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Nine final-day wickets stand between Somerset and a sixth win in eight after they gradually turned the screw on Hampshire

Matt Roller at Taunton02-Jul-2019

Tom Banton pulls through the leg side•Getty Images

Hampshire 12 for 1 and 349 (Northeast 101, J Overton 5-70) need 409 runs to beat Somerset 408 (Hildreth 105, Abbott 6-84) and 358 for 8 declared (Ali 79, Banton 70, Abell 58) Nine final-day wickets stand between Somerset and a sixth win in eight Championship games this season after they gradually turned the screw on Hampshire with a dominant batting display. Led by Azhar Ali, whose 79 marked only his second fifty of the season, and the impressive Tom Banton, Somerset racked up a lead of over 400, before Lewis Gregory’s late wicket confirmed their position of superiority.The task facing Hampshire’s batting line-up, already missing James Vince and Liam Dawson due to England commitments, is to occupy the crease for a full day, and is made even harder by injuries to Joe Weatherley (ankle) and Tom Alsop (hamstring).Taunton has become synonymous with short, spin-dominated games in recent years, but this pitch has played more like one of the tracks of old. It is flat and hard, and Somerset’s spinners Dom Bess and Jack Leach will rely on footholes tomorrow if they are to play the role expected of them.After Gregory made short work of Hampshire’s tail, Tom Abell and Ali were dominant for the rest of the morning. Somerset’s highest opening partnership of the season had been just 30 – epitomising the struggles of Marcus Trescothick – but they faced no great difficulty seeing off the new ball on a placid pitch against a bowling attack that looked equally flat.Keith Barker’s tight spell from round the wicket after lunch eventually delivered the breakthrough: he bowled Abell for an attractive fifty after cramping him for room, and nicked off James Hildreth for two.The problem for Hampshire was that their double strike meant the arrival of Banton, whose star seems to rise every time he bats.Banton’s most eye-catching shot is the straight drive, which he nails down the ground with a high front elbow and an exaggerated follow-through, but here he unfurled his full array of strokes as Somerset looked to build a commanding lead.He started with a back-foot punch through the covers in the style of Shai Hope – crisp, clean, and controlled. Then there was the swivel pull nailed through backwards square off Abbott; the hold-the-pose steer through wide mid-on; and the full-blooded cover drive so easy on the eye you wanted to take it out to share a bottle of red and a mezze platter.Banton’s ascent to higher honours is a matter of when, not if. His imposing style has already won him a plethora of high-profile admirers, and scores of 112, 59, and 69 in his three Royal London Cup knockout games – the last of them in a run chase in a Lord’s final, no less – betray an appetite for the big stage.It took a freak dismissal to prevent him reaching a maiden first-class hundred that had looked like an inevitability for much of the afternoon. On 70, Banton went to sweep a ball from Mason Crane out the rough, which then looped up into the gloves of substitute wicket-keeper Lewis McManus. Replays showed it had hit him low on the forearm rather than on the glove, and Banton was visibly distraught as he trudged off.Crane endured another rough day after a first-innings return of 0 for 88 in 12 overs. He repeatedly pulled out of his run-up and bowled several front-foot no-balls, and a handful of drag-downs and full tosses were given short shrift. He ended with three expensive wickets – although he was exasperated by a couple of caught-behind shouts that were turned down – and struggled to find his rhythm throughout.Crane remains a bowler with plenty of promise, not least with a white-ball in hand, but a flat pitch and a game between Division One title contenders is a cruel place to be learning and developing; how Hampshire would have loved to have Liam Dawson available to tie down one end and let their legspinner attack from the other.Fidel Edwards returned to snare a pair of late wickets, but his late spell only raised questions as to why he had bowled so sparingly throughout the day; in the age of player-on-player match-ups, it seemed like an oversight on the part of Northeast that Edwards bowled just three balls to Banton, with whom he had locked horns so memorably in the Lord’s final.Increasingly, the game at Taunton between Somerset and Essex on September 23 looks like a title decider in the making; if both sides can force wins tomorrow, the Championship will begin to feel like a two-horse race.

Steve Patterson seals five-wicket haul, visitors trail by 255 with nine wickets in hand for final day

Paul Edwards12-Jun-2019
Barring the sort of collapses that would do credit to a hypersensitive drama queen this match will end in a draw on Thursday. The loss of the whole of the first day already meant that neither of these two fine teams was likely to force a win on a pitch lacking obvious devil but the rain which prevented any cricket being played after lunch on this third afternoon put the tin lid on the matter. Thursday’s cricket will be a matter of bonus points, averages and professional pride.Those latter considerations are not to be disdained. Will Fraine is playing his second Championship match for Yorkshire. In his first, against Essex last week, he made 39 and 0. A few wickets for Morne Morkel tomorrow will not make a whit of difference to his reputation but an unbeaten 70 or so against this Surrey attack tomorrow could make all the difference to Fraine’s career. It would also offer Andrew Gale another option as he ponders team selection over the rest of the season. The Yorkshire opener was unbeaten on 17 when the umpires came off for bad light at one o’clock on Wednesday and heavy showers prevented the players returning. “The rain for Fraine ruled out a chance of gain,” as Eliza Doolittle might have put it.And it could be worse. As Guildford’s weather organised itself into unrelieved gloom in the early afternoon, one’s thoughts turned to the good burghers of Welbeck Colliery CC, whose first ever Championship match was confined to just Sunday’s play. The June monsoon did for the rest of it. Six months planning for six hours’ cricket. Thank you, and good night miners everywhere. The good folk who are organising next week’s matches at York and Tunbridge Wells must have their manicured fingers and pedicured toes crossed.Spectators at Woodbridge Road, meanwhile, were left to make the most of not too much. They had seen Steve Patterson collect the eighth five-wicket haul of his first-class career when Jordan Clark hoisted a skier to the safe hands of substitute fielder Matt Fisher at mid-on. Then they had watched as Adam Lyth hit four of the sweeter boundaries of the season in his innings of 30. That delight was ended when Will Jacks swooped to take a low catch in the gully off Rikki Clarke. Fifteen minutes later we were off for the day.But yes, it could be very much worse. Perhaps 30 years ago in the not-so-golden age of three-day cricket these sides might have been tempted to concoct a result with the aid of a couple of declarations and an hour’s nonsense.The morning’s play, you see, was properly contested, but as we watched the tussle for advantage in a match seemingly reduced to three full days some minds drifted back to the 1980s when all games were of that length and pitches were covered. If the wicket offered a fair contest between bat and ball, everything was fine. But all too often teams would contest the first two days or so before agreeing a target which rendered the fourth innings of the game a bastardised version of over-limit cricket, albeit one in which the draw was an option. To achieve this goal, runs were given away by non-bowlers to embarrassed batsmen. All too often the first session of the third day was reduced to a cheap slog which annoyed the statisticians, insulted the spectators and demeaned the players.These matches belonged not to a golden era of a treasured memory but an age that at times was scarcely pewter. The gradual covering of pitches, which had begun in the 1970s, had both diminished the art of batting and sounded the passing bell for the three-day game; only when four-day cricket became the norm in 1993 did the wretched buffet bowling more or less disappear. You still see it occasionally towards the end of the season but generally the best team wins a four-day game of cricket.This match, though, will not merit even 400 words in next year’s Wisden. At 3.15 in the afternoon the scoreboard was turned off and half an hour later play was abandoned. The PA announcer told everyone in the ground the news, although the only folk he was informing were the players and media, who knew already. Then again, perhaps we should not be surprised by such surreal communications. After all, Lewis Carroll is buried in Guildford. Wonderland, indeed.Neither of the two other Division One matches scheduled had a ball bowled on Wednesday. Nottinghamshire drew with Hampshire after rain washed out all but the opening day’s play, while Kent’s match against Somerset was washed out for a second day running on day three.

Wolves go into today's FA Cup fixture against Brentford off the back of a comfortbale 3-0 home win over Sean Dyche's Everton.

That result was Gary O'Neil's third consecutive win in the Premier League, which puts his side 11th in the table and highlights just how much progress has been made in such little time.

Last season, the Old Gold were knocked out of the FA Cup in Round three as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool, but they will be hoping to reach the latter stages of the competition this time around.

However, Wolves will be without three key players for the game against the Bees, which will force the boss to make changes to last week's starting XI. Here's the expected lineup for tonight's encounter.

1

GK – Jose Sa

Jose Sa has been the first-choice shot-stopper this season, starting 18 matches in the Premier League but keeping only two clean sheets. Nevertheless, the Portuguese international will start on Friday night.

2

RCB – Max Kilman

The Wolves captain will start in his usual right centre-back position, and will hope to lead the side to victory. Kilman has started every game for Wolves this season in the league and scored last time out.

3

CB – Santiago Bueno

With Craig Dawson only just returning from injury and Santiago Bueno starting just two Premier League games since joining, this match looks like the perfect opportunity for the Uruguayan to get minutes.

4

LCB – Toti Gomes

Toti Gomes has made the left-centre-half role his own this season, starting all of the last 14 matches. The Portuguese defender performed excellently when Wolves beat the Bees 4-1 just after Christmas.

5

RM/RWB – Nelson Semedo

Matt Doherty could come into the side on Friday, but O'Neil won't want to change too much in case it disrupts the side's momentum. Therefore, Nelson Semedo will be given the nod for the role he has played 19 times this season.

6

CM – Joao Gomes

Joao Gomes was forced off early last time out but should be available to start against Brentford.

The Brazilian is the tenacious tackler in the side, and he has won the most tackles per game in the Wolves squad, 3.2.

7

CM – Tommy Doyle

With Mario Lemina unavailable due to family reasons, Tommy Doyle will once again start alongside Gomes in the midfield two.

The City loanee made his third start of the season in the 3-0 win over Everton.

8

LM/LWB – Jean-Ricner Bellegarde

Rayan Ait Nouri would usually feature in this role, but due to the wingback playing for Algeria in the African Cup of Nations, he is out.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has played this role already this season and could be given the start over Hugo Bueno.

9

RW – Pablo Sarabia

Pablo Sarabia has been quietly impressive this season, contributing six goals and creating the most big chances in the Wolves side (6).

He has become a frequent starter over the last month and will start in attack once again.

10

ST – Matheus Cunha

Matheus Cunha is on fire at the moment, scoring four goals and assisting four in his last nine matches.

He was the player of the match last weekend as he scored and assisted, and he will be given the responsibility of leading the line on Friday.

When Erik ten Hag fielded Jonny Evans alongside Willy Kambwala in Manchester United's 2-0 defeat against West Ham last month, he reached double figures in an unfortunate category. Even before the halfway point of the season, Ten Hag had used ten different centre-back partnerships (TNT Sports), a reflection of the extent of United's injuries in that area. Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire have all had spells on the sidelines.

While some may argue that Ten Hag and United will be fine once his options return, the club's woes may also indicate the need to invest in more reliable players going forward, and they've seemingly identified a serious target in Lille's Leny Yoro.

A product of the club's youth academy, teenager Yoro made his Ligue 1 debut at the end of the 2021/22 season and then truly broke into the side last term, playing 15 games in all competitions (Transfermarkt). Now he's managed to play his way onto the radar of 20-time Premier League champions United.

United enter talks for Yoro

French outlet Le10Sport reports that, alongside fierce English rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, United are one of three clubs to 'formalise discussions' with Lille in the last month. United has tried to "speed up" the process by asking what kind of offer will be required to launch negotiations.

They've been told that they'll have to table a bid in excess of £60.4m, and while that's £77.6m less than Lille have demanded from PSG, United will "never" consider meeting the demands. Jim Ratcliffe, who recently acquired 25% of the club from the Glazers and owns Lille's French rivals Nice, has apparently ruled out any "major investment" into the squad during this month's transfer window.

The stats show Yoro could pay off the fee in the long term

You can certainly see why Yoro has caught the eye of so many elite clubs. Under-23 scout Antonio Mango has described him as "immense" and likened him to a young version of Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, while journalist Zach Lowy believes he's already "one of the best defenders in France" despite his youth. His inclusion in SofaScore's under-21 team of the year for 2023 would appear to support that assessment.

Yoro has started 15 of Lille's 17 Ligue 1 games this season, indicating the unique level of trust he's earned from manager Paulo Fonseca. Indeed, he's played a higher percentage of his team's minutes so far in 2023/24 than any other 18-year-old in Europe's top-five leagues (FBRef).

Part of the reason for his continued involvement is no doubt his excellent contribution on the ball. He sits 11th in the league for passes completed (891) and he's doing so with the 10th-best success rate (90.7%). He could be invaluable to Ten Hag as a tool to play out from the back, in a similar vein to how Martinez was before his injury.

Yoro is now a France under-21 international, having made his debut in October, and already looks destined to represent his country at the senior level. While you can perhaps understand why United are reluctant to part with so much money for a player in his first season of weekly starts, he clearly has the potential to pay off that investment – and then some – long-term.

The January transfer window is a matter of weeks away and Tottenham Hotspur may dip into the market to improve the depth of their squad.

Ange Postecoglou's side has been ravaged by injuries of late, with the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, and Manor Solomon, among others, missing, and have only won one of their last six Premier League matches.

Tottenham transfer news – Sam Curtis

90min reported in November that Spurs are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign St. Patrick's Athletic right-back Sam Curtis in January.

The outlet named Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Celtic, Hull, Middlesbrough, and Leeds United as the other sides keeping tabs on the 18-year-old whiz.

It was stated that his current club expect the player to move on before they return to action in February, which suggests that Tottenham need to move quickly to secure his signature.

Postecoglou could land his own version of Chelsea star Reece James by winning the race for the defender, who could come in as a long-term heir to Pedro Porro.

Why Curtis could be James 2.0

In an interview with the Independent, Curtis revealed that the England international is an inspiration to him and that the Blues ace contacted him on Instagram to offer any advice that the teenage gem may need, having read about the Irishman's admiration for him.

The St. Patrick's Athletic star said he does not want to be known as the next James but the comparison is now there due to his connection with the Chelsea academy graduate, who he has the opportunity to learn from if Curtis takes the full-back up on his offer.

James has averaged 2.5 tackles and interceptions combined per game and managed 23 assists across 195 career games for club and country, which shows that he is a dynamic right-back who can offer quality at both ends of the pitch.

Sam Curtis' season in numbers

Curtis, who turned 18 at the start of this month, caught the eye in the Irish top-flight with 34 starts as a 17-year-old throughout the 2023 campaign.

The teenage battler, who was once lauded as a "wonderkid" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, showcased his attacking potential with four goal contributions, including three goals and one assist.

He also stood out with his impressive defensive work at right-back. The reported Spurs target made 3.4 tackles and interceptions combined and 5.2 ball recoveries per match to go along with a duel success rate of 63%.

Appearances

15

Goals

Zero

Assists

Five

Tackles and interceptions per game

3.8

Ball recoveries per game

5.1

As you can see from the table above, Porro has been in superb form for Tottenham so far this season in the Premier League as he has made an impact at both ends of the pitch.

However, the Spaniard has also been dribbled past 2.2 times per match and only won 52% of his duels in those 15 games, whilst Curtis won 63% of his battles and was only dribbled past 0.4 times per game in the Premier Division.

This suggests that the exciting teen whiz, who is six years younger than Porro, could be harder for opposition players to get past due to his ability to win a higher percentage of his physical contests.

Curtis could, therefore, develop into a dream heir to Porro and Postecoglou's own version of Reece James over the years to come if they can bring him in.

Big Picture

Many a team has arrived in South Africa with historic visions of breaching the fortress, only to end up battered and bruised at the wrong end of a series defeat. Seven in a row have now tried and failed to better South Africa at home, which is a home winning streak as hot as any in the hosts’ history. Although captain Faf du Plessis will have to sit out the third Test, he has spoken of South Africa’s desire to maintain their intensity and complete a clean sweep despite this series already being won.The end goal is the world No. 1 ranking, and while a 3-0 win won’t quite get them there, it will raise South Africa to second and add further context to the Tests against Sri Lanka in February, as well as England’s trip to the Caribbean as the teams behind India in the rankings jostle for position.For Pakistan, the third Test offers one final shot at shoring up some of the problems that have haunted their tour before focus shifts with the change of format in the second half of their trip. Out-bowled by a South African pace group that is quickly becoming legendary, outlasted by batsmen who haven’t flinched despite receiving a battering of their own on two spicy tracks at Centurion and Newlands, Pakistan have multiple issues to confront.Alas, those in the touring party who have been to the Wanderers before will not have any happy red-ball memories of the place, and the challenges confronting a brittle top order are unlikely to get any easier. Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed were all witnesses to Dale Steyn’s devastating 6 for 8 here in 2013, when Pakistan slipped to the nadir of 49 all out.If injury battles have at times dimmed the fire in Steyn’s eyes in the interim, his return to full fitness lends an air of ominous foreboding to Pakistan’s trip to Johannesburg. Now, of course, South Africa also have the world No. 1 Test bowler to call on in Kagiso Rabada, while Vernon Philander will also be a menace at a ground at which he averages just 15.08. It won’t win them the series, but if Pakistan are able to rouse themselves and stand up to the challenge South Africa’s pace attack will once again present, such success would be a timely boon ahead of the ODIs.Dale Steyn claimed a four-wicket haul•AFP

Form guide

South AfricaWWLLW (completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLWL

In the spotlight

As a group, Pakistan’s batting has failed on this tour, but Shan Masood‘s individual performances have provided some light in the gloom. Tall and elegant, Masood’s soft hands and quick reading of South Africa’s lengths have helped him to survive and prosper, going from an accidental starter to Pakistan’s unlikely star. Back in his usual opening slot, the job won’t get any easier for Masood in Jo’burg, but if he is able to replicate his success Pakistan will have a much better chance of giving their bowling attack the cushion of a few more runs.Zubayr Hamza will likely become the 100th Test cap for South Africa since readmission (though he could be the 101st if Pieter Malan slots in for Aiden Markram). Hamza’s ability to absorb pressure and score big – attributes which have been enhanced by the excellent work of his franchise coaches Ashwell Prince and Faiek Davids – has got him this far and he seems an ideal candidate for a middle order always on the look-out for grit. The pressure of a Test debut will be an entirely new feeling for Hamza, but he has an excellent opportunity to stake his claim.

Team news

With du Plessis suspended, and a couple of South Africa’s top order nursing some bruises of their own, there will be a few changes to the hosts’ line-up. There are two possible debutants in the squad in Malan and Hamza, though Malan will play only if Markram fails a fitness test on Thursday. Du Plessis insisted that his pace attack would be fresh and ready to go after an extra couple of days off due to the early finish in Cape Town, and conditions will decide whether South Africa stick with their seamers or adjust the balance with the addition of Keshav Maharaj’s left-arm spin.South Africa: 1 Dean Elgar (capt), 2 Aiden Markram/Pieter Malan, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Theunis de Bruyn, 5 Temba Bavuma, 6 Zubayr Hamza, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Duanne Olivier/Keshav MaharajPakistan are also likely to ring some changes, and allrounder Faheem Ashraf could get a look-in. If he is included, it may be for Fakhar Zaman, who was shunted down to No. 6 in the second innings of the Newlands Test and hasn’t enjoyed conditions. A fully fit Shadab Khan would also give Pakistan the option of playing a fifth bowler – something that was missing from Newlands. Pakistan may also look to rest Shaheen Shah Afridi, who looked a little tired after back-to-back Tests.Pakistan: 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Shan Masood, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Babar Azam, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt/wk), 7 Shadab Khan/Yasir Shah, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Mohammad Abbas, 11 Shaheen Shah Afridi/Hasan Ali

Pitch and conditions

The conditions at the Wanderers made headlines for all the wrong reasons during India’s visit last year, and given the potential ramifications for another poor pitch rating, the curator may look to err on the side of caution. The tracks here during the Mzansi Super League were sometimes a little dry, and in the last first-class game played at the Wanderers, first-innings runs were important. At this time of year, afternoon thunderstorms are always a possibility.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have never won a Test at the Wanderers, but did draw here in 1998 – though rain washing out the fourth day helped.
• Pakistan’s 49 all out on their last trip is the lowest score in their Test history.
• Masood is the leading run-scorer on either side in this series, with 189 runs at 47.25.
• Philander picked up a career-best 6 for 21 at the last Test played at the Wanderers against Australia last year.

Quotes

“We also have a mission to win not just these three Test matches, but the next two we play against Sri Lanka as well.”
“I think it’s a much better surface than the other two. Yes, this does have grass and a few cracks, but I think they will widen a lot later than Centurion and Cape Town.”

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is keen to add some new firepower to his squad in January and is now said to be hot on the tail of an in-form player, according to a report.

Brendan Rodgers seeks Celtic arrivals…

Since returning to Celtic in the summer, Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to add further quality to his side as they look to retain their Scottish Premiership title for the third successive campaign.

Undoubtedly, there has been a common theme emerging at the Glasgow giants in recent years. In short, the Hoops are usually dominant from a domestic footballing perspective; however, they routinely struggle to compete against sides with far more financial capability in the Champions League.

This campaign, Celtic have been eliminated from the Champions League with a game to spare and have no avenue to gain European football after Christmas by dropping into the Europa League by virtue of a third place finish.

Acutely aware of his side's standing in comparison to their continental peers, Rodgers has vowed to streamline his squad to help improve their long-term chances of success on the elite stage. Speaking after the Hoops' 2-0 defeat to Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico last week, Rodgers said:

"There’s no doubt now that, one, the squad will come down in numbers and obviously we need to add quality. There is no dressing it up, the group lost real quality players in the summer. That’s something that over the coming windows we will look to improve on."

Looking ahead to January, Celtic could lose the services of Kyogo Furuhashi, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Daizen Maeda, who may all be called up to represent their respective nations in the Asian Cup. In light of this, Rodgers looks to have identified a key target to strengthen his forward line as he prepares for a crucial clutch of matches without some of his star attackers, according to a report.

Celtic line up record-breaking Bojan Miovski deal

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are lining up a move for in-form Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski and have sent scouts to watch the North Macedonia star in action at every one of his matches this campaign. The report claims that Rodgers is an admirer of the Dons' hitman and is desperate to bolster his attacking options ahead of the second portion of the campaign.

Bojan Miovski statistics in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

23

Goals

11

Assists

3

However, Aberdeen will demand a record fee between the Scottish clubs if they were to sanction his exit, signifying that the Hoops would need to pay more than the £4.4 million they shelled out to sign former club captain Scott Brown from Hibernian in 2007.

Labelled "brilliant" by teammate Kelle Roos, Miovski is a potent offensive threat and has illustrated his capacity to efficiently spearhead Aberdeen's attack this campaign, averaging around 2.5 shots per Scottish Premiership fixture (Miovski statistics – WhoScored).

Celtic may need to add more depth in the final third in the New Year, and Miovski is someone who could help add another dimension to their attack, making this one to watch.

MatériaMais Notícias

A quarta-feira promete muita emoção no Morumbi. Após vencer o São Paulo por 1 a 0, o Grêmio precisa de pelo menos um empate para avançar na Copa do Brasil e promete fazer jogo duro fora e casa.

+ TABELA DE CLASSIFICAÇÃO DA COPA DO BRASIL

Além de toda a tensão do confronto, o Imortal está atento ao apito e a pressão que o São Paulo pode exercer dentro de casa.

Na visão de Diego Souza, alguns jogadores comandados por Fernando Diniz gostam ‘ apitar o duelo’ e o Grêmio não pode deixar que isso aconteça.

‘É uma decisão, não dá para esperar menos, e os nervos ficam a flor da pele, tem que ter concentração total, mas é que a equipe do São Paulo pressiona a arbitragem o tempo inteiro, muito chata dentro de campo e a gente tem que estar ligado porque se deixar eles acabam apitando o jogo. Isso é notório, a gente vê nas partidas’, afirmou na coletiva de imprensa.

São Paulo e Grêmio se enfrentam na noite de quarta-feira, a partir das 21h30 (Horário de Brasília), no Morumbi.

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Whilst Newcastle United continue to perform domestically – an impressive 1-0 over Arsenal last time out in league action sticking out, alongside a 3-0 demolition of Manchester United in the Carabao Cup – the Magpies have let the big occasions of the Champions League get the better of them in recent weeks.

Losing back-to-back games to Borussia Dortmund, the away fixture at Signal Iduna Park seeing the German hosts stride home to a convincing 2-0 win, Howe's men find themselves bottom of Group F with a trip to the Parc De Princes up next to face off against the might of Paris St-Germain to hopefully reestablish their authority in the competition.

A number of Howe's trusted first-teamers underwhelmed versus their Bundesliga opponents this Tuesday night, including former Everton man Anthony Gordon who never really got out of first gear on the night – substituted off at the half-time interval for Callum Wilson, Gordon lost possession seven times to the detriment of his team, as per Sofascore.

It could lead to Newcastle breaking the bank in January for more reinforcements to improve the Magpies' chances of coming away from big nights like in Dortmund with something to show for their efforts, with former target Federico Chiesa back on the agenda as a possible Gordon upgrade.

Newcastle transfer news – Federico Chiesa

Reported by Tutto Juve, Newcastle could well reignite their interest in the Italy international in the upcoming transfer window with the 26-year-old having his minutes cut significantly for Juventus recently.

The former Fiorentina man hasn't scored for the Old Lady since the middle of September, but Howe could still swoop for the 5 foot 9 winger amidst rumoured interest from fellow Premier League clubs in Arsenal and Chelsea, according to TEAMTalk.

Gordon could well begin to worry that his starting spot on Tyneside could be under threat as a result of this latest transfer development, the Magpies prepared to spend in the region of £52m to land the Juve man.

How Chiesa compares to Anthony Gordon

Despite not performing to the peak of his previous powers for Juventus this season, the former Fiorentina is certainly still an "amazing" talent worth pursuing from a Newcastle perspective, as hailed by pundit Paul Robinson.

Formerly winning a place in the Euro 2020 Team of the Tournament when his nation Italy were crowned champions – Chiesa scoring twice in the knockout rounds as a pivotal component of the team – he has shown glimpses of his brilliance with the Italian titans this campaign with four goals from his first five starts in Serie A.

Level with Gordon's goal record for Howe's outfit, from four fewer games, Chiesa's skill set as a dynamic and unpredictable prospect for defenders to contain could see him usurp the Englishman in the starting lineup as St James' Park if a move is made.

The Italian attacker's most effective display of the season to date came in an away defeat to Sassuolo, Massimo Allegri's outfit losing 4-2 on the day. Still, Chiesa shone as a bright spark for Juventus even in spite of the eventual loss – hitting a shot first-time into the back of the net to level the scores at 2-2, before his side collapsed.

Moreover, Chiesa could move into a second striker role if called upon to do so for Howe's side – adding some much-needed squad depth to his potential new employers in the process.

Even when Juventus' "wizard" – as described by writer Roger Bennett – has underperformed this campaign, he's still offering more for Allegri's side than Gordon does when he misfires under Howe, notably averaging one key pass per game in Serie A, in contrast to just 0.9 for his Magpies counterpart, a fine mark of his immense creativity from the flanks.

The latter man was largely anonymous up against the Black and Yellows in Champions League action. The ex Toffees winger attempted zero shots on the night, whilst also only winning one ground duel.

Newcastle could well see Chiesa as a signing that significantly improves their squad therefore, with the Italian attacker also keen for a move away from Turin.

Liverpool endured a testing night in the Europa League that Jurgen Klopp would have rather avoided, falling to a surprising 3-2 defeat against struggling French side Toulouse.

The Reds would have hoped to rebound with a strong showing after languishing to a draw against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road in the Premier League last weekend, with blushes only spared through Luis Diaz's late equaliser, but it was not to be as Klopp issued heavy rotation.

While Liverpool remain in first place in Group E after four matches, the chance to secure an early spot in the knockout phase has now evaporated and the upcoming Anfield fixture against LASK on 30 November will be crucial in swerving a distressing finale to the group stage.

Liverpool's performance vs Toulouse

Not for the first time, Liverpool struggled to get going on the continental stage this season, only this time, the second half did not foster a positive end to the game, with Aron Donnum's strike before the break doubled by Thijs Dallinga's effort just short of the hour mark.

A freakish own goal handed Liverpool a lifeline before Frank Magri reestablished Toulouse's two-goal cushion moments later; Diogo Jota's fine move and strike offered a glimpse of hope that was latched onto in the dying embers – but Klopp's side's belief that parity had been restored ended in disappointment.

Indeed, Alexis Mac Allister was adjudged to have handled the ball in the build-up to what would have been a dramatic equaliser and a first professional goal from young centre-back Jarell Quansah at the death.

Alas, the frenzied Liverpool celebrations were silenced by the cruel and contentious intervention of VAR, and while the travelling team will bemoan the decision to rule out Quansah's goal, the questions must swiftly turn to lack of inspiration on offer once again from Liverpool.

Caoimhin Kelleher's performance vs Toulouse

Caoimhín Kelleher, aged 24, deputised between the sticks for his fifth appearance of the campaign (and the third in the Europa League), and while he was not exactly culpable for the loss, he failed to exert authority in rebuffing efforts and only made one save from inside the box despite shipping three.

Providing the stand-in shot-stopper with a 6/10 rating, the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle wrote: 'Confident with the ball at his feet and passed well first half, and not much chance with any of the goals.'

Kelleher will be dispirited by shipping three goals and suffering defeat against a Toulouse side that was bested 5-1 in the reverse match last month, also sitting 14th in Ligue 1 with just two wins from 11 matches.

It is important to stress that at the heart of it, this is a Liverpool side that has been rebuilt after an immensely disappointing season, and it's a squad that remains on course to win Group E as well as perching third in the Premier League and awaiting the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

But certain performances simply cannot go unchallenged, and at the epicentre of the absence of fluidity in the final third was Cody Gakpo, who will be downcast after failing to impress on his return to the starting line-up.

Cody Gakpo's stats vs Toulouse

Gakpo has scored four goals and supplied one assist from just eight starting appearances across all competitions this term, but handed his first Europa League start of the season at Toulouse, the 24-year-old only flattered to deceive.

Substituted after 73 minutes for Darwin Nunez, Gakpo failed to exude swagger and style and was largely marshalled, if a little too robustly, by a resilient home backline.

As per Sofascore, the Dutchman failed to take a single shot, failed with both of his attempted dribbles, was dribbled past twice and lost nine duels despite attempting to win 11 – this, candidly, is not the kind of mettle the Reds need to take control of proceedings in the final third.

Indeed, as could also be said against Luton, Liverpool appear to have been outfought in the last few games and this is something that will leave Klopp incensed after a concerted summer transfer effort to settle the equilibrium and reinvigorate the ranks.

Dropping deeper and out wide in an effort to influence the match, Gakpo did manage to make three key passes but this is a simple masquerade over a performance that will have done little to prove that he deserves a starting berth on the biggest occasions for the Merseyside outfit.

To compound his travails, Gakpo's 29 touches on the night was a worse tally than even Kelleher's, who only took 39 touches himself; a lack of support from the centre certainly played a part, but the former PSV Eindhoven star will need to work on his movement and effectiveness in the danger area to win Klopp over and start performing at the level that he can clearly reach, when the cogs combine.

Criticising Gakpo's ineffective night and handing him a 5/10 match score, Doyle wrote:' Unhappy with lack of protection from referee at times but struggled to make meaningful impact and almost invisible second half. Subbed.'

Make no mistake, Gakpo is quality and offers much to the Anfield side's attack when on his game, ranking among the top 7% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes, the top 15% for progressive carries and the top 1% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

Apps

Goals

Assists

Premier League

30

9

3

Champions League

2

0

0

FA Cup

3

0

0

Europa League

2

0

1

Carabao Cup

2

2

0

All comps

39

11

4

*Sourced via Transfermarkt

But the £120k-per-week ace's woes in France were accentuated by a dreary collective display that now does mean that dropped points against LASK at the end of the month will trigger the din of the alarm bells.

It shouldn't come to that, but Klopp does have his work cut out to instil the confidence and cohesion that is necessary to match the illustrious vision that all believe can be achieved.