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Captain returns 3 for 5 and then smashes 19-ball 45* to shut out Central Punjab in title clash

Danyal Rasool13-Oct-2021Khyber Pakhtunkhwa defended their National T20 title, storming past Central Punjab to win by seven wickets on Wednesday evening in Lahore. A stunning all-round performance by Iftikhar Ahmed, who took three wickets for five runs and smashed an unbeaten 45 off 19 balls, was at the heart of the show from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who dominated the game from start to finish.After putting Central Punjab in to bat, Imran Khan struck off the second ball, getting Muhammad Akhlaq to nick off to the keeper. It was followed by the best spell Central Punjab enjoyed in the game – Kamran Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad were together at the crease, leading the revival with an 85-run partnership off 61 balls. Both players, once they got going, began to look dangerous, particularly when Asif Afridi, so impressive otherwise, was smashed for 16 in his first over.But once Khalid Usman had Akmal stumped and Iftikhar got rid of Shehzad within seven balls of each other, Central Punjab went to pieces. Iftikhar and Muhammad Imran struck three times each, while Qasim Akram and Faheem Ashraf were the only other batters who managed double figures. The last nine wickets fell for 63 runs as Central Punjab failed to bat out their 20 overs, setting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 149 for victory.A total as low as that hadn’t been defended all tournament, and in truth, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were never in danger of letting that happen on the night.They didn’t start especially explosively, but even while the asking rate climbed, they had wickets in hand, and appeared in control of the chase. Sahibzada Farhan and Kamran Ghulam were astute in their pacing of the innings, as they added 47 for the second wicket, aware only a flurry of wickets could imperil their charge to the title. Even when both did fall, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needed a further 69 in just over seven overs; with a man in Iftikhar’s form coming in to bat next, it didn’t feel all that much.Any doubts were put to rest in the 15th over, where a wayward Muhammad Faizan went for 20 runs, and from that point on, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa required less than a run a ball.Iftikhar, though, wasn’t content to stroll through to victory, and blasted his team past the finishing line in just another couple of overs. Fittingly, it was a couple of boundaries from him that sealed the win. He would go on to be named the match and tournament awards, by far the best player in a team that was head and shoulders above the rest.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na tarde de quarta-feira (12), o presidente do Corinthians, Duílio Monteiro Alves, falou sobre a negociação envolvendo o goleiro Ivan, de 24 anos, da Ponte Preta. O mandatário do Timão comentou as situações dos arqueiros que já estão no Timão, caso de Cássio e Matheus Donelli. Veja no vídeo acima.

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Liverpool have won eight of their nine fixtures under Arne Slot. The Dutchman took on the daunting task of replacing Jurgen Klopp back in June but has exceeded expectations thus far.

One of the repeated themes throughout the summer was that Liverpool would not spend, no, not big, not for the sake of spending.

The suction of club action throughout the off-season heightens fan desire for something to cheer about, and fresh faces to improve the squad assume the natural source of catharsis.

But Liverpool didn’t address their lack of a holding midfielder equipped to succeed in Slot’s control-focused system, and went into the 2024/25 term lacking – or did they?

Gravenberch's performances in 2024/25

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it Martin Zubimendi, signed for €60m (£50m)? No, it’s Ryan Gravenberch – and what a ‘signing’ he’s been this season.

Last year, under Klopp’s wing, the Dutchman needed time to bed into life on Merseyside, and he also found himself lower down the pecking order than that of fellow summer signings Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and even Wataru Endo, starting only 12 Premier League games.

He’s been repurposed in a deep-lying role under Slot’s management, and he’s thriving. His gaffer said that he was “again outstanding” as Liverpool defeated Bologna this week, claiming the Man of the Match award. The 23-year-old has played every minute of the Reds’ Premier League and Champions League campaigns so far.

When Liverpool signed Gravenberch from Bayern Munich for a £34m fee, one year ago, Klopp’s final signing, he was saved from a spell of struggle in Germany, and last season’s account spelt more of the same. Now he’s not so much reborn as transcendent in his robust midfield role. He’s the real deal alright.

Imagine if things had turned out differently – had Liverpool succeeded in their long-term pursuit of Aurelien Tchouameni, it’s safe to say that Gravenberch would not be enjoying his present fruits.

When Liverpool failed to sign Aurelien Tchouameni (twice)

In 2022, Real Madrid signed Tchouameni from AS Monaco in a move worth worth €100m (£85m), ending rife speculation about the France international’s future.

The athletic midfielder is a tenacious tackler with first-class technical qualities, and he’s been instrumental under Carlo Ancelotti over the past few years, completing 98 appearances and winning La Liga and the Champions League.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Liverpool were tussling against Paris Saint-Germain and Los Blancos for his signature in 2022, but Real prevailed, as they would do again in the race for Jude Bellingham one year later.

Liverpool were actually linked with the Frenchman once again last year but he flat-out rejected any notion of moving to England, of leaving football’s holy land at Santiago Bernabeu.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 13% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 4% for passes completed, the top 15% for interceptions, the top 9% for clearances and the top 7% for aerial battles won per 90. It’s no surprise that he’s considered “world-class” by Transfermarkt’s Stefan Bienkowski, among many, many others.

He’s a big ol’ boy, with a presence and power that is fit for… well, Real Madrid. However, did Liverpool score the shrewdest of shrewd signings, in hindsight, given that Gravenberch is now outperforming him, signed for £50m less than Klopp and Co would have had to have forked out?

Matches (starts)

7 (7)

6 (6)

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches*

85

80

Shots (on target)*

0.7 (0.0)

0.3 (0.3)

Pass completion

92%

89%

Key passes*

0.3

0.3

Dribbles completed*

0.4

1.0

Ball recoveries*

5.0

6.5

Tackles + interceptions*

4.6

4.2

Total duels (won)*

5.1 (60%)

6.3 (64%)

In all truth, the respective stars are pretty well matched. Tchouameni is perhaps a tad more aggressive in the tackle, slightly crisper with his distribution, but Gravenberch is a bit more combative and more athletic, covering more ground and winning more balls for the Reds.

Liverpool have triumphed with this one. It’s all coming together.

Saved by Salah: Slot must instantly drop 4/10 Liverpool star after Bologna

He only completed 33% of his passes vs Bologna.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 3, 2024

Ipswich Town might well be savouring the time off they're experiencing this international break, having been faced with a difficult opening few Premier League ties.

Liverpool and Manchester City one after the other to open their top-flight campaign was a cruel opening combo, whilst Marco Silva's Fulham weren't exactly pushovers either.

Losing to both the Reds and City was to be expected, but Kieran McKenna will take some comfort from the fact they at least managed to pick up a point versus the Cottagers to get off the mark in the league.

Liam Delap scored in that 1-1 draw, but Ipswich's most memorable goal of the season actually came away at the Etihad, when new recruit Sammie Szmodics momentarily put the Tractor Boys ahead.

Szmodics' signing at Ipswich

Szmodics will hope he has plenty more moments of magic like that up his sleeve across the tiring season to come, but with his new Suffolk employers ending up victorious and not losing 4-1.

The former Peterborough United man joined the ranks at Portman Road as a renowned deadly finisher of chances, having picked up the Championship golden boot for another of his ex clubs in Blackburn Rovers just last season, by firing home 27 strikes.

Constantly terrorising Championship defenders with his ice-cold ability to finish under pressure, the new Ipswich number 23 would have become an instant fan's favourite when sending the away masses into raptures in Manchester.

It's not as if the former Riversiders man was purchased for a staggeringly high amount either, with McKenna's side landing the free-flowing EFL goalscorer for just £9m in the middle of August.

Amazingly, one deal that happened all the way back in 2005 for ex-Ipswich youngster Darren Bent to move to Charlton Athletic would actually see the now retired striker move for more money, if the same switch took place in today's inflated market – according to TotallyMoney's Transfer Index.

What Bent would have cost Charlton in 2024

Away from the original £4m the Addicks forked out at the time for Bent, this same transfer swoop would cost the current League One outfit £9m more at the £15.7m mark, as per the Transfer Index.

That would still be seen as somewhat of an attractive deal for the Greenwich side, even by the standards of lesser fees in the noughties, when you consider the then wide-eyed striker's appetite for goals.

Bowing out from Ipswich – much like Szmodics at Blackburn – in his goalscoring prime with 20 goals and 16 assists managed from 50 clashes during his swansong campaign, Bent would go on to become a Premier League established striker after this with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Sunderland and many more.

But, it could be argued he was at his free-flowing best in Suffolk and Ipswich just couldn't refuse the bumper offer from Charlton at the time, not knowing he'd later be a reliable performer in the top-flight for a wide array of teams.

Bent's £4m sale is ninth in the top ten when it comes to record departures at Ipswich, with the bumped up amount of £15.7m theoretically moving him up to top of this list, beating out Tyrone Mings who currently holds the top space at £9.5m when he moved to AFC Bournemouth in 2015.

Back to the present day, Szmodics will aim to be Ipswich's next hero in attack in a similar manner to goal machine, Bent, as McKenna's underdogs continue to take each Premier League fixture as it comes in their battle to beat the drop.

Ogbene rival: Ipswich missed out on signing £20m PL talent

Ipswich Town were close to signing this Premier League proven star on deadline day.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 3, 2024

There's been a lot of noise around Chelsea's transfer window, and admittedly, Enzo Maresca has found quite the in-tray on his desk upon arriving this summer as the club's new head coach.

That final phrasing is important: the running of Todd Boehly's regime means that the Italian's modus operandi centres around the squad and the tactics – transfers and the more clerical side of the job fall to sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart and a host of further office-based employees.

To his credit, Maresca has been candid in his comments regarding the Blues' bloated first team, saying: "Things can still happen in terms of new signings and outgoings."

Conor Gallagher has joined Atletico Madrid and further departures are expected before next weekend's deadline. That said, Chelsea could yet finish a busy summer of spending with a final addition, and centre-forward is the area of concern.

Chelsea eyeing new striker

Much of the chatter regarding No. 9 has circed around a possible swoop for Napoli's Victor Osimhen, who has been expected to leave during this window for most of the year but is at risk of finding himself marooned away from the market due to his outfit's insistence that his £111m release clause must be met.

With Romelu Lukaku set to sign for the Serie A side, a pathway might be opened up for the Nigerian's signing, but it still won't be an easy deal, and Chelsea must consider an alternative.

Well, that man could arrive in the form of Brentford's Ivan Toney, who too is awaiting a transfer this summer and has been mooted for a £50m move to the Saudi Pro League's Al Ahli – albeit with only a £35m offer having arrived so far.

However, according to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are weighing up a hijack for the England international, 28, and have actually contacted their neighbours to determine a possible deal.

Why Toney would be the perfect Osimhen alternative

Toney is understandably tempted by the pull of Saudi Arabia, with the suggestion that Al Ahli have offered him a significant increase on his £20k-per-week salary, with the proposed terms totalling a £325k weekly pay packet – a colossal 1525% rise.

Cut from the cloth of a traditional striker with modified technical skills and an intense work rate, Toney has grown into one of the Premier League's finest and highest-profile players under Thomas Frank, scoring 36 goals and adding 11 assists across 83 top-flight fixtures.

His manager has praised him for having the "mindset of a lion" and he has proved himself among the finest in the division, with his haul in 2022/23 bettered only by Harry Kane and Erling Haaland.

Toney also boasts an impressive link-up quality that stems from his sharpness in transition, brutish physical presence and dominance during aerial battles – Toney ranks among the top 16% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for aerial duels won per 90 (3.35), as per FBref.

In some ways, his skillset would actually make him a better fit than Napoli's Osimhen, who is one of the world's finest finishers but would arrive for over double the cost and has an injury record that leaves something to be desired.

The 26-year-old, who earns £211k per week, has been described as "one of the best strikers in the world" by Manchester City's Joao Cancelo, posting 76 goals and 18 assists across 133 matches for his team and winning the 2022/23 Serie A title.

However, injuries and Napoli's staggering decline last season left him frustrated, and he now ranks only among the top 33% of strikers in Europe for non-penalty goals scored per 90.

Class is permanent and there's no doubt his athleticism and pedigree would leave him in good standing to succeed at Stamford Bridge, but it would be something of a risk for a player that would cost a fee in the same ballpark as Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.

Toney would be a more than viable alternative, especially as he's been likened to none other than Didier Drogba.

A "Drogba-esque" striker

In 2021, former Icelandic footballer Hermann Hreidarsson remarked that Toney has a bit of Drogba about him and is even a "world-class" player.

His on-pitch performance over the three years since has hardly dispelled such claims, with Toney's Brentford teammate Christian Nørgaard claiming: "I heard someone in the changing room comparing Ivan with Didier Drogba. I think he looked a bit like him actually – the way he kept the ball, his first touch and his passes.

“He won every single header and he is a right player.”

Drogba is a Premier League Hall-of-Famer and is widely regarded among Chelsea's greatest-ever players. Signed from Marseille for £24m in 2004, the Ivorian plundered 250 goal contributions across 381 matches over two spells, notably winning the Champions League and four league titles.

A 6 foot 2 titan of a striker, Drogba was the ultimate big-game player, scoring 12 goals across 17 career cup finals and emerging on the golden side of the tie 11 times.

His influence stretched beyond mere goalscoring, however, using his immense strength and electric bursts of pace to bully defenders, always impressive with his technical quality and ability to pass fluently and maintain pace and gusto in the build-up.

He was, simply, one of the best. He was also 26 years old upon first arriving in west London and took a couple of seasons to really get going as one of the division's finest.

Toney could emulate Drogba's illustrious success and then some. He has the skills and he has the tried-and-tested pedigree, with a hunger to perform at the forefront of division too.

Imagine him & Felix: Chelsea could make approach for Sterling upgrade

Chelsea could replace Sterling with perfect Felix partner

By
Connor Holden

Aug 22, 2024

تحدث حارس مرمى ريال مدريد الأسبق، إيكر كاسياس، عن الوضع الحالي للملكي تحت قيادة المدير الفني، كارلو أنشيلوتي، بعد تصدر جدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني بجانب مستقبل المهاجم، فينيسيوس جونيور.

ويحتل ريال مدريد المركز الأول برصيد 49 نقطة بعد مرور 21 جولة من البطولة وسط منافسة قوية وشرسة من جانب برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد.

في حين أن هناك أنباءً عن رغبة الدوري السعودي في استقطاب فينيسيوس وربما انتقاله إلى الهلال أو الأهلي في الصيف المقبل.

اقرأ أيضًا | سيناريو بـ7 أرواح.. كيف يتأهل ريال مدريد مباشرة إلى دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا

وكشف كاسياس في البداية عن رأيه في إمكانية رحيل فينيسيوس من النادي خلال تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية، وقال: “كمشجع لريال مدريد، أود أن يبقى لقد شهد مستواه تطورًا رائعًا منذ وصوله، في البداية كان موضع سخرية، لكن الآن أصبح واحدًا من أفضل اللاعبين في العالم”.

وعن الوضع الحالي للفريق تحت قيادة كارلو أنشيلوتي، أكد كاسياس: “على الجميع التحلي بالصبر خاصة بشأن المنافسة في الدوري الإسباني، كلاعبين سابقين ونمتلك خبرة نعرف جيدًا أن لا يزال المشوار طويلًا في ظل وجود برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد بالسباق”.

وتابع: “قبل ثلاثة أشهر كان الجميع يعتبرون ريال مدريد في حالة سيئة، ووصف البعض أنشيلوتي بالكارثة، واليوم يُشيدون به”.

وأكمل: “في شهر مارس تبدأ المنافسة الحقيقة، ويجب على الفرق أن تكون في قمة جاهزيتها من أجل المرحلة الأخيرة من الموسم لحسم الألقاب”.

واختتم تصريحاته بالإشادة بالثلاثي فينيسيوس، كيليان مبابي وجود بيلينجهام، متوقعًا لهم مستقبلاً واعدًا مع ريال مدريد، وقال: “من خلال مشاهدتي لهم على التلفزيون، أرى أنهم يتوافقون جيدًا مع بعضهم البعض، نتمنى أن يستمرون على هذا النحو لقيادة الفريق إلى الألقاب”.

At this point, Sri Lanka’s best hope is to bat ridiculously well and give their bowlers a chance

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Mar-2021

Big pictureHow do you plan for West Indies? Their bowlers are varied and skillful – the first T20I at Coolidge featuring quicks like Dwayne Bravo, Jason Holder and Obed McCoy – who were adept at bowling a variety of slower balls that took advantage of a sluggish surface to flummox the Sri Lanka batsmen.Their batsmen, meanwhile, can make something out of nothing. Not even a hat-trick to Akila Dananjaya could really derail the West Indies’ chase because they’ve got six-hitting batsmen down to No. 8. Within the course of an over, Kieron Pollard turned a tricky situation for his team into what became a cakewalk, withhis six sixes in an over. What do you do against that kind of power? If you have as many matchwinners in the side as they do – Andre Russell is not even a part of their equation for this series, by the way – this is a side that is as impervious to opposition analysis as any team around.Sri Lanka’s best hope is to bat ridiculously well. It is possible there is no score that is beyond this West Indies team’s capability, but if Sri Lanka manage to fire collectively with the bat, they give their bowlers a chance. On Wednesday, none of their top seven batsmen had strike rates of even 120, which is clearly a problem. As a result, West Indies could take huge risks through the course of that chase, and those risks paid off.Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka:: LLLLL
England: WLLWWBattle to watchWest Indies’ power hitters vs Sri Lanka’s spinners. After the first match, Pollard suggested that his devastating six-hitting against Dananjaya was actually part of his team’s plan. The reasoning is this: West Indies’ batsmen can hit sixes like nobody else. And they particularly relish hitting sixes off spin bowling. On Wednesday, Dananjaya was the prime whipping boy, with eight of the 13 sixes for West Indies coming off his bowling. But Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers are likely to want to come back at the hosts. In their ranks, they can at least count on Wanindu Hasaranga, who is a wicket-taking threat as well as a more steady batsman when they need him.Pitch and conditionsThe pitch at Coolidge for the first match was on the tackier side, so perhaps this could become a theme of this T20I series. There is no rainfall forecast.Team newsDespite the defeat, Sri Lanka may opt for the same lineup.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Niroshan Dickwella 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Pathum Nissanka, 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Ashen Bandara, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Nuwan PradeepWest Indies have no reason to change their XI either.West Indies (possible): 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5 Kieron Pollard (capt), 6 Jason Holder, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Fabian Allen, 9 Kevin Sinclair, 10 Obed McCoy, 11 Fidel EdwardsStats and trivia Sri Lanka have not won a T20I since October 2019. They have lost eight T20Is on the trot since then. Kieron Pollard hit 36 off his 38 runs via sixes in the last match – a staggering 95% runs. In general, West Indies hit 13 sixes to their six fours on Wednesday.

MatériaMais Notícias

O sub-15 e sub-17 do São Paulo já sabem quais serão os adversários da equipe na segunda fase do Campeonato Paulista. Ambos os estaduais começam as fases seguintes já nesta final de semana, o último do mês de outubro.

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Na equipe sub-15, o São Paulo terá como adversáriosInter de Bebedouro, Nacional e Comercial. O time estreia no dia 30 de outubro, às 09h, em Ribeirão Preto. Depois, no dia seis de novembro, encara o Nacional-SP, em Cotia, também às 09h. O jogo de ‘fechamento’ da ida é diante do Inter de Bebedouro, dia 13 de novembro, às 10h, em Bebedouro.

Na ‘volta’ do grupo, os jogos se invertem. O primeiro adversário será o Inter de Bebedouro, dia 20 de novembro, às 09h, em Cotia. Depois, o São Paulo enfrenta o Nacional-SP, no dia 24, às 09h, no Nicolau Alayon e encerra essa fase contra o Comercial, em duelo marcado para o dia 27, às 09h, em Cotia.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021!

Já o sub-17 tem como primeiro adversário na segunda fase o Brasilis, dia 30 de outubro, às 11h, em Águas de Lindóia. A segunda rodada será disputada dia seis de novembro, quando o São Paulo recebe o Flamengo-SP, às 11h, em Cotia. A ida do grupo será fechada no dia 12 de novembro, às 10h, contra o Batatais, no interior paulista.

Na ‘volta’ do grupo, os jogos se invertem. O primeiro adversário será o Batatais, dia 20 de novembro, às 11h, em Cotia. Depois, o São Paulo enfrenta o Flamengo-SP, no dia 24, às 10h, em Guarulhos e encerra essa fase contra o Brasilis, em duelo marcado para o dia 27, às 11h, em Cotia.

VEJA A TABELA DA SEGUNDA FASE DO PAULISTA SUB-15 PARA O SÃO PAULO
30/10 , às 09h – Comercial-SP x São Paulo – Ribeirão Preto
06/11, às 09h – São Paulo x Nacional-SP – Cotia
​13/11, às 10h – Inter de Bebedouro x São Paulo – Bebedouro
20/11, às 09h – São Paulo x Inter de Bebedouro – Cotia
24/11, às 09h – Nacional-SP x São Paulo – São Paulo
27/11, às 15h – São Paulo x Comercial-SP – Cotia

VEJA A TABELA DA SEGUNDA FASE DO PAULISTA SUB-17 PARA O SÃO PAULO
30/10 , às 11h – Brasilis x São Paulo – Águas de Lindóia
06/11, às 11h – São Paulo x Flamengo-SP – Cotia
​12/11, às 10h – Batatais x São Paulo – Batatais
20/11, às 11h – São Paulo x Batatais – Cotia
24/11, às 10h – Flamengo-SP x São Paulo – Guarulhos
27/11, às 11h – São Paulo x Brasilis – Cotia

Manchester City have had a very quiet transfer window so far, having only brought in one new player. This summer, they are coming off the back of a season in which they reclaimed just one of their three titles won during their famous treble season of 2022/23. They once again pipped Arsenal to the Premier League title.

Brazilian starlet Savio is their only incoming so far. They paid sister club Troyes £30.8m to bring the exciting winger to the Etihad Stadium. The move comes after an impressive season on loan at Girona, another of the Cityzens’ sister clubs.

In terms of outgoings, there could be one major transfer happening this summer at City. Savinho’s countryman Ederson has been subject to plenty of interest from Saudi Arabia, and Pep Guardiola accepted the fact that he could explore “other options” which might see him leave the club. However, the legendary manager did suggest that Kevin De Bruyne would stay at City beyond the transfer window.

With the transfer window hotting up, the Blues could well begin to accelerate their transfer incomings this summer. Recently, they have been linked with one Premier League star to enhance their attacking quality.

Man City target Premier League midfielder

The player in question here is Crystal Palace and England attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze. The 26-year-old shone for the Eagles last season and has now been linked with a big move away from Selhurst Park this summer.

According to a report from talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, on the Premier League All Access Podcast, City are one of the sides who are interested in signing the England international this summer.

However, they are not thought to be the frontrunners. North London side Tottenham are also in the race to sign Eze, and Crook explains that the Lilywhites’ “interest is more advanced” than the eight-time Premier League champions. For City, it is a move that depends on De Bruyne’s future.

Should Guardiola’s side decide to sign Eze this summer, he is likely to cost around £60m. Palace are not thought to be willing to accept an offer any lower than that, according to BBC Sport's Alex Howell.

Why Eze would be a good signing

The 26-year-old attacking midfielder thrived under Oliver Glasner towards the back end of last season for Palace. Eze had an impressive campaign, scoring 11 times and grabbing four assists in just 27 Premier League games. However, he scored an incredible six goals and grabbed three assists in just 11 games under the Austrian, a run which helped him secure a spot in England’s Euro 2024 squad.

Eze is an enterprising attack-minded midfielder, who thrives between the lines and excels when drifting in from the left and getting on the ball in pockets of space behind the striker. Football analyst Ben Mattinson explained that the Palace number ten “brings the flair” to his side, and he could certainly transfer this over to the Etihad Stadium if a deal goes through.

He could be the dream replacement for De Bruyne if the Belgian does end up departing City either this summer or in 12 months' time.

The 26-year-old is a wonderful ball-carrier, one of the most prominent features of his game. He rides tackles smoothly and can change direction quickly thanks to his quick feet. He could excel playing in front of Rodri, who Guardiola said is “the best midfield player, currently, in the world by far”.

The Euro 2024 winner with Spain is superb defensively and would give Eze a real licence to get forward. He is one of the world’s best ball winners, and according to FBref, averages 7.12 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 9%.

Having Rodri behind him frees up Eze from lots of defensive responsibility that he would normally have had at Selhurst Park. Ironically, Eze is good out of possession himself, averaging 5.91 ball recoveries per game according to FBref, which ranks him in the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers last season in the Premier League.

Not only that, the 26-year-old would be playing in a side with the highest average possession in the Premier League last season. According to Sofascore, the Cityzens had an average of 65.4% of the ball each game, more than any other side.

With that in mind, we could see Eze thrive under Guardiola in a team where he will have plenty of the ball. His aforementioned dribbling ability could shine under the tutelage of the Spaniard, as he would be able to constantly get on the ball in attacking areas. His impressive dribbling skills are also reflected in his FBref stats.

The 26-year-old attempts an average of 6.13 take-ons per 90, and completed 3.02 of those take-ons. That ranks him in the top 7% and 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers last season in the Premier League respectively. During the 2023/24 top-flight campaign last season, Eze also averaged 2.67 carries into the final third and 1.88 carries into the penalty area each game.

He is also a wonderful creative influence in the final third. City have an embarrassment of riches in that department already, so adding Eze to that firepower would be overwhelming for the rest of the Premier League.

Last season in the Premier League, the England international averaged 4.07 progressive passes and played an average of 2.37 key passes each game, the latter of which ranked him in the top 12% of attacking midfielders wingers.

Eze creative passing numbers PL 2023/24

Stat (per 90)

Number

Progressive passes

4.07

Passes into final third

2.10

Passes into penalty box

1.97

Key passes

2.37

Expected assists

0.25xA

Stats from Fbref

Should City get a deal for Eze over the line this summer, it could be an environment in which he thrives. The midfielder loves to put on a show with the ball at his feet, and with reduced responsibility due to playing with Rodri, he could reach new heights at City.

£60m is an expensive fee, but City have the money and could need to replace De Bruyne in the near future. It certainly seems like it would be a wonderful signing if they get a deal done.

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Posts ByDan Emery Jul 22, 2024

Fortune Barishal scrape through to playoffs despite Naim century while Gazi Group Chattogram thump Minister Rajshahi

Mohammad Isam12-Dec-2020Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMinister Rajshahi’s succumbed to a 36-run defeat at the hands of Gazi Group Chattogram. Rajshahi finish the tournament’s league phase with two wins out of eight games, having now lost six matches on the trot.Rajshahi could only reach 139 for 8 in 20 overs, chasing 176. Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das added 122 runs for the opening wicket, with both scoring fifties. Soumya struck four sixes and three fours in his 48-ball 63, while Liton struck five fours and a six in his 55 off 43 balls. Having added 365 runs in the tournament so far, with three fifty-plus and now a century stand, Soumya and Liton are the best batting pair in the tournament.After both fell, there was enough time for Shamsur Rahman to hammer three sixes and a four in his unbeaten 18-ball 30, taking Chattogram to a competitive total.It was an ordinary effort from the Rajshahi bowlers, exacerbated by young pace bowler Rejaur Rahman who bowled two beamers in the 19th over, both of which Shamsur smashed for sixes. Anisul Islam Emon took two wickets while Mohammad Saifuddin and Rejaur took one each.In reply, Rajshahi lost their top three – captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, Emon and Rony Talukdar – within the first 5.2 overs. Nurul Hasan and Mahedi Hasan brought a semblance of fight to their approach, but both batsmen fell inside the 15th over, leaving Saifuddin and the rest of the lower order with a tall task.Chattogram’s Nahidul Islam took three wickets while Ziaur Rahman took wickets. Left-arm quicks Shoriful Islam and Mustafizur and left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan took one each.Chattogram now face Gemcon Khulna in the first qualifier of the playoffs phase on Monday.Mohammad Naim cuts en route to his knock of 105 from 64 balls•BCBScorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFortune Barisal scraped through to the playoffs of the Bangabandhu T20 Cup with a two-run against Beximco Dhaka, who, to their credit, nearly toppled their 193-3 total if not for a late stumble. Dhaka opener Mohammad Naim struck his maiden T20 century, a thrilling 105 off 64 balls that included seven sixes and eight fours.Sumon Khan’s six-run penultimate over, when 23 was needed off the final two overs, was what took Barishal to the top four. There was even an outside chance at one stage that Dhaka threatened to reach Barishal’s target within 18.3 overs, which would have put Minister Rajshahi through on net run-rate.Naim and Yasir Ali added 110 runs for the fourth wicket after Sohrawordi Shuvo, the veteran left-arm spinner, took the first three wickets, conceding just 13 runs. Yasir struck two sixes and a four in his 28-ball 41, that was the perfect foil for the marauding Naim, who peppered the straight field at every opportunity.But when Naim and Yasir fell in the 19th over, Akbar Ali and Muktar Ali had to take 17 off the last over. Both hit a six each, but Rabbi managed to keep them at bay, by the barest of margins.Barishal’s 193-3 in 20 overs came through three half-centuries, from Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy and Afif Hossain. Saif’s 43-ball 50 included eight boundaries, mostly in the Powerplay, as he added 59 for the opening stand with Tamim Iqbal. From the 14th over, Hridoy and Afif took over, hammering a 91-run for the unbroken fourth wicket stand, including a whopping 78 in the last five overs.Afif’s 50 came off 21 balls, and included five sixes and one four. Hridoy smacked four sixes and two fours in his 22-ball 51. Dhaka’s bowlers, especially Muktar Ali and Robiul Islam Robi went for a fair few, having bowled so well in most of the league phase matches.