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Well, that was a little more straightforward than most were probably expecting it would be.

Despite a season of disappointing results in the Premier League, an injury list a mile long, and a bench full of teenagers, Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea quite comfortably dispatched an almost full-strength Tottenham Hotspur side last night, much to the delight of Samford Bridge.

There were several brilliant performances from the men in Blue, and while Nicolas Jackson stood out thanks to his goal, there was another starter who was even better, and somehow, it wasn't Cole Palmer.

Nicolas Jackson's performance vs Tottenham

Jackson must love playing against Spurs as he has now scored 36% of his league goals against the Lilywhites after netting for the 11th time in the competition in the second half of last night's game.

However, it wasn't just the goal that won the 22-year-old plaudits on the night; it was his all-around game. While he might have made a few errors here and there, he was a real thorn in Spurs' side for most of the game.

He impressed football.london's Bobby Vincent on the night, with the journalist awarding the Senegalese international an 8/10 for his efforts and writing that his header was 'poacher-esque.'

Jackson's game vs Spurs

Minutes

89'

Goals

1

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (2)

Shots on Target

2

Touches

30

Duels (Won)

16 (9)

Fouls Won

1

Tackles

4

All Stats via Sofascore

However, if there are still some out there unconvinced, then they only need to take a look at his numbers from the game, as in his 89 minutes of football, he scored once, succeeded in two of his three dribbles, took two shots on target, took 30 touches, won nine of 16 duels, won a foul and even made four tackles.

Overall, it was an impressive showing from the relatively inexperienced striker that should leave fans feeling encouraged about his future at the club, although he wasn't the best player on the night.

Moises Caicedo's performance vs Tottenham

Yes, the player who deserves even more credit than Jackson after last night's win is the £115m man, Moises Caicedo.

The Ecuadorian international might not have got on the scoresheet – or even provided an assist for that matter – but his performance in the middle of the park was exemplary and served as a reminder to his detractors what he could be like in a winning team.

Vincent was full of praise for the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace on the night, giving him an 8/10 and writing that it was 'a tremendous performance' from the 'energetic midfielder.'

Caicedo's game vs Spurs

Minutes

96'

Touches

62

Duels (Won)

12 (10)

Fouls won

4

Fouls Committed

0

Tackles

5

Blocks

2

Clearances

1

Interceptions

1

Dribbled Past

0

All Stats via Sofascore

This assessment of the 22-year-old's showing is backed up by his numbers. In the 96 minutes he spent on the pitch, he took 62 touches, won ten out of 12 duels, won four fouls, made five tackles, two blocks, one clearance, and one interception, didn't commit a single foul, and wasn't dribbled past once either.

Ultimately, the all-action star didn't directly contribute to either of Chelsea's goals on the night, but his overall performance cannot be overlooked as, alongside his midfield partners, he helped run the game for the Blues and was the best player on the pitch.

Related Chelsea academy star who John Terry loves is the perfect Silva replacement

The Cobham graduate has a bright future ahead of him.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 2, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta terça-feira, o lateral Neto Borges, do Vasco, postou uma foto no “Story”, do Instagram, para parabenizar o meia Carlinhos pelo aniversário. Na foto, os dois estão em um aeroporto com os casacos oficias do clube. Contudo, o jogador tampou a Cruz de Malta, que está presente na vestimenta. Veja a foto abaixo.

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalVasco conquistou quatro pontos em seis possíveis contra o São Paulo na última temporada; relembreFutebol Nacional22/06/2021VascoVasco emite nota de repúdio por episódio com drone que sobrevoou São Januário e ameaçou jogadoresVasco22/06/2021VascoRecuperado de lesão, MT, do Vasco, comemora retorno aos gramados e destaca: ‘Estava com saudade’Vasco22/06/2021

Com contrato até o fim de julho com o Vasco, o lateral-esquerdo já tentou se desligar do clube na Justiça, mas não obteve sucesso. No começo do mês de maio deste ano, o pedido do jogador, que vem treinando separado do grupo principal, foi negado porque a juíza entendeu faltar comprovação dos atrasos alegados nos pagamentos. A informação foi publicada primeiramente pelo site Esporte News Mundo.

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

Além dos salários de dezembro a abril, Neto Borges afirmou, na ação, que o clube não pagou o que chamou de “gratificação natalina”. Ele entende também como assédio moral o afastamento sofrido. Afirma também que o FGTS não foi recolhido até o momento da ação. Ele está fora dos planos do departamento de futebol. Para a posição, o Cruz-Maltino conta com Zeca, Riquelme e MT.

> Veja a tabela da Série B

Neto Borges foi contratado pelo Vasco no ano passado, por empréstimo junto ao Genk, da Bélgica. Foram 23 jogos pelo clube cruz-maltino, que acabou rebaixado à segunda divisão do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Marseille have reportedly had their £12 million ($15.3m) bid for Wataru Endo rejected by Liverpool.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Marseille enacting mini-overhaul at club
• Ligue 1 side table bid for Wataru Endo
• Liverpool uninterested in making the sale

• Getty/GOAL
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Marseille are looking to bounce back after their poor season in Ligue 1 which saw them finish in seventh and miss out on European football for the upcoming season. Following the departure of Jean-Louis Gasset, they brought on Roberto de Zerbi and the Italian has already enacted the signings of the likes of Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ismael Kone, among others.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  As per The Mirror, Marseille's next target is Liverpool's Endo, for whom Les Phoceens tabled a £12 million bid, which was immediately turned down by the Reds as the Premier League side have no interest in letting the Japanese midfielder leave Anfield this summer.

• (C)GettyImages
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Liverpool signed Endo from Stuttgart last summer for a reported fee of £16.2 million ($20.7m) after the Reds missed out on the signing of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, both of whom preferred big-money moves to Chelsea instead.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ENDO?

  While the Japanese midfielder was not an outright starter for Jurgen Klopp last season, new Liverpool boss Arne Slot has claimed that he will make his decisions about the squad after the end of the preseason and it is possible that Endo could become a pivotal player for the side under Slot.

شهدت مباراة الزمالك والبنك الأهلي في افتتاح الدوري المصري جدلاً واسعًا حول القرارات التحكيمية التي اتخذها الحكم محمد عادل، والتي أثارت جدلًا وسعًا بين الجماهير وخبراء التحكيم.

والتقى الزمالك والبنك الأهلي على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي، وفاز الأبيض بثلاثة أهداف مُقابل هدفين، في لقاء شهد جدلًا تحكيميًا واسعًا. ملخص مباراة الزمالك والبنك الأهلي (3-2) الدوري المصري

وكان إبراهيم نور الدين، المدير الفني للجنة التحكيم، قد صرح بأنه سيتم عقد جلسة استماع لطاقم التحكيم بأكمله، وذلك لمناقشة القرارات التحكيمية التي أثارت الجدل خلال المباراة.

طالع أيضًا | أحمد سالم يوضح حقيقة تقدم الزمالك بشكوى ضد الأداء التحكيمي.. ويصرح: الأخطاء كارثية وتغير نتائج بطولات

في هذا السياق، أكد مصدر مطلع داخل لجنة الحكام باتحاد الكرة، بأن هناك عُرف مُتبع داخل لجنة الحكام، بأن الحكم الذي يرتكب أخطاء يتم إبعاده لفترة عن إدارة المباريات، وهو ما سيتم مع محمد عادل حكم مواجهة الزمالك والبنك الأهلي.

وشدد المصدر على أن أعضاء طاقم تحكيم المباراة، لن يدير أي منهم مواجهات قريبة للزمالك أو للبنك الأهلي.

وأوضح أن هناك قرارًا سابقًا بأن الحكم الذي يرتكب أخطاء في مباراة يتم ابعاده عن المباريات القريبة المُقبلة لفريقي هذه المواجهة.

يذكر، أن الزمالك يستعد لمواجهة سموحة يوم الجمعة المُقبل الموافق 8 نوفمبر، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

Chelsea continue to be an enigma this season.

Mauricio Pochettino's men can bounce from a brilliant result to a terrible one and back again in a couple of weeks.

The Argentine has a promising squad at his disposal but hasn't been able to crack it this year, although the absence of club captain Reece James for large parts of the campaign hasn't helped.

The fan favourite is one of the Blues' best players, but his inability to stay fit has seen his value tumble, and now he's worth less than a star who left west London in 2021, who Pochettino probably wishes didn't.

Reece James' transfer value at Chelsea

James joined the Blues' academy as a youngster, and after spending several years battling through the various youth sides and moving from striker to defence, he was loaned to Wigan Athletic for the 2018/19 campaign.

The Redbridge-born gem thrived with the Latics, scoring three goals and providing three assists in 46 games before returning to Stamford Bridge in the summer and transitioning into the first team after recovering from an ankle injury.

Starting XI on James' full debut

Chelsea 7 – 1 Grimsby Town: September 2019

GK – Willy Caballero

RB – Reece James

CB – Marc Guehi

CB – Kurt Zouma

LB – Marcos Alonso

CM – Ross Barkley

CM – Billy Gilmour

RM – Christian Pulisic

LM – Callum Hudson-Odoi

CAM – Pedro

ST – Michy Batshuayi

All Data via Transfermarkt

In his first season with the Pensioners, the 5-foot-10 defender made 37 appearances, scored two goals, provided three assists, and established himself as one of the most exciting full-backs in English football.

In all, the 24-year-old has made 156 appearances for the Blues, scored 11 goals, provided 21 assists and won the Champions League, but there has been one significant problem: his injury record.

Across the five seasons he has regularly played for the club, James has missed 111 games or 561 days of action due to 18 separate injuries.

This genuinely concerning record has seen his value collapse in recent years. Football Transfers' expected value model priced the Englishman at around €68m, or £58m, in May of last year, whereas it now prices him at around €40m, which is about £34m.

James' dramatic fall in price has seen a former Chelsea defender, and one Pochettino could surely use at the moment, surge past him in value.

Fikayo Tomori's transfer value in 2024

Yes, the player in question is fellow England international and Cobham graduate Fikayo Tomori.

Just like James, the Calgary-born wall fought his way through Chelsea's various youth sides before being sent on several loans to Brighton & Hove Albion, Hull City, and finally Derby County, where he caught the eye of Frank Lampard.

When the Chelsea legend was named the club's new manager for the 2019/20 season, one of his first decisions was to bring the 6 foot 1 titan into the first-team squad. Over the course of that season, he made 22 appearances.

However, the "fantastic" gem, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, couldn't quite nail down a starting spot, made just four appearances in the first half of the following season, and opted to join AC Milan on loan in January.

Tomori decided to remain in Milan that summer after the Italians activated the £25m buy option in his deal. He has since made 132 appearances for the Rossoneri, playing a vital role in the club's first Scudetto triumph in 11 years.

Fikayo Tomori's transfer value

Date

Valuation

July 2018

€5m (£4m)

January 2021

€27m (£23m)

July 2021

€32m (£27m)

September 2022

€38m (£32m)

April 2023

€42m (£36m)

November 2023

€46m (£39m)

March 2024

€42m (£36m)

All Data via Football Transfers

His consistently impressive performances for the red and black half of Milan have seen his value steadily rise over the last few years. Football Transfers' expected value model priced the five-capped international at €32m, about £27m, when he made his move to Italy and at €42m, or about £35m now, slightly higher than James'.

Related Chelsea could sell "unlucky" ace who earns 4x more than Gallagher

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 12, 2024

Ultimately, while Tomori's decision to leave Chelsea in 2021 has worked out brilliantly for him, there is every chance he would've become the Blues' star defender had he stayed.

In a season that will be Jürgen Klopp's last at the club, Liverpool have been superb, with the club in the hunt alongside Arsenal and Manchester City for the Premier League title with just 11 games remaining this season.

The Reds currently sit top of the Premier League table, one point clear of Pep Guardiola's side and two clear of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, with Klopp's side able to match the two sides despite their hefty injury list.

Players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Alisson have all been missing in recent weeks.

The injuries have given multiple youngsters the opportunity to impress, with Conor Bradley the main beneficiary, with the 20-year-old featuring five times in the Premier League this season and scoring his first goal for the club in the 4-1 victory over Chelsea in January.

Despite Klopp's depleted squad, his side has still been able to grind out results. Saturday's 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest was the latest example, with the Reds claiming all three points after Darwin Núñez's 99th-minute header.

Despite the club's brilliant run, a couple of first-team players have been disappointing, with one player at risk of being dropped ahead of Thursday's Europa League tie against Sparta Prague.

Why Cody Gakpo could make way vs Sparta Prague

Cody Gakpo has endured a tricky few weeks for Liverpool, with the Dutchman failing to score in his last three outings. His tally of five goals in the Premier League is below par, given how many chances the likes of Salah, Luis Diaz and Nunez have created so far this campaign.

His last display away at Nuno Espírito Santo's Forest side was particularly poor, with Gakpo unable to leave a lasting impression on the encounter, duly handed a dismal 4/10 match rating courtesy of Goal.

During his 84-minute performance, the striker was dispossessed three times with his poor control and slow reactions to blame for his sloppiness in possession.

Minutes played

84

Touches

32

Duels lost

7

Shot accuracy

0/2 (0%)

FotMob rating

6.0

He also lost seven duels during the encounter, with the Forest backline having the better of the former PSV forward for the majority of the game.

Gakpo only managed 32 touches, with Forest's low block neutralising any potential pass into the striker's feet. His tally of 32 was the lowest of any Liverpool player who started the game – another indication of his lack of impact during the contest.

Given his recent form, Klopp should be looking to replace Gakpo with one other Liverpool player more than deserving of a start against Sparta Prague on Thursday.

The man to replace Gakpo

After his late goal last weekend, Uruguayan striker Nunez is more than deserving of a start in the Europa League this week.

The "unbelievable" forward, as described by Alan Shearer, replaced Harvey Elliott in the 60th minute at the City Ground, with the 24-year-old causing the Reds backline no end of problems during the final half hour of the encounter.

During his cameo off the bench, Nunez had three more shots than Gakpo despite playing 54 minutes less – with Nunez also grabbing the decisive goal. He also won double the duels Gakpo did, with Nunez coming on with a huge point to prove.

His raw pace and power are a threat to any team in world football, with Nunez potentially having the ability to give Liverpool the edge in the Premier League whilst leading them to yet more European glory.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Reeza Hendricks struck a half-century and Beuran Hendricks was impressive with the ball, but it wasn’t enough to stop the home side from winning by 36 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2019

20 overs per sideSouth Africa A did hit back with a four-run (DLS method) win in the fourth one-dayer, but India A, who had won the first three games, showed that it was just a blip as they were dominant again in registering a 36-run win in the final game in Thiruvananthapuram, which gave them a 4-1 series win.In a match reduced to 20 overs a side following rain, the Indians opted to bat and rode on big hands from Sanju Samson and Shikhar Dhawan to put up 204 for 4. Shardul Thakur then led the show with the ball as the South Africans were bowled out for 168 off the last ball.Dhawan, included in the side for the last two games after completing his recovery – he had broken a thumb, forcing his World Cup campaign to end prematurely – had a worry early on as a Beuran Hendricks delivery hit his helmet in the third over. The batsman had walked across the stumps to try and play the scoop, but took his eyes off and got hit near the left ear.He was treated immediately, and continued batting, playing till the 14th over for a 36-ball 51 with five fours and two sides. The end came when he was caught by Kyle Verreynne attempting a slog-sweep off left-arm spinner George Linde, but by then he had helped the Indians get to 137, his partnership with Samson for the second wicket worth 135 runs after Prashant Chopra had fallen early.Samson, batting beautifully, carried on and was in sight of a century before Linde had his number too, the batsman falling for 91 off 48 balls, with six fours and seven sixes, with 25 balls left in the innings.Shreyas Iyer, the captain, put the finishing touches to an excellent batting effort with a 19-ball 36, and South Africa were faced with a steep ask against a well-oiled bowling machine.The required rate for the visitors was over ten an over, but they only got to 40 for 2 by the end of the six-over mark, losing Janneman Malan to Thakur and Temba Bavuma to Ishan Porel along the way.That meant there was too much to do for the other top-order batsmen, and though Reeza Hendricks and Verreynne put together a 69-run stand for the third wicket – Hendricks scored 59 and Verreynne 44 – they were always lagging behind the asking rate.Heinrich Klaasen, the other prominent batsman in the line-up, couldn’t quite kick on either, and the South Africans finished well short, Thakur’s 3 for 9 from three overs quite the standout bowling performance in a convincing win.The teams now get ready for the first of two four-day matches, in Thiruvananthapuram, with the second in Mysuru, starting September 9.

MatériaMais Notícias

O centroavante Lucas Goiano é o novo reforço do Botafogo para a categoria sub-20. Aos 18 anos, ele assinou, nesta terça-feira, contrato até dezembro de 2022. Natural de Goiânia-GO, Lucas se destacou no Vila Nova-GO, onde atuava desde os 13 anos, e agora reforça o Glorioso. O atleta considerou um sonho realizado e comentou sobre as primeiras impressões no clube.

– É uma emoção muito grande poder representar as cores do Botafogo e espero honrar a camisa como ela deve ser honrada. Estou muito motivado, é um sonho realizado. Temos competições boas neste ano para disputar, com adversários qualificados e de um nível alto, mas já deu para ver que nosso grupo é muito forte e vamos fazer um grande ano – afirmou.

Lucas Goiano foi o destaque do Vila Nova na temporada 2019, quando marcou 21 gols em 31 jogos pela categoria sub-17. No ano passado, foi o atleta mais jovem do Vila Nova na Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, mas com o início da pandemia por conta do Covid-19 o calendário do clube goiano ficou reduzido nas categorias de base. Animado com o novo projeto, o centroavante explicou suas principais características para a torcida alvinegra.

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– Sou um centroavante de muita mobilidade. Não fico apenas fixo na área, gosto de sair para ajudar na construção, achar passes e ajudar pelos lados. Dentro da área busco me posicionar da melhor forma possível e treino muita finalização. Espero trabalhar forte e me dedicar ao máximo para ajudar o Botafogo da melhor forma – comentou.

Lucas Goiano já está liberado para estrear pelo Botafogo. O calendário do sub-20 para 2021 terá o Campeonato Brasileiro, marcado para junho, a Copa do Brasil, que retorna em maio com o confronto diante do São José-RS, e o Campeonato Carioca, também previsto para maio.

As it happenedSouth Africa came well and truly a cropper against Kane Williamson’s cool and Colin de Grandhomme’s muscle, New Zealand all but knocking their opponents out of a World Cup for a third time with a four-wicket win at Edgbaston.Williamson and de Grandhomme shared in a 91-run stand that set up New Zealand’s pursuit of South Africa’s 241 for 6, Williamson pumping a last-over six off Andile Phehlukwayo that brought up a match-winning hundred before his umpteenth dab to third man brought up the win.South Africa spilled several chances in the field – and would have had Williamson caught behind in the 70s had they used their review – wilting under the pressure as New Zealand secured their fifth World Cup victory over them.South Africa’s scarcely believable lapse in gifting Williamson a life came in the midst of a haywire couple of overs when the match was in the balance, panic setting in and Faf du Plessis’ men, unfortunately, were left gagging, coughing, and gasping for breath.When Imran Tahir came on to bowl his final over, New Zealand were five down, needing a further 72 from 12 overs. Something, one felt, was about to give, and with his first ball Tahir very nearly had de Grandhomme caught by David Miller at full stretch close in on the leg side. Two balls later, another uppish whip flew hard to Miller’s left, and he put in a dive that was no less hearty, but equally ineffective as he could only palm the tough chance away.But worse was to come. Tahir’s final delivery – a legbreak – gripped and spun past a Williamson, wrong-footed in a rare moment of uncertainty, flicking the finest of bottom edges on the way into Quinton de Kock’s gloves. Tahir was convinced – as he always is – but de Kock didn’t even appeal. South Africa had a review, and could have used it, but didn’t.Kane Williamson celebrates his century•Getty Images

The chances kept coming, but South Africa’s luck had turned and with every missed opportunity, New Zealand pulled further ahead. They missed Williamson, again, when he had 77 and fended at a short one from Kagiso Rabada, hesitating before setting off on a run even as de Grandhomme sprinted across from the other end. Rabada swooped in his follow-through and shied with Miller in position for the run out, but Miller couldn’t take it cleanly, disturbing the stumps empty-handed as the ball burst past him.Two balls later, de Grandhomme edged Rabada through the vacant slip region to raise the fifty stand, leaving New Zealand needing 52 from 48.While Williamson eventually sealed the deal, and bagged the Player of the Match award, de Grandhomme’s knock was no less crucial in the final analysis. On a day when just one South African batsman was able to strike it at better than a run a ball, when everyone else struggled to come fully to terms with a two-paced track, de Grandhomme middled absolutely everything.Born in Harare and playing for New Zealand at Edgbaston, his home away from home (he plays for Birmingham Bears in the Vitality T20), he swatted and clubbed his way to a 39-ball fifty that shattered South Africa’s resolve.When South Africa dropped short, he pulled powerfully. Full outside off, and he slashed. On his legs, he clubbed. It wasn’t the most cultured knock – and he enjoyed a couple of lucky getaways along the way – but it was the perfect foil to Williamson’s calm accumulation and helped to spark South Africa’s anxiety. As the match slipped from their grasp, so did more chances – Williamson was dropped again (albeit off a high full-toss that was called a no-ball), and South Africa then contrived to turn an opportunity in the outfield off a de Grandhomme slog into four runs, Miller and Rabada both diving past the ball.Williamson, meanwhile, was anything but anxious. New Zealand’s captain is rarely better than when constructing a chase, and he passed 1000 ODI runs in England (at a monstrous average of 74.28 while systematically cobbling together his 19th fifty-plus total, and fifth hundred – in one-day chases.Imran Tahir shows his frustration•Getty Images

There’s no violence to Williamson’s batting, he bats utterly without ego and is clearly mighty effective all the same. While he was pristine on the drive all afternoon, the shot that sticks in the memory is the dab down to third man. No less than 21 of his runs came in that region, with a total of 32 coming behind square on the off side. Fittingly, it was also the shot with which he sealed the result in the final over, one ball after he had brought the scores level by rocketing his first six – and first shot in anger – in an echo of Grant Elliott’s dream-shattering knock during the last World Cup.New Zealand’s World Cup record against South Africa now stands at 6-2, while Williamson completed what was just the sixth century from a captain in a successful World Cup chase.It could all have been very different, had South Africa been able to find inspiration in Chris Morris’ breakthroughs earlier in the innings. Following on from the lucky dismissals of Colin Munro (caught and bowled off an inside edge on to his thigh) and Martin Guptill (hit wicket), Morris burgled a wicket in his fourth over when he strangled Ross Taylor down the leg side with a ball that could easily have been glanced for four.There was nothing lucky about his next wicket, a brutal lifter finding Tom Latham’s outside edge on the way through to de Kock, and at 80 for 4, it was anyone’s game. Morris returned in the 33rd over with the match once again in the balance, snapping a 57-run stand when James Neesham steered one to slip. But then came Williamson and de Grandhomme’s partnership, and whatever luck South Africa had enjoyed evaporated.They might have been able to manufacture a little more of their own good fortune had they not been quite so tentative with the bat earlier in the day. Admittedly, there must have been some trepidation when they lost a rain-delayed toss and were put in this morning, and the early loss of de Kock to Trent Boult (again) won’t have helped.As a result, South Africa were hesitant up front, and equally diffident when the time came to swing the willow at the death. For much of their innings, it seemed like they had turned their back to the future and were stuck in 1990s mode: Hashim Amla ground out the third slowest fifty of his career, sharing in plodding fifty stands with du Plessis and Aiden Markram that essentially bought South Africa time without really taking the innings anywhere, and the top four’s strike rates were all in the 60s.South Africa finally found some momentum when Rassie van der Dussen was joined by Miller, the pair adding 72 for the fifth wicket at close to a run a ball. They took a while warming up the engine, and had hit just one boundary between the two of them by the time the fifty stand came up in the 43rd over, but van der Dussen gave the innings a little flourish at the finish with 15 runs off the final over – and he was the only batsman to finish with a strike rate above 100.He ended with 67 not out, and South Africa reached 241 for 6, but it was not to be. Williamson’s match-winning hundred capped New Zealand’s day, and South Africa’s World Cup dreams are all but extinguished.

Starting 27 games this season, despite only being 17 years of age still, Leeds United's homegrown product Archie Gray continues to back up why Daniel Farke has no uncertainty whatsoever in throwing the teenager into high-intensity Championship games.

Not as his free-flowing best in a cagey contest for Leeds against Preston in truth, the up-and-coming number 22 still showed in flashes why he keeps getting picked despite his relative inexperience – successful with two of his three dribble attempts in the 2-1 win, on top of winning four ground duels.

Farke will hope his acumen in getting the best out of Gray this season rubs off on this potential January signing, the new possible recruit highly thought of at his parent club.

Leeds going after Premier League youngster

The rumour mill at Elland Road suggests that Farke's promotion hopefuls are going after 20-year-old right-back Calvin Ramsay from Liverpool, the Daily Mail (18/01, pg. 69) stating that the emerging Reds youngster is one of many defensive targets on the Leeds shopping list.

Failing to ever really get going during a loan switch to Preston this campaign – starting just two games in an ill-fated loan switch to Lancashire before being recalled – a move out to Leeds could well be an opportunity for Ramsay to show to everyone what he's about away from his recent recurring injury woes.

Signed by Jurgen Klopp for £6.5m just last summer, Ramsay is highly regarded at Anfield for good reason and will want to hit the ground running at Elland Road if signed by the 49ers this month.

How Ramsay fits into the Leeds team

Even with Gray still competently doing a job at right-back despite naturally being more of a midfielder, the Whites could do with more reinforcements in this spot to fall back on for depth.

With Djed Spence no longer situated in West Yorkshire after having his Tottenham Hotspur loan deal terminated, the ex-Aberdeen youngster could fill a gap in reserve for the Whites and even stake a claim to start if all goes swimmingly.

Registering one goal and nine assists in a breakout season at Pittodrie during the 2021/22 campaign before the allure of the Premier League came calling, the former Aberdeen 22 would offer Leeds another energetic and expansive option down the flanks.

Notching up assists aplenty from set-piece situations whilst playing in Scotland, Leeds could benefit from Ramsay's expertise in floating in inch-perfect deliveries if he relocates.

With Leeds scoring a well-drilled free-kick routine away at Peterborough United recently – Ethan Ampadu arguably benefitting from lax Posh marking – Ramsay's excellence from set-pieces could prove to be an effective calling card on his arrival with the likes of Rodon and the goalscorer in the FA Cup clash lining up to find the back of the net.

Only helping himself to one assist so far this season from a right-back spot, Gray could be unshackled by the 20-year-old's arrival and played further forward with Ramsay taking over his defensive duties as a result.

Making two Liverpool first-team appearances to date – with Klopp describing the defender as "outstanding" when quizzed on the emerging Scotsman – this could well be a formative loan switch and a deal that strengthens Leeds in the crunch months to come.