، على ركلة جزاء، بعد عرقلة من مدافع الأهلي ريان حامد، ولجأ حكم اللقاء إلى تقنية الفيديو في تلك اللقطة.
ميتروفيتش أهدر ركلة الجزاء في المرة الأولى، حيث تصدى لها حارس الأهلي، لكن الحكم قرر إعادتها بسبب تقدم حارس الأهلي عبد الرحمن الصانبي.
ونجح ألكسندر ميتروفيتش، في المرة الثانية في تسجيل الهدف الثاني، في الدقيقة 78، ليحسم المواجهة المثيرة لصالح الزعيم 2-1. أهداف مباراة الهلال والأهلي اليوم في الدوري السعودي
وبذلك الفوز، يواصل فريق الهلال تصدره لجدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي، برصيد 18 نقطة محققًا العلامة الكاملة، بالفوز في الـ6 مباريات التي خاضها بالمسابقة حتى الآن.
بينما فريق الأهلي، يتواجد في المركز العاشر بجدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي، برصيد 7 نقاط. ملخص مباراة الهلال والأهلي اليوم في الدوري السعودي
After an excellent campaign last season, injuries have controlled the narrative for Newcastle United this time around, with Eddie Howe often left searching for makeshift options. And even as the season comes to a close, the Magpies' list of absentees has continued to grow as things go from bad to worse.
Newcastle injury news
It's only recently that Newcastle have found some kind of form again in the Premier League, with their unbeaten run of four games representing a solid end to the season. It's a run that Howe deserves great credit for, especially given the injury issues that his side has faced and are currently still facing. It's a list that will even still include Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman next season too, after both suffered recent ACL injuries.
Sven Botman
01/01/2025
Jamaal Lascelles
01/01/2025
Sandro Tonali
31/08/2024
Lewis Miley
19/05/2024
Callum Wilson
11/05/2024
Joelinton
11/05/2024
Nick Pope
04/05/2024
Miguel Almiron
04/05/2024
Joe Willock
No return date
Kieran Trippier
24/04/2024
Matt Targett
No return date
The injury news hasn't come to an end recently either, with a fresh update sparking further concerns. According to reliable reporter Craig Hope of The Daily Mail, Joe Willock will now miss the rest of the season following Newcastle's decision to rest his Achilles knock which ruled him out for much of the campaign. Having returned from injury in February, there's no doubt that the former Arsenal man will be frustrated by the news.
Newcastle strong favourites to sign "outstanding" Dan Burn upgrade
He recently rejected a new contract at his current club.
ByEthan Lamb Apr 16, 2024
Frustration aside, you could say it's a wise decision by Newcastle. Willock already missed most of the current campaign and any further damage is simply not worth the risk. Instead, the midfielder's focus should be on getting fit for pre-season, before then enjoying it in full and potentially breaking into Howe's starting side once again. At his best, Willock has more than shown the difference he can make at St James' Park.
"Popular" Willock offers different element to Newcastle midfield
As solid as Sean Longstaff and Elliot Anderson have been this season and as excellent as Bruno Guimaraes is, Willock offers a crucial goalscoring threat from midfielders that others in Howe's squad lack. At his best, it's worth noting that the former Arsenal man managed eight goals in 11 games in an initial loan spell at St James' Park in the 2020/21 campaign. And if Howe can get Willock back to that level, then he'll have himself a real difference-maker.
Joe Willock
Full of praise for the Englishman throughout his spell on the sidelines, Howe said via The Northern Echo back in March: "He's done really well with his rehab, he's really matured in certain aspects of his personality – which he's had to do to come back from the injury that he's had – and I think that's then shown in his play.
"He's got a unique mix to his game. He's got real good running capacity and pace in his game, but also he knows where the goal is. He's very popular in the dressing room. The players love playing with him."
That "unique mix" will have to wait until next season now, however, it seems in what could prove to be a large blow in Newcastle's pursuit of securing a Europa League place come May.
Leeds United could be without a "fantastic" star for this evening’s Championship clash with Sunderland, according to Phil Hay.
Leeds’ remaining Championship fixtures
Remarkably, despite sitting on 86 points after 41 games, the Whites sit outside the automatic promotion places with five Championship games remaining.
Daniel Farke’s side have been in incredible form during 2024, losing the first of their 15 second-tier games during the calendar year on Saturday away to Coventry City.
Leeds United 3-0 Birmingham City
1st January
Cardiff City 0-3 Leeds United
13th January
Leeds United 2-1 Preston North End
21st January
Leeds United 1-0 Norwich City
24th January
Bristol City 0-1 Leeds United
2nd February
Leeds United 3-0 Rotherham United
10th February
Swansea City 0-4 Leeds United
13th February
Plymouth Argyle 0-2 Leeds United
17th February
Leeds United 3-1 Leicester City
23rd February
Huddersfield Town 1-1 Leeds United
2nd March
Leeds United 1-0 Stoke City
5th March
Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Leeds United
8th March
Leeds United 2-0 Millwall
17th March
Watford 2-2 Leeds United
29th March
Leeds United 3-1 Hull City
1st April
Coventry City 2-1 Leeds United
6th April
However, they still need Leicester City or Ipswich Town to slip up between now and May 4th, whereas Leeds may have to be almost perfect to earn an automatic return to the Premier League.
The run-in begins tonight with a meeting with Sunderland at Elland Road before another home game against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
After that, Leeds travel to Middlesbrough on Monday 22nd April, with their penultimate fixture away to Queens Park Rangers on Friday 26th April. The final game of the season sees Leeds host Southampton on Saturday May 4th.
Leeds team news vs Sunderland
Leeds received a welcome injury boost on the weekend against Coventry with the return of Ilia Gruev, Connor Roberts and Wilfried Gnonto to the matchday squad.
However, for tonight’s game with Sunderland, regular Ethan Ampadu, who has captained the Whites for the majority of 2024, is a “major doubt” due to illness.
This will come as a big concern for Leeds, with Ampadu yet to miss a minute of Championship action this season, starring in both midfield and in defence.
The summer signing has struck up a brilliant relationship with fellow Wales international Joe Rodon at centre-back since the injury to Pascal Struijk, so being without Ampadu would be a big blow.
Leeds midfielder Ethan Ampadu.
Ampadu has also come in for praise from Farke during his first season in Yorkshire, with the Leeds boss saying earlier in the campaign:
“Overall a fantastic season, we are more than happy how he has developed also since we signed him.
“You couldn’t predict that it would work that smoothly and on this level when we signed him because he had also a few tough, tough years. But he’s doing exceptionally well.”
da bwin： Leeds United are still very much on course to win promotion back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking, despite Saturday's defeat to Coventry City, with Daniel Farke making the Whites a proud team to support again after relegation had soured the mood in West Yorkshire.
da fezbet： Farke's titans won't just settle for second spot in the Championship however, knowing that they're still very much gunning to be champions come the end of the action-packed 46-game season ahead of Ipswich Town and Leicester City.
Whilst Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter have had Leeds fans purring all campaign long with sublime attacking displays, Illan Meslier in-between the sticks has been equally as important by picking up a division-best clean sheets total of 18.
Casting a mind back to goalkeepers who were used before Meslier stepped up to become Leeds' number one, this former Whites man – who was often utilised by Marcelo Bielsa – now finds himself in a sticky situation at his current employers.
Illan Meslier
Bailey Peacock-Farrell's time at Leeds
Bailey Peacock-Farrell would rise through the youth ranks at Thorp Arch at a lightning pace to eventually become a first-teamer, making his Leeds senior debut all the way back in 2016 after relocating to West Yorkshire from Middlesbrough in 2013.
It would later lead to the Whites Academy product going on to make 41 appearances in total for Leeds, with Bielsa in particular taking a shining to the young shot-stopper during his first campaign at Elland Road.
Full Leeds lineup for Peacock-Farrell's debut – Leeds United 1-1 QPR, April 2016
1. GK – Bailey Peacock-Farrell
2. RB – Gaetano Berardi
3. CB – Giuseppe Bellusci
4. CB – Liam Cooper
5. LB – Charlie Taylor
6. CDM – Liam Bridcutt
7. RM – Mustapha Carayol
8. CM – Lewis Cook
9. CM – Luke Murphy
10. LM – Stuart Dallas
11. ST – Chris Wood
Sourced by Transfermarkt
After this one-off start during the 2015/16 season, with number one keeper at the time Marco Silvestri surprisingly out of the team for the Queens Park Rangers home clash, Peacock-Farrell would have to make do with a loan spell out at non-league York City before his moment in the spotlight would come later under the iconic Argentine boss.
The 6 foot 4 reserve figure would become a first-team face under Bielsa, making 28 appearances during his debut campaign as manager with ten clean sheets amassed when thrown in at the deep end.
Yet, regardless of his increased minutes in West Yorkshire and his connection to Leeds strong since coming through as a teenager, Peacock-Farrell would walk away from the then-Championship club for a new opportunity at Premier League level with Burnley in 2019.
Former Leeds players Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Mateusz Klich.
This would ultimately go down as a move the former Leeds number one would regret making, but from the perspective of the Whites, cashing in on Peacock-Farrell when they did continues to look like a smart call.
Peacock-Farrell's time away from Leeds
The now 27-year-old keeper would end up relocating to the Clarets for a sizeable £2.5m fee, considering he had only really begun to make waves in the Whites first-team the season before this big move up to the top-flight.
Peacock-Farrell has only ended up making 24 appearances for the Lancashire outfit in total, with eight of those coming last season under Vincent Kompany when the Clarets clinched the Championship title in style.
The Northern Ireland international did shine when called upon for the title-winners in truth, keeping five clean sheets from those eight games.
However, he would fade back into the background swiftly whenever ex-Manchester City shot-stopper Arijanet Muric was available for selection over him.
Peacock-Farrell is also fondly remembered by Sheffield Wednesday supporters for a promising loan switch to Hillsborough during the 2021/22 season, with the towering former Leeds man making 47 appearances in total and keeping 17 clean sheets along the way.
Former Leeds goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
That resulted in Wednesday sniffing about for Peacock-Farrell before a ball was kicked in the second tier this season, knowing that they probably could have got their former loanee back for a cut-price when looking at how much his once £2.5m valuation has tumbled.
Yet, the lofty shot-stopper now finds himself playing in Denmark for Aarhus GF with his career back at Burnley very much nearing a disappointing end.
Peacock-Farrell even finds himself coming in as being worth less than Liam Cooper now, even as the ageing centre-back looks close to being near the end of his Leeds career much like his former teammate's fate in Lancashire.
Leeds defender Liam Cooper.
Peacock-Farrell's transfer value in 2024
Cooper's value comes in at a lowly €0.7m (£600k), not helped by his lack of game time at 32 years of age and the continued excellence of Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu as a centre-back partnership for Farke's men.
Yet, even as Cooper stares the end of his long-standing Leeds career in the face, Peacock-Farrell is worth just €0.2m (£171k) in comparison with his loan spell in Denmark also not exactly going to plan.
A comical red card against Brondby early into his stay at Aarhus, which saw Peacock-Farrell dilly-dally with the ball at his feet before forcibly bringing down an opposition attacker, meant football journalist Josh Bunting described his time away from Burnley as understandably "shaky."
Since then, Peacock-Farrell has won fans back over in Scandinavia with ten clean sheets from 19 games but that likely won't be enough for Kompany to want to keep hold of him even if Burnley fall back down to the Championship.
Least valuable Leeds players – 2023/24
1. Karl Darlow
€0.3m (£257k)
2. Sam Byram
€0.4m (£343k)
3. Sonny Perkins
€0.6m (£515k)
4. Liam Cooper
€0.7m (£600k)
5. Jamie Shackleton
€0.8m (£686k)
Sourced by Football Transfers
Peacock-Farrell would become Leeds' least valuable asset if he was back in the Whites camp today, worth even less than reserve keeper Karl Darlow who has played just four games for Farke this season.
Leeds won't really feel a tinge of sadness about how little Peacock-Farrell has pushed on since departing West Yorkshire in 2019, knowing that it was the correct decision to offload their former £2.5m sale to put all their faith in Meslier.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke watches a Championship game.
The German manager will know he can rely on Meslier in the crunch Championship games to come, as the Whites long for an immediate return to the promised land of the Premier League to justify all their hard work.
Leeds struck gold selling 90s star who'd be worth more than Phillips today
The Whites hit the jackpot when they cashed in on the central midfielder in 1994.
The divide is set to come out in open at the March round of ICC meetings in Dubai
Nagraj Gollapudi18-Feb-2020
Manu Sawhney at a Champions League T20 Gala Dinner•GCV via Getty Images
The BCCI has reacted angrily to the ICC for bypassing the strong objections raised by the Indian board along with the ECB over the future set of events in the 2023-31 rights cycle. The divide is set to come out in open at the March ICC meetings, scheduled in Dubai, which is likely to be attended by the top brass of the BCCI.Last week, the ICC had sent out an email asking all members, including Associates, to tender their expressions of interest for hosting any of the 20 global events in men’s and women’s cricket which form part of the 2023-31 cycle. That email came on the heels of ICC chief executive officer Manu Sawhney visiting several countries – both Full Members and Associates – to explain the details of the process model and the bidding process which would determine the hosts for the events. Although Sawhney visited all the major cricketing countries including England, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, missing from that list was India.On its part, the BCCI is annoyed that the ICC opted to overlook the strong reservations the Indian board had expressed last October. Back then, the BCCI’s chief executive officer Rahul Johri had written to Sawhney, saying there would be “wide ranging repercussions on bilateral cricket” in case the ICC went ahead with its decision.ALSO READ: T20 ‘Champions Cup’ part of ICC events for 2023-2031Johri had also pointed out that it would be prudent to wait for an elected BCCI administration to take the final call on the matter.For its part, the ICC has stressed that the proposed set of events had been given the go-ahead from the ICC board in the October meetings. Incidentally, the BCCI representative at that ICC board meeting was Amitabh Choudhury, the acting secretary at the time, who attended the meeting without the approval of the Committee of Administrators, the Indian board’s supervisory authority at the time. The ICC allowed Choudhury to sit at the meeting even though he did not give consent or object to any of the resolutions, saying the appropriate authority would be the elected BCCI administration.The BCCI remains adamant that bilateral series need to be worked out before the ICC events are finalised. “We are very clear on that,” a senior voice in the BCCI said. “Suppose if the important boards don’t file any expression of interest, then… will ICC plan events on its own? By planning ICC event every year, it doesn’t work for world cricket actually. The ICC needs to understand this. Bilaterals are more important. It will affect IPL, Big Bash, bilaterals – there will be no window. And how much can the players play?”Holding a global event every year, this official said, would also potentially reduce the “value” and prestige attached to winning a World Cup.”You lose the charm of winning the World Cup if you are planning to host it every year. Too much of something is not good. When you win a World Cup you look to the next one four years later, but if you host a world event every year then you could lose value of that tournament.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd
As for the argument that smaller boards, which don’t have the luxury of a fat broadcasting revenue that the BCCI enjoys, can benefit from the extra revenues ICC can accrue by hosting eight global events in the next cycle, the BCCI official disagreed. “Look, have these smaller countries got better from the existing ICC revenue model? They are suffering.”This official said that for the BCCI, the majority of its revenues come from bilateral cricket. If that is affected, then it will suffer. “After all, how many broadcasters do you have? How much money can they put into all cricket?”Another senior BCCI official argued that if the ICC does go ahead with the eight events, the World Test Championship would be affected too. “The World Test Championship will become a huge challenge. There will be no time for it.”Nonetheless, the ICC is likely to find support from member boards like Pakistan Cricket Board, Cricket West Indies, Sri Lanka Cricket and Zimbabwe Cricket along with the boards from Ireland and Afghanistan. All these countries have been struggling with their finances in the absence of lucrative broadcast deals. As a chief executive at one of the Full Member boards explained, their challenge has been that while the “costs of the cricket have been going up, the value of bilateral cricket has been going down”. He concurs with the view that smaller boards are struggling to find buyers for their cricket rights.Consequently, a majority of these smaller boards rely on the ICC money that is split from the broadcasting pot. “The ICC have hosted an event year historically with the exception of 2018 when there was no global event,” a senior official from one of the Full Member countries said. “In order for the ICC to give consistent cash flows to the members they need an event every year.”However, not everyone agrees with the ICC locking horns with the BCCI. One of the officials, who sits on the ICC working group on the future events, said the ICC’s hostile approach towards the BCCI was “unnecessary”. “I don’t understand why they seem to be going against the BCCI and also the ECB. The ICC’s whole approach has been unnecessary. I question that approach. The working group was still running through various options when the ICC went immediately to the board of directors with the proposal.”According to this official, no authorised person from the BCCI or Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, were present at the October ICC board meetings. He felt a better approach would have been to have further deliberations, which could have been tabled at the March meetings, before arriving at the final call.The working group member said a full calendar should be agreed on by all parties. “Whether you are playing bilateral or ICC cricket first that doesn’t really matter because until you have looked at the entire calendar. Then you juggle around events and remain flexible to strike the right balance. So to ink in the ICC events without even discussing or considering bilateral cricket is not appropriate.”Despite the BCCI and the ICC not seeing eye-to-eye at the moment, a key person who sits on the ICC board said the two bodies can work out their differences amicably during the March round of meetings in Dubai.This person said that the BCCI has not backed the ICC plan only because it is comfortable with the set of events in the current cycle. He said the same applies to some of other bigger boards like the ECB and CA. “BCCI and few other boards want to stick to six events in an eight-year cycle as was the case in the 2015-23. If the BCCI wants to bring in a resolution to object then they should be able to do that within the framework of the rules at the ICC board meeting.”
Fate of the Hundred A decision on this has been deferred, with further discussion planned by the board next week. Expectations are that the competition, based on a brand-new format, will be put back until 2021 due to likely issues with playing in front of crowds and overseas player availability – although Harrison stressed that it remained a priority for the English game. “If anything, the case for The Hundred is even more important,” he said. “It will generate really important commercial value for the game and help broaden the audience for the game. It’s created the quickest sale of tickets other than World Cup cricket that we’ve seen.”ALSO READ: Abu Dhabi to offer ECB use of facilitiesStaging games behind closed doors Whether the Hundred is postponed or not, it is clear that fufilling as many international fixtures as possible is the ECB’s main goal. Harrison said that the board would be taking a lead in discussing venue “bio-security” across sports in the UK, with a view to playing games in a way that complies with government guidelines on social distancing. However, he conceded that sport could not be at the front of the queue. “What we have to be really careful with here is to understand that right now testing elite athletes or people in sport just cannot be a priority in the context of the national health crisis and the issues frontline workers and vulnerable people are facing.”The women’s game England women were due to begin their summer with two T20Is against India on June 25 and 27 – dates that will now have to be moved – and Harrison confirmed that talks had been held with the BCCI. “We are going to do everything we can to get women’s cricket on,” he said. “It’s no less important than the men’s game. We’re working closely with the BCCI to try and find ways of being able to reschedule the England v India series.” England’s captain, Heather Knight, told the Switch Hit podcast she was hopeful of that series, as well as fixtures against South Africa, going ahead. This summer was also due to see a restructuring of the women’s game, with £20m invested over the next two years, but delays seem likely.A sign at Taunton warns fans to stay away•Getty Images
Impact on finances Although the ECB is understood to have insurance cover for “communicable diseases”, Harrison said that the coronavirus outbreak had already had a “very, very significant impact” on the English game. The board’s reserves have fallen from £73m to £11m since 2015-16, but Harrison maintained they were committed to ensuring “health of the network” 18 counties. “This question about the survival of counties is one which you would probably have asked without Covid-19,” he said. “But Covid makes the job harder for everyone in every sport. The cost base of our game is too high and this is an issue we’re going to have to look at. But don’t draw the conclusion that not everyone can survive.”Review into chairman appointment Unrelated to dealing with a pandemic, but an unwelcome headache nevertheless. Newspaper allegations of misconduct against Ian Watmore, a high-ranking civil servant, surfaced during the week, leading the ECB to initiate a review of the process, which Harrison said he hoped would be completed by the time the board meets again on Wednesday. “Ian Watmore’s come through a very rigorous nominations-committee exercise,” he said. “He holds a very senior position in central government and is subject to an enormously detailed vetting process. We need to take that into account.”
Quashes previous reports that said he had quit because of health concerns
Shashank Kishore13-Feb-2020J Arunkumar, the former Karnataka captain, has hit out at “baseless allegations” of ill-health being touted as the reason for him stepping down as Puducherry coach midway through the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy league phase.An official from Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP) told on Wednesday that Arunkumar “hadn’t been keeping well and make frequent visits to hospital during the course of the season”. At the time of writing, ESPNcricinfo was still waiting for a comment from officials at Puducherry.Arunkumar said the allegations of ill-health were simply rumours, and that it was the “constant interference” from an official which created a “toxic team environment” which led to him resigning.
Thank u people for the concern & wishes. I’m hale & hearty & contrary to reports, I HAVEN'T resigned as head coach of the Pondicherry team due to my health. I quit due to constant interference from an official, which made the dressing room environment toxic to say the least.
— J Arun Kumar (@arunonline1975) February 13, 2020
It was suffocating to work in a system with constant interference in all matters related to the team. That said, I wish the boys the very best. They are a wonderful bunch.
— J Arun Kumar (@arunonline1975) February 13, 2020
Puducherry won five out of their seven matches under Arunkumar this Ranji Trophy, in addition to having previously topped the Plate Group in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and qualifying for the quarter-finals. This had also earned them a promotion to Group C next year.”There has to be a solid reason for someone to resign in these circumstances even though the team is on a winning spree,” Arunkumar told ESPNcricinfo. “Ill-health is just an excuse. I’m perfectly fine. I couldn’t work in an environment where I wasn’t given the space, team or an environment that allowed me to bring the best out of their players.”ESPNcricinfo understands the decision to make five changes to the Puducherry squad soon after their drawn fixture against Chandigarh on January 30 didn’t go down to well with Arunkumar, who quit after that game. He said, “I was neither given the team I wanted or allowed to instill confidence in a young group that was always afraid of failure.”Arunkumar, a former Karnataka batsman who scored 7208 first-class runs, had previously coached the state to a back-to-back double-treble, winning the Ranji Trophy, the Irani Cup and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2013-14 and 2014-15.Apart from Karnataka, the side with which he won the Ranji Trophy as a player in 1995-96, Arunkumar has also had coaching stints with Hyderabad, the 2018 TNPL champions Siechem Madurai Panthers and IPL side Kings XI Punjab.CS Suresh Kumar, the former Tamil Nadu batsman, stepped in to coach Puducherry in an interim capacity in the wake of Arunkumar’s resignation, and was in charge during their previous league stage match, against Manipur. Suresh Kumar had been in charge of Puducherry’s Under-23 side until this development.
Matt Rawnsley had only re-joined the club in March 2018
ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2019Worcestershire have announced that chief executive Matt Rawnsley has left the club with immediate effect.In a terse statement, the club offered its thanks to Rawnsley and said that the board “wish him every success in the future”.Club chairman Fanos Hira will handle club matters while the position is vacant, while the club’s ‘cricket steering group’ will continue to take control of cricketing affairs.The circumstances of Rawnsley’s departure are unclear, though the club said that further comments would be made “in due course”.Since Rawnsley re-joined the club in March 2018, Worcestershire had won their maiden T20 Blast title in 2018, and again reached the final this season where they suffered a last-ball defeat to Essex.But they only finished eighth in the Championship in 2019 having been tipped by most for a promotion challenge, which represented their worst finish since the introduction of two divisions in 2000.Rawnsley also sat on the board of Birmingham Phoenix – the Edgbaston-based side in the Hundred – and was an advocate of the new competition. It is expected that his successor will replace him in that role too.
It was the late show once again for Liverpool as a 95th-minute Mohamed Salah penalty sunk a defiant Burnley side to earn the Reds all three points on Sunday as the champions continued their 100 percent start to the new Premier League season with a fourth late winner in as many games.
The hosts had, in truth, earnt a share of the spoils as Liverpool rarely threatened, Salah the chief culprit as the visitors had just four shots on target. But a clear handball by a heart-broken Hannibal Mejbri deep in stoppage time spared the Reds' blushes as Salah made no mistake from the spot.
With new £125million ($169m) signing Alexander Isak not in the squad, the Reds looked toothless in attack for the vast majority of the afternoon in a worrying display by Arne Slot's side. Just minutes from becoming the third goalless draw of this Premier League weekend alone, this game had all the makings of one where neither side ever truly looked like scoring.
Martin Dubravka and his defence put themselves on the line and blocked countless attempts on goal but, ultimately, Liverpool found a way to win in the most dramatic of circumstances after Lesley Ugochukwu had been sent off late on.
GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Turf Moor…
Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence
Alisson (6/10):
Burnley did not have a shot on target, so it was a quiet afternoon for the Brazil shot-stopper.
Dominik Szoboszlai (7/10):
Starting out at right-back, Szoboszlai then moved into midfield for the second period. Has shown his versatility in recent weeks and impressed again, contributing to the attack with his dangerous crossing and shooting ability.
Ibrahima Konate (6/10):
Did his job to ensure Burnley's threat was minimised on the counter-attack, though that ultimately proved a rare occurrence.
Virgil van Dijk (6/10):
Showed Foster who's boss when the Burnley striker attempted to dribble past him in the first half. Looked in control at the back as the home side rarely threatened.
Milos Kerkez (3/10):
Looked a liability in arguably his most challenging display in a Liverpool shirt so far. Received a booking for diving and committed a needless foul on the counter before Slot hooked him after just 37 minutes.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield
Ryan Gravenberch (6/10):
A steady performance in midfield, though the Reds will have hoped to create more across the pitch and the Dutchman could have contributed more.
Alexis Mac Allister (5/10):
Looked composed in possession while failing to influence the game as much as he would've liked. Injured by an Ugochukwu tackle in the first half, the Argentina international was withdrawn at the break.
Florian Wirtz (6/10):
Without making the key contribution he still craves, Wirtz did appear more influential as he looked to get on the ball and make things happen. Also forced Dubravka into a rare save.
Getty Images SportAttack
Mohamed Salah (5/10):
Was far from his best but stood up when it mattered to fire home from the spot in stoppage time. While his wayward crossing and general lack of threat will be concerning, Salah and Liverpool will be glad to move on with the three points.
Hugo Ekitike (6/10):
Showed some good touches on the ball but rarely threatened in front of goal and was withdrawn after 71 minutes.
Cody Gakpo (5/10):
Not the best performance by the Dutchman, who attempted to affect the game from the left before going through the middle alongside Salah for the final stages as Liverpool went all-out attack.
Getty Images SportSubs & Manager
Andy Robertson (6/10):
Looked significantly better than Kerkez when he came on. Could even have scored within a minute of his introduction after a brave run forward.
Conor Bradley (6/10):
Another bright display off the bench after coming on at half-time. Both substitute full-backs may well be knocking on Slot's door in the week.
Federico Chiesa (5/10):
Replaced Ekitike and headed just wide seconds after his introduction. Evidently a player trusted more by the manager in the new season.
Jeremie Frimpong (7/10):
Won the last-gasp penalty with a cross from the right after also forcing Dubravka into a save just prior. An impactful cameo off the bench.
Rio Ngumoha (N/A):
Only played a few minutes but his threat was still evident. Played the ball with pace into Frimpong to force the save.
Arne Slot (7/10):
Made the right decision to take off Kerkez in the first half. Most of his substitutions paid off, but the Reds manager will know that performances must improve in the coming weeks.
Leeds United are back in action in the Championship this evening as they prepare to welcome Norwich City to Elland Road in the hope of gaining further ground on the automatic promotion places.
They are currently five points behind Ipswich Town, who held league leaders Leicester City to a draw on Monday, and can cut the gap to just two points with a win over the Canaries, albeit they will have played one game more than their rivals.
Leicester
1
28
66
Ipswich
2
28
59
Southampton
3
28
58
Leeds
4
28
54
West Brom
5
28
45
Coventry
6
28
43
Daniel Farke's side are vying to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking after the Whites were relegated under Sam Allardyce at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
The January transfer window is currently open for business and provides the club with an opportunity to bolster their squad ahead of the second half of the season.
Leeds make move for Premier League starlet
Farke appears to be keen to improve his options at the top end of the pitch as Leeds are reportedly attempting to sign a young attacker from Liverpool before the deadline passes.
According to Football Insider, the Whites have made a move to sign Reds academy starlet Mateusz Musialowski to add to their attacking arsenal.
The report claims that the club have registered their interest in the Polish magician and are 'firmly' in the race to land his signature, amid competition from a number of unnamed sides.
Liverpool midfielderMateusz Musialowski.
It states that Farke wants to bring in attacking reinforcements and the Yorkshire-based outfit appear to have identified the Liverpool gem as a suitable target.
His current contract at Anfield expires at the end of the season and this means that the current transfer window is the Premier League side's last chance to negotiate a fee for his services.
The talented young gem could be an exciting addition to the squad as a player who has the potential to be a dream partner for Georginio Rutter at the top end of the pitch.
Rutter's partners in the Championship this season
Farke has deployed the French magician as a centre-forward and as a number ten at times and this has meant that he has been paired alongside Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford at different stages.
Both of those players, however, have their limitations when it comes to linking play and creating chances for their teammates to go alongside the goal threat that they provide.
Piroe, who joined from Championship rivals Swansea last summer, has plundered ten goals in 28 league matches this season – the latest of which came from the penalty spot against Preston last time out.
Leeds duo Ethan Ampadu and Joel Piroe.
However, he has only provided his fellow attackers with one assist and has averaged 0.8 key passes per game, whilst the Dutch whiz currently ranks within the bottom 36% of midfielders for shot-creating actions (2.67) per 90 in the division.
Bamford, on the other hand, has contributed with two goals and zero assists in 19 Championship outings, although only three of those came as a starter.
The 30-year-old centre-forward has produced 0.3 key passes and amassed 0.49 Expected Assists in those 19 matches, which shows that both players rarely provide quality creativity when playing alongside Rutter.
Rutter's Championship brilliance
Meanwhile, the former Hoffenheim wizard has produced quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Leeds as either a striker or a number ten in the second tier.
The 21-year-old hotshot has contributed with five goals and nine assists in 27 Championship appearances for Farke's side, which shows that he has provided a double-sided threat in the final third.
Progressive passes (3.89)
Top 6%
Expected Assisted Goals (0.35)
Top 1%
Assists (0.36)
Top 2%
Shot-creating actions (4.45)
Top 1%
Successful take-ons (2.80)
Top 1%
As you can see in the table above, he is an exceptional creative talent who has the ability to split open opposition defences at a sensational rate, which is also evidenced by his return of 18 'big chances' created – the second most in the league.
These statistics show that Rutter is an outstanding creator who can also chip in with goals and Musialowski could come in as an exciting partner for him.
The stats that show why Leeds should sign Musialowski
The talented academy whiz is yet to make his breakthrough at senior level for Liverpool but his form in their academy system suggests that he has the potential to be a promising signing for Leeds.
Musialowski, whose "ridiculous" quality of goal was lauded by journalist Lewis Bower last year, has been in impressive form for the Premier League side's U23 squad this season with a return of six goals and two assists in 11 appearances in all competitions.
Appearances
Four
Sofascore rating
7.15
Goals
Three
Big chances created
One
Key passes per game
1.5
As you can see from the table above, the 20-year-old maestro, who can play as a centre-forward or as part of the three behind a striker, is capable of scoring and creating goals.
He produced six key passes in those four outings. Based on their aforementioned respective averages this season, it would take Piroe over seven league matches to reach six chances created and a staggering 20 games for Bamford.
Alongside his creativity, Musialowski has been an impressive scorer for the Reds with 29 goals in 74 appearances for their U23 and U18 teams combined.
There is no guarantee that he will be able to translate his performances over to first-team level but it appears to be a worthwhile gamble for Leeds to take before the end of the January transfer window.
At the age of 20, the 5 foot 9 youngster still has plenty of years left to develop and improve and could thrive under Farke's coaching, which has turned Rutter into one of the best creators in the Championship – as evidenced by his aforementioned statistics.
Therefore, Leeds could unearth an exciting partner for the French dynamo in the final third if Musialowski can translate his ability to score goals and create chances to first-team level to offer more than Bamford and Piroe as an all-round forward.