All posts by h716a5.icu

Stats highlights from the third Test between Sri Lanka and India at the SSC where India completed a rare away series win

Shiva Jayaraman01-Sep-20154 Number of Tests Sri Lanka have now lost at home this year, this is the most they have lost at home in a calendar year. The last time they lost more than two home Tests in a calendar year was in 2003-04, when they lost three Tests.1993 Last and the only other time Sri Lanka lost two home series in a calendar year. Sri Lanka had lost two of their four Test series in that year, to India and South Africa. In 2015, they have played two and lost two including the one against Pakistan earlier this year.1988-89 Last and the only time before this India bowlers took all the 60 wickets of the opposition in any three-Test series. On that occasion, India spinners Arshad Ayub and Narendra Hirwani had combined to take 41 wickets in three Tests against New Zealand. Overall, this was only the 11th time that bowlers took all 60 wickets of the opposition wickets to fall in a three-Test series.1 Number of times India had won a Test series in Sri Lanka before this. That win had come in 1993 when they won the three-Test series 1-0. India’s last win in an away series came in 2011 when they beat West Indies 1-0. Between the two wins India had played seven away series and had lost six and drawn one, against Bangladesh.2004 Last time India won two away Tests in a series against oppositions excluding Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. On that occasion India had won the series 2-1 in Pakistan. Overall, this is only the fifth time that India have won two or more Tests in an away series that have not been played in Zimbabwe or Bangladesh.0 Number of times India had come back from 1-0 deficit in an away series to win it before this one. Overall, this was the third time India had come back from such a situation to win in any series. The last such instance had come in 2001, when India lost to Australia in Mumbai before winning their next two Tests at Kolkata and Chennai. The first ever such instance for India came way back in 1972 when India beat England 2-1 in a five-Test series. The last time a team came back from a 1-0 deficit in an away series to win it was in 2012 when England beat India 2-1 after losing the first Test in Ahmedabad.4 Number of Sri Lanka captains to get a fourth-innings hundred including Angelo Mathews in this Test. The last Sri Lanka captain to do this was Kumar Sangakkara – also at the SSC – who got an unbeaten 130 against Pakistan in 2009 to earn a draw. Mahela Jayawardene and Duleep Mendis are the other captains to do this.240 Balls faced Mathews in his innings of 110 – equal the fifth highest in the fourth innings of a Test at the SSC. The last time a batsman batted 200-plus deliveries in the fourth innings at the SSC was in 2006, when Kumar Sangakkara faced 303 deliveries to help Sri Lanka force a draw against Pakistan.3 India fast bowlers to take 200 or more Test wickets before Ishant Sharma who took his 200th wicket when he dismissed Angelo Mathews in Sri Lanka’s second innings. Kapil Dev (434 wickets), Javagal Srinath (236) and Zaheer Khan (311) are the India pacers. Overall, among 65 bowlers to take at least 200 wickets, Ishant is the fifth-slowest bowler in terms of innings bowled in to the milestone having taken 114 innings. Among India bowlers, Zaheer, who took his 200th Test wicket in his 116th innings, is the slowest.1 Number of times before R Ashwin an India spinner had taken 20 or more wickets in an away series from three or fewer matches. Anil Kumble had played three Tests in the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2003-04 and had taken 24 wickets at an average of 29.58. Ashwin’s 21 wickets in this series are the most by an India bowler in a Test series between India and Sri Lanka, beating Kumble’s 20 wickets in the 2005-06 home series.37 Number of wickets by India’s spinners – equal the most they have taken in an away Test series with three or fewer matches. Before this, they had taken 37 wickets in a three-match series England in 1971.1985 Last time before this as many as 27 wickets fell to fast bowlers in a Test at the SSC. On that occasion as well, the same two teams were involved. The only time when a Test at the SSC had more wickets taken by fast bowlers than this one was in 1983-84, when the hosts were playing against New Zealand. The 27 wickets taken by fast bowlers in this Test equal the fourth-highest in a Test in Asia since 2000.18.09 Ashwin’s bowling average – the best for an India spinner to take 20 or more wickets in an overseas series. Earapalli Prasanna, also an offspinner, had taken 24 wickets at 18.79 apiece in a four-Test series in New Zealand which was the previous best. Including Ashwin in this one, there are only 12 instances of an India spinner taking at least 20 wickets in an away series.2 Number of wicketkeeper-batsmen to make two fifty-plus scores on debut before Kusal Perera in this Test. The last one to do this was also from Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal got two fifties against South Africa on his debut in Durban in 2011. The first one to do achieve this was India’s Dilawar Hussain against England in Kolkata in 1934. Kusal is also only the second Sri Lanka batsman after Chandimal to get two fifties scores on debut.125 Runs by Kusal in this Test – the fifth highest in a match by a batsman batting at No. 7 on debut. Romesh Kaluwitharana had made 136 on debut against Australia, the highest for Sri Lanka. The highest such score by any batsman was also made against India: Moises Henriques got 149 runs on debut for Australia in Chennai in 2013.135 Runs added by Kusal and Mathews for the sixth wicket – the second-highest partnership in the fourth innings of a Test at the SSC and only the 11th century stand in the fourth innings at this ground.2 Century stands for Sri Lanka’s sixth wicket in the fourth innings of a Test before the one in this match. The last such stand also involved Mathews: in 2011 Mathews and Mahela Jayawardene had added 142 runs in Galle against Australia. The first and the highest such partnership was between Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga against Zimbabwe at the SSC in 1998 when they added 189 runs in an unbroken stand.

This was almost as timely a knock for Angelo Mathews as it was for his team, because in comparison to his mind-melting 2014, his returns across formats this year had been a little underwhelming

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Pallekele05-Jul-2015Perhaps it’s because Angelo Mathews’ team-mates have spoken so much about his capacity to absorb pressure that they have lately begun to treat him like a human dishcloth. In recent years, Mathews is the man forever mopping up top-order spills, wiping down tailenders’ nervous sweats, and occasionally serving as the improvised bandage that delays bloody death and makes the corpse a little more presentable. His conversion rate remains poor but, but typically, his Sunday half-century may be the most valuable innings of the series from a Sri Lanka blade. He didn’t so much score his runs, as wrestle Pakistan for them.This was almost as timely a knock for Mathews as it was for his team, because in comparison to his mind-melting 2014, his returns across formats this year had been a little underwhelming. Last year Mathews was no ordinary dishcloth. He was one of those state-of-the-art drying fabrics manufactured as a byproduct of a space programme – the kind with which you could wipe a child’s face and wax your entire car with in one sweeping motion. His year contained innings like his second-innings firefight in Abu Dhabi in January, his history-making heist at Headingley, and a few vital hands that kept Sri Lanka kicking in the home series against South Africa.When he arrived at the crease on Sunday, Rahat Ali swinging and darting, Pakistan surged and chuffed, Mathews seemed completely oblivious to the state of a scorecard that read 35 for 3. Seeing an overpitched delivery first ball, he eased it down to the straight fence. He was beaten occasionally early on, but that means less to Mathews than it does to other batsmen. His batting is unfazed by these little failures. Each ball exists in its own universe. He had 11 runs at a run-a-ball to begin his innings, and when Pakistan pressed harder, he moseyed two from the next 23. His second four, following this fallow patch, and separated from his first boundary by 46 balls, was a vicious pull, hit clean as you like, in front of square for four.His defusing of Yasir Shah was made mostly of stubbornness. Mathews is a firm believer in the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” line of reasoning. Occasionally, as with some of his fields, he believes in not fixing things even long after they are broken and are being sold for spare parts by an unregistered pavement vendor. Against Yasir on Sunday, he had decided not to play any shots while the bowler was coming strong. Other batsmen had tried this ploy before in the series, but Mathews was perhaps alone in not abandoning it after a few close calls. Coming around the wicket, Yasir spun a few so hard out of the rough, the ball evaded Mathews’ outstretched pad and passed a hair’s breadth from the stumps. But still, delivery after delivery, he kept showing Yasir leg. Totally uninterested in this, Yasir became frustrated as the afternoon went on. He moved back to over the wicket, and away from that rough.Even following a modest tour, Mathews’ average remains stratospheric as captain, at 72.87, second only to the Don (minimum 10 matches). There are serious tactical shortcomings in his leadership, but there are not many who set an example so powerfully. Mathews not the best candidate for captaincy, he is the only candidate. He has already had an unofficial warning for slow over rates in the P Sara Test, so Sri Lanka fans should now be terrified. The prospect of any other young player having the reins for even one match is frightening – on par with having Genghis Khan babysit your children.As has been repeatedly observed over the past two years, Mathews manages to draw good performances from the men he bats with. Jehan Mubarak, who along with Upul Tharanga, has made important contributions in a low-scoring match, was in an 81-run stand with Mathews, that raised Sri Lanka from 80 for 4.”It’s very easy actually to bat with Angelo,” Mubarak said. “He says if you have a positive option – take that. I was 9 off 40 balls at one stage. I was asking him whether I had to do anything. Do I need to turn the strike over a bit more? He said:  ‘If you are comfortable with defence, don’t worry. Runs will come. But if you do have a shot, go for it if the ball is in your zone.’ I did it after a while and I felt lot more comfortable.”Now almost 300 runs ahead, Sri Lanka are well-placed to begin an earnest push for victory. When Pakistan ran hot in the morning, it didn’t seem impossible the hosts would be skittled for a double-figure score. As in many Tests before, Mathews’ dishcloth act has been the difference.

Newcastle United could look to the summer transfer window to bolster the depth in their squad ahead of their return to Champions League football next season and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Goncalo Inacio?

According to Spanish news outlet AS, Newcastle are one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio.

As per the report, the Magpies are in the race with Liverpool and Arsenal to sign the player who has a €45m (£39m) release clause, and whilst his Portuguese club is keen to hold on to him, there is potential for Inacio to make a move to the English top-flight this summer.

Will Newcastle sign Goncalo Inacio this summer?

Whilst Eddie Howe will be thrilled with the huge progress his current squad has made over the last 18 months, there is certainly an opportunity to strengthen a number of key roles on the pitch ahead of next season.

The North East club finished impressively in fourth last season which has enabled them to qualify for Champions League football for the first time in over two decades, so it will be an exciting new challenge for the Magpies but will require adding depth to ensure they can compete to the best of their ability across multiple competition.

As a result, the signing of Goncalo Inacio is a great opportunity to add a quality option for Howe in his defensive set-up, and he could even become the perfect heir for Fabian Schar.

The 21-year-old Portuguese talent – dubbed "underrated" by Zach Lowy – ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers in the Men's Next Eight Leagues over the last 12 months for assists, shot-creating actions, progressive passes, progressive carries and successful take-ons, demonstrating that he is an incredibly attacking-minded ball-playing defender.

When comparing his output last season with that of Newcastle titan Schar, the youngster already has outperformed his fellow defender in a number of key attributes including pass completion rate (89.6% v 69%), percentage of dribblers tackled (56.1% v 50%), successful take-ons (85% v 60%) and aerial duels won (60.2% v 51.7%).

Indeed, it is highly unlikely that Howe will be keen to break up the centre-back partnership that Schar and Sven Botman have quickly developed as the duo had the joint-best defensive record in the entire Premier League last season alongside Manchester City, conceding just 33 goals in total.

Having said that, there will be many occasions when Newcastle require rotation and a fresh perspective in the back line next season, as well as a prospect for the future, so if Newcastle can beat their competitors to the signing of Inacio it would be a great piece of business for the future of the squad.

After the incredible highs of smashing Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad, last week was a real downer for Tottenham Hotspur.

First, the North Londoners drew at home to Serie A side AS Roma, and while that’s not necessarily the end of the world, it was the manner in which it happened that hurt the most, a last-minute equaliser after having ample chances to put the game to bed earlier.

Then, despite taking the lead once again and being a man up for the last 15 minutes or so, they drew with Fulham in the Premier League, which was the fourth game in all competitions that the club have dropped points at home this season.

Premier League

Fulham (H)

1-1 (D)

Europa League

AS Roma (H)

2-2 (D)

Premier League

Man City (A)

4-0 (W)

Premier League

Ipswich (H)

2-1 (L)

Europa League

Galatasaray (A)

3-2 (L)

So, with a game away to the high-flying Bournemouth to come tonight, Ange Postecoglou has plenty of decisions to make, and one of those is dropping arguably the team’s best performer from Sunday afternoon.

Spurs' best performer against Fulham

So, the truth is that the list of best performers on Sunday afternoon for Spurs is tiny, with perhaps only a few names on it.

However, one of those names is certainly Timo Werner, who actually looked reasonably effective at times, providing the assist for Brennan Johnson in the second half, creating two big chances and earning himself a 6/10 match rating from journalist Alasdair Gold, who claimed he was the ‘most threatening of the front three.’

Yet, if Postecoglou wants to give his team the best chance of picking up all three points against the Cherries this evening, he must boldly drop the German international, for as good as he was, he still wasn’t good enough to help his team win the game.

Moreover, while his form has certainly improved in recent weeks, the former Chelsea ace still has the capacity to seriously underwhelm when it matters most, and his tally of one goal and three assists in 16 appearances this season is hardly good enough to demand his continued selection, especially not when there were far more dangerous players on the bench against the Cottagers.

The player Ange must start vs Bournmouth

So, with Johnson being his most effective off the right and Son Heung-min being even more disappointing than Werner against Fulham, the ideal candidate to start off the left against Bournemouth is Dejan Kulusevski.

Now, it’s certainly true that he’s more experienced off the right, but with his Welsh teammate now a nailed-on starter in his old position and there being few, if any, genuine options off the left, it almost feels like the manager must start the Swede there.

Moreover, the former Juventus star is undoubtedly one of the club’s most technically gifted and naturally talented players and has some experience playing off the left from his time in Italy.

Furthermore, as talent scout Jacek Kulig points out, the 24-year-old is an absolutely “world-class” player, and as this season has shown us, he’s more than capable of transitioning to a new position within the team.

For example, of his nine goal involvements this season, the Stockholm-born maestro has produced seven of them from midfield, showing that he is incredibly adaptable.

Appearances

20

Starts

13

Minutes

1300′

Goals

2

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.45

Minutes per Goal Involvement

144.44′

Ultimately, if Postecoglou wants to give himself and his team the best chance of winning tonight, he needs to ensure he’s starting his best and most inform players, which means Kulusevski simply has to start, even if its off the left.

Spurs wasted £38.6m on Mourinho dud who's earning more than Van de Ven

The talented defender’s move to Spurs has been a disaster.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2024

Pakistan racked up an astounding 728 for 4 for the entire match as the Test ended 21 overs early

Tristan Lavalette08-Mar-2022Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq hit centuries on a tedious fifth day to again grind Australia’s attack into the ground on a benign Rawalpindi pitch, as the first Test petered out to a stale draw.Dominating a mostly dull final day, as the historic series-opener inched towards an inevitable stalemate, Pakistan finished at an almost effortless 252 for 0 with Shafique 136 not out and Imam unbeaten on 111. The Test ended 21 overs early after both teams agreed to mercifully put this match out of its misery.Pakistan racked up an astounding 728 for 4 for the entire match, as Australia unsuccessfully resorted to using nine bowlers, including rarely tried Usman Khawaja with the last over of the match.In-form Imam and Shafique were intent on gaining a psychological edge heading into the second Test starting on March 12 on a wicket labelled as “dead” by Steven Smith and is set to be further put under the microscope post-match.Australia toiled for just four wickets – one was a run-out – across 239 overs with skipper Pat Cummins their only quick to have success in the match.Having nervously sat through tea on 99 not out, after being unable to notch his milestone off part-time spinner Travis Head’s last three balls before the break, Shafique scored off the first ball he faced on resumption to bring up his maiden Test century in his third match.Imam survived on 94 when replays showed he inside-edged a Nathan Lyon delivery to short leg only for Australia to resist reviewing the not out decision – the second time in the match the batter had been reprieved by Cummins’ reluctance to call for the DRS.The left-hander shortly after became the 10th Pakistan batter to score centuries in each innings of a Test to cap a remarkable performance, where he started as a borderline selection having endured a modest 11-Test run previously after debuting four years ago.Imam-ul-Haq cuts off the back foot•Getty ImagesAustralia mostly went through the motions during numerous sleepy passages of play, as David Warner attempted to summon much-needed excitement with rather dubious dance moves between overs. It failed to spark his teammates, however, as Australia continued to be thwarted by Pakistan’s batters much like when they spent 162 overs in the field during the opening two days.Sticking with their preferred pace-heavy attack, Australia jarringly failed to create opportunities even when taking in consideration the graveyard of a pitch for bowlers. Their brains trust will undoubtedly ponder whether to bring in a second specialist spinner in Karachi – either uncapped legspinner Mitchell Swepson or left-arm orthodox Ashton Agar, who played the last of his four Tests in late 2017.With question marks over their attack, quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood – who returned in place of Ashes hero Scott Boland – may have been auditioning to retain their spot.A patchy Starc conjured occasional reverse swing in the first innings, while Hazlewood had been typically miserly throughout the match but rarely threatened. They only bowled 12 overs combined in the second innings as Australia sought to provide a modest workload for their quicks given the congested three-Test series is played over just three weeks.The heavy lifting was left to Lyon, who finished with 1 for 236 off 78 overs, having started the Test optimistically with rampant turn on the opening morning proving fool’s gold as the pitch moulded into a road.Even though their conservative batting in the first innings set in stone this slow-moving clash, an undermanned Pakistan were the moral victors with an almost flawless batting display while their attack outbowled Australia’s star-studded bowlers.Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali wrapped up Australia’s innings early on day five with the wickets of Cummins and Lyon to finish with a career-best 6 for 107 marked by eking out Smith and Cameron Green with defensive bowling late on day four.Indefatigable Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was the standout quick in the match, was rewarded with the wicket of Starc to finish with 2 for 88 from an energetic 30 overs.Australia will be encouraged by their fight back with the bat to almost reach Pakistan’s mammoth first innings of 476 for 4 although none of their batters scored a century. They also lost 6 for 52 after appearing favoured to take a first innings lead after such a strong start, where Australia’s top four notched half-centuries in an overseas Test for the first time since 2008 in Delhi.With the series deadlocked, Australia will at least feel considerably match hardened after no warm-up matches, as they dust off the cobwebs in their first overseas Test tour since the Ashes in 2019.After so much anticipation for the series, the first between the teams in Pakistan since 1998, the pitch rendered the historic occasion to an anti-climax with everyone involved hoping conditions in Karachi will be much more conducive for a result.

Lamine Yamal gave a measured reply when speaking about the racist abuse he received during October's Clasico against rivals Real Madrid.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Yamal was racially abused by Real fansBarcelona star tried to ignore chantsWonderkid wants to focus on enjoying lifeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

In a recent interview, Barcelona sensation Yamal delivered an impressive and composed response when asked about the racist abuse he faced during October's Clasico against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, showing not only his mental resilience but also a level of wisdom beyond his years.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Videos surfaced on social media showing 17-year-old Yamal, along with Raphinha and Ansu Fati, allegedly being subjected to racial abuse by some Madrid fans during Barcelona's 4-0 win. In response to the incident, Real Madrid launched an investigation, with Vinicius Jr. publicly condemning the abuse and expressing his solidarity with the affected players.

WHAT LAMINE YAMAL SAID

In a recent interview with DAZN, Yamal was asked about the incident and how it had affected him. In reply, the youngster came up with a wonderful answer.

"I think if we had lost, maybe I would have thought, 'Why are they saying this or that to me?' But in the end, it's about enjoying life," he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

"When someone insults you, maybe they were raised that way or didn't receive the right values. Therefore, I think you should ignore it and move on."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LAMINE YAMAL?

Yamal was on song on Tuesday, in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Benfica, setting up the opener for Raphinha before scoring a stunning curler to help Barcelona progress to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 aggregate win. Hansi Flick will be expecting more of the same from the teenager when the Catalans travel to the Metropolitano Stadium to take on title rivals Atletico Madrid in a top-of-the-table La Liga clash this Sunday.

A Sky Sports presenter has revealed she is recovering from a brain infection after fighting cancer.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Sky Sports presenter battles cancerThen gets brain infection as wellSends message on social mediaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Emma Saunders posted on social media that she was treated for thyroid cancer at the start of the 2024/25 season. Now, she has said "life took a bit of an unexpected turn" as she recovers from a brain infection called encephalitis.

AdvertisementWHAT EMMA SAUNDERS SAID

She wrote on Instagram from her hospital bed: "Hi folks unfortunately life took a bit of an unexpected turn a couple of weeks ago and I’m now off work while I recover from Encephalitis – an infection of the brain. I hope it wont be long until I’m back to see out the end of 2024/25 – especially after missing part of the start of the season before this when I was treated for Thyroid cancer.

"So, as I spend time now recovering and rebuilding again – I just wanted to thank my family & friends for their rock solid support, my colleagues at Sky for their patience allowing me the time to heal, and our wonderful NHS for their extraordinary kindness and care. And of course you @wrstill just for being you & being there for me."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Saunders also thanked boyfriend and Lens manager Will Still for his support during this difficult time. She and Still are sure to hope the presenter is back fit and healthy as soon as possible.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Saunders, who is a lifelong Watford fan, will likely be keeping a keen eye on how the Hornets get on against Millwall in the Championship on Saturday.

Manchester City are currently on an unthinkable run of poor form. Pep Guardiola’s side have not won in their last six games, and their best result in that time was a 3-3 home draw against Feyenoord in the Champions League. They threw away a 3-0 lead in that game, conceding all three goals in the final 20 minutes.

The Cityzens did not win a single game in November, and face an incredibly tough trip to Anfield in the first game of December. It certainly seems like their current run could extend into the final month of the year.

There have been some incredibly disappointing individual performers in this winless run.

City’s worst performers in November

One of the players who has struggled the most over the past month is Josko Gvardiol. The defender has looked far from his best, making some clumsy mistakes which have not helped the Cityzens on this lean run they are on.

One of the Croatian’s worst games on this run came against Sporting in the 4-1 loss in the Champions League. As per Sofascore, he gave away a penalty and won just three from 11 duels as City were taken apart by a side coached by Ruben Amorim, who has since made the move to Manchester United.

Eling Haaland has also been a player who has struggled to perform at his best. Although the deadly Norwegian striker has incredibly high standards, he has scored just three goals in this run of six games without a win and was an unused substitute for one of those games. Two of those strikes came against Feyenoord, and the blame certainly cannot be put onto Haaland for the draw against the Dutch side.

Opposition

Result

Competition

Minutes

Goals

Tottenham

2-1 defeat

Carabao Cup

N/A

N/A

Bournemouth

2-1 defeat

Premier League

90

0

Sporting

4-1 defeat

Champions League

90

0

Brighton

2-1 defeat

Premier League

90

1

Tottenham

4-1 defeat

Premier League

90

0

Feyenoord

3-3 draw

Champions League

90

2

Another of Guardiola’s most trusted players, Phil Foden, is also in poor form. It has been a disappointing campaign for the England international as it is, but he has just one goal involvement in the last six games.

He is someone who needs to get back to his very best in order to help City get back to winning ways.

Arguably City’s worst player in this run of form has been goalkeeper Ederson, however, who has seen his career at the Etihad Stadium spiral.

Why Pep's "best signing" must now be sold

The Brazil international was once considered Guardiola’s “best signing” as City manager. At least, that is what Dominic Farrell told the Manchester Evening News in October 2021. A little over three years on, however, and things are not so easy for the City number 31.

He has played 16 times this season, conceding 25 goals and keeping just three clean sheets. Shockingly, Ederson is just 15 goals away from equalling his worst season in terms of goals conceded for City, which is currently 40 in 2021/22, across all competitions.

This run of poor form for the Cityzens has seen the Brazilian let in 15 goals in five games, an average of three per game. Like Haaland, he was an unused substitute in one of the games on this winless streak.

The past week has been particularly poor for the former Benfica goalkeeper. He let in four goals against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, before conceding three against Feyenoord; there could certainly be a case to be made that he was at fault for all of the goals against the Dutch side.

Ederson must surely be feeling the pressure right now, and his place in the starting lineup is far from a guarantee. The £100k-per-week star could well be replaced by Stefan Ortega.

Last season, Guardiola described Ortega as “one of the best goalkeepers I’ve seen in my life”, following a superb one-on-one save against Spurs that essentially won City the Premier League.

After strong links to Saudi Arabia last summer, the Cityzens’ number 31 might well be a target again in January or the 2025 summer window. If this lean run of form continues, it does not seem out of the question that City sell him, given they have Ortega as a more than capable option.

A huge amount is resting on City’s trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday. The legendary Spanish manager may decide to drop the Brazilian in favour of Ortega or could keep the faith in the man who has served him so well over the years.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

Whatever the case, Ederson certainly needs to regain the form he showed over his first seven years at the Etihad Stadium, or could be sold in ruthless fashion.

As bad as Ederson: Pep must ditch 5/10 Man City star who lost the ball 13x

The Man City ace struggled to make an impact vs Feyenoord

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 27, 2024

Test greats become legends in their own lifetimes, even as news of Shane Warne’s death casts launch in strange light

Cameron Ponsonby07-Mar-2022Ian Botham is sitting next to old friend Viv Richards as they unveil the new Richards-Botham Trophy that England and West Indies will now compete for in Test cricket. And with a press conference, a photo-op, and a handshake, they have officially done it. They have been immortalised, not for the first time, in their own lifetimes.After the press conference, Richards is asked if part of his friendship with Botham was down to the fact that took their games to a level that only the other could relate to and understand.No, comes the answer. He was attracted to the person before the cricketer. That there was a magnetism about Botham. And that he, Botham, was like Richards.Yeah, geniuses attract other geniuses.In all, it’s a strange, if nice, event that celebrates the friendship between two men, and honours them as cricketers. It’s easy to roll your eyes at gestures that are meaningless in the greater scheme of things but, on an individual level, there’s no doubt it means a lot to the two men being honoured. An act that rekindles the fires behind two names that are greats of the game, not just among the best.

“We made our first-class [County Championship] debuts together in 1974 against Lancashire at Taunton. And that was really the start of what was, well, it was there already, but to take it to the levels that it did.”Ian Botham

And people love that stuff. In 2016, we named our club’s third XI trophy after a former player. It’s still his WhatsApp profile picture. It’s nice to do nice things.What’s more, Viv and Beefy’s relationship is worth celebrating as two people who found home comforts in someone from the other side of the world. They are each other’s Irish pub on the beachfront in Benidorm.”We made our first-class [County Championship] debuts together in 1974 against Lancashire at Taunton,” Botham says. “And that was really the start of what was, well, it was there already, but to take it to the levels that it did. He is the godfather to my son and you know it’s a special relationship and these things don’t come along very often.”The event celebrated a friendship, but it also mourned the loss of another, with the uncomfortable balance of two men being immortalised while addressing the death of a friend running throughout.Related

Our retro T20 XI? Sobers, Richards, Bradman… oh, wait

1981: Botham, Willis, Brearley, magic

Why Headingley 1981 is a work of art

It was the press conference of one man (Botham) who had just lost a close friend and has unsurprisingly spent 48 hours thinking about what those around him really mean to him. And another (Richards) who was sitting next to a friend in mourning and wasn’t quite sure how to pitch it. Who really knows how to react in such circumstances.At one point Richards – who, as fate would have it, turns 70 today – made a joke about how the news about Shane Warne had him “checking my shoulder, you know – what’s coming next”.One person laughs. In fact, they find it hilarious. The rest of the room is trying to work out if they think it’s appropriate, let alone funny, but this guy is deep into a hero-worship laugh. The type your boss gets for saying, “oh, half-day is it?”, when a colleague walks in two minutes late.At one point, Botham is asked about the omission from the Test squad of Stuart Broad and James Anderson. And within an answer that eventually concludes that he thinks they will be back, he says, “Look, you move on. Time moves things on. You’ve got to look forward to the future and we can’t go on forever.”It’s a fine and sensible message. It’s just a bit of a peculiar one to emerge at a ceremony that is commemorating the past with a newly unveiled trophy, while at the same time celebrating a lifelong friendship and the memories of a recently deceased friend.And yet, there is a difference between living in the past and celebrating it. And through doing the latter, things do live on and legends and legacies remain. Otherwise, none of us would be here at the unveiling of the Richards-Botham Trophy. And that guy definitely wouldn’t have been laughing at Richards’ awkward joke.

Manchester United’s transfer strategy has been questioned, with the Red Devils told they should have signed “guarantee” of goals Harry Kane.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Red Devils were heavily linked with strikerInvested in alternative attacking optionsStill lacking a spark in final third of the fieldFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

England captain Kane saw a big-money move to Old Trafford speculated on across several windows during his time at Tottenham. No deal was ever done, with Spurs reluctant to do business again with a Premier League rival.

AdvertisementGetty THE BIGGER PICTURE

United, as a result, were forced to explore other avenues. They invested £72 million ($92m) in Rasmus Hojlund when luring him away from Atalanta in 2023, but have seen the 22-year-old Dane register just 23 goals through 78 appearances – with only 12 of those efforts coming in the English top-flight.

DID YOU KNOW?

Joshua Zirkzee is another forward that has failed to deliver on expectations, with five goals recorded on the back of a £36.5m ($47m) transfer, and United continue to count the cost of not pushing harder for Kane – who has maintained a stunning strike rate since linking up with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

GettyWHAT GARY PALLISTER SAID

Former Red Devils defender Gary Pallister, speaking in association with , told GOAL when asked what the recruitment priority for United needs to be in the summer of 2025: “A centre-forward! [Ruben] Amorim has said that himself.

“We need a centre-forward. I don’t think Zirkzee is a centre-forward, he likes to play in the 10 and a bit deeper. I don’t think he can lead the line. Rasmus, you can’t fault him for his effort – he puts a shift in, runs into channels. He’s finding it hard. He needs a bit more guile to his game.

“We can’t afford to wait to see if Rasmus is going to be the real deal. It’s a struggle for him at the moment and we need somebody that can come in and is a proven goalscorer. Who that is, I’m not quite sure. There has been talk of the guy at Sporting [Viktor Gyokeres], the guy at Napoli [Victor Osimhen].

“I think they definitely missed a trick not signing Harry Kane a season-and-a-half ago. We knew he was a proven goalscorer in the Premier League and with what they have been wasting of late, he would have been an absolute guarantee of scoring goals.”